Author: News Room

For all of Nigeria’s pedigree and power, AFCON has always been a tournament that leaves space for belief. And on Tuesday night in Fez, Tanzania, will step onto that familiar African stage, carrying little else but belief and a dream they insist is still alive. The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 clash between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Tanzania’s Taifa Stars is, on paper, a one-sided affair. Three-time African champions against a side still searching for its first-ever AFCON victory. Giants versus hopefuls. History versus hunger. Yet Tanzania head coach Miguel Gamondi insists the past does not have to dictate the…

Abia State Governor,  Alex Otti, on Monday, performed the switch-on ceremony to restore electricity to 33 communities in Ukwa West LGA of the State, ending nine years of power blackout. The proj‌ect was executed by the Abia State government through Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ASOPADEC. Performing the Power Switch-On ceremony at Obehie, Governor Otti said the realization of the project was in line with his determination to change the ugly condition of the oil-rich communities who had suffered untold  neglect in the past. Governor Otti called on the people of Ukwa to protect the electric facilities and…

The Kano State Police Command has rescued a man from angry mob after an alleged blasphemy incident at a hotel in the Badawa area of Kano metropolis. Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident happened at about 9:45 p.m. on December 21 at Sarina Hotel, located in Badawa Quarters. According to the sources, the police received a distress call reporting that three men,Musa Tasiu, Awwal Ibrahim and Soja Snu, all from Dorayi Quarters, had gone to the hotel to smoke shisha. One of the sources said that Musa Tasiu allegedly entered the hotel mosque, broke the glass door, picked a…

Manchester United and England legend, Wayne Rooney, has sent a Premier League title warning to Arsenal and Manchester City. He warned that both clubs in the first and second position in the league table should be looking above their shoulders because of Liverpool. The 2024-25 season was won by Liverpool, with Arsenal coming second and Manchester City third. Chelsea finished 4th last season. But now, Arsenal are two points better than Manchester City going into the Christmas period, while Liverpool appear to have found their form again. Arne Slot’s team are now six games unbeaten since losing 4-1 to PSV…

Residents of Borno State are expressing confusion following the unveiling of 3,000 electric bikes by President Bola Tinubu, even as the state maintains its ongoing ban on motorcycle use. During a state visit on Saturday, President Tinubu inaugurated a fleet of electric vehicles that included 3,000 bikes, 500 tricycles, 100 cars, and 20 42-seater buses. Speaking at the event, the President praised Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, and the people of the state, highlighting the initiative’s potential to improve mobility, especially in rural communities. “The electric vehicles, tricycles, and the thousands of charging terminals ease the problems of mobility and…

The Nigeria Police Force has released Adenike Atanda, wife of a senior investigative reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), following her reported detention alongside her nine-month-old baby in the Owutu area of Ikorodu, Lagos State. FIJ reported that Adenike and the infant were released on Monday evening, shortly after police operatives arrested her husband, Sodeeq Atanda, a senior reporter with the organisation, who was later released. According to FIJ, Adenike and the baby were earlier taken to a police station in Owutu, where they were held for several hours before officers allegedly asked her to contact her husband.…

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has called on the people of Rivers State to rally behind the ruling party and support President Bola Tinubu and Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the 2027 general elections. Basiru also praised Fubara for what he described as commendable governance strides and quality project delivery. PUNCH Online reports that the prospect of Fubara seeking a second term has remained contentious following the political crisis in the state, which was triggered by a rift between the governor and his predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Following…

FirstBank has announced Professor Kenneth Amaeshi as the first occupier of the FirstBank Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair of Business Ethics at the University of Lagos. The announcement was made in a statement on Monday. The FirstBank Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair of Business Ethics is an academic position at UNILAG, instituted in 1994 as part of the FirstBank Education Endowment programme in honour of Samuel Asabia, the first indigenous Managing Director of the bank. The endowment programme was designed to fund and promote high-level research and learning projects in federal universities, selected around the six geographical regions of the country. The…

Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi says the Super Eagles cannot afford to fall below the level they set at the last Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare to open their 2025 campaign against Tanzania in Fez on Tuesday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Speaking ahead of the Group C opener, Ndidi stressed that the experience of finishing runners-up in Ivory Coast has raised expectations within the squad and sharpened their focus as they seek to go one step further in Morocco. Nigeria reached the final of the 2023 tournament before losing to hosts Ivory Coast, extending their wait for a…

Microsoft says it is expanding its digital and artificial intelligence skills programmes in Nigeria, with hundreds of thousands of Nigerians already engaged across student, developer and public sector training initiatives. The Director for Government Affairs at Microsoft for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, disclosed this at a media roundtable in Lagos on Tuesday. Ujam said the milestone underscored Nigeria’s commitment to thriving in the digital economy. She added that recent figures showed that 350,000 individuals had been actively engaged in Microsoft’s specialised students’ programmes, with 63,000 completing specific training pathways and 43,000 receiving global certification. Ujam also announced plans to train…