Author: Online Editor

The White House announced that the United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe passage in the Black Sea following “technical-level” discussions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As part of the agreement, the US will assist in restoring Russia’s access to global markets for agricultural and fertilizer exports. The deal also includes efforts to lower maritime insurance costs and improve access to ports and payment systems for these transactions. Additionally, both nations have committed to implementing measures aligned with the agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and…

The House of Representatives, at its plenary on Tuesday, passed through second reading a bill seeking to conduct general elections for the offices of the President, State Governors, National Assembly members, State Houses of Assembly members, and Local Government Area Councillors simultaneously on the same date. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, and 34 other lawmakers, was presented for second reading by the House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere. As encapsulated in the bill, the date for the general election is to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the…

…confirms appointment of Nwakuche Ndidi The Senate on Tuesday urged the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nwakuche Ndidi, to put an end to jailbreaks in the country. President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, issued the directive in Abuja as lawmakers confirmed Ndidi’s appointment, stressing that addressing jailbreaks must be a top priority during his tenure as CG. Ndidi had been serving as the acting CG of the NCoS since December 15, 2024, after President Bola Tinubu appointed him to replace his predecessor, Mr. Haliru Nababa, upon the expiration of his tenure. “It is good that this is…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is beginning to see signs of progress in stabilising the foreign exchange (FX) market and curbing inflation, as recent policy reforms start to yield results. Olayemi Cardoso, the apex bank governor, stated this during an engagement with scholars from the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) at the CBN headquarters in Abuja. The engagement was part of the scholars’ Africa Trek initiative, which also included a stop in Ghana. The delegation comprised 50 students from 19 countries, including representatives from the Harvard Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. It marked the first time…

First Bank of Nigeria Limited has launched another FirstBank Digital Xperience Centre at Lekki, Lagos; reinforcing the bank’s commitment to digital innovation and commission of service excellence in the banking industry. First launched in 2021 at Victoria Island, Lagos, the FirstBank Digital Xperience Centre has since then expanded the innovation to four locations including: the University of Ibadan in August, 2023; Abuja Wutse new market in 2023, Banana Island Estate, Lagos in 2024, offering a unique self service and fully automated banking experience that aligns with global standards. MD/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria, Olusegun Alebiosu in his opening remarks explained…

A report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that 11 Electricity Distribution companies (DisCos) raked in the sum of N509.8bn out of the 658.40 billion that was billed to customers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The report noted that this translates to a collection efficiency of 77.44 per cent of revenue collection. It stated that in comparison, the total revenue collected by all DisCos in the third quarter was N466.6bn out of the N626bn billed to customers, which translated to a 74.55 per cent collection efficiency. “The 77.44% collection efficiency recorded in 2024/Q4 is +2.89pp higher…

A last-minute goal from Tawanda Chirewa denied Nigeria victory as Zimbabwe secured a 1-1 draw in their Group C World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock midway through the second half, finally breaching a resolute Zimbabwe defence but the Super Eagles failed to secure a third win of the campaign. It was Osimhen’s 26th international goal and seventh in World Cup qualifying, moving him past Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s record of six. Only Obafemi Martins (10) has now scored more World Cup qualifying goals for Nigeria. The match, played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, saw Nigeria…

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, has paid registration fees for 52 clubs in Kano State for this year’s Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) competition. Senator Barau, the founder of the Barau Football Club (Barau FC), paid the fees following the request of the Chairman of Nigeria Nationwide League One, Kano Football Clubs Forum, Alhaji Salisu Ibrahim, during a courtesy visit to him at the National Assembly on Tuesday. Ibrahim, a veteran football administrator, lamented the clubs’ inability to register for the competition and solicited intervention from the deputy president of the Senate. “We are in…

Nigeria’s quest for a cleaner energy future has received a major boost thanks to the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hydrogen and carbon storage. According to Moses Falowo, a Hydrogen and Carbon Storage Researcher at Kansas State University, USA, AI is transforming the energy geosciences, offering revolutionary tools to tackle the urgent challenges of hydrogen and carbon storage. In an interview with our correspondent, Falowo explained that AI, through its subset machine learning (ML), enables geoscientists to identify optimal underground storage sites with unprecedented precision and speed. He noted that this technology has the potential to enhance safety…

Nigerian universities have been urged to take the lead in carbon storage research, leveraging on pore-scale modeling and machine learning to develop sustainable climate solutions. This was the submission of Raymond Aderoju, a researcher at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America, in an interview with our correspondent. Aderoju, who has conducted extensive research on pore-scale modeling and its applications in carbon storage, noted that Nigerian universities can significantly contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change. He said, “Despite the challenges facing Nigerian universities, advancements in geological research, computational modeling, and machine learning enable them to…