The Chief Executive Office, Julius Rone, Chief Executive Officer of UTM Offshore, has been named New Telegraph Personality of the Year 2025 in recognition of his trailblazing role in transforming Nigeria’s gas sector and the investor of the year award for Sun Newspaper. Rone, widely referred to as the “Gas king,” Rone has distinguished himself as a visionary entrepreneur whose leadership is driving one of the most ambitious energy projects in the country’s history. At the heart of this recognition is UTM Offshore’s pioneering Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project the first of its kind in Nigeria. The project is…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
The Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (MBEP) hosted its 2025 Staff and Partners Award Night, marking the first such recognition ceremony in the ministry’s history. The event brought together government officials, development partners, civil society organisations and ministry staff to celebrate excellence, commitment and collaboration in driving the state’s planning, budgeting and economic coordination agenda. Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad Zayyana, said the award night was part of the ministry’s deliberate effort to entrench a culture of recognition, motivation and reward for hard work and dedication. Dr. Zayyana…
A former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), retired Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya has filed a N1.5 billion defamation suit against retired Maj.-Gen. Danjuma Ali-Keffi, Arise Broadcasting Limited, and Sahara Reporters Media Group. Court documents show that the suit was instituted on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, following the expiration of a demand notice earlier served on the defendants. The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by Yahaya’s spokesperson, retired Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, a former Director of Army Public Relations. ALSO READ Ex-COAS Faruk Yahaya denies terror-financing link, threatens legal action ALSO…
Dangote Refinery says the era of fuel scarcity in Nigeria has effectively ended alongside the removal of petrol subsidy, as increased domestic refining capacity continues to stabilise supply and prices. The refinery reaffirmed its commitment to supplying Nigerians with premium-quality petrol (PMS) that meets global standards, in line with its vision of guaranteeing long-term energy security for Nigeria and the wider African continent. Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, Mr David Bird, said the facility’s advanced design and operational flexibility allow it to sustain high output, even during routine…
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate moderated sharply to 15.15 per cent in December 2025 following a review of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) methodology by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), reflecting a significant slowdown in price pressures. The latest CPI report showed that the index rose marginally to 131.2 points in December from 130.5 points in November, indicating a slower pace of increase in average prices across the economy. On a year-on-year basis, headline inflation declined to 15.15 per cent in December 2025 from 17.33 per cent in November and was markedly lower than the 34.80 per cent recorded in…
The Federal Government has said Nigeria’s N152 trillion public debt is mainly the result of improved fiscal transparency and foreign exchange revaluation, not a spike in new borrowing. The explanation was given by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, at the launch of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook Report in Lagos. In a statement issued Thursday by his Special Adviser on Communications, Media and Publicity, Dr. Ogho Okiti, the minister said the debt figure reflects corrections to long-standing fiscal reporting gaps. According to the statement, about N30 trillion of…
Bandits have attacked Kabe village in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, killing a 75-year-old woman in the latest incident of insecurity in the North-Central state. The attack reportedly occurred late on the same day Governor Umaru Bago paid a condolence visit to the Borgu Emirate Council over recent security challenges in the area. Sources said the assailants, who were armed and riding several motorcycles, stormed the village at about 10:00 p.m., looting food items and other valuables. A community source confirmed that an elderly woman, identified as Amina Adamu, was killed during the invasion, adding that no resident…
Former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has said President Bola Tinubu can be defeated in the 2027 general election if the opposition closely monitors the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Momodu asserted on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, stressing that removing President Tinubu from office “is not impossible.” The politician, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the opposition must field candidates with the political strength and capacity to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “I don’t know why people think Asiwaju may…
The President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, has called for sustained support for inclusive agribusiness models, saying they are critical to accelerating Nigeria’s attainment of food security and food sovereignty. Ibrahim made the call ahead of the Makkah Halal Forum 2026, scheduled to hold from February 14 to 16 at the Makkah Chamber Exhibitions Centre in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The forum, which began in 2024, is expected to bring together global agrifood stakeholders, halal food producers, investors, policymakers, and development partners. According to him, Nigerian enterprises should actively participate in the forum to understudy emerging trends…
I am starting the New Year and the new semester with a new responsibility. I will head Kennesaw State University’s Journalism and Emerging Media program, in spite of my long-standing reluctance to be an administrator. My colleagues unanimously insisted that I take on the role. It is genuinely flattering, but I had never envisioned myself as an academic administrator. My attraction to academia has always revolved around teaching, research and service. For as long as I can remember, I believed I lacked both the temperament and the skills for administration. A few years ago, a Nigerian from Benue State told…