The Federal Government has intensified efforts to rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed by the 2024 floods in Borno State, with the Minister of State for Regional Development, Hon. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, inspecting major North East Development Commission (NEDC) projects and demanding timely completion of the reconstruction works. Ahmadu commenced a two-day inspection of NEDC-funded projects in Maiduguri on Monday, focusing on infrastructure being rebuilt to restore access, strengthen public services and support the state’s recovery from the devastating floods. Among the major projects inspected were the nine-span Fori-Galtimari Bridge and six-span Moromoro Bridge, both of which collapsed during the 2024 flooding,…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
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Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has pledged stronger collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners to transform healthcare delivery in the state, while announcing a N100 million government donation in support of a book chronicling the tenure of the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo. Zulum made the commitments on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026 in Maiduguri at the opening of the 9th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Radiologists of Nigeria (ARIN), where he also commissioned a Fertility Care Centre and En-Suite Maternity Complex constructed through…
Nigeria’s human rights crisis assumed a more troubling dimension in July, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recording 354,997 complaints, even as the commission entered a two-year partnership with Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) aimed at strengthening access to justice, civic participation, digital rights and accountability. The NHRC’s July 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard showed that complaints increased by 20 per cent from the previous month, making July the highest monthly figure recorded in the January-to-July period. The development came amid persistent killings, kidnappings, attacks on farmers, violence against women and children, sexual abuse, mob justice and attacks on…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the alleged Nigerian arrowhead of an international cocaine trafficking cartel at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as he attempted to flee the country, following the seizure of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine worth an estimated N39 billion. The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026 while briefing journalists on what he described as one of the agency’s most significant narcotics investigations in recent times. Marwa said the suspect, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as “KC Luxury,” was…
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged manipulation of the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to divert statutory deductions belonging to its members. The union alleged that a former staff member of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Bola Audu, working in concert with others, compromised its banking information on the government payroll platform and substituted the Association’s legitimate account with an allegedly fraudulent account. According to ASCSN,…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy and Colombian singer, Shakira’s “Dai Dai” has retained the No. 1 position on the Billboard Global 200 for a fifth consecutive week, extending its reign on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart to eight weeks. Billboard reported the latest milestone on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026 noting that the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song has continued to command strong global demand despite the conclusion of the tournament. According to data from Luminate cited by Billboard, “Dai Dai” recorded 44.1 million global streams and 6,000 sales during the July 7–13 tracking period,…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Nigerian singer, Wande Coal, has hit back at Afrobeats star Davido over comments concerning their unreleased collaboration on the remix of his hit song, Come My Way. Wande Coal reacted on Tuesday, 18 August, 2026, in a post on his X handle after Davido explained during a podcast interview why his recorded verse did not feature on the song. Davido had claimed that he recorded a verse for ‘Come My Way’ but disagreed with Wande Coal’s plan to release the song first and subsequently use his contribution for a remix. According to Davido, the disagreement over…
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Lagos State Police Command have agreed to strengthen their collaboration to tackle indiscriminate waste dumping, curb illegal activities and encroachment at dumpsites, as well as enhance the protection of waste management facilities and personnel across the State. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, made the call on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the state Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, at the Lagos State Police Command, GRA, Ikeja, where he sought stronger police support for the Authority’s enforcement and operational activities. Gbadegesin stated that the rapid influx…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Africa’s innovation economy through strategic partnerships, knowledge exchange and stronger intellectual property (IP) systems. The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NBTI, Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji, stated this during an engagement with Mr Sand Mba Kalu and his partner from the Africa Intellectual Property Summit, where both sides explored areas of collaboration to strengthen the continent’s intellectual property ecosystem. The engagement, which focused on protecting, developing and commercialising intellectual assets, also examined opportunities for deeper cooperation between NBTI and the summit in supporting innovators and…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Ujam Claris, has won the 2026 Presidential Distinguished Civil Service Career Award, the highest honour presented at the Federal Civil Service Rewards and Recognition Ceremony. The award was presented on Saturday, 15 August, 2026, at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Claris, who emerged the overall winner, also received a brand-new SUV in recognition of her distinguished career, dedication to duty and contribution to the Federal Civil Service. Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary,…