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Fola Badmus

UK Commends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms Says Nigeria Now More Investible

Fola Badmus02 mins

ABUJA — The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for implementing bold economic reforms that have made Nigeria more appealing to investors. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Montgomery described the policies as transformative and praised the administration’s efforts. He highlighted the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate as major achievements, noting that these reforms are already improving Nigeria’s investment climate. “These economic reforms are paying off, and they are now making Nigeria more investible,” he stated. While applauding the reforms, Montgomery acknowledged the current economic hardship faced by many Nigerians due to rising inflation, which he said remains in the mid-20 percent range. He admitted the reforms are painful in the short term but necessary for long-term stability. Despite the economic strain, the High Commissioner expressed optimism, projecting that inflation would ease in the coming months and years, further reinforcing Nigeria’s status as a promising destination for foreign investment.

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Lagos Secures $13 Trillion in Partnerships, Eyes Global Investment Growth

Fola Badmus02 mins

The Lagos State Government has attracted over $13 trillion in strategic global partnership deals over the past six years, aimed at bolstering infrastructural investments across critical sectors. Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, disclosed this during a ministerial press briefing on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term anniversary. She highlighted that Lagos secured $4 million in Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) disbursements in 2024 and is targeting a total of $30 million by 2025. The state also finalized a $200 million partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports to develop the Lekki corridor, focusing on logistics, ICT, and healthcare. Additional trade missions and deals have been advanced with the United States, EU, G7, and Swedish firms to expand 5G broadband access. Ambrose-Medebem emphasized Lagos’s improving business climate, citing a $50 million investment by the International Finance Corporation in the Lagos Free Zone and recognition from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as the South-West’s top reformer. An MoU with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council also positions Lagos as a trade gateway for 56 nations. Efforts to strengthen industrial capacity continue with new small-scale industrial estates under construction in Ikorodu and rehabilitation plans for older estates across the state. On consumer safety, the government has sanctioned 35 supermarkets for selling expired goods and pledged to continue enforcing protective measures while pushing toward becoming a global smart-city hub.

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JAMB Admits to Technical Glitch In 2025 UTME

Fola Badmus06 mins

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has admitted that there were errors that affected the performance of candidates during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination held across different centres in the country. The Registrar of the board, Ishaq Oloyede, who made the admission during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, also broke down in tears while admitting to the error. “Once again, we apologise and assure you that this incident represents a significant setback…. We remain committed to emerging stronger in our core values of transparency, fairness and equity. “It is our culture to admit error because we know that in spite of the best of our efforts, we are human; we are not perfect,” Oloyede said as he wiped tears off his eyes with a white handkerchief. He also announced that about 379,997 candidates in the just concluded 2025 exercise would retake the examination. This followed widespread complaints of technical glitches, unusually low scores, and alleged irregularities in the questions and the answers during the exercise. However, in a post on its X handle on Wednesday, the examination body said it established that a technical glitch affected 157 centres out of the 887 centres. This, it said, was responsible for the general low performance of the candidates. It said, “Man Proposes, God Disposes! It has been established that a technical glitch affected 157 centres out of the 887 centres in the 2025 UTME. This was basically responsible for the general low performance of the candidates scheduled to sit the examination in those centres. “As such, all the affected candidates will be contacted to reprint their examination slips towards retaking their examinations starting from 16th May, 2025.” JAMB had released a statistical breakdown of the 2025 UTME, where it revealed that over 1.5 million of the 1.95 million candidates who took the examination scored below 200. In a post on its official X on May 5, it highlighted that a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the examination, and of this number, a significant 1,534,654 candidates—representing 78.5 percent —scored below the 200 mark. A breakdown of the results showed that only 4,756 candidates (0.24 percent) achieved scores of 320 and above, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 percent) scored between 300 and 319. In total, just 12,414 candidates (0.63 percent) scored 300 and above. For the 250-299 score range, 73,441 candidates (3.76 percent) were recorded, while a larger proportion, 334,560 candidates (17.11%), scored between 200 and 249. The category with the highest number of candidates was the 160 to 199 range, with 983,187 candidates (50.29 percent). Further down the scale, 488,197 candidates (24.97 percent) scored between 140 and 159, and 57,419 candidates (2.94 percent) scored between 120 and 139. A percentage of candidates, 3,820 (0.20 percent), scored between 100 and 119, while 2,031 candidates (0.10 percent) fell below the 100 mark. In addition to the overall results, JAMB also disclosed that 40,247 underage candidates were allowed to participate in the examination due to their “exceptional abilities.” However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16 percent) achieved scores that met the defined threshold for “exceptional ability.” In 2024, over 1.94 million candidates registered for the UTME, with 1,904,189 candidates taking the examination across 118 towns and more than 700 centres. JAMB also said that only 0.4 percent of candidates who took the 2024 examination scored above 300, while 24 percent scored 200 or higher. JAMB also reported that 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions in the 2025 UTME, while 2,157 others were under investigation for “suspected malpractices.” The board further noted that 71,701 candidates were absent from the examination, and those facing biometric challenges were being investigated. JAMB also noted that those cleared would be rescheduled for examination at designated centres. It added that some results, including those of blind candidates and candidates in the JEOG category, are still being processed and will be released once finalised. JAMB had assured that candidates who faced biometric challenges or were involved in investigations would be given fair treatment, with rescheduling for those cleared.

