₦airaland Forum

"Two Catholic Sisters, Bank MD Arrested" — EFCC Alleges Tampering With Shareholders’ Records At CAC To Evade N1.2bn Loan Repayment

Madonna University Deputy VC Anagboso Allegedly Created Fraudulent Debenture, Stripped Majority Shareholders of Holdings

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested two Catholic Church sisters for allegedly and unlawfully tampering with shareholders’ documents at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The suspects, Rev. Sisters Annette Ezekwem and Gertrude Okafor (personnel of Madonna University, Elele, Rivers State), were arrested alongside the Managing Director of Mayfresh Mortgage Bank Limited, Aba, Abia State, Mr. Mark Egbegolu, over allegations of fraudulent meddling with shareholders’ names and dates of birth, allegedly aimed at evading repayment of a N1.2 billion loan obtained in 2020.

Investigations by South-East PUNCH revealed that the principal suspect in the deal, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Madonna University, Prof. Martin Anagboso, who allegedly initiated the fraudulent process at the CAC, was arrested penultimate week by the anti-graft agency.

It was gathered that the DVC, Anagboso, created a debenture in favour of Mayfresh Mortgage Bank Limited to secure a N1.2 billion loan in 2020. To evade repayment of this loan, the suspect, in connivance with accomplices now at large, allegedly altered CAC records to strip majority shareholders of their lawful holdings and silence their demands for repayment.

The suspects allegedly intended to alter the names and dates of birth of Chief Steven Edeh (Late), Arc. John Paul, and Mrs. Maria Edeh-Omeogo, who are major shareholders at Mayfresh Mortgage Bank, to divert payment of the loan.

Their arrest reportedly followed directives from the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to the EFCC to investigate the unlawful tampering with the bank’s records at the CAC.

Reacting to the development, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre condemned the acts and called on authorities to investigate the alleged fraud.

The Executive Director of the Centre, Dr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, urged authorities to investigate the fraud and charge the principal suspect to court.

He said, “The principal suspect and all identified accomplices should be charged to court without delay, and it must be ensured that this case is neither compromised nor swept under the carpet.

“We demand prompt prosecution to send a strong message that Nigeria will not tolerate economic sabotage and that its institutions are committed to protecting lawful business interests.”

Efforts to reach the suspects for comments on the development were futile, as calls made to the MD’s phone number, including those of the DVC and others, were not answered. Messages sent to their mobile numbers had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report on Monday.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has said that the continent is losing more than $580 billion every year through corruption and illicit capital outflows, a loss that continues to undermine the continent’s economic progress and deepen its debt woes.

AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina, who stated this in a Bloomberg interview, said the losses are so severe that they outweigh the continent’s ability to finance infrastructure and development, even as Africa’s total debt burden nears $2 trillion.

“It doesn’t matter how much water you pour into a bucket if the bucket is leaking. If you’re able to reduce the leakages to illicit capital, also corruption and all of these things, Africa will be able to keep a lot of these resources and meet the amount of infrastructure it needs,” Adesina said.

$1.6 billion lost daily

The AfDB estimates that Africa loses about $1.6 billion every single day to what it calls “financial leakages.”

This includes $90 billion annually in illicit financial flows, $275 billion lost through profit-shifting by multinational corporations, and $148 billion siphoned off due to corruption.

These losses come at a time when the continent is grappling with an annual infrastructure financing gap of up to $170 billion, a shortfall that must be addressed if Africa is to unlock economic growth and create jobs for its youthful population. Instead of channelling resources into such projects, many African governments are overwhelmed by soaring debt-service costs.

A joint study by the Boston University Global Development Policy Center and the Institute for Economic Justice recently found that debt servicing in Africa has climbed to its highest level since the early 2000s debt crisis.

Shockingly, more than half of African governments now spend more on interest payments than on public healthcare.
Adesina stressed that while access to concessional financing and debt restructuring are important, curbing corruption and illicit outflows remains the single most crucial step to safeguarding Africa’s resources and reducing its reliance on debt.

What you should know

The AfDB, in its recently released 2025 African Economic Outlook, had expressed , stating that the country is projected to spend 75% of its revenues on interest payments in 2025.

