Day: October 9, 2025

Armed Forces, Security Agencies to hold joint Route March Friday

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that personnel of the Armed Forces and other security agencies will on Friday, October 10, 2025, embark on a Route March Exercise in Abuja.   In a statement signed by Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, the DHQ said the exercise will commence at 5:00 a.m. from the Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment football field to Mambilla Barracks, and return to the cantonment through Niger Barracks.   Gusau explained that the route march is a routine physical fitness activity aimed at promoting synergy, teamwork,…

Tinubu nominates Prof Amupitan as new INEC Chairman, gets Council of State’s unanimous backing

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The President presented the nomination at the meeting of the National Council of State on Thursday, where members unanimously endorsed Amupitan’s appointment. The nomination follows the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure in October 2025, after serving as INEC Chairman since 2015. President Tinubu described Amupitan as an apolitical and accomplished scholar who embodies integrity, competence, and commitment to national service. He noted…

Nigeria nominates Dr Taoheed Elias for International Court of Justice seat

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has announced the nomination of Dr. Taoheed Elias as Nigeria’s candidate for election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The announcement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, on Thursday in Abuja during the formal presentation of Dr. Elias to members of the Diplomatic Community ahead of the ICJ elections scheduled for November in The Hague, Netherlands. Tuggar described Dr. Elias, who currently serve as an ad hoc judge at the ICJ, as a…

NSCDC CG advocates artificial intelligence for national asset protection

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi,has reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced national security, with a strong emphasis on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in safeguarding critical national infrastructure.   Delivering the maiden Strategic Security Lecture Series organized by the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies (IPSDS), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Audi spoke on the topic: “Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure: The Role of NSCDC.”  …

Tinubu grants Presidential pardon to Herbert Macaulay, Vatsa, Lawan, clemency to 82 Inmates

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardons to several notable Nigerians, including nationalist Herbert Macaulay and the late Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over a treason charge. According to a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the pardons followed the endorsement of the National Council of State, which met earlier in Abuja to consider recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM). Macaulay, revered as one of Nigeria’s founding fathers…

NITDA DG advocates collaboration, inclusive policies to build AI-Ready Africa

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for stronger collaboration, practical innovation, and inclusive policymaking to position Africa as an AI-ready continent. He made the call while speaking during panel sessions at the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa 2025 held in Lagos, themed “Fostering a Digital Africa: Connectivities, Convergence and Innovation.”   Speaking on the topic, “From Mobile First to AI-Ready: Will Africa Deliver on Innovation?” Inuwa noted that Africa’s challenges present immense opportunities if the right structures are in place. He emphasised…

FG strengthens Cybersecurity to safeguard digital economy in AI Era

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government said it is taking decisive steps to secure Nigeria’s digital economy by strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, building human capacity, and harnessing the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).   Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this while delivering a keynote address titled “Securing Digital Economy: Strengthening Infrastructure and Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence” at the Cyber Nigeria Summit, organised by the Cybersecurity Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN).   Inuwa described the digital economy as the “heartbeat of Nigeria’s development agenda,”…

MURIC accuses Maiduguri hospitals of harassing muslim women over Islamic dress

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused three government-owned hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno State, of harassing Muslim women who wear Islamic garments such as the niqab. The group, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, and titled “Maiduguri Hospitals Harassing Muslim Women – MURIC”, named the affected facilities as Maiduguri General Hospital, Umar Shehu Hospital, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. According to MURIC, security personnel at the gates of the hospitals have allegedly been ordering Muslim women to completely remove their veils before being…

Nigeria unveils Agricultural Intelligence Platform to drive digital transformation in food security

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken a decisive step toward a smarter, technology-driven agricultural future with the official launch of the Nigeria Agricultural Intelligence Platform (NAIP) a four-year roadmap designed to transform the nation’s food systems through artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and data-driven research. The groundbreaking initiative, spearheaded by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in partnership with PIXELS Solutions Limited, and supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), is set to enhance productivity, strengthen food security, and promote sustainable growth across Nigeria’s agricultural…

Nigeria launches Digital Trust Mark to boost confidence in Online Economy ,rebrand National Image

Lukman Laleye Babalola

In a bold move to enhance trust in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and rebrand the nation’s image globally, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), has launched the Nigerian Digital Trust Mark initiative.   The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, in his keynote address, highlighted the significance of the digital economy, noted that it has outpaced traditional sectors such as oil and gas in contributing to Nigeria’s GDP.…