Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

BPSR Unveils 2025 Transparency Integrity Index The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has launched the 2025 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), as announced in a statement by Mr Aliyu Umar, Head of Strategic Communications at BPSR, in Abuja on Saturday. Mr Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General, BPSR, in his address described the Index as a vital tool for strengthening accountability, openness, and ethical standards across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). ‎“This annual event remains one of the most important platforms for promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity within our public institutions. “The TII is not just about numbers or rankings; it…

Nigerian Exchange Index Surges, Equities Investors Gain N384bn The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) All-share index surged on Friday over sustained positive momentum. Due to bargain hunting investors gained N384 billion as mid and large capitalised stocks rallied. Specifically, the market capitalisation, which opened at N90.751 trillion, rose by 0.42 per cent or N384 billion to close at N91.135 trillion. Similarly, the All-Share Index gained 604.58 points or 0.42 per cent, to settle at 143,584.04, compared with 142,979.46 posted on Thursday. The market breadth closed positive with 39 gainers against 25 losers. UAC of Nigeria led the gainers’ table by 10 per…

Renaissance Seeks Partners to Unlock Nigeria’s Oil, Gas Potential Renaissance Africa Energy – a consortium of five energy companies – has announced it is seeking partners to help grow its portfolio and drive oil and gas development in Nigeria. The announcement was made by Tony Attah, Managing Director and CEO of Renaissance Africa Energy during a briefing at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025. “We are born in Nigeria and made for Africa,” Attah stated, adding, “We strive to be Africa’s leading energy company, enabling energy security and industrialization in a sustainable manner.” During the presentation, Attah…

Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Hits $1.79bn in Q1, 2025 – NEPC The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), says Nigeria’s non-oil export has risen to $1.791 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The Chief Executive Officer of the council, Nonye Ayeni, said this at a one-day sensitisation exercise organised by the Council for Sesame seed farmers, on Thursday in Dutse, Jigawa. The theme of the workshop is: “A Tactical Involvement for Enhancing the Production Capacity of Sesame Seed in Jigawa State.” Represented by Okany Chika Sylvia, Chief Trade Promotion Officer, NEPC, Ayeni said the export value represents 24.75 per cent increase…

Equities Investors Record N170bn Portfolio Value Gain on NGX LAGOS: The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) all-share index surged as equities investors gained more than N170 billion in the first trading after the independence holiday. The stock market maintained its bullish streak after the break to open trading activities for the final quarter of the year in the green. NGX positive performance was primarily driven by buying interest in selective large- and medium-scale stocks with good fundamentals. Market movers include PZ Cussons, ETERNA, GTCO, CADBURY and other stocks with upside potential across sectoral names. The stock market index inched higher by 0.19%,…

Robert Mugabe’s Son Arrested Over Illegal Drugs Possession Robert Mugabe Jr., the 33-year-old son of Zimbabwe’s late former President Robert Mugabe, was arrested in Harare on Wednesday after police allegedly found cannabis and cocaine in his possession. The arrest was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department’s Drugs and Narcotics division following a tip-off, and Mugabe Jr. was detained during a routine stop in the affluent Borrowdale suburb. According to sources close to the investigation, officers recovered small packets of the suspected drugs from his vehicle, though the exact quantities will only be confirmed after forensic testing. Mugabe Jr. is…

U.S. Denies Iranian Delegation Entry to Attend World Cup Draw The U.S. denied Iranian delegation entry to attend the World Cup draw in the country, according to the spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation (FFI), Amir-Mehdi Alawi. Among those affected were FFI president Mehdi Taj, head coach Amir Ghalenoei and seven other FFI officials, the spokesperson said, according to the daily newspaper Shargh. The FFI now wants to try to get FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reverse the decision. The spokesperson hopes that Infantino will lift the ban within the next two weeks. The World Cup draw will take place…

Fubara Commends Cabinet Members, Relieves Commissioners of Appointments Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, of Rivers, has expressed gratitude to members of his cabinet for their contributions to the state’s development in the past two years. Fubara made the commendation during a valedictory session for his cabinet and in an event to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary at Government House in Port Harcourt. The governor emphasised the significance of Nigeria’s independence’s day, urging all Nigerians to work together with President Bola Tinubu to build a peaceful, secure and prosperous country. He reiterated his commitment to serving the state with renewed vigor and thanked…

Report: Musk Becomes lst Person Worth $500bn Elon Musk on Thursday became the first person estimated to reach a net worth of 500 billion dollars. This is according to U.S. magazine Forbes, largely held in shares of electric carmaker Tesla and aerospace firm SpaceX. Forbes calculated Musk’s wealth at roughly 150 billion dollars more than Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The magazine later revised the estimate slightly down to 499.1 billion dollars. Musk’s wealth is harder to estimate than that of other billionaires because many of his companies are not publicly traded. Musk surpassed the 400 billion dollars mark in December…

DMO Allots Nigerian Bonds to Investors at 16.20% Marginal Rate The Debt Management Office (DMO) allotted Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bonds worth N576.6 billion at the Sept primary market auction this week. The authority floated N200 billion in reopened local bonds for its monthly auction across 5-year and 7-year tenors. The auction attracted fixed-interest securities investors, with total subscriptions reaching N1.3 trillion. The 5-year reopened bonds with a total offer size of N100 billion recorded an aggregate subscription of N231.792 billion, according to the Debt Office auction result. With 22 bids reported as successful out of 66, the authority…