Where do Nigeria’s brightest UTME candidates dream of studying? From Lagos to Ibadan, Abuja to Benin, the first-choice patterns of top scorers reveal shifting loyalties, regional dominance, and the quiet battle between federal giants and private disruptors. The data from 2023 to 2025 tells its own story, of tradition, prestige, and sudden surprises. Which universities are winning the hearts of Nigeria’s best UTME scorers and which ones are slipping off the radar?
WHERE UTME BEST CANDIDATES CHOSE TO STUDY — 2023, 2024, 2025
Which state governments have concrete poverty-reduction plans beyond slogans? Why do states with similar resources show radically different poverty outcomes (e.g., Lagos 29.4% vs. Rivers 62.4%)? What has been the federal government’s measurable impact since the first MPI report? What does this data say about Nigeria, wealth in natural resources but poverty in human development?
FULL LIST: Multidimensional poverty across states — Sokoto, Bayelsa, Gombe lead
Have you ever wondered how a nation like Nigeria could amass the largest foreign reserves in its history? What economic forces, leadership decisions, and global trends aligned to push the reserves to a staggering $63.58 billion in October 2008? And perhaps most importantly, why did such a historic peak not translate into long-term financial stability for the country?
Nigeria's highest ever foreign reserve was achieved on 09 Oct 2008 at $63.58 billion under the then President — Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
After a whirlwind year of high-level summits, state visits, and international forums, BAT is finally taking a 10-day working vacation in Europe. But here’s the question: will this be just a well-deserved break, or a strategic mission in disguise? Which meetings might be happening behind the scenes? And could this leisurely European getaway hold the seeds of new partnerships, deals, or policy moves?
2025 BAT FOREIGN TRAVEL TRACKER
06 Jan: 🇬🇭Ghana — Ghana's President Inauguration
11 Jan: 🇦🇪UAE — Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit
26 Jan: 🇹🇿Tanzania — Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit
06 Feb: 🇫🇷France — Private visit
02 Apr: 🇫🇷France — Short working visit
17 May: 🇮🇹Italy — Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican City
28 Jun: 🇱🇨Saint Lucia — State visit, Economic Partnership and Cultural Solidarity for Shared Prosperity
06 Jul: 🇧🇷Brazil — 2025 BRICS Summit [6th - 7th]
14 Aug: 🇦🇪Dubai [Stop over]
20-22 Aug: 🇯🇵Japan [9th Tokyo Int'l Conference on African Development (TICAD9)
24-25 Aug: 🇧🇷Brazil [Bilateral Business Forum with Brazilian Investors]
In a bold move to revolutionize Nigerian education, the Federal Government has unveiled a dynamic new school curriculum for the 2025/2026 academic session, spotlighted by Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in a viral X post. Packed with cutting-edge subjects like coding, AI, and entrepreneurship, this curriculum aims to equip students for a global future!
Which companies are struggling to stay afloat on the Nigerian Exchange? Which are at risk of being delisted, already undergoing delisting, or falling below listing standards? And which are missing regulatory filings, raising red flags about governance and compliance? As of September 2025, the NGX has categorized several companies across four critical risk indicators:
Investor Takeaway: The NGX is sending clear warning signals. Companies in DWL or DIP categories could be facing operational, financial, or governance issues. Those under BLS or MRF may be struggling with compliance, putting investors at risk. Monitoring these risk indicators is now more important than ever for anyone with exposure to the Nigerian stock market.
