The Federal Government has deepened its engagement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to advance the implementation of a ¥15 billion (approximately $110 million) emergency loan facility aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s food security.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Finance and Coordinating Ministry of the Economy on Wednesday following a strategic meeting involving the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and senior JICA officials.

According to the ministry, “The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, today met with senior representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to advance the implementation of the Food Security Emergency Loan Support Programme.” 

A loan for boosting food production and resilience 

The loan, targeted at enhancing food production systems and increasing resilience across Nigeria, comes at a time when global supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures continue to strain the nation’s agricultural sector.

“The JPY 15 billion facility (approximately $110 million) aims to support Nigeria’s food production systems and enhance resilience amid ongoing global supply challenges,” the ministry stated. 

With the 2025 rainy season already underway, the ministers stressed the urgency of executing core components of the programme to ensure timely support for farmers and rural communities.

“Both Ministers emphasised the importance of swift, coordinated action to maximise impact for farmers and rural communities,” the statement read. 

JICA seeks formal clarification 

JICA, in its response, reaffirmed its commitment to the partnership but requested formal clarification on proposed implementation changes.

It was agreed that immediate production activities would continue as planned, while other components, such as aggregation and financing, would be reviewed against the terms of the original agreement.

“JICA welcomed the government’s commitment to delivery and requested formal clarification on proposed implementation adjustments. It was jointly agreed that core production activities would proceed immediately under the existing framework, while additional components, such as aggregation and financing, would be reviewed in line with the original loan agreement,” the ministry added. 

The programme forms part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to address food insecurity, improve agricultural productivity, and stabilise the economy through sustainable partnerships.

What you should know

• President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking approval for a fresh external borrowing plan totalling about $21.5 billion under Nigeria’s 2025–2026 borrowing programme.
• In addition to the multi-billion-dollar request, the President is also seeking the legislature’s approval for a loan of 15 billion Japanese Yen and a €51 million grant to support key development priorities.
• According to the letter submitted to the National Assembly, Tinubu explained that the new facilities are intended to generate employment, promote skill acquisition, foster entrepreneurship, reduce poverty, and enhance food security.
• The president’s loan request comes at a time of rising concerns over Nigeria’s growing debt profile.
• Most recent figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) show that as of December 2024, Nigeria owes the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) $53.31 million, representing 0.88% of Nigeria’s total bilateral debt and 0.12% of the country’s overall external debt stock.
• If approved, the new food security loan will likely push Nigeria’s debt to Japan to $163.31 million.

[Nairametrics]

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is firmly in control of his administration, dismissing speculations that a cabal is pulling strings behind the scenes.

Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State, made the assertion on Thursday while delivering the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Naija News reports that he praised Tinubu’s decisiveness and leadership, stating that the President is demonstrating firm control of governance and not allowing shadow influences.

“He has shown that he has the courage. Under Tinubu, there is nothing like cabal. This is a president that is in charge,” he said.

The FCT Minister took a swipe at previous administrations, saying they lacked the political will to take bold economic decisions. According to him, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan could not muster the courage to end fuel subsidies or unify the country’s exchange rates.

“So many people would still be benefitting from fuel subsidy fraud if Tinubu had not removed it,” he added.

Despite acknowledging that Nigeria has underachieved since independence, Wike maintained that the nation still holds the potential for greatness if the right leadership and systems are put in place.

“Though Nigeria has underperformed in the last six decades since independence, and all imaginable fault lines are cracking, the nation can still rise and blaze in glory,” he said.

He emphasised the need to rebuild trust and reinforce national unity, noting that nation-building must be deliberate and inclusive.

“The desired Nigeria won’t fall from heaven. It will require vision, sacrifice, hard work and purpose. Let us leave for the next generation resolves and not regrets,” Wike urged.

Taking a jab at critics calling for his removal as minister, Wike questioned their sense of judgment and defended his capacity to deliver in office.

“Something is wrong with those who say I lack the capacity to deliver,” he declared.

He also stood firm on his stance that ground rent defaulters in Abuja must fulfill their financial obligations.

“Ground rent debtors must pay their outstanding debts. Heaven will not fall if they do so,” he said defiantly.

The lecture drew an array of dignitaries including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), among others.

[NaijaNews]

The Country Director, Secure-D-Future International Initiative, Chinaemerem Iwuanyanwu, has said mental health challenges in Nigeria are significant, marked by limited access to services and a lack of social awareness and an inadequacy of mental health professionals.

According to research, approximately 25-30% of Nigerians experience mental illness, but less than 10% have access to professional care.

It is in an attempt to bridge this gap, which is attributed to societal attitudes that hinder access to treatment, hence the Secure-D-Future International Initiative; a Non-Governmental Organization has held its 4th Annual Counselors Summit and unveiled its Mental Health Guideline framework, at a Two-Day event, themed: “Bridging The Gap: Integrating Counseling Into Mental Health Policies; Opportunities & Challenges.”

