Author: Opalim Lifted

Ethiopia Investment Holdings (EIH), the strategic investment arm of the Government of Ethiopia, and Dangote Group have announced the signing of a comprehensive shareholders’ agreement to construct a world-class urea fertilizer production complex in Gode, Ethiopia. Under the partnership structure, EIH will hold a 40 per cent equity stake while Dangote Group will maintain 60 per cent ownership of the project. The ambitious project will establish one of the world’s largest single-site urea fertilizer production complexes, with production facilities boasting a combined capacity of up to three million metric tons per annum. The facility will rank among the top five…

Kiki Osinbajo, daughter of former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and CEO of the fashion brand CIAR, is steadily making her mark in Nigeria’s fashion and lifestyle industry. Known for her elegance and eye for detail, she continues to redefine what it means to be a modern fashion entrepreneur. For Kiki, fashion is more than just clothing — it is a form of culture, storytelling, and self-expression. This belief inspired her newly launched YouTube show, Changing Room Diaries. The show blends style with substance as each episode features notable personalities with unique fashion flair. Together, they try on curated CIAR…

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed how an Ugandan woman was arrested at the Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to illegally obtain a Nigerian standard passport. Speaking at the Ministry of Interior’s mid-tenure performance retreat in Abuja, the minister said the incident highlighted the extent of abuse that plagued Nigeria’s passport issuance process before the ongoing reforms. “A Ugandan woman carrying a Nigerian passport was arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to procure it,” Tunji-Ojo disclosed. “That cannot continue. Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity.” He said the fraudulent practice was enabled…

The Federal Government has defended the 100% increase in Nigerian standard passport fees, saying it was necessary to curb corruption, improve service delivery, and ensure the production of high-quality travel documents. Chronicle NG reported that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), announced that from September 1, 2025, passport applications made within Nigeria will now cost N100,000 for a 32-page passport with five-year validity and N200,000 for a 64-page, 10-year validity booklet. “The review, which only affects passport application fees made in Nigeria, now sets a new fee threshold for 32-page with five-year validity at N100,000 and 64-page with 10-year validity at…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday announced that by September 1, 2025, Nigerians would have to pay more to get the standard passport due to current ongoing reforms in the sector and that a new passport processing fee would be introduced, signalling a 100 percent increase from the initial price it was moved to last year. According to the Service, the 32-page five-year validity Nigerian standard passport, which was increased late last year to N50,000 from N25,000, will now be obtained at the cost of N100,000, while the 64-page document that rose from N70,000 last year to N100,000 will…

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz will be sidelined for many weeks after picking up injuries while skipper Martin Odegaard is a doubt for their Premier League clash away at reigning champions Liverpool, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday. Saka limped off during Arsenal’s 5-0 home win over Leeds United and Arteta said he injured his hamstring. However, he will not require surgery which kept him out for months last season. “Bukayo is doing better but he is out for a few weeks unfortunately. No surgery, it’s not as bad as the previous one,” Arteta told reporters. “Obviously it’s very…

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to investigate the derailment of the Abuja–Kaduna train. The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was reacting to the incident that occurred on Tuesday. The NRC had earlier said the train was conveying 618 persons, including 583 passengers and 15 NRC crew members. The NSIB also confirmed that at least 14 people sustained injuries but no fatality was recorded. On Wednesday, Kayode Opeifa, managing director (MD) of the NRC, said he takes full responsibility for the incident. Opeifa said…

The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has warned of possible consequences if Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), dies in custody. Kanu was first arrested in 2015 and later granted bail in 2017. In 2021, he was re-arrested and extradited from Kenya under controversial circumstances. The separatist is currently facing charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony, with his continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) contributing to palpable tension and unrest in the south-east region. Speaking on 90MinutesAfrica, a programme anchored by Rudolf Okonkwo, on Sunday, Festus Okere, chairman of WIC, said the…

Manchester United, once the gold standard of English football, have become a revolving door for managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Twelve years on, and with Rúben Amorim now at the helm, the Premier League trophy remains a distant dream. A Roll Call Of Broken Dreams Since Ferguson’s farewell title in 2013, United have churned through managers at a dizzying pace: David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, and now Amorim. In between came caretakers Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Each promised renewal. Each fell short. The…

Foreign students and journalists may soon face shorter stays in the United States under a proposed law by the Donald Trump administration. In a recent statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the law seeks to curb “visa abuse” and increase the agency’s ability to “properly vet” visitors. If finalised, international students would have a four-year cap on their visas, replacing the current “duration of status” system, which allows indefinite stays as long as the student remains enrolled. Justifying the move, the DHS said foreign students have taken advantage of US generosity to become “forever” students, perpetually enrolled in…