Day: August 2, 2026

Cardoso, Okonjo-Iweala Advocate Deeper Reforms, Innovation for Africa’s Economic Growth

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, and Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have called for sustained economic reforms, innovation, and stronger regional cooperation to unlock Africa’s growth potential. The two leaders spoke during a high-level policy dialogue at the 7th African Emerging Markets Forum (AEMF 2026), held at the Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja. Cardoso said the restoration of orthodox central banking practices had strengthened Nigeria’s macroeconomic stability, improved transparency in the foreign exchange market, reinforced the banking sector, and…

FG Warns Nigerians Against Illegal Migration, Cites Sahara, Mediterranean Death Traps

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has renewed its warning against illegal migration, urging Nigerians, particularly young people, to shun dangerous journeys through the Sahara Desert and across the Mediterranean Sea in search of opportunities abroad. The caution was issued by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, during a meeting in Abuja with George Emmanuel, a Nigerian who survived the treacherous irregular migration route through the Sahara Desert and a fatal boat accident in the Mediterranean. According to the Ministry, Emmanuel recounted his harrowing experience, including a boat…

97% of Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees Accepted by Host Countries, Foreign Ministry Confirms

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that 97 percent of the ambassadors appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have received the approval (Agrément) of their respective host countries, paving the way for them to assume diplomatic duties. In a statement issued in Abuja by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Ministry said the process of obtaining Agrément from receiving countries has progressed smoothly in line with established international diplomatic practice. According to the Ministry, President Tinubu had assigned 69 ambassadors-designate to various countries following their screening and…

Operation FANSAN YAMMA Repels Terrorists’ Attack in Zamfara, Rescues Nine Abductees

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have successfully repelled a terrorist attack on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Kasuwan Daji in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing several terrorists, rescuing nine abducted civilians and thwarting an attempted infiltration of the military facility. The attack occurred at about 1:40 a.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2026, when the terrorists reportedly attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to infiltrate the military base. However, vigilant troops detected the movement early and responded with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, forcing…

The Sound of Abundant Rain: Rev. Idowu Urges Christians to Rebuild the Altar of Prayer

Emporium Reporters

By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon     Rev. Babatunde Idowu, District Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, has called on Christians to remain steadfast in prayer, firm in faith and wholly committed to God, declaring that seasons of spiritual, personal and national drought can be reversed by divine intervention. Delivering a sermon titled “There Is a Sound of Abundance of Rain,” Rev. Idowu drew from 1 Kings 18:41–46, where the Prophet Elijah announced the return of rain after more than three years of severe drought. “Elijah said…

NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Mortar, Backpack Bound for China, Italy; Arrests Notorious Drug Dealer, Bandits’ Supplier

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cocaine ingeniously concealed in a local mortar and the false bottom of a backpack destined for China and Italy, while also arresting a notorious drug dealer in Rivers State and a suspected drug supplier to bandits in Zamfara. The agency said the seizures were made by operatives of its Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) during intelligence-led operations at a logistics company in Lagos on Thursday, July 30, 2026. According to the NDLEA, officers recovered 250 grams of…

Operation DELTA SENTINEL: Nigeria Navy Recovers 61,000 Litres of Stolen Petroleum Products, Dismantles Illegal Refineries in Rivers

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Navy under Operation DELTA SENTINEL has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft,dismantled three reactivated illegal refining sites and recovered about 61,000 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products in Rivers State. The successful operation was carried out on 2 August 2026 by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER within the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni axis of Rivers State, where intelligence-led raids uncovered newly established illegal refining infrastructure linked to crude oil theft syndicates. According to a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation…

NNPC Unveils Investment Opportunities Along AKK Gas Pipeline Corridor, Targets CNG Expansion

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has unveiled wide-ranging investment and business opportunities along the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline corridor, reaffirming its commitment to accelerating domestic gas utilisation and driving Nigeria’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) revolution. The opportunities were presented during the 2026 Energy Business Development Forum on the AKK Gas Pipeline held at the Government House in Minna, Niger State, on Thursday. The forum, themed “Accelerating Domestic Gas Utilisation and Driving the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Revolution along the AKK Corridor,” attracted state governments, community leaders, private investors…

US-Israeli War on Iran: The Honey Badger of Nations (2), by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

The Arbiter America, or Trump (these days they are interchangeable), fresh from bullying Venezuela, arrogantly thought it could replicate that in Iran. Seeing that Iran had a different chemistry from Venezuela, it devised a more sinister approach. It killed the country’s spiritual leader and a string of its military leaders. It thought the regime would collapse, enabling it to balkanise the country into fragments, making it difficult for them to come together again in a hundred years.   But if there is a honey badger nation, that should be Iran.…

Nigeria Customs’ ‘Customs Cares’ Initiative Wins Commonwealth Gold Award in Scotland

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has earned global recognition after its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, Customs Cares, clinched the prestigious Commonwealth Environment and CSR Gold Award in Glasgow, Scotland. The award, presented on Friday, July 31, 2026, celebrates organisations implementing measurable, sustainable and community-driven initiatives that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The NCS emerged as one of the top winners following the remarkable impact of its Customs Cares initiative in the areas of education, healthcare, food security and environmental sustainability across communities in Nigeria. Receiving…