Day: August 11, 2026

Nigerian Navy, NIMASA Renew Five-Year Pact to Strengthen Maritime Security

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have renewed their strategic partnership with the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening maritime safety and security across Nigeria’s maritime domain.   The agreement was signed at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola; Principal Staff Officers and senior officials of both institutions.   The renewed MoU consolidated a partnership…

Nigerian Army, UK Deepen Defence Partnership, Expand Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Army and the United Kingdom have moved to deepen their strategic defence partnership, with renewed focus on intelligence, specialised training, technology, force protection and regional cooperation to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond to evolving security threats.   The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, stated this on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, when he received the British Defence Adviser to Nigeria, Brigadier Tom Harper, MBE, on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters, Abuja.   Shaibu said sustained engagement with trusted international partners remained critical to the…

Rafindadi Urges Katsina Leaders to Turn Political Appointments into Youth Opportunities ….Calls for Greater Investment in Talents, Entrepreneurship, Digital Innovation

Lukman Laleye Babalola

A Katsina-based stakeholder, Faisal Jafar Rafindadi, has urged political appointees from the state serving in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to leverage their positions to create tangible opportunities for youths and accelerate development across the state. Rafindadi, Coordinator of the Katsina Talent and Digital Innovation Centre, gave the advice while expressing support for a position recently attributed to the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, that Katsina indigenes occupying strategic government positions should use their influence to contribute meaningfully to the development…

Yilwatda, Sultan Call for Religious Tolerance, Unity to Build Greater Nigeria

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, have called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, unity and peaceful coexistence as pathways to building a greater Nigeria.   The duo made the call in their separate remarks at the opening of an international conference on “Diversity and Social Peace: A Partnership for a Promising Future,” organised by the Muslim World League in Abuja.   Yilwatda, who described Nigeria’s religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity as a…

Act Now Over Rising Political Violence Ahead of Osun Election – SERAP Urges INEC

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently act against rising incidents of political violence, threats and intimidation ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.   SERAP called on INEC to identify, document and publicly report credible incidents of political violence and take preventive measures to protect voters and candidates before, during and after the election.   The organisation also urged the electoral commission to promptly refer credible allegations of electoral violence and related offences to the Nigeria…

Tinubu Approves Framework to Unlock $50bn Deep Offshore Investment

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a new investment framework aimed at unlocking up to $50 billion in fresh investment in Nigeria’s deep offshore oil and gas sector. The landmark reform is designed to replace project-by-project negotiations with a transparent, rules-based investment framework capable of reviving large-scale offshore developments that have remained stalled for years. The Presidency said the framework would support the next generation of deep offshore projects, beginning with the approximately $10 billion Bonga South West project, while improving Nigeria’s competitiveness in attracting globally mobile investment capital. The…

NNPC Foundation Trains 1.3m NYSC Members in Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The NNPC Foundation Ltd/Gte., the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of NNPC Limited, in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has trained more than 1.3 million corps members nationwide under its Financial Literacy Programme. The initiative, designed to equip young Nigerians with essential financial management and entrepreneurial skills, continued with the Batch B, Stream 2 session held at the FCT NYSC Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, over the weekend. Speaking at the programme, Acting Managing Director of the NNPC Foundation, Euginia Dominion, urged participating corps members to take…

Nigeria Must Sustain Oil, Gas Gains, Attract Investments for Regional Energy Security — Lokpobiri

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has urged Nigeria to sustain the progress recorded in the oil and gas sector, stressing the need for increased investments to expand refining capacity and strengthen petroleum infrastructure.   Lokpobiri made the call in his goodwill message at the West Africa Refined Fuel Market Conference, organised by the Authority in collaboration with S&P Global and the West African Regulators Forum at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.   He described the conference as a turning point in Africa’s pursuit of energy…

NDPC Probes UNILAG, Lotus Bank, Hackerbella over Alleged Student Data Violations

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over allegations that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis.   The investigation followed public complaints concerning the alleged collection, use and disclosure of students’ personal information by the affected organisations.   In a statement signed by the Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq., the NDPC said the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Vincent Olatunji, had directed…

Nigeria Condoles Colombia Over Devastating 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the Government and people of Colombia following a devastating magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, 2026.   In a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Nigerian government extended its heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster and wished the injured a speedy and full recovery.   The powerful earthquake, described as the strongest recorded in…