Author: Maimuna Bashir Isa

THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that improving the rate at which children are breastfed exclusively for the first six months can save the lives of 520,000 children in the next 10 years. The Chief Nutrition Officer of UNICEF, Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Ngozi Onuora, stated this in a goodwill message at a Community Dialogue on Zero Water, Exclusive Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) advocacy and sensitisation programme organised by the wife of Cross River State governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu through her NGO, Humanity Without Borders Empowerment Initiative in collaboration with the state Primary Health…

THE Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Futuretech to promote Nigeria’s cultural products and creative talent globally through the ‘Destination 2030; Nigeria Everywhere’ initiative. The MoU outlines a comprehensive collaboration framework focusing on strategic planning, global communications and creative leadership including stakeholder engagement and events activation. Under the agreement, Futuretech will serve as the brand custodian for the Destination 2030; Nigeria Everywhere initiative, ensuring consistency in messaging and brand integrity across all platforms. At the MOU signing, the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa,…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the petition to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has not met requirements. In a terse statement on Thursday, the electoral commission said the petition did not meet the requirements of the constitution. “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” INEC wrote on its X handle. In an updated statement, INEC cited Section 69(a) of the Constitution, which stipulates that a petition to recall…

NIGERIA Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said henceforth it will suspend, fine and carry out other regulatory actions against foreign airlines who sell tickets to passengers only to airlift them halfway their destinations and deport them back to Nigeria. It stated that it had received several complaints about the issue that has caused pain to travellers. The NCAA, in a statement, said these actions, which involve the refusal of boarding/entry of intermediate/ transit stops to some Nigerians due to visa/travel restrictions, are causing significant distress to passengers and tarnishing the reputation of the aviation industry in Nigeria. The statement signed…

THE Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa has expressed gratitude to Arise Group for recognising 65 Women Making Impact and has praised Nigerian women for breaking gender barriers. Musawa made this known at a gala night held at Eko Hotel, Lagos on Monday, to honour a remarkable group of Nigerian women to mark International Women’s Month. Receiving her award from former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Minister Miusawa emphasized the strength and resilience of women, citing their ability to be both sensitive and courageous. Musawa hoped that her achievement would inspire young girls across Nigeria…

THE fate of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, will be determined within the next 90 days, this newspaper gathered on Monday. Constituents from her senatorial district had last week submitted a recall petition against her to the Independent National Electoral Commission. INEC is currently in the process of verifying the signatures submitted by petitioners. To proceed with the recall, the petition must be signed by more than half of the registered voters in the Kogi Central District. If this requirement is met, the commission will conduct a referendum within 90 days from the petition’s receipt. According…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 3,465 suspected cases of Lassa fever, 645 confirmed cases, and 118 deaths across 91 Local Government Areas in 33 states between January and March 2025. The number of deaths recorded represents a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.3%. Unfortunately, 20 healthcare workers have been infected—8 in Ondo, 4 in Bauchi, 1 in Edo, 2 in Taraba, 1 in Ebonyi, 2 in Gombe, 1 in Benue, and 1 in Ogun states. The NCDC added that treatment centers are experiencing manpower shortages, and many patients delay seeking care, often resorting to self-medication…

“We’re Recalling Her For Gross Misconduct, Abuse Of Office”, Constituents Insist THE Independent National Electoral Commission has received the petition of constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District for the recall of the suspended Senator representing the District in the National Assembly. The petition was submitted with over 250,000 constituents’ signatures, out of about 480,000 registered voters in Kogi Central, which meets INEC’s requirement of 50 per cent plus one. The petition, presented by Ms. Charity Ijese, on behalf of the constituents, was received at the INEC headquarters, by the Commission’s Secretary, Mrs. Rose Anthony, on Monday morning and stamped accordingly.…

LACK of funding exacerbated by President Donald Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid will affect the supply of lifesaving food to treat 80, 000 children suffering from acute forms of malnutrition in Nigeria within the next two months, the United Nations Children’s Agency said on Saturday. According to the organisation, a total of 1.3 million children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition risk losing access to lifesaving support this year in Ethiopia and Nigeria. “Without new funding, we will run out of our supply chain of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Food by May, and that means that 70,000 children in Ethiopia that depend…

ABOUT N1.7 trillion in revenue by the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has been shared by the federal, state and local governments in February 2025.  A statement by the Director (Press and Public Relations), Bawa Mokwa on Saturday, said a total sum of N1.678 trillion was shared in the month under review. The revenue was shared at the March 2025 FAAC meeting held in Abuja. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and attended by the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi. The total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion…

