THE Federal Government has approved N4bn for conditional cash transfers to vulnerable households in Nigeria. During the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan at the United Nations House in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwada, announced the interventions aimed at addressing the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis. This initiative is expected to support at least 10 million displaced households, primarily targeting the most vulnerable members of society. The cash transfer programme is set to commence in February and continue through April, focusing on alleviating the immediate needs of families…
Author: Amina Ibrahim
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THE leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch has taken another jibe at Nigeria, saying she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.” Speaking on Saturday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed. “And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience. “I don’t want Britain to lose what…
AS part of the activities marking 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), 3 Brigade Chapter, led by its Zonal Coordinator, Mrs Zainab Tukur Mohammed, presented food items to widows of fallen heroes, that made ultimate sacrifices in their brave service to their fatherland. Mrs Tukur who made the presentation on 15 January 2025, at 3 Brigade NAOWA Nursery School Premises, Kano, urged the widows of the fallen heroes to be strong and courageous, adding that, the presentation was in line with the vision of NAOWA President, Mrs Mernan Oluyede, to reach out to…
CONCERNS about the effectiveness of the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing (RHH) scheme sparked a heated exchange among lawmakers during a budget defense session with the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development. Legislators questioned whether the scheme was reaching ordinary Nigerians who are the intended beneficiaries. The session, which focused on the ministry’s 2024 budget, saw some lawmakers asking about the distinction between the RHH project and the National Housing Program. Presenting a budget that cited over ₦6 billion as internally generated revenue, the Minister of State, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata admitted his confusion, saying “I’m yet to understand…
NIGERIA’s headline inflation rate jumped up to 34.80% in December 2024 from 34.60% in November 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. The apex government data agency made this known in its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report which measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services. A report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the increase was due to December festive period increases in demand for goods and services. According to the NBS, on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.87% higher than the rate recorded in December 2023 (28.92%). This…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is seeking additional funding from the Federal Government in preparation for the 2027 general elections. This was revealed by the commission’s Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu while appearing before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Friday, to defend the commission’s 2025 budget proposal. Prof. Yakubu explained the need for additional funding to support key areas of INEC’s work. He listed the areas needing the funding to include the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, logistics for off-cycle elections, replacing damaged election materials like Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS), Ballot…
THE Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with 20 Nigerian words and expressions in its latest update. The newly added entries include popular terms like “japa,” “agbero,” “eba,” “419,” and “abi,” among others. These words, deeply rooted in the everyday lives of Nigerians, highlight the influence of Pidgin English, street slang, and cultural expressions that are increasingly gaining global recognition. Notably, some of the words, such as “japa” and “jand,” appear as both nouns and verbs in the dictionary. Pronunciation guides have also been provided to assist non-Nigerians in accurately articulating the words. A Nigerian English consultant to the…
POETVOCATE and Pan africanist, Maryam Bukar Hassan, has been listed among the 100 Most Reputable Africans for 2025. She is recognised for her impactful work as a poet, social entrepreneur, and advocate, championing peace, social justice, and maternal health across Africa. Also known as Alhanislam, Maryam Bukar Hassan is a distinguished speaker, advocate for gender equality and a dynamic voice in the global fight against systemic oppression. Alhanislam has made significant strides in amplifying the narratives of marginalized communities, particularly women. The LEADERSHIP Newspapers’ 2021 Artist of the Year was born in Nigeria. Alhanislam’s journey into advocacy was deeply influenced…
GHANA was in a frenzy mood when President John Mahama was sworn in in Accra, the capital of the country, on Tuesday. At the centre of attraction was 73-year-old newly sworn-in Vice-President Professor Jane Opoku-Agyemang. Opoku-Agyemang made history as the first elected female VP in the country’s history. The inauguration was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye; Burkina Faso’s leader Ibrahim Traore; Kenyan President William Ruto; President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon’s Brice Oligui Nguema and other dignitaries across all walks of life. At the ceremony, Mahama, who served as president…
GERMANY has launched a new online platform to simplify the visa application process for Nigerians seeking to work, study or join family members in the country. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the online visa application portal as a positive development that will help the country meet its demand for skilled workers. “Every year, Germany is short of at least 400,000 skilled workers. 400,000 clever minds and even more agile hands to keep our country running – in the skilled crafts sector, in the care sector, in tech companies. Our national economy is also in a global competition to attract…
