Business

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate remodelling of the Onitsha Main Market, describing the decision as a “tough but necessary” step to secure the market’s future. The directive followed the market’s one-week closure and came after the governor’s recent visit, during which he lamented that the once-renowned “largest market in West Africa” had deteriorated into a shadow of its former self, declaring it “literally dead.” Speaking to traders and other stakeholders at the Light House in Awka on Friday, Soludo attributed the market’s decline to years of poor urban planning and the damaging effects of the Monday sit-at-home order. “The Onitsha Main Market, as it currently exists, is no longer functional,” the governor said. “Our studies show that the market...

Edited in Prisma app with Painter The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has explained that its enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles is designed to protect children and young people, not to penalise manufacturers. In a statement issued on Thursday, January 29, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the policy was motivated by public health concerns and mounting evidence that alcohol packaged in sachets and containers below 200 millilitres has contributed to rising cases of underage drinking nationwide. The agency recently commenced enforcement of the ban following a directive from the Senate, with the support of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. According to A...

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu, has said the North would not be comfortable with a Christian-Christian presidential ticket as such a pair combination will alienate Muslim voters in the region. Aliyu spoke on Friday during an interview on ARISE Television while reacting to debates on whether the ruling party should retain or alter the Muslim-Muslim ticket that produced President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima in 2023. “In my opinion, the numbers will be looked at whether to field a Muslim or a Christian, the numbers are there to show. Whether in the northern part of the country there are more Muslims, it is absolutely without doubt that there are more Muslims. So any party can decide to field a Christian, but if it goes in terms of...

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the launch of free online English-language courses aimed at boosting professional skills and expanding career opportunities for learners. The announcement was made in a post on the mission’s official X handle on Thursday. According to the mission, the courses are designed to support learners’ professional growth and long-term success, while allowing participants to study at their own pace and interact with a global community of learners. Offered through the U.S. Department of State’s Online Professional English Network (OPEN) programme, the initiative targets learners seeking to strengthen communication abilities in high-demand fields. Enrollment for the current cycle opened on January 5, 2026, and will remain open until Ma...

Petrol prices have been adjusted upward twice within 24 hours by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other fuel retailers, with NNPCL outlets now selling at as high as ₦875 per litre in parts of Abuja. A survey by DAILY POST on Thursday revealed that the latest increase came barely a day after NNPCL raised its pump price to ₦839 per litre on Wednesday, from ₦815. The new rate has taken effect at NNPCL filling stations in areas including Gwarimpa, Kubwa Express, Wuse Zones 4 and 6, as well as other parts of the Federal Capital Territory. Confirming the development, a fuel attendant at one of the stations said staff were informed of the change on Wednesday night, with sales at the new price beginning on Thursday. “We were told last night, but we started se...

] Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, has hosted the head coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, at the Government House in Gusau as part of efforts to promote sports development and youth engagement in the state. The meeting, which held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, was disclosed by the governor via his verified 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account. Governor Lawal said discussions centered on ways to strengthen grassroots sports and expand opportunities for young people through structured sporting programmes. Describing the visit as warm and productive, the governor praised Chelle for his impact on Nigerian football. “I welcomed Mr. Éric Sékou Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles, to my office. It was a delight to interact with such an accomplished sports professional,”...

The member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene, has urged the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to reconsider his decision on the closure of the Onitsha Main Market. Ogene, in a press statement released on Thursday, expressed concern that the one-week closure would inadvertently cause further hardship and economic losses to thousands of traders, as well as have a detrimental impact on the state’s economy. He therefore called on Soludo to embrace dialogue with market leaders with the aim of diplomatically resolving the situation. The lawmaker noted that the governor’s directive to close the market has met widespread public outcry, with many questioning the constitutionality of the action. He added that th...

The Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre, NPF–NCCC, has uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated cyber-enabled fraud syndicate responsible for the illegal diversion of a telecommunications company’s airtime and data resources, with estimated losses of over N7.7 billion.  Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed this in a statement on January 28, 2026, said the breakthrough followed a petition submitted by a Nigerian telecommunications firm after it detected suspicious and unauthorised activities within its billing and payments infrastructure. Hundeyin said investigations revealed that internal staff login credentials of the affected company were compromised, allowing the suspects to gain unlawful access to core systems and dive...

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, on Thursday, sealed a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee to deepen the fight against corruption and reinforce ethical standards within Nigeria’s legal profession. The collaboration was formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, signalling a renewed commitment by both institutions to uphold integrity, accountability and the rule of law. A second MoU was also signed between the NBA-ACC and the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, the ICPC’s training and research arm, aimed at strengthening institutional and human capacity through education, research and professional development. Speaking at the ceremon...