A Pan-African digital payments platform, Onafriq Nigeria Payments Ltd, has announced a partnership with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to pilot Africa’s first wallet-based outbound cross-border payments from Nigeria to Ghana. In a statement released on Tuesday, Onafriq said the pilot — approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — enables instant cross-border transfers fully in naira, eliminating the need for hard-currency conversion. The service is being rolled out in collaboration with banks and mobile money operators. The initiative is designed to deliver seamless intra-African payments for individuals, merchants, and traders, with a strong focus on small…
Author: Newsdesk
Mr Christopher Ugbebor, a software engineer, has urged businesses to invest in security controls, employee training and continuous system improvement to curb cyber threats and protect their operations, data and reputation. Ugbebor made the call in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, noting that cybersecurity has become a strategic business issue requiring a comprehensive and proactive approach. He said the rising rate of cyber-attacks was a wake-up call for organizations to take decisive action to safeguard their digital assets. According to him, effectively addressing cybersecurity challenges requires a combination of technology, people and processes. “As organizations increasingly rely…
The dominance of middlemen and weak agricultural market structures have been identified as major factors driving up food prices in Nigeria. Mr John Olateru, National First Deputy President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), disclosed this in an interview with reporters in Ibadan on Tuesday. He said farmers were largely unable to control the pricing and distribution of farm produce due to inadequate storage and processing facilities, as well as limited access to structured markets. According to him, middlemen often take advantage of farmers’ financial pressure immediately after harvest to buy produce at very low prices. Olateru, who…
Technicians and systems administrators in the public sector on Monday in Abuja received training on artificial intelligence (AI) data compliance and procedural fairness. The workshop, organized by Nelphia Consulting, a firm specializing in emerging technologies, was aimed at strengthening the technical capacity of public sector personnel. Dr Emeka Godspower, Chief Executive Officer of Nelphia Consulting, said the session was designed to bridge the gap between the rapid adoption of AI and the critical need for ethical safeguards. He noted that while data is a national asset, ethics is essential to making it truly valuable. “Our goal is not just to…
The Urology Unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, has inaugurated its maiden Prostate Cancer Support Group meeting to improve the quality of life of patients living with prostate cancer. The initiative is supported by the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (i-CARE) Consortium for Black Men and includes a research component to examine the incidence of anxiety and depression, as well as assess the quality of life of patients. Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men, who face significantly higher risks of diagnosis and mortality compared to men of other races. In the United States, one in six Black men…
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has urged the Federal Government to make antivenom free nationwide. The association also called for local antivenom production to address over 2,000 preventable snakebite-related deaths recorded annually. ACPN made the appeal in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Mr Ambrose Eze, following the death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene. Eze expressed condolences to the family, describing the death as a tragic and painful loss. “We mourn with the family and stand in solidarity with all Nigerians who have lost loved ones,” he said. He warned that snakebite envenoming remains one of…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has fixed March 28 and March 29 for the party’s national convention in Abuja. The party made this known in a communique issued at the end of the 105th meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday night. Ashenews gathered that the communique was read by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Haruna Mohammed, at the end of the meeting, held at the official residence of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja. In the communique, signed by Mohammed and the…
The Federal Government has announced plans to share the electricity subsidy costs with other tiers of government, like the state and local governments, from 2026, thereby ending the burden of carrying the subsidy in the power sector. This was made known by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, while presenting a keynote address during a training and sensitisation workshop for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on Monday, February 2, 2026, in Abuja. The training programme is on the 2026 post-budget preparation process using the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System Budget Preparation Sub-System. Yakubu said the president wants electricity…
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc posted a pre-tax profit of N1.49 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, marking a strong turnaround from the pre-tax loss of N854.43 million recorded in 2024. The company’s financial results filed to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that the impressive performance was bolstered by a N48 million foreign exchange gain, compared to a loss of over N2 billion in the prior year. This represents a significant improvement of 274% year-on-year. For Q4 2025 alone, the company delivered a profit before tax of N1.15 billion, compared to a loss of N1.16 billion in Q4 2024 and a…
The Federal Government has began a free nationwide training for 10million Nigerians on financial inclusion and literacy. Ashenews gathered through NAN reports that the training is organised by the Office of the Vice-President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima. It is designed to equip Nigerians, particularly women and youths, with essential financial skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation. Accordingly, the office of the vice-president, through the PreCEFI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with six professional bodies to jointly design the programme, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives,…