Author: Opalim Lifted

President Bola Tinubu says implementation of the tax reform laws will commence as scheduled on January 1, 2026. In a statement on Tuesday, Tinubu said the reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation, and they are not designed to raise taxes. “The new tax laws, including those that took effect on June 26, 2025, and the remaining acts scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, will continue as planned,” he said. “These reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for our country. “The tax laws are…

A federal high court in Abuja has ruled that LGs can access funds directly from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) without the interference of the state universal basic education boards (SUBEB). Delivering judgement on October 13, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, ruled that sections 11(2) and (3) of the UBE Act, 2004, are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and therefore “null, void and of no effect”. The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1536/2020 was filed by one Sesugh Akume against UBEC and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF). In his ruling, the judge declared that “the local government system is the third…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has appealed to senior members of the medical profession to intervene as the association warned of a possible return to a nationwide strike. NARD said it is on the verge of embarking on another Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike, tagged TICS 2.0, following the Federal Government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the association. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Secretary General of NARD, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the situation had reached a critical point for Nigeria’s health sector. “I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s…

Anda Damisa, the Nigerian content creator and brand influencer better known as Lazywrita, has announced his demise. The news surfaced on Monday after a post appeared on his Instagram page announcing his passing. Lazywrita reportedly committed suicide days ago but had scheduled the post ahead of time. He shared several photos of himself and a farewell message. Friends, creatives, and industry colleagues flooded the comment section with tributes to the content creator, with many saying they were unaware of the struggles he battled privately. “Don’t cry for me please o. I lived a full and adventurous life, people who know…

The Joint Revenue Board (JRB) has announced that the Nigerian tax identification (ID) portal will go live nationwide on January 1, 2026, as part of efforts to modernise tax administration. The board announced this in a notice posted on its official X account on Monday. According to the JRB, the tax identification is a unique, system-generated number assigned to all taxable persons in Nigeria strictly for tax administration purposes. It said the tax id will be linked to the national identification number for individuals and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration number for businesses and organisations. The board explained that…

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says its preliminary findings show that excessive speed and wrongful overtaking were the cause of the motor accident involving Anthony Joshua on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. On Monday, two people died after a Lexus SUV that Joshua was in crashed into a stationary truck around the Sinoma area near the Sagamu axis of the road. The accident occurred around 12 noon, and Joshua survived the incident with minor injuries. In a statement, FRSC said Joshua’s SUV was “travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor” and “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre” leading…

Tension is rising across Nigeria’s aviation and travel industry as the United States prepares to enforce new visa restrictions on Nigerian nationals from 1 January 2026 — a move experts say could sharply reduce passenger traffic on Nigeria–US routes. The measures, which affect both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, have already unsettled intending travellers. Airlines and travel operators warn that fewer approvals and longer processing timelines will weaken demand for transatlantic flights, placing pressure on route viability. Currently, only two US carriers operate direct scheduled flights into Nigeria — United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Together, they run 17 weekly flights…

Supporters of Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano governor and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), say they are weighing a defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to improve his chances of winning the presidency. Speaking after a strategic meeting in Rogo Local Government Area, Abdullahi Rogo, director general of the protocol directorate at the Kano Government House, said the move was agreed by leaders and supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement in the area. The meeting, chaired by the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Jibril Falgore, brought together the council chairman, councillors and party stakeholders.…

The national grid collapsed on Monday afternoon, with power supply across most of the country dropping to near zero, according to distribution load figures released at 3:12 pm on December 29, 2025. Data from the Distribution Companies (DisCos) showed that only two operators received electricity at the time of the collapse. Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company recorded a load of 30 megawatts (MW), while Abuja Electricity Distribution Company received 20 MW. All other DisCos were allocated zero megawatts. Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Yola DisCos all recorded 0 MW, indicating a widespread outage across major cities…

Nigeria’s financial markets remain steady and resilient despite recent US air strikes targeting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Sokoto, the minister of finance, Wale Edun, has said. The reassurance follows reports of explosions in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states on December 25, linked to a targeted joint security operation between Nigeria and the United States. In a statement on Sunday, Edun said both domestic and international debt markets are stable and functioning efficiently, crediting prudent fiscal management and sustained reforms. “Our financial markets remain resilient. Domestic and international debt markets are stable and functioning efficiently, supported by prudent fiscal…