China’s decision to implement zero-tariff treatment for imports from 53 African countries beginning May 1, 2026, represents a structural shift in Africa–China trade architecture. The announcement signals an expansion from earlier coverage of Least Developed Countries to broader continental access. This is accompanied by trade facilitation measures such as accelerated customs channels and enhanced inspection coordination (Reuters, 2026). For investors and exporters, the headline is clear: tariff barriers are falling. The commercial reality is more nuanced. Tariffs are rarely the binding constraint in export performance. Standards compliance, product consistency, logistics discipline and value addition determine who converts policy into profit.…
Author: Editor
Recent online reports and video commentaries have circulated claims that a group described as “Yoruba Muslim and Christian youths” warned the Sultan against introducing Shari’ah in Yoruba land. The development has sparked heated reactions and raised broader questions about religious rights, freedom of expression, and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. The question is, these guys who are hiding behind one finger to do call, don’t even know the Sultan of Sokoto by status of the throne and his personality. They tend to insult Shaikh Usman Dan Fodio, may Allah bless his memory, like some brainless including George Udom do, bringing the…
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, , has led a Nigerian delegation to a high-level Committee of Governors meeting in Monrovia, Liberia, as regional monetary authorities advance discussions on a proposed single West African currency. The delegation, which included the CBN Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, participated in the meeting as part of the statutory engagements. The Committee of Governors — composed of central bank heads from across the subregion — serves as a technical and policy coordination platform for harmonising monetary frameworks, reviewing macroeconomic convergence indicators, and aligning institutional preparations required for monetary integration. It also evaluates…
Dangote Group has signed a $400 million construction equipment agreement with XCMG Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. to accelerate the expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day — a scale that could position it as the world’s largest refinery. The agreement enables the acquisition of a broad range of advanced construction equipment to support ongoing and planned projects spanning refining, petrochemicals, agriculture and major infrastructure development. The additional assets will complement equipment already deployed for the refinery expansion, which is projected for completion within three years. Beyond refining, the…
Key takeaways: Certain medications are linked to an increased risk of dementia. But that doesn’t mean they necessarily cause dementia. Medications that have been associated with increased risk of dementia include overactive bladder medications, pain medications, heartburn medications, and certain anxiety medications. The risk of dementia with these medications increases when you take higher doses over longer periods of time. Dementia is a growing concern among many aging people in the U.S., especially Alzheimer’s disease. And since treatment options for dementia are limited, prevention is key. Dementia risk is tied to common things like diabetes, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity. But some…
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has faulted a bill before the United States Congress seeking sanctions against it, describing the move as unjust and oversimplified. Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the association said the proposed legislation — H.R. 7457, titled Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 — wrongly associates its members with terrorism and mass atrocities, an allegation it described as baseless and damaging to its reputation as a registered national body. MACBAN President, Othman Ngelzarma, called on Nigeria’s Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to engage U.S. lawmakers through…
In recent years, Nigeria’s electoral reforms have been dominated by one seductive idea: technology will save democracy. Electronic accreditation, BVAS deployment, and the promise of real-time result transmission were presented as watershed moments in the struggle against electoral fraud. Many citizens believed that once results are transmitted electronically, rigging would become impossible. The 2023 general elections delivered a sobering lesson. Technology can improve transparency, but it cannot replace political will, institutional integrity, or the rule of law. Elections fail not only because systems are weak, but because powerful actors deliberately subvert them. Nigeria’s electoral crisis is structural, not merely technical.…
Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The three-count charge, entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja through the Department of State Services, accused El-Rufai of carrying out the act with accomplices said to be at large. Prosecutors alleged the offence breached provisions of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes law. Government filings further told the court that the former governor admitted involvement during a February 3 appearance on a television programme, an assertion cited as part of the prosecution’s case.…
Nigeria’s state governments have experienced one of their strongest revenue expansions in recent years, driven by fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms and improved oil receipts that boosted Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements into trillions of naira. Yet rising allocations have not translated into improved fiscal health or welfare outcomes. Instead, debt servicing — particularly on foreign obligations — is absorbing an increasing share of resources, while spending on healthcare and other human development priorities remains low. The outcome is a widening disconnect between fiscal inflows and living conditions in a country grappling with rising poverty. Data from BudgIT’s…
This month of October 2021, Nigeria is 61 years old as an independent nation, free from colonialism, and 107 years old as a nation called Nigeria. The amalgamation of the British colonies and the northern and southern protectorates into a single country, Nigeria, in 1914 was made by fiat, without any consultation with the people. Under colonization, the land, its contents, and the people were considered as booty of the colonial masters. Some people felt, and still feel, that the amalgamation was an “accident of history”, which shouldn’t have been; how can over “200 nations” be fiercely jam-packed as “one…