News Rider

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Committed to sustainable development, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), FCT Chapter has concluded plans to seal deal with Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to deepen economic empowerment for women and promote Nigeria’s vast industrial raw materials.  The partnership will be formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aimed at strengthening collaboration in research, innovation, and inclusive economic participation, particularly in creating sustainable opportunities for women in alignment with the mandates and core values of both organisations. Part of the agreement is to support RMRDC’s drive towards fulfilling its mandate, as the council prepares to host the maiden 2026 African Raw Materials Summit scheduled for June. This was revealed when the leadership of NAWOJ FCT visited the Director-General of RMRDC, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso on Tuesday in Abuja. The Chairperson of NAWOJ F...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has requested for strategic partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) on voter education and fight against misinformation.  The Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu who stated this when he received the leadership of NAWOJ in Abuja, reiterated its commitment to value reorientation, civic education, and national identity building.    He described NAWOJ's visit as timely and strategic to national development and democratic consolidation. Issa-Onilu informed that effective nation-building requires sustained partnerships between institutions responsible for public communication and citizen engagement, noting that NOA—established from the former MAMSER framework—maintains a robust grassroots structure with over 800 offices nationwide. He highlighted the agency’s unique mandate to manage information and civic orientation...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that the colonial tax laws impoverished Nigerians through fragmentation, multiplicity, and inconsistencies while the new reforms will deliver prosperity to Nigerians.  This was even as he emphasised that the new tax system is designed to be people-centred and investment-friendly, thereby advancing the nation’s development goals. He stated this on Tuesday at the commissioning of the 16-storey Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Headquarters in Abuja. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, were in attendance, alongside the ministers, senators, members of the House of Representatives, private-sector leaders, and the governors of Kwara, Imo, Borno, Kogi, Plateau, and Anambra States. President Tinubu explained that the new tax laws, which became fully operational in January, are intended to liberate the economy from the constraints of archaic laws and make it more ...

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) Joint Task Force (North East) in a carefully planned and intelligence-driven operation, have  successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. The successful strike, executed on 11 April 2026, followed sustained intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators. It will be recalled that in January 2026, troops moving from Gubio towards Damasak came under a major Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack along the road at Bindul, resulting in the tragic loss of eight soldiers, while several others were wounded in action.  More recently, on 9 April, coordinated attacks were recorded in Ngamdu and Benishei...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja   Bishop Peter Chukwu The Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has expressed sadness over the death of Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Most Reverend Peter Nworie Chukwu.  Umahi said that the departure of Bishop Chukwu marked the end of an era characterised by selfless service, deep spirituality, and an uncommon dedication to the work of God.  He was not only a spiritual father to his flock but also a moral compass to society, an embodiment of discipline, and sacrificial leadership. The minister said: "As a teacher of the Word and a shepherd of souls, Most Rev. Dr. Chukwu distinguished himself through his calm wisdom, pastoral care, and his ability to reach both the high and the low with equal compassion. "At a time when moral clarity and spiritual guidance are most needed in our society, his passing leaves a significant void. Yet, even in death, his legacy remains a guiding light, etched in the lives he touched, the faith he s...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi on Saturday joined other top political leaders and dignitaries to pay final respects at the funeral of former Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Barry Mpigi.  The teary event which held at Koroma, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, attracted mourners to a man widely regarded as a committed public servant and accomplished lawmaker. Other dignatries in attendance were President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, among others. The funeral service, held at the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Koroma Deanery Beth-El Church, was presided by Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ogoni, Ven. T.S.D. Kagbara.  He reminded the congregation of the transient nature of life, adding that the world is not an everlasting home. "In heaven, there is no more hunger, no mo...