The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has unveiled a sweeping reform programme aimed at modernising agricultural financing, expanding financial inclusion in rural communities, and strengthening support for Nigeria’s food security agenda. The initiative includes a major digital transformation drive, new strategic partnerships, and enhanced loan verification systems designed to improve access to affordable credit for genuine farmers while reducing fraud in government-backed agricultural intervention programmes. Ayodeji Sotinrin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, said the reforms are focused on modernising the bank’s operations, improving transparency, and expanding access to finance for smallholder farmers across the country. According to…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
For every democracy, political parties are the vehicles through which citizens express their aspirations and choose leaders. Consequently, the process of registering political parties should inspire confidence, certainty and fairness. When that process becomes entangled in prolonged litigation, conflicting court orders and procedural disputes, it raises fundamental questions about the strength of democratic institutions. The recent decision of the Federal High Court in Lokoja to set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is one such moment. Although the dispute centres on the ownership of the party’s logo, its…
The Federal High Court in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), throwing the party’s legal status into fresh uncertainty pending the determination of a dispute over its logo. Justice Isah Dashen delivered the ruling on Friday after the Peace Movement Party (PMP) challenged the earlier judgment, claiming ownership of the logo used by the NDC in securing its registration. The decision effectively vacates the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment, which had ordered INEC to register the NDC as a political party. Speaking after the proceedings,…
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has cautioned against the immediate implementation of the proposed state police system, warning that it could be manipulated to influence the outcome of the next general election. Obi made the remarks in a post on his X account on Friday, just days after the Senate passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across the country. The Senate approved the bill on June 24 as part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to decentralise policing and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture. Reacting to the development,…
President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, replacing the 2007 legislation and significantly expanding the commission’s mandate to manage Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem. The new law positions the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as the country’s central authority for digital identity, authentication, electronic trust services, and secure digital transactions, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. NIMC announced the development in a statement issued on Friday by Kayode Adegoke, its Head of Corporate Communications. A key provision of the new Act designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s…
By Elvis Eromosele Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its digital transformation journey. The country boasts one of Africa’s largest technology ecosystems, a youthful population, vibrant fintech companies, growing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and an expanding digital economy. Yet, as the nation races towards a technology-driven future, experts say success will depend not merely on innovation but on three interconnected pillars, trust, visionary leadership and strategic public policy. These themes dominated discussions at the West Africa Convergence Conference 2026, where policymakers, regulators, technology leaders and business executives examined how Nigeria can position itself as a leading digital economy in Africa.…
Former South African Deputy Minister of Finance turns eulogy into one of the most direct interventions by a major African business leader on South Africa’s immigration crisis MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas used the funeral service of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane to deliver a sweeping and unsparing condemnation of the ongoing anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa and how it is a symptom of state failure being cynically exploited by politicians with no interest in genuine solutions. The speech, which drew on philosophy, personal memory, and sharp political analysis, has circulated widely since the service and is being…
The Federal Government has officially concessioned the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to Aero Alliance Limited under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), marking a major milestone in its drive to modernise Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure and attract private investment into the sector. The concession agreement was signed on Thursday at the airport’s new terminal by Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. The agreement transfers the operation and management of the airport to Aero Alliance Limited, making it one of Nigeria’s first airport concessionaires under the Federal Government’s renewed airport reform programme. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Keyamo described the concession…
Building trust through data protection, positioning Nigeria as a producer, not merely a consumer, of artificial intelligence, and aligning politics with technology-driven economic reforms emerged as the defining themes of the West Africa Convergence Conference 2026, where industry leaders called for bold action to secure Nigeria’s place in the global digital economy. The conference brought together policymakers, technology experts, regulators and business leaders to examine how West Africa can leverage digital innovation to accelerate economic growth, attract investment and build resilient digital ecosystems. Dr. Vincent Olatunji, Director-General of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), said trust remains the single most…
Apple has increased the prices of its Mac and iPad product lines by between 15 per cent and 25 per cent, citing soaring costs of memory and storage chips driven by the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The price adjustment, reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes just a week after Tim Cook, Apple CEO, warned that rising component costs could force the company to raise prices. Apple briefly took its online store offline on Thursday, a move typically associated with major product announcements or pricing updates. When the store resumed operations, customers were greeted with significantly higher prices across…