🇳🇬NGX LISTED COMPANIES ON DELISTING WATCH-LIST - SEP 2025
List of companies currently flagged as Delisting Watch-list (DWL)
1 ASO Savings and Loans Plc 2 Deap Capital Management & Trust Plc 3 Fortis Global Insurance Plc 4 Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc 5 STACO Insurance Plc 6 Union Dicon Salt Plc
🇳🇬NGX LISTED COMPANIES WITH DELISTING IN PROGRESS - SEP 2025
List of companies currently flagged with Delisting in Progress (DIP)
Who truly benefits when Nigeria shares billions meant for tackling floods, erosion, and other ecological disasters? Between January and May 2025, the federal government disbursed N22.9 billion in ecological funds to 36 states. But a closer look reveals a striking imbalance: while some states pocketed over a billion naira each, others, ironically those most vulnerable to flooding, got less than N400 million. Here’s the full breakdown of how the money was shared:
FULL LIST: Kano N1.3bn, Bayelsa N358.8m -- how states shared N22.9bn ecological funds in five months
In a state long considered a PDP stronghold, the recent local government elections have shaken the political map of Rivers. Out of 23 LGAs, the APC has claimed 20, leaving the ruling party with just three urban bastions. Even Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s own Opobo-Nkoro LGA slipped through his fingers, signaling a potential reshuffle of power at the grassroots.
AT A GLANCE: Rivers LGA chairpersons-elect
- Siminalayi Fubara lost his Opobo-Nkoro LGA to the APC.
1. Abua/Odual: Ofori Owolabi (APC) 2. Ahoada East: Solomon Achoma (APC) 3. Ahoada West: Eugene Epelle (APC) 4. Akuku Toru: Bob Fubara (APC) 5. Andoni: Lucky Promise (APC) 6. Asari Toru: George Onegiyeofori (APC) 7. Bonny: Abinye Blessing Pepple (APC) 8. Degema: Michael John Williams (APC) 9. Eleme: Obarilomate Ollor (APC) 10. Emohua: Chidi Loyd (APC) 11. Etche: Njoku Boniface (APC) 12. Gokana: Dekor Confidence (APC) 13. Ikwerre: Charles Wobodo (APC) 14. Khana: Bariere Thomas (APC) 15. Obio/Akpor: Gift Worlu (PDP) 16. Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni: Shedrach Ogbogu (PDP) 17. Ogu/Bolo: Vincent Nemioboka (APC) 18. Okrika: Akuro Tobin (APC) 19. Omuma: Obasi Uchechwuku (APC) 20. Opobo/Nkoro: James A. James (APC) 21. Oyigbo: Okechukwu Akara (APC) 22. PHALGA: Allwell Ihunda (PDP) 23. Tai: Mbakpone Okpe (APC) https://x.com/thecableindex/status/1962185686095970504 #TheCableIndex
What happens when a state’s elected leaders are suddenly suspended? Can emergency powers solve political instability, or do they deepen divisions? With just 18 days left until Rivers State’s six-month emergency rule expires, Nigerians are asking: Will democracy return smoothly, or has the clock started ticking on a new political drama?
Have you budgeted for your next passport renewal? Do you know that a 32-page passport that cost ₦35,000 just two years ago will now set you back ₦100,000? What about the 64-page passport, now doubling from ₦70,000 to ₦200,000? In less than two years, Nigerians are facing a 186% hike in passport fees. How will this affect travelers, students, and families planning to travel abroad?
Which countries are breeding the continent’s millionaires, and why do some cities attract billionaires while others lag behind? Is Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, punching above its weight or falling short when it comes to creating extreme wealth? And what do these numbers reveal about inequality, opportunity, and the future of Africa’s economic elite?
Imagine being forced to make the hardest choice of your life, and whatever you choose, someone you love will suffer. What would you do?
A Terrifying Choice: Who Would You Save, Your Spouse or Your Child?:
1. A woman and her husband are confronted by armed criminals. They tell her: either she is raped while her husband runs away, or they will kill him if he tries to defend her.
2. Later, the same woman and her son face criminals with the same choice: either she is raped while her son runs away, or they will kill him if he tries to protect her.
If you were the woman:
Questions for you:
If you were the woman, what would you do in each situation?
Would you expect your husband or son to try to defend you?
If you had to choose between saving your husband or your child, who would you prioritize?
