Month: January 2026

NITDA DG engages stakeholders at North-West Innovation Roundtable to strengthen regional ecosystem

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has engaged innovators, policymakers, founders, and ecosystem leaders at the Future Map Foundation Roundtable 1.0 (North-West Edition) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem. The engagement provided a platform for open and constructive dialogue on strengthening regional innovation policies, fostering effective public-private partnerships, and creating clear pathways for scaling local innovations beyond their immediate communities. Speaking at the roundtable, Abdullahi emphasised NITDA’s commitment to enabling innovation that is people-driven, locally relevant, and globally…

TINUBUNOMICS AND THE ARITHMETIC OF ILLUSION By Tanimu Yakubu

Emporium Reporters

A striking feature of Nigeria’s current economic debate is the enthusiasm with which huge numbers are circulated and the casualness with which they are assembled. Tax collections are added to oil receipts; oil receipts are added again under customs or “subsidy savings”; borrowing is treated as income; and the resulting total is presented as proof of incompetence or theft. This is not an economic analysis. It is an arithmetic illusion. At the core of most viral critiques of Tinubunomics lies a fundamental failure to distinguish between revenue, cash, and financing,…

Trending Events Amidst Governor Buni’s Yobe Achievements (2), by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

Barely after the first edition of the write-up with the above caption, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated a Committee on Strategy, Conflict Resolution, and Mobilisation to resolve conflicts within the All Progressives Congress, APC. He tasked the committee with strengthening party cohesion, resolving lingering disputes, and crafting a unified mobilisation strategy to sustain APC’s dominance at the polls. He deemed it appropriate to appoint Governor Mai Mala Buni as its chairman.   Governor Buni was the first elected national secretary of the APC and served for five years. He left…

Distinguishing between Federal Government Revenue and the Federation Account By Temitope Ajayi

Emporium Reporters

Public debate on government finances in Nigeria is once again clouded by confusion, little knowledge, and deliberate misrepresentation. At the centre of the current controversy is a misunderstanding of the distinction between total revenue generated by government agencies and the portion that actually belongs to the federal government.   The confusion has been amplified by commentators who should know better and by a media ecosystem increasingly driven by noise rather than nuance. As a result, statements by President Bola Tinubu on revenue performance and remarks by the Minister of Finance…

NDLEA intercepts drugs hidden in coffee sachets, detains 22 Indians over 31.5kg cocaine shipment

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs concealed in sachets of coffee mix and arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel linked to the seizure of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa Port, Lagos. The Agency said the drugs comprising ketamine, ecstasy and tramadol pills were recovered at a courier company in Lagos on December 24 and 29, 2025, with the consignments disguised as coffee sachets and book parcels heading to Zambia and the United Kingdom. According to the…

Maduro, Noriega and death By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

Yesterday, President Donald Trump unleashed his fury on the South American country of Venezuela. Woken to Trump’s tweet on his Truth Social that the US had carried out a ‘large-scale strike’ against Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolas Maduro and wife, Cilia Fores, the world was aghast. Sensing where Trump was going, Maduro had accused him, in an earlier statement, of “extremely serious military aggression”, stating that, “Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States…

Reps release certified copies of Tinubu’s Tax Reform Acts amid alteration allegations

Emporium Reporters

The House of Representatives has released the certified copies of four landmark tax reform Acts signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following allegations that altered versions of the laws were in circulation. The decision was taken after concerns were raised during plenary over discrepancies between documents circulating in the public space and the versions passed by the National Assembly. Acting on the development, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, in agreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, ordered the immediate release of the Certified True Copies of…

NUJ FCT Chairman urges Journalists to uphold ethics, unity in 2026 new year message

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, has charged journalists in the Federal Capital Territory to recommit themselves to ethical journalism, unity, and professional excellence as they step into the 2026 New Year. In her New Year message to members of the Council, Ike commended journalists for their resilience, courage, and professionalism in the past year, noted that despite numerous challenges, members upheld the ideals of the journalism profession with dedication and integrity. She described journalists as the conscience of society and custodians of…

TGF condemns U.S. strike on Venezuela, warns of global,African security risks

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Transformative Governance Forum (TGF) has strongly condemned what it described as an unlawful and unprovoked military strike by the United States on Venezuela, including the reported capture of President Nicolás Maduro and the country’s First Lady, warned that the action posed grave dangers to international order and African sovereignty. The condemnation was contained in a statement issued on behalf of the TGF by its Director of Strategic Engagements and Partnerships, Ademola Rabiu, who said the operation constituted a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. He…

Troops recover large cache of 12.7mm Ammunition in Bulumkutu, Northeast Nigeria

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have uncovered a substantial cache of high-calibre ammunition in the Bulumkutu Railway area, underscoring the effectiveness of ongoing intelligence-led security operations in the North-East. The discovery followed sustained military presence and follow-up actions after a recent cordon-and-search operation, aimed at restricting the freedom of criminal and terrorist elements, particularly in the wake of multiple suicide bombers being neutralised or apprehended over the past week. According to Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at OPHK, troops received a distress call at around 3:00 p.m.…