Author: News Room

First HoldCo has reported a full-year profit of N44.98bn for the 2025 financial year, representing a 93.4 per cent decline from the N677.01bn profit recorded in 2024, even as the financial services group slipped into a loss of N405.89bn in the fourth quarter. The group’s audited results for the year ended 31 December 2025 showed that profit attributable to owners of the parent fell to N38.04bn, down 94.3 per cent from N670.80bn in the previous year. Recall that the Group Chairman of First Bank Holdings, Femi Otedola, defended the company’s decision to take a one-time charge of N748bn to clear…

Former Super Eagles assistant coach Sylvanus Okpala has warned that Nigeria will continue to miss World Cup qualification unless the Nigeria Football Federation appoints Nigerian coaches to lead the team, The PUNCH reports. Okpala, who was part of the coaching crew that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under Stephen Keshi, believes only Nigerian coaches can solve the Super Eagles’ problems. “Nigerian coaches are the ones to solve Super Eagles coaching problems, and I have said that times without number for the last five years or so, but it went on deaf ear,” Okpala said. “If we don’t listen…

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.It’s been a rough couple of days for gamers who also love to binge their favorite TV shows with their consoles: At the beginning of the week, Netflix began informing PlayStation 3 owners with an onscreen message that it would discontinue support for its PS3 app after March 2nd. And today, Hulu is pulling the plug on its app for Nintendo’s original Switch.Netflix’s decision to discontinue its PS3 app, which was first spotted by multiple Reddit…

Crypto exchange Gemini announced its exit from the United Kingdom, European Union and Australia markets on Thursday, as the company slashed its workforce by 25%. Gemini cited artificial intelligence automating labor and making engineers “100x” more efficient, and a more challenging business environment in the UK, EU and Australia, as reasons for the exit, according to Thursday’s announcement: “These foreign markets have proven hard to win in for various reasons, and we find ourselves stretched thin with a level of organizational and operational complexity that drives our cost structure up and slows us down.“We don’t have the demand in these regions to…

Melinda French Gates isn’t quite ready to forgive ex-husband Bill Gates following their messy divorce — and his name being included in the Epstein files. “That’s a work in progress,” Melinda, 61, shared during the Thursday, February 5, episode of NPR’s “Wild Card with Rachel Martin” podcast. “I think I’m getting there.” Melinda didn’t share any further details about the topic, explaining that she was “going to keep that one to myself” for now. Melinda, however, did say that she’s good at forgiving in general. “I’ve learned that forgiveness can take a long time, and you can’t rush it,” she…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the State Security Services (SSS) to investigate a court registrar, Nasiru Zubairu, and the second defendant, Daudu Sulaiman, over alleged tampering with evidence in an ongoing N10 billion fraud trial. The order followed a disclosure by the judge, James Omotosho, that the registrar allegedly confessed to him that Mr Sulaiman approached him to delete certain WhatsApp messages from a mobile phone admitted as Exhibits N and O in the case. In his ruling on Thursday, the judge played what he described as the registrar’s confession in…

Experts and top government officials have offered insights on how Nigeria can convert its gas reserves into reliable electricity supply and broad-based economic growth. This conversation comes against the backdrop of the recently launched Gas Master Plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), which seeks to reset the country’s gas development trajectory Speaking at a session themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Gas Advantage for Power, Industry and Growth,” the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Saidu Mohammed, described Nigeria’s gas market as one of enormous potential but limited economic impact. “Nigeria was…

Mali Disregard for democratic values that might have concerned the US in a former life is no longer an issue. In the current dispensation, if it’s not critical minerals – which the Sahelian states have in abundance – or the promise of a nice piece of real estate, forget it. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – three rogue states that have formed an Alliance of Sahelian States (AES) to resist external pressure from ECOWAS on military rule – have just won the biggest diplomatic jackpot beyond their wildest imagination. Not even a sorcerer would have guessed that, as a reward…

The 11th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, scheduled for 14 February, is expected to feature fresh additions as organisers introduce changes aimed at improving runner experience and expanding participation at one of Africa’s flagship road race. Beyond the new route earlier announced by organisers, a key sponsor of the World Athletics Gold Label event has introduced a new group-focused initiative tagged “Run am with your Padi,” adding a social and participatory layer to the 2026 race. Seven-Up Bottling Company will again be involved in the Lagos marathon, with Aquafina taking a leading role among the company’s brands at this year’s…

Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, faced fresh judicial warning on Thursday, as Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Asokoro, threatened to revoke his bail over repeated delays in his trial. The warning followed the defence’s attempt to secure an adjournment based on a hospital referral that did not indicate any ill health. Justice Kutigi expressed frustration at the prolonged nature of the trial, noting that the proceedings had been stalled for nearly four years due to the defendant’s “diverse antics.” He stressed that despite numerous opportunities to respond to…