By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, has clarified that Nigeria’s fiscal year is determined by law rather than the calendar, defending the timeline for the publication of recent Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports. Yakubu made the clarification in a State House press statement issued on Sunday,17 May, 2026 in response to public concerns over delays in releasing the reports. He explained that the adjustment in the publication schedule followed recent legislative actions affecting the 2025 Appropriation Act and its implementation timeline. Providing context, Yakubu said the fiscal year should not be confused…
Author: Khadijah Olowode
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Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved the appointment of Engr. Dr. Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe as the Acting Chief of Staff to the Governor as part of efforts to strengthen governance and accelerate policy implementation in the state. A statement signed by the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, said Dr. Mallumbe, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS I) to the Governor, would assume the new role with immediate effect. The Governor also approved the posting and allocation of portfolios to the 10 newly sworn-in commissioners, describing the move as part of broader efforts to…
Five years of military rule in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have produced not sovereignty but collapse. No propaganda can survive the evidence of the May 2026 security map, by OUMAROU SANOU There is one document that no junta press conference can censor, no hired influencer can spin, and no state television anchor can reframe. It is the current security map of the Sahel, compiled from open-source intelligence platforms and conflict-monitoring organisations, including the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, ACLED, the Critical Threats Project, the International Crisis Group, and the Institute for the Study of War. That map tells a…
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday granted bail to social media commentator, Justice Chidiebere, popularly known online as “Justice Crack,” in the sum of ₦5 million over allegations bordering on cybercrime and the dissemination of controversial military-related content on social media. The bail was secured by the defendant’s new counsel, Sam Amadi, who also commended the treatment of his client while in the custody of the Department of State Services. Trial judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, granted the bail application with stringent conditions and adjourned the matter until May 25 for continuation of trial. Under the conditions outlined by…
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised fresh concerns over worsening human rights conditions in Nigeria, revealing that it received a staggering 266,787 complaints nationwide in April 2026 amid rising insecurity, extra-judicial killings, economic hardship, communal violence, and growing threats to civic freedoms. The alarming figures were disclosed on Monday, 18 May, 2026, in Abuja by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, during the presentation of the April 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard and the signing of an Advisory on Protecting Civic Space and Human Rights. The development comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with escalating security…
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has thrown its weight behind the Climate Beyond Borders Caravan, a continental climate advocacy initiative aimed at mobilising young Africans to champion grassroots climate solutions and sustainable development across 17 African countries. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the caravan in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, represented through a goodwill message, described Nigerian youths as “resourceful but underutilised,” stressing that they possess the creativity, resilience and innovative capacity required to tackle the growing climate crisis. The initiative, organised by the People, Planet and Peace Foundation, is themed: “From Awareness to…
A coalition of leading civil society organisations has intensified pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant assent to the long-awaited Federal Audit Service Bill, warning that continued delay threatens Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, fiscal transparency reforms, and public finance management system. The coalition, comprising: Centre for Social Justice, ActionAid Nigeria, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, Accountability Lab, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, BudgIT and others, said presidential assent to the Bill would mark a major turning point in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen accountability and curb corruption in public institutions. In a detailed joint statement issued on Monday, 18 May,…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries held across the three senatorial districts of Ogun State on Monday were conducted peacefully, orderly and without any reported incident, contrary to earlier insinuations by one of the aspirants over alleged planned violence. As early as 8:00 a.m., party members trooped out in large numbers to the designated collation centres across the 236 wards in the state to cast their votes for candidates of their choice in an atmosphere described by observers as calm and well-coordinated. In Ogun East Senatorial District, Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged victorious as the sole contestant after his rival,…
The Nigeria office of UN Women, alongside diplomats, civil society groups and Nollywood stars, has intensified pressure for the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill with the premiere of a new advocacy film aimed at confronting the persistent exclusion of women from Nigeria’s political leadership. The film, Ibukun and the People, was screened at the weekend in Abuja under the Side by Side Naija campaign as part of efforts to mobilise nationwide support for increased women’s representation in parliament and decision-making positions. The production, supported by UN Women, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Government of…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed in carton walls and destined for the United Kingdom and Australia, as the agency intensified its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse. The seizures were made by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos on Friday during the examination of export shipments. According to the agency, 170 grammes of cocaine carefully sealed in cellophane parcels were discovered hidden within the walls of a carton containing clothes bound for Australia. In another shipment heading to the United Kingdom, the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency,…