Author: Atoyebi Adenike
By Atoyebi Nike The 2025/26 English Premier League season kicks off this Friday, August 15, with defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth in the opening fixture at Anfield. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has released the full list of referees, assistants, fourth officials, and VAR teams for Matchweek 1, as published on its website on August 11. The season begins amid renewed scrutiny of officiating standards following last year’s VAR controversies. Matchweek 1 Fixtures and Officials Friday, August 15 Liverpool vs Bournemouth 20:00Ref: Anthony Taylor | Assistants: Gary Beswick, Craig Taylor | 4th Official: Farai Hallam | VAR: Michael Oliver…
By Atoyebi Nike The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has criticized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO, Bayo Ojulari, for failing to prioritize the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation. PETROAN’s Eastern Zonal Chairman, Sunny Nkpe, said repairs at the Old Port Harcourt Refinery, shut down on May 24 for 30 days of maintenance, remain stalled. Contractors at the site reportedly complained of over a year of unpaid invoices, with Nkpe alleging Ojulari has not visited the facility in four months. Nkpe claimed the delay benefits private refinery owners at the expense of jobs and stable fuel…
By Atoyebi Nike President Bola Tinubu has pledged to further strengthen Nigeria’s ability to regulate medicines and vaccines to the highest global standards, following the World Health Organization’s confirmation that the country’s regulatory system remains stable, effective, and globally compliant. In a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the President welcomed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) confirmation that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has successfully retained its Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status for regulating medicines and vaccines (non-producing). This status, the President noted, reflects sustained investment by the Federal Government in building a stable,…
By Bagudu Mohammed I was in Bida, my hometown, over the weekend, and the air was alive. The sights, the sounds, the raw energy – it was all one big, vibrant buzz. First, there was the symbolic endorsement of our state governor, His Excellency Umar Bago, by APC stakeholders from Niger South. His presence alone could have pulled the attention of even breastfeeding infants, not to mention toddlers or the most apolitical souls tucked away in corners untouched by politics. But this piece isn’t about politics; it’s about something far more personal, far more human. On Sunday, 10th August 2025,…
By Atoyebi Nike Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose to $3.225 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 19.6% increase from the $2.696 billion recorded in the same period last year, according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Presenting the H1 2025 report in Abuja, NEPC Executive Director/CEO Nonye Ayeni attributed the growth to robust global demand, improved logistics, market expansion under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and targeted government interventions. Between January and June, Nigeria exported 4.04 million metric tonnes of goods, up from 3.83 million tonnes in 2024. Key commodities driving the surge included cocoa,…
By Atoyebi Nike The World Health Organization (WHO) has released an updated Operational Handbook on Tuberculosis: Module 3 – Diagnosis to support countries in strengthening TB detection and testing strategies. The revised edition complements the WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis issued earlier this year. The handbook provides laboratory personnel, clinicians, ministries of health, and technical partners with detailed, evidence-based implementation guidance. It outlines operational considerations for WHO-recommended tests, revised model algorithms, and step-by-step instructions for scaling up new testing technologies. Key updates from the 2024 edition include a unified reference covering TB infection, disease, and drug resistance diagnosis; new policy…
By Atoyebi Nike The World Bank has approved a $300 million loan for Nigeria to boost resilience and improve access to essential services for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their host communities in the country’s north. The initiative, known as the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project (SOLID), was approved on August 7, 2025, and will focus on Local Government Areas most affected by conflict-driven displacement. It is projected to benefit 7.4 million people, including 1.3 million IDPs, through a long-term, integrated development strategy. Northern Nigeria faces mounting pressures from insecurity that has displaced more than 3.5…
By Atoyebi Nike Kenya’s Central Bank (CBK) has penalized 11 commercial banks for breaking lending, capital, and governance regulations in 2024, intensifying pressure on lenders to align with its drive for more affordable credit. In its latest annual report, the CBK revealed it collected KES 191 million ($1.48 million) in fines from banks and forex bureaus in the year to June, slightly fewer than the 12 institutions sanctioned in 2023. The move comes as the regulator combines stricter supervision with monetary policy to influence lending behavior. Since February, the Monetary Policy Committee has cut the central bank rate from 13%…
By Atoyebi Nike The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has completed the handover of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), marking a new phase for one of Nigeria’s flagship agricultural programmes. The announcement came during the annual PFI Stakeholder Forum in Abuja, which brought together key players in the country’s agricultural value chain to review the programme’s achievements and chart its future direction. Launched in 2016 to overhaul Nigeria’s ailing fertilizer supply chain, the PFI has recorded significant growth under NSIA’s management. From just four active blending plants at inception, the initiative has expanded…
By Atoyebi Nike The Federal Government has commenced payment of N5.12 billion in pension arrears to 90,689 retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has announced. In a statement on Monday, PTAD’s Head of Corporate Communications, Olugbenga Ajayi, confirmed that the disbursement had been completed, covering pensioners across four departments. According to the breakdown, 8,626 retirees from the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Prisons Pension Department (CIPPD) received N276.03 million for one month’s arrears. The Police Pension Department paid 9,681 pensioners N619.58 million for two months. For the Civil Service Pension Department, 12,773…