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Tuesday, 03 June 2025 04:34

Over 450,000 Nigerians apply for fewer than 10,000 FG jobs

No fewer than 450,000 Nigerians have applied for Federal Government jobs, The PUNCH has learnt. In January 2025, the Federal Government, through the Federal Civil Service Commission, announced the commencement of recruitment into various positions within the Federal Civil Service. A newspaper advertorial signed by the Director of Recruitment and Appointment, Ogaba Ede, listed over 70 vacant positions. Some of the listed positions include: Administrative Officer, Planning Officer, Programme Analyst, Procurement Officer, Senior Computer Engineer, Dentist/Dental Officer, Population Programme Officer, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Education Officer, and Senior Youth Development Officer. Other positions are: Fisheries Officer, Animal Health and Technologists, Sports…

Tuesday, 03 June 2025 04:32

FG declares June 6 and 9 public holidays for Eid-ul-Adha celebration

The Federal Government has declared Friday, June 6, and Monday, June 9, 2025, as public holidays to mark the Eid-ul-Adha (Eid-el-Kabir) celebration. This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in a statement released on Monday through the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani. The minister extended warm congratulations to Muslims in Nigeria and around the world, urging them to reflect on the values of sacrifice and faith as demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon Him). He also encouraged Muslims to use the festive period to pray for peace, unity, and prosperity in Nigeria. Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the…

Monday, 02 June 2025 04:31

Nigeria left exposed as deadly COVID-19 variant spreads globally while FG remains silent

A highly contagious new COVID-19 strain, NB.1.8.1, which has triggered a surge in hospitalizations in China and is rapidly spreading across multiple continents, has been detected in the United States, exposing Nigeria's dangerous lack of preparedness as federal health authorities remain conspicuously silent on protective measures. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the variant was first detected in America between late March and early April 2025 through airport surveillance testing among international travelers arriving in major cities including New York and Washington. "CDC is aware of reported cases of COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 in China and is…

Sunday, 01 June 2025 04:31

‘Be patient with me’, Tinubu pleads with Nigerians amid harsh economic struggles

President Bola Tinubu has once again appealed to Nigerians to remain patient with his administration, even as millions continue to grapple with severe economic hardship caused by his government’s policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira. Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of the completed Phase 1, Section 1 (30km) of the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties faced by citizens but urged them to trust in his economic reforms. “I know at this stage, your expectations are still very high, and our people are still going through difficult times,” he said.…

Saturday, 31 May 2025 04:32

Moody's upgrades Nigeria's rating to 'B3' on improved external and fiscal positions

Credit ratings agency Moody's upgraded Nigeria's rating by a notch to "B3" from "Caa1" on Friday, citing significant improvements in the country's external and fiscal positions. Earlier this month, the World Bank said that Nigeria's economy achieved its fastest growth in about a decade in 2024, driven by a strong fourth quarter and an improved fiscal position. However, it warned that persistently high inflation remains a challenge. "The recent overhaul of Nigeria's foreign exchange management framework ... has markedly improved the balance of payments and bolstered the CBN's (Central Bank of Nigeria) foreign exchange reserves," Moody's said in a statement.…

Saturday, 31 May 2025 04:31

Death toll from Niger State flooding reaches 117 as rescue operations continue

The death toll from devastating floods in Niger state has risen sharply to 117 people, with several others still missing after torrential rains destroyed thousands of homes, emergency officials announced Friday. The floods struck on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning, submerging more than 3,000 houses in the Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities in Mokwa Local Government Area. Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, reported the dramatic increase from Thursday's count of 21 deaths as search and rescue operations intensified. "A number of people are still in the water," Hussaini said, highlighting the ongoing…

Friday, 30 May 2025 04:48

Sidi Ould Tah elected President of AfDB as Akinwumi Adesina concludes tenure

Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, who has led the institution since 2015. According to a statement released by the AfDB, Tah was elected on Thursday during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He will officially assume office as the Bank’s 9th president on September 1, 2025. The election was conducted by the AfDB’s Board of Governors, which consists of finance ministers, economy ministers, or central bank governors representing the Bank’s 81 regional and non-regional member countries. Niale Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s…

