Ademola Lookman delivered a dazzling performance as Atlético Madrid stormed to a commanding 4–0 victory over FC Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Metropolitano Stadium on Thursday night. The Nigerian forward scored once and provided an assist in a ruthless first-half display that left Barcelona reeling and Atlético firmly in control of the tie. Diego Simeone’s men wasted no time asserting dominance. An early own goal from Eric García handed Atlético the lead before Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage just 14 minutes into the contest. Lookman then made his mark in the 33rd…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
Nigeria has secured a permanent seat on the Board of the African Central Bank (ACB), marking a major diplomatic breakthrough at the just-concluded 39th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The announcement was made by Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is accompanying Vice President Kashim Shettima to the summit. Tuggar described the development as a landmark achievement that reinforces Nigeria’s leadership role in shaping Africa’s financial and economic architecture. “This landmark development underscores Nigeria’s strategic role in shaping Africa’s financial architecture,” Tuggar said. The decision also grants Nigeria representation…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 20, 2027 for Nigeria’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, while March 6, 2027 has been scheduled for Governorship and State Assembly polls. Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman, announced the dates during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, confirming that the commission has finalized the 2027 general election timetable despite delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly. Amupitan explained that INEC proceeded with its planning to avoid uncertainty, even though lawmakers have yet to pass the revised Electoral Act. “The commission has worked meticulously to set…
Dr Ahmadu Fatimah has been conferred with the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) Award by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in recognition of her tangible and significant contributions toward promoting better understanding and friendly relations among people worldwide. The honour was formally presented at the prestigious hall of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, during the Traditional Cultural Night of the Rotary Club, in a dignified ceremony attended by the Assistant District Governor, Past District Governors, PAGs, PP, distinguished Rotarians, guests, and community leaders. According to the citation on the certificate, Dr Ahmadu is named a Paul…
#FixPolitics Africa has called on the Senate to toe the path of honour and rescind the unpopular version of the Electoral Act it recently passed, which is raising dust across the country. Anthony Ubani, Executive Director, #FixPolitics Africa, in a statement, also urged the red chamber to restore and firmly enshrine mandatory electronic transmission of election results from polling units in the law or follow the easiest but equally effective path by adopting the House of Representatives version of the bill in the harmonisation conference. He noted that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had repeatedly insisted that the Senate would…
Tetracore Energy Group (TEG) has commissioned a high-capacity 60,000 Standard Cubic Metres per Day (SCMD) Auto Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facility in Ogere, Ogun State, in a move aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition and strengthening industrial growth along the Lagos–Ibadan corridor. The facility, delivered through its subsidiary, Tetracore CNG Solutions Limited, is designed to provide affordable and environmentally friendly fuel for commercial transport operators, logistics fleets, manufacturers, and other industrial users within Ogun State and neighbouring regions. Strategically situated along one of Nigeria’s busiest industrial corridors, the new plant is expected to enhance fuel availability for mass…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced tougher sanctions on commercial banks and cheque printers, imposing fines of up to N10 million per infraction for the use of unapproved security features on cheques. The revised penalties, announced in a circular dated February 10, 2026, were signed by the Director of the Banking Services Department, Hamisu Abdullahi. The move is part of efforts to strengthen the integrity, efficiency and security of Nigeria’s cheque clearing system. Under the updated sanction framework, banks that engage unaccredited cheque printers or fail to comply with approved cheque standards risk heavy penalties. Infractions covered…
Nigeria’s nine oil-producing states received a combined N1.51 trillion from the 13 per cent oil derivation fund in 2025, more than double the N671.92 billion shared in 2024, according to FAAC net derivation data. The sharp increase underscores the continued dominance of crude oil production in shaping sub-national revenues, as higher distributable oil earnings and improved federation inflows significantly boosted allocations. All nine beneficiary states recorded strong year-on-year growth in derivation receipts, reinforcing how fluctuations in crude oil revenue directly impact state-level fiscal strength. The 13 per cent derivation fund is reserved exclusively for oil-producing states as compensation for…
Morocco has unveiled a 3 billion dirham ($330 million) recovery package to rebuild communities devastated by weeks of torrential rainfall that displaced nearly 200,000 people and submerged vast stretches of farmland in the country’s northwest. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office said the funds would be used to repair damaged infrastructure, reconstruct destroyed homes, and provide support to affected farmers, livestock breeders and small businesses. The worst-hit municipalities have been officially declared disaster zones. Relentless rainfall, compounded by emergency water releases from overflowing dams, inundated villages, farmlands and parts of Ksar El Kebir after the Loukkos River burst…
In the past seven years, Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, has undoubtedly embarked on socio- economic projects that have transformed life of the citizenry. Often described as the architect of Ogun State modern economy, the state has emerged as a leading industrial hub in the country and beyond. Since its inception, the focus of the administration has been the creation of an enabling environment for industries to thrive and commerce to flourish. As such, the governor has prioritised the construction and rehabilitation of over 1,200 kilometres of roads across the three senatorial districts, including critical federal roads and those…