The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) says it facilitated a N1.6 billion input support package for farmers in Sokoto State, Kebbi State, Borno State and Yobe State. The support package was provided by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF). Aliyu Isah, president of the association, disclosed this at the National Executive Council meeting of NOPPMAN on Wednesday in Abuja. Isah said the inputs, distributed in November 2025, included improved seeds, fertilizers and agrochemicals. According to him, the intervention was aimed at stabilizing onion production and moderating price volatility in key producing states. Giving a breakdown…
Author: Editor
Federal scholarship awardees have raised concerns over prolonged delays in the disbursement of funds, years after submitting their documents through their institutions to the Federal Scholarship Board. At an engagement with awardees’ leaders in April, students called on the government to address the hardship caused by the delays. “Several attempts have been made to engage relevant authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the National Assembly. Regrettably, these efforts have not yielded any concrete action or a credible timeline for payment,” said Salihu Iliya, a representative…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, over his alleged involvement in a N33.8 billion fraud linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower projects. The arrest was confirmed on Tuesday by EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, during a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The development comes six days after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Mamman to about 75 years imprisonment in absentia, after convicting him on a 12-count amended charge bordering on money laundering involving more than N33 billion. ALSO READ [BREAKING] Court sentences ex-Power Minister Mamman to…
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he shelved plans for a major military assault on Iran after appeals from key Gulf Arab allies, citing renewed optimism that negotiations could bring an end to the prolonged conflict. Trump disclosed that he had prepared a fresh offensive against Iran for Tuesday after Tehran rejected proposals from Washington aimed at ending the war. However, he said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates urged him to delay the operation, arguing that ongoing diplomatic efforts were showing promising signs. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Gulf…
The Nigerian banking sector is, by most superficial readings, having a complex quarter. Several listed banks have announced FY2025 results that include no final dividends. Reported Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratios at operating-company level have moved upward across multiple institutions. Share prices have, in some cases, softened in the immediate aftermath of recent announcements. The financial press has, predictably, treated each of these as a separate problem. For investors who read the sector through that lens, the next few weeks will look uncomfortable. For those who read it as a deliberate sector recalibration, the next few weeks will look like the…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will offer a total of N650 billion in Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs) at its auction scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026, marking the second issuance for the month under the Federal Government’s second-quarter borrowing programme. The planned issuance was contained in an official tender notice released by the apex bank on behalf of the Debt Management Office (DMO), with bids required to be submitted by the same date. The exercise forms part of the government’s domestic borrowing strategy aimed at financing short-term obligations, managing liquidity in the financial system, and supporting fiscal operations in…
The government of Togo has abolished entry visa requirements for all African citizens holding valid national passports, a move aimed at strengthening continental integration and facilitating easier movement across Africa. The decision was announced on Monday, May 18, 2026, in an official communiqué issued by the country’s Ministry of Security and signed by Security Minister Calixte Batossie Madjoulba. According to the Togolese government, the new policy underscores the country’s commitment to African integration, the free movement of people and goods, and deeper cooperation among African nations and citizens. The visa exemption took immediate effect on May 18, 2026. Authorities said…
In Nigeria’s North-West, particularly Katsina State, the struggle to establish security lies in balancing dialogue and deterrence. Governor Radda’s administration has focused on managing this balance to achieve lasting stability. For over a decade, communities in Batsari, Jibia, Safana, Danmusa, Faskari, and Kankara faced persistent armed banditry. Villages were destroyed, schools closed, and farmland abandoned. The December 2020 abduction of hundreds of students in Kankara became a defining moment of crisis. When Governor Dikko Umar Radda took office in May 2023, he confronted not just insecurity, but a community traumatized by years of violence. His challenge: restore security without militarizing…
The Interim Committee of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), Northwest University Sokoto (NWUS) branch, has been formally constituted, marking a key step toward the full operational take-off of the association within the institution’s Faculty of Law. The committee has commended the Founder of NWUS, Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, for what it described as a “transformational act of student welfare support” following his decision to shoulder the transport fare of all law students to and from their hostels. Officials of the association, who paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mukhtar Umar Bunza, on…
The FCT chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has conducted a membership verification and revalidation exercise. The exercise took place over the weekend at the guild’s national secretariat in Abuja. The in-person process was designed to sanitise the guild’s membership database, eliminate “ghost members,” and migrate all records to the AGN Super App, a digital database platform. The two-day exercise attracted Nollywood actors from across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In an interview with Ashenews on the sidelines, Chairman of the Screening Committee, Agility Onwurah, said the exercise was in compliance with directives from the national leadership of…