Troops arrest suspect, kill terrorist informant in Borno
Troops of the Nigerian Army have carried out a late-night cordon-and-search operation in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, resulting in the arrest of a suspect and the killing of an alleged terrorist informant. The operation, conducted in the early hours of April 16, 2026, involved personnel from the 202 Battalion and the 21 Special Armoured Brigade. It targeted key...
FirstBank, Ekiti govt launch fund to back 60 startups
FirstBank and the Ekiti State Government have partnered to launch the Innovation Enterprise Support Fund, an initiative designed to provide funding, mentorship, and market access to startups and tech-enabled businesses across the state. The programme, structured as a three-phase initiative covering ideation, pre-acceleration, and acceleration, will support approximately 60 startups with grants ranging from N150,000 to N1.2 million per enterprise....
Middle East conflict may cut Africa’s growth by 0.2% ― Report
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East could reduce economic growth across African countries by up to 0.2 per cent, a new joint policy report has revealed. The joint policy document was presented on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Washington, D.C., by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA),...
Airtel suspends airtime, data borrowing services amid regulatory review
Airtel Nigeria has announced a temporary halt to its airtime and data borrowing services, a feature that allowed eligible prepaid users to access credit and repay on their next recharge. The telecom operator disclosed on Friday that the suspension forms part of ongoing efforts to align its operations with evolving regulatory and operational requirements within Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. In a statement,...
Amaechi: Jonathan forced me out of PDP, I’ll support Atiku in 2027 if…
The former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says he was pushed out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Jonathan. Amaechi said this in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, April 17, 2026. The former Rivers State Governor, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also said he would support...
Tinubu signs 2026 appropriation bill, extends 2025 budget implementation to June
President Bola Tinubu has assented to the 2026 Appropriation Bill, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of N68.32 trillion. Tinubu also signed the bill extending the implementation period for the 2025 budget from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement issued on Friday, April...
Wike: Opposition status comes through electoral wins, not coalitions
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that genuine opposition strength in Nigeria is built through electoral success rather than alliances formed out of convenience. Wike made the remark on Friday during a visit to the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja, where he also pledged his support to the party’s newly constituted National...
Benue JAMB candidate recounts daring escape from kidnappers’ deen
A student abducted while returning from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Otukpo, Benue State, has narrated how he narrowly escaped from his captors after a terrifying ordeal. The survivor was among 18 passengers reportedly seized when armed men intercepted their vehicle along the route. According to his account, the group encountered about five attackers who blocked the road...
Bird strike grounds 3 United Nigeria aircraft in two days
United Nigeria Airlines says three aircraft in its fleet have been grounded in the last 48 hours on account of a bird strike. The airline’s Public Relations Officer, Chibuike Uloka, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, April 17, 2026. Uloka said United Nigeria suffered another bird strike on an Embraer 190 aircraft at Benin City Airport on Thursday. Uloka said...
Dangote refinery to sell 10% stake via Pan-African IPO
The Dangote Group has announced plans to sell a 10 per cent stake in its $20 billion 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery through a landmark Pan-African Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2026. The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, made this known during an event organised by the Atlantic Council in Washington DC on Thursday, April 16, 2026. He said the share sale would...