At the event in Abuja, which had participants from schools, communities, partners and stakeholders from across the country, Iwuanyanwu disclosed that the fourth annual counselling summit is a gathering of school counselors, private practitioners, private workers including policy makers who have come together in order to upscale themselves, and have conversations that border on the practice and the services that the association offers.

According to Chinaemerem, the key highlight of the event is the unveiling of the guide on “effective mental health counseling”, bridging the mental health gap in Nigeria.

She revealed that the production of the book was the work of a number of professors and doctors, who are professionals in mental health.

“The idea behind it is for every social worker and counselor including policy makers to have that required understanding on; what do I need to do, as a counsellor.”

She further revealed that findings and interactions of the SDF in schools have shown that some people do not pay adequate attention to issues relating to mental health as they focus more on ‘career counselling’.

In her words, “There is no way that you can separate mental health from career counselling. There is no child with mental health issue that can do well academically. This is a fact.”

She further revealed that, “The Association, in partnership with the Secondary Education Board, SEB (and with particular reference to the FCT Education Board) including the Counseling Association of Nigeria has been trying to develop a lot of capacity building programmes to bring them up-speed. Stating, that the purpose is to make them understand that counseling is good but one must pay attention to the mental health of these children.

“‘With this guide we have developed, as a school guidance counselor, they are now well equipped as to what is expected of them,” she stated.

Speaking earlier at the event, Dr. Sada’atu Adamu, the Founder of Secure-D-Future International Initiative (SDF), revealed that the SDF initiated the establishment of mental health clubs in the various schools where it caters for individuals; especially students that are struggling with mental health and challenges, so that they can get used to it, enjoy their space and in the same vein, equip themselves on how to provide support to others.

The SDF founder noted that not all mental health issues require medication, psychiatric hospitals and all sorts.

She said, “Counseling is one of the major things that we have to look at and also, integrate into the mental health frame work. One cannot do much as it concerns mental health without counseling.”

She mentioned also, that the SDF has rehabilitation centres where it caters for people struggling with drug use/abuse, and an institution where professionals are trained on the basic tools and techniques on how to support people with mental health. “What you are seeing today, is part of what we bring onboard as an organization”.

Reacting to questions on how the SDF is working alongside its partners and collaborators to address “bullying in schools”, for which the Minister of Education recently inaugurated a committee on Bullying in Schools, Dr Adamu disclosed that the SDF has been working with the Secondary Education Board on the policy. “We are also part of the consultants that supported them through the training on “Understanding the Impact of Mental Health around Bullying”.

In his address, Prof Malami Umar Tambawal, the Vice Chancellor of the Shehu Shagari University of Education, Sokoto, noted that addressing the issue of mental health requires the collective effort of all, including the government.

“We have to make it a policy if we want to be serious. This is why the SDF is coming up with the mental health policy framework so that with this document, the issue of mental health can be redressed in all of our educational levels.”

He disclosed, that the Association is working tirelessly through various schools counselors to see that the issue of mental health in the country gets the attention it deserves.

“The Association has been having conferences and seminars on issues of mental health but presently, “we want to go down the grassroots levels and visit various secondary schools, tertiary institutions to address individuals with this mental health issue.

“There are issues relating to mental health everywhere in the society today especially with the economic situation in the country as it has also affected our cultural disposition, which has changed.

“The society has to re-orient towards thinking right. The SDF remains committed towards the implementation of this policy and had pursued an Act from the National Assembly that was given approval to which the former President, Muhammadu Buhari gave his Assent. The Council had its inauguration last month by the Minister of Education and gave the legal backing to start working towards resolving mental health issues in the country.”

[Leadership]

Former Nigerian senator and ambassador, Professor Jibril Aminu is dead. He died at the age of 85.

His death occurred on Wednesday in Abuja after a long illness.

Professor Aminu served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003.

He later became a senator, representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District from 2003 to 2011.

A respected heart specialist (cardiologist), Professor Aminu got his first medical degree from the University of Ibadan in 1965.

He later earned a PhD in medicine from the Royal Post-Graduate Medical School in London in 1972.

He is survived by two wives and nine children.

[DailyPost]

Christiano Ronaldo’s second-half strike was enough to sink Germany in the first UEFA Nations League semi-final at the Munich Football Arena on Wednesday.

But beyond that, the 40-year-old is definitely not showing any sign of dipping in his goal-scoring form, as his goal records both in Portugal and Al Nassr’s colours have continued to amaze football fans across the world.

The following are some of the records the five-time Ballon d’Or award winner has recorded so far at his present club, Al Nassr.

•Highest goals in a single Saudi Pro League season

By scoring 35 goals in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season, Cristiano Ronaldo set a new benchmark and surpassed Abderrazak Hamdallah’s previous record of 34 goals in 2018-19.

The record, which was achieved in 31 matches, is a testament to Ronaldo’s prolific scoring rate (averaging a goal every 75.6 minutes). This makes it a formidable record to beat.

