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Title: World Bank Urges Nigeria to Restore Public Trust Through Better Service Delivery

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The World Bank has issued a compelling call to action for Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African nations, urging governments to focus on rebuilding public trust by improving essential service delivery. This was highlighted in its 2025 Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) report released earlier this month. According to the report, many African citizens have grown increasingly disillusioned with their governments due to poor access to vital services such as education, healthcare, electricity, water supply, and public administration. In Nigeria, these failures are especially visible in underfunded schools, overcrowded hospitals, and unreliable infrastructure. The World Bank noted that while some African countries are making progress in macroeconomic management and social inclusion, the biggest setback remains weak governance. The lack of transparency, inefficiency in public institutions, and a slow response to citizens’ needs have worsened the trust gap between government...
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UN Urges Nigeria’s Private Sector to Bridge Development Funding Gap

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In a powerful call to action, the United Nations has urged Nigeria’s private sector to step up and fill the growing funding gap threatening the nation’s development goals. The plea was made by Mohamed Malick Fall, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, during a high-level dialogue on financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) held in Lagos. With international aid shrinking and global economic pressures mounting, Fall emphasized the need for a strategic shift in how Nigeria finances its development. He stated that the country must no longer rely solely on government resources or international donor support. Instead, private investors, corporate bodies, and philanthropists must take a more proactive role in driving sustainable growth. The UN official described Nigeria as a country full of potential, rich in human and natural resources. However, he stressed that to unlock this potential, there must be a collaborative partnership between government, the private...
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ChatGPT Bosses Raise Alarm Over Potential Use of AI in Creating Bioweapons

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As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize industries, a shadow of concern grows alongside its rapid advancement. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has expressed growing fears that AI tools could be misused to create powerful and potentially devastating biological weapons. Executives at OpenAI have warned that as AI models become more capable, they could fall into the wrong hands and be weaponized by malicious actors. The major concern revolves around the possibility of AI being used to engineer dangerous viruses or enhance the lethality of existing pathogens. With AI's ability to process massive datasets and generate precise scientific insights, the risk of misuse in the field of synthetic biology has become more real than ever. In recent months, reports have surfaced that some insiders at OpenAI, including former researchers and ethics staff, resigned due to internal disagreements over how the company handles safety concerns. These resignations have brought to lig...
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Rising Pastoral Crisis: 11 States Back FG’s Ranching Plan Amid Escalating Tensions

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The growing pastoral crisis in Nigeria continues to threaten national cohesion, food security, and rural livelihoods. As herder-farmer conflicts escalate across the country, particularly in the Middle Belt and parts of the North-West, the federal government’s renewed push for ranching as a long-term solution is gaining traction. So far, 11 states have declared support for the ranching initiative, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to modernize livestock farming and reduce bloodshed. The pastoral conflict, rooted in land use competition, environmental degradation, and weak enforcement of grazing policies, has taken a heavy toll. Thousands of Nigerians have lost their lives, communities have been displaced, and farming activities in affected regions have dwindled drastically. With open grazing becoming increasingly untenable in modern Nigeria, ranching is being viewed not only as a practical agricultural reform but also a peace-building strategy. States such...
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Empowering Change: dRPC and Ford Foundation Award ₦85 Million to 17 Women-Led NGOs in Nigeria

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In a significant move aimed at strengthening grassroots development and women’s leadership, the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with support from the Ford Foundation, has awarded a generous ₦85 million grant to 17 women-led non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across Nigeria. This landmark gesture comes at a crucial time, especially as many NGOs are grappling with the impact of drastic funding cuts from global donors like USAID. Each of the selected NGOs received ₦5 million under the NGO Support Initiative (NSI), a programme designed to boost the operational capacity of local organisations working in sectors like health, education, agriculture, and women empowerment. The grants will help these organisations implement short-term but high-impact projects over a three-month period. Speaking during the cheque presentation ceremony in Abuja, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker, Executive Director of dRPC, described the funding as a “lifeline” for women-led NGOs struggling to stay afl...
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Diphtheria Scare in Edo State: Calls for School Closure Amid Rising Cases

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  Edo State is currently battling a public health scare as diphtheria cases emerge, raising concern among residents, health professionals, and civil society. With six confirmed cases and three reported fatalities, the outbreak has prompted urgent calls for preventive measures to contain further spread. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection affecting the nose and throat, often fatal if left untreated. The Edo State Ministry of Health has confirmed the detection of both diphtheria and dengue fever, adding complexity to the state’s health response. So far, over 15 suspected diphtheria cases have been identified, with health officials moving swiftly to activate surveillance teams and conduct community sensitization. In a proactive appeal, the Concerned Edo Citizens Forum submitted an open letter to Governor Godwin Obaseki, urging the temporary closure of schools to protect children, who are among the most vulnerable to the disease. The group also recommended limitin...
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Professor Nasiru Hassan Wagini: The Nigerian Professor Who Sells Vegetables

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In a country where many graduates struggle with unemployment and societal pressure to secure white-collar jobs, Professor Nasiru Hassan Wagini stands out as a powerful example of humility, resilience, and enterprise. A lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU), Katsina, Professor Wagini is not only a respected academic in the field of Plant Physiology but also a regular vegetable seller at Batsari market in Katsina State. Born into a farming family, Wagini never lost his connection to agriculture. Despite rising through the academic ranks, he chose not to abandon his farming roots. Every week, he sets up a stand to sell vegetables and soup ingredients—known locally as kayan miya. This choice is not born of necessity alone but also of purpose. For him, it is a message to Nigerian youth: dignity lies in labour, and success can be found outside of office walls. Professor Wagini has become a local icon, showing that no work is beneath anyone, regardless of their education or positi...
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Falcons Battle Portugal Today in Pre-WAFCON Friendly

