Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE World Bank on Wednesday said despite the economic reforms of the Federal Government, 139 million Nigerians still live in poverty. News Point Nigeria reports that the World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, stated this at the launch of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) report in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Verghis commended the government for taking some steps in stabilising the economy through recent policy reforms. He, however, warned that more needs to be done to ensure better living standards for Nigerians. “Over the last two years, Nigeria has tremendously implemented bold reforms — notably around the exchange…

AS part of moves aimed at restoring Nigeria’s global reputation, the Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill that would strip Nigerians convicted of crimes abroad of their international passports for a minimum of 10 years. News Point Nigeria reports that the bill, sponsored by Senator Abubakar Bello (Niger North), seeks to amend the Passport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, introducing tough penalties designed to deter criminal conduct by Nigerians overseas and repair the tarnished image of the Nigerian passport. Leading the debate on the floor, Senator Onawo Ogwoshi, speaking on behalf of the sponsor, described the bill as imperative and compelling, underscored…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a new set of operational guidelines for agent banking, placing a daily transaction cap of ₦1.2 million per Point-of-Sale (POS) agent nationwide. The move, according to the apex bank, is part of broader reforms to enhance financial system stability, curb abuse of POS services, deepen financial inclusion, and protect consumers. The directive, contained in a circular numbered PSP/DIR/CON/CWO/001/049 and signed by Musa Jimoh, Director of the Payments System Management Department sighted by News Point Nigeria, takes immediate effect. Under the new rules, all agent banking activities including cash-in, cash-out, transfers, bill payments,…

THE Federal Government has flagged off the campaign for measles, polio, HPV immunisation vaccines, and other neglected tropical diseases interventions across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the event was held on Monday at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital. It aims to eliminate measles by the year 2030 through strengthened routine immunisation, enhanced surveillance and outbreak response, integration of measles and rubella initiatives into primary health care, and promotion of innovative technologies. With 16 million children expected to be vaccinated during the exercise, the integrated campaign targets children between the ages of…

FIRST Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for urgent action to tackle the worsening shortage of teachers in the country and across the globe, describing the situation as a major challenge to education and national development. In a statement to mark World Teachers’ Day 2025, themed “Focusing on the Global Teacher Shortage,” sent to News Point Nigeria, Mrs. Tinubu celebrated educators as “true heroes, shaping minds, nurturing dreams, and guiding generations,” and urged governments, policymakers, and communities to give the teaching profession the respect, attention, and investment it deserves. The statement, released on Sunday and made available to Channels Television,…

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has raised alarm over the country’s worsening doctor-to-patient ratio, describing it as “unacceptable and dangerous,” while announcing new measures to safeguard doctors’ wellbeing and ensure safer healthcare delivery. In a statement issued on Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary received by News Point Nigeria, NARD lamented that each doctor in Nigeria currently attends to 9,083 patients on average, a figure it said is “far from global best practice.” The statement, signed by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim, also revealed that…

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has withdrawn the registration of 101 medicines and health products, declaring them no longer approved for manufacture, importation, distribution, advertisement, sale, or use in Nigeria. In a statement on Tuesday sent to News Point Nigeria, the agency explained that some of the products were voluntarily withdrawn by their market authorisation holders, while others were suspended or cancelled by NAFDAC. A suspension applies when the conditions under which a licence was issued are no longer met, while a cancellation occurs when the agency revokes a licence entirely. The delisted products…

THE Federal Government has declared Wednesday, October 1, 2025, a public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary. The announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani received by News Point Nigeria, on Monday in Abuja. Dr. Tunji-Ojo congratulated Nigerians at home and abroad on the historic milestone, urging them to continue upholding the values of patriotism, unity, and resilience that have sustained the country since 1960. He further called on citizens to remain steadfast in supporting…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has officially announced a reduction in the fare for the 2026 Hajj exercise, pegging the cost between N8.1 million and N8.5 million, depending on the pilgrim’s departure zone. The development comes weeks after the commission unveiled a tentative fare of N8.5 million, pending consultations with stakeholders and final approval from the Federal Government. In a statement released on Saturday made available to News Point Nigeria, NAHCON explained that intending pilgrims from the Maiduguri-Yola Zone covering Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, and Taraba States will pay N8,118,333.67. Pilgrims from other northern states will pay N8,244,813.67, while…

A PROFESSOR of Counselling Psychology at the National Open University of Nigeria, Fidel Onjefu Okopi, has said that psychological counseling must not be confined to schools and offices but is a serious requirement in our everyday life. According to a statement issued on Thursday made available to News Point Nigeria, and signed by Ibrahim Sheme, NOUN’s Director of Media and Publicity, Okopi, a staff of the NOUN’s Faculty of Education, stated this in the NOUN’s 37th Inaugural Lecture delivered by him, which held at the university’s conference centre on Thursday, September 25, 2025. In the lecture, titled, “From Heart to…

