By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has commissioned two key facilities at the commission’s Osun State office, the INEC Decides Studio and a BVAS Storage Facility, ahead of the Saturday 15, August 2026 governorship election in the state. Amupitan commissioned the facilities during a visit to the state, where he also met with Electoral Officers from the 30 local government areas, in a move aimed at boosting election communication and safeguarding critical electoral technology. The projects, initiated by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, were designed to…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Federal Government has inaugurated an interministerial committee to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural quarantine system, as part of efforts to curb the rejection of the country’s agricultural exports, enhance biosecurity and boost non-oil exports. The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Ministerial Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja, according to a press statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Julie Osagie-Jacobs, who explained that the event was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural biosecurity system, facilitating international trade and advancing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.…
A major international study has challenged decades of global health policy, concluding that economic inequality—not the strength of a country’s laboratories, emergency plans or healthcare infrastructure—is the strongest predictor of how severely nations suffer during pandemics. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine by a team led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and other leading global health experts, argue that governments must fundamentally rethink pandemic preparedness by placing inequality at the centre of health security strategies. The research, conducted by the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics, found that countries traditionally ranked among the world’s…
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday, 29 July, 2026, swore in 12 new Permanent Secretaries, charging them to uphold the oath of office, demonstrate integrity, and provide selfless leadership as they assume the highest managerial positions in the state civil service. The Governor said the appointments were not rewards or avenues for personal enrichment but a call to serve the people of Rivers State with fairness, professionalism and unwavering loyalty to both the state and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt,…
Nigeria has intensified its push for greater continental development support, calling on the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) to prioritise the country in the implementation of the African Demographic Dividend Programme and other strategic initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young people and women. The appeal came as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, held talks with the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, on the sidelines of the African Union Executive Council Meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where African leaders reviewed progress on the continent’s development agenda and preparations…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards at the Registration Area level in Osun State to Friday, 31 July,2026 following an impressive voter turnout and public requests for more time. The extension was disclosed in a statement by the Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity, Rufus Ariyo, who explained that ward-level distribution of PVCs began on Wednesday, 22 July, 2026, and was initially scheduled to end on Tuesday, 28 July, 2026 According to the statement, 322,822 PVCs, representing 62 per cent of available cards, were collected…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Federal Government has unveiled the Government Service Portal, a digital platform designed to provide Nigerians and businesses with a single gateway to access government services, in a move aimed at improving service delivery, reducing bureaucracy and advancing the country’s digital transformation agenda. The platform was unveiled on Tuesday, 28 July, 2026 at a soft launch in Abuja by Galaxy Backbone, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA. Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof Ibrahim…
By Segun Adewale in Bauchi The Khamzid Charity Foundation has unveiled plans to empower 100,000 youths across Nigeria through vocational training and entrepreneurship programmes aimed at reducing poverty, promoting self-reliance and creating sustainable livelihoods. Chairman of the Foundation, Khalil Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, disclosed this yesterday during the inauguration of officials and the 20 Local Government Coordinators of the Tijjaniyya Youth Economic Development Initiative (TYEDI) held at Dark Real Event Centre in Bauchi. He said that the initiative was a long-overdue awakening for a community of great spiritual wealth disclosing that part of the programme are 20,000 beneficiaries targeted…
The Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, Hon. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, has called on residents of the council area, particularly youths, to take advantage of the Federal Government’s National Directorate of Employment (NDE) programmes designed to combat unemployment and promote self-reliance. According to the Chairman, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the local, micro, and national economy. He stated, “The Federal Government is making significant investments across various sectors to ensure improved living standards for our people and secure a prosperous future for all Nigerians. “At the local level, our administration…
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has pledged its commitment to implementing the Federal Government’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, MAMII, as part of efforts to curb preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Speaking during the Traditional Birth Attendant Workshop organised by the NDDC in Delta and Bayelsa States, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, advised women to embrace orthodox medicine to limit maternal and newborn deaths. Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Principal Manager, Education, Health and Social Services, EHSS, Mrs. Dare-Oloko Kuami, urged * women to combine the traditional birthing system with orthodox medicine to…