NEWS

The Senate has set up a seven-member ad hoc committee to collate and harmonise lawmakers’ contributions on the proposed amendment of the Electoral Act, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections. The decision was reached after a three-hour closed-door executive session on Thursday, during which senators further examined the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill currently before the National Assembly. Announcing the outcome, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the committee was established to streamline senators’ views and resolve outstanding issues surrounding the proposed amendments. He explained that the panel is tasked with consolidating and refining lawmakers’ opinions on the bill. According to Akpabio, the committee ...

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of several senior and junior police officers to higher ranks across the Nigeria Police Force. According to a statement issued on Thursday by PSC spokesperson, Torty Kalu, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Funsho Adegboye has been elevated to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police. The Commission also approved the promotion of Commissioners of Police Danjuma Aboki and Dansabo Idi to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police. Kalu explained that the promotions followed a rigorous, merit-based process, which included written examinations and oral interviews conducted by the Commission. The approvals were made during the PSC’s third plenary meeting, chaired by retired Deputy Inspector-General of Poli...

The Economic Community of West African States has placed regional security at the centre of its agenda as it works toward achieving five per cent economic growth across West Africa, according to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray. Speaking in Abuja at a meeting with development partners on Thursday, Touray, while presenting highlights of the ECOWAS 2025 annual report, said security challenges continued to affect parts of the region, prompting intensified engagement by the bloc. “If we look at the various sectors and areas of our activities, we will see that in the area of peace and security, our preoccupation remains with growing insecurity that some areas of the region continue to suffer from. “Therefore, peace and security remain at the heart of our mandate,” he...

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the extension of the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session to February 27, 2026. This was confirmed in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday. NELFUND stated that the deadline, initially set for January 31, 2026, was extended to give prospective applicants additional time to complete and submit their applications. According to the Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the decision was taken to ensure that no eligible student is excluded from the process due to timing constraints. The statement read in part: “The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced an extension of the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session from January 31, 2026, to February 27, 2026.” Speakin...

A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome to travel to Moscow for direct talks with Putin, with assurances that his safety would be guaranteed. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin has consistently expressed openness to a meeting, emphasizing that Moscow is ready to host Zelenskyy if he is genuinely prepared for face-to-face negotiations. Ushakov also revealed that the possibility of a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting has been discussed in recent phone calls between Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, with Trump reportedly suggesting that Moscow consider the option. The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Zelenskyy is willing ...

Kyiv said on Thursday that it had received from Russia 1,000 remains of people that Moscow said were Ukrainian soldiers killed fighting the Kremlin’s army. The exchange of prisoners of war and the remains of killed soldiers is one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022. “Today, repatriation measures took place, under which 1,000 bodies of the deceased, which the Russian side claims belong to Ukrainian defenders, were returned to Ukraine,” Kyiv’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement on social media. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed an exchange had taken place, writing on Telegram that the Russian side had received the remains of 38 killed Russian soldiers Med...

The House of Representatives on Thursday commenced debate on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2026 Appropriation Bill, approving the proposed ₦58.18 trillion budget for second reading. The budget is built around macroeconomic stability, improved security, and increased capital spending. Tagged “The Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” the 2026 fiscal plan was presented to the National Assembly on December 19, 2025, and was described by lawmakers as a major step in Nigeria’s economic restructuring. Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, House Leader Rep. Julius Ihonvbere said the Tinubu administration inherited weakened institutions and noted that while reforms would be challenging, they were unavoidable. “Development that is not susta...

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has presented 12 newly acquired ambulances to hospitals across the territory in a bid to strengthen emergency healthcare services in Abuja. The handover ceremony, held on Thursday in Abuja, highlighted the FCT Administration’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery, especially in emergency and life-threatening situations. Speaking at the event, Wike said the procurement of the ambulances forms part of the administration’s wider investment in critical sectors such as road infrastructure, education and healthcare. He stressed that effective emergency response depends largely on good road networks. According to him, without functional roads, emergency vehicles risk becoming ineffective when patients require urgent...