Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

The United States military has stepped up its support for Nigeria’s defence forces by increasing deliveries of military equipment and intensifying intelligence sharing, as part of a broader American strategy to combat Islamic State-linked insurgents across Africa, senior US officials have confirmed. Lieutenant-General John Brennan, Deputy Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), disclosed in an interview that Washington has adopted a more assertive posture toward extremist groups, notably Islamic State affiliates, and is working closely with Nigerian military partners to tackle these threats. In recent months, the US has accelerated deliveries of military materiel and expanded intelligence support…

Number of university graduates claiming sickness-related benefits has highlighted deepening strains in the UK labour market, official figures reveal. New data show that the number of graduates out of work and claiming state benefits has surged sharply since 2019, with hundreds of thousands now recorded as unable to work due to health reasons. The increase has triggered concern among policymakers about the future of young workers and the effectiveness of current welfare and education policies. Analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) indicates that the total number of graduates claiming benefits reached around 707,000 in 2025 — a 46…

Nigeria’s exports to African countries rose to N4.82 trillion in the first half of 2025, representing a 14 per cent increase from N4.21 trillion recorded in the same period of 2024, according to official data. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), reviewed by Ecofin Agency, show that the growth was largely driven by stronger trade ties with neighbouring countries, as West Africa absorbed more than 62 per cent of Nigeria’s total exports to the continent. Exports to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stood at N2.995 trillion, marking a 16 per cent year-on-year increase. The bloc…

A quiet community in Akufo, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State has been thrown into mourning after a married couple living with sickle cell disorder died in a shocking murder–suicide that has left their three surviving children without parents and in urgent need of care. The deceased, Mr. Lekan Adedeji, 49, and his wife, Mrs. Zainab Adedeji, 44, reportedly took their own lives following a violent domestic incident that ended in tragedy. The couple, who had been married for over 25 years, were both sufferers of sickle cell disorder and had endured years of health and marital challenges. According…

The Chief Executive Officer of Shell Plc, Mr Wael Sawan, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and vision, saying they have restored investor confidence and created a stable environment that is encouraging the company to deepen its investments in Nigeria. Sawan spoke during a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where he disclosed that Shell, alongside its partners, is prepared to invest an additional $20 billion in Nigeria, largely driven by what he described as the President’s robust and decisive leadership. According to him, Nigeria under the Tinubu administration has emerged as one of the countries attracting significant interest…

Opposition parties have dismissed the recent wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the ruling party will still face defeat in the 2027 general elections despite the growing number of defecting governors and political office holders. Speaking in an interview, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ememobong, said defections do not translate into electoral strength and accused defecting politicians of betraying the mandate freely given to them by the electorate. According to him, elected officials who abandon the political parties on whose platforms they were voted into office raise serious moral and…

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday, January 26, for a state visit to the Republic of Türkiye, barely a week after returning from the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit in the United Arab Emirates. According to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the Türkiye visit is aimed at strengthening the existing cordial relations between Nigeria and Türkiye while exploring new areas of cooperation. “The visit is expected to deepen bilateral ties and expand collaboration in key sectors such as security, education, social development, innovation and aviation,” the statement said. Onanuga noted that President Tinubu’s visit…

Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system is facing a worsening manpower crisis as the number of practising doctors in the country has dropped sharply to about 40,000, far below the estimated 300,000 required to adequately serve a population of over 220 million. The alarming figure marks a steep decline from the 55,000 licensed doctors recorded in 2024, according to data earlier disclosed by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate. The latest revelation, however, was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who warned that Nigeria lost about 15,000 doctors within just one year. Speaking…

Amid international pressure on Nigeria over allegations that Christians are being persecuted and killed by Boko Haram, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is grappling with deepening internal divisions over whether Vice President Kashim Shettima should remain on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election, exposing early fault lines within the ruling party. The debate moved into the open after comments by the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that dropping Shettima could seriously weaken the APC’s chances of retaining power. Musawa argued that removing the northern Muslim vice-president would risk alienating…

The Office of Abubakar Malami, SAN expresses concern over a series of actions by state agencies which, taken together, amount to a deliberate attempt to frustrate his constitutional right to a fair hearing and effective legal defence. Following charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Federal High Court granted Mr. Malami bail. However, the EFCC delayed the submission of his international passports to the court for approximately one week, despite the passports being a key condition for the perfection of bail. This delay unnecessarily prolonged his detention and obstructed the execution of a valid court order. Read…