Author: Opalim Lifted

Shell is set to conclude nearly a century of operations in Nigerian onshore oil and gas after agreeing to sell its subsidiary there to a consortium of five mostly local companies for up to $2.4 billion. The British energy giant pioneered Nigeria’s oil and gas business beginning in the 1930s. It has struggled for years with hundreds of onshore oil spills as a result of theft, sabotage, and operational issues that led to costly repairs and high-profile lawsuits. Since 2021, Shell has sought to sell its Nigerian oil and gas business but will remain active in Nigeria’s more lucrative and…

Immediate Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has revealed the feedback he got from former President Muhammadu Buhari on his mission to resolve pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta oil-producing communities, and his former boss said, “Don’t be the first Vice President to be kidnapped!” Osinbajo also said that after eight years of being in power, President Muhammadu Buhari remains an enigma to many Nigerians who want to understand who he really is. Not the public persona, but who is he as a person? This was the submission of Nigeria’s immediate past Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who worked…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has been mum over the kidnapping menace that has gripped the administrative capital of Nigeria. Kidnappers’ free reign has apparently continued in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as four out of the 10 persons kidnapped in Kubwa/Dutse area of the territory have been found killed and dumped at Ida, near Ushafa in Bwari Area Council. Among the bodies were those of a secondary school student and daughter of the Ekiti State-born Chief Legal Officer of the National University Commission (NUC), Folorunsho Ariyo, and a 400-level student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria,…

Victor Osimhen’s quick-fire equaliser spared Nigeria a shock defeat against Equatorial Guinea in their opening game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Osimhen nodded in straight after Iban Salvador’s opener for the underdogs. Salvador’s classy first-half finish was his side’s only attempt on target and briefly threatened a significant upset in the second game of the tournament. Jesus Owono made several second-half saves to deny the Super Eagles, and Osimhen missed after breaking clear. The stalemate in the Group A match in Abidjan means both sides are two points behind Ivory Coast, who opened the tournament with a 2-0…

Nigerians have raised concerns over the rising state of insecurity in the nation barely two weeks into the new year 2024, as kidnappers (bandits, gunmen, and assailants) punctured the security architecture. People expressed their displeasure with the security architecture that President Bola Tinubu, DG DSS Yusuf Bichi, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and other security stakeholders had implemented. “On matters of security, the buck stops at the president’s table. Like in other countries, Jonathan is the Chief Security Officer. Stop Boko Haram, President Bola Tinubu posted on his X (formerly Twitter) page in reaction to the alarming state of insecurity on…

Following the abduction of six young girls in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force said it is intensifying plans to rescue the victims after the death of Najeebah. The force also assured Nigerians that plans are ongoing to prevent further kidnapping cases across the country. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, announced this development in a statement on Saturday. This development comes after gunmen who kidnapped her and five other sisters in Abuja reportedly killed one of the girls, Najeebah. Najeebah and her sisters were abducted on January 9, alongside their father.…

The Federal Capital Territory Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has directed primary school teachers to resume their suspended strike on Monday, January 15, 2024, until further notice. This was contained in a communiqué dated January 12, 2024, following an emergency meeting of the State Wing Standing Committee. The communiqué was co-signed by the chairman of the NUT in the FCT, Abdullahi Shafas, the secretary, Mrs. Margaret Jethro, and the publicity secretary, Ibukun Adekeye. The SWSC also urged secondary school teachers to join the strike on January 22 if the demands of the primary school teachers were not met…

Nigerian music star Asake has dropped a groovy new song titled ‘Only Me,’ which signifies his journey to self-acceptance and contentment without the need for comparison to others. This special release holds significant meaning for the artist. He shared a heartfelt message on social media, saying, ‘I honour the journey I’ve been on and the journey yet to come. Happy birthday to a resilient soul! A few weeks ago, Asake received his first-ever Grammy nomination for his song ‘Lonely At The Top.’ The track is currently nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the upcoming Grammy Awards, scheduled…

President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria has no reason to be poor and identified divisiveness as one of the nation’s significant challenges. He made these remarks on Friday while meeting with governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at the State House in Abuja. President Tinubu stressed the need for the governing party to work towards healing and unifying the country by fostering a collective national vision and directing energy and resources into nation-building. He urged APC governors to implement policies prioritising all Nigerians and always considering the…

Four decades after hosting the continental competition, the Ivory Coast prepares to unleash a thunderous roar as the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off today, Saturday. The Elephants of Ivory Coast, fueled by home advantage but without their star striker Sebastien Haller, charge into battle against minnows Guinea-Bissau at the newly-built Ebimpe Olympic Stadium. With two previous titles, the most recent in 2015 under Yaya Toure’s leadership, the Elephants carry a rich history. This time, pressure from expectations on home turf makes the familiar dance more difficult. However, the competition promises fierce clashes, featuring heavyweights like Morocco, Salah’s Egypt, and…