Nigeria’s growing presence in the global university rankings is being driven largely by federal institutions, with five of the country’s seven universities in the world’s top 1,200, according to the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The latest ranking placed 29 Nigerian universities on the global table, up from 24 in 2026, giving Nigeria the highest representation among countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The figures were contained in a report by Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), following the release of the 2027 rankings on Wednesday. While Nigeria recorded a broader…
Author: National Update
The arrest of five men in Maiduguri over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” has taken an unexpected turn, with Nigerians in different parts of the country adopting the same slogan in solidarity with the defendants. What began as a police case involving five men has now become a broader argument over the limits of political expression, as supporters challenge the authorities to arrest anyone who wears the same message. The five men — Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21 — were arrested on September…
The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde has strengthened his 2027 campaign structure with the appointment of former Minister of State for Aviation, Felix Hassan Hyat, as Director-General of the National Campaign Management Committee. The appointment comes as the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation moves to expand its nationwide mobilisation and take its “Reset Nigeria” message to voters. Makinde, who is also the Governor of Oyo State, announced the appointment alongside a number of other senior positions in the campaign organisation in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Anthony Ehilebo, on…
Jordan Wike, son of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday produced his American passport before an FCT High Court in Abuja as the court continued hearing a suit over an alleged $2.1 million land transaction. The passport was presented following an order by Justice Sylvanus Oriji after Jordan told the court during cross-examination that he was outside Nigeria on the date the claimants alleged that the money was handed to him. The suit, filed by Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited, centres on allegations that Jordan received $2.1 million to…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has put the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the spot over allegations surrounding a disputed $2.1 million land transaction involving Jordan Wike, son of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. HURIWA demanded to know why the two anti-corruption agencies had not publicly indicated any investigation into the allegations, which are already the subject of proceedings before an FCT High Court in Abuja. The group said the matter could no longer be dismissed as an ordinary private…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has thrown its weight behind the demand for a reduction of petrol price to N500 per litre, warning the Federal Government that workers can no longer withstand the combined pressure of high fuel, transport and food costs. HURIWA said the current petrol price of about N1,500 per litre had become unsustainable for millions of Nigerians and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to urgently intervene before the worsening economic pressure deepens poverty and hardship. The group’s position came against the backdrop of the planned three-day warning strike by the Joint National Public…
A recent revelation by Coscharis Motors Chief Executive Officer, Cosmas Maduka, about alleged attempts by government officials to inflate vehicle procurement invoices has sparked renewed debate over the financial record of former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi. Maduka, in an interview cited in a recent commentary, disclosed that some government officials seeking to purchase vehicles from his company had attempted to inflate invoices, in some cases by as much as 100 per cent. He said Coscharis had rejected such practices on ethical and moral grounds, adding that the company’s position…
Commuters in Lokoja, Kogi State, have begun benefiting from a free shuttle service launched by the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, as rising transport costs continue to squeeze household incomes. The initiative, tagged **“Karimi Cares Free Bus Service,”** commenced operations on Wednesday along the Army Barracks–Lokoja New Market/Nataco Junction corridor. The service is targeted at civil servants, students, traders and other residents who rely on public transportation for their daily movement. With transportation becoming an increasing expense for many households, the intervention is designed to reduce the amount commuters spend travelling to work, school, markets and other destinations. The…
An FCT High Court sitting in Maitama has ordered Jordan Wike, son of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to produce his American international passport in court after he testified that he was outside Nigeria when an alleged $2.1m land transaction took place. Justice Sylvanus Oriji issued the order on Tuesday during the resumed hearing of a suit filed by Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Ltd. The suit, marked CV/008/2026, centres on allegations by the claimants that Jordan promised to facilitate the acquisition of 60 hectares of land in Katampe and Guzape, Abuja. The claimants alleged that…
The Obidient Movement has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission to explain how its proposed use of Artificial Intelligence will improve the credibility of the 2027 elections, demanding an independent audit of the commission’s electoral technology before the polls. The movement said it was particularly concerned that INEC was introducing new technology without, in its view, adequately accounting for questions surrounding electronic result transmission during the 2023 presidential election. In a statement on Tuesday, signed by its Worldwide Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the movement demanded that INEC publish a comprehensive plan detailing the technologies it intends to deploy, how they…