Equal opportunity must replace federal character — Amaechi
Former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he would abolish the federal character principle if elected President in 2027, arguing that all Nigerians should enjoy equal citizenship rights without regional or ethnic distinctions. Amaechi made the statement on Wednesday in Abuja after appearing before the ADC presidential screening committee. He said the current...
Wema Bank targets tier-1 status as profit hits N221.9bn in 2025
Wema Bank Plc says it is intensifying efforts to join Nigeria’s tier-one banking group in the near term, through strong earnings growth, fresh capital inflows, and a strategic expansion drive. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, made this known at the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The bank’s...
Kaduna Assembly leaders secure APC tickets via consensus
The Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dahiru Liman, his Deputy, Magaji Danjuma, and Majority Leader, Munira Tanimu, have emerged as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their respective constituencies following consensus affirmation exercises across Kaduna State. The party adopted consensus arrangements in several constituencies, leading to unopposed confirmations of key lawmakers ahead of the 2027...
Anambra pushes agro-industrialisation for forex gains
The Anambra State Government has unveiled plans to drive agro-industrialisation and boost foreign exchange earnings for farmers through large-scale production and export-oriented processing. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ben Odoemena, disclosed this on Wednesday during the inauguration of Ideal Agro Allied Produce Limited, a tuber crop processing company located in Akwaeze, Anaocha Local Government Area. According to him, the administration of Chukwuma...
Two minors sold for N18,000 each, rescued after four months
An Akure Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State has heard how two minors were allegedly trafficked and sold for N18,000 each before being forced into street hawking in Benin City. Three suspects—John Ushie, 32; Innocent Ushie, 50; and Evelyn Innocent, 38—were arraigned on charges of child trafficking, abduction and slavery. The police prosecutor, Augustine Omheneimhen, told the court that the incident occurred...
Oil prices rise amid uncertainty over Iran peace talks
Oil prices extended gain on Thursday, May 21, 2026, as investors monitored peace talks between the United States and Iran in the ongoing Middle East war. Brent crude futures rose $1.27, or 1.21%, to $106.29 a barrel by 0618 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.29 cents, or 1.31%, at $99.55. Both benchmarks dropped more than 5.6% on...
Oil exports lift Nigeria-UK trade to £7.6bn
Nigeria’s crude oil exports helped drive total trade with the United Kingdom to £7.6bn in 2025, according to new data released by the UK Department for Business and Trade. A fact sheet obtained in Abuja showed that crude oil remained Nigeria’s largest export to the UK, with purchases valued at £719.2m—nearly half of all goods imported from the country. The...
Stock market reverses bullish run as investors lose N1.6trn
The Nigerian stock market reversed its recent bullish run on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, as investors’ wealth fell by N1.619 trillion amid widespread selloffs in key mid- and large-cap stocks. Selloffs in heavyweight and mid-cap stocks such as BUA Cement, CAP, E-Tranzact International, International Breweries, Deap Capital Management, and 20 other stocks dragged the market lower Market capitalisation declined by 1.02...
Suspected coup plotter: How we planned to cut electricity in Aso Rock
One of the suspected coup plotters, Zekeri Umoru, on Wednesday, said discussions were held on switching off electricity supply to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to aid the alleged coup. Umoru, a Julius Berger Nigeria Plc employee in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, spoke in a video evidence played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court...
Aston Villa thrash Freiburg to win Europa League
Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as the Premier League side thrashed Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The king of the competition Unai Emery has his hands on the trophy for a fifth time and this triumph was celebrated wildly by Villa fans - both in the Besiktas Stadium and back at home. Villa...
