Author: Atoyebi Adenike

By Atoyebi Nike The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has screened 400 candidates from Nigeria’s North-East for its 2025 Overseas Scholarship Programme. Executive Secretary, Mr. Ahmed Galadima, represented by Mannir Abubakar, said the programme targets Master’s and PhD students in engineering, computing, and environmental sciences to study in the UK, China, and Malaysia. The exercise is part of PTDF’s efforts to develop high-level manpower for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. A candidate from Gombe, Bello Abubakar-Dauda, praised the process and said his proposed PhD in Soil and Water Quality could help prevent contamination in oil-producing areas. Candidates were drawn from…

By Atoyebi Nike A fresh controversy has erupted over the actual volume of petrol consumed daily in Nigeria, following a claim by billionaire industrialist Alhaji Aliko Dangote that official figures are inflated to mask corruption, particularly during the now-defunct fuel subsidy regime. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) currently estimates daily consumption at around 50 million litres, but Dangote argues the actual figure is closer to 33 million litres, a significant 17 million litres difference. Speaking during a recent visit by Global CEO Africa to the Dangote Refinery, the business mogul described the oil sector as riddled…

By Atoyebi Nike The Turkish government has warned that the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), which it blames for the 2016 failed coup, is operating in Nigeria under the guise of providing education and healthcare services. Speaking in Abuja at a Democracy and National Unity Day dinner hosted by the Turkish Embassy, Turkey’s Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, described FETO’s presence as a threat to national security. “They are still being captured and arrested today,” Poroy said. “Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.” The annual event commemorates the…

By Atoyebi Nike Teenage pregnancy is more than just a health issue; it is a national emergency that threatens Nigeria’s development, gender equity, education system, and healthcare resources. For a country already grappling with high maternal mortality rates, a struggling economy, and a youthful population, ignoring the growing incidence of teenage pregnancies is like sitting on a ticking time bomb. The irony is that this is a crisis we can prevent if only we fund it like one. The Fire We Keep Ignoring In Nigeria, teenage pregnancy rates remain alarmingly high. According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey…

By Atoyebi Nike TikTok has taken down more than 3.6 million videos uploaded by Nigerian users in the first quarter of 2025 for violating its community guidelines, marking a sharp 50% increase from the 2.4 million videos removed in the last quarter of 2024. This figure was disclosed in TikTok’s Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which highlights the platform’s growing reliance on automation and proactive moderation. According to the report, 98.4% of the removed content was detected before users could report it, and 92.1% of violative videos were taken down within 24 hours of being posted. In addition to…

By Atoyebi Nike President Bola Tinubu has directed all federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to improve cooperation and identity verification systems for Nigerians seeking consular services abroad, following visa policy changes by the United States and United Arab Emirates. The directive comes in response to recent developments that have restricted access for Nigerian travellers. The U.S. government last week reduced most non-immigrant visas for Nigerians from multi-entry to single-entry, citing high overstay rates and challenges in accessing applicants’ records. Similarly, the UAE has suspended transit visas for Nigerians and imposed tighter criteria for tourist visa applicants, particularly barring solo…

By Atoyebi Nike Thousands of mourners across Gombe State gathered on Tuesday to perform Salat al-Gha’ib, the Islamic funeral prayer in absentia, for former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died in London at the age of 83. The largest prayer session took place outside Pantami Township Stadium, where clerics led prayers for divine mercy, forgiveness, and eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus for the late president. “Sheikh Usman Bello described Buhari as a leader who served with devotion, leaving a legacy that would not be forgotten,” one cleric said. Despite the former leader passing away abroad, many residents expressed a strong sense…

By Atoyebi Nike The body of former President Muhammadu Buhari was received with full military honours on arrival at the Katsina airport on Tuesday. Draped in the Nigerian flag and laid in the cabin of a presidential aircraft, the late leader’s remains were honoured by a red-carpet military parade led by Nigerian Air Force officials. President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were present at the solemn reception and joined the procession as the body was moved to a waiting vehicle for onward transportation to Daura, Buhari’s hometown, where funeral rites are scheduled to be held. PHOTO CREDIT: VON

By Atoyebi Nike Two courts in Kwara State have convicted and sentenced five individuals for engaging in internet fraud, following separate charges filed by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court and Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Haleema Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court delivered the rulings. The convicted fraudsters include Ayinla Abiodun Abdulmajid, Yusuf Abdulazeez Onimisi, Muhammed Zayad Eneye, Abdulbasit Abdulmumeen, and Victor Onucheyo Anibe. The courts ordered various jail terms and community service, with some granted fine options. Additionally, cash proceeds from the fraudulent activities…

By Atoyebi Nike The Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) has called on Nigerians to contact their national negotiating ministers ahead of next month’s global plastics treaty negotiations and demand support for a strong, binding agreement to end plastic pollution. Speaking ahead of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), scheduled for August 5–14, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland, PAVE President Anthony Akpan urged citizens to raise domestic political pressure on their leaders. “Many ministers will attend this high-stakes meeting. They must feel the pressure of citizen demand for a strong, ambitious plastics treaty,”…