The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the appointment of Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef as its new Country Representative in Nigeria. Before her new role, Wafaa served as UNICEF’s Country Representative in Somalia, where she led numerous initiatives in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 20 years of service in the UN system, she brings a wealth of experience from various United Nations agencies including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP). Her extensive fieldwork covers several countries affected by crises, including Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia. She…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued Monday, the group described Shettima as the political face of the former ANPP bloc within the APC and emphasized that any attempt to remove him as running mate in 2027 would be met with mass defection. The statement, signed by the group’s national coordinator, Abdullahi Ibrahim, stressed that Shettima represents not only the ANPP legacy within the APC but also a…
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a listening president whose policies are restoring private investors confidence in Nigeria’s economy. Dangote made the remarks over the weekend during a visit by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, to the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and Dangote Fertiliser Limited in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. Commending President Tinubu’s efforts at addressing the issue of crude supply challenges to domestic refineries, Dangote praised the Naira-for-Crude initiative and the Nigeria First policy as bold and transformative steps capable of revitalising the economy…
Akure, July 28, 2025 — The Adefaka Royal Family, a prominent lineage within the Abibiri Ruling House of Isolo and the Ojijigogu Ruling House of Akure, has officially announced the indefinite cancellation of the planned final burial ceremony for their late patriarch, Alhaji Kasumu Daniel Yesufu Adefaka. In an audio statement released on the family’s platform on Saturday, July 26, the Chairman and Head of the Royal Family, Prince Babatunde Adefaka, disassociated the family from an invitation card currently in circulation announcing the event. “To the chagrin of our family, there is an invitation card in circulation—even sent to us…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and banned him from any affiliation with the party for a period of 30 years. In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba, said the decision followed a thorough investigation into allegations of gross misconduct, false claims of membership, forgery, and impersonation. Reasons for El-Rufai’s suspension According to Aiyenigba, El-Rufai was found to have falsely claimed membership of the SDP without completing any lawful registration process. He was said to have paraded himself as a member of the party and even…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across the country from Monday to Wednesday, warning of possible flash floods in several areas. In its three-day weather outlook released Sunday in Abuja, NiMet predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall on Monday morning over parts of Jigawa, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, and Katsina States in the northern region. Other areas are expected to experience sunny intervals with patches of clouds. Later in the day, thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are expected in Jigawa, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Katsina, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba States. The agency specifically warned of…
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the death of 13 persons and the rescue of 26 others following a boat mishap that occurred on Saturday in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. According to Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Abdullahi Kadiri, the ill-fated boat was conveying passengers from Zangoro Bassa to Gijiwa in Shiroro when it capsized mid-river. The passengers, mostly women and children, were headed to a local market when the tragedy struck. In a statement issued on Sunday, Kadiri disclosed that a total of 39 individuals were onboard the boat when the accident occurred. “So far,…
The Coalition of Shiroro Associations (COSA) has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of over 40 people at Kwata River in Zumba, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. The incident occurred on Saturday during market hours, when a canoe carrying around 50 passengers, livestock, and agricultural produce capsized on what was supposed to be a routine journey home. In a statement signed by COSA’s Publicity Secretary, Abdulrahaman Babafada, the group described the incident as a devastating loss to the community. “This heartbreaking accident has left our people in profound grief, as many of…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Chinese businessman and an 80-year-old grandmother as part of its sweeping nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse. The agency disclosed that Liang Tak You, a Chinese national naturalized in Malaysia, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Friday, July 25, 2025. Liang arrived from Bangkok via Dubai on an Emirates flight and was caught with two suitcases containing 50 parcels of Loud, a potent synthetic cannabis strain, weighing 26.1 kilograms. The NDLEA said the drugs were picked up in Thailand en route to Nigeria. Meanwhile,…
The Kano State House of Assembly has commended the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) for its quality infrastructure and impact on the state’s agricultural landscape, describing the initiative as a model for sustainable development. During an oversight visit to project sites on Wednesday, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Ahmad Ibrahim Karaye, expressed satisfaction with the quality of facilities inspected, including the Gwale Veterinary Reference Laboratory and several roads constructed under the project. “I am not only surprised but impressed. For a very long time, I have not seen good quality projects like the ones I saw during…