The Federal Government has charged capital market operators to boost investor confidence, enhance financial literacy, and fully prepare for the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 and the forthcoming Capital Market Master Plan (CMMP) 2030. Speaking at the 2025 First Capital Market Committee (CMC) Meeting hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Lagos, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, emphasized the market’s strategic role in driving Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy in a decade. Represented by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite,…
Author: National Update
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja. THE family of the abducted Kogi First Class traditional ruler Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, has appealed to Corporate Organizations and public spirited individuals to come to their aid in raising the N50 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers. Pa Ogunyanda, the Obalohun of Okoloke community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi was abducted from his palace at about 2 am on Thursday, May 14, and has been in the kidnappers den since then. A highly reliable family source from the palace who prefers anonymity disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Lokoja. The source…
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already metastasized to his bones, according to a statement from his personal office released on Sunday. The 81-year-old statesman was evaluated last week after reporting worsening urinary symptoms. Medical assessments confirmed the presence of a prostate nodule, which was later diagnosed as cancer with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5)—indicating one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Despite the severity of the diagnosis, his doctors note that the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which opens the door for effective…
***Obi, Fayemi Crack Smiles As Political Tension Melts Into Papal Blessings In what might be the most unexpected “political pilgrimage” photo-op of the year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi shared laughs and light banter inside the sacred halls of the Vatican during the installation Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday. The three Nigerian heavyweights, usually seen locked in political sparring matches or separate TV interviews, found common ground in Rome—literally. A viral snapshot posted by Tinubu’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, showed the trio grinning like altar boys caught sharing communion…
In a bold push to revive local industries and protect domestic jobs, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, placing an immediate ban on the importation of foreign goods that can be produced within the country. The sweeping directive, announced Wednesday and reported by NTA, marks a significant shift in government procurement—compelling all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to give absolute priority to Nigerian-made products and services. The policy is based on the recommendation of the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun, as part of efforts to…
***Seizes N3.2bn Drugs, AK-47 In a nationwide crackdown, the NDLEA has busted a ₦3.2bn drug syndicate involving two octogenarians—a convicted grandfather and an 82-year-old grandmother running a family drug ring—while seizing massive opioid shipments at seaports and across several states. The shocking arrests include 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru, a notorious ex-convict who returned to the drug trade barely a year after serving a 10-year prison sentence, and 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, arrested alongside her daughter in Abia for operating a drug business inherited from her late son. Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement explained that in…
Ahead of a critical meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Urhobo people of Warri South Local Government Area in Delta State have raised a fierce protest over their exclusion from discussions on the contentious Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ward delineation exercise. In a strongly worded letter dated May 15, 2025, and signed by prominent community leaders Chief Westham Adehor and Honourable Mark Ikpuri, the Urhobos condemned their sidelining from the NSA-led stakeholder meeting slated for May 19. “We have been the authentic voice of the Urhobo people throughout the INEC stakeholder engagements. Yet, the…
***As Thousands Defect to APC By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has issued a strong political warning to opposition lawmakers in the state, asking them to “start counting their days” in office as the All Progressives Congress (APC) gains momentum with thousands of defections. Speaking during the Jigawa State Government Citizens Engagement Programme (JSGCEP), tagged “Gwamnati da Jama’a”, held at the Jigawa State Sports Complex in Dutse, the governor welcomed over 3,502 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling APC. Governor Namadi specifically targeted the PDP…
In a strong boost to government finances, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N1.681 trillion to the Federal Government, States, and Local Government Councils as revenue allocation for April 2025. Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga, in a statement, indicated that the figure was drawn from a gross total of N2.848 trillion, marking one of the highest distributions in recent times. The meeting, chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun saw allocations made from statutory revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday met with His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, at the Vatican, where the two leaders exchanged warm greetings ahead of the official mass marking the beginning of the Pope’s pontificate. The meeting took place shortly before the solemn installation mass for Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church, scheduled for May 18. President Tinubu arrived in Rome earlier in the day in response to a special invitation extended by the Vatican. The new Pope, who once served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,…