Author: Opalim Lifted

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned against assuming that Ervebo®, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, can protect people against the Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) responsible for the ongoing outbreak. In updated emergency guidance issued on August 31, WHO said animal, immunological and observational evidence indicates that Ervebo may provide some cross-protection against BDBV. However, the agency stressed that there is currently insufficient evidence to determine whether the vaccine offers meaningful protection in humans. WHO recommended that any use of Ervebo against BDBV should take place only under research protocols, particularly through a ring randomised controlled trial designed to generate reliable…

Uber’s decision to end its operations in Nigeria after 12 years has triggered mixed reactions, with industry stakeholders linking the move to intense competition, rising operating costs and Nigeria’s difficult economic environment. The ride-hailing giant announced that it would wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda effective September 2, 2026, following what it described as a “thorough review” of its operations. “After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” Uber said. The company said the decision would not affect its operations elsewhere in Africa. Uber also…

A frantic final two days of the window, which closed at 2200 GMT on Tuesday, pushed spending in the transfer window significantly beyond last season’s record of £3.14 billion. More than half of the clubs in the English top flight broke their transfer records, with multiple deals topping £100 million. Chelsea midfielder Fernandez, 25, signed for Enzo Maresca’s City late Tuesday for £125 million, matching the British record fee Liverpool paid 12 months ago for forward Alexander Isak. Argentina’s Fernandez will be part of a new-look City midfield alongside England’s Elliot Anderson, who arrived from Nottingham Forest shortly after the…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its focus on tracing and recovering the financial assets of drug traffickers, with its chairman, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd), saying arrests and drug seizures alone are no longer enough to defeat criminal networks. Marwa gave the charge on Wednesday, while declaring open an advanced capacity-building programme on financial investigations, asset tracing, forfeiture, recovery and management of proceeds and instrumentalities linked to narcotics trafficking and organised crime in Abuja. The NDLEA chairman said drug trafficking is fundamentally an economic enterprise sustained by financiers, facilitators, money launderers and professional enablers. “If we…

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered 58 bank accounts and 12 entities linked to its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi. The committee’s preliminary report, released on Wednesday by its chairman, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, followed oral testimony, documentary evidence, financial records and submissions from several government agencies. The PFIPC came under scrutiny after it was included in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, prompting the House to establish the investigative panel. According to the committee, its investigation found that no valid Act of the National Assembly or presidential order established the…

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released the results of the 2026 June/July National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate examinations, with the pass rate rising to 81.24 per cent. NABTEB Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Mohammed, announced the results on Wednesday in Benin at a news conference. Mohammed said 79,503 candidates, representing 81.24 per cent of the 97,863 candidates graded, obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. The figure marks a significant improvement from the 68.18 per cent recorded in the 2025 examination, when 61,104 candidates achieved the same benchmark. “The…

Fintech company OPay has dismissed reports claiming it is shutting down its operations in Nigeria, saying the Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Police Force are investigating the false information. OPay’s Chief Legal Counsel, Akinfolabi Rokosu, disclosed this on Wednesday at a press conference organised by the company and aired on its YouTube channel. Rokosu said the company was cooperating with law enforcement agencies investigating the circulation of the message and had provided evidence to help identify those behind it. “While the DSS and the Nigeria Police, among the relevant law enforcement agencies, are currently and intensively investigating this…

Uber, the global ride-hailing company, is exiting Nigeria after 12 years of operations, bringing its services in the country to an end on September 2, 2026. The company announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday, citing a review of its business operations. “We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026,” Uber said. Uber launched its service in Lagos in 2014 and said it had been privileged to connect Nigerians with independent transportation providers over the…

Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his decision to step down as Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras after 11 years representing the constituency. Starmer, who resigned as prime minister in June, said he decided to leave the House of Commons after reflecting on his future. “I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, to work on combating violence…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Nigeria must now move beyond macroeconomic stability and deliver tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made the declaration on Tuesday at a policy roundtable in Abuja organised by the All Progressives Congress Professional Forum. Yilwatda, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, acknowledged growing concerns about the direction of the Nigerian economy, despite improvements in some key economic indicators. He said the next phase of the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda must translate economic stability into microeconomic prosperity for Nigerians. “A good GDP number does not…