Author: Abimbola Daniels

Halima Ishak Of Jaiz Bank Elected Financial Secretary THE Association of Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) has ushered in a new executive council, with a strong representation from leading financial institutions, to steer its affairs for the 2026-2028 term. The election, held during the association’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos on Thursday, saw seasoned professionals from across the banking landscape elected to key positions. The newly constituted executive includes Babajide Sipe of the Bank of Industry as President; Chinwe Bode-Akinwande of FirstBank as First Vice President; Morolake Philip-Ladipo of Wema Bank as Second Vice President; Abiodun Coker of…

UNITED Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Africa’s Global Bank has launched a simplified instant account opening digital platform designed to make banking faster, more accessible, and truly borderless for customers across Africa and in the diaspora. The new platform enables prospective customers to begin and complete their account opening journey fully online, eliminating the traditional barriers of paperwork and initial branch visits. With this innovation, UBA continues to strengthen its leadership in digital banking and financial inclusion across the continent. Through the new platform, customers can start their onboarding journey via the web by simply selecting their preferred language and…

THE Lagos State Government has defended its decision to demolish structures in Makoko and other communities, saying the action is to protect lives and properties. According to government officials who featured on Ask Lagos monitored by News Point Nigeria, a weekly X-space discussion aimed at creating engagements between the Government and residents, the demolitions were for security reasons. At the session were Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso and Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development Olajide Abiodun Babatunde. The contentious demolitions in Makoko and other waterfront communities, they said, were essential steps toward a safer,…

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into a viral video showing a heated confrontation between Nigerian passengers and cabin crew aboard an Air France flight, following widespread complaints over alleged poor in-flight service. News Point Nigeria reports that the footage, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend, shows visibly agitated passengers engaging airline staff in a shouting match, accusing them of denying passengers drinking water and addressing them in a disrespectful manner. Although the exact date, route and location of the incident could not be immediately confirmed, the altercation reportedly caused a significant disturbance…

UBA Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility Arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has distributed essential materials worth several millions of naira and dollars as sustenance to school students, orphanages, IDP camps, and vulnerable communities across Nigeria and 19 other African nations where the bank operates. As part of its Food Bank and Giving Back drive, the bank impacted over 100,000 individuals in the communities with essential items and cash gifts, between November 2025 and January 2026, with the aim of alleviating the financial strain associated with the end of the year and beginning of the new year, underscoringb…

A QATAR Airways flight conveying 248 passengers and 12 crew on Friday night was forced to make an emergency air return to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following a technical fault shortly after takeoff. Airport sources told our correspondent on Saturday that the pilot alerted Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of a mechanical problem a few minutes after departure and requested an emergency landing, which was promptly granted. Confirming the incident in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, stated that the aircraft suffered a technical fault…

PUBLIC outrage has erupted in Lagos following the death of nine-month-old identical twins less than 24 hours after they were administered routine immunisation at a government-owned primary healthcare facility in Ojo Local Government Area of the state. News Point Nigeria reports that the twins, identified as Testimony and Timothy, reportedly received their vaccines at the Ajangbadi Primary Health Centre on the morning of December 24, 2025, but died the following day, Christmas morning, under circumstances that have sparked intense public scrutiny and demands for accountability. Their father, Samuel Alozie, popularly known on social media as Promise Samuel, alleged that the…

ON Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, Wola Joseph-Condotti stepped into a leadership role as interim Chief Executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (Eko Disco). News Point Nigeria reports that before her appointment, the seasoned corporate lawyer and energy executive was the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of the parent company of Eko Disco, West Power & Gas Limited, and has spent much of her professional life shaping the governance and operational framework of the utility. She was Eko Disco’s pioneer Chief Legal and Company Secretary, a role that placed her at the center of the company’s post-privatisation evolution. Her career…

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), aimed at regulating courier companies operating under the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterm. Disclosing this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, NCS Spokesman Abdullahi Maiwada, said the initiative was designed to establish a unified framework for various operational aspects, including registration, manifest submission, declaration, valuation, clearance, delivery, and compliance monitoring, aligning with global best practices. He said the DDP initiative is grounded in international legal standards and in line with global best practices. “This procedure draws its legal foundation from the International Chamber of Commerce…

THE Federal Government has inaugurated a ₦40 billion closed-circuit television (CCTV) control centre for the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking at the inauguration on Sunday, Minister of Works David Umahi said the project followed extensive rehabilitation works carried out on the bridge after the current administration took office in 2023. Umahi said the CCTV system, first announced in 2025, was designed to curb dangerous driving, prevent suicide attempts, and strengthen security. He added that security personnel would monitor live footage from the control centre and enforce speed limits on the bridge. “When we came…