According to the Bank, a country’s debt-to-GDP ratio may be low and still face high debt burdens if substantial shares of revenue are channeled towards debt service payments.

The AfDB further explained that while many African countries experienced declining debt levels in 2022–2023 due to favorable interest-growth differentials, this trend remains vulnerable.

A slowdown in economic growth or a rise in interest rates, the Bank noted, could reverse recent gains. Moreover, reckless fiscal behavior and excessive borrowing, especially on commercial terms, could undermine progress.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, will not be responding to the threat and 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, a statement from the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, has revealed.

The conflict centres on a recent chieftaincy title conferred by the Ooni on an Ibadan-based businessman.

The Alaafin had issued the ultimatum, demanding that the Ooni revoke the title of “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” bestowed upon Chief Dotun Sanusi, the owner of Ilaji Hotels and Resorts.

In a statement on Monday, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as an “affront” to his authority and a disregard for Yoruba tradition and law.

The Alaafin’s office maintained that only the Alaafin of Oyo holds the exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.

In a terse response via his facebook handle, Moses Olafare stated that his principal has directed against issuing a formal press release on the matter, calling the Alaafin’s threat an “empty threat.”

“My Principal has directed me against issuing a Press Release on the Empty Threat of the Alawada Babasala. I beg to disappoint you, gentlemen of the press,” Olafare wrote, adding that the matter would be handled in the “public court of opinion.”

Olafare further stated, “Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than the ones capable of dividing us. No Press Release please (sic) 48 Hours My Foot!!!”

This recent clash emphasises a long-standing rivalry between the two prominent Yoruba monarchs over supremacy and traditional jurisdiction.

Oba Abimbola Owoade ascended the throne as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo in January 2025, and his reign has been marked by renewed claims to the exclusive right to confer titles with a pan-Yoruba scope.

The Alaafin’s statement also referenced a Supreme Court ruling and the Ooni’s instrument of office, which he claimed limits the Ooni’s traditional authority to the Ife region.

National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in its ongoing crackdown on human trafficking syndicates, intercepted 25 women suspected to be victims of labour exploitation en route to Saudi Arabia.

The agency, in a press statement on Monday by its press officer, Vincent Adekoye, said the clampdown was part of efforts to disrupt organised trafficking activities by some criminally inclined agencies that specialised in the recruitment and trafficking of Nigerians to destination in the Middle East.

Adekoye stated that the development came just as the agency commenced a manhunt for the owner and workers of a popular travel agency suspected of playing a prominent role in the recruitment of the victims.

He said the unsuspecting victims were picked up in front of a popular hotel in the highbrow area of Wuse II, Abuja, where they had gathered, awaiting their trafficker.

Adekoye added that the operation was a continuation of renewed surveillance activities and monitoring embarked upon by the agency, targeting some black spots within several major state capitals across the country.

Adekoye recalled that Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, had a few weeks ago, ordered operatives of the agency to intensify monitoring in some state capitals across Nigeria in response to the reported surge in the activities of human traffickers who now recruited from remote villages and communities for exploitation.

He stated that the directive was in addition to the enhanced working relationship and collaboration with sister law enforcement agencies and partners along some of the red flag routes.

Adekoye revealed that during interrogation, the victims, whose ages ranged from 17 to 43 years, claimed they were recruited from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states by some persons with a promise to travel to Saudi Arabia to take up jobs as domestic workers, specifically house help.

He quoted one of the victims to have said, “Some people came to our village and told my parents that they would assist me to travel abroad to work as a house help in Saudi Arabia. They assured us that the job there will pay us very well, and we will be able to come and take care of our parents and families.

“They asked us to come and wait for them here so that they will give us the travel document and the necessary instructions on how to go. They have not given us any documents, like an international passport and a visa, and we are worried that none of them is here to attend to us as they promised.”

He said a good number of the victims confessed that they were in Abuja for the first time, and they were stranded.

Speaking on the development, Director General of NAPTIP, Bello, frowned on the activities of the traffickers who fed on the vulnerability of victims in remote parts of the country. He warned that some trafficking gangs now used Abuja as a centralised coordination point for trafficking.

Bello said, “I wish to alert our partners and stakeholders to the new modus operandi of a human trafficking syndicate that uses the Federal Capital Territory as a muster point for their nefarious activities.

