Author: Opalim Lifted

The World Bank has revealed that the performance of Nigeria’s statistical system is below par compared with those of Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, and Colombia. Johan Mistiaen, the bank’s practice manager for West and Central Africa, spoke during a courtesy visit to Abubakar Bagudu, the minister of budget and economic planning. In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is the official statistical agency responsible for collecting, compiling, analysing, and disseminating official statistics on social, economic, demographic, and environmental activities. The agency serves as the authoritative source for Nigeria’s official data. According to a statement on Thursday, signed by Julie…

Davido, the award-winning Nigerian singer, said the transition from a long-term relationship to marriage is “no joke”. In a recent interview on the Bootleg Kev podcast, the Afrobeats star revealed that he and Chioma Adeleke, his wife, had been together for years before officially tying the knot. Davido disclosed that they cohabited for eight years, adding that it helped smooth their transition into married life. “I think I’m one of the lucky ones because me and my partner have been together for a long time prior to getting married. We’ve been living together,” he said. “I was in my third…

Barcelona beat Osasuna in their rearranged La Liga fixture to move three points clear at the top of the table. The game was meant to be played on 8 March but was called off 20 minutes before kick-off after the death of Barcelona’s first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick criticised the timing of this rescheduled match, coming a day after the end of the international break – with 27-goal Raphinha missing out after travelling back from Brazil duty. “It’s disrespectful to the club to schedule that match on that date, no matter what club it is,” Barca…

Chelsea blew Manchester City away at Stamford Bridge to turn around a two-goal deficit and book their place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals. Having lost the first leg 2-0 in Manchester, Sonia Bompastor’s side knew they needed to score at least twice – and the hosts were relentless from the off. Pressing with intensity, running at City’s backline and winning the ball high up, Chelsea’s efforts paid off when Sandy Baltimore thumped in a 14th-minute opener. With City struggling to respond, Nathalie Bjorn headed in the hosts’ second and Mayra Ramirez capped a blistering half with Chelsea’s third just…

Holders Barcelona cruised past Wolfsburg to set up a Women’s Champions League semi-final with Chelsea. Barcelona secured a dominant 4-1 win in the first leg and were quick to extend their aggregate lead at Estadi Johan Cruyff, with Salma Paralluelo hitting two goals past Wolfsburg keeper Anneke Borbe inside 20 minutes. Esmee Brugts added a third before the break, drilling a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom-left corner of the Wolfsburg goal. Substitute Claudia Pina made an impact off the bench for the hosts, linking up well with Alexia Putellas to slot in before Lineth Beerensteyn…

Airtel Africa has partnered with MTN Group to expand digital inclusion by sharing network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria. In a statement in Lagos on Wednesday, Airtel said the sharing agreements aim to improve network cost efficiencies, expand coverage, and provide enhanced mobile services to millions of customers. A sharing agreement is a formal arrangement between two or more parties to share resources, assets, or services. According to the telecommunications company, the partnership will benefit customers in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life. Airtel assured that both parties will…

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu endured an uncomfortable moment during her visit to a nursing school in Delta State, where students declined to acknowledge her as “their mother” in a call-and-response chant. The incident occurred while she was distributing 10,000 medical kits to midwives as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative. An MC attempted to lead a welcoming chant, calling out, “Na our mama be this o,” expecting the students to echo the sentiment. Instead, they repeatedly retorted, *Na your mama,” rejecting the title. A video of the exchange went viral, but the student who originally posted it reportedly faced harassment,…

A bill seeking to strip vice president, governors and deputy governors of immunity has passed second reading at the house of representatives. The constitutional amendment bill scaled through second reading during plenary on Wednesday. The proposed legislation is sponsored by Solomon Bob, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Rivers state. He said the draft law seeks to “promote accountability in public office” by removing the immunity currently granted to the vice-president, governors, and their deputies. Section 308 of the constitution states that the president, vice-president, governor, and deputy governor, during the period he/she is holding the office, shall not…

A bill seeking to abolish death penalty has passed the second reading at the House of Representatives. The bill, sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house, and six other lawmakers, seeks to amend section 33 (1) of the 1999 constitution. The aforementioned section stipulates that: “Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”. The bill proposes to delete the phrase: “Save in execution of the…

The senate has called on the federal government to take urgent action to address the rising cost of data services in the country. During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers debated a motion sponsored by Asuquo Ekpeyong, senator representing Cross River south, highlighting the financial strain caused by recent hike in data tariffs. Ekpeyong warned that the surge in data costs was a major setback for young Nigerians who depend on the internet for their livelihoods. He argued that many young people use digital platforms for freelancing, e-commerce, content creation, and software development, making affordable internet access crucial to their economic survival. “Telecommunication…