Bad loans climb to 8.03% as CBN ends forbearance
Non-performing loans (NPLs) in Nigeria’s banking sector rose to 8.03 per cent in January 2026, reflecting mounting pressure on lenders months after the Central Bank of Nigeria withdrew regulatory forbearance on certain credit exposures. Data from the apex bank’s January 2026 Economic Report showed the NPL ratio increased by 0.52 percentage points from 7.51 per cent in December 2025, remaining...
US targets Nigeria’s faith-based violence with $3.5m fund
The United States has unveiled a $3.5 million (about N5 billion) funding initiative aimed at improving how incidents of religious violence and freedom abuses are documented and reported across Nigeria. The programme, introduced by the Office of International Religious Freedom under the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, invites organisations to apply for grants to strengthen data...
DSS arrests five, foreign suspects, over Papiri school kidnap
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested five suspects, including two foreign nationals, over their alleged role in supplying arms to gunmen involved in the 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. Security sources said the suspects were linked to the November 21, 2025 attack in which nearly 300 students and staff were...
NGX investors gain N4.5trn as market capitalisation hits N160.5trn in May
The Nigerian stock market sustained its positive momentum in May 2026, with investors gaining N4.514 trillion as renewed buying interest in financial services and consumer goods stocks lifted overall market performance. Market capitalisation rose by 2.89 per cent to close at N160.508 trillion in May, compared with N155.994 trillion recorded at the beginning of the month. The All-Share Index (ASI) also...
Kvaratskhelia named Champions League player of the season
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was named Champions League player of the season on Sunday by a UEFA panel of judges. Kvaratskhelia was a constant menace in PSG's defence of the title with ten goals and six assists from his 16 games. PSG came from a goal down against Arsenal on Saturday to equalise from the spot on 65 minutes...
Security operatives nab IPOB, ESN informant in Anambra
A joint security team comprising military personnel, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and local vigilantes has arrested a suspected collaborator of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Anambra State. Security sources said the suspect was apprehended around noon on May 30 during a...
N100,000 minimum wage inadequate, workers deserve N1m — NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the proposed N100,000 national minimum wage being considered by state governors, describing it as insufficient in the face of current economic realities. NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, made the position known in response to remarks by AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who disclosed that governors were weighing a new wage benchmark to address rising living costs. While acknowledging...
Tinubu approves 1,000 forest guards for Oyo after school abduction
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State as part of urgent measures to strengthen security following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area. The decision was announced during a Federal Government visit to affected communities in Ogbomoso, led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. The delegation...
Court to hear suit challenging Mark, Aregbesola’s ADC leadership June 3
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has scheduled June 3 for hearing in a suit filed by Nafiu-Bala Gombe challenging the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Gombe is seeking a court order restraining David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and members of their interim National Working Committee (NWC) from presenting themselves as leaders of the party. The matter...
Presidency, NSA visit Oyo over abducted pupils
A Federal Government delegation has arrived in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area. The team, dispatched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is led by the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. Other members include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa,...
