WikkiTimes has launched the Femi Falana Legal Defenders Fellowship, a new initiative aimed at strengthening legal protection for journalists and civic actors facing increasing intimidation, harassment, and abuse of legal processes in Nigeria. The fellowship, announced in a statement signed by WikkiTimes Operational Manager, Nana Mohammed, is a one-year pilot programme designed to respond to the growing use of arrests, lawsuits, and other legal threats to silence investigative journalism and civic accountability work. WikkiTimes noted that Nigeria’s media environment has become increasingly hostile, with journalists frequently exposed to arbitrary detention, surveillance, physical attacks, and strategic lawsuits intended to discourage public-interest…
Author: Editor
Hayo, a global innovator in digital solutions, has enhanced its National Mobile Registry (NMR) platform to help governments and mobile operators combat the rise in SIM swap fraud and mobile theft. The new platform modules provide authorities with more control over mobile identities and device activity, enabling the detection and prevention of attacks that threaten citizens, national revenues and digital trust. SIM swap scams are a major security concern worldwide, affecting an estimated 25% of mobile subscribers in some markets like Kenya, while surging by 1,055% in the UK last year according to Cifas. At the same time, illegal, stolen…
The Imole Progressive Network (IPN) has congratulated the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa, on the occasion of his 61st birthday, describing him as a people-centred leader whose administration has continued to promote stability and development in the state. In a congratulatory message issued on Monday and signed by its Secretary General, Olorunfemi Christopher Ibukun, the group praised the governor’s record of service, humility, and commitment to good governance, noting that his leadership has inspired confidence among the people of Ondo State. According to the statement, Ayedatiwa’s grassroots-driven approach to governance has helped sustain peace and unity while ensuring…
It has become imperative to respond decisively to a mischievous and intellectually dishonest article circulating under the headline, “The Manufactured Middle Belt: The Untold History, Foreign Backing and the Agenda to Fracture Northern Nigeria,” authored under the pseudonym Safyan Umar Yahaya. Far from being a work of history and of social concern, the piece is an alarmist pamphlet, animated by fear and bigotry, not facts, all aimed at delegitimising the rising social and political consciousness of the Middle Belt. The anxiety beneath the essay is unmistakable. For over a century, certain ruling blocs have exploited the Middle Belt economically, subordinated…
For years, trade conversations in Africa have revolved around tariffs. Negotiations are framed as victories or losses depending on percentage points gained or conceded. Announcements about zero-duty access dominate the headlines, especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. Yet, for most African businesses engaged in cross-border trade, tariffs are no longer the biggest challenge. The real obstacles are more practical and more costly. Weak markets, inefficient logistics and underdeveloped services now matter more than tariff rates in determining who trades successfully and who does not. Tariffs are falling, but trade remains difficult Across Africa, average applied tariffs…
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient” – Qur’an 2:155 Iran, once known as ancient Persia, is home to 95 million people and boasts a civilisation stretching back 100,000 years. The Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE, has been around for over 2,500 years. Spanning a landmass larger than that of Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain combined, Iran stands as a monumental bridge connecting East and West. Blessed with staggering natural wealth, Iran sits…
Nineteen Nigerian banks have met the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) revised minimum capital requirements ahead of the March 31, 2026 deadline, signalling early compliance with the regulator’s ongoing banking sector recapitalisation programme. According to data from market trackers indicate that the affected institutions had achieved the required capital thresholds as of early January, putting them in a strong position as the deadline approaches. The llist of the banks The banks that have met the targets include leading lenders with international authorisation such as Access Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), United Bank for…
I started writing a short, casual article on yansh (the Nigerian Pidgin English word for a woman’s posterior, which probably first emerged as a humorous mimicry of the crude English word ass or arse) a few weeks ago but stopped midway because the prurience of the subject matter is inconsistent with my public persona as a high-minded prude who is not given to lascivious frivolities (more on this misperception later). News of the inclusion of nyash, among other Nigerian words, in the Oxford English Dictionary has given me the perfect excuse to resuscitate the article without any feeling of guilt…
When 32-year-old Grace Choji, who lives in Mpape, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), swallowed her antiretroviral medication, she whispered a quiet prayer that the pills would still be available next month. Choji, a front desk officer at a reputable real estate firm, has lived with HIV for 11 years. She has a toddler, a job she loves, and carefully nurtured dreams of a stable future. “I do not sleep well anymore. If the free treatment ends, I do not know how I will survive, or what will happen to my child,” she said. Choji is one…
As the political landscape of Ondo State evolves ahead of the 2027 general elections, a distinct voice is rising from the grassroots of the Ondo North Senatorial District. Engr. Mike Adeyanju, a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has emerged as a beacon of hope for constituents calling for a paradigm shift in representation. Amidst growing dissatisfaction with the current senatorial leadership, Engr. Adeyanju’s aspiration represents more than just a political bid; it is being described by supporters as a “rescue mission” to restore effective, people-first governance to the district. The prevailing sentiment across the district suggests that…