Author: Damilola Olufemi

President Bola Tinubu has directed all Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to stop purchasing foreign goods and services where viable local alternatives exist. The new policy, introduced during the Monday Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, aims to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic industries and reduce dependence on imports. The policy, tagged the Nigeria First Policy, was announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare as a key part of Tinubu’s broader economic reform agenda. It mandates MDAs to prioritise Nigerian-made products and services in their procurement processes, except in cases where a…

The Tanzanian government has officially prohibited the use of foreign currencies in local transactions. The East African country disclosed reason for the ban.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concern over the alarming rates of child malnutrition in Nigeria, revealing that the country holds the highest number of malnourished children in Africa and ranks second globally. During a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, Nemat Hajeebhoy, UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition, shared that around 600,000 children across Nigeria are currently suffering from acute malnutrition. Of this number, roughly half are at risk of progressing to severe acute malnutrition—a condition that significantly increases the likelihood of death. “Children with severe acute malnutrition are nine to eleven times more likely to die,” she said. The…

JAMB had earlier clarified that candidates are free to sit the UTME in any part of the country, regardless of where they registered.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, following multiple petitions filed against him. Speaking to BBC News Pidgin on Monday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale stated that the arrest was based on allegations of cyberstalking submitted by several individuals. “We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners,” Oyewale said. He added that VeryDarkMan would be released once he meets the bail conditions and that the matter would be taken to court in due course. “We are law-abiding,” he emphasised.…

A woman who vanished more than six decades ago has been discovered alive, according to authorities in Wisconsin, USA. Audrey Backeberg was just 20 when she disappeared from her home in Reedsburg on July 7, 1962, sparking a case that baffled investigators for years. Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister confirmed that her disappearance had not involved any crime or foul play. He stated that Ms. Backeberg had chosen to leave independently and has since been living outside Wisconsin. Details about her current location have not been made public to respect her privacy. When she went missing, Ms. Backeberg was married…

Hench Education is set to host a major education fair across three key cities.

Ride-hailing drivers in Lagos are issuing a warning to global platforms like Uber, Bolt, inDrive, Lagride, and Rida that they may switch to homegrown alternatives if their longstanding demands are not addressed. The warning was issued by Steven Iwindoye, the spokesperson for the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), during a press briefing on Friday. According to Iwindoye, drivers are pushing for better pay, enhanced safety for both drivers and passengers, a cut in commission rates to just 5%, and full recognition of their rights and welfare as workers. “If these companies refuse to listen, we will migrate…

The Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has on Friday, April 2nd, 2025, sentenced a driver of Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Andrew Nice Ominikoron, to death by hanging for killing a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola, in 2022. Justice Sherifat Sonaike gave the verdict.  “The deceased died from severe cerebral injury and blood forced trauma, and his actions and inactions led to her death. The law established that the person last seen with a deceased bears full responsibility for the death unless he explains how he had no hand in the death. “In his evidence,…

The FBI and DEA will not be releasing documents today related to an alleged drug case involving Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, as previously expected.