Author: Opalim Lifted

Twelve days after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crashed into the waters of Igbokoda, Ondo State, fishermen, fish traders and boat operators are struggling to feed their families as their livelihoods suffer from disrupted fishing activities and suspected water pollution. The Chairman of the Ilaje Fishermen Association, Igbokoda, Festus Ikuomola, said about 1,500 members had been affected by the October 5 crash involving an aircraft carrying 25 people. He said many fishermen had been unable to work since the incident, while those travelling farther to fish faced additional expenses that reduced their earnings. “Normally, our people make between N15,000…

Former Kaduna Central senator Shehu Sani has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, arguing that respecting power rotation and allowing the South to complete its term are crucial to Nigeria’s political stability. Sani also defended Tinubu’s re-election bid, criticised what he described as selective outrage over insecurity and urged Northern politicians to prioritise competent representation. In an interview with Chronicle NG’s Northern Bureau Chief, Muhammad Sabiu, the former lawmaker explained why he wants to return to the Senate, discussed the agitation for power to return to the North and outlined his position on Kaduna…

Liverpool fought back from behind to earn a 2-1 win against nine-man Brentford, with the Bees now having dropped a league-high 105 points from winning positions since returning to the Premier League in 2021. Following an even opening 20 minutes with few real chances, Michael Kayode came close to delivering the breakthrough for the home side, as a block from Jeremy Jacquet carried his effort narrowly past the post. Liverpool then broke from the resulting corner, and Bradley Barcola should really have added to his midweek hat-trick against LASK Linz, but he dragged his effort wide after racing through one-on-one…

The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers to connect nearly 20 million Nigerians living in communities without network coverage. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, announced the initiative, known as the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP), on Friday during the commissioning of its first site in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. In a post on X, Tijani said the project would extend telecommunications services to underserved communities, with further site launches expected in the coming days, weeks and months. He said the initiative was designed to ensure that people in…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has confirmed an explosion on a gas pipeline in Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, with reports of injuries and damage to homes and businesses. In a statement, NNPC said the explosion occurred on Thursday on a pipeline belonging to NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC Limited. According to the statement issued by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, NNPC had activated its emergency response procedures and isolated the affected pipeline segment to limit further damage. The company said it was working with the Nigerian…

President Bola Tinubu has exempted federal universities from obtaining recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), a move expected to give university authorities greater control over staff recruitment. Tinubu announced the reform at the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), in Bauchi State, on Saturday. Represented by Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the president said the exemption was documented in recent agreements signed with university staff unions. According to him, the reform would empower the Federal Ministry of Education and…

Laolu Akande, former spokesperson to ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has rejected allegations by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, that the late President Muhammadu Buhari considered Osinbajo’s 2023 presidential ambition immoral and had reservations about his staff appointments. Akande described Lawal’s claims as fabrications, insisting that Buhari supported Osinbajo’s ambition in 2022 and that the former vice-president’s office maintained an inclusive team representing different regions and religious backgrounds. In a statement responding to Lawal’s recent interview with Symfoni TV, Akande said he was directly involved in the Office of the Vice-President and witnessed many of the…

Africa recorded the highest increase in the number of Catholics worldwide, adding 7.58 million members as the global Catholic population grew by 16.69 million to 1.422 billion, according to the Vatican. The figures were contained in the 2026 Catholic Church Statistics dossier prepared by the Vatican’s Fides news agency on Friday, ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday, scheduled for October 18. According to the report, Africa had 288.31 million Catholics as of June 30, 2024, narrowly ahead of Europe’s 287.24 million. The Americas remained the region with the largest Catholic population, at 678.87 million, followed by Africa and Europe.…

The Federal Government has ruled out a return to fuel subsidies and multiple exchange rates, insisting that it will sustain its economic reforms despite concerns raised by international investors and development partners. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this at a news briefing on Saturday following Nigeria’s participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand. Oyedele clarified that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) recent 30-day petrol retail margin discount was a temporary commercial decision aimed at reducing margins and providing relief to Nigerians, rather…

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for hunger to be declared a national emergency, citing worsening food insecurity, poverty and insecurity across Nigeria. Obi said millions of Nigerians were facing acute hunger despite the country’s vast agricultural potential, blaming the crisis partly on insecurity and the underutilisation of arable land. The former Anambra State governor made the call in a Facebook post marking the 2026 World Food Day, urging the government to take urgent and decisive action to tackle the country’s food crisis. He said Nigeria’s position on the global hunger ranking had…