Author: Damilola Olufemi

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disclosed that the nation’s oil and condensate reserves stood at 37.28 billion barrels as of January 1, 2025—a marginal decline of about 0.60 per cent. Despite the slight dip, Nigeria maintained its position as Africa’s second-largest holder of crude oil reserves, trailing only Libya, which has an estimated 48.36 billion barrels. However, Nigeria remains the continent’s top producer. In contrast to the slight drop in oil reserves, the country’s gas reserves increased to 210.54 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF), marking a 0.61 per cent rise. This solidifies Nigeria’s position as the leading gas…

The Federal Government has introduced tougher immigration penalties, declaring that expatriates who overstay their visas by more than six months will face a five-year entry ban, while those who remain in the country illegally for one year will be barred from re-entering for 10 years. Additionally, the government stated that any overstays will incur a fine of $15 per day, beginning from the visa’s designated exit date. According to Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, these penalties will come into effect on August 1. Tunji-Ojo made this known during the unveiling of the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate Administration System at…

Niger’s military government has formally trashed French and adopted Hausa as the nation’s new national language which is already the most spoken language across the country, particularly in the Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua regions. This was made known in a special edition of the government’s new charter which was released on March 31. “The national language is Hausa and the working languages are English and French,” the document partly reads. The language change followed a national meeting held in February. During that event, the military government received more support, and the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, was approved to stay…

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has revealed that training a single doctor in the country costs over $21,000. He made this statement at the seventh annual capacity-building workshop of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa in Abuja, highlighting the significant financial loss incurred when healthcare professionals migrate without structured reintegration or ethical recruitment frameworks. According to Pate, more than 16,000 Nigerian doctors have left the country in the last five to seven years, with nurses and midwives also emigrating in significant numbers. This mass migration has resulted in a dangerously low doctor-to-population ratio…

11 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The governors argue that the President’s action is unconstitutional and undermines the democratic process. The suit, marked SC/CV/329/2025, questions the President’s authority to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly. The governors contend that this action sets a dangerous precedent for future executive actions. The governors’ concerns The plaintiffs, comprising Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa…

Declan Rice scored two excellent second-half free-kicks as Arsenal stunned Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals at Emirates Stadium, taking a three-goal advantage into the second leg. Mikel Arteta had asked the Arsenal fans to arrive early to create an impressive atmosphere inside the stadium, and the team responded by starting the game quickly with a number of dangerous crosses into the Madrid penalty area. Match Highlights The Gunners were the better side all evening and took the lead in the 58th minute when Rice curled the first of two excellent free-kicks round the Real Madrid wall into the…

Nigeria’s external debt servicing surged to $1.08 billion in the final quarter of 2024, a sharp rise that underscores mounting concerns about the country’s debt sustainability and foreign exchange pressures. The figure, released by the Debt Management Office (DMO), reflects a growing burden compared to the previous quarter when total debt service across all categories hit N3.57 trillion—up 1.71% from Q2 2024. A breakdown of the Q4 data reveals that multilateral creditors claimed the largest share of external debt servicing, accounting for 55.7% or $600.71 million. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the top beneficiary, receiving $407.97 million—more than any…

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticized Nigeria’s long-standing ban on 25 categories of imported goods, arguing that the policy poses major obstacles for American exporters. The statement, shared Monday via the agency’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs targeting imports—Nigeria accounting for 14 per cent of the new restrictions. Highlighting what it called “unfair trade practices,” the USTR pointed out that American producers, especially in agriculture and consumer goods, are being shut out of Nigeria’s market. “Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts…

Renowned political economist and Commonwealth Institute Director, Prof. Anthony Kila, has urged President Bola Tinubu to resign as Minister and take further action beyond simply changing the management and board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The NNPC, the government-owned company responsible for harnessing Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves for sustainable national development, recently underwent a significant board overhaul. The Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, were replaced. Commenting on the overhaul, the popular public affairs analyst and Prof of Strategy and Development noted that “changing the board is not enough…

In a historic medical breakthrough, a baby girl named Amy has become the first child in the UK to be born from a womb transplant, after her mother received a donated uterus from her sister. Amy was delivered on February 27 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London, two years after her mother, Grace Davidson, underwent a successful womb transplant. The life-changing procedure was made possible through the selfless donation of Grace’s older sister, Amy Purdie. “We have been given the greatest gift we could ever have asked for,” said Grace, who was born without a functioning womb due…