Author: Press Room

Nigerian singer Ayra Starr announces her upcoming third studio album Starr Girl, scheduled for release on 14 August 2026. Photo Credit: Ayra Starr/Instagram We dare you to go mark your calendars for 14 August 2026, because Ayra Starr has officially kicked off the countdown for her upcoming third studio album, Starr Girl! Taking to social media with a sleek video teaser, the singer confirmed that her new project is just around the corner, writing in her caption: “starrgirl is comingggg. 11 days! are you ready?” The announcement comes right as the Mavin Records and Republic Records star continues her recovery…

The Secretary of the Oloolu compound in Ibadan, Oyo State, Oluwo Ishola Akeem, has explained the circumstances that led to the spiritual cleansing of TikToker Wasilat Olalere after she recorded activities during the annual Oloolu masquerade festival. Akeem spoke in Yoruba during an interview conducted by an African culture platform, Surprise Entertainment, at the Oloolu family compound on Monday. His explanation comes days after Olalere underwent traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu family compound following the controversy that trailed a TikTok video she posted during this year’s Oloolu festival. The video, which showed the masquerade’s followers and entourage, sparked reactions after…

Spanish champions Barcelona have reached a final decision on whether to pursue a move for Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen this summer, Soccernet.ng reports. Osimhen’s future has been one of the biggest talking points of the transfer window, with uncertainty surrounding his long-term stay at Galatasaray after another outstanding campaign. The 27-year-old has been linked with several of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona, as speculation over a possible transfer continues to gather pace. Since joining the Turkish champions on an initial loan deal in 2024, Osimhen has established himself as one of Europe’s most prolific strikers and has scored 59 goals in 74 appearances across all competitions. Victor…

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybercrime across Africa, enabling fraudsters to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks, according to the International Criminal Police Organisation. INTERPOL disclosed this in its African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, released on Monday, revealing that 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa are now AI-enabled. The report, based on survey responses from 36 African member countries, said cybercrime had evolved from isolated criminal acts into an industrialised, borderless ecosystem powered by artificial intelligence. “Cyber-criminality has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem,” the report stated. It added that AI has become a major…

Four NPFL clubs will receive a significant financial boost ahead of the 2026/27 season after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) introduced a new solidarity payment for teams participating in its inter-club competitions, Soccernet.ng reports. CAF confirmed yesterday that every club eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will receive $100,000 as solidarity funding. At the current exchange rate, that amounts to roughly ₦136 million per club. The new initiative means Nigeria’s four representatives: Enugu Rangers, Rivers United, Shooting Stars (3SC), and El-Kanemi Warriors, are guaranteed a financial cushion even before…

The Layer-2 scaling landscape continues to attract significant capital despite broader market headwinds. Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER) is currently less than $7,000 away from securing its $33 million presale milestone, signaling sustained investor interest in scaling solutions that combine high throughput with Bitcoin’s foundational security.Macro Outlook and the Coldcard Security BreachOn Monday, August 3, 2026, the broader cryptocurrency market experienced a 1.1% decline, bringing the total capitalization to $2.15 trillion. Bitcoin (BTC) slipped 1.7%, trading near $62,300. This downward pressure coincided with reports of an $89 million exploit targeting Coldcard hardware wallets. A firmware vulnerability allowed attackers to reconstruct security phrases…

The outgoing Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Edo State chapter, Dr. Eustace Oseghale, has said stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors would help hospitals overcome longstanding challenges and improve access to quality healthcare for Nigerians. According to him, stronger public-private partnerships are needed to address manpower shortages, inadequate infrastructure, financing gaps, and other challenges limiting quality healthcare delivery in Nigerian hospitals. Oseghale made the call during the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Edo NMA, held under the theme, “Safeguarding Standards, Advancing Clinical Practice: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in our Hospitals.” The conference…

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, says the party’s South-West leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to delivering victory in the August 15 governorship election following a strategic meeting in Lagos. Oyebamiji disclosed this on Monday after a meeting at the Lagos State House, Marina, attended by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, former Osun State Governor Chief Bisi Akande and APC governorship candidates from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states. According to him, the meeting focused on reviewing campaign plans and strengthening collaboration ahead of the poll. He wrote on X, “This…

Birmingham City have stepped up their interest in Super Eagles winger Philip Otele as they prepare to battle Italian side Lecce for the FC Basel attacker before the summer transfer window closes, Soccernet.ng reports. The Championship club have followed the 27-year-old since the closing months of 2025 and are now considering a formal move after Basel made it clear they are ready to sell him permanently. The Swiss champions are expected to accept offers worth around €5 million.According to GiveMeSport, Birmingham are not alone in the race. Championship rivals Derby County have already opened talks with Basel as they look…

The Federal Ministry of Works has begun an assessment of flood-affected sections along the Benin-Sagamu Expressway following recent torrential rainfall that disrupted movement on parts of the highway. The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, stated this on Monday while inspecting the affected sections at the Ore corridor in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. According to Umahi, the three major flood-prone locations along the Ondo section of the expressway are: Agofure at Km 100, Adolak Junction near Ore Flyover Bridge at Km 107, and the Agric Section at Km 117. He said the ministry was proposing targeted engineering interventions…