SOLICITORS representing globally acclaimed Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, have written a formal legal notice to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, as the Lagos State Government confirmed the suspension of the doctor involved in the child’s care. The development comes amid mounting public outrage and an ongoing investigation by state health authorities into the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death in the early hours of Wednesday, January 7, 2026. In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026 sighted by News Point Nigeria, the family’s solicitors, PINHEIRO LP,…

THE Lagos State Government has ordered an investigation into the alleged medical negligence that led to the death of Nkanu Nnamdi, the 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, at a private hospital in Lagos. The toddler, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died last Thursday after a brief illness. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the death of a child as a profound tragedy. Ogunyemi said that Governor Sanwo-Olu had directed the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to immediately commence a thorough, independent…

RENOWNED Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has alleged medical negligence in the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, who died on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. News Point Nigeria reached out to Adichie’s media team, who confirmed she authored the statement detailing the incident. According to her representatives, the message was originally sent privately to family members and a few close friends. In the statement, Adichie said her son was taken to Euracare Hospital for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line, during which he was sedated but was not properly monitored after being…

THE Oxford English Dictionary has updated its glossary with some Nigerian-originated words, including “mammy market,” “nyash,” and “amala.” News Point Nigeria reports that the December 2025 update, released on the OED website on Wednesday, features more than 500 new words, phrases, and tenses. The latest update reflects the growing global influence of the nation’s language, culture, and cuisine. Other Nigerian-originated words added to its wordbook include “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.” Internet slang such as “DM”, “brainfart” and “chug” were also included. Over 1,000 existing entries were also revised, while editors explored the histories of words such…

HEIRS Energies Limited has acquired the 20.07% equity stake in Seplat Energy Plc previously held by Maurel & Prom (M&P), a transaction valued at approximately $500 million. News Point Nigeria reports that the stake, comprising 120.4 million ordinary shares, was purchased at GBP3.05 per share. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Energies, said the acquisition “reflects our strong belief in Africa’s ability to own, develop, and responsibly manage its strategic resources. It is a long-term investment in Nigeria’s and Africa’s energy future and aligns with our mission to drive energy security, industrialisation, and shared prosperity. “Seplat Energy has built a resilient,…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday attended the Grand Finale of the week-long 2025 Eyo Festival, in a white robe, a damask sash slung over his shoulder, and a distinctive hat emblazoned with bold, decorative stars. Like other revellers, the President also carried a long staff called an opambata. The colourful event, held at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, began with paying homage and presenting the festival staff to the President at his Lagos residence on Sunday, December 21. The Eyo Festival, which dates back to 1854, was held this year for the first time in eight years. The 2025…

A DUAL US-Nigerian citizen, Izunna Okonkwo, has been indicted alongside five other individuals of different nationalities over an alleged $41m stock market fraud in the United States. A statement obtained by News Point Nigeria from the United States Department of Justice website on Sunday that Okonkwo and the other defendants allegedly engaged in insider trading between June 2020 and February 2024. The statement added that the six suspects were charged on Friday for their participation in a years-long scheme to trade securities based on material non-public information. The statement identified the other defendants as Muhammad Saad Shoukat, 33; his brothers,…

AFRICA’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has released further details backing his allegation that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, spent millions of dollars on the overseas education of his children. News Point Nigeria reports that in a paid advertorial published in some national dailies, Dangote claimed that Ahmed expended an estimated $5 million on the secondary school education of four of his children in Switzerland over a six-year period. The billionaire industrialist had earlier alleged that the NMDPRA boss paid about $5 million to…

FOUNDER and President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of corruption, alleging that he spent $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland. News Point Nigeria reports that Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant, Lekki, Lagos, describing the alleged expenditure as inconsistent with a public servant’s income and a threat to public trust in regulatory institutions. Dangote said the alleged payment covered six years of secondary…

NIGERIA’s energy infrastructure suffered a major setback on Thursday following an explosion along the Escravos–Lagos Gas Pipeline (ELGP), one of the country’s most critical gas transmission routes. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) confirmed the incident in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria late Friday, noting that the blast disrupted gas supply and triggered a large-scale emergency response. According to NNPC, the explosion occurred near the Tebijor, Okpele, and Ikpopo communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Engineers monitoring the system detected a sudden pressure drop on the pipeline, consistent with a breach or…