Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Central Bank’s Liquidity, For December, Drives 38% Increase In Dollar Inflows By Elegbede Abiodun This change believed to have been largely driven by heightened activity by the CBN in the foreign exchange deals. Dollar supply rebounded by 38 percent month on month in December 2025 as increased foreign exchange sales by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) helped support market liquidity, data from FMDQ showed. Total foreign exchange inflows into the FX market rose sharply by 38 percent month on month to $2.8 billion in December 2025, marking a rebound from the much steeper 67 percent contraction recorded in…

CAF effects change of referee for Nigeria-Algeria clash, Senegalese takes whistle By Elegbede Abiodun This match will start by 5pm Nigerian time. The Confederation of African Football has named Senegalese referee Issa Sy to officiate Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria in Marrakech. CAF had initially appointed Omar Artan for the encounter but withdrew the appointment amid growing tensions surrounding officiating decisions at the tournament. Sy, having served as the Video Assistant Referee during the group-stage match between Morocco and Tanzania, is no stranger to the 2025 AFCON. The appointment is expected to calm nerves…

INEC Amupitan prepares tech-driven polls for 2027 Elections By Elegbede Abiodun He gave five non-negotiable pillars that will guide the Commission’s work. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has pledged that the 2027 General Election will be free, fair, transparent and technologically driven, declaring that the Commission will tolerate no misconduct in the electoral process. Speaking in Lagos at the 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat of the Commission, held from January 9–10, Amupitan said INEC was preparing for a rapidly evolving electoral landscape and must rise to the expectations of Nigerians. “We gather…

Lagos, Africa’s tourism hub by 2026 — Report … says the development was from Government’s commitment to the creative sector. Lagos State has been named as one of the seven art destinations to visit in 2026, according to a report by Artsy, the leading global online Art Marketplace. The city was described as “a banner biennale in West Africa’s preeminent art capital.” This was contained in a statement signed and released by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Friday. According to an article titled “7 Art Destinations to Visit in 2026” published in artsy.net by…

Nigeria to expect more US strikes over Christians killings ~ Trump In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, United States President Donald Trump signalled that the US could undertake multiple military strikes in Nigeria if violence against Christians persists. Trump, asked whether the December 25 military operation against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria marked the start of a broader campaign, said, “I’d love to make it a one-time strike… but if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.” The US strike, which Washington described as targeting Islamic State affiliates at…

Ahead of 2027 election race, Tinubu allocates N1.01tr to INEC INEC has required for adequate funding to ensure credible elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been allocated a staggering N1,013,778,401,602 in the 2026 budget presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The allocation, one of the largest in the commission’s history, comes as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. This is contained in the details of the 2026 Appropriation Bill released by the Budget Office of the Federation. President Tinubu had presented a 2026 Appropriation Bill of N58.18 trillion to the National Assembly. The…

LG Electronics Nigeria Issues Consumer Alert on Counterfeit TVs, Reinforces Promise of Quality LG Electronics Nigeria is urgently warning the public about counterfeit televisions currently circulating in the market, following disturbing online videos showing unauthorized individuals packaging non-LG TVs in fake LG cartons and labels. These counterfeit products are not manufactured or distributed by LG Electronics Nigeria or any of our approved partners. They present serious risks to consumers, including substandard performance, electrical hazards, and the complete absence of an LG warranty or support. “We are deeply concerned by the spread of these counterfeit TVs and the potential harm to…

Manny Ita The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have announced that mobile network operators and commercial banks have collectively refunded over N10 billion to consumers following an increase in failed airtime and data transactions. This disclosure was made by the NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, who noted that the refunds were facilitated pending the final approval of a new joint regulatory framework. According to a statement released on January 8, 2026, by the NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, the initiative is the result of extensive engagement with stakeholders to…

Manny Ita The Federal Government of Nigeria officially launched the nation’s first National Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (NAICE) at the University of Jos on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Unveiled by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, during the university’s 50th convocation ceremony, the facility is designed to transition Nigeria from a passive consumer of technology to an active contributor in the global AI ecosystem. The Minister emphasized the strategic importance of the center, stating, “The centre will support our efforts in strengthening research, skills, and innovation, and positioning Nigeria as a serious contributor to…

Manny Ita ​Lexus has officially introduced the eighth-generation 2026 Lexus ES, signaling a major strategic shift by moving the best-selling luxury sedan to an exclusively electrified lineup. For the 2026 model year, Lexus has discontinued all traditional internal combustion engines, offering instead a range of hybrid and battery-electric (BEV) options. The new lineup includes the ES 350h hybrid, which features an upgraded 2.5-liter powertrain producing 243 horsepower, alongside the brand’s first-ever all-electric ES variants: the front-wheel-drive ES 350e and the high-performance, all-wheel-drive ES 500e. The ES 500e utilizes Lexus’s “DIRECT4” intelligent torque distribution system to deliver an estimated 338 horsepower.…