THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed airlines, airport operators and other aviation stakeholders to intensify public health surveillance measures following the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. In a circular dated May 18, 2026 made available to News Point Nigeria , the NCAA said the directive became necessary due to growing concerns over the spread of the disease and the critical role of the aviation sector in preventing cross-border transmission. The authority noted that although no confirmed case linked to the outbreak has been recorded in Nigeria,…
Author: Maimuna Bashir Isa
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THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has cleared the country of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), saying there are no confirmed cases of the disease in the country. In a public health advisory sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said, “Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease”. The advisory followed the outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a recently confirmed case in Uganda. But it said the agency and other stakeholders are “closely monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders,…
GOVERNOR Dauda Lawal has recorded a major milestone in the history of Zamfara State following the successful departure of the inaugural Hajj flight from the newly constructed Gusau International Airport. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Governor Dauda Lawal, the inaugural flight departed the airport on Friday with 415 intending pilgrims from Zamfara aboard Max Air flight NGL270 heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. The historic airlift comprised 288 male pilgrims and 127 female pilgrims, marking the first time pilgrims from the state would fly directly from Gusau to Saudi Arabia…
THE Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa Esq., has has been conferred with the status of Fellow by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in recognition of her leadership and contribution to the advancement of Nigeria’s hospitality, travel, and tourism sector. The conferrment was made by the Director-General Abisoye Fagade on Thursday, at the launch of NIHOTOUR’s nationwide registration, induction, and professional practice certificate presentation exercise for personnel, practitioners, operators, and institutions in Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism, and creative economy ecosystem. On the occasion, the Director General stated that the conferment honors…
THE Arewa Cohesion for Peace, Unity and Development Initiative (ACI) has condemned the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), describing the situation as an embarrassing development that has exposed Northern Nigeria to public ridicule and political mockery. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by its Director General, Dr Abdullahi Idris, ACI expressed concern over the increasing public disagreements, accusations, and factional disputes within the ACF, saying the organisation had lost the dignity and moral standing expected of a respected northern platform. According to the group, the recent exchange of communiqués and counter-statements, allegations of constitutional…
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has retained 150 as the cut-off mark for admission into universities for the 2026/27 academic session. News Point Nigeria reports that JAMB announced this during its policy meeting in Abuja on Monday, where it said the decision followed a vote of vice-chancellors available at the meeting. The federal government also set 150 as minimum admission cut off mark for colleges of nursing across the country. The committee placed the cut-off mark for polytechnics at 100, noting that any institution that admits below the agreed benchmark would be sanctioned. It was also stated at…
THE Federal Government has introduced stringent new measures aimed at combating drug and substance abuse in secondary schools, including mandatory drug testing for students and temporary suspension for those who repeatedly test positive after undergoing treatment and rehabilitation procedures. News Point Nigeria reports that the measures are contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria for secondary schools, details of which were obtained by our correspondent. According to the guideline, all newly admitted students in secondary schools will now be subjected to compulsory drug integrity tests at the point of entry. The document…
Eulogies Late DG Dr Kabir Kabo THE new Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the International Center for Islamic Culture and Education (ICICE), Abuja, Dr Muhammad Jameel Labaran, has formally assumed duty, pledging to strengthen the institution through digital transformation, strategic leadership and adherence to international best practices. News Point Nigeria reports that Muhammad Jameel Labaran, PhD, MCIPS, PMP, was appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Centre in February to succeed the late Dr Kabir Kabo Usman, who died on Saturday, December 20, 2025 (29th of Jumada al-Akhir, 1447 AH), at a hospital in Manchester, England, after an…
FRANK Onyekwelu, president of the Nigerian community in South Africa, has disclosed that more than 130 Nigerians have voluntarily registered for repatriation following renewed xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Onyekwelu made the disclosure during Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme on Thursday. The development comes days after the Federal Government announced plans for the voluntary evacuation of Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa. On Sunday, the Federal Government said it had commenced arrangements for the voluntary repatriation of Nigerians in South Africa following attacks targeting foreign nationals. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign…
FORMER Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved his redeployment as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa. News Point Nigeria reports that Fani-Kayode made the disclosure in a statement issued on Thursday, explaining that the decision followed his personal request to be reassigned after he was initially nominated for a diplomatic posting to Germany. According to the former minister, he formally communicated his concerns regarding the Germany posting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requested consideration for deployment to South Africa instead. He stated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, approved the…