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Taiwo Awoniyi Set To Be Brought Out of Induced Coma After Surgery

Fola Badmus03 mins

Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi is expected to be brought out of an induced coma on Wednesday after urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained in Sunday’s match against Leicester. The Nigeria striker was injured after colliding with a post during the 2-2 draw at the City Ground, after which the Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, stormed on to the pitch. Forest anticipate Awoniyi will make a full recovery, though it remains unclear when he will be discharged from hospital. He underwent surgery on Monday. It was a medical decision to place Awoniyi into an induced coma to stabilise his condition and for the 27-year-old’s own comfort. Awoniyi returned to the pitch on Sunday after lengthy treatment after the incident in the 88th minute. Awoniyi clattered against a post in an attempt to meet Anthony Elanga’s cross. Elanga was in an offside position when he collected the ball but the assistant referee did not raise their flag until after Awoniyi’s collision, in line with International Football Association Board (Ifab) guidance. In a statement on Tuesday, Forest said Marinakis’s decision to go on the pitch stemmed from his frustration at the incident, which left Forest, who had used all of their permitted substitutes, with 10 men for the closing stages. A draw dented their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. “His [Marinakis’s] deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain – something no one with genuine care could ignore – triggered him to go on the pitch,” it read. “He would do the same if such an unfortunate event were ever to reoccur.” Forest also disputed suggestions that Marinakis had a confrontation with the head coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, after entering the pitch. “There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue,” the statement said.

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EFCC Presents Ninth and Final Witness against Suswam in Alleged N3.1b Fraud

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 presented the Ninth and last Prosecution Witness, PW9, Ape Sunday against the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan. The Commission is prosecuting Suswan alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia on amended 11-count charge, bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N3.1 billion (Three Billion, One Hundred Million) being part of the proceeds from the sale of the state government’s shares, held on its behalf by Benue Investment and Property Company Limited. During Wednesday proceedings, prosecuting counsel, A.O Atolagbe informed the court that the prosecution was presenting its ninth and the last of its witnesses, implying that it was closing its case with the testimony of the witness. The closing of its case with PW9 followed the inability of the 10th Prosecution Witness, PW10, Mrs Shiedu Awade to testify in court due to ill health. The Ninth Prosecution Witness, PW9, an investigator with the EFCC, while being led in evidence informed the court that PW10, a former cashier and executive officer of Benue Investment and property Ltd has been on admission in National Hospital, Abuja and that it was impossible for her to show up in court to testify due to the serious nature of her illness. In response to prosecution’s final presentation of witnesses, counsels to the first and second defendants C.E Ugbozor and Paul Erokoro, SAN, respectively informed the court that they will be filing “a no case submission” and requested that the judge grants them 14 days period to so, while prosecution counsel on his part requested the court to grant him 21days to enable him file his response to the defence’s “no case submission.” Justice Lifu adjourned the matter till June 24, 2025 for the adoption of the defence “no case submission.”

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Abuja Court Jails One for Internet Fraud

Fola Badmus03 mins

Justice A.I. Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Jabi Abuja, has convicted and sentenced Danji-Fari Ubadallah to two-months imprisonment for internet fraud. He was arraigned on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 on one-count charge bordering on internet fraud. The charge reads “That you, Danji-Fari Ubadallah sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated by personation when you created a Facebook account with the profile name Precious Rashel a United States of America citizen and under that assumed character obtained the sum of $50.00 (Fifty United States Dollars) from his victim one Rueben GI through a gift card and traded same with one Zhang Jie a Chinese citizen and received the Naira equivalent in your Opay account number 8100877271 under the false pretense that you are in a romantic relationship with him, a fact you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.” When the charge was read to him, he pleaded guilty to it, prompting prosecution counsel S.N. Robert to pray the judge to convict and sentence him. Justice Kutigi convicted and sentenced Ubadallah to two months in the Correctional Center with an option of N90, 000 (Ninety Thousand Naira) fine. The judge also ordered that the iPhone which was used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government. Ubadallah bagged the imprisonment when he was arrested for internet crime. He was charged to court and convicted.

