Author: Helen Okechukwu

The United States (US) dollar maintained a steady exchange rate against the Nigerian naira on Sunday, 5 January, extending the calm recorded a day earlier amid cautious trading across Nigeria’s foreign exchange market. According to figures released by the NGNToday platform, the dollar continued to trade at N1,430 at the official market and N1,490 in the parallel market, unchanged from rates observed on January 4. The lack of movement in both segments of the market suggests a temporary balance between demand and supply, as market participants appear to be adjusting to prevailing price levels. Currency analysts say the stability reflects…

The British pound maintained a steady position against the Nigerian naira on 5 January, extending the stability recorded a day earlier despite lingering pressures within the foreign exchange market.  Figures published by the NGNToday platform indicate that the pound continued to exchange at N1,925 at the official window and N1,995 at the parallel market, unchanged from rates observed on 4 January. The absence of movement in both segments of the market suggests a temporary balance between demand and supply, even as broader structural challenges continue to weigh on the naira.  Currency analysts say the steady performance reflects cautious trading behaviour,…

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity cannot be resolved through military action alone, insisting that youth unemployment must be addressed as a core part of the country’s counter-terrorism strategy. Falana said while equipping and motivating the armed forces remains critical to defeating terrorism and banditry, failure to confront widespread joblessness among young people will continue to fuel criminality across the country. Speaking during an interaction with journalists in his hometown of Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, at the weekend, the senior advocate argued that social insecurity has become a breeding ground for…

Rundele High School, Agba Ndele, in Emohua Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, is on the brink of collapse as deteriorating infrastructure and a severe shortage of teachers have crippled learning, forcing the school to record zero enrolment in Basic One (JSS 1), according to its Old Students’ Association. The alarm was raised by the Rundele High School Old Students’ Association (RUHSOSA) during its inaugural meeting held on Saturday at the school’s conference hall, where members lamented that over 65% of the school’s infrastructure, including classrooms and teachers’ quarters, are dilapidated and overgrown with weeds, creating an unconducive learning…

Political alignments in Rivers State shifted again on Saturday as the Okrika people openly declared their backing for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while reaffirming loyalty to President Bola Tinubu. The endorsement came during a “thank you” visit by Wike to Okrika Local Government Area (LGA), where community leaders and political groups rallied around him against the backdrop of the lingering feud between Wike and Governor Siminilayi Fubara. At the event, the Rivers Ijaw People’s Congress announced its decision to withdraw support for Governor Fubara and align with Wike. Addressing the gathering, the congress chairman, Senator…

For decades, the people of Tudun Wada in Kaduna South have watched the rains come, bringing with them the same familiar cycle of fear, loss, and displacement. Each year, as the waters of River Kaduna rise, families are forced to flee their homes, leaving behind belongings, memories, and livelihoods. Residents are now calling on both state and federal authorities to take long-term action, beyond the temporary relief measures that have become routine. They want the river dredged, illegal dumpsites cleared, and vulnerable households relocated to safer ground. Nassim Suleiman, a resident of over 30 years, described the yearly ordeal: “When…

A five-year-old girl, her father and her uncle died in the early hours of the New Year after their vehicle rammed into a parked waste collection truck on the Obiri-Ikwerre flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The victims, identified as Mr Ahmed, his daughter, Sheila, and his brother, Afiz, died after their vehicle rammed into a stationary waste collection truck allegedly parked without warning signs on the flyover shortly after crossover night. According to report on Friday, a brother of the deceased, Engr. Amoo Ajiboye, blamed the tragedy on what he described as the indiscriminate parking of…

Former fighters of the disbanded Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF) have endorsed the Federal Government’s decision to engage High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, in the protection of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, describing the move as a stabilising force in the restive Niger Delta. The ex-agitators, in a statement released on Friday in Warri, Delta State, said the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, alongside other former Niger Delta fighters, had contributed significantly to the relative calm currently being enjoyed in the region. Signed by the group’s former spokesman, Captain Mark Anthony, the…

The National Assembly (NA) has taken steps to safeguard the credibility of the legislative process following allegations that versions of recently passed tax laws circulating in the public domain differ from those approved by parliament. The move follows growing public debate sparked by claims that the contents of the tax Acts may have been altered after passage by the 10th National Assembly. In response, the leadership of the federal legislature has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to release official legislative records to enable independent verification by Nigerians. During plenary, a lawmaker from Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns…

The Nigerian naira opened trading for 2026 on a steady footing at the official foreign exchange window, even as a modest premium persisted in the parallel market, reflecting lingering cash-driven demand outside formal channels. Data from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) shows that the local currency traded at an average of N1,445.99 to the United States dollar on January 1, signalling relative stability after closing the final session of 2025 at approximately N1,445.24. The performance capped a period of mild appreciation recorded toward the end of December, when the exchange rate fluctuated within the N1,445–N1,470 band. Market analysts attribute…