“You will recall that a few months ago, some victims were intercepted and rescued from a hotel located close to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, just as they were about to be trafficked to some destination countries in the Middle East.

“Now, we have intercepted another 25 women. The sad aspect of the whole thing is that they excitedly jumped at the offer from the traffickers without knowing the harrowing experience and the level of exploitation that awaits them in the destination country.

“Well, the good news is that we have successfully disrupted this trafficking process, and we are closing in on the agency whose name features prominently in the whole thing.

“Let me use this medium to call on the umbrella body of travel agencies, the Association of Recruiters, Licensed Placement Agency of Nigeria, and other regulatory bodies, to rise to their responsibility of regulating the activities of their members.”

The NAPTIP director-general added, “The mindless exploitation of victims of human trafficking in those destination countries remains a source of serious concern to NAPTIP, so this scenario must stop.”

A Chinese tech firm is racing to deliver what could be the world’s first “gestation robot”.

The idea from Kaiwa Technology, based in Guangzhou, involves a humanoid designed with an artificial womb embedded in its abdomen, intended to carry a fetus through ten months of gestation and deliver a baby, according to Chinese media outlets.

Slated for debut by 2026 and expected to sell for under 100,000 yuan (around $13,900), the robot aims to offer a pregnancy alternative for those who wish to avoid the burdens of human gestation.

The announcement has triggered intense public discourse—from ethical unease to hopeful possibilities for the infertile.

Recently, Chinese researchers introduced GEAIR, the world’s first AI-powered breeding robot, capable of autonomous cruising and cross-pollination to cut costs, shorten cycles, and boost efficiency.
Humanoid birth machine

The bold vision of a humanoid surrogate pregnancy robot was presented at the 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing by Zhang Qifeng, founder of Kaiwa Technology and affiliated with Nanyang Technological University, according to ECNS.

According to Qifeng, it is not merely an incubator but a life-sized humanoid equipped with an artificial womb in its abdomen, capable of replicating the entire process from conception to delivery.

The core innovation lies in artificial womb technology, where a fetus develops in artificial amniotic fluid and receives nutrients through a hose, mimicking natural gestation. Dr. Zhang claimed the technology is already mature in laboratory settings and now needs integration into a humanoid form to enable real human–robot interaction during pregnancy, according to Oddity Central.

Qifeng anticipates that a prototype of his pregnancy robot will be ready within a year, priced at under $13,900. On the topic of ethical and legal considerations, he said discussions have already been held with authorities in Guangdong Province, and related proposals have been submitted as part of ongoing policy and legislative deliberations, reports Chosun Biz.

Artificial wombs have shown promising results in animal studies. In 2017, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia successfully nurtured a premature lamb—equivalent to 23 weeks of human pregnancy—in a “biobag,” a transparent vinyl sac filled with warm, saline-based artificial amniotic fluid. Nutrients were delivered via a tube attached to the umbilical cord, allowing the lamb to grow wool within four weeks, according to Chosun Biz.

However, current artificial wombs function more like neonatal incubators, supporting life only after partial gestation. For Dr. Zhang’s concept to work, the technology must advance to support fertilization, implantation, and full-term pregnancy—details he did not disclose, leaving questions about the scientific, ethical, and legal challenges ahead.

Another notable development showcased at the 2025 World Robot Conference is the world’s first AI-powered breeding robot—integrating artificial intelligence and biotechnology to revolutionize crop breeding.

Led by researchers at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team used gene editing to create male-sterile flowers, enabling the robot to produce hybrid seeds efficiently.

Combined with advanced methods like “de novo domestication” and “speed breeding,” GEAIR forms the world’s first “intelligent robotic breeding factory,” capable of rapidly generating high-quality plant varieties.

GEAIR has already been applied to develop a male-sterile soybean system, potentially boosting China’s hybrid breeding capacity and crop yields. Xu noted that the project establishes a closed-loop system for intelligent, fully autonomous robotic breeding—pioneering AI-driven agriculture.

According to researchers, with biotechnology as the foundation, AI as the driver, and robotics as the operator, the innovation demonstrates China’s leading role in merging AI with biological breeding.

