THE Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has officially launched Operation Safeguard the Road (OSGR), a flagship programme designed to enhance the safety and quality of federal roads while creating empowerment opportunities for youths along critical road corridors. The launch ceremony took place on the Zuba-Giri-Abaji-Lokoja-Kogi State Border Road in Kwali, Abuja. According to a statement by the Director (Information/Public Relations), Hajiya Maryam M. Sanusi (Mrs.), fnipr sent to News Point Nigeria,, OSGR is strategically crafted to improve road safety, reduce travel time and costs, and provide temporary employment for youths aged 18–45 in adjoining communities. Key components of the initiative…
Author: Maimuna Bashir Isa
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FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that he bears no grudges against anyone over past political disputes or personal attacks, stressing that forgiveness, humility, and reconciliation are indispensable for Nigeria’s unity and democratic progress. Jonathan made the remarks on Wednesday evening in Abuja during a requiem mass held in honour of the late Audu Ogbeh, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and one-time National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a statement released by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze sent to News Point Nigeria, the former president described Ogbeh as a man of peace, humility, and forgiveness,…
THE Central Bank of Nigeria has raised the alarm that the abuse and poor handling of naira banknotes are significantly increasing the cost of printing and replacing them. The warning came on Wednesday during the launch of a nationwide sensitisation campaign on proper naira handling, held in Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that delivering a keynote address, the Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Dr Bala Bello, represented by the Director of Currency Operations and Branch Management Department, Dr Adedeji Adetona, stressed that the naira is more than just a medium of exchange. “The naira is more than a means of payment.…
THE Federal Government has announced the official theme for Nigeria’s 2025 Independence Day celebrations. This was contained in a statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen made available to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the theme, “Nigeria @ 65: All Hands on Deck for a Greater Nation,” indicates the need for unity, collaboration, and patriotism among government institutions, the private sector, civil society, and citizens to advance national peace, prosperity, and progress. The government said the choice of theme reflected…
WITH the 2027 general elections steadily approaching, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released fresh statistics from the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, showing that Osun State continues to top the chart with the highest number of registrants. According to data published at the end of week five obtained by News Point Nigeria, Osun recorded 678,904 pre-registered voters, making it the leading state in the nationwide exercise. INEC revealed that a total of 5,385,060 Nigerians have so far pre-registered on its online portal. Out of this number, 2,585,216 (48.1%) are male, while 2,799,844 (51.99%) are female—an indication that…
THE Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee has reduced the interest rate by 50 basis points, from 27.5 percent in July to 27 percent. News Point Nigeria reports that this followed the decision of the 12 members of the Committee at its 302nd meeting held on September 22nd and 23rd, 2025. The asymmetric corridor around the MPR was retained at +260 and -250 basis points, providing a framework for liquidity management and signaling the CBN’s cautious approach toward market volatility. CBN Governor, Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the committee’s decision to lower the monetary…
NIGERIA’s secondary schools may have to spend an eye-watering ₦1.6 trillion to meet the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)’s new Computer-Based Testing (CBT) requirements ahead of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). News Point Nigeria reports that the council recently announced that schools seeking accreditation as CBT centres must have a minimum of 250 functional desktop computers, a robust server, a local area network (LAN), CCTV cameras, and other ICT infrastructure in place before they will be allowed to host candidates. In a statement, WAEC explained that the move is part of a comprehensive plan to fully…
THE Federal Government says a total of 67,657,559 barrels of crude oil were allocated to local refining companies between January and August 2025, a figure that highlights both progress and persistent challenges in Nigeria’s effort to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum refining. News Point Nigeria reports that confirming the figures in Abuja on Sunday, the Head of Media and Strategic Communications at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Eniola Akinkuotu, said the allocation was carried out under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) framework, which compels oil producers to reserve a portion of…
THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has announced October 8, 2025, as the deadline for States Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, Commissions, and licensed Hajj Tour Operators, to remit Hajj fares ahead of the 2026 pilgrimage. Recall that the Commission had earlier announced a provisional fare of N8.5 million for the 2026 Hajj exercise, as part of early preparations for the pilgrimage, “pending final negotiations on all service contracts.” In a statement signed by NAHCON’s Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Fatima Usara, on Sunday obtained by News point Nigeria, the Commission said the deadline is in line with the…
THE World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that almost 1 billion people face mental health conditions, calling on governments to take decisive steps towards addressing them. The Director General of the Organisation, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, raised the alarm ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health slated for September 25. He warned that failure to address the health conditions would cost millions of lives and strain economies. “Non-communicable diseases include 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death. In addition, almost 1 billion people face mental health conditions. “Countries that act decisively to beat NCDS will…