1.38 million Nigerians registered online to vote in just one week. But why did Osun, not Lagos, top the chart with 393,269 sign-ups? Is this a sign of rising political consciousness in unexpected places? Or does it expose regional gaps in mobilization and digital access? And with some states like Enugu (484) and Imo (481) trailing far behind, what explains the sharp contrasts, apathy, technology barriers, or political disillusionment?
INEC online voter drive: 1.38m Nigerians sign up in one week, Osun records highest turnout
From cement that builds Africa’s cities, to sugar that sweetens her tea, to oil that fuels her industries, Dangote has quietly planted his flag across nearly every sector of the economy. But how many businesses does Africa’s richest man actually run?
DANGOTE BUSINESSES
Automotive Cement manufacturing Energy Fertilizer Logistics Infrastructure Maritime Mining Petrochemicals Polysacks Real Estate Refinery Rice farming Salt & seasoning Sugar refining Tomato farming Training academy
The Imo State government, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, announced a substantial wage increase on August 27, 2025, impacting civil servants, doctors, and tertiary institution lecturers. The decision was framed as a strategic investment in workers' welfare and a response to rising financial capacity and reform efforts. How much should a worker earn to live with dignity in Nigeria today? What happens when a state government raises civil servants’ pay by almost 40%, and doctors’ salaries by more than double? Is this the beginning of a new era of labor-friendly governance, or just another political flashpoint in Nigeria’s economic storm?
IN THE NEWS — IMO STATE
Imo State government approves N104,000 minimum wage for Imo State civil servants.
Why does tiny Ekiti outshine giant Kano and Lagos in senatorial productivity? How can the Federal Capital Territory, the political heartbeat of Nigeria, rank dead last? And what explains Sokoto’s slide to the bottom despite its storied political heritage?
These are the puzzles thrown up by the latest Senators’ Productivity Index (June 2023 – June 2024), which ranks Ekiti at the very top with a staggering 292 points, while Sokoto and the FCT trail behind with scores of 15 and 11 respectively.
Senators’ Productivity Index: Ekiti leads, Sokoto and FCT rank lowest
Why does Nigeria’s interest rate soar at 27.5% while Morocco barely nudges 2.25%? What drives such stark differences across African economies, policy choices, inflation, or external pressures? How do these rates shape everyday life, from loans and mortgages to business growth and investment? As central banks across the continent adjust their monetary levers, understanding the story behind the numbers is more urgent than ever.
What do we do with children who have simply grown old? Too many of us carry emotional wounds into adulthood; wounds passed down from parents who also struggled, without realizing we need help. Though we age, parts of us remain stuck emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically, and when two unhealed inner children enter marriage, it becomes a collision rather than a partnership. What we call love often masks a desperate search for rescue or validation, driving many modern divorces as people run from undiagnosed pain they don’t even recognize. Worse still, this cycle of unhealed trauma repeats across generations, with emotionally stunted adults raising emotionally starved children, all trapped in patterns of silence and hurt. These dysfunctions make us to mistake trauma bonding and love bombing as affection. We grow old believing this brokenness is normal, unaware that at our core we carry deep-rooted, undiagnosed emotional and psychological pandemic, and until someone breaks the cycle, the child within remains unseen, unhealed, and hurting, shaping how we love, parent, and live.
With nearly $100 billion flowing into the economy in 2024, the Central Bank handled less than half. Who supplied the rest? And more importantly, with outflows at just $40.61 billion, what does a net flow of $58.84 billion actually mean for the naira, businesses, and ordinary Nigerians? Why did $40.61 billion flow back out, and who really controls the larger share: the CBN or autonomous sources? And with a net flow of $58.84 billion, is Nigeria finally building FX stability, or just buying time?
HIV remains one of Africa’s deepest public health challenges, with millions still living with the virus despite decades of global effort. But where is the burden heaviest? Which countries carry the largest share of Africa’s epidemic in 2024? And what do the numbers reveal about progress or the lack of it, in the fight against HIV?
