Author: News Room

Rabiu Umar, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency by President Tinubu to run the three-in-one agency effectively, efficiently and unblemishly in line with global best practices and as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, is a “square peg in a square hole”. NMDPRA was birthed from the merger of three oil regulatory bodies, namely the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board and the Midstream Downstream Divisions of the Department of Petroleum Resources. These are separate regulatory, supervisory and technical bodies from the unbundled Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation,…

Presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, on Wednesday, said Nigeria needs a competent and unifying leader to confront the country’s mounting economic and security challenges ahead of the 2027 general election. Hayatu-Deen spoke in Abuja shortly after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the presidential primary of the ADC. Addressing journalists after the submission, the former banker and economist said the country could no longer afford divisive leadership, stressing that competence and national cohesion must define the next presidency. He said, “What is required here is competence and distinction in…

The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said the group rejected requests by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to increase its 7.25 per cent stake in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Dangote stated this in an interview with the Chief Executive Officer of the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, Nicolai Tangen. The interview was monitored by one of our correspondents on Wednesday. This came as findings by The PUNCH showed that petrol supply from the $20bn Lekki-based refinery rose to 3.18 billion litres in the first quarter of 2026, while imports fell sharply to 965.52 million litres. Further…

Lionel Messi scored twice and had a hand in two others as Inter Miami fought back to beat FC Cincinnati 5-3 away in the MLS on Wednesday. With the World Cup in North America less than a month away, Argentina captain Messi is in excellent form. He has 11 goals in 12 MLS matches this season, Miami’s latest victory boosting them into second place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points. Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a fortuitous rebound off a poor clearance by Matt Miazga. It was 1-1 at half-time after Kevin Denkey’s 41st-minute penalty,…

Bitcoin company Nakamoto saw a 500% quarter-on-quarter increase in Q1 revenue after completing two key strategic acquisitions in February aimed at expanding its footprint across the Bitcoin ecosystem. Despite recording a $238.8 million net loss, Nakamoto CEO David Bailey said Wednesday that Q1 “marked a transformational period” for the company as it closed the acquisitions of Bitcoin-focused news outlet BTC Inc. and Bitcoin-focused investment platform UTXO Management.More than $1.1 million of Nakamoto’s revenue came from its new Bitcoin treasury and derivatives strategy, $800,000 from its media business, $500,000 from healthcare operations and $200,000 from asset management services. Source: NakamotoNakamoto attributed the bulk…

Aaron Carter’s ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, has reached a settlement in her wrongful death lawsuit for the pop star. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, a motion for a determination of good faith was filed on Tuesday, May 12.. The agreement was made in April between Martin, a mental health clinic and a psychiatrist. The group attempted mediation the month prior but did not reach an agreement at that time. “This motion is made on the ground that the subject settlement was entered into in good faith and … in that it was the result of arms-length negotiations between…

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has announced that the federal government will officially relaunch its free satellite television service on 17 June in Abuja. Mr Idris disclosed this while addressing journalists after inspecting the facility located around the headquarters of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja on Wednesday. The free satellite television project was first launched in January 2019 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. At the time, the project was celebrated with a colourful ceremony led by the then Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in Kpaduma III,…

Suspected kidnappers have reportedly killed two customs officers during confrontation with suspected bandits, known as Lakurawa terrorists, in Kebbi State. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, while disclosing this at the fourth biennial international conference organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, said the incident occurred on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in a broad daylight. He Identified the slain operatives as Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Bamigboye and Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Dom, adding that the attackers reportedly invaded two security check points in the Bagudu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The Customs chief described the…

A former banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has become the first presidential hopeful of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to formally submit completed nomination forms ahead of the party’s presidential primary. The nomination forms were submitted in Abuja on Wednesday evening, further strengthening Hayatu-Deen’s early positioning in the contest after previously emerging as the first aspirant to obtain the party’s expression of interest and nomination documents. Addressing supporters shortly after the submission, Hayatu-Deen said his presidential ambition would focus on tackling Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, creating employment opportunities and restoring security across the country. According to him, his administration would…

Celtic captain, Callum McGregor has showered encomium on Kelechi Iheanacho after the striker netted the decisive goal in Wednesday night’s crucial victory over Motherwell. Martin O’Neill’s side came off the bench to score from the penalty spot in stoppage time to help the Hoops secured a 3-2 win. It was the third time the Nigeria international has scored a decisive goal as a substitute for the Hoops this year. The goal was Iheanacho’s eighth across all competitions for Celtic.  McGregor praised the striker for stepping in to take  the crucial penalty. ”He’s a big personality, a big player who steps up in…