Last time, we parted with the following words: ‘So, with all this before us, where do we turn? How do we reverse the “curses”, catch our breath, and return to who we ought to be – security-wise – not merely to avoid Trump’s threat, but to make Nigeria once again a haven for all, irrespective of race, region, or religion. It is in light of this that we will see the effect(s) of the Ribadu shuttle.’ At the height of the Trump threat, when he was bristling with fury based on an erroneous narrative that Christians are being massacred in Nigeria,…
Author: Editor
Nigeria’s decisive intervention in helping to stop the coup in the Benin Republic was a commendable commitment to saving democracy for them, and, more importantly, for us. I have always taken the side of the argument that Africa’s only option for consolidating democratic rule is to do so without recourse to the military, which is incapable, by its very nature, of deepening democracy and civic culture. Of course, the argument getting louder and louder is that so many so-called democratic regimes in Africa are themselves undermining democratic processes, institutions and culture in their countries. This is true, but the solution lies…
By Noah Nash Hoenyefia, EIB Science Reporter in Ghana II China has been selected to host the 2029 World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) following what organisers described as one of the most competitive bidding processes in the event’s history. The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of the 2025 conference in Pretoria, South Africa, where delegates from around the world gathered for a week of discussions on the future of science reporting. China’s proposal, presented by the Chinese Society for Science and Technology Journalism, was chosen over a competing bid from Australia. Both teams showcased diverse venues and…
Last week, the appointment of General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR (Rtd) as the Minister of Defence by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the resignation of Alhaji Badaru, the former Defence Minister, was a crucial, honourable and meritorious appointment based on demonstrated competence. President Tinubu deserves praise for his swift action in making the appointment at a critical time when the national security situation worsened and threatened the nation’s unity. There was no better time than now when the American president, Mr. Trump, had coloured Nigeria’s insecurity with religious inclination, thereby worsening the fragility of Nigerian unity. Thank you, President Tinubu, for rising…
Seated on a wooden chair in her family compound, 19-year-old Jamie Adamu, a single mother of two, recounts how she was sent out of school after her teacher discovered she was pregnant. By Martha Agas, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Jamie, from Numan in Adamawa, had her first daughter at 15 and her second at 17. She left school when she became pregnant with her first child and has not returned since, though she still dreams of going back. “I want to be a lawyer so that I can help people, ‘’she said. Now a food seller, Adamu says the…
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has confirmed that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft was forced to land in Burkina Faso after entering the country’s airspace without authorisation. In a joint statement issued on Monday, the three military-led nations said the aircraft, which was carrying 11 Nigerian military personnel, was intercepted and diverted to the Bobo-Dioulasso Airport following what was described as an “in-flight emergency” while operating in Burkinabe airspace without prior clearance. The AES stressed that the Nigerian aircraft had not obtained the required overflight permission, describing it as a…
Fitch Ratings says it expects the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to adopt a cautious approach to monetary easing in 2026, noting that falling inflation across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) allows room for rate cuts but also presents risks if liquidity is not properly managed. The agency made the projection in its Sub-Saharan Africa Sovereigns Outlook 2026 released on Monday. “South Africa’s new inflation target is consistent with policy rate cuts, the Central Bank of Nigeria should continue to ease policy cautiously, and we see further cuts in Kenya and Ghana,” Fitch said. Fitch maintained a neutral 2026 outlook for SSA…
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has denied reports that it is withholding the Frontier Exploration Fund (FEF) from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Ltd.). The Commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, clarified in a statement on Wednesday that $185.123 million and N14.9 billion had already been approved for release. Akinkuotu explained that the FEF is not domiciled with the NUPRC, but in an account managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He said the commission’s role is limited to evaluating the work programme submitted by NNPC Ltd., after which approval is granted for…
Every year on November 25, the world pauses to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and with each passing year, the urgency of its message becomes sharper, almost deafening. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is no longer whispered about in dark corners; it has become a national menace boldly splashed across headlines, talk shows, and social media timelines. First ladies, ministers of women’s affairs, celebrities, and media personalities raise their voices in a unified chorus urging women to speak up, insisting that reporting abuse is a testament of strength rather than weakness. But beneath this chorus, a…
A coup attempt in Benin was successfully thwarted today, the government announced. According to Alassane Seidou, the country’s interior minister, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, aiming to destabilise the state and dismantle national institutions. The break-away soldiers — calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation and led by Pascal Tigri — briefly seized the state television station and declared on air that the government had been dissolved and a takeover succeeded. However, loyalist forces of the Beninese Armed Forces swiftly regained control, restoring order and ensuring the coup…