The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday took a major step toward stabilizing governance in Rivers State by approving the second reading of a ₦1.48 trillion emergency budget, following the federal government’s declaration of emergency rule in the state. The bill, titled A Bill to Authorize the Issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Rivers State, was presented by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central). It seeks to provide funding for essential government operations in Rivers through December 31, 2025, after the collapse of state institutions earlier this year. The federal intervention comes on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s March 18…
Author: National Update
Fresh concerns over Nigeria’s growing insecurity took centre stage in the Senate on Wednesday as two senior lawmakers—Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) and Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central)—warned of possible insider collusion within the security forces and a politically motivated plot to destabilize the country ahead of the 2027 general elections. Senator Karimi, who chairs the Senate Committee on Services, painted a grim picture from his constituency, revealing that more than 30 people had been kidnapped within a single week. Speaking during a debate on renewed violence in Taraba State, Karimi described the attacks as “deliberate and coordinated,” likening the…
On May 27, 2025, the scheduled arraignment of Ms. Halima Buba, Managing Director of SunTrust Bank Ltd., was abruptly stalled—not due to any resistance on her part, but because the prosecution failed to properly serve her with court documents. Despite this glaring procedural lapse, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had already waged a full-blown media offensive, painting her as guilty before she ever saw the inside of a courtroom. This disturbing pattern of conduct raises urgent questions—not only about due process, but about the integrity of our institutions, the weaponization of public narrative, and the increasingly troubling trend…
By Rt. Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi (SMA) As we mark the second anniversary of a new chapter in the leadership of Niger State, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Executive Governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago(Turakin Nupe), on two years of visionary, courageous, and people-focused governance. Governor Umar Bago, affectionately known as the Farmer Governor, has in just two years redefined what it means to serve with purpose and integrity. His administration has been nothing short of transformational strides anchored in agricultural reform, inclusive governance, institutional revival, and bold infrastructural expansion. The results are not just visible,…
A mounting real-estate dispute has spilled into Nigeria’s political arena as Emperor City Integrated Limited refutes social-media accusations that its Managing Director, Alhaji Musa Mubarak Saliu, swindled a buyer out of ₦90 million. The allegations, posted by businesswoman Hajiya Zainab Abubakar and amplified across multiple blogs, assert that the former Kogi gubernatorial hopeful pocketed payment for plots in Wuye District, Abuja, that were later demolished. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Emperor City termed the post “malicious fabrication,” insisting the recorded sum was ₦47 million, not ₦90 million. “Payment was made into our corporate account, and full receipts exist,” the…
By: Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Baba Azumi Foundation in Jigawa State has sponsored rural children from three different local government areas and participated in the state wide International Children’s Day celebration at Malam Aminu Kano Triangle in Dutse the state capital. The foundation working on children development, People Leaving with Disability (PWDs) women and youth empowerment projects in the state has selected some schools’ children from two villages of Miga, Gwiwa and Kaugama local government areas bring them to the state capital and attended international children day festival organized by the state government. Speaking to National Update at the Aminu…
By Fatima Ndagi In a bold legislative move that could reshape Nigeria’s digital future, lawmakers are championing a bill to establish the Federal Institute of Information Technology in Idanre, Ondo State — a project seen as a game-changer for Nigeria’s tech-savvy but underserved youth population. At a packed public hearing in Abuja on Tuesday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, declared that Nigeria’s greatest untapped asset is its youth — and its greatest opportunity is technology. Represented by Deputy Chief Whip Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka, the Speaker said the proposed ICT institute could become “a launchpad for young…
By Muhammed Danjuma Ogwu | Lafia As Nigeria marked International Children’s Day on Tuesday, Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, issued a passionate call for an end to all forms of child exploitation across the state. In a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Jibrin Gwamna, and made available to journalists in Lafia, the Speaker decried the alarming rates of out-of-school children, child labour, street hawking, and begging, calling them unacceptable realities that threaten the future of the Nigerian child. > “Children are special gifts from God. We must protect, nurture, and invest in…
***Calls for Urgent Action to Protect and Empower Youth In a stirring message delivered today to mark Nigeria’s annual Children’s Day, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan joined the nation in celebrating the invaluable gift of its children, urging Nigerians to renew their commitment to nurturing, protecting, and empowering the next generation. “Children are the most precious asset of our society,” Senator Akpoti declared in her heartfelt statement. “On this special day, we reflect not only on their promise but also on our collective responsibility to safeguard their future.” Amid the festive spirit, the Senator did not shy away from highlighting the…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to greenlight two major financial proposals—an ambitious $21.5 billion external loan to fast-track development across the country and a ₦757.98 billion bond to clear long-standing pension arrears owed to retired public servants. In separate letters read on the Senate floor on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu laid out what his administration calls a “bold and necessary strategy” to fix Nigeria’s ailing infrastructure, ease the pain of fuel subsidy removal, and restore dignity to retirees who have waited years for their dues. In his request for the $21.54 billion foreign loan…