The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has declared Force Majeure on the 132kV Birnin Kebbi–Niamey Transmission Line after three transmission towers collapsed during heavy rain and a windstorm in Kebbi State. TCN disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the transmission line tripped at 5:38 p.m. on August 26, 2026, following the incident at Chibike Village. The company said an attempted reclosure of the line at 6:03 p.m. was unsuccessful, with the line tripping again immediately. A subsequent fault-finding patrol by TCN linesmen identified the affected structures as towers T109, T110 and T111. “Following the incident, TCN linesmen embarked…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
The #FixPolitics Initiative and other democracy advocates have called for collective action by electoral institutions, political parties, security agencies, citizens and the judiciary to restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. They made the call at a national dialogue on election integrity and accountability, organised by #FixPolitics Africa, with the theme, ‘Beyond the Electoral Act: Ensuring Integrity and Accountability in Nigeria’s Elections,’ in Abuja on Thursday. According to the advocates, although Nigeria has a legal framework for conducting elections, the credibility of the 2027 polls will depend largely on the willingness of institutions and individuals…
A 48-year-old British man has become the first patient in the world to undergo brain surgery with live artificial intelligence assistance, after surgeons successfully removed his tumour at University College London Hospital. Rhys Hibbert, a father of two from Bedfordshire, had an 11mm non-cancerous tumour growing on his pituitary gland. Doctors said the tumour could eventually have caused blindness because of its proximity to the optic nerves. The groundbreaking procedure used an AI system that analysed a live video feed from inside Hibbert’s skull and provided surgeons with real-time guidance on the location of critical blood vessels and nerves. The…
Meta’s agreement to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children could mark a turning point in the global debate over social media safety. The settlement, announced on Wednesday, brings to an early end a closely watched legal battle involving 29 US states over the company’s treatment of children and their personal data. At the centre of the case was the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a nearly 30-year-old US law designed to protect the online privacy of children under 13. Prosecutors alleged that Meta had improperly collected and used children’s data over…
Sunil Taldar, Airtel Africa Group Chief Executive Officer, has commissioned two new premium experience centres in Lagos as Airtel Nigeria accelerates the expansion of its retail network across the country. The new centres, located at DAT Mall, Sangotedo, and Marina, are part of Airtel Nigeria’s plan to establish 500 premium experience centres nationwide. More than 350 have already been launched. The expansion is aimed at bringing Airtel’s services closer to customers while providing a more convenient and comprehensive environment for accessing connectivity and digital solutions. Speaking at the commissioning, Taldar said the investment demonstrates Airtel Africa’s long-term confidence in Nigeria…
Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves have climbed to $53.1 billion, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pushing the country’s external buffers above the $51.04 billion target set for the end of 2026. The latest figure, recorded on August 24, represents the highest reserve level in almost 18 years and marks a significant improvement from the $49.80 billion recorded at the beginning of June. But while the headline figure is encouraging, the more important question is what is driving the increase – and whether the improvement can be sustained. CBN data showed that reserves crossed the $50 billion…
The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) is stepping up efforts to improve Nigeria’s cassava seed system, with a renewed focus on certification, quality assurance and access to healthy planting materials. Fatuhu Muhammed, Council’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, said quality-assured planting materials are essential to raising farm productivity, strengthening farmers’ resilience and improving food security. Muhammed spoke at a two-day training for Licensed Seed Inspectors (LSIs), Seed Certification Officers (SCOs) and cassava stem-cutting producers under the Programme for Seed Systems Innovation for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa (PROSSIVA), held in Abuja from August 26 to 27. Unlike crops propagated primarily…
Fintech giant OPay is planning to list its shares on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), a move that could rank among the biggest technology listings in Nigeria’s capital market. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that OPay is expected to formally announce the proposed listing soon. The planned NGX listing comes as the fintech prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, where it is reportedly targeting a valuation of about $4 billion. It remains unclear whether the Nigerian listing would take place alongside the US IPO or later as part of a dual-listing arrangement. Details including…
The Federal Government says it has disbursed more than N600 billion to slightly over 10 million households in three years. It is a significant claim, one that, if properly documented, could represent one of the largest social protection interventions in Nigeria’s recent history. But the size of the figure demands more than a ministerial declaration. It demands transparency, documentation and independently verifiable evidence. The central question is simple: where is the evidence? The government should publish a comprehensive breakdown showing how the N600 billion was disbursed, when the payments were made, how many households benefited in each state and how…
The Federal Government says it has disbursed more than N600 billion in cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians over the past three years, reaching slightly more than 10 million households. Bernard Doro, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, disclosed the figure on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. The disclosure comes as the Federal Government launches a new $1 billion social protection programme, the Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project (HOPE-SP), under the broader Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme. The initiative, unveiled by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, is targeting about 7.6 million vulnerable households across the…