African countries with the highest number of people living with HIV in 2024
Every year, tens of thousands of lives are quietly lost to a silent killer, kidney disease. Why do some nations face mortality rates exceeding 70 deaths per 100,000 people while others, like Nigeria, report far lower numbers? Could lifestyle choices, diet, and exposure to environmental toxins be driving this crisis? And how much do counterfeited consumer products, fake or substandard medications contribute to worsening kidney health? Behind these numbers lies a complex story of vulnerability, survival, and an urgent need for awareness and action.
Landlords and occupiers of public buildings now must insure against fire, collapse, floods, earthquakes, and more or face a minimum N1 million fine, up to 12 months in jail, or both. The new Insurance Industry Reform Act also makes it mandatory for federal government assets and all petroleum stations to be insured, with harsh penalties for non-compliance. Insurers contribute to a Fire Services Maintenance Fund to bolster safety nationwide. NAICOM can even seal buildings lacking proper coverage, sending a clear message: insurance is no longer optional. Source:State House press release https://statehouse.gov.ng/news/president-tinubu-assents-to-nigerian-insurance-industry-reform-bill-2025-to-drive-financial-sector-transformation/
President Tinubu Assents to Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Bill 2025 to Drive Financial Sector Transformation
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assented to the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Bill, 2025 — a landmark legislation to strengthen Nigeria’s financial sector and accelerate the nation’s march toward a $1 trillion economy.
The Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 repeals and consolidates several outdated insurance laws into a single, modern legal framework. The new Act provides for comprehensive regulation and supervision of all insurance and reinsurance businesses operating within Nigeria.
This development reaffirms the administration’s commitment to financial stability, economic development, and inclusive growth.
The NIIRA Act 2025 ushers in a new era of transparency, innovation, and global competitiveness for the insurance industry. It aligns with the Federal Government’s vision of achieving a $1 trillion economy.
As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda for the Insurance Sector, the Act introduces critical measures such as:
1. Stringent capital requirements to ensure the financial soundness of operators;
2. Enforcement of compulsory insurance policies to enhance consumer protection;
3. Digitisation of the insurance market to improve access and efficiency;
4. Zero tolerance for delays in claims settlement;
5. Creation of dedicated policyholder protection funds, especially in cases of insolvency;
6. Expanded participation in regional insurance schemes, including the ECOWAS Brown Card System.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is mandated to administer and implement the provisions of the NIIRA 2025 in a manner that unlocks the industry’s full potential and significantly improves insurance penetration across the country.
The reform introduced by the new law is expected to catalyse new investments, boost consumer confidence, and position Nigeria as a leading insurance hub in Africa.
Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy) August 5, 2025
Nigeria’s economy isn’t just numbers, it’s debt on the shoulders of citizens. Why does the average person in Kwara owe over ₦236,000 while someone in the North West owes less than ₦5,000? How does rising national debt affect families’ access to healthcare, education, and opportunity? These figures reveal more than finance, they reveal the everyday struggle of millions of Nigerians.
AVERAGE DEBT OWED PER INDIGINE — MARCH 2025
AVERAGE DEBT OWED PER INDIGINE — MARCH 2025
Debt per capita across Nigeria
By zone North Central — ₦55,827 South South — ₦20,404 North East — ₦14,566 South East — ₦11,404 South West — ₦7,814 North West — ₦4,583
For under-16 candidates dreaming of early university admission in Nigeria, brilliance must now meet a near-impossible standard: scoring at least 320 in UTME, 80% in Post-UTME, and 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO, with Mathematics or English among the top subjects. JAMB has raised the bar sky-high, making the path open only to the truly exceptional. But here’s the question: how many ‘exceptional’ students can realistically cross this bar, and is JAMB protecting standards or shutting the door on young prodigies?
Underage candidates seeking admission must score
- A minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400 (80%); - Post-UTME score of at least 80% - Minimum of 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO, equivalent to 24 points out of 30.
