Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

KANO State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Monday met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a development that has reignited intense political speculation over his long-rumoured defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). News Point Nigeria gathered that the governor arrived at the President’s office at about 4:13 pm, dressed in his trademark flowing white babanriga and the iconic red Kwankwasiyya cap, a powerful symbol of his political allegiance to NNPP leader and former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The visit marks Yusuf’s first known…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where he witnessed the signing of a trade agreement between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President’s return in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Saturday. The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi trip.’ The President departed Nigeria for Paris on Sunday, December 28, 2025, for the remaining portion of his annual leave. He then proceeded to Abu Dhabi for the annual summit, which ran from January…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on serving and retired personnel of the Nigerian Army, including a brigadier general killed during counter-insurgency operations in Borno State, in recognition of gallantry, sacrifice, leadership and outstanding service to the nation. The honours were presented at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day Gala Night, held on Tuesday at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja. The development was disclosed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday by the Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, who said the awards formed part of the government’s efforts to…

NIGERIA and the United Arab Emirates have scrapped tariffs on more than 13,000 goods under a landmark trade agreement designed to boost bilateral commerce, expand market access for Nigerian products, and accelerate Nigeria’s non-oil export and economic diversification drive. News Point Nigeria reports that the Federal Government announced on Tuesday that Nigeria has eliminated tariffs on 6,243 products imported from the UAE, while the UAE has removed tariffs on 7,315 products imported from Nigeria, under the Nigeria–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The details were disclosed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in an official document on…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a major step in strengthening Nigeria’s petroleum sector governance with the nomination of former Rivers South-East Senator, Magnus Abe, alongside 20 others, to the governing boards of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). News Point Nigeria reports that the President has forwarded the nominations to the Senate for confirmation, urging lawmakers to consider and approve the appointments expeditiously, given the strategic role of the two regulatory bodies in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. In separate letters read on the floor of the Senate…

THE Presidency has dismissed claims circulating on social media that a photograph showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, taken in Paris, France, was generated using artificial intelligence. News Point Nigeria reports that the photograph, released on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shows President Tinubu in a meeting with President Kagame in Paris. Onanuga shared the image on his social media platforms, while the photo also appeared on the President’s official X handle. In a post accompanying the image, President Tinubu said the engagement focused on global…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met for a private lunch on Sunday in Paris, where they discussed global affairs and strategies to propel Africa’s growth in an increasingly complex world. News Point Nigeria reports that in a post on X, President Tinubu shared that the two leaders focused on shaping Africa’s future amidst the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving global landscape. “This afternoon, I had a private lunch with H. E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to discuss the current state of world affairs and advancing Africa in an ever-changing global landscape,” Tinubu’s post read. According…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an all-out security offensive to hunt down terrorists responsible for a deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, as fresh details emerged indicating that the death toll from the assault has climbed to about 50 persons, with dozens more injured or abducted. The President directed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately track down and apprehend those behind the attack and ensure that all abducted victims are…

2026 MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A MORE ROBUST PHASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH Fellow Compatriots, I welcome you all to 2026, with gratitude to God and confidence in our collective resolve that this new year will be a more prosperous one for our nation, our citizens, and all who call Nigeria home. During 2025, we sustained the momentum on our major reforms. We had a fiscal reset and also recorded steady economic progress. Despite persistent global economic headwinds, we recorded tangible and measurable gains, particularly in the economy. These achievements reaffirm our belief that the difficult but necessary reforms we embarked…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws will commence fully on January 1, 2026, insisting that there will be no suspension or reversal of the reforms despite ongoing public debate. In a State House press statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, the President confirmed that tax laws which took effect on June 26, 2025, alongside the remaining Acts scheduled for implementation in 2026, will proceed exactly as planned. According to the Presidency, the reforms represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish a fair, competitive, and resilient fiscal framework capable of supporting Nigeria’s long-term economic…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has extended deep sympathies to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua following the tragic accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, which claimed two lives and left the boxer injured. In a statement posted on his official X handle sighted by News Point Nigeria, President Tinubu described the tragedy as casting a deep shadow on this season. “I sympathize with you and your family as you bear the emotional weight of this unfortunate incident,’ Tinubu said. “As a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, and unwavering love for our country. These are qualities that have made you a…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the cancellation of a substantial portion of debts owed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to the Federation Account, wiping off approximately $1.42 billion and ₦5.57 trillion following a comprehensive reconciliation of records between both parties. The development was contained in a document prepared by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and presented at the November meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). The report, titled “Report of October 2025 Revenue Collection Presented at the Federation Account Allocation Committee Meeting Held on 18th November 2025,” was obtained by News…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Friday assured Nigerians that the ongoing recalibration of the country’s security architecture will yield good results soon. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu spoke at a meeting with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria, led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. President Tinubu stated that his administration is committed to establishing state and community police to transform the country’s security narratives. He called on CAN to work with his administration to achieve the nation’s collective aspirations,…

PRESIDENTIAL aide and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, says the January 1, 2026, date for the implementation of the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act is sacrosanct. News Point Nigeria reports that Oyedele disclosed this on Friday in Lagos while briefing journalists after meeting with President Bola Tinubu. “The plan to commence the new laws on January 1, 2026, will go ahead as planned on schedule because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people,” he said after the meeting, which was attended by the Chairman…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has renewed his pledge to safeguard religious freedom across Nigeria, assuring citizens that his administration is firmly committed to protecting people of all faiths from violence and discrimination. He emphasized that maintaining national security, unity, and stability remains one of the government’s foremost responsibilities. In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message delivered on Wednesday sent to News Point Nigeria, the President stressed that his government will continue to uphold the constitutional rights of Nigerians to live peacefully, practise their faith freely, and pursue their goals without fear. He noted that every citizen, irrespective of religion or ethnic background,…

THE presidency on Monday weighed in on the controversy trailing the new tax laws scheduled to take effect on January 1 in the country. This comes as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations called for the suspension of the implementation of the laws. A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, recently raised concerns about what he described as discrepancies between tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made available to the public. Dasuku argued that his legislative rights…

THE Federal Government has secured the release of 130 kidnapped schoolchildren whisked away by gunmen from the St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State. A presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, announced this on his official X handle sighted by News Point Nigeria on Sunday. “Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity,” Dare said in the post on X. The post was accompanied by a photo of smiling children and a woman. Over 300 children, teachers, and other staff members were kidnapped by the gunmen who stormed the Catholic school in the early hours of November…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday depart Abuja on a three-state visit to Borno, Bauchi, and Lagos States, as part of official engagements and end-of-year activities. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s first stop will be Borno State, where he is expected to commission several projects executed by the Borno State Government under Governor Babagana Zulum, as well as projects undertaken by the Federal Government. The visit to Borno will also feature a social engagement, as President Tinubu will…

2026 Budget Speech – Budget Of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience And Shared Prosperity Presented by: His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, At the Joint Session of the National Assembly, Abuja, Friday, 19 December 2025 PROTOCOLS Distinguished Senate President, Rt. Honourable Speaker and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly, Fellow Nigerians, 1. I am here today to fulfil an essential constitutional obligation by presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill to this esteemed Joint Session of the National Assembly for your consideration. 2. This budget represents a defining…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has urged governors, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other governors, to support the proposal for the establishment of state police and implementation of local government autonomy. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu made the call at the 14th meeting of the APC National Caucus held in Abuja on Thursday. He asked governors to back the judgment of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy. According to him, it is not enough that the court has passed the judgment; allocations for local government councils must reach them directly. President Tinubu also called for greater inclusion…