Thursday, 29 May 2025 04:45

African literary giant Ngügĩ wa Thiong’o is dead

Renowned Kenyan author and academic Ngügĩ wa Thiong’o died on Wednesday at 87. On Wednesday evening, his daughter, Wanjiku Wa Ngugi, posted on Facebook that the novelist had passed. She wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngügĩ wa Thiong’o, this Wednesday morning, 28th May 2025.” She spoke about her father’s legacy and last wish: “He lived a full life and fought a good fight. As was his last wish, let’s celebrate his life and work. Ria ratha na ria thua. Turi aira” She further hinted that the family’s spokesperson, Nducu Wa…

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 04:51

Tinubu seeks to borrow a whopping $21.5bn. Here are the alarming implications for Nigeria and its future

Nigeria faces an unprecedented debt crisis as President Bola Tinubu pushes for another massive borrowing binge, requesting Senate approval for a staggering $21.5 billion in new external loans alongside N758 billion in domestic bonds. This alarming development threatens to push Africa's largest economy deeper into a dangerous debt spiral that could cripple future generations. The president's latest borrowing requests, presented to the Senate on Tuesday through letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represent a continuation of what economists are calling a reckless fiscal trajectory that has already seen Nigeria's debt burden explode under Tinubu's administration. A Debt Explosion Under…

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 04:49

Why Saudi authorities deported Gumi – Official

Fresh details have emerged indicating that prominent Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, was aware of the entry restriction imposed on him by Saudi Arabian authorities before he embarked on the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage. The Cleric had on Monday claimed in a public statement on his official Facebook page titled “My Hajj 2025!” that he was turned back at the Medina airport on Saturday despite holding a valid visa. However, an official at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained to The Guardian on Tuesday that Gumi had “since been banned from entry into…

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025 03:55

Trump's criticism of South Africa's violent crime crisis receives unexpected local support

South Africans welcomed President Donald Trump's highly critical Oval Office statements Wednesday about killings in the country, according to analysts. The President showed video clips and gave South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa a sheaf of news clippings he said show farm murders. Many believe this "ambush" by President Trump toward the South African leader is good for the country, because it throws a sharp light on the darkness that is the high level of killings in the country, and how President Ramaphosa’s government is said to be failing to adequately tackle it. Approximately 6,953 people of all races were murdered…

Saturday, 24 May 2025 04:37

Supreme Court dismisses 36 governors’ suit over N1.8trn recovered funds

The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by the 36 state governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) challenging the Federal Government’s handling of over N1.8 trillion in recovered looted assets. In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday by Mohammed Idris, based on a lead judgment prepared by Chidiebere Uwa, the apex court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, which properly belongs before the Federal High Court. The suit, marked SC/CV/395/2021, was filed in 2021 and alleged that between 2015 and 2021, the Federal Government recovered looted assets totaling N1,836,906,543,658.73 in cash, alongside 167 properties, 450…

Friday, 23 May 2025 04:31

52,000 Nigerians migrated to UK for work, studies in 2024 – Report

New statistics from the UK Office for National Statistics reveal that Nigeria maintained its position as a major contributor to British immigration in 2024, with approximately 52,000 Nigerian nationals relocating to the country throughout the year. The figures come amid a dramatic reduction in overall UK net migration, which plummeted by nearly half to 431,000 in the year ending December 2024, down from 860,000 the previous year—representing a decline of almost 50 percent. Work and Study Drive Nigerian Migration The data shows that Nigerian immigrants primarily arrived for employment and educational opportunities. Work-related visas accounted for 27,000 arrivals, while 22,000…

Thursday, 22 May 2025 04:44

N’assembly padded 2025 budget with projects worth N6.9trn - BudgIT

BudgIT, a civic tech non-profit organisation, has uncovered 11,122 projects valued at N6.93 trillion inserted by the national assembly into the budget. The organisation, in a statement posted on its social media platform on Tuesday, said the practice, which began as an “isolated irregularities has, over the years, evolved into a deeply entrenched culture of exploitation and abuse by top-ranking members of the national assembly”. On February 28, the president signed the N54.99 trillion 2025 appropriation bill into law, marking a 99.96 percent increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion. The national assembly approved the bill on February 13,…

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