Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

Abdullahi Sule Presents N517.5bn 2026 Budget Proposal to Nasarawa Assembly Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, on Wednesday presented a budget proposal of N517.5billion for 2026 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for approval. Sule, while presenting the appropriation bill tagged: ” Budget of Strategic Consolidation” before the Assembly in Lafia, commended the legislature for their consistent support in passing appropriation bills. He explained that the theme of the 2026 budget was in line with his administration’s development agenda to consolidate on ongoing infrastructure projects, enhance connectivity and economic competitiveness among others. According to the governor, the sum…

NEPZA Generates N1.8bn in 10 Months The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) on Wednesday said it generated more than N1.8billion in the first 10 months of the current year for the Federal Government. Its Managing Director, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, made this known at the opening of the 2025 Kano Free Trade Zone Investors and Stakeholders Forum in Kano, which has “Strengthening Partnerships for Efficient Service Delivery in the Free Trade Zone” as its theme. Ogunyemi, represented by the Head of Kano Free Trade Zone, Mr Richard Bassey, expressed confidence that the forum would produce workable strategies to enhance Free…

Nigeria Needs Clear EV Charging Roadmap Stakeholders in Nigeria’s energy and transport sectors on Wednesday said the country urgently needs a clear and realistic roadmap to develop a scalable electric vehicle (EV) charging network, if it must meet its mobility transition goals. They made the call at the Abuja EV Stakeholders Roundtable Dialogue organised by the Clean Technology Hub in commemoration of the World Sustainable Transport Day. The high-level dialogue is organised in partnership with the Policy Centre of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), and Surge Africa. The theme…

Russia to Deepen Cooperation with Nigeria in Key Economic Sectors Amb. Andrey Pudelyshev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Nigeria, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Nigeria in key sectors of the economy. Pudelyshev disclosed this at the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and Nigeria on Tuesday night in Abuja. He said that the mutual turnover of trade between the two countries is yet to reach $1 billion dollars, adding that it did not reflect the real potential of both countries or the needs…

Otti Presents N1.016trn 2026 Appropriation Bill to Assembly Gov. Alex Otti of Abia, on Tuesday, presented a N1.016 trillion Appropriation Bill for the 2026 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly. Presenting the budget, christened “Budget of Acceleration and New Possibilities”, at the assembly complex in Umuahia, Otti said that the proposal represented a 13 per cent rise from the 2025 appropriation, which stood at N750.28 billion. He said that the budget had been designed to fast-track infrastructure expansion, boost social services and deepen ongoing reforms across the state. He allocated N811.8 billion, representing 80 per cent of the…

Lagos: Sanwo-Olu Presents N4.24trn Budget Proposal for 2026 Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, presented a N4.24 trillion budget proposal for 2026 to the Lagos State House of Assembly, describing it as a transformative plan for inclusive growth. Presenting what he called the last full-year budget of his administration, Sanwo-Olu said the budget proposal would build on the foundations laid by the 2025 Budget of Sustainability and advance the state’s long-term development trajectory. He tagged the 2026 budget – ‘The Budget of Shared Prosperity’. “This budget reflects our unwavering commitment to eradicate poverty, expanding opportunities and building a Lagos that works…

Alleged N4bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Ex-Governor Obiano’s Trial Indefinitely The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of former Anambra Governor Willie Obiano over alleged ₦4 billion fraud indefinitely. This followed an application by the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the matter be adjourned sine die. (Indefinitely) When the case was called before Justice Mohammed Umar, the prosecuting counsel Mr S.O. Obila informed the court that, the matter was coming up before the judge for the first time. He, however, said that he had instruction from the lead prosecuting counsel to ask the…

Malaysia to Ban Social Media for Under-16s in 2026 Malaysia is set to join the growing list of countries prioritizing child safety online by banning social media use for individuals under 16 starting from 2026. The move, announced by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, aims to protect young users from online harms such as cyberbullying, financial scams, and child sexual abuse. The government plans to work with social media platforms to implement age verification systems, potentially using electronic checks with identity cards or passports. This follows a broader effort to tighten regulations, with platforms having over 8 million users in Malaysia…

UK, Canada, Australia Unveil Joint Campaign Against Visa Fraud The UK, Australia and Canada, have unveiled a joint international campaign to combat visa fraud and protect people from exploitation by fraudulent immigration facilitators. A statement issued by the British High Commission in Abuja, said the initiative, which is tagged: #FightingVisaFraud campaign, was unveiled during the International Fraud Awareness Week. It explained that the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the serious consequences of visa fraud, noting that they had identified common patterns of visa fraud affecting their immigration systems. According to the statement, the visa fraud costs victims millions of…

Vacate PDP Secretariat Within 24 Hours or Face Legal Action, Lawyers/CSOs Tell Police A coalition of lawyers and civil society organisations (CSOs) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Nigeria Police Force to re-open the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat or face immediate legal action. The coalition, comprising Lawyers for New Nigeria (LNN), Good Governance Initiative Coalition (GGIC), and Arewa Lawyers Union (ALU), issued the threat at a joint news conference on Monday in Abuja. Mr Hassan Saraki, the National Coordinator of LNN, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said that the ultimatum was necessary to ensure the sustenance…