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Egypt 2025: Zubairu Promises A More Composed Flying Eagles against South Africa

Fola Badmus06 mins

Aliyu Zubairu has assured that the Nigeria U20 squad will be even better when they take on South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in the city of Ismailia on Thursday evening. Pundits have praised the seven-time champions for dominating the tough quarter-final encounter against Senegal at the same venue on Monday, before sending the Cup holders out of the tournament after a 3-1 penalty shootout win. “I believe we are going to have a great semi-final against the South Africans. I can guarantee that our approach will be much better, as the anxiety of whether or not we will earn a FIFA World Cup ticket is no longer there. It was a tense 120 minutes for ourselves and the defending champions on Monday. “We have the World Cup ticket now and are quite happy. Against South Africa, we will play with great determination and composure, as we aim for the trophy, but without the tense atmosphere around the last match. Of course, we know the little matter of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and what the game means, and we will go in there to do a real battle,” Head Coach Zubairu said on Tuesday. The man who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win last year’s President Federation Cup competition believes his team has improved considerably since the first match against Tunisia on the first day of May. “We can all see that the team has improved, and actually getting better with each match. We will go all out against the South Africans.” Apart from their seven titles, Nigeria have also finished as runners-up on two occasions (1999 and 2007), and as bronze medallists on two other occasions as well (2009 and 2013). To set up a clash with the most-decorated team in the competition’s history, the Amajita had to also endure a 120-minute affray against the Democratic Republic of Congo, also at the same Suez Canal Authority Stadium where the Flying Eagles upended Senegal’s expectations. They won their own game 1-0 after extra time. Nigeria had collected four of her seven titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) before South Africa (isolated for decades) was assimilated back into global sport following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. Amajita’s first experience of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations was in 1997, and they finished as runners-up to hosts and winners Morocco. Nigeria did not qualify for the finals. Four years later, in Ethiopia, both Nigeria and South Africa finished bottom of their pool and exited at the group stage in what remains Nigeria’s worst outing ever in the history of the tournament. In 2009, Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-1 for bronze, and four years later defeated Mali by the same margin to also pick up the bronze medals in Algeria. As hosts in 2011, the Amajita crashed out at the group stage after winning one and losing two matches, while Nigeria roared to her sixth title with a 3-2 defeat of Cameroon in the final in Soweto. In 2015, Nigeria grabbed her seventh title in Senegal, while South Africa’s campaign ran into the sands in the group stage after losses to Ghana and Mali. Eight years ago, Nigeria didn’t qualify for the competition when South Africa finished in fourth place. In 2019, in Niger Republic, Nigeria defeated South Africa 5-3 after penalty shootout to win the bronze medals, after both teams had tied scoreless in a group phase encounter. In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time winners Egypt – conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana -will take on Morocco in Cairo.

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NWFL Confirms Sole Approval of ₦200,000 Best Goalkeeper of the Season Award Sponsorship

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has officially confirmed that the only approved sponsorship for the 2024/2025 season is the End-of-Season Best Goalkeeper Award, valued at ₦200,000, and sponsored by the Judith Chime Foundation. The award will be presented at the conclusion of the ongoing NWFL Premiership Super Six, which runs from May 9 to 17, 2025, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State. Following the review of a proposal from the Judith Chime Foundation, the NWFL approved only the goalkeeper award in accordance with its operational guidelines and commitment to professionalism. In a statement, the Chief Operating Officer of the NWFL, Ms. Modupe Shabi, expressed appreciation for the Foundation’s initiative while clarifying the league’s regulatory stance. “We sincerely appreciate the Judith Chime Foundation’s gesture in rewarding excellence among NWFL Premiership goalkeepers. However, it is important to state that only the ₦200,000 End-of-Season Best Goalkeeper Award has been formally approved for the 2024/2025 season,” Shabi said. She also commended Judith Chime, former Super Falcons goalkeeper, for her continued support for women’s football development in Nigeria. “Judith Chime has consistently demonstrated a deep passion for the women’s game. Her Foundation’s contribution reflects our shared goal of spotlighting talent and dedication within the league,” she added. To maintain the league’s standards and commercial framework, the NWFL COO emphasized that no other cash prizes or material donations have been sanctioned. “This decision is part of our commitment to protecting the integrity and value of the NWFL, especially as we continue to attract growing corporate and commercial interest,” Shabi stated. The NWFL remains open to well-structured, transparent partnerships that align with its vision for the sustainable growth of professional women’s football in Nigeria.

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