Author: News Room

The World Crafts Council has honoured Olusegun Runsewe with the Icon of Crafts, Culture and Hospitality in Africa award for his contributions to arts and culture development. The award was presented during the second World Crafts Forum held in Kuwait from Feb 1 to 3. In an award letter, the council praised Runsewe’s unwavering commitment to preserving, promoting, and sustaining handicrafts across Africa. The letter, signed by the council’s president, Sa’ad al-Qaddumi, also commended his efforts in empowering craft communities and advancing cultural heritage. The council noted that Runsewe’s work aligns strongly with its mission to promote arts, crafts, and…

Nine years ago, I wrote that Adams Oshiomhole could be Nigeria’s wildcard, a rare figure who might carry the insurgent moral energy of labour into the antiseptic corridors of power and still keep his hands clean. In that piece, I warned that politics can be an illness: the way a man can catch a fever he does not recognise until the heat has rewritten his character. I called it Adams’ Fever, an ailment that “assaults below the soil to kill or cure.” Today, the fever has found a new costume: AI. A viral video shows a man resembling Senator Oshiomhole…

As President Bola Tinubu returns from his latest foreign engagement in Türkiye, STEPHEN ANGBULU examines his travels since he assumed office 33 months ago President Bola Tinubu’s foreign trips have continued to spark reactions from the public, especially his recent international engagements. Every president since the inception of the Fourth Republic has embarked on foreign trips, either for official assignments or holidays. On the evening of December 19, 2021, then-President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Abuja after a three-day official visit to Türkiye for the third Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul. In October of that year, Buhari received Turkish President, Recep…

Nigeria’s fintech sector, one of Africa’s fastest-growing, remains heavily dependent on foreign investment, exposing it to swings in global markets, the Central Bank of Nigeria said in its 2025 Fintech Policy Insight Report. Startups in the country raised $520m in equity funding in 2024, down from about $747m in 2019, when Nigeria captured roughly 37 per cent of all African startup investment. The report said the sector has shown resilience despite global economic pressures, but warned that reliance on external capital leaves it vulnerable to market fluctuations. This performance, amid significant global macroeconomic gyrations, underscores Nigeria’s position as a key…

A leader of a “cult-like” religious group accused of murder claimed that God spoke directly through her, according to a former congregation member. On Thursday, February 5, Kelli Byrd appeared in court to testify against Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin, who previously served in a leadership position at His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. While the church was founded in Tennessee in the late ‘90s, the congregation moved to the San Bernardino County area in Southern California in 2000, where the group remained for more than 20 years. In her testimony, Byrd stated Martin had told churchgoers she had the “gift of…

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday led a Federal Government delegation to Kwara State to commiserate with residents of Nuku and Woro communities in Kaiama Local Government Area following recent terrorist attacks that claimed several lives. During the visit, the Vice President reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to restore peace and stability to the affected areas, assuring residents that decisive security measures had already been taken. He disclosed that a battalion of the Nigerian Army had been deployed to Kaiama as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate insecurity across the state. “We are here at the behest of President Bola…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike on Saturday rained curses on politicians he perceived as backing those betraying him. The minister spoke while commissioning the Rivers State chapter of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ office in Port Harcourt. He said senators and members of the House of Representatives supporting the betrayal will also be betrayed in due course. According to him, when such politicians will receive their own portion of the betrayal, they “will collapse and go”. Wike said, “Whether you are a senator, House of Reps member, minister or governor, and you support betrayals, people will continue…

Barcelona thrashed Mallorca 3-0 on Saturday, to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga table to four points. Vedat Muriqi came close early in the game, but his effort hit the side netting. Joan Garcia also saved Jan Virgili’s effort to keep Barca in the game. They eventually took the lead after Dani Olmo knocked Marcus Rashford’s rebound to Robert Lewandowski to finish in the 29th minute. Barcelona doubled their lead in the second half, as Lamine Yamal fired an unstoppable shot past Leo Roman. Marc Bernal rounded off scoring for the hosts. Real Madrid have the chance to…

The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigerian creators generate between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces of original content daily across more than 60 digital platforms, reaching a combined global audience of over three billion people annually. The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Obi Asika, made the disclosure on Saturday in Abuja while speaking at a symposium titled “Art, AI and the Human Questions.” Asika said the figures underscored Nigeria’s growing influence in the global creative space and the need for deliberate policies to ensure creators retain ownership and value from their work, particularly…

The Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that supporters of President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State do not require the backing of a sitting governor to mobilise for the president’s re-election bid in 2027. Wike made the statement on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the commissioning of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors headquarters, which houses Majority FM 89.5, a situation room, office facilities and operational buses. Speaking at the event, the minister praised the coordinator of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, for what he described as extensive grassroots mobilisation across the state. He…