Author: Opalim Lifted

Former Minister of Power and Steel, Danjuma Goje, has proposed that Nigeria hand over the management of its electricity sector to China or another advanced country for 20 years to achieve stable power supply. Goje, senator representing Gombe central made the suggestion recently during the senate screening of minister-designate for power, Joseph Tegbe. The senator said Nigeria should abandon fragmented reforms and instead adopt a comprehensive agreement covering electricity generation, transmission and distribution. According to him, the country should “swallow our pride” and invite a successful nation, preferably China, to take full control of the sector for two decades. “The…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the screening schedule for aspirants contesting for Senate and House of Representatives seats ahead of the party’s primary elections. In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the screening exercise for Senate aspirants will hold on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10, 2026. According to the statement, the exercise is scheduled to take place at Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly known as Sheraton Hotel, from 10:00 a.m. daily. The party also disclosed that the screening for House of Representatives aspirants will be conducted on the same dates at Treasures…

Aliko Dangote, founder and president of Dangote has revived plans to list Dangote Cement on the London Stock Exchange, nearly eight years after an earlier attempt stalled. The billionaire businessman disclosed the renewed push in an interview with the Financial Times, saying changes to the United Kingdom’s listing rules have made the move more attractive. Dangote said the revised regulations had “brought down minimum listing requirements”, encouraging the company to revisit its long-standing ambition of securing a dual listing. “We want to do a dual listing. We have been thinking about it for seven to 10 years,” he said. The…

A prosecution witness in the ongoing alleged N110.4 billion fraud trial involving former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, how a property worth the naira equivalent of N950 million was allegedly purchased in United States dollars. The witness, Ramalan Abdullahi, who testified as PW15 before Justice Maryanne Anineh, said the property located at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, was linked to Ali Bello through Shehu Bello. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering…

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to N10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth. The facility provides loans ranging from N500,000 to N5 million under a general category, and N5 million to N10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50 per cent of an applicant’s average monthly turnover. At the centre of the offering is a zero per cent interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure. Repayment is structured over…

The United States government has announced plans to intensify enforcement against parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support by revoking their passports. In a statement released Thursday, the US Department of State said the move is being implemented by the administration of Donald Trump in collaboration with the US Department of Health and Human Services. According to the department, the policy is aimed at ensuring that parents who fail to meet their financial responsibilities to their children face “real consequences”. The statement noted that US law already requires citizens to comply with child support obligations before obtaining…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has said she served during a period she described as the Nigerian Senate’s finest era. Speaking during a recent event, the former senator reflected on her time in the National Assembly, noting that lawmakers across party lines worked more closely together and placed national interest above politics. Remi Tinubu represented Lagos Central Senatorial District for three consecutive terms before leaving the Senate in 2023 following the election of President Bola Tinubu. The First Lady said the atmosphere in the chamber during her tenure encouraged cooperation, mutual respect and productive debate among lawmakers. She also praised…

The United Kingdom (UK) has imposed fresh sanctions on Russian-linked networks accused of recruiting Africans and Middle Easterners, including Nigerians, to fight in the war in Ukraine. In a statement released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the UK government said 35 individuals and entities had been sanctioned over activities linked to Russia’s military operations and drone production. Among those sanctioned is Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, who the UK said was backed by the Russian state and involved in facilitating the movement of recruits from countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Syria and Yemen into Russia before deployment to…

Colombian pop star Shakira has unveiled her official song for the 2026 World Cup. The 49-year-old, behind hits such as Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don’t Lie, teased Dai Dai on Thursday as the anthem for this summer’s tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. Shakira posted a one-minute video on Instagram from Brazil’s Maracana stadium to tease the track that is out on 14 May and also features Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It marks Shakira’s second official World Cup anthem after Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. She also had the second theme…

Freiburg are through to their first European final after beating 10-man Braga in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Mario Dorgeles – scorer of Braga’s last-gasp winner in Portugal – was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Jan-Niklas Beste. Freiburg soon made their numerical advantage count, taking the lead on the night when Jean-Baptiste Gorby’s attempted clearance rebounded off Lukas Kubler’s knee before trickling over the line via the inside of the far post. The opening goal may have been slightly fortuitous,…