Author: Opalim Lifted

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, has appealed for calm as some Ghanaians demand the deportation of Nigerians from their country. The minister spoke on Wednesday during a joint press briefing in Ghana. She said the viral videos had caused anxiety, necessitating her visit to the country for a firsthand assessment of the situation. “Since I arrived, I haven’t seen people burning tyres in the streets or carrying placards everywhere calling for Nigerians to be deported,” she said. “This shows that the Ghanaian government and the president have stepped up to the situation — I would say there’s…

UAC of Nigeria Plc has announced an agreement to acquire Chi Limited, producers of Chivita and Hollandia, from the Coca-Cola Company. Chi Limited is a food and beverage player in Nigeria, with a portfolio across value-added dairy products, juices, nectars, still drinks, and snacks. In a statement on Wednesday, UAC said the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, marks a strategic milestone in UAC’s growth agenda and expands its presence in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods sector. The company also noted that the move aligns with Coca-Cola’s shift toward a more flexible, asset-light business model focused on scaling its highest-potential…

Victor Osimhen has travelled to Turkey to complete his permanent transfer to Galatasaray from Napoli FC. The 26-year-old striker is on board a private jet en route to Istanbul, Turkey’s capital. According to Galatasaray, the club will host a live broadcast tracking Osimhen’s flight into the country on its YouTube page. Galatasaray have agreed a €75 million deal with Napoli to sign the Nigerian striker permanently. The deal, once completed, will break the Turkish transfer record. Napoli will receive €40m immediately and the additional €35m over the next year. The deal also includes restrictions on Osimhen joining Serie A clubs…

Team Nigeria dominated the boys’ team events at the 2025 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) African Youth Championships. Nigeria clinched gold medals in both the boys’ U-19 and U-15 events on Tuesday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. In the boys’ U-19 category, Nigeria defeated Tunisia in the final. Abdulbasit Abdulfatai delivered a commanding 3-0 win over Mohamed Khaloufi to seal the title and marks a return to continental glory after missing the 2024 edition. The boys also sealed Nigeria’s participation in the forthcoming ITTF World Youth Championship (WYC) in Romania. In the U-15 category, a Nigerian…

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the successful migration of telecommunications companies in the country to its new National Identification Number (NIN) verification platform, NINAuth. The commission’s spokesperson, Kayode Adegoke, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. Adegoke said subscribers can now access uninterrupted verification services with the successful migration of telecom operators to NINAuth. It added that any issues experienced by NIN holders concerning new Subscriber Identity/Identification Module registration, SIM swap, SIM migration, “Welcome Back” SIM and related services should be directed to the telecom operators for immediate resolution. “By migrating to this new platform, Telecommunications firms…

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has dissolved the Benue State Executive Council. The governor also appointed a former two-term Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Moses Atagher, as the new Chief of Staff. In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Wednesday, described Atagher as a seasoned administrator and, is also a former acting managing director of the Federal Mortgage Bank. His appointment takes immediate effect. The decision was announced by the Governor at the close of the 12th (2025) meeting of the Benue State Executive Council. “He (Alia) appreciates all the former…

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general (DG) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed that the agency generated N2.5 billion from drug raids in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba markets. Adeyeye spoke in Abuja on Wednesday when she appeared before a house of representatives committee. Recently, the drug regulatory agency raided and shut down markets in Aba, Abia; Onitsha, Anambra; and Lagos for trading in fake medicines. “The charges collected were paid directly into a NAFDAC account. The total amount was about N2.5 billion—roughly N2.537 billion,” she said. “These charges were not punitive but necessary. The standard…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has raised the alarm over the activities of fraudulent platforms soliciting train ticket payments from passengers, unsuspecting members of the public through unauthorised and personal bank accounts. In a recent statement by Callistus Unyimadu, chief public relations officer of the corporation,  said it has no affiliation with the platforms and warned passengers not to engage with them. “The NRC wishes to categorically state that these platforms are not affiliated with the Corporation and any payment made through such channels is done at the victim’s risk,” the statement reads. “Passengers are strongly advised to desist from…

An egusi melon seed sourced from Oyo, Nigeria will be part of a multinational agricultural research mission headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 31, 2025. The initiative, led by Nigerian space scientist and entrepreneur Dr. Temidayo Oniosun, marks the first time a seed native to West Africa will be included in a space-based experiment. The seed will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of Crew-11’s mission to the ISS. It will join other culturally significant crops from countries such as Egypt, Armenia, and Pakistan in an experiment aimed at understanding…

Bayern Munich have signed Colombian winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool on a four-year contract, the Bundesliga club said on Wednesday. Financial details of the transfer were not revealed but British media reported Bayern paid around 75 million euros ($86.67 million) for the 28-year-old Colombia international. Diaz’s contract with Liverpool ran until June 2027. He moved to the Merseyside club from Portuguese side Porto for around 50 million euros in January 2022. “Three years and a half that I’ll treasure forever. I arrived with all the dreams in the world, and I am leaving proud of everything we achieved together,” Diaz…