NIGERIA has called for a thorough investigation and full autopsy reports following the killing of two Nigerians in South Africa. News Point Nigeria reports that the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, made this known during a press briefing on the outcome of a meeting between the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, and South Africa’s Acting High Commissioner, Lesoli Machele, held earlier on Monday. Ebienfa said the Nigerian mission in South Africa is closely monitoring the situation after the two Nigerians were killed in violent attacks. He noted that the South African government had…
THE federal government has invited Bobby Moroe, the acting high commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, for a meeting over the recent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in the former apartheid country. News Point Nigeria reports that Kimiebi Ebienfa, director of public affairs at the federal ministry of foreign affairs, said the meeting is scheduled for Monday at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. “The objective of this engagement is to formally convey the Nigerian Government’s profound concern regarding recent events that have the potential to impact the established cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa,” Ebienfa said in a statement on…
MORE than 1,000 victims across 19 countries were allegedly defrauded of about $215 million in a sprawling email fraud scheme that has now resulted in several convictions, including those of Nigerian nationals, the United States Attorney’s Office has disclosed. In a statement issued on Thursday, the office said 25 defendants were convicted on April 24 for their involvement in the fraud and money laundering operation, commonly referred to as “business email compromise.” Among the 25 convicted persons were four Nigerian nationals identified as Emmanuel Okereke, also known as Omo Igbo, 42; Olalekan Bashiru, also known as Ola Bash, 36; Jeremiah…
FORMER Adamawa State governorship candidate, Aishatu Binani, on Friday formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, marking her latest political move ahead of the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that her defection came barely nine months after she left the ruling All Progressives Congress for the African Democratic Congress. Speaking shortly after receiving her NDC membership card, Binani attributed her decision to what she described as the party’s commitment to structured governance and the influence of her political supporters. “I believe many Nigerians are asking why I decided to join the NDC. The answer is quite simple. After carefully…
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified Nigeria and nine other countries as accounting for the majority of global hepatitis-related deaths in 2024, raising fresh concerns over the burden of the disease and the slow pace of progress toward elimination targets. The WHO disclosed this in its 2026 Global Hepatitis Report released at the World Hepatitis Summit obtained by News Point Nigeria, where it revealed that hepatitis B and C responsible for 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths claimed about 1.34 million lives globally in 2024, while new infections stood at approximately 1.8 million annually. According to the report, 10 countries,…
A SERVING member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Abdulsamad Jamiu, has died after being caught in the crossfire during a gun battle between soldiers and suspected robbers in Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that the tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday at Shagari Estate, located in the Dei-Dei area of the Federal Capital Territory, throwing the community into shock. The Nigerian Army confirmed the development in a statement sent to this newspaper on Sunday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Guards Brigade, Olawuyi Odunola. According to Odunola, troops of the Guards Brigade…
FACTIONAL National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Tanimu Turaki, was on Wednesday arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama over allegations bordering on false information. News Point Nigeria reports that Turaki was brought before the court on a one-count charge filed against him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), accusing him, among other things, of providing false information to the police. According to the charge, the PDP chieftain allegedly submitted a petition on his letterhead dated October 5, 2022, addressed to the IGP, in which he accused Saidi Mohammed…
THE Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has stirred widespread online debate after appearing at a public event wearing luxury sunglasses. Musawa represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2026 edition of the Nwonyo Fishing Festival in Taraba State over the weekend. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that the event, held at Lake Nwonyo in Ibi Local Government Area, attracted tourists and dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria. Reflecting on the festival via her X handle, the minister described it as a celebration of life. “From the thrilling fishing competition to the dazzling displays…
THE political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections continues to gather momentum as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, can deliver Rivers State to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the upcoming polls. News Point Nigeria reports that Wike made the remarks during an interview with journalists, where he reflected on past electoral contests in Rivers State and used historical election outcomes to question Amaechi’s political influence in the state. According to him, despite Amaechi’s previous influence and high-ranking positions within the ruling All Progressives…
THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has placed 10 states on high alert following forecasts of heavy rainfall and possible flooding, warning that the affected regions face an increased risk of disease outbreaks, particularly cholera. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, the agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, said projections from the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency indicate that parts of Adamawa State, Enugu State, Kaduna State, Kogi State, Niger State, Osun State, Oyo State, Plateau State, Taraba State, and Kwara State are expected to experience intense rainfall between April 13 and…