Author: Africa News Nation

By Ajuluchukwu Brown, Abuja In democratic societies, elections are judged by what happens on polling day. Yet, history shows that credible elections are rarely won or lost on the day ballots are cast. They are often determined months, sometimes years, beforehand through painstaking planning, institutional reforms, prudent financing and investments in systems that most citizens never see. For Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the weeks following the conclusion of the off-cycle governorship elections appear to signal a subtle but significant change in institutional thinking. Instead of waiting until political activities gather momentum before responding to the enormous logistical demands…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said localized agricultural extension services backed by climate information can increase agricultural productivity by 20–30 percent while significantly reducing farmers’ vulnerability to climate shocks. The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, made the assertion at the close of the 10-day Climate Risk Management in Agricultural Extension (CRMAE) Training of Trainers Workshop held in Abuja. The programme, organised by NiMet in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the Sasakawa Africa…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released N7.61 billion to nine Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) for the payment of retirement benefits to 4,237 retired officers, in a move aimed at ensuring prompt pension disbursement and reinforcing the welfare of former personnel. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the development on Tuesday during a dialogue with retired officers, where he reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to improving the welfare of its retirees. He disclosed that the funds had already been transferred to the respective Pension Fund Administrators for onward payment into the individual accounts of beneficiaries. A…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has charged newly awarded Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) holders to fast-track investment in their oil assets, comply with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and fulfil their obligations to host communities as a condition for sustainable operations. Speaking on Friday in Abuja during the licence signing ceremony for the second batch of successful bidders in the 2022/2023 Mini Bid Round and the 2024 Licensing Round, the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said operators must move swiftly from licence acquisition to field development while maintaining the highest standards of environmental…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, has disclosed that the Council is collaborating with 46 Nigerian universities and other research institutions to promote innovation, technology development and the commercialisation of research findings aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s industrial transformation. Speaking on the RMRDC remarkable achievement, Ike-Muonso expressed confidence that the proposed legislation mandating a minimum 30 per cent value addition to Nigeria’s raw materials before export would transform the country from an exporter of unprocessed commodities into a competitive manufacturing economy. He said the bill, currently undergoing legislative…

…Says Nigeria Can’t Deepen Democracy While Women Remain Underrepresented By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for the swift passage of the proposed Women’s Special Seats Bill, saying Nigeria can no longer ignore the underrepresentation of women in governance if the country is to deepen democracy and accelerate national development. The Minister made the call in a goodwill message delivered on her behalf by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Asanye Nko Esuabana, at the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja. Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the Speaker of the House…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja  The Federal Government has officially renamed the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway, with the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, revealing that funding commitments for the project’s first two sections now exceed required financing by more than $100 million. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi said the decision to rename the landmark highway followed consultations within the Ministry of Works, describing the project as one of President Bola Tinubu’s flagship legacy infrastructure initiatives. The minister said the coastal highway was conceived more than 27 years ago by Tinubu…

…Says deceased spoke with boyfriend shortly before death, dismisses allegations of foul play By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has broken his silence over the death of Mary Habila, dismissing allegations linking him to the incident and insisting that the deceased was a nurse, not a physiotherapist as widely reported. https://youtube.com/shorts/nPsTnAVaa4s?si=IVELf6vOrjaB6-im Umahi, who described Habila as a family member and “like a daughter” to him, said there was no foul play in her death, stressing that available medical records, phone call logs and other evidence would help clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident. The minister…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has declared that Nigeria is on track to becoming Africa’s regional hub for counter-terrorism, citing the country’s vast experience in combating terrorism and implementing global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards. Olukoyede made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering his address, through the Director of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), at the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2026, organised by Spaces for Change (S4C) at the Abuja Continental…

By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration through enhanced strategic communication, public engagement and information sharing to support national security and improve public confidence in government institutions. The renewed commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anietie Okokon, to the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Abdullahi Maiwada, at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja. The visit, part of the Police spokesperson’s familiarisation tour following his assumption…