Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

33 States at High Risk of Flooding- NIHSA Warns The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has warned that 1,249 communities across 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 33 states and the FCT fall within the high flood-risk areas in 2025. The warning was issued during the official presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, in Abuja. According to the forecast, an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs across 31 states and the FCT are expected to experience moderate flood risk this year. States identified in the high-risk category…

Zenith Bank Crosses N2trn Ahead of Annual Meeting, Dividend Payment Zenith Bank Plc’s market value crossed N2 trillion in a latest rally that saw the financial services group’s share price up by more than 4% to N49.2 on the Nigerian Exchange. Demand for the bank’s stock heated up in the local bourse on Thursday as impressed investors geared up for the annual general meeting and dividend payment. According to details obtained from the Nigerian bourse, Zenith Bank’s share price increased by 402 basis points as more than 30.204 million units valued at N1.446 billion exchanged hands in the market. After…

Court Dismisses Rights Enforcement Suit Filed by 161 Chinese, Nigerians Against EFCC The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against EFCC by at least 161 Chinese and Nigerians who are being investigated on alleged internet fraud. Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, dismissed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/80/2025/ for being unmeritorious. Justice Omotosho held that the arrest of the suspects and their detention from Jan. 9 and beyond, upon two remand orders obtained by the anti-graft agency to enable it conclude its investigation, did not amount to a breach of their rights. The…

AfDB President Pledges Investment in C’ River’s Health, Agriculture Sectors Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has pledged significant investment in Cross River State’s health and agriculture sectors. Adesina made this commitment on Thursday during a state banquet held in his honour by the Cross River government, in connection with the launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) project. He stated that the AfDB would support Gov. Bassey Otu’s efforts to revitalise primary healthcare centres and strengthen the state’s health insurance initiative. Adesina also encouraged the adoption of a sustainable, franchise-based business model for healthcare…

EU Chief welcomes Trump’s Tariff Pause Announcement European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was pausing new “reciprocal tariffs’’ on most countries for 90 days to allow for negotiations. “It’s an important step toward stabilising the global economy. “Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function. “The European Union remains committed to constructive negotiations with the U.S., with the goal of achieving frictionless and mutually beneficial trade,’’ von der Leyen said. On Wednesday, EU member states agreed to retaliatory tariffs of 10 per cent to 25…

China Begins New 84% Tariffs on U.S. Imports China officially commenced the implementation of its planned retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods on Thursday, imposing an additional 84 per cent duty on imports from the U.S. The move came after Washington escalated its trade pressure, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing on Wednesday a new plan to raise tariffs on Chinese imports even further to 125 per cent. Chinese officials have however rejected the U.S. approach, accusing Washington of blackmail and pledging to resist pressure in the ongoing trade dispute. As tensions rise with the U.S, China is reaching out to…

Soludo Assents Six Bills Into Law Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra on Thursday signed six bills into law, as part of ongoing efforts to advance the state’s development projects. The bills included the Anambra State Development and Investment Corporation Law, 2025 and the Anambra State Electricity Law, 2025. They also include the Anambra State Homeland Security (Amendment) Law 2025 and the Anambra State Indigenous Traditional Medicine Practices Law, 2025. Others are the Anambra State Herbal Practice Law 2025 and the Anambra State Mission Schools of Nursing and Midwifery (Amendment No. 2) Law, 2025. Speaking while signing the bills into law,…

NEMA, Africa Re Partner to Enhance Disaster Risk Financing The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) jointly convened a disaster risk financing workshop in Abuja on Thursday. The event aimed to transform Nigeria’s approach to disaster management through innovative insurance mechanisms and enhanced public-private collaboration. Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, revealed that during the 2024 rainy season, floods affected over 1.3 million people across 34 states, displacing more than 740,000 individuals and causing major loss of life and livelihoods. She was represented by Mr Idris Mohammed, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction at NEMA. Umar…

Oyo State Pegs Borehole Drilling Costs at N14,000 Per Meter The Oyo State Government has established a controlled rate of N14,000 per meter for groundwater abstraction, also referred to as borehole drilling, statewide. The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan, during an interactive meeting with groundwater abstraction stakeholders. Mogbonjubola explained that the meeting was convened to address the challenges faced by groundwater abstraction practitioners and collaborative solutions for the sustainable management of vital resources. According to him, engaging with the industry stakeholders is crucial to bringing sanity to the system and…

Intraday Rally – Equities Investors Stake Bets on UBA, Zenith, GTCO Equities investors are driving the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) all-share index (ASI) upward with an intraday rally on top banking names. UBA, Zenith Bank, GTCO, and other early risers have seen positive price upticks that pushed the market index higher during the trading session on Thursday. Stockbrokers are expressing confidence that the local bourse would close positive today in the absence of significant sell pressures on market heavyweights. The NGX index tracked lower midweek due to weak investors’ sentiments. However, the NGX trading platform has seen surprise bargain hunting, driven…