Author: Lawan

A total of 21,971 admission seekers applied for the 2025/2026 Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening exercise of the University of Ilorin(Unilorin). The Director of Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre, Unilorin, Prof Kamilu Rauf told newsmen on Monday that the university can only admit 13 students. Rauf said that the exercise, which comprised 20,220 candidates for the UTME and 1,751 candidates for Direct Entry (DE), commenced from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4. He said that the year 2025 figure reflects an increase over that of 2024, which was 15,946 UTME and 1,175 Direct Entry candidates. “About 12,856 candidates were admitted in…

Transportation Minister Said Ahmed Alkali has assured Nigerians that the damaged portions of the Abuja-Kaduna tracks will be restored in the next 10 days.Some portions of the rail tracks and coaches were damaged last Tuesday when a Kaduna-bound train derailed at Asham Station.There were 618 passengers, comprising 583 passengers, 15 crew members of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), one medical personnel, eight cleaners, and 11 catering workers onboard when the train derailment occurred.. Seven passengers sustained varying degrees of injury in the accident. Alkali announced the repair works yesterday in Abuja following an inspection of the accident scene. The minister…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday described Vice President Kashim Shettima as a loyal deputy, dependable partner and an embodiment of service-driven leadership.In a personal tribute to celebrate the vice president on his 56th birthday, President Tinubu lauded Shettima’s courage, tenacity and commitment to Nigeria’s progress.He noted that his choice of Shettima as vice president has proven to be one of his most rewarding decisions. The president’s tribute reads: “Today presents another unique opportunity to celebrate you, my brother, co-traveller and vice president, as you mark another birthday. “Since we embarked on this journey, united by the shared vision of building…

Distributions of federal projects are not skewed in favour of any of the six geo-political zones, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said.The President, who reaffirmed his commitment to serve all Nigerians equitably, also dismissed claims that his administration has disproportionately favoured the South in the distribution of federal projects.He attributed the claim to some northern opposition figures, who were however not named. In a post yesterday on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, the President declared that the oath he took upon assumption of office compels him to work for every Nigerian, irrespective of region, religion or political affiliation. “I took…

For pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, the end came yesterday. The Päijät-Häme district court in Finland sentenced him to six years in prison for terrorism offences.In a judgment delivered, the court found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.Acording to Yle, a Finnish newspaper, the court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to stoke tensions in the Southeast between August 2021 and November 2024. In a unanimous ruling, the three-member panel of judges also stated that Ekpa was an influential member of a militant separatist movement whose goal was to actualise…

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has said the Federal Government will empower 7 million young Nigerians with digital and professional skills in the next two years.The minister said this would lead to the creation of millions of jobs.Olawande announced this at the Strategic Youth Leadership Conference 2025, organised by his ministry in collaboration with the National Defence College (NDC) to equip young Nigerians with contemporary knowledge in digital and professional education. The minister described the conference as a strategic thinking and leadership tool to become proactive agents of national development. He assured the participants that the Bola Ahmed…

***says former President remains key Promoter of Asiwaju’s economic blueprint The Good Governance Advocates Network (GGAN) has praised former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his resolute decision to decline calls to contest the 2027 presidential election, reaffirming his status as a principled statesman dedicated to Nigeria’s progress. In a statement issued by its Secretary General, Dr. Israel Prince, the group lauded Jonathan for his consistent support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, describing him as a vital ally in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda. Prince said Jonathan, who has repeatedly endorsed Tinubu’s economic reforms, sees in them a reflection…

By Pius Ukpong Dr. Patrick Umoh is a man loved and adored by his people, not for grand speeches or empty promises, but for the way he truly listens. During his campaign across the Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency, he didn’t just sweep through villages with a megaphone; he stood in crowded market squares and sat under shaded trees, hearing out farmers worried about their harvests, mothers anxious about healthcare, and youths yearning for opportunity. Those heartfelt exchanges stayed with him. Now, his constituents see the impact: a new health center providing free check-ups, scholarships opening doors for students, and…

By Ali Ibrahim In Nigerian politics, a bye-election is rarely accorded the gravitas of a general poll. It is frequently dismissed as a parochial affair, yet, in the eye of a keen observer, they function as a canary in the coalmine of a ruling party’s vitality. They are the microscopic fissures that presage a larger structural failure or success, the subtle tremor that warns of a coming catastrophic event. The recent bye-election conducted in Garki/Babura Federal Constituency in Jigawa State is one of such tremor which have presented an inconvenient and politically hazardous truth which the All Progressives Congress (APC)…

Leading cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc has donated pickup vans to the traffic management agencies in Lagos and Ogun States as part of its commitment to public safety, infrastructure support, and national development. At a brief handover ceremony held at the Dangote Group’s project office in Ikeja, the company’s Head of Social Performance, Mr. Wakeel Olayiwola, presented the vehicles to the leadership of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). Olayiwola said the gesture underscores Dangote Cement’s belief in meaningful partnerships with government to ease movement of people, goods, and…