MORE than 7,646 Nigerians have applied for asylum in Sweden over the past 24 years, making Nigeria one of the top five African sources of asylum seekers in the Nordic nation, according to official data obtained by News Point Nigeria from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Figures covering the period 2000 to 2024 reveal a steady and consistent flow of Nigerian asylum applications, though the numbers have remained far below those of countries facing full-scale conflict. Between 2000 and 2021, Sweden received 6,783 asylum applications from Nigerians, peaking in 2003 with 452 applications and again in 2013 with 601 applications.…
THE Federal Capital Territory chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its indefinite strike. News Point Nigeria reports that the President of the chapter, George Ebong, who disclosed this to journalists, said that members were expected to resume work on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 8am. Ebong explained that the suspension followed the intervention of the Senate Committee on Federal Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters. He, however, revealed that none of the demands of the association had been met yet. He also noted that the association was assured by the senate committee of a meeting…
THE Federal Government has taken a bold step to transform Nigeria’s burgeoning creative and cultural sector with the official launch of the Creative Economy Data Mapping Report, a landmark study providing a comprehensive, data-driven overview of opportunities across the nation’s creative value chain. News Point Nigeria reports that the report, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACCE), was unveiled on Thursday at the Creative Industries Economic Coordination and Investment Summit hosted by the British Council in Lagos. The launch coincided with the 2025 Creative Economy Week, attracting policymakers, investors, industry leaders, and creative…
THE Federal Government has announced the reintroduction of History as a compulsory subject in all Nigerian primary and junior secondary schools, in what officials describe as a major step toward rebuilding national consciousness, unity, and patriotism. The announcement was made in a statement posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday shared with News Point Nigeria. “For the first time in decades, Nigerian pupils will study History continuously from Primary 1 to JSS3, while SSS1–3 students will take the new Civic and Heritage Studies, integrating History with Civic Education,” the statement read.…
NIGERIA is at the centre of a disturbing global organ trafficking network, with over 651 kidneys worth more than N41 billion allegedly sold on the black market between 2015 and 2020, according to a leading medical expert. News Point Nigeria reports that Professor Aliyu Abdu, a renowned nephrologist at Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and consultant physician at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), made the revelation during a seminar on National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Standards organized by the Clarion Call Care Foundation in Abuja. Prof. Abdu explained that organ trafficking is a booming criminal industry globally, with an estimated 10,000…
TWO Nigerian nationals who escaped from a Nepalese prison amid a wave of violent anti-government protests have been rearrested by India’s paramilitary border force, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), in a dramatic cross-border security operation, News Point Nigeria gathered. According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Monday, the fugitives were intercepted on Saturday at Jainagar, a border town in Bihar State, as they allegedly attempted to slip back into Nepal. Authorities revealed that the Nigerians were among dozens of inmates both local and foreign, who took advantage of the chaos caused by mass demonstrations in…
RESIDENT doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have declared an indefinite strike, beginning from Monday, over what they described as the authorities’ failure to address their demands. “The Association of Resident Doctors, FCTA, at its Emergency General Meeting held on 14th September 2025, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8:00 am, Monday, 15th September 2025,” the association said in a statement by the General Secretary, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FCTA, Agbor Affiong made available to News Point Nigeria. “This action follows the failure of Management to address any of our legitimate demands, even…
THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its five-day nationwide warning strike. NARD explained that the suspension followed its virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting on September 13, 2025. The association disclosed in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Sunday that the Federal Government committed to addressing the issues outlined in the doctors’ strike communiqué, as well as the “commencement of payment of the 2025 MRTF to members who were hitherto owed. The statement signed by NARD’s President, Osundara Tope; its Secretary-General, Odunbaku Oluwasola; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Amobi Omoha, was made available…
THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced a five-day warning strike on Friday, 12 September 2025, despite assurances by the Federal Government that the action would be averted. News Point Nigeria reports that the resident doctors are medical school graduates training as specialists. They dominate the emergency wards of hospitals in Nigeria and are crucial to quality health care delivery nationwide. The group had announced that it had resolved on the strike after its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. “Arising from the NARD E-NEC meeting held on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, which extended into the early hours…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 14 political associations to proceed to the next stage of the process to become fully registered political parties, bringing Nigeria one step closer to expanding its political landscape. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed the development in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Thursday following a meeting of the Commission. Olumekun explained that INEC had received a total of 171 applications from groups seeking registration. Each was subjected to a rigorous screening process based on the provisions of Section 222 of the…