Author: Opalim Lifted

Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised the alarm over Africa’s deepening economic and security challenges, declaring that the continent is facing its worst debt crisis in 80 years. Speaking in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Monday, he said the situation is further worsened by a surge in insecurity and widespread economic hardship. Delivering the keynote address at a colloquium marking the 61st birthday of Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Osinbajo noted that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 55 million Africans have been pushed into poverty, with 39 million falling into extreme poverty. He highlighted the devastating…

Folarin Falana, the Nigerian rapper better known as Falz, has fired back at people constantly pestering him about marriage.   In a post via X on Wednesday, the ‘Soft Work’ hitmaker vented his frustration, bluntly telling fans and critics to back off. “Any small thing, “when are you getting married?” Can everybody kindly fokofff?” the post reads. In July 2024, Falz opened up about his uncertainty regarding getting married. The rapper revealed that as a celebrity, he struggles to envision what an ideal married life would look like for him. Fornication ‘not a sin’, Falz sparks debate with bold claim The…

The organisers of the Cannes Film Festival have introduced new dress code regulations, prohibiting nudity and overly voluminous outfits on the red carpet. These rules were outlined in the Cannes Film festival’s official charter, along with explanations for the changes. According to the organisers, the ban on nudity is intended to uphold “decency” throughout the event, while restrictions on large, elaborate outfits aim to prevent disruptions to guest movement and theater seating arrangements. The charter explicitly states that festival staff will deny entry to anyone who fails to comply with the guidelines. “For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the…

Microsoft, an American multinational technology company, plans to lay off about 6,000 employees. The company had 228,000 employees as of June 2024. In a report on Tuesday, CNBC said the layoffs represent 3 percent of employees across all levels, teams, and geographies. “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to the publication. “One objective is to reduce layers of management. “These new job cuts are not related to performance.” Microsoft shut down Skype after two decades to prioritize Teams The development comes…

The Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has issued a strong call for the immediate payment of seven months’ salary arrears tied to the 2024 wage increase. This demand was made in a communiqué released on Tuesday following a joint national executive council (NEC) meeting of NUAHP and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), held in Jos, Plateau State. The communiqué, jointly signed by NUAHP National President Kamal Ibrahim and General Secretary Martin Egbanubi, highlighted the unions’ mounting frustration over delayed implementation of the revised Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS). The union said its members—comprising pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory…

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has urged Nigerians—especially policymakers—to engage more deeply with important economic policy reports, including the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU). Speaking at the launch of the May 2025 edition of the NDU in Abuja, Cardoso praised the World Bank for its biannual analysis but expressed concern about the limited public engagement with such resources. “I think it’s a very useful document, and I really commend the World Bank for taking the time and effort to publish it every six months,” Cardoso said. “However, I feel Nigerians—and policymakers in particular—do not…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets in Abuja. Chronicle NG observed on Tuesday that the petrol price at a state-owned oil company retail outlet in Wuse Zone 3 was reduced from N935 to N910 per litre. However, the petrol price at NNPC retail outlets in Lagos remained unchanged. The development marks another phase in the downstream “price war” between the state-owned oil company  and Dangote refinery. On May 12, the Dangote refinery reduced the ex-depot petrol price to N825 per litre. The price…

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north, has publicly challenged Reuben Abati — former presidential spokesperson and the co-host of Arise Television’s breakfast show — to a physical showdown. Oshiomhole’s challenge is a response to what he described as “mischievous” questioning by Abati during a recent television segment. Speaking during a recent interview on Channels TV Programme — Politics Today, Oshiomhole expressed shock at Abati’s line of questioning directed at Ifeanyi Okowa, immediate past governor of Delta state, in a recent programme. “I was particularly shocked that a senior editor could ask the immediate past governor of Delta state, Okowa, mischievously,…

Boko Haram fighters have reportedly killed at least five soldiers during attacks on military bases in Borno state. The insurgents attacked the base of the 24 Task Force Brigade in the Dikwa area of Borno in the early hours of Tuesday, according to Reuters. The report quoted two soldiers as saying that Boko Haram fighters flew two surveillance drones around the base before the attack. “We responded effectively this time, with the Nigerian Air Force providing support to pursue them. We killed many of them,” a soldier involved in the battle told the publication via telephone. The insurgents also reportedly…

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of MediPool, a purchasing organisation. Pate said the organisation will offer competitive pricing and supply essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria. He said MediPool will function as a public-private partnership, leveraging the federal government’s significant purchasing power to negotiate better prices from suppliers. He added that it would be established through the federal government’s basic healthcare provision fund and eventually through federal tertiary hospitals. “So it’s using the monopsony power of government as a large buyer of those commodities to negotiate lower prices and then channel those commodities,” he said.…