Author: News Room
Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has backed Nigeria to go all the way at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the team have what it takes to reclaim the continental title for the first time since 2013, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Speaking on the X page of his The Obi One Podcast on Tuesday, Mikel expressed strong belief in the current squad’s chances, declaring that Nigeria would emerge champions. “How far do you think Nigeria will go? For me, I think we are going all the way and this time, we are winning it,” he said. Mikel’s comments…
Nigerian payment scheme Payattitude and PAPSSCARD, the card initiative of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, have announced a strategic partnership to issue co-branded cards across Africa and beyond. The collaboration will allow Payattitude cards, issued by banks and other deposit-taking institutions, to be co-branded with PAPSSCARD, Discover, Diners, and Pulse networks, enabling seamless transactions across Nigeria, the African continent, and worldwide. The move is aimed at facilitating real-time, secure cross-border payments in local currencies, supporting trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. PAPSS, an Afreximbank initiative, provides the financial infrastructure to simplify payments and settlement across Africa. Director…
Bitcoin came just shy of hitting a milestone six figures when inflation is factored in, despite the cryptocurrency hitting an all-time peak of above $126,000 in October, says Galaxy head of research Alex Thorn.“If you adjust the price of Bitcoin for inflation using 2020 dollars, BTC never crossed $100,000,” Thorn said on Tuesday.“It actually topped at $99,848 in 2020 dollar terms, if you can believe it.”Thorn said his adjusted price high for Bitcoin (BTC) accounted for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) decline in purchasing power incrementally across every inflation print from 2020 to today.CPI measures inflation via the prices of…
The famous Scottish TikToker known as Epic Gamer Grandma has died after a months-long hospitalization. She was 78. The late influencer, whose real name is Agnes, died on Sunday, December 21, her grandson, Culsans, confirmed via her TikTok page on Tuesday, December 23. Culsans revealed that Agnes died while “holding the hand of her daughter, Pauline.” “She left this world the way she lived in it: surrounded by love,” he added. “We watched the strongest woman we know slowly lose her words, and now that she’s gone we are drowning in all the things we never got to say back.”…
The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), said point-of-sale (POS) operators are facilitating ransom payments meant for terrorists and other criminal networks. The National Coordinator of the Centre, Adamu Laka, disclosed this on Tuesday during an end-of-the-year media parley in Abuja. Mr Laka, a major general in the Nigerian Army, said this amid the resurgence of kidnapping-for-ransom. Terror groups have recently stepped up attacks in northern Nigeria, kidnapping soft targets such as schoolchildren and worshippers. In November, Nigeria recorded two separate school abductions in Kebbi and Niger states. However, the captives were…
The United States of America has been the world’s only superpower since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet empire by the dawn of the 1990s. Also, the US is the largest economy in the world, notwithstanding the economic surge of China in recent decades. Most crucially, America boasts the strongest military in the world today. Like it or not, the US calls the shots in global governance! Given its global preeminence, the US is respected, if not feared, all over the world, even by its fiercest adversaries. As…
No fewer than 10 persons have been killed in a road crash along the Jos–Bauchi Road in Plateau State. PUNCH Metro learnt that the accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, around 12:12 a.m., and involved four vehicles: two trailers and two Ford Galaxy minibuses. Eyewitnesses said 10 people died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries and were evacuated to hospitals for treatment. Confirming the incident, the Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Plateau State, Peter Longsan, said 10 adult men lost their lives in the crash. In a statement, the FRSC…
Organised labour has called on state governments and local government authorities to take greater responsibility for tackling Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, warning that the failure to act decisively is draining household incomes and restricting citizens’ freedom of movement. The call follows nationwide protests staged last week by labour unions and civil society groups in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country to draw attention to rising kidnappings, banditry and violent crime, which labour leaders say have become a permanent feature of daily life in many communities. Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos Chapter, Comrade Funmi Sessi, said insecurity had…
Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson scored a brace on Tuesday to inspire the Teranga Lions to a comfortable 3–0 win over Botswana in Group D of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, taking an early lead in the tournament’s Golden Boot race, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The goals marked Jackson’s first competitive international brace, as the 2021 champions began their AFCON campaign in emphatic fashion in Tangier. Senegal started on the front foot and were close to taking an early lead on several occasions, but Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko produced a series of fine saves to deny Jackson, Sadio…
Nikon has officially launched its highly anticipated ZR cinema camera in Lagos, describing the device as a revolutionary leap in accessibility, creativity, and technological capability for filmmakers, content creators, and visual storytellers across Africa. The unveiling, held before a full house of industry professionals last Thursday, featured live screenings and technical demonstrations that underscored the company’s renewed commitment to Africa’s growing creative economy. Nikon representatives said Nigeria was chosen as a launch destination because it is “not just a market but a boundless source of inspiration,” citing the vibrancy of Lagos, the global rise of Afrobeats, and the enduring strength…
