Author: Opalim Lifted

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released new operational guidelines for agent banking, introducing stricter compliance measures, transaction limits and location controls. In a circular signed by Musa Jimoh, Director of Payments System Policy, the CBN said the framework, which takes immediate effect, seeks to enhance service quality, promote financial inclusion and maintain financial system stability. “The guidelines establish minimum standards for operating agent banking in Nigeria, encouraging responsible market conduct and improving service delivery,” CBN stated. Under the new rules, all agent banking transactions must be processed through designated accounts or wallets maintained by licensed financial institutions. The…

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has dismissed concerns over Morocco’s readiness to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), saying he is “absolutely confident” the tournament will go ahead as planned despite ongoing anti-government protests. For nine straight nights, young Moroccans have taken to the streets demanding an end to corruption, better governance, and reforms to health and education services. Yet Motsepe insists the unrest will not derail the continent’s biggest football event, set for 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, across nine Moroccan cities. “Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B, and Morocco…

World Cup-winning Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro has been named the new head coach of Uzbekistan’s national football team as the Central Asian nation gears up for its first-ever World Cup appearance next year. The Uzbekistan Football Association confirmed the appointment on Monday, describing Cannavaro as “a renowned specialist and one of the best defenders of his generation.” Cannavaro, 52, famously captained Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, cementing his status as one of football’s all-time great defenders. However, his coaching career has been less glittering, featuring short stints across China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and most recently Dinamo Zagreb, where…

UEFA have reluctantly approved a Serie A and a LaLiga match to be played abroad, the European governing body confirmed on Monday. The LaLiga fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal will be staged in Miami in late December, while AC Milan’s Serie A encounter with Como will be held in Perth, Australia, in early February. Milan opted for a foreign location as their San Siro stadium will be unavailable as both the city and the stadium prepare to host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 6. Spain’s LaLiga has been pursuing their transatlantic vision for almost a decade, emulating the…

A section of the Rivers state government secretariat in Port Harcourt has been razed by fire. While the cause of the fire was not immediately known, Chronicle NG learned that the affected section, the podium block, houses Pension state board. Honour Sirawoo, the permanent secretary of the ministry of information, confirmed the incident. Sirawoo said firefighters from both the state and Federal Fire Services (FFS) are currently at the scene, working hard to put out the flames. He, however, said it is not yet clear if there are any casualties. Tinubu to inaugurate $400m crude export terminal in Rivers Siminalayi…

Despite government data suggesting a fall in cooking gas prices, households are grappling with an alarming surge in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) costs with a kilogram now selling for as high as ₦3,500. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average cost of refilling a 5kg cylinder of LPG dropped from ₦8,243.79 in July to ₦6,404.02 in August 2025. But a quick reality check at the retail end paints a different picture. In Ijeshatedo, Lagos, long queues have become a daily struggle. One frustrated resident described spending hours searching for cooking gas, only to give up after retailers…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol. Chronicle NG reports that NNPCL retail outlets in Wuse Zone 6 and Zone 4 have raised their petrol price to N905 per litre, up from N890. This adjustment represents a N15 increase, or about a 1.7 percent rise in price. The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abubakar Maigandi, attributed the hike to supply disruptions caused by the ongoing rift between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote…

France has been thrown into fresh political chaos after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu dramatically resigned just hours after unveiling his new cabinet. Lecornu handed his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, ending what has become the shortest-lived government in modern French history. His administration lasted a mere 14 hours, marking a new low point in Macron’s increasingly turbulent second term. The shock resignation followed mounting threats from both allies and opposition groups to topple the government. The move rattled financial markets, sending French stocks and bonds tumbling and nudging the euro lower. In a statement, the Élysée Palace confirmed…

President Bola Tinubu on Monday returned to Abuja, the nation’s capital. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He said Tinubu’s return followed a ten-day working visit to Lagos. On Friday, the President arrived in Lagos after attending the coronation of His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, in Ibadan. While in the nation’s commercial capital, Tinubu engaged with key investors, including Bayo Ogunlesi, Chief Executive Officer of Global Infrastructure Partners, and Keem Belo-Osagie, former Chairman of United Bank for Africa and Etisalat, and…

Afrobeats star Mr Eazi has stunned fans with a surprise declaration he’s ready to run for president of any African country that will have him. In a now-viral video shared via Snapchat, the Leg Over hitmaker said his decision followed “deep reflection and extensive discussions,” insisting Africa needs a new brand of leadership, one that’s youthful, visionary, and unmotivated by money or power. “I’ve thought about this deeply,” he said. “If your country is looking for a young president — one who’s not after power or money, who’s active and forward-thinking — I’m officially putting myself forward. Drop your country’s…