Who shapes the integrity of elections in Nigeria? Who balances decades of academic excellence with public service at the highest level? Can an election truly be free if its umpire leans? Does history and scholarship guarantee neutrality at the ballot box? In an age where suspicion shadows every vote, can Professor Mahmood Yakubu rise above politics to ensure fairness, or will perception outweigh procedure? Meet Professor the INEC Chairman, scholar, strategist, and steward of Nigeria’s electoral future.
PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU — INEC CHAIRMAN
Born May 1962 — 62 years Bauchi State
EDUCATION 1975—1980: Teachers’ College, Toro, Bauchi 1980—1985: University of Sokoto 1986: University of Cambridge, UK 1987—1991: University of Oxford, UK
QUALIFICATION 1980: Grade II Teachers’ Certificate 1985: BSc, History, First Class 1986: M.Phil, Int'l Relations 1991: PhD, History [at 29 yrs old]
AWARDS 1983—1985: Federal Govt Merit Award 1985: Waziri of Sokoto Prize for the Best Graduating Student 1985: First student from Northern Nigeria to graduate with a 1st class in history 1986: Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship 1987: Commonwealth Scholarship 1991: Three-time winner of the Overseas Research Students’ Award of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of UK Universities and the Beit Fund Research Grant. Honorary Doctor of Laws — UDUS Honorary Doctor of Letters — Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki Honorary Doctor of Letters — Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Honorary fellowship to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria
WORK EXPERIENCE 1985—86: Dept of History, UNJOS [NYSC] - Graduate Assistant 1992: Lecturer 1, History [UNIJOS] 1993: Snr Lecture, [NDA, Kaduna] 1994—1995: HoD, History [NDA] 1995: Reader 1998: Professor 1998—2004: Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and Director of Academic Planning 2004—2006: Chairman, Management Board of the Staff School 2004—2006: Post Graduate School 2007—2007: Task Team Leader, Presidential Technical Committee for the consolidation of Federal tertiary institutions 2007—2012: Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) 2013: Technical member, Presidential Special Intervention Fund for the Revitalization of Nigerian Public Universities 2014: Assistant Secretary, Finance & Administration, 2014 National Conference 2015—Till Date: INEC, Chairman
Why does overall inflation fall while food prices keep climbing? Are Nigerian households finally catching a break, or is the struggle for basic staples just beginning? What does it mean when the numbers we trust start to tell two different stories?
FOOD INFLATION RATE SINCE JAN 2025
Jan — 26.10% Feb — 23.51% Mar — 21.79% Apr — 21.26% May — 21.14% Jun — 21.97% ⬆️ Jul — 22.74% ⬆️
Food inflation has risen for two consecutive months after four months of steady decline.
YoY Headline Inflation Rate — July 2025
🟢GOOD NEWS: YoY Headline inflation rate dropped from 22.22% in Jun 2025 to 21.88% in Jul 2025 — 4th consecutive month.
Go ahead, marry outside your class, if you like dancing on quicksand. Attraction sparks, but relationship lives in shared maps, qualitative development, intentions, values, habits, and worlds. Ignore the terrain, and when the storm hits, you’ll rediscover yourself alone, carrying burdens you never bargained for.
Some fires are meant to burn in the right oxygen. Some winds are never meant to meet certain flames. Date outside your world, and watch chaos flirt with possibility. Go ahead,cross the invisible lines, mix the unmixed… and see whether fire swims, air breathes, or earth stands its ground.
Go ahead, date outside your Upbringing and Social Circle, if you enjoy fire trying to swim in water, air trapped underground, or earth swept away by the wind. Sure, sparks fly… but don’t be surprised when the storm drowns your flame.
Go ahead, date outside your Qualitative Development, if you enjoy pairing a floppy disk with a quantum processor, a 2G signal with a fiber-optic brain, or Windows updates on a Linux soul. Sure, things will spark… mostly errors, crashes, and endless debugging.
