Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Federal Government has approved the pensions for retired aviation workers after almost 22 years of waiting. In a statement shared by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) via its official X account on Tuesday, the Agency said that the Ministry of Aviation has confirmed that disbursements will begin soon, with a pledge to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the process. “The Federal Government has approved the long-awaited pensions for retired aviation workers, bringing long-overdue relief to thousands who served in the sector. This decision follows years of advocacy by unions pushing for justice for retirees, especially from defunct national carriers.…

FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a brother, friend, and a true patriot whose life was defined by unwavering commitment to the nation. In a personally signed statement, Babangida expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the former head of state and two-term civilian president, saying the news was received with a heavy heart. “Our paths crossed in 1962 when we both joined the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna,” he recalled. “From those early days, Muhammadu stood out quiet yet resolute, principled yet…

THE Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has attributed the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries to some federal government workers to a technical network glitch experienced during salary processing, particularly affecting accounts domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc. In a statement issued on Friday by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director (Press and Public Relations), the OAGF acknowledged recent complaints by employees across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) who have yet to receive their June salaries. “The OAGF is currently working closely with the relevant service providers and stakeholders to ensure that the failed payments are…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has warned that rising input costs across key sectors could spark a new wave of consumer price inflation, as businesses continue to absorb cost pressures that may soon become unsustainable. This was disclosed in the June 2025 Purchasing Managers’ Index report released by the apex bank. According to the report, the input price indices for the composite economy, as well as for the Industry, Services, and Agriculture sectors, exceeded their respective output price indices during the review period. The development, the CBN noted, signals mounting pressure on business margins, with firms currently absorbing costs rather…

MINISTER of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa says the Federal Government has pegged the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions at 16 years. Mr Alausa spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2025 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. ”This policy decision reflects a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness. 16 years is non-negotiable,” he said. He noted that provisions existed for clearly documented and justified exceptions like gifted children with accelerated educational progress. He warned institutions against attempting to circumvent the rule by altering age records, stressing that such acts would attract sanctions. The…

IN a significant policy shift, the United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that all Nigerian applicants seeking F, M, and J category nonimmigrant visas, typically granted to students and exchange visitors must now make their personal social media profiles public as part of a tightened visa vetting process. The new requirement, which took effect immediately, was announced on Monday via the mission’s official account on X (formerly Twitter). “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public,’” the…

THE Federal Government has arraigned Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, The government arraigned the female lawmaker on Monday on six counts bordering on alleged cybercrime against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator pleaded not guilty and Justice Mohammed Umar granted her bail on self-recognition. The judge adjourned the case to September 22, 2025 for commencement of trial. Applying for bail, her counsel, Roland Otaru (SAN), had requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition as a Senator of the Federal Republic…

THE National Youth Service Corps has denied extending the service year of a Lagos corper, Rita Uguamaye, also known as Raye, for criticising the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This newspaper reports that Raye became an Internet sensation following her public criticism of the present administration, which she described as worsening economic conditions. Uguamaye had, in a viral video shared on her TikTok account, @talktoraye, expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting the high inflation and economic hardship. Uguamaye had also criticised the President by describing him as a “terrible leader” while questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate the…

THE Federal Government has suspended two personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over attempts to procure international Passport for an inmate. The suspension was announced in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Umar Abubakar. Abubakar, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, described the incident as a misconduct “detected through the automated passport application and other holistic reforms within the Nigeria Immigration Service.” He also said the detection of the misconduct was as a result of interagency collaboration in the Ministry of Interior. Abubakar who explained that the incident happened a fortnight ago, added…

THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed an agreement for the implementation of the Startup Hub Project with Chief Consultant, Consortium of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd., Intem Consulting Inc. and Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd, engaged by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the execution of the project. It could be recalled that on 10th April, 2025, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, while Mr. Yuzurio Susumu, Chief Representative of JICA Nigeria Office signed on behalf of the Japanese government to foster innovation, support…

