Author: News Room

Nigeria’s crude oil production topped its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota in May, reaching its pinnacle in 15 months and cementing its position as Africa’s leading oil producer. Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed the country produced an average of 1.53 million barrels of crude oil per day (bpd) during the month. With a condensate production of 170,446 bpd included, the commission put Nigeria’s average total hydrocarbon output at 1.7 million bpd. “Nigeria’s oil production witnessed an upswing in May 2026, averaging 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day,…

Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, days after he was denied the opportunity to participate in the FIFA World Cup in the United States. UEFA announced on Thursday that Artan will take charge of the season-opening European showpiece between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on 12 August. The appointment comes after consultations between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is being viewed as a significant recognition of Artan’s standing among the world’s leading match officials. Artan, who…

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund has approved 174 research grants valued at N7.5bn under the 2025 National Research Fund grant cycle as part of efforts to strengthen research and innovation in the tertiary institutions. The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, announced the approval on Thursday, during a press conference in Abuja, saying the Federal Government was increasing support for research and development as a catalyst for economic transformation, job creation and national development. Echono said research remained critical to unlocking Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources and driving innovation across key sectors of the economy. “We believe strongly that…

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of a high-profile terrorist commander, Mohammed Khalifa and the surrender of two senior Islamic State West Africa Province commanders, Ismail Mohammed and Abu Umar, to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State. The Acting Media Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Haruna Sani, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. According to Sani, the two commanders surrendered to troops on June 8, 2026, in the Mangari axis of the Lake Chad region, where they held strategic positions within the terrorist organisation. Sani said, “Operation Hadin…

The Federal Government on Wednesday launched Rev360, a digital tax administration platform designed to improve tax compliance, simplify taxpayer interactions and strengthen revenue collection as part of ongoing reforms to modernise Nigeria’s tax system. The platform was unveiled at the headquarters of the Nigeria Revenue Service in Abuja during an event attended by senior government officials, development partners, professional bodies, business associations, tax consultants and taxpayers. Representing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) in the ministry, Mohammed Danjuma, described the platform as a major step in the modernisation…

The United States has denied visas to Ivory Coast-based supporters planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the president of the country’s national supporters’ committee. Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters, said the decision had forced many fans to cancel their travel plans for the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday. The World Cup build-up has been overshadowed by concerns over US visa policies affecting several participants and officials. Earlier this week, Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly denied entry, while some members of the Iranian national team’s support staff were also…

Nollywood actor Stan Nze has condemned the reported theft of several mobile phones during the service of songs held in honour of late actor Alexx Ekubo, saying the incident reflects a deeper crisis of values among Nigerians. The Nigerian entertainment industry gathered on Wednesday to pay tribute to Ekubo, who died on May 11, 2026, after a battle with kidney cancer. However, reports of missing phones at the event sparked controversy on social media, with some attendees confirming that their devices were stolen. Speaking in a video posted after the ceremony on Thursday, Nze, who hosted the event, revealed that…

A member of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Umar Faruk-Lawal, has said the Federal Government’s student loan programme is helping to break financial barriers that have long prevented many Nigerians from accessing higher education. This is as he disclosed that over N206bn has been paid by NELFUND to institutions and students in two years. Lawal, who represents students on the agency’s board, said the scheme introduced by President Bola Tinubu was already transforming lives by enabling students from low-income backgrounds to pursue tertiary education without the burden of tuition fees and other educational expenses. Speaking with journalists…

Congress has failed to pass a three-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), with the House voting 218-198 against reauthorizing the controversial warrantless wiretapping authority through July 2nd. After a short-term extension earlier this year, the spying program now appears set to lapse for at least a week. This is the nightmare scenario FISA’s proponents have been warning about — but it doesn’t actually mean the US has lost its surveillance capabilities.Proponents of a clean extension claim a lapse will hinder intelligence agencies’ efforts to thwart potential terrorist attacks, with surveillance networks “going dark.” Sen.…

Cross-border payout platform MassPay and Coinbase announced a partnership on Thursday to offer stablecoin cross-border payouts.The partnership connects MassPay’s network in 180 countries with the US-based exchange’s crypto infrastructure, allowing customers to move between fiat, USDC and other digital assets, the companies said in a joint statement shared with Cointelegraph.MassPay CEO Ran Grushkowsky told Cointelegraph that stablecoins are still a small slice of the company’s transaction volume. Still, the company expects the new rails to support nine-figure payouts in the first year. He added that clients using the system have seen costs fall by about 40% to 70% versus international…