The United States has commended the federal government and security agencies for the arrest of two leaders of Ansaru, a terror group linked to al-Qaeda.

In an X post on Monday, the US mission in Nigeria described the arrest as “a significant step forward in the country’s fight against terrorism and extremism”.

“We commend the Nigerian government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda),” the post reads.

“This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”

Last week, Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), announced that Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda), who are on Nigeria’s wanted list, were captured following a series of intelligence-led operations between May and July.

Ribadu said Abu Bara’a, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, coordinated terror sleeper cells across the country and masterminded kidnappings and robberies to finance the group’s operations.

The NSA linked the duo to several high-profile attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja that freed dozens of Boko Haram inmates.

He added that the suspects were also implicated in the 2013 attack on a uranium facility in Niger Republic, the kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 abduction of Musa Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa in Niger state.

Ribadu added that the operation also dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure, adding that digital and material intelligence recovered from the raids are being analysed.

🇳🇬QUALIFIED BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS

Percentage of qualified basic education teachers in Nigeria

By zone
North Central — 74.78%
South East — 72.39%
North West — 72.04%
North East — 71.41%
South South — 69.81%
South West — 66.34%

Nigeria — 70.80%

#Statisense
(UBEC 2022/23)

God1000:
I believe Africa is bigger than north and south America put together

“Browse securely now,” Microsoft warns Windows users installing Google Chrome. “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome,” it says, “with the added trust of Microsoft.” This warning is not new, but it’s about to ramp up.

Chrome remains the de facto default browser for most Windows users, with almost six-times the market share of Microsoft’s Edge browser. The ongoing campaign to push Windows users to the Edge has not relented in years. Just as with Bing versus Google itself or Copilot versus Gemini, Microsoft wants its Windows users to go all-in.

If there are any remaining doubts that Microsoft is specifically targeting Chrome users, urging them to switch to Edge, then a new report from Windows Latest might put those to rest. A targeted campaign that “makes it obvious that Microsoft really wants you to stop using Google Chrome and open Edge instead.”

This latest ruse includes taskbar flags now in Canary (pre-release) which “pin Edge when you close the browser.” Per Windows Latest, this approach “isn’t exactly new, but the flags have a specific mention of Google Chrome.”

Those flags include “msOptimizeChromePBSignalForPinningOnCloseCampaigns,” which triggers when exiting the browser. But more starkly, a new flag is called “msPinningCampaignChromeUsageGreaterThan90Trigger” and pushes users to pin Edge to their taskbar “when Chrome’s usage is greater than 90%.”

“The intent is clear,” Windows Latest says. “Microsoft wants to show a ‘pin to taskbar’ pop-up for Edge if you use Chrome most of the time.” And this “exit-time nudge” will have “a hard trigger at a ‘>90% Chrome usage’ threshold.

These flags are in development for now, and perhaps this publicity will tone them down before anything is generally released. But the Chrome installation alerts and advice to change browser in attack notifications are already live in the real world.

Google has accused Microsoft of dirty tricks before, as it tries to steer Windows users away from Chrome. It’s a battle that is not yet making much difference to browsing behaviors. But many enterprise users will know that Microsoft’s approach also includes mandating Edge as the browser in secure company ecosystems.

The response to this latest campaign has been unsurprising.

“Microsoft is testing another awful campaign to get Chrome users to move to Edge,” BGR says. “This kind of behavior isn’t exactly new. Microsoft has been desperate to get Chrome users to ditch Google’s browser for years, even going to some extreme lengths to try to make it happen.”

While XDA Developers says “from entering your search for ‘Google Chrome download’ on Bing to clicking the website and visiting the download page, Microsoft will do its utmost best to remind you that, hey, it worked really hard on Edge, and it’s running on Chromium now, so there's no need to use another browser, honest.”

“Sorry, Microsoft: your latest attempt to get people to switch over to Edge in Windows 11 is crossing a line,” Tech Radar says, taking an even firmer line: “It might not ever happen - and I hope it doesn’t, because this really isn’t a path Microsoft needs to be going any further down.” Put more simply, “Microsoft is only helping itself (and Edge).”

As to whether this will go live, XDA Developers says that while “Microsoft is still working on the flags, there’s a chance that the company decides not to go ahead with the plan. However, knowing how Microsoft has targeted Chrome in the past, I would wager that Microsoft will forge ahead and make this feature a reality, unfortunately.”

