By Fatima Ndagi The House of Representatives will next week host the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC), with public debt oversight topping the agenda. The five-day gathering, scheduled for September 8–12 at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, is expected to attract over 300 lawmakers, auditors, fiscal policy experts, and finance professionals from across the sub-region and beyond. Founded in 2009 after a World Bank-backed seminar, WAAPAC brings together legislatures from West and Southern Africa to strengthen parliamentary accountability through peer learning and collaboration. This year’s theme, “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight…
Author: National Update
By Fatima Ndagi The House of Representatives has pledged to boost the legislative capacity of Local Government Councils to make bye-laws that directly impact grassroots development. Chairman of the House Committee on Delegated Legislation, Rep. Richard Bamisile, made the commitment yesterday in Abuja at the opening of a national retreat on local government lawmaking and revenue allocation. The retreat, organised in partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Bagama & Networks Ltd, focused on “Enhancing Legislative Capacity of Local Government Councils and the Review of the Vertical Revenue Allocation Formula.” Bamisile said the initiative would improve the…
Chatham House, the London-based policy institute, has delivered a stinging rebuke to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent boast in Brazil that his administration has eliminated corruption in Nigeria. In a new report, the think tank said sleaze remains “deeply entrenched,” eroding economic foundations, weakening the rule of law, and breeding public distrust in institutions. It pointed to a compromised judiciary and pervasive political capture as proof that Nigeria’s corruption crisis is far from over. The report, authored by Dr. Leena Hoffmann and Tommy Hilton, underlined how corruption continues to undercut governance reforms, drive poverty—now afflicting 54% of Nigerians—and fuel emigration,…
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to finance for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturers, and individuals—sectors regarded as vital engines of economic resilience, industrial growth, and job creation. Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, gave the assurance in Abuja today when she received the Board and Management of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC), led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bonaventure E. Okhaimo. Commending the Company’s rapid establishment and professional rollout, Dr. Uzoka-Anite said NCGC is a key instrument under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to boost…
The Federal Government on Wednesday launched a revised Service Charter for the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) as part of efforts to reform the pension system and improve welfare for retirees. The charter, tagged “Renewed Commitment to Service Excellence,” introduces stricter service standards, accountability measures, and feedback mechanisms aimed at faster and more reliable service delivery to pensioners. Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, who unveiled the document in Abuja, said it represents a “social contract” with senior citizens. She disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved a bond programme worth over N800 billion to settle outstanding pension liabilities.…
Another bloody Wednesday, another Dangote truck. This time, at Ozalla Four Corner Junction along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, a cement-laden trailer flattened cars and commuter buses, leaving families shattered and lives cut short. Among the dead were staff of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and an entire family reportedly crushed beyond recognition. This is not an isolated tragedy. From Okene to Edo to Enugu, Dangote trucks have become synonymous with carnage on Nigerian highways. In April, 19 people perished on the Okene–Lokoja highway after a collision with a Dangote vehicle. Only weeks ago, in Edo State, a Dangote truck…
Nigeria’s inland waterways safety came under renewed scrutiny on Tuesday after another fatal boat accident in Niger State left at least 29 people dead and two missing. The boat, carrying 90 passengers to a condolence visit in Dugga, capsized in Gausawa, Borgu Local Government Area, after hitting a submerged tree stump. Survivors said the vessel was overloaded, and officials confirmed no passenger wore a life jacket. Emergency responders recovered 29 bodies while 50 others were pulled out alive. Search teams are still combing the waters for the missing. Tuesday’s disaster is the second in Niger this year and underscores recurring…
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled multiple criminal networks, arresting 63 suspects, rescuing 22 victims of human trafficking, and recovering 19 firearms in one month of intensified operations. Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, on Wednesday. He said the operations, carried out between August 1 and September 2, 2025, targeted cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers, ritualists, car thieves, and drug dealers. Police operatives stormed hideouts across Eket, Obot Akara, and Mkpat Enin LGAs, arresting armed cultists and recovering pistols, cartridges, charms, and even a human skull.…
Nigeria’s embassy in South Africa has reportedly been disconnected from public power supply over its inability to pay accumulated electricity bills. Former diplomat, Ambassador Joe Keshi, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme focused on Nigeria’s foreign relations. “I was in South Africa in June and visited the embassy. There was no light. All our houses and buildings had electricity, but Nigeria House had none. You can imagine the disgrace to the country,” Keshi said. Although the amount owed was not revealed, the development comes amid repeated admissions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…
Nigerians will enjoy a public holiday this Friday, September 5, 2025, as the Federal Government has declared the day work-free in commemoration of Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the holiday in a statement released through the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani. Congratulating Muslims across the country and beyond, Tunji-Ojo urged the faithful to reflect on the Prophet’s values of peace, humility, tolerance, and compassion, describing them as “indispensable virtues for building a united and progressive Nigeria.” He further appealed to all Nigerians, regardless of religion, to…