Nigeria’s crude oil is now selling for less than $65 per barrel, dipping below the Federal Government’s benchmark price, as global oil markets come under renewed pressure from rising production levels and geopolitical uncertainty. The drop follows a decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) to raise oil output by 411,000 barrels per day in June—the second increase in as many months—despite softening demand and bearish market sentiment. Brent crude also slipped below $62 per barrel, reflecting widespread unease about oversupply and weak buying interest. Traders report that Nigerian crude cargoes scheduled to load…
Author: Editor
Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has promised to investigate reports of unremitted loan deductions from workers’ salaries, assuring affected civil servants that his administration will take decisive action to address the issue. The governor pledged while responding to an appeal from the chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Sokoto State, Abdullahi Aliyu, who raised concerns over the plight of workers whose loan repayments were deducted from their wages but not transferred to the relevant banks. According to the NLC, many workers have faced serious hardship and damage to their financial records due to the previous administration’s failure…
A recent altercation between Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Rufai Oseni, TV anchor at Arise Television, has resurrected an old debate about who is a professional journalist and who is not. This is an old debate, except that both Olayinka and Oseni failed to elevate the discourse beyond the exchange of pejoratives. As an undergraduate at the Mass Communication department, University of Lagos, I remember one of the debates thrown up in the eminent Professor Ralph Akinfeleye’s class was whether journalism is…
Each year, on the 3rd of May, the international community commemorates World Press Freedom Day—an occasion dedicated to reaffirming the foundational principles of press freedom, assessing its global state, safeguarding the media from infringements on their independence, and solemnly remembering journalists who have perished in the line of duty while upholding the tenets of truth and public accountability. By Prof. Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi It is crucial to underscore that an autonomous and unfettered press constitutes a bedrock of democratic governance. The media serve not merely as a chronicler of events, but as an institutional sentinel against corruption, a catalyst for…
A growing wave of public outrage has erupted online after Sandra Duru, who goes by the alias “Professor Mgbeke,” launched a controversial attack on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The social media personality is facing intense backlash for what many see as a deliberate smear campaign against one of Nigeria’s most admired female leaders. In a widely criticized video and series of posts, Duru made several unfounded allegations aimed at undermining Senator Natasha’s character. Her comments, quickly flagged by netizens as malicious and misleading, have ignited widespread condemnation across social media platforms. Supporters of Senator Natasha, who rose to prominence for her…
A renewed outbreak of diphtheria has struck the Tukur-Tukur community in Zaria, Kaduna State, claiming the lives of two children within 48 hours and raising alarm among residents and public health advocates. The victims reportedly showed symptoms consistent with diphtheria, including sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and extreme fatigue—signs that mirror a similar outbreak in the same community just months ago, which resulted in four fatalities. Diphtheria, a bacterial infection that affects the throat and nose, is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications such as respiratory failure and heart damage. Though once common, its prevalence was drastically…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized over N3.4 billion worth of opioids and codeine syrup in a series of coordinated operations across Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other parts of Nigeria, the agency confirmed on Sunday. The bulk of the opioids seizures occurred on Tuesday, April 29, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, where officers from the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies jointly intercepted two million pills of Tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a watch-listed container. In Lagos, another 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a…
The twelve River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) have pledged to support the Federal Government’s food security agenda by forging stronger partnerships and embracing modern agricultural technologies.
Africa, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular, has for more than 10 years recorded a steady economic growth since the advent of the new millennium. Yet, despite this stellar economic growth, it faces challenges such as rapid population growth, persistent economic inequality, climate change threats, droughts, youth unemployment, undernourishment, and food insecurity. Understanding the state of food security in Africa and addressing the above-mentioned challenges should be the highest priority for Africa’s Political Leadership. Not doing so will forever make Africa fail to achieve sustainable economic development and create an inclusive shared prosperity for its people. The African Union (AU), as…
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Family Development Initiatives (FDI), a Zambian civil society organisation focused on sexual and reproductive health education (SRHE) for adolescents, especially girls and persons with disabilities, has launched a three-year project to strengthen interventions in child protection and reproductive health. By Alfonso Kasongo Titled “Empowered Communities for Sustainable Reproductive Health and Rights (ECS-RHR),” the project will target girls in 50 schools across 10 districts in three provinces of Zambia. Zambia, like many other sub-Saharan African countries, continues to grapple with high rates of HIV, teenage pregnancy, and other reproductive health challenges. According to the latest Zambia National Demographic…