Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Federal Government has confirmed the disbursement of ₦152 billion to contractors for what it described as fully verified contracts, even as protests by indigenous contractors over outstanding payments continue to disrupt activities around key government institutions. The confirmation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, and sent to News Point Nigeria, the minister said the payments were made after a thorough verification process in compliance with existing financial laws and regulations. Uzoka-Anite acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by contractors due to delayed payments and assured that the government remained…

THE Federal Government has announced the commencement of applications for the 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund Overseas Scholarship Scheme, providing opportunities for Nigerian postgraduate students to study in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Malaysia. This was confirmed in a post shared via X( Formerly Twitter) by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, sighted by News Point Nigeria on Monday. “FG has announced the commencement of applications for 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarships overseas,” the post said. According to the statement on scholarship board website, the scheme targets MSc and…

THE National Judicial Council (NJC), has recommended the elevation and appointment of the presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole for appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, disclosed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday. Babalola-Ogedengbe said the Council, at its 110th Meeting held on January 13, 2026, and presided over by, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, recommended Justice Oyewole for appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, alongside 35 other candidates for various…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the sales of registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session. JAMB stated this in a post on its X handle on Tuesday night sighted by News Point Nigeria. “UTME is open to suitably qualified candidates for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session,” the photo statement signed by its Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, read. “Registration commences January 2026 and closes March 2026 (exact dates to be announced by JAMB),” the post read, disclosing that the UTME…

AT least 21,807 foreign refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence in neighbouring countries remain unregistered in Nigeria, denying them access to food assistance, healthcare and other essential services, the United Nations has revealed. The figures, contained in the November 2025 UNHCR dashboard obtained by News Point Nigeria, show that the unregistered asylum seekers, predominantly come from Cameroon’s conflict-torn Anglophone region. The data revealed that Nigeria currently hosts a total of 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries, with 21,807 still awaiting registration by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, alongside 80,915 recognised refugees and over…

TWELVE people were killed and three others injured in a multiple-vehicle crash along the Yangoji–Abaji corridor in the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday, the Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the FRSC FCT Command’s Public Education Officer, Helen Ntaji, the incident occurred at approximately 11:45 a.m. at Gada Biyu, with the first emergency call received just two minutes later. The Zebra 6 Yangoji patrol team arrived on the scene within seven minutes. Preliminary investigations indicated that “four vehicles were involved, including a trailer, a bus, and two commercial cars. The…

US President Donald Trump has ordered the country’s withdrawal from 66 global organisations. In a press statement issued Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was taken in furtherance of Executive Order 14199, following an administration-wide review of international organisations receiving U.S. participation or funding. According to Rubio, the Trump administration concluded that many of these institutions are redundant, mismanaged, unnecessary, or actively working against U.S. interests. Others, he said, have become platforms for ideological agendas that undermine national sovereignty and divert American resources with little tangible benefit. “It is no longer acceptable to be sending these…

THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has disowned a political write-up titled “Malagi 2027,” which speculated on permutations ahead of the 2027 Niger State governorship election, a development that has resulted in the suspension of the aide who authored the piece. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday by the Special Assistant (Media) to the minister, Rabiu Ibrahim, the ministry clarified that the article was written and published without the minister’s knowledge or approval. “The write-up and all its contexts are hereby vehemently disclaimed,” the statement said, urging members of the public to disregard…

THE Kaduna Business School says it will host Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Nigeria’s leading authority in public sector turnaround, public policy, and crisis leadership, for a book-signing and interactive dialogue titled “Unlocking Leadership: Beyond the Horizon.” In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Haggai Danjuma, the event, scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the premises of the Business School in Kaduna, will focus on strategies for effective leadership in uncertainty and complex environments , drawn from his works and experience in the public sector. Danjuma revealed that the former chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA)…

THE Federal Government has formally withdrawn the criminal charge instituted against the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, bringing an abrupt end to a high-profile legal action that had attracted national attention. News Point Nigeria reports that the decision was conveyed through a Notice of Discontinuance filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, between the Federal Government and the lawmaker. Court documents sighted on Monday showed that the notice was dated December 12, 2025, and was filed pursuant to Sections 108(1), 108(2)(a) and 108(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which…

