Author: Ogochukwu Ndubuisi

Wike Pledges Support for Tinubu’s Second Term The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, has pledged unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term. The Senior Special Assistant to the minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, said Wike made the pledge on Saturday while meeting PDP stakeholders in Ochigba, Rivers. Wike attended an end-of-year thanksgiving service organised by former Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Chibudom Nwuche, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers. Addressing stakeholders, Wike said their struggle would not be in vain, urging them to continue supporting Tinubu despite…

Trabelsi Laments Missed Chances, Praises Tunisia’s Late Surge Against Eagles Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi expressed disappointment but optimism after the Carthage Eagles’ 3-2 loss to Nigeria in their AFCON 2025 Group C clash. Trabelsi said Tunisia’s strong finish showed their capacity to challenge top teams when they controlled possession and imposed their playing style. Nigeria stormed into a 3-0 lead and dictated early exchanges before Tunisia’s spirited response transformed the contest into a tense finale Goals from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi reignited Tunisian belief, forcing Nigeria to rely on composure to preserve their advantage. Man-of-the-Match Ademola Lookman inspired Nigeria…

FG Confirms Air Strikes on Terrorist Targets in Northwest The Federal Government has confirmed air strikes on terrorist targets in the Northwest of the country. Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar disclosed this in a statement on Friday by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the ministry. The minister explained that Nigeria is engaged in structural security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to tackle terrorism and violent extremism. “The Ministry confirms that Nigerian authorities engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the U.S., in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism. “This has led…

Japan Hikes Defence Budget by 3.5% Amidst Tension with China The Japanese government is responding to weeks of high tensions with China with record spending on national defence. The draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year, approved by the Cabinet on Friday, provides for a 3.5 per cent rise in military expenditure to around 9 trillion yen or 58 billion dollars. Around 100 billion yen is earmarked for the development of a system called “Shield” to protect Japan’s long coastline and remote islands against ships, submarines and drones. The military build-up is taking place against a backdrop of heightened tensions…

NGX Index Climbs, Investors Gain N118bn on Santa Claus Rally The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) maintained its positive momentum on Wednesday, with the All-Share Index advancing 0.12% to 153,539.83 points, while market capitalisation expanded further. Supported by bargain hunting, equities investors’ portfolio value surged by ₦118.37 billion to ₦97.89 trillion, as investors continued repositioning their portfolios ahead of the New Year. Trading activity showed a notable improvement, with volume and value traded increasing by 157.88% and 44.56% to settle at 1.7 billion units and N30.0 billion, respectively. ABBEYBDS dominated both the activity charts, with 1.1 billion units (64.38% of total volume…

AFCON 2025: Chelle Urges Improvement Following Eagles Victory Over Tanzania Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has called for improvements despite Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Tanzania in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Chelle said the team created several chances, especially in the first half, but admitted mistakes in the second half allowed Tanzania back into the game. He noted that the opening win was encouraging but insisted the team must show greater discipline and control as the tournament progresses. “At this level, small details decide games. We played well, but we must reduce our mistakes,…

Central Bank Funds FX Payments with $150m as Inflow Drops The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) funded international payments with additional $150 million sales to banks and authorised dealers at the official window. The local currency came under intense pressure, reflecting a steep increase in imports. Market participants saw a sequence of exchange rate swings amidst limited FX inflows. Last week, the CBN led the pack in terms of FX supply into the market as total inflows fell by about 50% week on week from $1.46 billion in the previous week. Foreign portfolio investors’ inflows ranked behind exporters and the…

NPFL: Barau FC holds Nasarawa United Goalless in Lafia Nasarawa United Football Club on Tuesday played a goalless draw with Barau FC of Kano in the matchday 18 fixture of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). The match played at the Lafia Township Stadium ended goalless with both teams failing to capitalise on scoring opportunities. The Solid Miners, currently second on the league table with 32 points, had a strong home record in the 2025/2026 NPFL campaign, while Barau FC are 17th on the table with 21 points, having struggled to hold Nasarawa United to a draw in the…

Adelabu Assures Nigerians of Prompt Restoration of Electricity Supply The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians of the prompt restoration of electricity supply after a recent decline caused by a temporary shortfall in power generation. Mr Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday night. Tunji said that the minister gave the assurance during a meeting held with key power sector stakeholders, including Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO). Others in the meeting included Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Ministry…

Jigawa Assembly Passes N901bn 2026 Budget The Jigawa House of Assembly has passed the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N901. 84 billion for the services of the state government with some amendments. The passage of the bill on Tuesday followed the adoption of the report of the House Standing Committee on Appropriation at plenary presided over by the Speaker, Haruna Aliyu, in Dutse. Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Ibrahim Hamza, said House standing committees had earlier engaged all Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) on assessment and defence of their respective budget estimates. Hamza said the committee was…