The naira appreciated marginally against the US dollar on Monday, closing at N1,320/$ in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), even as foreign exchange trading activity dropped sharply to its lowest level in about five months. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that NFEM turnover fell to N107.07 million on September 7, representing a 78.4 per cent decline from the N495.70 million recorded on the previous trading day. Despite the steep fall in transaction volume, the naira gained N2.50 against the dollar, improving by 0.19 per cent from Friday’s closing rate of N1,322.50/$. The currency traded within…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has formally commenced the process of its Initial Public Offering (IPO), offering 4.1 billion ordinary shares in a landmark move expected to attract up to 10 million subscribers. The public offer, which could become one of Africa’s largest retail investment drives, is designed to broaden public ownership of one of the continent’s most strategic energy assets while deepening liquidity in Nigeria’s capital market. At the signing ceremony held in Lagos on Monday, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, unveiled the offer alongside transaction advisers, bank executives, industry leaders and other stakeholders…
OpenAI’s latest AI model, GPT‑6 Astra, has become the first system to score a perfect 450 on South Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), marking a new milestone in the model’s demonstrated reasoning and subject mastery. Perfect CSAT score According to results published on GitHub on Sunday, GPT‑6 Astra was the only evaluated large language model to achieve a flawless 450 in the 2026 CSAT LLM Solution Log, an offline, no‑internet evaluation covering Korean language, English, mathematics, Korean history and four elective subjects: Physics I, Chemistry I, Life Science I and Society and Culture. The test is widely regarded as…
The Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub of the International Press Centre (IPC) has called on security agencies to intensify the protection of journalists covering political rallies and other electoral activities. The call followed an attack on journalists returning from the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally held at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Saturday, September 5, 2026. According to the IPC-SPJ Hub, a vehicle conveying four staff members of Radio Nigeria’s Pyramid FM, a journalist from Guarantee Radio and another journalist from Daily Trust was attacked by hoodlums after the rally. The hoodlums reportedly repeatedly hit the…
The naira strengthened further against the US dollar last week, trading within the N1,302–N1,315 range at the official foreign exchange market as rising dollar liquidity and stronger external reserves continued to support the currency. The movement brings the naira closer to the psychologically important N1,300/$ threshold, with market conditions suggesting a gradual improvement in the balance between dollar demand and supply. At the centre of the development is the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) stronger foreign exchange position. The country’s gross external reserves have risen to about $54 billion, their highest level in roughly 18 years, giving the apex bank…
African women innovators are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies to address pressing challenges in healthcare and agriculture, with researchers in Uganda and Rwanda developing solutions tailored to local needs. The innovations were showcased by two African women during a webinar hosted through the Africa Science Dialogue, highlighting the growing contribution of women to the continent’s digital transformation in health and food systems. In Uganda, Dr. Rose Nakasi, a researcher at the Makerere AI Health Lab and lecturer at Makerere University, is leading a team developing AI-powered diagnostic tools aimed at making the detection of diseases such…
Nigeria’s external reserves have risen above the $54 billion mark for the first time since December 2008, strengthening the country’s foreign exchange buffer amid improved external inflows. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the reserves stood at $54.08 billion as of September 3, 2026, up from $53.99 billion recorded a day earlier and $53.90 billion on September 1. The latest figure represents an increase of about $8.51 billion since the beginning of the year, when the reserves stood at approximately $45.57 billion. The current reserve level is also close to the $54.21 billion recorded in December…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has validated Bhutan’s progress towards eliminating dog-mediated human rabies, following an expert assessment of the country’s surveillance and rabies-control programmes. The validation follows a field mission conducted by an international team of experts from August 18 to 21, 2026, to independently assess Bhutan’s claim of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies. According to the WHO, the team reviewed surveillance and programme data, conducted field visits and assessed the implementation of rabies-control measures across the country. The experts also engaged stakeholders from both the human and animal health sectors as part of the verification process. Following the assessment,…
The Sokoto State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has inaugurated a State Steering Committee on Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR). The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the Emergency Operations Centre of the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, as part of efforts to strengthen the identification, reporting and response to preventable deaths involving women, newborns and children. The inauguration was performed on behalf of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ibrahim Haliru Dingyadi. Dingyadi said the committee was…
The Federal Government has opened a new funding window under its Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG) programme, with up to N2.5 billion earmarked for 50 student-led innovative ventures. Under the initiative, each selected venture can receive up to N50 million in equity-free funding to develop and scale its business. The programme, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to help students transform research, inventions and technology-driven ideas into commercially viable enterprises. The S-VCG focuses particularly on innovations in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM). Beyond financial support, the programme provides beneficiaries with access to incubation, mentorship,…