Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Senate has said that the Federal Capital Territory was excluded from the proposed state police arrangement because it does not have a governor or a State House of Assembly. According to the Senate, the FCT remains directly under the administration of the Federal Government. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, gave the explanation on Friday while answering questions over why the FCT was not included in the constitutional framework for the establishment of state police. Adaramodu said the administrative structure of the FCT was fundamentally different from that of the 36 states, noting that…

File photo: Femi Otedola Otedola Strengthens Lot In First HoldCo, Acquires More Shares Worth N18bn Billionaire investor and Group Chairman of First HoldCo Plc, Femi Otedola, has further consolidated his controlling position in the financial services group following an insider transaction worth N18.11bn on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited. According to an official regulatory disclosure filed with the NGX on Friday, August 7, 2026, Calvados Global Services Limited, an entity closely tied to Otedola, acquired an aggregate of 138,041,465 ordinary shares of First HoldCo Plc on Thursday, August 6, 2026. The transaction involved ordinary shares of First HoldCo…

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has invested more than N1.6 trillion in network infrastructure since the beginning of 2025 as mobile data revenue overtook voice earnings for the first time, underscoring the growing demand for digital services across the country. The telecom operator said the massive investment was aimed at expanding network capacity, improving service quality and preparing its infrastructure for rising internet usage driven by increasing smartphone adoption and greater reliance on digital platforms by consumers and businesses. Speaking in Lagos, the company’s chief executive officer, Karl Toriola, said the company invested N620.5 billion in the first half of 2026…

Alaafin Lauds Oyo Passport Office Approval, Calls for Residents Full Patronise  By Elegbede Abiodun … office would also offer biometric capture and documentation services to residents in both rural and semi-urban communities of the state The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has commended the autonomy granted to the Oyo Passport Office, describing the development as a major step towards decentralising critical government services and bringing passport services closer to residents. Oba Owoade also urged residents of Oyo and neighbouring communities to patronise the facility rather than travelling to Ibadan or Ilorin to process their international passports. The…

Elegbede Abiodun The royal father said the presence of a fully autonomous passport office in Oyo would contribute to grassroots development. The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has commended the autonomy granted to the Oyo Passport Office, describing the development as a major step towards decentralising critical government services and bringing passport services closer to residents. Oba Owoade also urged residents of Oyo and neighbouring communities to patronise the facility rather than travelling to Ibadan or Ilorin to process their international passports. The monarch made the remarks through a high-powered delegation led by a member of the…

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the signing of a 15-year gas supply agreement for the proposed UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project. The agreement, which guarantees the supply of 200 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/d) to the project, was signed during the NOG Energy Week in Abuja. The Wet Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement was executed by the NNPC/Seplat Energy Joint Venture and UTM FLNG Limited. The agreement is expected to provide the gas feedstock required for the project and remove one of the major outstanding issues…

L-R: Korede Demola-Adeniyi, Executive Director, The Alternative Bank (AltBank); Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State & former Minister of Works and Housing, and Abubakar Suleiman, Non-Executive Director, Sterling Financial Holdings Company PLC at AltBank’s ‘Beyond Interest’ event focused on capital, innovation and the future of wealth in Lagos… recently. The Alternative Bank (AltBank), on Thursday, hosted investors, entrepreneurs, wealth creators and institutional decision-makers to a private intelligence forum held in Victoria Island, Lagos. Themed ‘Beyond Interest’, the forum was convened to advance the case for non-interest finance as a practical route to mobilising patient capital into Nigeria’s productive…

Digital solution provider, Globacom, recorded the highest Internet subscriber growth among Nigeria’s major telecom companies for the month of May. Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Nigeria’s total Internet users increased to 157 million in May, up from 154.3 million in April. That is a growth of 2.67 million users in one month. Globacom led the market by adding about 1.2 million new Internet subscribers. This means Glo was responsible for almost half of all new Internet users in May. The company’s subscriber base grew from 15.5 million in April to 16.8 million in May. Airtel came second with…

The Executive Governor of Zamfara State; His Excellency Dr Dauda Lawal has reaffirmed his administration’s firm policy of refusing to negotiate with or yield to criminals operating in Zamfara State. On Thursday, the governor visited Bungudu Local Government Area to offer condolences to affected families, the emirate, and the community following a recent bandit attack that left many grieving. The visit commenced at the palace of the Emir of Bungudu, His Royal Highness Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, where Governor Lawal outlined the state government’s ongoing efforts to maintain security and restore peace in Zamfara. He stated: “I am here to express…

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has unveiled a N20 billion Healthcare Fund aimed at providing affordable, long-term financing to hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic centres, pharmacies and other healthcare businesses across Nigeria. The fund, announced at the bank’s inaugural Healthcare Summit in Lagos, is designed to address the persistent financing challenges facing private healthcare providers while supporting expansion, medical equipment acquisition, infrastructure development, working capital and technology investments. Speaking at the summit, FCMB’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yemisi Edun, represented by the executive director, Corporate Services and Service Management, Felicia Obozuwa, described healthcare as both a social necessity and…