General news

• Release arrested protesters now, end crackdown – ActionAid

  08-04-2025 20:09 via vanguardngr.com
  By Gabriel EwepuABUJA – FOLLOWING arrest of protesters, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, Tuesday, demanded their immediate release in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other parts of the country.In a statement signed by the Country Director, AAN, Andrew Mamedu, and available to Vanguard, said the crackdown of peaceful protesters is unacceptable and must end.Mamedu said the protests, led by the Take-It-Back Movement, were driven by rising anger over the unlawful declaration of a state of emergency in River
  
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• Ajadi urges FG to explain benefits of new tax measures, warns of deepening hardship

  05-01-2026 08:57 via vanguardngr.com
  ABUJA — The President of the All Youths Reoriented Initiative of Nigeria (AYRIN), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has called on the Federal Government to clearly spell out the benefits Nigerians stand to gain from the newly introduced tax measures, warning that continued taxation without visible economic relief could further impoverish citizens.Ajadi made the call in a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, where he criticised what he described as a growing culture of revenue e
  
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• Trump declares US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela and Maduro goes to court

  05-01-2026 08:48 via vanguardngr.com
  President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela will be underscored Monday when the oil-rich nation’s deposed leader is hauled before a New York court, while his successor offers to cooperate.Leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro, 63, faces narcotrafficking charges along with his wife, who was also seized and taken out of Caracas in the shock US assault Saturday, which involved commandos, bombing by jet planes, and a massive naval force off V
  
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• Gunmen Raid Villages in Nigeria After U.S. Christmas Airstrike

  05-01-2026 08:10 via nytimes.com
  Gunmen launched a deadly attack in Nigeria, in which dozens were killed and others abducted, officials said. The assault on civilians comes on the heels of U.S. strikes in the region on Christmas Day.
  
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• Presidency shares AI-generated image of Tinubu–Kagame Paris meeting

  05-01-2026 07:31 via vanguardngr.com
  The Presidency on Sunday shared an image purporting to show President Bola Tinubu meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris, but the photograph was later flagged on X (formerly Twitter) as being generated by artificial intelligence.The image, which quickly went viral, was posted by President Tinubu and his aides, showing both leaders seated in the same space during what was described as a private engagement in the French capital.In his post, President Tinubu said the meeting focused o
  
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• Pound to Naira exchange rate today, January 5, 2026

  05-01-2026 07:09 via vanguardngr.com
  ​The Nigerian foreign exchange market opened the first week of 2026 with the British Pound Sterling (GBP) maintaining a significant spread between official and informal trading channels. As of the morning of Monday, January 5, the Naira continues to face volatility across the various market segments.​Official Market (NFEM) Performance​At the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), the Pound Sterling started the day trading at an average rate of 1,936.43 NGN. This official win
  
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• Dollar to Naira exchange rate today, January 5, 2026

  05-01-2026 06:52 via vanguardngr.com
  ​The Nigerian Naira opened the first full week of 2026 with continued fluctuations across the various market segments. As of the morning of January 5, 2026, the local currency showed a slight recovery trend compared to the closing figures of the previous year, though it remains under pressure due to consistent demand for the greenback.​Official Market Rates (NFEM)​In the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), the official window where the Central Bank of Nigeria monitors tra
  
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• Equity investors sustain last year end rally to gain N2.05trn

  05-01-2026 06:40 via vanguardngr.com
  By Peter Egwuatu  The investors on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX sustained the 2025 year-end rally, gaining N2.05 trillion in the  four trading days of the week.Financial analysts noted that investors returned to fundamentally strong stocks  across the Banking, Information Communications Technology , ICT and select Consumer Goods sectors. Analysis of trading shows that the NGX market capitalisation, which represents total value of equity investment on the Exch
  
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• FG don’t mess with tax law

  05-01-2026 06:28 via vanguardngr.com
  By Dele Sobowale
  The report in the PUNCH went on to state that “The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, has warned of the risks the nation becomes exposed to over alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions that were gazetted.”President Tinubu is strongly advised to listen to the words of wisdom offered by the CITN instead of his own appointed officials; who are invariably sycophants and would lack the courage to tell
  
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• 2026: SEC to review rules to incentivise SME listings

  05-01-2026 06:18 via vanguardngr.com
  By Peter EgwuatuThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced plans to review its rules to encourage the listing of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on the nation’s stock exchanges as part of efforts to deepen the capital market and stimulate economic growth.Director-General of the SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama, disclosed this in his New Year message, noting that the initiative is aimed at unlocking patient capital for key productive sectors of the economy.According to a st
  
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• Solid minerals records 337% revenue rise to N70bn in 2025