I have approached both Microsoft and Google to get any views on this latest twist, as the browser war between the two dominant tech giants continues unabated.

nausabi24:
As 5G network dey spread gidigba for Naija now, e mean say many people dey find smartphone wey fit carry the fast internet speed well well. But you no go need break your bank to get one correct 5G phone wey get better display, good camera, and strong battery. I don gather list of the top 10 best 5G phones under ₦200,000 wey you fit buy for Naija dis year.

1. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
Price dey between ₦173,000 to ₦190,000. This phone get 6.4 inch Super AMOLED screen wey smooth well well, Exynos 1280 processor. E get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, plus 48MP quad rear camera to snap better pictures. Battery na 5,000mAh and e get fast charging of 25W.

2. Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G
This one sharp for photography lovers. Price na about ₦195,000 to ₦199,000. Screen na 6.8 inch FHD+ IPS LCD with 120Hz refresh. E get 8GB RAM and big 256GB storage. Camera sharp with 64MP back and 16MP front camera. Battery na 5,000mAh with 33W fast charge.

3. Nokia X10 5G
Price dey around ₦160,000 to ₦175,000. Screen 6.67 inch IPS LCD. Snapdragon 480 power the phone, e get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Camera system get 48MP quad back and 8MP front. Battery 4,470mAh. This phone no get plenty wahala, e good for people wey like pure Android.

4. Infinix Note 12 Pro 5G
This one price dey go up to ₦200,000. E get 6.7 inch AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The main camera na 108MP, which dey rare for dis kind price range. Battery na 5,000mAh with 33W charging.

5. Nokia G60 5G
Price range be from ₦190,000 to ₦197,000. E get 6.58 inch IPS LCD screen with 120Hz refresh. E dey power by Snapdragon 695 with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Him Camera system get 50MP for back and 8MP front. Battery na 4,500mAh.

6. Infinix Zero 5G (2023)
Price na between ₦160,000 to ₦170,000. E get 6.78 inch IPS LCD screen, MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage. Camera get 50MP back and 16MP front. Battery na 5,000mAh with 33W fast charge.

7. Tecno Pova 5G
Price na ₦145,000 to ₦155,000. Big screen of 6.9 inch FHD+ IPS LCD. 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Camera 50MP back, 16MP front. Battery no dey play, 6,000mAh but charging slow sha - 18W only. This one go make sense for people wey need long battery life.

8. Tecno Spark 10 5G
Very affordable for ₦120,000 to ₦130,000. Screen na 6.6 inch HD+ IPS LCD, 90Hz refresh. MediaTek Dimensity 6020 processor. RAM 8GB, storage 128GB. Camera 50MP back, 8MP front. Battery 5,000mAh.

9. Oppo A74 5G
Price na between ₦140,000 to ₦150,000. Screen 6.5 inch IPS LCD with 90Hz. E dey powered by Snapdragon 480, RAM 6GB and storage 128GB. Camera system 48MP quad back, 16MP front. Battery Na 5,000mAh.

10. Vivo V23e 5G
Price around ₦185,000 to ₦195,000. E get nice 6.44 inch AMOLED screen. MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor powers am. 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. This one sabi selfie well with 44MP front camera and 50MP back. Battery 4,050mAh with super fast 44W charging.

For Naija, these phones show say you fit enjoy 5G internet without spending too much. Whether na for camera, battery, or gaming, una fit find one wey fit your style under ₦200,000. Make sure sey you check price well and buy from trusted sellers. I no wan hear story dat touches the heart.

crazygod:
Salah is inevitable.
So if Gravenberch is injured, is this how we will be opened up? Konate needs a knock on his head.
Nice game. Top of the table never to leave.

Beremx:
Happy 20th posthumous birthday to my late son Berem. He would have been 20years old on the 12th of August. The picture below was taken in 2006 at 3 months old. 😭😭
The pains of losing a child is unbearable. A pain forever in the heart.
Happy posthumous birthday DJ Olu.
God knows best

The Federal Government has cleared over N2tn in outstanding capital budget obligations from the 2024 fiscal year, with a pledge to prioritise the timely release of 2025 capital funds.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this on Thursday at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, where he also declared that Nigeria is “open for business” to global investors on the back of improved economic stability.

