NIGERIA’s headline inflation rate eased to 15.15 per cent in December 2025, capping a year marked by slowing price pressures and early signs of stabilisation across key sectors of the economy. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attributed the December figures in part to a review of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) methodology, aimed at better reflecting current economic realities. Data released by the NBS obtained by News Point Nigeria on Thursday, showed the CPI rose to 131.2 in December from 130.5 in November, indicating a moderation in the pace of price increases across the economy. On a month-on-month basis,…
Author: Khadija Abubakar
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NIGERIA has been ranked 72nd out of 188 countries in the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index, placing it among the top-performing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The annual index sighted by News Point Nigeria published by Oxford Insights assessed 195 governments using 69 indicators across six pillars, including policy capacity, governance, AI infrastructure, public sector adoption, development and diffusion, and resilience. Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index evaluates how prepared governments are to implement artificial intelligence in public service delivery, using indicators across policy capacity, infrastructure, governance, development, diffusion, and resilience. Nigeria was ranked fourth within Sub-Saharan Africa, behind only Kenya (65th),…
NIGERIANS and other travellers applying for the United States’ B1/B2 visas may be required to post bonds of up to $15,000, according to a new travel restriction by the US State Department. News Point Nigeria reports that visa bonds are financial guarantees required by the Department for certain foreign nationals from countries classified as high-risk, who are applying for B1/B2 visas for business or tourism purposes. The development further tightens entry conditions for travellers, following the introduction of partial US travel restrictions on Nigeria a week earlier. According to information published on the US Department of State’s website, Travel.State.Gov, the…
FIRST Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has kicked off the New Year with visits to new mothers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, where she welcomed the first baby of the year. News Point Nigeria reports that she described 2026 as a year of “peace in abundance” and “prosperity in abundance” for the nation, according to a statement signed by her SSA Media, Busola Kukoyi, on Thursday. Accompanied by the wife of Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima and Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Hajiya Mariya Mahmoud, among other dignitaries, she welcomed the “First Baby of…
SENATOR Godiya Akwashiki, representing Nasarawa North, has passed away at 52 in an Indian hospital. News Point Nigeria reports that he had been ill for some time and was receiving treatment India. Akwashiki, born August 3, 1973, in Angba Iggah, Nasarawa Eggon, served as Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly before becoming Senator in 2019 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was re-elected in 2023 under Social Democratic Party (SDP). A senior legislative aide to the late Senator, Ajegena Likita Ibrahim, confirmed the news to Daily Trust, describing Akwashiki’s passing as a “great…
NIGERIANS shattered records in November 2025 by consuming 1.236 million terabytes (1.24 petabytes) of mobile data, the highest monthly figure ever recorded, according to data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). News Point Nigeria reports that this marks a slight but significant increase from October’s estimated 1.235 million TB, capping a year of relentless growth in digital demand despite economic pressures and earlier subscription dips. Read also: Airtel, MTN drive 2.1m new telecom connections in November gain The November milestone extends a steady upward trajectory observed throughout 2025. Data usage climbed progressively from lower levels earlier in the year,…
THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has made four telephone numbers available to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to report uncleared refuse in their areas. This was aimed at addressing the growing waste problem in the FCT by ensuring that waste management contractors do their jobs as at when due. In a terse statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, urged members of the public to send pictures and videos of uncleared refuse to the phone numbers through WhatsApp. He said the…
THE Federal Government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns. This was disclosed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday. It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education. “After the strengthening of security architecture within and around the affected schools, academic activities have fully resumed. Students have returned safely to their campuses, with many currently concluding their December academic programmes, while others have successfully…
THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reinstated Michael Ango as the Acting Chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS). Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, said the minister also reinstated the Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo. “The Minister, who warned that acts of indiscipline will not be tolerated among officials of the FCTA, directed the Dr Danlami Hayyo and Michael Ango to resume duty with immediate effect,” the statement read. On December 5, the minister sacked Ango,…
THE Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has said that the presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Personalities is part of measures to combat rising insecurity in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that however, the media aide to the CJN, Tobi Soniyi, stated that the directive does not affect judges. Some VIPs have had the police officers attached to them withdrawn following the directive. The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, had on Tuesday stated that police orderlies attached to judges in the state had been withdrawn, warning that the…
