Day: July 23, 2026

NDPC Urges Senate to Align Social Media Office Bill with Existing Data Protection Act

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has urged the Senate to align the proposed bill seeking to compel global social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, warned that the amendment, in its current form, could undermine the country’s existing data protection framework and weaken its global digital competitiveness. The position of the Commission was presented at the public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security by the Head of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Nigeria…

NITDA Advocates Balanced Regulatory Framework at Senate Hearing on Bill Seeking Local Offices for Social Media Platforms

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has advocated a balanced and pragmatic regulatory framework as the Senate considers a bill seeking to compel global social media platforms and other digital service providers operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country. Presenting the agency’s submission at the public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security on Thursday, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director, Regulation and Compliance Department and Head of the Legal Services and Board Matters Unit at NITDA,who represented the Director General of the…

Diaspora Nigerians Are National Assets, Not Consular Burdens, FG Declares

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has reaffirmed that Nigerians living abroad should be regarded as strategic assets for national development rather than as consular burdens, underscoring the critical role of the diaspora in advancing the country’s economic growth and global image. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the declaration on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the Commission’s top management team during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. The Minister…

NSCDC Mining Marshals, Ankpa Traditional Council Unite to End Illegal Coal Mining in Kogi

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals and the Ankpa Traditional Council have forged a strategic partnership to combat illegal coal mining and promote responsible mineral exploitation in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State. The resolution was reached during a courtesy visit by the National Commander of the NSCDC Mining Marshals, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, to the palace of the Ejeh of Ankpa and Chairman of the Ankpa Traditional Council, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Yakubu Ahmed. During the visit, ACC Onoja…

Senate Moves to Compel Facebook, X, TikTok, Others to Open Offices in Nigeria

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Senate has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital regulatory framework by advancing a bill that would require global social media platforms and other major data-driven technology companies operating in the country to establish physical offices within Nigeria. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), was the subject of a public hearing organised on Thursday by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security. The bill seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, by mandating social media platforms, data controllers and data processors operating…

FCT Police Foil Car Theft Attempt at NFIU, Arrest Suspect with Fabricated Master Key

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has foiled an attempted car theft at the premises of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in Maitama, Abuja, arresting a suspected vehicle thief allegedly caught with a fabricated master key. The incident occurred at about 12:35 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, after an NFIU staff member alerted the police upon noticing an unfamiliar individual attempting to gain access to a parked vehicle within the agency’s premises. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP…

JUST IN: Tinubu Approves Expansion of Nigeria Army to 12 Divisions, Orders Recruitment of 28,000 Personnel

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigeria Army from eight to 12 divisions and authorised the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel in a major move aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture and enhancing military operational effectiveness. The approval, announced in a State House statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, forms part of the administration’s broader efforts to modernise the Armed Forces and improve their capacity to tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges. According to the statement, the…

Reform Is Not the Enemy – Why NAHCON Must Not Retreat By Olasunkanmi Mujahideen

Emporium Reporters

Every meaningful reform has its casualties. Not casualties in the literal sense, but casualties of convenience—those who have prospered under weak regulation, opaque systems, and institutional laxity. It is therefore unsurprising that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s (NAHCON) latest regulatory framework has attracted fierce criticism from sections of the Hajj industry. What is surprising, however, is the determination by some commentators to portray a long-overdue attempt at professionalising the sector as an assault on enterprise.   The recent critique titled “A Portrait of Confusion: Inside NAHCON’s War with the…

NITDA, NAWOJ Partner to Advance Women’s Digital Inclusion, Digital Skills Nationwide

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) have agreed to collaborate on promoting women’s digital inclusion and expanding digital literacy across Nigeria as part of efforts to support the country’s digital transformation agenda. The partnership was announced during a courtesy visit by a NAWOJ delegation, led by its National President, Comrade Aishatu Ibrahim, to the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE. The visit also served to introduce the forthcoming Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026. Represented by the Director…

Police Induct Commissioners into Conflict Management Institute as Executive Leadership Training Ends

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has concluded its two-day Executive Leadership Training Programme for Commissioners of Police with the formal induction of participants into the Institute of Conflict Management and Negotiation Analysts (ICMNA) as Certified Conflict Management and Negotiation Professionals (CPs). The training programme, organised by the Department of Training and Development, was themed: “Enhancing Strategic Communication, Media Relations, Thought Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Public Relations and Excellence in the Nigeria Police Force.” The initiative was designed to strengthen the strategic leadership capacity of Commissioners of Police by equipping them with…