The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially released a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, moving the date of the presidential and National Assembly polls forward to Saturday, 16 January 2027. The adjustment comes after the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced new statutory timelines governing electoral activities. According to the electoral body, the previous election dates announced under the old law can no longer stand, necessitating a realignment of the entire election calendar. In a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
African research leaders are calling for greater leadership and autonomy in setting the continent’s health research priorities, arguing that locally driven science is crucial for tackling Africa’s unique health challenges. In a recent episode of the Trailblazers with Garry series, Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance, highlighted efforts to strengthen intra-African research collaboration and capacity building. Gyapong said that investing in homegrown scientific leadership and empowering young African researchers will help ensure that research questions and outcomes are relevant to local needs. ALSO READ African scientists urge action to strengthen health research funding ALSO READ…
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has released a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria’s university system, amid rising concerns over indiscriminate conferment and misuse. In a public notice posted on its official social media pages on Thursday, the commission said the guidelines were issued under the authority of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to preserve the credibility and integrity of honorary recognitions. NUC said the new framework was developed in response to “grave concern” over…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a one-year extension of the ban on the export of raw shea nuts, reinforcing efforts to boost local processing and advance Nigeria’s industrialisation drive. The extension takes effect from February 26, 2026 to February 25, 2027, according to a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga. The decision underscores the administration’s commitment to domestic value addition under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on transforming Nigeria’s agricultural commodities into higher-value export products. ALSO READ Nigeria’s 6-month ban on raw shea nuts exports: Policy insights, implications, and pathways to sustainability…
Vice President Kashim Shettima says the Nigerian naira would have strengthened to about ₦1,000 per US dollar within weeks if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had not intervened in the foreign exchange (FX) market to ensure stability. He made this comment on Tuesday during the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit in Abuja. Shettima emphasised that the CBN’s actions on Monday were meant to dampen excessive volatility in currency trading, which, if left unchecked, could have destabilised prices and harmed market confidence. “In fact, if not for the interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria yesterday,…
A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has urged Nigeria to treat insects such as bees and silkworms as strategic economic resources capable of boosting food security, industrial growth and national diversification. She made the call while delivering the institution’s 193rd Inaugural Lecture on February 24, 2026. Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Oladipo said insects should not be viewed merely as pests but as biological assets that, if properly managed, could generate income, support pharmaceutical innovation and reduce dependence on crude…
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has said the ongoing banking sector recapitalisation programme remains firmly on track, with momentum building ahead of the March 31, 2026, deadline. Speaking at the close of the 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) media briefing on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Cardoso disclosed that 20 banks have fully met the revised minimum capital requirements. An additional 13 banks, he said, are at advanced stages of capital-raising and are expected to conclude their processes within the regulatory timeline. According to the CBN governor, institutions still finalising their compliance strategies are evaluating…
Eleven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for a combined N373.06 billion increase in domestic debt between December 2024 and September 2025, even as total subnational debt grew only marginally. Latest figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) show that total domestic debt for the 36 states and the FCT rose from N3.97 trillion as of December 31, 2024, to N4.00 trillion as of September 30, 2025. The N34.84 billion increase represents a modest 0.88 per cent growth at the aggregate level. However, underlying data reveal a sharp divergence in borrowing patterns across states. Debt concentration deepens According…
The Senate of Nigeria has postponed its plenary session earlier scheduled to resume on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. In a notice issued to Senators, the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, announced that the postponement was to allow various committees to conclude ongoing budget defence sessions. “This is to inform Distinguished Senators that the resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 24th February, 2026 has been postponed,” Odo stated in the notice. ALSO READ New electoral act raises presidential, governorship spending limits to N10bn, N3bn He explained that the adjustment became necessary to enable committees to complete their assignments…
The National Assembly (NASS) has increased the campaign spending limits for presidential candidates to N10 billion and that of governorship candidates to N3 billion under the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026. The revised thresholds were disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, through his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, outlining key reforms in the new electoral framework recently assented to by Bola Tinubu. According to the statement, the adjustments contained in Section 92 (1–8) of the Electoral Act 2026 reflect prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of campaigns, while retaining statutory safeguards to regulate…