Author: News Room

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has said the Akwa Ibom State Government plans to train a total of 31,000 youths annually through Arise Youth Skill Centres proposed across the state’s 31 local government areas. Mr Eno stated this on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Arise Youth Skill Centre in Oron Local Government Area, describing the initiative as part of efforts to decentralise youth empowerment and bring skills acquisition programmes closer to people at the grassroots. This initiative follows the training of 3,000 Akwa Ibom youths in 2021 under the “Ibom 3000 projects” by the previous administration…

The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) on Wednesday welcomed the Republic of Congo as its 45th member. The development followed the signing of the instrument of accession by Ludovic Itoua, Directeur Général des Impôts et des Domaines, and its receipt by the ATAF Executive Secretary, Mary Baine, at a ceremony held in Brazzaville. ATAF said the Republic of Congo’s accession marks a significant milestone in ATAF’s mission to strengthen tax cooperation and domestic resource mobilisation across the African continent. Welcoming the Republic of Congo, Ms Baine remarked: “ATAF is honoured to welcome the Republic of Congo as our 45th member.…

Nigerian entrepreneur and socialite, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, has opened up on his fallout with singer Burna Boy, alleging that the music star publicly attacked him because of his close relationship with Davido. Speaking during an interview on The Beat 99.9 FM on Wednesday, Cubana Chief Priest said his journey to success began from apprenticeship and years of hard work, adding that fame and financial growth often attract envy and criticism. “Success comes with a lot of hate. I started my journey from apprenticeship and service and I learnt so much about growth and perseverance. When…

The opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged Nigerians not to give up hope despite worsening economic hardship and insecurity across the country as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Kabir. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the Sallah season comes at a particularly difficult time for many citizens struggling with rising food prices, unemployment and uncertainty about the future. The party, however, said Nigerians must continue to believe in the possibility of a better country. “We believe deeply that beyond the hardship and frustration of this moment lies the possibility of…

The Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, has dismantled a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in motorcycle theft operations across Lagos and Ogun states, leading to the arrest of three suspected members during a coordinated raid. The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, and signed by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Gbenga Afolayan. According to Jimoh, operatives also recovered five suspected stolen motorcycles during the operation. The AIG explained that the breakthrough followed an extensive investigation into the activities of a notorious gang known for…

Real Madrid winger, Vinicius Junior, has hailed his teammate Kylian Mbappe ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. The Brazilian said Mbappe is a legend in football, adding that he has left his mark on the history of the game. In a recent interview with Cazé TV, Vinicius said of Mbappe, “He’s really a very good person.  “Brazilian fans have that impression of him, but actually, whenever we have the chance, we hang out off the field like friends. “He is a great player. He has already won the World Cup final and scored three goals in the final. …

President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies and relevant ministries to strengthen protection measures for schools located in high-risk areas across the country. Tinubu gave the directive in his message marking the 2026 Children’s Day celebration on Wednesday, PUNCH Online reports. The President said the government would intensify coordinated rescue efforts for abducted children and vulnerable citizens, particularly those recently kidnapped in Oyo State and Borno State. “As we mark this special day, which coincides with Eid-el-Kabir, some Nigerian children and their teachers in Oyo and Borno should be with their families, but are being held captive by criminals. “To…

Some governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State have rejected the emergence of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa-Ali Pantami, as the party’s governorship candidate, alleging that due process was not followed in the exercise that produced him as the flagbearer. The aggrieved aspirants, who spoke separately on Tuesday, accused the party leadership of sidelining aspirants who had earlier purchased nomination forms, undergone screening and were cleared for the primary election. One of the aspirants, Abdulkadir Saleh, said he fulfilled all requirements laid down by the party before the process was allegedly altered. “To my…

Former Nigeria national U-17 football team player Victor Udoh has tragically died at the age of 21, just days after opening his clothing brand store in Abuja, The PUNCH reports. Udoh’s death was confirmed by his former clubs, Southampton F.C. and Royal Antwerp F.C., who both paid tribute to the player following multiple reports of his passing. Udoh was reportedly found dead in his Abuja apartment on Tuesday morning after spending Monday night with friends. Although unconfirmed reports suggested food poisoning as a possible cause of death, authorities had yet to officially verify the circumstances surrounding his death as of…

After a flood of complaints about the Google Health app that just replaced Fitbit, Google has responded with a list of changes that will roll out starting this week.Google is addressing some of the biggest complaints users had, like the Today dashboard that can only show users’ chosen health metrics in the top half of the screen. Soon, Google says it will “make it easier to customize your Today and Health dashboards so you can more easily re-arrange metrics within them or add or remove metrics.”Google Health is also adding some missing features and quality-of-life improvements, like custom food viewing,…