THE British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, has declared that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms, though painful, are beginning to yield tangible results that are transforming the country into a magnet for foreign investment. Speaking in Abuja during in an interview, Montgomery revealed that British investors are showing unprecedented interest in Nigeria, with bilateral trade between both countries already soaring to a record £7.9 billion (₦16 trillion). According to Montgomery, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda including monetary policy adjustments, subsidy removal, and fiscal tightening is attracting long-term capital into Nigeria’s key growth sectors such as technology, finance, energy,…

NIGERIA’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.23 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the second quarter of 2025, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The latest figure shows an improvement from the 3.48 per cent growth recorded in the same quarter of 2024, indicating continued recovery and resilience in the economy. According to the report obtained by News Point Nigeria, the agriculture sector grew by 2.82 per cent in real terms during the period under review, an increase from the 2.60 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2024. The industry sector…

THE Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has restored electricity supply to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) following an intense public outcry over a power blackout that reportedly caused the deaths of patients on life support in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). In a statement made available to News Point Nigeria, KEDCO confirmed that power to AKTH’s main campus was reconnected and assured the public that the hospital remains on a top-priority 33kV Zaria Road feeder, which it said enjoys an average of 22 hours of electricity daily under Band A service. However, the company also used the opportunity…

THE Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) has issued an urgent plea to the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) to immediately restore power supply to the hospital following an abrupt disconnection that has reportedly led to the deaths of several patients on life support. In a statement signed by Hauwa Inuwa Dutse, Head of the hospital’s Information Unit, AKTH management expressed deep sorrow over what it described as a “preventable tragedy.” “The management of AKTH is saddened by the death of some patients in critical care after KEDCO abruptly disconnected the entire hospital from electricity supply over pending bills which the…

THE Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has moved to reassure stakeholders that the ongoing process to appoint the institution’s next Vice-Chancellor will be transparent, fair, and merit-based, urging the public to disregard social media reports suggesting otherwise. In a statement issued on Thursday made available to News Point Nigeria, and signed by Ibrahim Sheme, NOUN’s Director of Media and Publicity, the Council dismissed online speculations claiming that a potential candidate for the top job had been disqualified because their name was not included on a congregation list. “The names of members on the so-called congregation…

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned all domestic airlines operating in the country to an emergency meeting in Abuja to address persistent flight disruptions, unresolved refunds, and poor passenger treatment. NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday made available to News Point Nigeria, noting that the meeting will hold on Wednesday at the authority’s headquarters in Abuja. According to Achimugu, the regulatory body intends to confront airlines with critical issues that have sparked widespread passenger complaints and public outrage. “The NCAA has invited all domestic airlines to a…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu may give priority to ambassadorial postings in G-20 countries when he unveils his long-awaited list of nominees, according to one of his spokespersons, Dr. Daniel Bwala. News Point Nigeria reports that Bwala, writing on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, explained that the delay in announcing Nigeria’s new ambassadors was due to funding challenges affecting the country’s foreign missions. He however assured that the matter would soon be resolved. According to him, the President’s likely strategy is to ensure that Nigeria strengthens representation in G-20 countries, given their pivotal role in global economic affairs and their…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released an updated assessment of the devastating floods that have swept across Nigeria in 2025, confirming 231 deaths, 607 injuries, and 315,762 people affected nationwide. The floods, which have inundated communities in 86 Local Government Areas across 25 states, have also left 114 persons missing, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes. According to NEMA’s latest 2025 Flood Dashboard published on Saturday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the scale of the disaster has disrupted livelihoods, destroyed homes, and deepened humanitarian needs in affected regions. The agency reported that at least 113,367 people…

THE Federal Government has approved a fresh allocation of ₦1,854,277,768 to fund the education, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the Chibok schoolgirls rescued from Boko Haram captivity. The Ministry of Education, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade made available to News Point Nigeria, said the intervention will sustain the Chibok Girls Rehabilitation Programme through 2027. The package covers tuition, accommodation, vocational training, psychosocial support, and other welfare services for the freed girls, who remain under federal care more than a decade after their ordeal. “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President…

THE Federal Government has issued a fresh flood alert, warning that 107 local government areas across 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are at risk of severe flooding between September 1 and September 15, 2025. The advisory, released on Monday in Abuja by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) made available to News Point Nigeria, is based on projections from the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, real-time hydrometric data, river stage forecasts, and satellite monitoring. According to the statement signed by NiHSA’s Director-General, Mr Umar Mohammed, more than 631 communities and over 50 critical infrastructure points, including highways and…