At least 17 members of the House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in a major shift on the floor of the lower chamber. The defections were formally announced during plenary on Tuesday, signalling a fresh wave of political realignments. Also announced was the defection of Leke Abejide, who moved from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Those who joined the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike. Others are…
Author: Editor
Impairment charges across Nigeria’s 10 banks surged to N3.2 trillion in their 2025 audited financial statements, as the end of regulatory forbearance triggered the sharp recognition of credit losses that had been deferred in earlier periods. The increase represents a 39 percent jump from N2.3 trillion recorded in 2024, according to data compiled by BusinessDay. The surge follows the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to unwind Covid-era forbearance measures, which had allowed banks to restructure loans and delay classifying troubled exposures. In practical terms, loans previously tagged as “performing” under forbearance have begun to migrate into Stage 3 (credit-impaired),…
Three key figures who profoundly shaped my life passed away on April 15th, 17th, and 29th, 2026. While I mourned them, I also learned of the death of a former student and colleague. It was truly a season of loss. Death is inevitable; our holy book says every soul must taste it. We each die at our appointed time, regardless of the cause. Death never misses its schedule. As mortals, why obsess over worldly things, knowing we arrive in this world and leave it with nothing? Big houses, luxury cars, beautiful wives, and displays of wealth are nothing but mere…
I was in Makkah on the third of December last year for Umrah and to seek healthcare. And perhaps to run and rest from a political endeavour I willingly jumped into with both feet, even though wide-eyed. By February 10th I was through and was planning to return to Nigeria on the 20th of the month. My intention was to start the Ramadhan that commenced on the 18th there. I informed the airline, which rescheduled my return ticket accordingly. Man, always proposes. And you must as long as you are alive. But like it or not, it is God that…
KAMPALA — Uganda has launched its first locally developed modern biotechnology-based livestock vaccine, marking a significant milestone in the country’s scientific and agricultural advancement despite longstanding resistance to genetically engineered (GE) products. President Yoweri Museveni, on April 30, 2026, officially unveiled the anti-tick vaccine, branded “NAROVAC,” at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NALIRRI) in Nakyesasa, Wakiso District, near Kampala. The vaccine is the first of its kind developed within Uganda using modern biotechnology. The development comes amid years of opposition from anti-biotech activists, which has slowed the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in…
There is a notable structural shift in the Nigerian banking sector as the industry is characterized as highly capitalized but has to navigate a dynamic macroeconomic and regulatory climate, particularly after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has carried out a vigorous 24-month recapitalization exercise that spanned requirements of N500 billion for international licenses and N200 billion for national licenses. Recent capital raises have enabled top-tier banks to have large liquidity buffers, and several Nigerian banks have a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of more than 20 percent. These banks can expand more cross-border banking within the continent to participate in…
There are seasons in the life of a nation when politics becomes more than the struggle for office. It becomes a struggle over the soul of society itself. In such moments, democracy is tested not merely by the conduct of elections, but by the quality of public reason, the strength of institutions, the tolerance of citizens, the discipline of leaders, and the capacity of the state to protect liberty without becoming oppressive. Nigeria is living through such a season. Its democracy has endured military rule, constitutional transitions, electoral reforms, judicial contests, party realignments, civic anxieties, and repeated debates over the…
William Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caeser’ is, in my view, one of his best plays ever written by history’s greatest bard and playwright and it is indeed amongst my favourites. It speaks of mob psychology, ambition, power, treachery and the most brutal and painful expression of betrayal by a loved one. Caeser loved Brutus his protegee above all else but at the end of the day it was Brutus, after others had stabbed him all over the body with their knives, that struck the fatal blow deep into his ageing chest and killed him. The shock of the betrayal by a loved…
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and other business stakeholders in Imo have officially launched nijazone.com, an online marketplace. The unveiling took place in Owerri on Saturday. Imo NEPC Coordinator, Mr. Anthony Ajuruchi, said the platform would address value chain challenges such as logistics, buyer verification, authenticity, and seller identification. He described nijazone as a “welcome development” and advised existing and aspiring exporters to “key into the system without delay to expand their reach.” Chief Joachim Nwogu, CEO of Nijazone and represented by Mr. Uche Ndubuisi, stated that although nijazone originated in Imo, it aims to expand beyond Nigeria and…
A rights campaigner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, on Saturday called on the media to intensify advocacy for the reopening of unresolved murder cases. Falana made the appeal at an interactive session and press conference titled: “The Role of Media in Promoting People’s Rights, Accountability, and Access to Justice in the Context of Growing Insecurity in Nigeria.” The event was organized by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Ikeja. Falana urged journalists to use their platforms to demand justice for victims of extrajudicial killings and other abuses, noting that several high-profile cases had been…