Author: Atoyebi Adenike

By Atoyebi Nike The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns over a severe funding shortfall and appealed for greater local support to sustain humanitarian efforts in Nigeria’s North East. Speaking in Maiduguri on Monday to mark the 2025 World Humanitarian Day, Francis Butich, Chief of UNICEF’s Maiduguri Field Office, revealed that the organisation has received only $95 million of the $255 million required for its 2025 operations  leaving a $160 million gap, or 67 per cent deficit. Butich warned that the cut in global funding, including a recent reduction by the US government, is already hampering relief efforts.…

By Atoyebi Nike The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the start of the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, beginning today, Monday, August 18, 2025. In a statement shared on its official X handle, the commission confirmed that the process will kick off with an online pre-registration phase through the portal www.cvr.inecnigeria.org, giving eligible citizens the opportunity to begin their registration ahead of physical enrollment. INEC said in-person registration will officially commence on August 25, 2025, and will be available across its 37 state offices and 774 local government area offices nationwide. The exercise is open to Nigerians…

By Atoyebi Nike Former acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has commended President Bola Tinubu for reforms he said are restoring hope among young Nigerians. Speaking at the National Industrial Manpower Summit 2025, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Magu praised Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for prioritizing youth empowerment, skills development, and institutional reforms. “Through your Renewed Hope Agenda, you are giving the next generation a reason to believe again, and tonight, we say thank you,” Magu said in his gala night address made public on Sunday. He highlighted…

By Atoyebi Nike The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed its performance in Saturday’s by-elections as a strong endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and a boost ahead of the 2027 general elections. APC spokesman in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, said in a statement on Sunday that the party’s victory in 12 out of 16 contested constituencies reaffirmed its dominance nationwide. “With APC dominance reaffirmed, the stage is set for a grand 2027 showdown,” he said, noting that the outcome was the party’s first major test under its new national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. According to Oladejo, the wins in Edo…

By Atoyebi Nike The Imo State Government has introduced new education policies aimed at easing the financial pressures on families and strengthening academic focus in schools. Education Commissioner Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha announced the immediate suspension of graduation parties for pupils in kindergarten, nursery, and Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3). He explained that only pupils completing Primary 6 and students graduating from Senior Secondary School would be permitted to hold such ceremonies, in line with the 6-3-3-4 education structure. The directive, contained in a memo dated August 15, 2025, also prohibited the yearly replacement of textbooks by schools. Ikegwuoha described the…

By Atoyebi Nike Nigeria’s industrial sector is increasingly shifting toward homegrown solutions as the fallout from the naira’s sharp devaluation and a persistent shortage of foreign exchange reshapes supply chains nationwide. A report published by the Financial Times on Sunday revealed that more companies are abandoning heavy reliance on imported raw materials, turning instead to local alternatives to cut costs and reduce exposure to the volatile foreign exchange market. The change comes after the Central Bank of Nigeria floated the naira last year, a move under President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform drive aimed at boosting growth and luring investors. While…

By Atoyebi Nike Twenty-eight additional Starlink satellites are now in low Earth orbit following a successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Florida this morning. The booster lifted off at 8:29 a.m. EDT (1229 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Just over an hour later, SpaceX confirmed the satellites, designated as Group 10-20, had been deployed to their operational altitude. “Deployment of 28 Starlink satellites confirmed,” the company announced on its official X account. The rocket’s first stage, Booster 1085, completed its 10th flight and executed a precise landing on the drone ship Just Read the…

By Atoyebi Nike The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has condemned the killing of a hippopotamus in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State by a local vigilante, describing the act as unlawful and deeply disturbing. The organization identified the animal as a member of the species Hippopotamus amphibius, commonly known as the common or river hippo, which is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. NCF said the species’ population in Nigeria has declined to an estimated 100 individuals, highlighting the urgent need for protection. Nigeria once hosted a subspecies of the…

By Atoyebi Nike Active internet subscriptions across mobile, fixed, and VOIP networks in Nigeria fell to 141.1 million in June 2025, representing a 0.3% decline from 141.5 million recorded in May, according to the latest industry statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The report shows that mobile network operators MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and T2 (formerly 9mobile) continued to dominate the internet market, accounting for 140.6 million subscriptions. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and others shared the remaining 528,633 subscriptions at the end of the month. Despite the drop in active subscriptions, data consumption remained on an upward trajectory. Nigerians consumed…

By Atoyebi Nike The Federal Government has commenced applications for the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a new welfare programme designed to provide interest-free loans to staff of Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The application portal, available at tissf.education.gov.ng, officially opened today following an announcement by Sunday Dare, CON, Special Adviser, Media & Public Communication, and Spokesperson to the President. Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa described the TISSF as a strategic initiative to improve staff welfare, enhance professional growth, and foster financial independence. The scheme offers loans of up to N10 million, repayable over a maximum…