THE United States will partially suspend the issuance of certain visas to Nigerian nationals starting January 1, 2026, following Presidential Proclamation 10998 on border and national security. News Point Nigeria reports that the US Mission in Nigeria announced on Monday that the restrictions will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, under the proclamation titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.” Nigeria is among 19 countries affected by the measure, alongside Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo,…

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected female drug kingpin and prominent member of a notorious trans-border trafficking organisation, following a 20-month manhunt sparked by the arrest of the group’s former leaders. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement obtained by News Point Nigeria on Sunday. He said the cocaine trafficking cartel, previously headed by a couple, Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, was smashed in Lagos and Ogun states by the agency, with multi-billion-naira worth of the illicit drug recovered from them. Babafemi said following the arrest, Simbiat, who went…

THE Director-General of the International Centre for Islamic Culture and Education (ICICE), custodians of the Al-Noor Mosque, Wuse II, Abuja, Dr Kabir Kabo Usman, PhD, has passed away. Family sources confirmed to News Point Nigeria that Dr Usman died on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at a hospital in Manchester, England, after a brief illness. Burial arrangements, according to the family, will be announced at a later date. Dr Usman, a respected Islamic scholar, administrator and public servant, was widely known for his contributions to religious education, public sector reform and human capacity development in Nigeria and beyond. Before his role…

THE Federal Government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the export of wood and allied products, revoking all previously issued licences and permits. News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, during the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment in Katsina State. Lawal said the directive, outlined in the Presidential Executive Order titled “Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025,” became necessary to curb illegal logging and deforestation across the country. “Nigeria’s forests are central to environmental sustainability, providing clean…

FRESH revelations have emerged about the deep mistrust and tension that allegedly permeated Nigeria’s Presidential Villa during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, with his daughter, Fatima Buhari, disclosing that her father once believed his office was under secret surveillance. News Point Nigeria reports that the disclosure is contained in a newly released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by the Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, Dr Charles Omole. The book was unveiled in Abuja on Monday and offers intimate insights into Buhari’s personal life, leadership…

THE Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Saturday, declared its full operational readiness for timely and effective response to emergencies during the Yuletide season and beyond. A statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Agency declared the emergency response lines when its Director General, Zubaida Umar, led staff on a fitness exercise in Abuja. The exercise, which featured a route walk of about five kilometres, was aimed at promoting physical fitness, teamwork, and preparedness among staff in line with the Agency’s mandate as a frontline emergency coordination agency. Speaking at the end of the exercise,…

THE Federal Government has outlined fresh measures aimed at addressing fraudulent phone calls and tracking criminal activities through Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, as insecurity linked to mobile communication continues to generate public concern. Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, disclosed this while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria. According to the minister, the challenge of criminal communication is “far more technical” than it is often portrayed, noting that criminals have continued to adapt their methods despite government interventions in the telecom sector. The telecom sector has…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revised its cash withdrawal rules, effective January 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that the newly revised rules end a previous special authorisation permitting individuals to withdraw ₦5 million and corporates ₦10 million once monthly. The apex bank explained that previous cash policies had been introduced over the years in response to evolving circumstances. However, with time, the need has arisen to streamline these provisions to reflect present-day realities. In a circular released on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and signed by the Director of the Financial Policy & Regulation Department, Dr. Rita I. Sike,…

THE Senate has announced that it will on Wednesday screen the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the new Minister of Defence, describing the process as part of its ongoing response to the country’s security challenges. News Point Nigeria reports that the disclosure was made by the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement issued by his Directorate on Media and Public Affairs on Tuesday. There, he noted the importance of the screening to efforts aimed at ensuring internal peace and stability. Musa’s nomination follows the resignation of former Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed…

NIGERIA has moved to provide asylum and protection to Fernando Dias da Costa, Guinea-Bissau’s opposition presidential candidate, following reported threats to his life after last week’s military coup. The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who led ECOWAS observer team to the poll, questioned the genuineness of the coup, hinting that it was staged by President Embaló. Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional…