Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Nigeria’s long-term issuer rating from Caa1 to B3, assigning a stable outlook. The move is an indication of increased investor confidence in the country’s economic direction under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Moody’s said the upgrade reflects improvements in Nigeria’s external and fiscal positions and acknowledged the government’s commitment to macroeconomic and structural reforms. The latest development marks the second positive rating action by Moody’s since December 2023, when the agency adjusted Nigeria’s outlook from stable to positive. It also comes shortly after Fitch Ratings raised Nigeria’s rating from…
Author: National Update
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NISEMA) has confirmed that the death toll from the devastating floods in Mokwa Local Government Area has risen to 151 as of Saturday, with more than 3,000 people displaced and hundreds of homes destroyed. According to the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mallam Hassan Mohammed, the floods—which struck on Wednesday night—ravaged three major communities, leaving 508 households affected. He noted that 256 houses were completely washed away, with residents losing all possessions. Infrastructural damage was also severe, with two major roads and two bridges cut off, disrupting transport and emergency access. The disaster is one…
By Abel Daniel, Lafia The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Margaret Elayo, has come down hard on residents for what she described as a disappointing and unacceptable level of non-compliance during the state’s monthly sanitation exercise. Addressing journalists after monitoring the exercise on Saturday, Dr. Elayo decried the flagrant violation of the movement restriction order, especially by motorists, commercial motorcycle riders, and tricycle operators in major towns. “What I saw today was simply unacceptable. There was gross disregard for the sanitation rules. People went about their business as if it was just another ordinary day,” she…
By: Dr Ibrahim Sani Kaita Two years have passed since Governor Dikko Umar Radda took the reins of Katsina State. Two years marked not by flamboyance or noise, but by the quiet rhythm of a government focused on duty. In a region where peace has often been a fragile guest, Governor Radda’s firm hand has brought more than a measure of calm. His method has been clear: build people, secure the land, and let development speak for itself. Security is not merely a word on a government memo—it is the breath of freedom for the farmer, the trader, and the…
Public affairs analyst and criminology expert, Mr. Tersoo Chiahemen, has blasted Amnesty International for what he called “fiction storytelling disguised as human rights reporting,” following the group’s recent report on killings in Northern Nigeria. The report, titled “Nigeria: Mounting Death Toll and Looming Humanitarian Crisis Amid Unchecked Attacks by Armed Groups,” claims that over 10,000 Nigerians have been killed by bandits and armed groups since President Bola Tinubu assumed office—98% of them from just Benue and Plateau States. But Chiahemen says the report is wildly exaggerated, methodologically flawed, and intentionally inflammatory. “Amnesty is no longer doing human rights work—it is…
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has praised the governors of the South-South region for their hard work and good leadership as the region marks Democracy Day 2025. In a statement by PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, the group thanked Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Prince Bassey Otu (Cross River), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Similayi Fubara (Rivers) for improving roads, bridges, cities, farming, and ports in the region. PANDEF also praised Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo for their efforts, especially since they both took office recently. The group said these projects are…
The Ibusa Youth Council (IYC) has strongly condemned the recent installation of an interim youth leadership in the community, describing it as a direct violation of court orders and a threat to peace and stability in Ibusa. In a statement signed by the Secretary General of the Council, Comrade Olimmah Vincent, the group alleged that the interim executive was imposed by the Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, in collaboration with the Palace of the Obuzor of Ibusa. The IYC described the move as a deliberate disregard for the judiciary and a provocative act capable of inciting unrest among…
With the weight of history and the urgency of now, Prof. Edmund Ugwu Agbo has reignited the global movement for reparations, justice, and Africa’s cultural reclamation — declaring that Africa will no longer wait for permission to lead its own future. At a high-powered World Press Briefing held in Abuja as part of Africa Week 2025, Prof. Agbo — legal scholar, international consultant, and founder of the International Bio-Research Institute — delivered a stirring call to action: the time for polite diplomacy is over. “We are not appealing anymore,” he said. “We are demanding justice — loudly, unapologetically — because…
The flood that devastated the communities of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State, has claimed the lives of 115 people, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has confirmed. Ibrahim Hussaini, NSEMA’s Public Relations Officer, speaking on behalf of Director General Ibrahim Baba Arah, disclosed that the agency’s search and rescue teams have recovered a total of 115 bodies so far. Hussaini clarified that reports on social media suggesting different numbers are inaccurate, and emphasized that rescue operations are ongoing as the agency continues its efforts to find more victims. “The search and rescue…
By Muhammed Danjuma Ogwu, Lafia There was panic in the Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday following the abduction of the Sangarin Dari, His Royal Highness Emmanuel Omanji, by unidentified gunmen suspected to be bandits. Eyewitnesses said the armed men, carrying AK-47 rifles, stormed the monarch’s palace in the early hours of the day and opened fire indiscriminately, sending residents into hiding. The assailants reportedly whisked the traditional ruler away without encountering any resistance from security operatives or members of the community. Speaking anonymously, a resident of Dari recounted the terrifying experience: “The gunshots were deafening. Nobody…