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against investing in Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT. In a statement on Wednesday, the Commission flagged the duo as unauthorised crypto assets, adding that the promoters or issuers of Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT were not registered to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian capital market. It also noted that the cryptocurrencies were not approved for issuance to the public. “Preliminary investigations revealed that ZUGACOIN and SAMZUGA GPT are Meme coins. Meme coins generally have no use case, intrinsic value, or tangible projects backing them. “Any attributed value to meme coin…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 11 new cases of Lassa fever, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease this year to 143. According to the agency’s latest situation report, the new cases were recorded in week 23 of 2025 in Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, and Taraba states. One healthcare worker was also infected during the same period. The NCDC noted that the current case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 18.9 per cent, up from 17.8 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024. “This year’s CFR is concerning as it indicates a higher fatality…

THE Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, on Monday said that the ongoing salary crisis affecting federal tertiary institutions was caused by a rushed and uncoordinated migration from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). Ogunjimi, who spoke at an interactive session in Abuja with vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and heads of regulatory bodies, said the migration failed to follow established technical guidelines, resulting in delayed salary payments, irregular third-party deductions, and unremitted pension contributions. “Failure to comply with the recommendation to prepare a trial payroll for the remaining two…

MULTICHOICE Nigeria’s subscription revenue fell to $197.74 million (ZAR3.5 billion) in the full year ending March 2025 from $355.93 million (ZAR6.3 billion) in the corresponding period of 2024. The decline was driven by a churn in its Nigerian customer base amid high inflation and deteriorating economic conditions. “Sizeable customer losses in Nigeria as high inflation adds more pressure on consumers,” it said. Inflation stood at 23.71 percent in April 2025. Since its financial year ended March 2023, the pay-TV provider has lost 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria. The country accounted for 77 percent of the 1.8 million total subscribers lost…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the National Open University of Nigeria is not inferior to other universities in the country. Obasanjo said this on Monday when he played host to some of the university’s officials who came on a courtesy visit to confer on him the Alumni Award member. The former president initiated the resuscitation of NOUN on April 12, 2001, during his first term of office. Obasanjo also got his PhD from NOUN after he left office. The former president added that he had firsthand experience with the standard of the institution, hence his declaration. He noted that…

THE suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, will appear in court on Tuesday, as summoned. This was confirmed by her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), on Sunday. Idahosa, however, expressed uncertainty about whether the Federal Government planned to arraign her on Tuesday. He said that whatever the plans of the Federal Government, Akpoti-Uduaghan, as a law-abiding citizen, would comply with the court’s directives. The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan, alleging that she made defamatory statements during a live television broadcast and a private telephone…

THE Federal Government has announced plans to deploy seven million smart meters through its Presidential Metering Initiative, aiming to eliminate estimated billing and reduce revenue leakages. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday. Speaking on the second anniversary of Tinubu’s administration, Verheijen stated that the smart meters would end collection losses for most on-grid customers who are currently unmetered. She explained that the meter deployment is part of the administration’s efforts to improve the commercial value chain of gas-to-power. “There…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday set aside a judgment of the Federal High Court in Kano which nullified the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission and the local government election held on October 26, 2024. A three-judge panel, led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, said the Federal High Court did not have the power to hear cases about state electoral bodies and their members. It said these matters should be handled by the Kano State High Court. The Court of Appeal allowed the three appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered a suspension of student visa processing as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up vetting of their social media, according to an internal cable. The latest move, which will affect international students including Nigerians, a major source of revenue for US universities, after Rubio rescinded hundreds of visas and the Trump administration moved to bar Harvard University from admitting any non-Americans. The move will affect the migration phenomenon known as Japa which has been popularised by Nigerian youths leaving the country in their droves for economic prosperity and job security in faraway…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted three days of moderate-heavy rainfall in 14 States across the country. The States predicted to experience the heavy downpour are: Bayelsa, Rivers, parts of parts of Delta, Ondo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Abia, Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger. The forecast period, according to the heavy rainfall forecast bulletin by the agency, is Wednesday 28 to Friday 30th May. The agency while noting that strong winds may accompany the rains, added that there are prospects of flash flooding as a result of the expected moderate to heavy rainfall. It…