NIGERIA is one of the beneficiary countries of $80 billion in clean technology investments by Chinese firms over the past year as they sought new markets to absorb a supply glut, according to a report by Australian research group Climate Energy Finance (CEF). Released on Sunday, the report said that many countries also deepened their cleantech cooperation with China in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, bringing China’s total overseas direct investments in green technology to more than $180 billion since the start of 2023. Chinese firms dominate supply chains for clean technologies such as critical minerals processing,…
THE Federal Government has offered a 40 per cent salary increase to academic staff in Nigerian public universities as part of renewed negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), highly placed sources confirmed on Monday. News Point Nigeria reports that the proposal was tabled before the union ahead of a fresh negotiation session with the government’s committee led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed. The latest development followed ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Sunday, where branch leaders agreed to return to the negotiation table. They are expected to…
INDIAN authorities have arrested 50 Nigerian nationals in what has been described as one of the country’s largest coordinated operations targeting a transnational drug syndicate with deep links to money laundering, sex-trafficking logistics, and encrypted narcotics distribution systems. The arrests followed months of surveillance and joint intelligence work by the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the Telangana Police’s EAGLE (Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement) unit, with additional support from law-enforcement teams in Noida, Vizag and Gwalior. According to an NDTV report on Thursday, the crackdown dismantled multiple layers of a drug-distribution network responsible for moving methamphetamine and cocaine…
A NEWLY married man, Abubakar Abdulkarim, popularly known as Dan Gaske, has been allegedly stabbed to death by his wife just three days after their wedding in Jibia town, Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State. News Point Nigeria reports that she tragic incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, November 23, 2025, has plunged the community into shock and raised questions about the circumstances leading to the groom’s violent death. Abdulkarim, who married Zainab Muhammad on Thursday, November 20, was reportedly attacked while asleep in their home at Tashar Buja Quarters, where he sustained a deep knife wound to the…
THE Bauchi State Government has announced the immediate closure of all schools across the state following heightened security concerns. The directive affects all primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, including Federal Government-owned and private schools operating within the state. The announcement was contained in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by the Information and Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Education, Jalaludeen Usman. According to him, the decision was reached after extensive consultations and in response to what he described as “overwhelming security concerns affecting the safety of students, teachers and school communities across the state.”…
THE Federal Government has released N68 billion for vaccine financing and deployed N50 billion to settle outstanding arrears for health workers. News Point Nigeria reports that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced this on Thursday at the 66th meeting of the National Council on Health in Calabar, Cross River State, themed, “My health, my right: Accelerating universal health coverage through equity, resilience, and innovation.” Pate said the N68 billion has already been credited to the account of the National Primary Health Care Agency, with the Central Bank of Nigeria set to process the funds…
THE nation’s electricity supply may face a major crisis as the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has threatened a nationwide shutdown, following an alleged attack on the staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, by armed police officers at Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation in Imo State. News Point Nigeria reports that the union, in reaction to what it described as a “brutal invasion,” has already directed its members to halt power supply operations in Imo State until further notice. NUEE said the decision became necessary after workers on duty were allegedly beaten, held hostage at gunpoint, and some…
THE Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, says Nigeria is not yet capable of producing vaccines locally. Salako spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, addressing the nation’s vaccine production capacity. When asked if Nigeria could produce vaccines now, he replied, “Unfortunately, not. One of the key elements Nigeria is driving under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Health Value Chain is to promote local vaccine development.” He explained that producing vaccines requires careful economic and technical consideration and that local production must be economically viable. “It is not enough…
THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 180 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya. The returnees, who arrived aboard an Air Libya flight with registration number 5A-BAE, landed at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. In a joint operation coordinated by NEMA’s Lagos Operations Office in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and Port Health Services, the returnees were received and profiled on arrival. A breakdown…
THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will host editors of print, online, broadcast organisations and news agencies, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), arriving from across the federation for their yearly conference, scheduled for November 12 and 13. No fewer than 500 members of the NGE, government officials, members of the business community and diplomatic corps, as well as people from all walks of life, are expected at the two-day conference to be held at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall, Abuja and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Conference Centre, Jahi, Abuja. NGE President, Eze Anaba and General…