Nigeria and China have reaffirmed their strategic diplomatic and cultural partnership, with top government officials, diplomats and international development partners using the 2026 Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival celebration in Abuja to call for deeper collaboration in culture, education, tourism and women’s economic empowerment. The event, held at the China Cultural Centre brought together high-level delegates from the Federal Government of Nigeria, the diplomatic corps and cultural stakeholders from China. The celebration also marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries, as well as global efforts to promote people-to-people diplomacy under cultural exchange platforms. Speaking at the…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
A prominent traditional tie-and-dye artist and respected community figure, Grandma Sikira Adunni Aladire, has died at the age of 90. She passed away in the early hours of Monday, 2 March, 2026, at her residence in Ile Toki, located at No. N1/506 Balogun Ibikunle Street, Ayeye, Ibadan. She was buried the same day in accordance with Islamic rites. Widely known by her popular nickname, “Sikira Aladire,” the nonagenarian built a reputation for excellence in the traditional Yoruba art of Adire (tie and dye). She began her training in the craft in the mid-1950s, during Nigeria’s pre-independence era, and went on…
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of emergency relief materials to victims of recent banditry attacks in Kebbi State, offering support to families displaced by a wave of violence that has unsettled parts of the state. The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, flagged off the exercise in Birnin Kebbi, targeting affected residents in Shanga, Yauri and Bunza Local Government Areas. She said the intervention followed a detailed assessment of the affected communities to identify their most pressing needs. Over the past weeks, suspected bandits reportedly launched coordinated attacks on several villages across the three local government…
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has reiterated his administration’s commitment to post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable development following the commissioning of multiple infrastructure and education projects across the state, amid growing international development partnerships. The projects were formally inaugurated by the Nigeria Country Director of the World Bank, Dr. Mathew Verghis, who described the investments as critical milestones in strengthening human capital development and economic resilience in regions recovering from insurgency. Verghis praised the Borno State Government for prioritising education and infrastructure as pillars of recovery, noting that long-term stability in conflict-affected regions depends largely on access to quality education,…
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has shut down Dai Jin Jia Quarry located in ACO Village along Airport Road, Abuja, following the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy during a blasting operation. The incident, which occurred on Friday, 27 February, 2026, prompted immediate intervention by the agency after it received reports of the fatality linked to activities at the quarry site. Addressing journalists, the Director of Environmental Quality Control, Mr. Elijah Udofia, who spoke on behalf of the Director-General, Prof. Innocent Barikor, described the development as deeply troubling. He revealed that the facility had previously been…
Ahead of the 2027 polls, Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri on Tuesday, 3 March, 2026, has shown support for rotational presidency, saying that no northerner has any business joining the race, reports thegazellenews.com. Fintiri, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this on Tuesday, 3 March, 2026 while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. He explained that although anybody can vie for any political office, the southern region should retain the presidency in the interest of fairness and unity of the country. “There is no business of anybody in the north…
The Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi, and two others, have been suspended by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel after establishing a prima facie case of medical negligence against them in the management of 21 month old, Nkanu Adichie-Esege. Nkanu, on of renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr. Ivara Esege, died on January 7, 2026, after receiving care at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing medical procedures at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos. Apart from the Medical Director at Euracare, the panel also suspended the anesthesiologist at the same hospital, Dr. Titus Ogundare, as well…
On Monday, 2 March, 2026, the outgoing Taraba State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), endorsed Gov. Agbu Kefas for a second term in the 2027 governorship election, just as it also endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential poll reports thegazellenews.com. The Chairman of APC in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim El-Sudi, who made this disclosure on Monday, 2 March, 2026 while addressing newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital, said the endorsement was informed by the quality of leadership demonstrated by both the governor and the president in their offices. According to El-Suldi, since Kefas…
Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised its ex-depot price for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by N101 to N875 per litre, up from N774, in direct response to sharp volatility in global crude oil markets fueled by the escalating U.S.-Israel military conflict with Iran. A senior refinery official confirmed the adjustment to The PUNCH on Monday, 2 March, 2026 attributing the increase to “changes in global crude fundamentals and replacement costs.” The move follows the refinery’s immediate suspension of petrol loading operations at midnight on March 2, after international crude prices surged past the $80 per barrel mark overnight. Diesel loading…
The Department of State Services (DSS) has detained five security operatives over alleged involvement in the return of former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai from Egypt on February 12. According to Daily Trust, the operatives were reportedly implicated in facilitating unauthorized access and obstructing lawful security operations during El-Rufai’s arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Efforts to arrest him at the airport initially failed, though his international passport was seized. El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed the incident, noting that El-Rufai declined to comply with security operatives’ demands without a formal invitation. Three days later, El-Rufai honoured an invitation…