  05-01-2026 06:14 via vanguardngr.com
  By Gabriel EwepuThe Ministry of Solid Minerals Development recorded a 337 per cent increase in revenue, rising to over N70 billion in 2025 from N16 billion in 2023, under the leadership of Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake.The development was disclosed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori, who attributed the growth to wide-ranging reforms and strategic policies that have repositioned Nigeria’s mining sector and attracted renewed global i
  
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• Credit to economy rises 1.7% to N100trn 

  05-01-2026 06:10 via vanguardngr.com
  By Elizabeth AdegbesanCredit to the economy crossed the N100 trillion mark for the first time, as it rose by 1.7 per cent, month-month, MoM to N100.98 trillion in November from  N99.2 trillion in October. The increase was driven by 6.4 per cent, MoM rise in Credit to the government to N26.4 trillion in November 2025 from N24.8 trillion in October 2025.The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, disclosed this in its Money and Credit Statistics for November 2025.According to the regulator,
  
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• Nigeria reaffirms commitment to strategic trade partnership with China

  05-01-2026 06:03 via vanguardngr.com
  Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening strategic, bilateral trade and economic partnership with China, reflecting positively on the progress recorded in relations between both countries throughout 2025.The reaffirmation followed the elevation of Nigeria–China relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed by President Bola Tinubu and President Xi Jinping during his state visit to China in September 2024. Since then, engagements between both countries have
  
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• After Christmas Day Strikes, Fear Grips Muslims in Rural Nigeria

  05-01-2026 06:01 via nytimes.com
  A small town set amid a smattering of baobab trees is grappling with the aftermath of a bombing ordered by President Trump.
  
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• 2026: Manufacturers seek creation of refinancing, rediscounting facility

  05-01-2026 05:58 via vanguardngr.com
  To ensure single-digit interest loans  •Seeks prompt implementation of industrial policy  By Yinka Kolawole The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called for the creation of a Manufacturing Refinancing and Rediscounting Facility (MRRF), among other sweeping financial and policy interventions, aimed at reviving the country’s manufacturing base in 2026.In a report on 2026 manufacturing outlook, Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the pr
  
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• Between Federal Government Revenue and the Federation Account

  05-01-2026 03:49 via vanguardngr.com
  By TEMITOPE AJAYIPublic debate on government finances in Nigeria is once again clouded by confusion, little knowledge, and deliberate misrepresentation. At the centre of the current controversy is a misunderstanding of the distinction between total revenue generated by government agencies and the portion that actually belongs to the Federal Government. The confusion has been amplified by commentators who should know better and by a media ecosystem increasingly driven by noise rat
  
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• 2026: What the year expects us to spread

  05-01-2026 03:46 via vanguardngr.com
  By EBUKA UKOHEvery new year carries a promise. But some carry an instruction. The year 2026 arrives not as a whisper but as a charge. It asks a simple question. What are you spreading? Ideas spread. Attitudes spread. Courage spreads. Fear spreads. Excellence spreads. Neglect spreads. A nation does not change only through policies. It changes through what multiplies quietly in homes, classrooms, offices, streets and minds. This year calls us to spread what strengthens life. Ancien
  
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• What the Anthony Joshua crash means for Nigeria

  05-01-2026 03:44 via vanguardngr.com
  The gross failure of emergency response in Nigeria’s healthcabre system, stood exposed once more, this time to the global audience, last Monday, when heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and his friends suffered a horrific crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Social media videos captured voluntary bystanders pulling Joshua from the wreckage and seating him in a police patrol vehicle. Not a single ambulance or paramedic appeared on scene.It was another day  of shame for Nigeria’s l
  
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• Ikotun residents hail Police in combating crime

  05-01-2026 01:59 via vanguardngr.com
  By Mathew JohnsonLAGOS — RESIDENTS of Ikotun area in Lagos State have commended the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, and the Commander, Command Tactical team Ijegun Annex, for reducing crime and tackling criminals.The residents, who spoke separately to reporters, noted that crime has drastically reduced in their area and commended the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, for supervising his men in the area regularly.The commendation came in the wake of reports that a distress call was re
  
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• 11 months after strike: Union warns workers against violence

  05-01-2026 01:53 via vanguardngr.com
  By Shina AbubakarOSOGBO — THE Association of Concerned Local Government Workers, ACLGW, in Osun State, yesterday, urged workers returning to work to eschew violence and adhere to the ethics of their professions.
  Recall that the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, in the state has ordered its members to resume work after an 11-month industrial action over a clash between All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, elected council off
  
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• WAACSP targets regulation of virtual assistant industry