THE former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Monday, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to retrieve her seized assets from their buyers. The former minister specifically requested that the court direct the anti-graft agency to recover the seized properties from the individuals or entities to whom they were sold. Alison-Madueke made this request through an amended application filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), before Justice Inyang Ekwo. She sought an order to set aside the EFCC’s public notice, which served as the basis for the…

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles over non-payment of ground rent for more than 40 years. In the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape, a total of 8,375 property owners have not paid ground rent in the last 43 years. This was made known in a press briefing by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Director of Lands, Chijioke Nwankwoeze. “It should be noted that the FCTA has…

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced the suspension of Centurion Registrars Limited, along with its directors and sponsored individuals from the capital market. The suspension was announced by the commission in a statement titled “Additional Enforcement Measures on Erring Capital Market Operators.” The SEC stated, “All clients of Centurion Registrars are advised to contact Africa Prudential Plc for guidance.” This action is part of the commission’s broader efforts in 2025 to crack down on capital market operators it deems illegal. In a related update, the commission also said it will publish the names of Capital Market Operators who…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that 1,319 people have died in the country’s ongoing diphtheria outbreak. The agency disclosed this in its latest situation report from the National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), published on its official website. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It primarily affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, where the bacterium produces a toxin that can lead to severe complications, including breathing difficulties, heart failure, and nerve damage. According to the NCDC, more than 42,000 suspected cases have been recorded across 37 states since…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has assured that he will implement recommendations of the upcoming national youth conference that will enhance national development, his Senior Special Adviser on Citizenship and Leadership, Rinsola Abiola, has said. Abiola, who was a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief monitored by News Point Nigeria on Friday, said President Tinubu convoked the conference to give the youth opportunity to contribute to governance of the nation. She said, “This is the very first time in our history that we’re having a conference specifically dedicated to young people. So, this time around it is to have…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has sounded the alarm over the growing trend of illicit transactions involving banknotes, urging immediate intervention to curb the practice. CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, made this known at the Bank’s Security Workshop held in Abuja on Thursday, where security and law enforcement agencies gathered to address the issue. Cardoso disclosed that recent mystery shopping exercises conducted in major commercial hubs, including Abuja, Asaba, Awka, Benin, Ilorin, Kano, and Ibadan, uncovered disturbing instances of Naira commoditization and abuse. “A critical concern that arises from these transactions is an illegal act and a premium charged on…

THE Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated MOFI to unlock and monetize the vast, untapped potential of the Federal Government’s tangible and intangible assets, driving economic transformation and growth in the cultural and creative sectors. At the ceremony which took place at the Bank of Industry House, the  Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Dr. Armstrong Ume Takang said that the Memorandum of Understanding between MOFI and the ministry will awaken the nation’s creativity and heritage and activate its dormant…

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday restrained the Federak Govt through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from taking any administrative steps against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited following its DStv and GOtv price increases. Justice James Omotosho issued the order in an ex parte motion filed by MultiChoice’s lawyer, Moyosore Onibanjo (SAN), against the FCCPC in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/379/2025. The FCCPC had summoned MultiChoice Nigeria to provide explanations regarding the price review. The Commission had directed the company’s Chief Executive Officer to appear for an investigative hearing on February 27, 2025, raising concerns over frequent price…

NIGERIA and China are set to collaborate on a groundbreaking partnership to boost the tourism and creative sectors. The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, HE Yu Dunhai, met with the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, in Abuja on Tuesday, to discuss the exciting opportunities for collaboration. The Chinese ambassador highlighted numerous areas of untapped opportunities which will be of economic benefit to both countries including partnerships on training and capacity building, as well as offline and online training programs to enhance tourism promotion. “China would like to explore opportunities for cultural exchange, allowing Nigerian…

MINISTER of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has reiterated the urgent need for economic and social investments in women’s empowerment. The minister, who stated this, at the weekend, during a symposium to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day organised by Nigerian Exchange Group Plc., in collaboration with Central Securities Clearing System Plc., under the theme, ‘Accelerate Action for all Women: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment in Lagos’, said that investing in women’s empowerment would ultimately drive national development. In her keynote address, she highlighted the economic and social benefits of gender inclusivity, stating that providing women with…