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons will lock horns with Portugal today in an international friendly match aimed at boosting preparations for the upcoming 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers. The high-profile encounter is part of the team’s training tour in Europe as they gear up for a tough qualification campaign. The friendly fixture serves as a crucial test for the Falcons, who are looking to sharpen their tactics, improve team chemistry, and evaluate player performances ahead of the continental showdown. Facing a strong European side like Portugal provides an excellent opportunity for Coach Randy Waldrum and his technical crew to assess the team’s strengths and identify areas needing improvement. Portugal, ranked 21st in the world by FIFA, are known for their tactical discipline and pace, making them ideal opponents to test the Falcons’ resilience and tactical setup. Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s football team, will rely on their blend of experienced stars lik...
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PDP Defies INEC, Insists on June 30 NEC Meeting

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stood its ground in defiance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that its planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will hold as scheduled on June 30, 2025. This move comes amid rising internal tensions and conflicting interpretations of INEC’s regulatory powers over political party affairs. INEC had earlier issued a cautionary advisory, urging the PDP to reconsider the timing of the NEC meeting. The commission reportedly raised concerns over the procedural compliance and internal disputes within the party, suggesting that the meeting could further complicate the party’s leadership crisis and breach certain sections of the Electoral Act. However, the PDP leadership has dismissed INEC’s intervention, describing it as an overreach into internal party matters. In a statement released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, the PDP maintained that it is fully within its constitutional rights to convene t...
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US-Based Group Accuses Gowon of Twisting Aburi Accord Facts, Blames Him for Nigerian Civil War Bloodshed

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A US-based advocacy group, the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD), has stirred national attention by accusing former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), of misrepresenting the events surrounding the Aburi Accord. The group asserts that Gowon’s failure to honor the agreements reached at Aburi in Ghana in 1967 directly contributed to the outbreak and escalation of the Nigerian Civil War. The Aburi Accord was a crucial meeting held between representatives of the federal government and the Eastern Region, led by then Military Governor, Lt. Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. The meeting was intended to resolve tensions following the July 1966 counter-coup and prevent the country from sliding into war. Agreements were reached to devolve more power to the regions and to restructure the military command. However, according to the NACJD, General Gowon reneged on the terms of the Aburi Accord shortly after returning to Nigeria, opting instead for a ce...
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Benin Republic, Niger enjoy smuggled fuel as Nigerians keep vigil at petrol stations

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While numerous Nigerians are keeping vigil at filling stations to fuel their vehicles, drivers in the adjoining nations of Benin Republic and Niger are getting a charge out of fuel snuck from Nigeria, a Saturday PUNCH examination has shown. Our journalists, who visited the two nations found that the snuck petroleum was being sold by dark advertisers, whose rates were less expensive than those working in filling stations. Discoveries show that drivers frequently belittle the dark advertisers on the grounds that their rates are less expensive than the people who purchase from the filling stations. Saturday PUNCH accumulated the higher worth of cefas (CFA) to naira made the Nigerian snuck fuel alluring to residents of the two nations. Nigeria is seeing the fifth significant fuel emergency since President Bola Tinubu accepted office on May 29, 2023, following his expulsion of the fuel appropriation. The evacuation prompted a sharp ascent in fuel costs, causing alarm purchasing, far and wid...
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Nigerian blogger Olufunke 'Angels Empire' Afeh is set to appear in court on April 8 following her recent arrest and detention in connection with allegations of cyberstalking and harassment.

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  Legal troubles are on the horizon for blogger and philanthropist Olufunke Afeh, famously known as Angels Empire. Her forthcoming arraignment at the Federal High Court in Lagos on April 8 has garnered public interest regarding the details of her arrest, extended detention, and eventual release on bail. On February 19, 2025, SaharaReporters brought to light that the police had leveled 11 charges against Afeh, accusing her of various offenses, including cyberstalking and harassment of multiple individuals, notably Mr. Obidi Anthony and his daughters, Nancy Ume and Korra Obidi. The Angels Empire Foundation reported that Afeh was taken into custody on February 6, 2025, in Abuja. She had responded to a deceptive phone call from the Nigerian Police, which involved a false allegation of phone theft.  Once at the police station, Afeh was swiftly detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Abuja, where she was denied access to legal representation, and her mobile ...
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Anambra Boutique Owner Sues NAFDAC Over Claimed Theft of Merchandise During Onitsha Drug Market Operation

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  Sophia Eberechukwu Okoye, a young entrepreneur from Anambra State, who owns a boutique in Onitsha, has taken legal action against the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). She claims that soldiers allegedly deployed by the agency looted her store during a raid at the Onitsha drug market, popularly known as Ogbo Ogwu. In a notice of legal action issued by her legal representative, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor of I. C. Ejiofor & Co. law firm, Ms. Okoye is seeking N22 million in compensation, which she asserts is the verified value of the goods taken from her shop. Reports indicate that Ms. Okoye expressed her distress after losing goods valued at over N15 million due to the purported looting by the soldiers. Her boutique, which had opened just a few months prior, was one of many shops that were reportedly broken into and ransacked during the operation. Sources reveal that the thieves stole clothes, shoes, and other valuable items from the boutique, le...
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