The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says 143 companies have advanced to the commercial bidding stage of the 2025 Licensing Round, submitting a total of 200 bids for 50 oil and gas blocks across the country. The commission disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, announcing that the successful firms will participate in the Commercial Bid Conference scheduled for July 21, 2026, in Abuja. According to the NUPRC, only companies that successfully completed the rigorous prequalification process will participate in the next phase of the licensing exercise. The commission said…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc has strengthened its commitment to passenger safety and accessibility with the acquisition of EVAC+CHAIR emergency evacuation chairs, becoming the first aviation ground handling company in Nigeria to deploy the specialised mobility equipment. The investment is aimed at improving emergency response capabilities while ensuring safer, more dignified and efficient assistance for passengers with reduced mobility. According to SAHCO, the EVAC+CHAIR is a globally recognised stairway evacuation device designed to safely transport passengers with mobility challenges during emergencies or when navigating staircases. The chair uses an advanced gravity and friction control system that allows trained personnel…
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) will, within the next three months, introduce a Minimum Pension Guarantee (MPG) and a health insurance scheme for low-income retirees, marking a significant expansion of Nigeria’s retirement protection framework. Omolola Oloworaran, PenCom’s Director-General announced the initiative in Abuja while presenting the commission’s scorecard under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She said the reforms are designed to strengthen retirement security by ensuring that pensioners not only receive regular income but also have access to affordable healthcare. According to Oloworaran, the Minimum Pension Guarantee will establish an income floor for retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme…
Nigeria’s ambition to build a thriving digital economy and achieve a $1 trillion economy is facing a serious threat as vandalism, road construction and accidental fibre optic cable damage continue to cripple telecommunications infrastructure across the country. New data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that 155,397 fibre-cut incidents were recorded between April and May 2026, the highest level of network disruption since the liberalisation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. The figures, contained in the NCC’s Quality of Experience (QoE) report, represent a staggering 2,428 per cent increase compared with the first quarter of 2026, highlighting growing pressure on telecom…
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has directed all large taxpayers to fully adopt the National E-Invoicing and Electronic Fiscal System (EFS) by July 31, 2026, warning that companies that fail to comply risk regulatory sanctions. The directive was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by Dare Adekanmbi, the Special Adviser on Media to the NRS Chairman, following an earlier public notice signed by NRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji. According to the agency, the deadline marks the end of the transition period for large taxpayers and signals the commencement of full enforcement of the electronic invoicing regime. Adekanmbi said the NRS…
The Enugu State Government has approved the construction of 19,000 housing units across two major residential developments as part of efforts to reduce the state’s housing deficit and make homes more affordable. The approval was announced by Ben Okoh, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, after the State Executive Council meeting held on Sunday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The housing projects formed part of a broader package of approvals covering road construction, flood control, public infrastructure upgrades and tourism development. According to Okoh, the government approved the development of 1,000 housing units within the New…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has moved the $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline closer to reality after member states signed an intergovernmental agreement supporting the ambitious regional energy project. The agreement was signed on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, according to a joint statement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), as reported by Reuters. The signing marks a major milestone for one of Africa’s largest cross-border energy infrastructure projects, paving the way for the next phase of implementation and reinforcing efforts to boost regional energy security,…
Artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other emerging technologies will only deliver meaningful economic growth if organisations invest in people, leadership and data-driven cultures, according to Amos Emmanuel, innovation advocate and Titans of Tech 2026 keynote speaker. Speaking during the Titans of Tech Conference and Expo 2026, themed “Quantum Shift: Turning Emerging Technologies into Economic Growth,” Emmanuel said businesses and governments must move beyond the excitement surrounding new technologies and focus on building the human capabilities required to translate innovation into measurable economic outcomes. “The real transformation is not about technology alone. It is about people, strategy and culture,” he said,…
Spain crowned a remarkable FIFA World Cup campaign by defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 final, producing a disciplined and tactically dominant display to lift their second world title. Ferran Torres struck the decisive goal in the 106th minute at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, capping a tournament in which Luis de la Fuente’s youthful side steadily grew into the competition before emerging as deserved champions. The victory ended Argentina’s reign as world champions and marked another milestone for a Spanish team that has now gone 38 matches unbeaten while conceding just one goal throughout…
By Elvis Eromosele Sir,, I took a bus from Ikotun to Egbeda on Saturday. The journey was surprisingly swift, but what should have been a pleasant ride was overshadowed by an all-too-familiar sight. Along long stretches of the median, heaps of refuse stood like ugly monuments to neglect. Plastic bags, food waste and other debris had turned what should have been landscaped road dividers into open dumpsites. As I looked out the window, one thought kept echoing in my mind: we cannot continue to live like this. Editor, this growing trend of citizens dumping household refuse directly onto our road…