Author: Vincent Osuwo

The World Bank has granted a new $1.25 billion loan to Nigeria under its Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration program, despite public worries about the country’s mounting debt burden and repeated recommendations for the federal government to cut external borrowing. The clearance was revealed in a statement made by the World Bank on Wednesday, along with the unveiling of Nigeria’s new Country Partnership Framework for 2026-2032. The bank stated that the new framework would guide its support for Nigeria over the next six years, with a focus on creating jobs by unlocking private sector-led growth. “The World Bank…

The World Bank will stop lending to China by 2031, according to the organization’s new country partnership structure, a source familiar with the situation told AFP on Tuesday.  The insider corroborated the Financial Times’ earlier article on the development. “China has made significant development advances over the past several decades — progress that the World Bank and others have supported,” said a World Bank official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Now we are reaching a new phase of our relationship, reflecting that reality.” World Bank financing to China, the world’s second-largest economy, has progressively fallen recently…

At least 37 Borno state students are still missing following Monday’s attack on Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area. Terrorists struck the school at 9 a.m. on Monday as pupils were taking the National Examinations Council exam, murdering two instructors and abducting an unspecified number of kids. In discussions with our correspondent on Tuesday, parents stated that the state administration had established a registry for families to report missing persons. Mbula Bura, the parent of a 19-year-old kidnapping victim, reported that authorities had listed 37 names as missing. He said, “Parents who could not find their…

Frank Lampard has signed a new contract with Coventry, which will keep him with the Premier League club until 2029; it was confirmed on Tuesday. Lampard led the Sky Blues to the top flight of English football for the first time in 25 years after winning the second-tier Championship last season. The 48-year-old former England midfielder took over the Midlands club in November 2024, leading them to a play-off finish in his first season in command before falling to Sunderland in the semi-final. “I’m delighted to have signed a new contract; it’s a real honor to represent this club,” said…

Erling Haaland scored a dramatic late winner as Norway beat Ivory Coast to set up a last-16 showdown with Brazil at the World Cup. The Manchester City forward had been quiet in Dallas before the 86th minute, as Antonio Nusa and Amad Diallo traded brilliant strikes in a tense game. However, Haaland was in the right place to bobble home the decisive goal from six yards following Patrick Berg’s cutback. This means Haaland has scored in 13 successive competitive internationals for Norway, his latest goal helping his country win a World Cup knockout match for the first time. Ivory Coast…

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the dredging of 28 new principal drainage canals in response to flooding in portions of the state. Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, confirmed this in a statement signed by the ministry’s spokeswoman, Kunle Adeshina, on Tuesday. According to the statement, the recent severe rainfall was an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon that overwhelmed drainage systems throughout the state. He said the downpours caused temporary flooding in Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikeja, Gbagada, Mushin, and Mafoluku. The statement read, “The Lagos State Government on Tuesday called for calm and understanding from residents following…

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has expressed sympathy for Lagos State citizens who have been affected by flooding. In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Atiku expressed concern about the flooding’s impact on families, commuters, motorists, and business owners. “I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the people of Lagos who have been affected by the ongoing flooding. My thoughts are with the families, motorists, commuters, business owners, and everyone whose lives and livelihoods were disrupted by this unfortunate event,” he said. The former vice president said the tragedy…

Gunmen fired and killed two police officers and injured another along the Obiri-Kwere axis in Rivers State’s Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Monday night. According to reports, the three police officers were assigned to the Aluu Division in the state’s Ikwerre Local Government Area. They were alleged to be conducting a routine stop-and-search operation at a security checkpoint on the Mbodo/Aluu axis of Obiri-Kwerre Road when the gunmen opened fire around 9 p.m. After the shooting, the gunmen drove away in their vehicle. The event occurred less than 24 hours after the Rivers State Police Command announced the arrest of…

Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy will face trial after one of his dogs allegedly mauled a teenager and two other dogs after fleeing from his home, according to Spanish newspapers on Tuesday. The private prosecution is seeking a six-month prison sentence and fines for causing injury by gross carelessness, according to a Madrid court document seen by AFP on January 7. The public prosecutor’s office has requested fines for a minor offense of inflicting injury. According to Spanish media, the incidents occurred in January 2023, when four of Mendy’s dogs escaped from his property in the upscale Madrid suburb of…

The World Health Organization (WHO) raised alarm on Tuesday about probable disease epidemics in Venezuela, where local healthcare services have been overburdened by devastating earthquakes. “The health services are under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond their capacity,” spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a press conference in Geneva, noting the surge in trauma cases. By the current official tally, around 1,700 are dead, and 5,000 are injured, with no governmental word on the number of missing. Other estimates put them in the tens of thousands. The WHO also stated that there were issues in properly registering casualties and tracking missing…