Google has launched WAXAL, a large-scale artificial intelligence speech dataset designed to support Igbo, Yoruba, and 21 African languages spoken by more than 100 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa. The company said the dataset was developed in collaboration with a consortium of African research institutions, which led data collection and curation efforts across multiple countries. Google said the project aims to address the long-standing exclusion of African languages from global voice-enabled technologies due to the lack of high-quality speech data. According to Aisha Walcott-Bryant, Head of Google Research Africa, the initiative began over three years ago after researchers identified…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
Access Bank Plc has appointed Mrs. Ifeyinwa Osime as Chairman of its Board of Directors, following the retirement of Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, who stepped down on January 29, 2026, after completing his regulatory tenure. The appointment was disclosed by Access Holdings Plc in a corporate filing dated February 2, 2026. Access Bank is a key subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc. Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, Group Chairman of Access Holdings, described Osime as a principled and experienced leader with a strong understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values, expressing confidence in her ability to drive sustainable value for shareholders…
The Federal Government has completed and commissioned critical failed sections of the Gwada–Shiroro Road in Niger State, restoring access to Gwada Town after months of disruption. The disclosure was made in a statement issued Monday by the Federal Ministry of Works. The intervention included emergency repairs to washed-out embankments and the replacement of a collapsed culvert that had cut off movement into and out of the town. The Ministry said the project forms part of 260 emergency and special intervention road projects nationwide aimed at addressing critical failures across Nigeria’s road network. The Gwada–Shiroro works involved rehabilitating severely damaged…
Presco Plc recorded a 57.3 per cent surge in profit before tax to ₦178.56 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, marking the highest pre-tax profit in the company’s history, according to its unaudited results. The performance was driven by robust growth in palm oil sales and the full consolidation of Ghana Oil Palm Development Company (GOPDC) following Presco’s acquisition of the remaining 48 per cent stake. However, profitability slowed in the final quarter. Q4 2025 pre-tax profit fell 36 per cent year-on-year to ₦39.04 billion, down from ₦60.97 billion in Q4 2024 and 19.6 per cent lower…
Arsenal claimed a historic $2.3 million prize after defeating Brazil’s Corinthians 3–2 to win the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, setting a new financial benchmark in women’s club football. The European champions sealed the victory in extra time, with Caitlin Foord scoring the decisive goal to cap a dramatic final. The payout is the largest ever awarded in women’s club football, nearly four times the €500,000 ($590,000) Arsenal earned for winning last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. Despite entering the match as favourites, Arsenal were tested by a resilient Corinthians side, who had earlier shocked US champions Gotham FC…
Nigeria’s crude oil output has dropped by about 225,000 barrels per day following the commencement of a major maintenance programme on Shell’s Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, one of the country’s largest deepwater assets. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) said the scheduled turnaround maintenance is aimed at extending the operational life of the Bonga FPSO by 15 years and improving long-term safety and efficiency. “The maintenance is designed to ensure the FPSO continues to operate safely and efficiently for the next 15 years, while reducing unplanned production deferments and strengthening the asset’s resilience,”…
Kano State is positioning itself to reclaim its status as Northern Nigeria’s commercial hub with plans for a ₦1 trillion metropolitan rail system, alongside accelerating federal rail projects expected to cut business costs and boost productivity. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf unveiled the metro rail plan while addressing Kano’s delegation at the 2025 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Borno State, describing it as a strategic investment to ease congestion, improve labour mobility, and restore the state’s competitive edge. According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the proposed Kano Metropolitan Rail Service will link major commercial districts…
…P+ Measurement Services Releases 2025 Industry Media Reputation Report P+ Measurement Services, Nigeria’s leading independent media intelligence consultancy, has released its 2025 Industry Media Reputation Report, revealing that corporate reputation has emerged as one of the most decisive assets for Nigerian companies, rivaling financial performance and market share in shaping public trust. The report analysed and audited thousands of print and online news reports published in 2025 across the banking, insurance, telecommunications, and e-hailing sectors. In total, coverage of 29 commercial banks, 13 insurance companies, five e-hailing platforms, and four telecommunications operators was examined to determine how corporate actions translated…
A new report by Rome Business School Nigeria has sounded a strong admonition that Nigeria’s economic growth, food security, and industrial future are being held back by weak and fragmented supply chains, even as it highlights enormous opportunities if long-standing challenges are fixed. Released in January 2026, the report describes Supply Chain Management (SCM) as the often unseen system that keeps the country running, connecting farms to markets, factories to ports, hospitals to suppliers, and consumers to essential goods. According to the report, addressing persistent inefficiencies in Nigeria’s supply chains could add between 2 and 3 per cent to annual…