Author: News Room

In today’s volatile economic climate, saving money is no longer just a prudent habit—it is a strategic necessity.  The constantly rising living costs, inflationary pressures, and currency fluctuations have redefined what it means to be financially secure. The difference now lies not in whether people save, but in how they save. Reports from the National Bureau of Statistics highlight this shift, showing inflation in Nigeria climbing from 22.41 per cent in May 2023 to a peak of 34.80 per cent by late 2024. While temporary cooling occurred in early 2025, the overarching trend underscores a stark reality – cash that…

Renowned for building household brands to shaping Africa’s digital marketplace, Jiji Africa’s Head of Marketing and PR, Majolie Obaje, shares insights on innovation, consumer behaviour, leadership, AI, and the future of marketing in this interview with GODWIN AIKIGBE Can you walk us through your journey into marketing and public relations, and what motivated you to choose this career path? My entry into marketing and public relations was driven by a deep fascination with human behaviour and storytelling. I have always been intrigued by the “why” behind consumer choices, why people trust certain brands, what triggers loyalty, and how a well-crafted…

Colombian pop icon Shakira and Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy brought the Estadio Azteca to its feet on Thursday as the 2026 FIFA World Cup opened in Mexico City ahead of the tournament’s first match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, The PUNCH reports. The pair performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the tournament, in what was the highlight of a colourful opening ceremony that also featured performances from Mexican music royalty, including Alejandro Fernandez, Lila Downs and Belinda. Dancers twirled around a giant replica of the World Cup trophy as fireworks lit up the historic 80,000-capacity stadium, which…

Ikeja Senior High School, Lagos, has emerged winner of the second edition of the World No Tobacco Day Inter-School Debate Championship 2026, clinching the N200,000 top prize in a keenly contested competition that brought together schools across Nigeria. The grand finale of the championship, themed “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” was held on Thursday at Supreme Education Foundation Schools, Magodo GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. A total of 21 schools from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Enugu and Adamawa States featured through the preliminary stages, where each team was required to submit five-minute video entries showcasing their understanding of tobacco and…

Bitso is expanding its payments partnership with Ripple by bringing its Mexican peso-backed MXNB stablecoin onto the XRP Ledger, where it will be used alongside Ripple USD (RLUSD) to support enterprise cross-border settlement between the United States and Mexico.Mexico City-based Bitso said it will issue MXNB on the XRP Ledger where it will be integrated into Ripple’s Payments on DEX infrastructure and paired with RLUSD stablecoin for dollar- and peso-denominated settlement of enterprise payments.Money transfers between the US and Mexico comprise the single largest remittance corridor in the world, according to the US Federal Reserve. American goods and services trade…

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has three Super Bowl rings to his name and is on the fast track to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his popularity among fans seems to have taken a hit. After having the fourth-most-popular NFL jersey by total sales in 2023, the year he and Taylor Swift began dating, Kelce, 36, has fallen all the way out of the top 25 on the list of officially licensed NFL player products and merchandise sales for the 2025-26 season. According to data released by the NFL Players Association, Kelce had the 29th-most sales,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three men before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over an alleged attempt to fraudulently obtain N10 billion from Fidelity Bank Plc through forged documents and false representations. The defendants, Ibeh Emmanuel, Chidiebere Ihekoronye and Akubuo Chimuanya, were arraigned on Wednesday alongside Austen Peaks Aniekan, who is said to be currently at large. They were arraigned before Judge Olubusola Okunuga on a five charges of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery. According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired to obtain N10 billion from Fidelity…

The private sector is stepping up efforts to promote ethical leadership and responsible citizenship among young Nigerians, with a growing focus on embedding values such as integrity, accountability and social responsibility into the education system. The push was on display on Thursday at the grand finale of the 2026 Ethical Living Initiative Competition in Lagos, a youth-focused programme organised by the African Capital Alliance Foundation in partnership with Enactus Nigeria. The initiative brought together students from 40 secondary schools across the state after six weeks of ethics workshops and mentorship sessions. According to the organisers, the programme has engaged more…

A two-storey building under construction on Gospel Avenue, off Adesuwa Road, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, collapsed in the early hours of Thursday, raising fresh concerns over building standards and regulatory compliance in the state. A resident, Jonathan Bitrus, told PUNCH Metro that the structure caved in at about 2:00 a.m., attributing the collapse to a weak foundation that was incapable of supporting a two-storey building. According to him, a major tragedy was averted because no workers were on site when the incident occurred. “The building collapsed at about 2:00 a.m. or 2:15 a.m. on Thursday. I…

For many years, Nigeria had its troubles, but kidnapping was not the defining feature of our national life. Our country wrestled with military coups, communal clashes, armed robberies, and periodic ethno-religious violence. Travelling from Lagos to Kano, Enugu to Sokoto, or Ibadan to Maiduguri carried risks, but the average Nigerian did not routinely fear being seized and held for ransom. Highway robbers were dreaded, and road accidents were common. However, kidnapping had not evolved into the sprawling criminal economy that now casts a shadow over everyday existence. That reality began to change with the rise of Boko Haram. Founded in…