Nigeria’s First Bank has launched FirstMonie Merchant Solution, a digital payment platform aimed at strengthening the country’s cashless economy and supporting businesses of all sizes. The service, unveiled on Wednesday, provides merchants with automated onboarding, instant settlements, and integrated dispute resolution — features designed to improve liquidity and cut chargeback risks. It also comes with…
Nasarawa State is set to welcome President Bola Tinubu to commission a brand-new 6,000-metric-ton lithium processing plant, highlighting Nigeria’s bid to capture more value in the global energy transition. Governor Abdullahi Sule confirmed the President’s forthcoming visit after meeting him on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja. Built by Chinese investors, the plant is the…
Nigeria’s electoral and identity management agencies are moving closer to a unified system that could transform how citizens register and vote. On Wednesday, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote met in Abuja to deepen cooperation on biometric data harmonisation. Together, the two institutions manage the country’s most comprehensive citizen databases. Yakubu…
Polytechnic lecturers in South-West Nigeria have expressed deep concern over what they described as government neglect of the sector, warning that unresolved issues could trigger a nationwide strike. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Zone C, speaking at a press briefing in Ogun State, said critical agreements reached with government remain unfulfilled more than…
Nigeria’s drive for universal health coverage has received a boost, with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) pledging to leverage newly granted financial autonomy to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots. Speaking at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja, Hon. Aminu Hassan, Chairman of Jalingo Local Government, Taraba State, said direct…
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service is seeking collaboration with Yakubu Gowon University to enhance the rehabilitation of inmates through skills acquisition and education. Controller of Correctional Service, Mr Christopher Jen, said during a courtesy call on Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adamu Matthew, that the goal was to keep inmates productively…
President Bola Tinubu has ordered sweeping reforms to make health insurance mandatory across all federal institutions, as part of efforts to strengthen implementation of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022. In a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the President instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to issue a service-wide…
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has declared former Abia State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Christopher Enweremadu, and an associate, Fortune Ozoemela, wanted on charges including conspiracy, money laundering, and theft of public funds. The EFCC confirmed the development in a statement by spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Wednesday,…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated he is prepared to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, but only under conditions that ensure substantive negotiations rather than symbolic gestures. Addressing reporters in Beijing at the close of his state visit to China on Wednesday, Putin said any such meeting would require “proper preparation” and a realistic…
The United States government has announced a $32.5 million contribution to the World Food Programme (WFP) to strengthen food and nutrition support for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in Nigeria. The funding, announced in a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, will allow WFP to assist 764,205 people, including displaced families…