THE Economic of West African States (ECOWAS) has described terrorism allegations against Nigeria and other member states by Niger Republic as “unfounded”, saying it is solidly behind its members. Niger Republic had accused Nigeria and other ECOWAS members of colluding with France to destabilise the country. However, ECOWAS in a statement on Thursday described the allegations as “unfounded”. “The Commission of the Economic and West African Staes (ECOWAS) expresses deep concern over allegations being made against Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states. “The Commission stands firmly by Nigeria and ECOWAS member states against allegations that they are sponsoring terrorism. “For…
THE Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has revealed that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, is set to submit a memo to the Federal Executive Council regarding their demands to harmonise the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years. Additionally, Pate and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, plan to submit a joint memo to the Presidential Committee on Salaries, advocating the universal application of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical lecturers. MDCAN recently embarked on a seven-day warning strike on November 18 to push for these demands. The strike,…
THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has revoked lands belonging to former President Muhammed Buhari, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Also, 759 other prominent figures and organisations in Maitama II, Abuja. were also affected by the revocation which was for non-payment of Certificate of Occupancy. This was contained in a publication by the FCT Administration and made available to News Point Nigeria by the Special Adviser to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka. In a separate publication, the minister also threatened to revoke lands…
THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), will likely meet with the Senate today (Thursday) for a review of the Tax Reform Bills sent by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly. Following the widespread controversy that trailed the tax reforms bills, particularly with the North pushing back, Tinubu had urged for calm, saying he had directed the AGF to meet with the National Assembly to iron out the grey areas. In response, the Senate set up a panel to meet with the AGF for the assignment. However, the proposed meeting had been stalled…
THE United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has presented the certificate of inscription for the Kano Durbar Festival to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa. Dr. Hajo Sani, Nigeria’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, presented a congratulatory message in Abuja on Tuesday, acknowledging the government and people of Nigeria for the inscription of the Durbar festival as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This recognition celebrates the festival’s beauty, dignity, and unity among the people of Kano. She explained that an Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage approved the…
THE National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, on Monday, underscored the need for safe and responsible use of data to build a formidable digital economy ecosystem. Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said this at the 2024 Digital Nigeria Innovation Challenge organised by their subsidiary, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation, ONDI, in Abuja. The Digital Nigeria Innovation Challenge, showcased the talent and innovation of Nigerian tech entrepreneurs and reinforced the agency’s commitment to nurturing a vibrant digital community and empowering the next generation of tech leaders. Represented by Mr Oladejo Olawumi, Director, IT Infrastructure Solutions, Inuwa said that data sovereignty was…
THE President of the MAAUN Group of Universities, Prof. Adamu Abubakar, has donated the sum of $100,000 to the Islamic University in Uganda. He announced the donation while speaking as a special guest of honour during the 33rd convocation ceremony of the university held at its main campus at Mbale. The university also presented an award of excellence to Mr Gwarzo for his selfless service towards the development of the university. While presenting the award, the Council Chairman of the University, Prof. Muhammad A.S.E.A Altabtabaei from the State of Kuwait commended Mr Gwarzo for giving his all to the university.…
THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has indicated that TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) are yet to comply with tax filing requirements in accordance with Nigeria’s regulatory framework. The social media platforms were identified in a report titled “Analysis of Compliance with Laws and Misinformation Management by Social Media Platforms in Nigeria.” However, Google, LinkedIn, and Meta have met their tax compliance obligations as outlined in Part III, Sections 3–1, and Part II, Section 10 of the “Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms and Internet Intermediaries (CoP for ICSP/II).” “The report underscores the importance of the Code…
THE Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has set aside a bench warrant issued against the Former Managing Director of Assets Management Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON) Ahmed Kuru, for his absence at his arraignment on an alleged ₦76bn fraud. Justice Mojisola Dada set aside the bench warrant against Kuru after listening to the submissions and apology from his counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN). In a short ruling, the judge said, “In view of the attendance of the second defendant in court and the undertaken signed by the learned silk to ensure his attendance in court at any given time and…
THE United States Embassy in Nigeria has announced a new visa application process for immigrant visa applicants, effective from January 1, 2025. The revised procedure requires applicants with scheduled interviews to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during their application process. The embassy announced this update via its official X (formerly Twitter) page on Tuesday. “For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, you are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process,” the statement read. “This new process is designed to help you prepare for your…