Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

Heirs Insurance Named Among Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies in Financial Times Ranking Heirs Insurance Group has achieved a landmark double recognition, with member companies, Heirs Life Assurance and Heirs General Insurance, both earning coveted spots on the 2026 Financial Times ranking of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies, one of the continent’s most authoritative benchmarks for business performance and expansion. Of the 130 companies featured across all sectors, Heirs Life Assurance ranked 7th and Heirs General Insurance ranked 41st, placing both companies firmly among Africa’s elite growth stories and cementing the Group’s status as a dominant force in the continent’s insurance landscape. The dual…

Otti Begins Reclamation of 10-Year-Old Gully in Abia Community The Abia Government has commenced intervention work aimed at recovering the more than a decade-old Obuba-mbara-Ozu Umunwanwa gully in the Umuahia South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Dr Christian Anokwuru, Special Adviser to Gov. Alex Otti, who hails from the area, explained that the gully posed a serious existential threat to the community, having washed away many houses and people’s livelihoods. Anokwuru spoke on Thursday, when he conducted newsmen around the gully site, currently undergoing reclamation work by the state government. He said that aside from destroying people’s houses,…

NEM Insurance Shareholders Approve N7.52bn Dividend for 2025 Shareholders of NEM Insurance Plc have approved a dividend payout of N1.50 per ordinary share, amounting to N7.52 billion for the 2025 financial year. The approval was granted at the company’s 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Thursday in Lagos. Speaking at the meeting, the Group Chairman of NEM, Mr Tope Smart, said the company recorded strong growth in gross premium income despite a decline in profit after tax caused by foreign exchange losses. According to him, the group’s gross premium income rose to N166.8 billion in 2025 from N110.7 billion…

PDP Begins Screening of Presidential, Governorship Aspirants The Abdulraman Mohammed-led National Working Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to commence screening of its presidential and governorship aspirants for the 2027 general elections. The party disclosed this in a statement issued by the National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, on behalf of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, in Abuja on Thursday. While the governorship aspirants’ screening holds at noon on Thursday at the PDP National Secretariat Annex, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, that of the presidential aspirants will begin at 2 p.m. at the same venue. According to…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted recent public concerns regarding the quality of telecommunications services in parts of the country.

Crude Oil Prices Ease Ahead of Trump, Xi Meeting Oil prices fell on Wednesday as investors monitored mixed signals surrounding tensions between the US and Iran and adopted a cautious stance ahead of a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $106.63 per barrel, down around 1.1% from the previous close of $107.77. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) decreased about 1.1% to $101.03 per barrel, compared with $102.18 in the previous session. Analysts said persistent concerns over potential supply disruptions and ongoing uncertainty in the Middle…

Court Sentences Ex-Power Minister to 75 Years Imprisonment The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced the former Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman, to 75 years imprisonment in absentia over N33.8 billion money laundering offences. Justice James Omotosho, who convicted Mamman in all the 12 counts preferred against him by the EFCC, ordered that the sentence shall run consecutively and not concurrently. Justice Omotosho said that the absence of the ex-minister in court today and on the last adjourned date was a deliberate attempt to stop the wheel of justice. The judge, who agreed with the EFCC’s lawyer,…

Russian Finance Minister Warns Hormuz Blockade Could Trigger Global Recession The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already triggered a global energy crisis and could lead to higher food and fertilizer prices and a recession of the entire global economy. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov on Wednesday said that all countries are suffering from this situation already, and it would be worse in the near future. In his opinion, the countries most affected by the consequences of the Strait of Hormuz blockade will be energy-importing nations in Asia and Europe, as well as the poorest states in Africa. He…

S/East APC Dismisses ₦800bn Fund Diversion Allegation Against Uzodinma The South East Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the N800 billion fund diversion allegation against Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo is spurious and baseless. It also stated that Uzodinma remained unwavering in his commitment to delivering good governance, sustainable development, and improved welfare for the people of Imo. The chapter made this known in a statement signed by Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, National Vice-Chairman (South-East), APC in Lagos on Wednesday. The chapter said the allegations were politically masterminded, especially following Uzodinma’s indication to contest the Imo East senatorial seat…

US Appeals Court Temporarily Pauses Ruling Against Trump Tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has secured an interim victory in the legal battle over his tariff policy. A federal appeals court temporarily suspended a lower court ruling that found Trump’s temporary tariffs on imports from around the world unlawful last week. Importers must therefore continue paying the 10 per cent duties for now. The appeals court’s decision is not a final ruling. Instead, it temporarily pauses the judgment by the lower court – the Court of International Trade in New York – while the appeals judges consider the U.S. administration’s request.…