Author: Opalim Lifted

The Federal Government has raised serious concern over a sharp rise in respiratory, cardiovascular and other environment-related diseases across Nigeria, linking the growing health burden to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National Emergency Response to Environment-Related Diseases Arising from Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the minister of environment, Balarabe Lawal, warned that the crisis has moved beyond environmental degradation into a full-blown public health emergency. Lawal, who was represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mahmud Kambari, said environmental surveillance, health data and peer assessments show a disturbing increase in illnesses associated with…

Transport operators across Nigeria have raised fresh concerns over the country’s deteriorating road network, warning that poor highways are stretching journeys to as long as 15 hours and increasing operational stress for drivers and passengers alike. Speaking in Abuja on Monday, the Managing Director of Chisco Transport, Obinna Anyaegbu, said the state of major roads has made inter-state travel increasingly exhausting, despite efforts by transport firms to improve passenger comfort. According to Anyaegbu, journeys that should take far less time are now prolonged due to damaged surfaces, congestion and slow movement caused by road failures. “Unfortunately, the roads are not…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have directed workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to resume work immediately, bringing an end to weeks of industrial action in Abuja. The decision followed an overnight meeting between the leadership of organised labour, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Senate Committee on the FCT. The meeting began on Monday night and concluded in the early hours of Tuesday. In a joint statement issued after the talks, the unions said all grievances raised by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) were fully…

At least half of Nigeria’s health facilities lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming, a new global report has revealed, exposing dangerous gaps that continue to claim lives from a preventable condition. The report, released by the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day 2026, blamed weak health systems, poor infrastructure and chronic shortages of life-saving antivenom for avoidable deaths and long-term disabilities, particularly in high-burden countries such as Nigeria. Based on a survey of 904 frontline healthcare workers across Nigeria, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Kenya, the report found that 50 per cent of…

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, warning that the scale and frequency of killings in the country are unmatched anywhere in the world. Speaking in Yola, Adamawa State, at the launch of a new book on Governor Ahmadu Fintiri titled The Man They Could Not Stop, Kukah said Nigeria has reached a dangerous point where deaths have become routine and increasingly framed along religious lines. According to the cleric, no other country experiences the kind of recurring bloodshed now common in Nigeria. “What is happening in Nigeria…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Uyo Zonal Directorate has arraigned Ekpeyong Thompson before the Federal High Court in Uyo over an alleged investment fraud involving $525,276. Thompson was brought before Justice Maureen Adaobi on Thursday, January 29, 2026, on an eight-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence. The EFCC alleged that the defendant defrauded several American nationals by presenting fictitious investment opportunities. According to the prosecution, Thompson collected funds from Tammy Jensen, Kenneth Blad, Peter Jensen and others under the guise of facilitating investments in mineral resource mining and a deep sea port business. One of…

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has offered an emotional thanksgiving to God as he marked the seventh anniversary of the helicopter crash that nearly claimed his life. Osinbajo, speaking in a reflective moment of worship, recalled what he described as a miraculous deliverance from the helicopter crash of 2 February 2019, in which he and others on board survived without a single injury. Describing God as faithful “from my cradle days till this very hour”, the former Vice President expressed deep gratitude for divine protection and mercy, declaring that no life was lost and no wound sustained…

Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has urged entrepreneurs and young professionals to place character above talent, speed and access to capital, warning that long-term success is impossible without integrity. Speaking on leadership and entrepreneurship, Osinbajo said while talent may open doors and money can create momentum, it is character that ultimately determines whether an individual survives pressure, sustains growth and earns trust. According to him, businesses grow only as fast and as sustainably as the character of the people building them, describing character as a decisive economic factor rather than a moral luxury. Osinbajo explained that character forms…

Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta in a deal worth £30.3 million, securing the attacker on a contract that runs until June 2030. The Spanish club confirmed the transfer on Monday, just hours before the close of the 2026 winter transfer window, after reaching an agreement with the Serie A side. Lookman arrived in Madrid on Sunday to complete medical checks before finalising the move. The 28-year-old becomes the first English-born footballer to have featured in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga. Only 21 players have achieved that feat, while…

At just 14, Obadina Folawe Azeem should be focused on school, friends and dreams of the future. Instead, his days are now shaped by hospital wards, medical reports and an uncertain fight against osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. Folawe’s ordeal began quietly. What started as persistent pain soon escalated into a life-altering diagnosis. Doctors later confirmed he was suffering from a primary malignant bone tumour, a condition that requires urgent and intensive treatment to prevent it from spreading. For his mother, Sholola Islamiat, the diagnosis was devastating. “Nothing prepares you for hearing that your child has cancer,” she…