Author: Opalim Lifted

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reaffirmed that the standard N100 banknote remains legal tender and must be accepted for all transactions across the country. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the CBN’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, said the bank had received reports that some individuals and businesses were rejecting the standard N100 note over doubts about its validity. The apex bank clarified that both the standard N100 banknote and the commemorative N100 banknote introduced to mark Nigeria’s centenary are valid legal tender. “For the avoidance of doubt, the CBN hereby reiterates that both the commemorative…

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo has increased to 1,708, with 580 people losing their lives since the outbreak was declared, according to the latest figures released by the Congolese government. The update, issued on Wednesday, showed that 280 patients have recovered from the disease, while 680 others remain hospitalised. Health authorities said they are monitoring contacts and patients at a follow-up rate of 75.2 per cent across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The outbreak continues to spread in eastern DR Congo, where years of armed conflict and mass displacement have complicated disease control efforts.…

Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled director-general of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), says he has never physically met Femi Gbajabiamila and is unsure of the chief of staff’s role in his controversial appointment. In June, the Presidency distanced itself from the PFIPC and Adeyemi, insisting that the organisation does not exist under the current administration. In a statement, Gbajabiamila said his office did not appoint Adeyemi to any position in the organisation. However, at a press conference on June 26, Adeyemi questioned Gbajabiamila’s June 11 disclaimer. On July 7, Gbajabiamila threatened to file a N10 billion defamation suit against…

The Federal Capital Territory  High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has found the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) liable for defaming former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, over a social media publication alleging he was involved in a “$6 billion fraud”. Justice Peter Kekemeke ruled that the EFCC’s publication, titled “EFCC arraigns Agunloye over $6 billion fraud”, was false and defamatory, holding that it damaged the former minister’s reputation. Agunloye had filed the suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/1199/2024, arguing that the publication on the EFCC’s official website and X account portrayed him as a corrupt and fraudulent individual, thereby tarnishing his reputation.…

Proceedings in the House of Representatives turned rowdy on Wednesday as lawmakers disagreed over a motion seeking to summon President Bola Tinubu. During plenary, Benedict Etanabene, the lawmaker representing the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State, raised a point of privilege to draw the attention of the House to a June 29 circular issued by Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, the Accountant-General of the Federation. In the memo, Ogunjimi directed all federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to immediately stop processing payments for constituency and zonal intervention projects (ZIPs) unless they have been formally vetted by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental…

The Federal Government has delayed the fourth evacuation flight for Nigerians stranded in South Africa after engineers discovered cracks on the cockpit windscreen of the aircraft scheduled for the operation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that the aircraft was grounded in Johannesburg as a safety precaution after the fault was detected before take-off. Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said Air Peace has been directed to deploy another aircraft later on Wednesday to complete the evacuation. “The flight couldn’t take off because cracks were discovered on the windscreen in the cockpit. Air Peace will deploy another aircraft to South…

The African Union (AU) is facing backlash over a recruitment advertisement featuring a poster with people perceived to be Caucasian alongside only one visibly dark-skinned African. “We’re hiring, and we’re looking for you. The African Union offers careers that challenge you, help you grow, and connect you to work that genuinely matters for Africa and the world. If you’re ready to bring your skills to the continent’s leading institution, we want to hear from you,” the post reads. The accompanying image featured five individuals. Two appeared to have visible Caucasian features, two were light-skinned, while one was dark-skinned and visibly…

Nigeria recorded an impressive outing at the 2026 International STEM Olympiad Grand Finale in Rome, Italy, as two young representatives secured gold medals in the global academic competition. Don Anele Munachimso emerged as the gold medallist in the Science category, while Egejurum Onyedikachi Ethan won gold in Mathematics and was named the World’s Best in Mathematics (Primary Category). The achievements capped a remarkable journey for the Nigerian team, which qualified for the international competition after excelling at the Southeast Mathematics Olympiad. The Olympiad in Rome brought together outstanding students from more than 150 countries to compete in Mathematics, Science, Technology…

Gregor Kobel was Switzerland’s penalty hero as he pulled off a stunning shootout save from Colombia’s Cucho Hernandez to help set up a quarter-final against Argentina. The keeper pushed away Hernandez’s spot kick after centre-backs from both sides had earlier missed. Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez rattled the underside of the bar but former Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji skied his spot-kick to restore the balance. But Kobel’s stop from Hernandez was impressive before Cedric Itten and Ruben Vargas scored to add to earlier successful penalties taken by Granit Xhaka and Zeki Amdouni as Switzerland won the shootout 4-3 in the last-16…

More than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have now been enrolled in the National Identity Database (NIDB), according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). The announcement was made on Tuesday by NIMC’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke. The latest figure marks a significant increase from the 117.36 million enrolments recorded as of February 28, 2025, highlighting the Federal Government’s push to expand the National Identification Number (NIN)…