Author: Damilola Olufemi

Damilola is a media practitioner and journalist with years of experience in news reporting, health, education, politics, and entertainment.

The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, which will take effect starting April 22. In a statement released on Friday, the US mission clarified that all applicants attending interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form that includes a confirmation barcode starting with “AA” followed by two zeroes. “Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online.…

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The Federal Government has pushed back against a recent social media post by the United States Embassy in Abuja and testimonies given by Nigerian religious leaders at a U.S. Congressional hearing, describing the remarks as inaccurate and misrepresentative of Nigeria’s security efforts. In a statement signed by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs observes with concerns a recent social media publication by the United States Embassy, Abuja, regarding the security situation in Nigeria and the testimonies provided by Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula, on the…

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Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola has opened up about her personal life, revealing her plans to have more children with her ex-husband despite their separation. Toriola, who got married in 2018 and welcomed her son Zion in 2019, confirmed her split from her partner in early 2023 via a lengthy Instagram post. However, in a recent interview on TVC, she shed more light on where things stand now and her future intentions. The actress shared that she has chosen to stay away from relationships and marriage for the time being, focusing instead on parenting and expanding her family. “For now, I…

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The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Federal Government have not yet been served with court summons in the suit filed by 11 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency in the state. Although both the AGF and the Federal Government are named as defendants in the case, sources within the OAGF said that they had not received the necessary legal documents. A senior official in the AGF’s office commented, “We have read about the suit…

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Crude oil

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…

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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…

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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…

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Minister of Health Prof Mohammed Pate

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…

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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…

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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…

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