Author: News Room
The family of the late veteran Nollywood actor and theatre academic, Gabriel Adekola Benedict Oyewo—widely known as Kola Oyewo—has announced the funeral arrangements for the icon, who passed away on 12 June at the age of 80. The three-day programme will be held from 5 to 7 August in Ile-Ife and Oba-Ile, Osun State. Mr Oyewo was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading theatre practitioners, boasting a distinguished career that spanned more than six decades across stage, film, and academia. Funeral schedule According to a statement signed by his eldest son, Adewale Christopher Oyewo, the proceedings will commence on…
Nigeria’s quest for a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title suffered an early setback on Tuesday after the Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by tournament debutants Malawi in their Group C opener at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. The result ranks among the biggest upsets in the history of the competition, with Malawi recording their first-ever victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in their maiden appearance. The Super Falcons, who arrived in Morocco as defending champions after winning the 2024 title, dominated the early exchanges and created several scoring opportunities but failed to…
The Central Bank of Nigeria uncovered foreign exchange regulatory breaches by some authorised dealers after conducting a routine examination of 34 institutions, according to its 2025 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts. The review, which covered activities between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, assessed compliance with FX regulations, monitored the use of FX for eligible transactions and tracked FX flows from key sources. Although the report said most authorised dealers complied with existing rules, it noted that the exercise identified a number of infractions for which sanctions were recommended. The FX assessment formed part of the apex bank’s…
Neither artificial nor intelligent. I am not by any means an expert at finance but I think I do now have some advice for people who are: Do not name your hedge fund anything that will be hilarious if it blows up. Don’t use a name like “Long-Term Capital Management” or “Amaranth Advisors” (named for the floral symbol for immortality). Certainly do not call yourself “Situational Awareness,” which might as well just be “Hubris, Inc.” Anyway, Situational Awareness, the hedge fund started by a 24-year-old former OpenAI employee that focuses on artificial intelligence bets, has sold most or all, depending…
The US Treasury has sanctioned two Iranian maritime firms involved in an alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-backed insurance network, saying one accepted Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets to bypass Western sanctions. On Wednesday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority were integral to what it described as an IRGC-backed insurance network that required commercial vessels to buy approved coverage before transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The firms were designated as operating in Iran’s financial sector.The action comes after earlier reports that Iran was considering a Bitcoin-based…
Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith Jr. died on Wednesday, July 29, following a bout with what his family called CTE-caused dementia. He was 64. “It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of our beloved Billy Ray Smith Jr., who passed away peacefully surrounded by family,” read a statement from his family, shared with the Associated Press. “Billy Ray faced his long journey with dementia caused by CTE with unmatched bravery, dignity, and strength. Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend.”…
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the abduction of pupils and teachers from Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area in May this year. The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Governor Makinde has publicly expressed uncertainties about the circumstances of the abduction, and, at a time, read political undertone into the incident. Hours after the victims were freed on 10 July, Mr Mkinde said the abduction of pupils and teachers occurred just…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says currency in circulation (CIC) rose to N5.73 trillion in 2025 from N5.44 trillion in 2024, attributing the increase to a faster pace of economic activity and rising demand for cash. This was disclosed in the apex bank’s 2025 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, which also showed that the bank significantly increased the volume of banknotes approved for printing during the year. According to the report, CBN approved a currency indent of 5.71 billion pieces across various denominations for 2025, representing a 20.5 per cent increase from the 4.74 billion pieces approved in…
The choice of an African world allows for the complexity of perspectives and the inevitable process of effective disagreement needed to establish new ways of interacting, both positively and negatively, in our world. Afrilition does not insist on African unity but recognises cooperation as a critical process and part of enlightened self-interest. There has never been one Africa, even in the pre-colonial world, and today we are still prisoners of the mental model that reduced African nations into tribes. Afrilition: 21st-century African Manifesto is nothing if it is not about the evolution of the African character. To make good on…
Grace* spent years protecting two things: her health and a secret she never wanted exposed. Every few months, a community health worker discreetly delivered her antiretroviral medicines to her home in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The arrangement allowed the bank worker to remain healthy without risking the questions that might follow if neighbours, customers, colleagues or fellow worshippers saw her entering an HIV treatment clinic. That routine ended in February 2025. Following international funding cuts that forced community drug delivery programmes to shut down, Grace had only one option: collect her medication herself from a treatment facility. Someone recognised her…