“In the last quarter, we did pay contractors over N2tn to settle outstanding capital budget obligations. That is from last year,” Edun said. “At the moment, we have no pending obligations that are not being processed and financed. And the focus will now shift to 2025 capital releases.”

He stressed that government agencies must only commit to capital projects when funds have been duly authorised.

“Despite appropriation, it is when funds are made available and authorised for spending that government entities… should enter into binding commitments of government,” he added.

The minister pointed to positive macroeconomic indicators, including a trade surplus of over $4bn in the first quarter of 2025, export growth of 9.8 per cent, stable exchange rates, and foreign reserves at $39bn in July.

He attributed these gains to the administration’s policy direction under President Bola Tinubu, which, according to him, has created “stable macroeconomic conditions against which people can plan and they can invest.”

Edun highlighted fiscal reforms such as halting the unauthorised use of Ways and Means advances from the Central Bank, which he said had reduced the debt-to-GDP ratio from 52.1 per cent to 38.8 per cent following GDP rebasing.

“There have been no debits to Ways and Means since early in this administration,” he noted, adding that gross revenues in the first half of 2025 were 37.4 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of 2024.

Related News
According to Edun, the Federal Government has increased resources available to state governments by repaying past deductions from the Federation Account. This, he said, has strengthened their fiscal capacity for capital investment.

“Since the first half of 2023, the combined fiscal balance of the states has grown from 1.8 per cent of GDP to 3.1 per cent — that is from N2.8tn to N7.1tn, which is a surplus,” he said. He linked the improvement to subsidy removal and adherence to the rule of law in settling outstanding funds.

The minister announced plans to implement Nigeria’s most comprehensive tax reform from January 2026, which will consolidate all tax laws into a single framework, eliminate over 50 overlapping taxes, and simplify compliance.

He also unveiled a revenue optimisation and assurance platform that will leverage technology, digitisation, and artificial intelligence to centralise collections from ministries, departments, and agencies, block leakages, and strengthen financial intelligence.

Edun reaffirmed the government’s medium-term target of achieving 7 per cent annual GDP growth, to be driven by investment in agriculture, education, health, manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure. He cited recent efforts to attract private capital into infrastructure projects such as the Third Mainland and Carter bridges in Lagos through public-private partnerships.

On energy, he said the government aimed to increase power generation to 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year and complete the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline to support industrial expansion. The minister disclosed that direct cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians were ongoing, with eight million of the targeted 15 million beneficiaries already reached through three rounds of payments.

He added that the payments were being made with full transparency, using biometric verification and digital disbursement. Other programmes include the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, the Consumer Credit Scheme, the forthcoming Youth Investment Bank, and a €600m facility for the digital and creative sectors, with a dedicated allocation for young women.

“Our commitment is to build an economy that works for everyone with transparency, resilience, and purpose,” Edun said.

Kemetian:
DNA SHOCK - English Scientists Stunned To See West African Ancestry in Ancient England!


DNA shows mass West African settlement and ancestry in Early England, confirming the growing scientific consensus that precolonial Black Africans were not ‘tribal’.

They were global.

Our ancestors did not just sit in village huts.

They were builders of great civilisations both in Africa and beyond Africa.

The truth of our glorious history is finally emerging in this Age of Aquarius.

The Age in which all that is hidden shall be revealed.

A salute once again to our illustrious, great, and powerful ancestors.

https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/news/ancient-dna-west-african-ancestry

lordm:
Why don't Israel look for countries with very low population and Muslim countries as well?

WizardOfNG:
This is what makes people like you happy. I.e the denigration of Nigeria by foreign nations that feeds into your narrative that Nigeria is a hopeless "Zoo".

The ruling is nothing more than the subjective interpretation of a Canadian Court only relevant to the character denied asylum. Nothing else.

jackie111:
I thought they said no more creation of new varsity for the next 5 years?

