The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says loans extended by commercial and merchant banks fell to ₦52.656 trillion in June 2025, marking the lowest level in 14 months. The figure, contained in the CBN’s latest Quarterly Statistical Bulletin, represents a sharp decline of ₦2.739 trillion from ₦55.395 trillion recorded in May 2025, translating to a 4.95 per cent month-on-month drop. The last time total loans fell below this level was in April 2024, when they stood at ₦51.467 trillion. On a year-on-year basis, total loans dipped marginally by ₦9 billion, or less than one per cent, compared with ₦52.665 trillion…
Author: Editor
In my November 2024 article, I posed the question of whether Alhaji Yayale’s name would be written in gold for accepting two of the most unenviable assignments in Nigeria’s public policy space—leading the government delegation to resolve the over-decade-long FGN-ASUU crisis and serving as the pro-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria Governing Council. It is on record that, some years ago, key personalities who held the same jobs at different times did not complete their terms without denting their credibility, either because they were unable to meet the expectations of their principals or because stakeholders were dissatisfied. Both…
China has completed the reconstruction of the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria, in a project valued at approximately $32 million. The project, which was fully funded and executed by the Chinese government as a grant, was undertaken at no cost to ECOWAS. The newly reconstructed headquarters is expected to be formally handed over to the regional bloc in February 2026. The completion of the ECOWAS headquarters adds to China’s growing portfolio of large-scale public infrastructure projects across Africa, particularly in the area of government and multilateral institutions. Reports indicate that since 2000,…
By the end of 2025, Yobe State stood out as Nigeria’s top state in Primary Health Care (PHC). At the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge Awards in Abuja, it was recognised as a national leader in healthcare delivery. Yobe was named Best Performing state in the North-East for the second year in a row, after also winning in 2024. Each time, the state received a $500,000 prize. Yobe State also won the Overall Best Performing State in Nigeria at the event, earning an additional $700,000. Altogether, the state received $1.2 million in prize money that day. These achievements did not happen…
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Saturday that he was in hiding after escaping what he described as a police and military raid on his home, as the country awaited the outcome of a tense election conducted under an internet blackout. Earlier, Wine’s party claimed he had been forcibly taken away in an army helicopter on Friday, a day after elections marred by reports of violence and intimidation. However, Wine later said he managed to evade arrest. “I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them. Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other…
ASHENEWS columnist, a leading agribusiness policy expert and development professional, Dr. Aremu Fakunle John, has been honoured at the 4th Edition of Nigeria’s Most Respected CEOs Conference and Awards 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to agribusiness development, innovation-led value chain transformation and evidence-based policy leadership in Nigeria and Africa. The prestigious event was organized by the Business Executive Group, a Pan-African media and events management company headquartered in Accra, Ghana, with an office in Lagos, Nigeria. The conference and awards platform is designed to celebrate Nigerians whose leadership, innovation and service have delivered measurable impact across critical sectors…
Dr. Henry Naiho, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Data & Cybersecurity, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Executive Leadership and global certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist, is an authority in AI Governance and Enterprise Risk with over 26 years of executive and advisory experience spanning telecommunications, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, and large- scale digital transformation across Africa and global markets. In this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with ASHENEWS’ Editor-in-Chief, Abdallah el-Kurebe, Dr Naiho bares his mind on his works with boards of directors, executive leadership, and regulators at moments when decisions carry strategic, regulatory, and reputational consequences, helping institutions govern AI and complex digital…
A cloud of controversy has continued to trail the arrest and continued detention of Prince Owolemi Emorioloye, a media and political figure from Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as his lawyers formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over what they described as a gross violation of his fundamental rights. The legal team, Ogbulu Chambers, acting on behalf of the Emorioloye family, accused operatives believed to be officers of the Nigeria Police Force of unlawfully arresting their client and detaining him at an undisclosed location without access to family members or legal counsel.…
I have always resisted being dragged into ethnoreligious arguments. Not because the issues are trivial, but because many of the loudest voices in such debates are not merely passionate—they are fanatical. Some are so blinded by affiliation that they excuse injustice, flirt with heresy, or even justify violence in defence of identity. In recent months, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump’s inflammatory threats against Nigerian Muslims over an alleged “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, I found myself losing respect for some elders, friends, and colleagues. Their positions were so reckless and prejudiced that I questioned whether our long-standing relationships had ever…
President Donald Trump warned Friday that he may impose tariffs on countries opposing U.S. acquisition of Greenland, triggering European military deployments and bipartisan congressional resistance amid a deepening diplomatic standoff. Tariff warning escalates tensions Trump issued the threat during a White House roundtable, citing the importance of the national security of Greenland. The statement followed failed talks with Danish and Greenlandic officials, where no breakthrough occurred. European military show of force Germany, Sweden, France, Norway, the Netherlands, and Finland deployed troops for Operation Arctic Endurance, a Danish-led exercise. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed units en route, while Armed Forces Minister…