  05-01-2026 01:49 via vanguardngr.com
  West Africa Association of Customer Service Professionals, WAACSP, has concluded plans to commence a comprehensive Virtual Assistant resource portal in the first quarter of 2026.Head of Administration, WAACSP, Christian Anozie, in a statement, said it was designed to create an accessible, trusted and scalable marketplace to support the rapidly growing virtual assistance industry.Anozie said it would provide access to training resources, professional profiling, listing, engagement and hiring of
  
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• Embed disability inclusion in education from early years, govt urged

  05-01-2026 01:46 via vanguardngr.com
  By Matilda IkediobiInclusion-focused consultancy, Vulpes Inclusive Engagement, has urged government to integrate disability inclusion into the education system from the earliest stages, saying accessibility must go beyond the provision of physical infrastructure.Principal Consultant at Vulpes Inclusive Engagement, Onyinye Atuanya, said inclusion for children with disabilities should be embedded in learning from primary education in order to promote equity and understanding among children.Accord
  
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• Tax laws: Controversy over gazetted copy won’t distract us — Adedeji

  05-01-2026 01:29 via vanguardngr.com
  •Says 95% poor Nigerians exempted or to witness drastic tax cuts•To tax profit only, not turnoverBy Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau ChiefThe Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, said it has commenced the implementation of the new tax laws and that it won’t be distracted by the gazetted copy controversy.Executive Chairman of the NRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, in an interview on Arise Television, yesterday, said those behind the controversy were those who wanted the status quo to remain. His words
  
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• Okpebholo hails road contractors, warns underperformers

  05-01-2026 01:23 via vanguardngr.com
  By Ozioruva AliuBENIN CITY—Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has commended road contractors delivering quality projects across Edo South Senatorial District, while warning that contracts would be revoked from those failing to meet agreed standards and timelines.The governor gave the warning yesterday during an inspection tour of ongoing road construction projects in the district, explaining that the exercise was aimed at ensuring value for public funds and timely delivery of critical
  
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• Ogoni Day: Unity key to justice, Fubara, MOSOP insist

  05-01-2026 01:19 via vanguardngr.com
  By Davies Iheamnachor & Daniel AbiaGovernor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, have stressed that unity remains the most critical requirement for the Ogoni people to achieve justice, peace and sustainable development.In a message to commemorate the 2026 Ogoni Day celebration, Governor Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to a united Ogoni nation and a cohesive MOSOP, urging leaders and stakeholders to set aside inte
  
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• 2027: Peter Obi won’t be anyone’s running mate — Obidients

  05-01-2026 01:15 via vanguardngr.com
  …Say loyalty is to Obi’s vision, not party labels…Signal readiness to follow Obi across platformsBy Luminous JannamikeABUJA – The Obidient Movement has ruled out any possibility of Mr. Peter Obi accepting a vice-presidential slot in the 2027 election, declaring that its support is solely for his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, in a statement, entitled “The Peter Obi Preside
  
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• NDLEA detains 22 Indians over Ship laden with cocaine

  05-01-2026 01:03 via vanguardngr.com
  …Nabs ‘Mama Kerosine’, seizes opioids, skunk in 5 statesBy Kingsley OmonobiFollowing the seizure of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine aboard a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026, the agency has taken into custody 22 Indian crew members of the ship.In a statement by Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, yesterday, the Agency said : &ldquo
  
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• Kidnappers of 2 brothers in Edo demand N200m ransom

  05-01-2026 00:57 via vanguardngr.com
  By Ozioruva AliuBENIN CITY— Kidnappers in Edo State who abducted two brothers, Abu Ibrahim and Abu Tahir, on January 2, 2026, are demanding a ransom of N200 million from their family.The father of the abductees, Abu Momoh, said yesterday that the kidnappers initially demanded N200 million but later reduced it to N100 million, with the hope that further negotiations could lead to an additional reduction.“They have been in touch with us since they were kidnapped. They asked for N200 m
  
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• Troops arrest native doctor, 12 other suspects in Delta

  05-01-2026 00:54 via vanguardngr.com
  By Ochuko AkuophaASABA—Troops of 63 Brigade/Sector 1, Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, in Oshimili North Local Government Area, Delta State, have arrested several suspects, including a native doctor, following intelligence on criminal activities.Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 63 Brigade, Captain Iliyasu Bawa-Rijau, confirmed the arrests, noting that arms and ammunition were recovered during the operations, which targeted members of a notorious cult
  
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• Operatives storm Borno terrorists’ route, kill 5, free abducted civilians

  05-01-2026 00:53 via vanguardngr.com
  By Ndahi MaramaOperatives of Operation HADIN KAI, OPHK, have stormed terrorists’ route in counter-terrorism operations in Borno State, killing five terrorists and rescuing abducted civilians during a coordinated operation around Kondunga Local Government Area.The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, announced this yesterday in a statement.According to him, the operation was carried out in the early hours of January 4, 2026, in coll
  
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