20 Countries where ChatGPT is Banned in 2025

Here is the enumerated list of 20 countries where ChatGPT is banned or not supported in 2025:

1. 🇨🇳 China - Blocked by government
2. 🇰🇵 North Korea - Blocked by government
3. 🇮🇷 Iran - Blocked by government
4. 🇨🇺 Cuba - Blocked by government
5. 🇸🇾 Syria - Blocked by government
6. 🇷🇺 Russia - Blocked by government
7. 🇦🇫 Afghanistan - Blocked by government
8. 🇨🇫 Central African Republic - Blocked by government
9. 🇪🇷 Eritrea - Blocked by government
10. 🇱🇾 Libya - Blocked by government
11. 🇸🇸 South Sudan - Blocked by government
12. 🇸🇩 Sudan - Blocked by government
13. 🇾🇪 Yemen - Blocked by government
14. 🇧🇹 Bhutan - Blocked by government
15. 🇸🇿 Eswatini - Blocked by government
16. 🇹🇩 Chad - Blocked by government
17. 🇧🇮 Burundi - Blocked by government
18. 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo - Blocked by government
19. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong - Not supported by OpenAI
20. 🇧🇾 Belarus - Not supported by OpenAI

Source: Cybernews, OpenAl. As of July 2025. Access can be limited either by government bans, sanctions, or OpenAl's business decisions.

Mynd44:
Some opposition leaders will soon start writing letters to the White house

The US state department has approved a potential sales of ammunition, precision bombs and precision rockets to Nigeria for an estimated cost of $346 million.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said Nigeria requested to buy 1,002 MK-82 general purpose 500 lb bombs; 1,002 MXU-650 Air Foil Groups (AFGs) for 500 lb Paveway II GBU-12; 515 MXU-1006 AFGs for 250 lb Paveway II GBU-58; 1,517 MAU-169 or MAU-209 computer control groups (CCGs) for Paveway II GBU-12/GBU-58; 1,002 FMU-152 joint programmable fuzes; and 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) all-up-rounds (AURs) (consisting of one each WGU-59/B guidance section (GS), high-explosive warhead, and MK66-4 rocket motor).

Non-major defence equipment (non-MDE) items in the package include FMU-139 joint programmable fuzes, bomb components, impulse cartridges, high-explosive and practice rockets, integration support and test equipment, as well as US government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics services, and other related elements of logistical and programme support.

The DSCA named the sales’ contractors as Lockheed Martin, RTX Missiles and Defence (RTX.N), and BAE Systems (BAES.L).

Lockheed is known for delivering advanced autonomous systems, aircraft, missiles, space launchers, and defence systems.

Some of its key products include the F-35 Lightning II fighter, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, Patriot missile systems, and various missile defence technologies.

RTX is the world’s second-largest military company by revenue, producing aircraft engines, guided missiles, air defence systems, radars, and cybersecurity solutions.

Its missile and defence segment specialises in precision weapons, missile defence, radars, and command and control systems.

BAE Systems plc is a British multinational company headquartered in London and is the largest defence contractor in Europe and among the top globally.

It builds military aircraft, missiles, naval ships, armoured vehicles, and defence electronics.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the DSCA said.

“The proposed sale will improve Nigeria’s capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organisations and to counter illicit trafficking in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.”

The DSCA noted that the sale would not alter the basic military balance in the region, noting that Nigeria would have no difficulty integrating the munitions into its armed forces.

The agency also noted that the description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity, adding that the total amount will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

In 2022, the US approved the sale of military equipment worth an estimated $997 million to Nigeria.

The weapons included 12 attack helicopters, 2,000 advanced precision kill weapon system guidance sections, and a night vision imaging system.

The federal executive council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday has approved a five-year ban on the establishment of new federal tertiary educational institutions across the country.

The moratorium covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, explained the context and necessity of the moratorium, noting that the current challenge in Nigeria’s education sector is no longer about access to federal tertiary education but about addressing the duplication of institutions which has led to significant deterioration in both infrastructure and manpower.

“In our country, access to quality financial education is no longer an issue,” the minister said.

“What we are witnessing today is duplication of new federal tertiary institutions, a significant reduction in the current capacity of each institution, and degradation of both physical infrastructure and manpower.

“If we do not act decisively, it will lead to marked declines in educational quality and undermine the international respect that Nigerian graduates command.”

Alausa outlined the scale of Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape, noting the vast number of institutions.