Go ahead, date outside your Core Personal Compatibility, including temperament, personality traits, elemental tendencies, and natural inclinations that determine relational harmony, if you like dancing on quicksand, if negotiating routines, tastes, and expectations every day excites you. After all, shared understanding is the soil where relationships grow; plant it elsewhere, and watch the weeds take over.
From Brasília to Abuja, from Beijing to London, Donald Trump’s new tariff list is making waves, and rattling markets. Sixty-seven countries, including Nigeria, China, Canada, and the United Kingdom, now face fresh U.S. import taxes ranging from 10% to a staggering 50%. But what does this sweeping trade wall mean for global supply chains? Will it spark new trade wars or force quiet renegotiations behind closed doors? And, as costs inevitably trickle down, how much will American consumers be willing to pay?
FULL LIST: 🇳🇬NIGERIA, 66 OTHER COUNTRIES HIT WITH TARIFF BY DONALD TRUMP
The tariffs mean companies that bring foreign goods into the US will have to pay the taxes to the government, and experts say these companies may pass costs on to consumers. https://x.com/StatiSense/status/1955615913715089520 #Statisense (White House)
iSense247: Below is the official response of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) to the viral video of Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of COZA, in which he claimed that Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola died poor and made mockery of his children.
It is expected that Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo will show wisdom and humility by offering a public apology to the millions of sons and daughters of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola around the world.
Obama stopped it. Biden blocked it again. Now Trump has said yes, $346 million worth of bombs and rockets for Nigeria. Will this help bring peace at last, or will it just keep the war going?
Nigeria–U.S. on Boko Haram: Quick History
While fighting Boko Haram, Washington often held back the guns, Moscow offered them, and Abuja tried to play both sides. Obama’s human-rights concerns froze U.S. sales, while quiet pressure slowed Russian deals. Nigeria learned to shop in Beijing, all while keeping one eye on Washington.
Obama (2009–2016): The U.S. blocked the sale of attack helicopters and other lethal weapons to Nigeria under the Leahy Law, citing human rights violations by the Nigerian military. Most support came in the form of intelligence, training, and non-lethal aid. The Super Tucano deal stalled until his late term.
Obama (2014–2015): He again blocked Nigeria’s heavy-arms requests over rights concerns and discouraged Russian arms purchases, pushing Nigeria toward alternative suppliers like China.
Trump (2017–2020): Lifted restrictions, finalized a $593 million Super Tucano deal, and increased arms flow for counter-Boko Haram operations.
Biden (2021–2024): Approved a $997 million helicopter package but added civilian-protection conditions, balancing aid with human-rights oversight.
Trump Return (2025): Cleared a $346 million bombs and rockets sale, signaling a fully open military-resupply stance.
From global summits to papal inaugurations, from energy conferences in Africa to strategic business forums in Brazil, 2025 is shaping up as a whirlwind year of diplomacy, partnership, and influence. Do these global engagements hold the promise of real economic transformation, or are they merely ceremonial steps on a diplomatic itinerary? Here’s the full itinerary that charts the journey of connections, commitments, and cross-continental impact.
2025 BAT FOREIGN TRAVEL TRACKER
06 Jan: 🇬🇭Ghana — Ghana's President Inauguration
11 Jan: 🇦🇪UAE — Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit
26 Jan: 🇹🇿Tanzania — Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit
06 Feb: 🇫🇷France — Private visit
02 Apr: 🇫🇷France — Short working visit
17 May: 🇮🇹Italy — Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican City
28 Jun: 🇱🇨Saint Lucia — State visit, Economic Partnership and Cultural Solidarity for Shared Prosperity
06 Jul: 🇧🇷Brazil — 2025 BRICS Summit [6th - 7th]
14 Aug: 🇦🇪Dubai [Stop over]
20-22 Aug: 🇯🇵Japan [9th Tokyo Int'l Conference on African Development (TICAD9)
24-25 Aug: 🇧🇷Brazil [Bilateral Business Forum with Brazilian Investors]
Education › Where Utme Best Candidates Chose To Study by DrMB(op): 10:15am On Sep 09, 2025
