Author: Press Room

Babachir Lawal, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, has addressed concerns about the viability of the opposition coalition led by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election. In a recent interview, Lawal discussed the coalition’s stance on defections to the ruling APC, the coalition’s structure, and its approach to the forthcoming elections. The Adamawa-born politician also affirmed that he holds no regrets regarding his decision to support Peter Obi in the 2023…

Idowu Abdullahi Senior health professionals have identified factors responsible for the low enrolment of health insurance in Nigeria despite the Federal Government making it mandatory for all citizens and legal residents through the National Health Insurance Authority Act of 2022. The National Health Insurance Scheme established in 2005 was replaced by the NHIA in 2022. Despite the name change, available data show that less than 20 million Nigerians are covered in the health insurance scheme in a country with a population of over 200 million people. According to the NHIA, only 19.2 million citizens have enrolled in health insurance schemes…

Photo Credit: Victoria Orenze/Instagram Gospel artist Victoria Orenze has something fresh for your spirit with her new single, “Too Oiled.” It’s an invitation to walk boldly in the anointing of God. Inspired by Psalm 23:5 — “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” — Victoria shares, “We are God’s anointed. The anointing of the Lord upon us runs over and it makes all the difference.” “Too Oiled” carries a strong message: you’re covered, called, and chosen. “You are too oiled. You’re anointed. The Spirit of the…

Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement released on Friday, announced the appointment of 21 Nigerians into federal government agencies by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Among these 21 new appointees are a former senate president, Ken Nnamani; a former secretary to the government of the federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; former governor of Katsina state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema; and the immediate past deputy governor of Edo state, Philip Shaibu. According to Onanuga, Tinubu made these appointments to improve government reforms and rejuvenate public institutions. Shema was appointed to head the Federal Capital Development Authority, Shaibu was appointed as the director-general of…

Nigeria and Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche is attracting serious interest from Real Sociedad after an outstanding debut season in La Liga — with the Basque club preparing a renewed push to finally land their long-time target, Soccernet.ng reports. The 22-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a breakout campaign in Spain’s top flight, clocking up 2,504 minutes across 33 league appearances for Getafe. Uche registered four goals and six assists, including a decisive strike against Mallorca on May 18 that sealed the Madrid club’s top-flight survival. Nigeria and Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche. Photo by IMAGO Uche’s consistency and dynamism in midfield have not…

Residents of Munga Lalau and Munga Doso communities in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, on Saturday, buried scores of villagers killed by suspected herdsmen. Reports revealed that 50 suspected herdsmen invaded the communities on motorcycles around 2 am on Friday and opened fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents. An eyewitness account who described the massacre as calculated killing revealed that the sound of gunshots that rent the air was beyond conventional herdsmen as residents fled to the mountains and returned home the next morning to see their houses razed. According to the Chairman of the Munga Youth Forum, Suleiman…

The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iliya Damagum, has placed blame on the party’s disciplinary committee for the continued presence of members, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whom he says are working against the party’s stability. Speaking on the BBC Hausa programme, Gane Mana Hanya, Damagum said the disciplinary committee failed to act decisively on over 40 petitions submitted to it, which, in his view, could have helped resolve ongoing crises within the party. “The committee was handed over 40 petitions that needed attention, but it only chose to act on…

Sporting Lagos have condemned what they describe as one of the worst cases of officiating in Nigerian football history after a controversial 2-1 loss to Gateway United, Soccernet.ng reports. This was marred by a string of bizarre decisions from referee Adebayo Qudus during the Nigeria National League (NNL) clash between the two clubs. The drama unfolded when Sporting Lagos forward Seun scored a seemingly legitimate goal, only for the referee to disallow it for offside—despite the assistant referee turning toward the centre circle to signal a goal. To make matters worse, Seun was then shown a yellow card for the…

Janet Ogundepo To ensure the proposed National Agency for Malaria Eradication does not become another ineffective agency, malaria experts have called for genuine political will, proper implementation, and collaboration with scientists and relevant stakeholders. In separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the seasoned malaria researchers described the move as a positive step towards malaria control, noting that genuine political will, proper consultation with researchers and adequate funding would drive the country toward malaria elimination. They noted that while the country has existing structures like the National Malaria Elimination Programme, having a standalone agency focused on malaria-like that of the National Agency…

The Nigeria Football Federation have confirmed that Werder Bremen defender Felix Agu has been cleared to play for the Super Eagles at the upcoming Unity Cup tournament, Soccernet.ng reports. In recent months, Agu has been quite vocal about his desire to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria despite playing for Germany at youth level. According to FIFA rules, the Werder Bremen defender was still eligible for Nigeria, as he had not represented Germany at senior level yet. Agu got his wish earlier this week , as he was named in Nigeria’s 26-man squad for the Unity Cup－a four-nation tournament…