He said there are 72 federal universities, 108 state universities and 159 private universities, and highlighted similar patterns within polytechnics and colleges of education.

The minister also cited allied institutions such as monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, health sciences, nursing, and innovation and enterprise institutions.

He noted that the numbers demonstrate an over-proliferation of institutions without corresponding demand or resource allocation.

Alausa said there is a critical disconnect between the number of institutions and prospective students.

“For the 2024-2026 academic sessions, about 2.1 million young Nigerians applied to our tertiary institutions,” he said.

“However, 199 universities had fewer than 99 applicants, and remarkably, 34 universities had zero candidates applying at all.

“This worrying trend repeats itself in polytechnics and colleges of education too. In fact, 295 polytechnics had fewer than 99 applicants, and 219 colleges of education suffered similar fates, with 64 colleges receiving no applicants at all.”

This, according to the minister, translates into wasted resources and inefficiencies.

He cited an example from the northern region where a federal university had fewer than 800 students but employed over 1,200 staff members.

“This is simply not sustainable,” Alausa said, stressing that many federal universities operated at suboptimal capacity while unnecessarily stretching government funding.

The moratorium on establishing new federal tertiary institutions, he indicated, is a decisive step toward correcting these inefficiencies.

The minister said the government plans to redirect resources toward upgrading the current institutions, improving both physical infrastructure and manpower, and expanding the capacity of existing universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

“We need to improve the quality of our education system and increase the carrying capacity of our current institutions so that Nigerian graduates can maintain and enhance the respect they enjoy globally,” he said.

Alausa thanked President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering commitment and support toward education reform, noting the president’s strong political will.

“The president fervently believes in providing every Nigerian with the highest quality of education, comparable anywhere in the world, and his dedication has been key in advancing these reforms,” he said.

dominique:
That first account if true is nothing short of diabolical. Psychopaths come in all shapes, sizes, genders and social statuses

bigpicture001:
The price of rice in my town is down to 48k from about 75k..

Now what is the reason for this..?

Mabuggi88:
What's the location? Let us know please. Even the 75k you claimed it fell from is still somehow a falsehood let alone the fallen price of 48k. Drop your location, people are interested

autoez:
Small time Elon Musk will start a phone manufacturing company that will send iphone back to their village the same way iphone did to BlackBerry. This i have seen

Elon Musk took to his social media platform X on Monday to warn Apple (AAPL) that his artificial intelligence company, xAI (XAAI.PVT), would take "immediate legal action" against the tech giant to fix what Musk alleged is anticompetitive conduct by its App Store.

Musk alleged that the App Store refused to feature both X and Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, in its prominently promoted list of apps. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk's claims.

"Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation," the billionaire Tesla (TSLA) CEO and owner of Grok creator xAI wrote on X. "xAI will take immediate legal action."

"Hey @Apple – App Store, why do you refuse to put either 𝕏 or Grok in your 'Must Have' section when 𝕏 is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?" Musk asked in another post, inquiring if Apple's ranking system was used for "playing politics."

He added, "And why is ChatGPT literally in every list where you have editorial control?" ChatGPT, xAI's rival chatbot, is operated by OpenAI (OPAI.PVT).

Apple entered a collaboration with OpenAI in 2024 that uses OpenAI's technology to fuel Apple's branded Apple Intelligence. The feature allows Apple devices that use its voice command service, Siri, to generate written content and perform device tasks.

Apple's website describes its App Store as "a highly curated" store where "every app is reviewed by experts and an editorial team." In addition to human oversight, Apple also uses automated tools to affect app discovery and rankings and to moderate user reviews.

Musk has been embroiled in litigation against OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 with OpenAI's current CEO, Sam Altman. Originally co-founded as a nonprofit, Musk separated himself from the AI firm over disagreements regarding how to move forward with the venture.

Musk later started his competing AI company, xAI. His lawsuit, which is scheduled for trial in March, seeks to prevent OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit enterprise and centers around a $45 million donation that Musk contributed to fund the startup. He claims that the donation was contingent on OpenAI remaining a nonprofit organization.

Altman contends Musk wanted to merge OpenAI into his for-profit electric vehicle company, Tesla, so that Tesla could provide it with additional funding.