The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reiterated the need for a balanced and inclusive payments system that preserves the relevance of physical cash while accelerating the adoption of digital payment channels across the country. The call was made at the 2026 Committee of Heads of Bank Operations (CHBO) Conference in Lagos, themed “Reimagining the Future of Cash in a Digital-First Economy.” The apex bank said Nigeria’s evolving payments landscape must ensure that no segment of the economy is excluded as digital transactions continue to expand. Representing the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Operational Risk Management,…
Author: Editor
A simple change in how pigeonpea is established in the field could raise yields by nearly 20 per cent, according to new research by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Researchers at ICRISAT found that transplanting pigeonpea seedlings — raising young plants in a nursery before moving them to the main field — significantly improved productivity. Productivity in transplanting trials rose from about 2.5 tonnes per hectare to nearly 3 tonnes per hectare, while also reducing climate risk and shortening the crop’s duration. Instead of sowing seeds directly into the soil — the common practice —…
Nigeria has not consciously addressed the question of designing the country’s political philosophy based on the knowledge of its history – precolonial and colonial, the failures of the present and the opportunities as well uncertainties of the future. As the world experiences mega-shifts from the classic political wisdom that shaped the way the state, morality, governance, ethics, rules and social constructs are understood, it is imperative for us to seize on the opportunity to put our thoughts forward. The real question is whether the country can think through its history and political struggles to map out possible pathways out of…
The Supreme Court has formally dismissed the murder case instituted by the Lagos State Government against Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, over the killing of Kudirat Abiola. Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late MKO Abiola—the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election—was assassinated in Lagos on June 4, 1996, during the political crisis that followed the annulment. In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, held that the Lagos State Government abandoned the case…
As Nigeria entered 2026, the telecoms sector remained at the centre of national economic and social discourse, following key developments in 2025 that tested the balance between industry sustainability and consumer protection. One of the most consequential of these developments was the approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of a 50 per cent tariff adjustment for telecom operators — a decision that sparked widespread reactions from consumer advocacy groups, labour unions, and industry players. Subscribers across the country raised concerns, with the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) emerging as a leading voice opposing the magnitude of the increase.…
In the bustling halls of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), where examination pressures can make or break academic futures, one student’s initiative is turning the tide against poor grades. Ibrahim Sahabi Zaga, a 500-level Veterinary Medicine student, has become an unlikely hero by compiling and sharing past exam questions, a simple yet powerful tool that’s helping hundreds of peers prepare more effectively and boost their performance. The problem at UDUS, like many universities, is familiar: students often dive straight into lecture notes without realizing that examination questions frequently recycle from previous years. This oversight can lead to underwhelming results, as…
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…
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…