•The first player to score against 200 different opponents

The Portuguese became the first footballer to find the back of the net against 200 different opponents (152 clubs and 48 national teams) in November 2024 after scoring against Al Qadisiyah.

In a career spanning over two decades, Ronaldo has shown his scoring prowess across different leagues and international competitions.

•Most hat-tricks for Al-Nassr

Since he joined Al-Nassr in 2023, Ronaldo has scored six hat-tricks in 111 appearances across all competitions, contributing to his career total of 66, the highest among active players.

Despite his age (40 in 2025), Ronaldo’s ability to deliver multiple goals in a single match sets a high standard for future Al-Nassr players.

•The first player to clinch top scorer honours in four different top-flight leagues

Ronaldo had a phenomenal 2023–24 Saudi Pro League season.

He won the Golden Boot that season, making him the first player to win top scorer awards in four different top-flight leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Saudi Pro League).

The feat is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.

•Highest-scoring European player in Al-Nassr history

As of May 2025, Ronaldo is the highest goalscoring European player in Al-Nassr history with 99 goals in 111 appearances.

The above also makes him the fifth-highest overall in the club’s history.

[Punch]

Visa fees and application requirements are often major hurdles for Nigerians seeking to explore new countries in Europe.

While Europe may seem out of reach for budget travelers, several countries on the continent offer relatively affordable visa fees—under ₦150,000—making it easier for Nigerians to pursue tourism, business, study, or family visits.

This article lists eight countries in Europe outside the Schengen Area where Nigerian passport holders can apply for visas without breaking the bank.

1. Ireland

Visa Fee: €60 for single entry; €100 for multiple entry

While Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, it remains a top destination for education, tourism, and business. Applicants must pay additional service fees, but the base visa fee is relatively low

2. Croatia

Visa Fee: €90

Though Croatia joined the Schengen Area in 2023, its visa application process and fees remain accessible. It’s an emerging tourist destination known for its coastline and historic towns.

3. Romania

Visa Fee: €80

Romania is known for its castles and scenic landscapes. It’s not part of the Schengen zone but still offers an affordable visa for Nigerian travelers.

4. Bulgaria

Visa Fee: €80

While not in the Schengen zone, Bulgaria’s rich cultural heritage and Black Sea resorts attract budget-conscious tourists.

5. Cyprus

Visa Fee: €60

Cyprus offers scenic beaches and a blend of European and Middle Eastern cultures. The visa is valid for short stays and comes with a relatively low fee.

6. Serbia

Visa Fee: €60

Serbia is an underrated European gem with a vibrant cultural scene. The affordable visa fee makes it attractive for Nigerian visitors.

7. Ukraine

Visa Fee: $20

Although Ukraine is currently navigating conflict zones, parts of the country remain accessible. E-visa processing resumed in early 2025, making it an option again.

8. Georgia

Visa Fee: $20

Georgia is popular for its natural beauty, hospitable culture, and affordability. The online visa process is quick and traveler-friendly.

Vanguard News

In violation of the order by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Ministry of Housing, officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) have recommenced the allocation of car parks and open spaces earmarked for public conveniences in their estates. Most affected are the Cornershops within their estates where parking spaces, access roads and setbacks are being allocated for development by individuals.

Last Tuesday, some of the legal shop owners whose buildings and access roads are most impacted by the illegal developments, petitioned the Executive Director (Estate Services), Arch. Ezekiel Nya-Etok over the matter. They demanded a halt to such private developments, and the indiscriminate allocations of setbacks and open spaces meant for public convenience within the Sector ‘F’ Corner shops.

In 2023 when the controversial allocations first started at the Cornershops of the FHA Estate in Lugbe, a violent confrontation had ensued when owners of Corner shops at Sector ‘F’ resisted attempts to build new shops on the setbacks from the adjourning road which would block entrance to existing shops.

The indiscriminate building of new shops on setbacks between existing buildings and the roads were allegedly approved by officials of the Federal Housing Authority which owns the estate, in clear violation of their own masterplan.

One of the beneficiaries, Emmanuel Amos Adebayo, who said he was allocated one of the setbacks for his private office, was prevented from building the office. The adjourning shop owners had alerted the Lugbe police station when the matter nearly resulted into violent confrontation between Adebayo’s workers and staff of Fingerprint Communications Limited which operates the DSTV franchise in Lugbe. They insisted that the space was the only setback between their office, which was once occupied by Happy Note Microfinance Bank, and the access road.

The Police officer, Inspector Samuel Olusola, who arrived at the site to forestall any violence, eventually took Mr. Adebayo and his construction workers to the Lugbe police station. The DPO, Supt. Ugochukwu later ordered Mr. Adebayo to stay action while all the parties seek further clarification from the Federal Housing Authority.

A copy of the building approval in Mr. Adebayo’s possesion was signed by one Ms. Queen Phillips, a staff of the FHA field office in Lugbe. Our enquiries at the office however revealed that Ms. Phillips who purportedly signed the document has since been redeployed to the FHA office in Gwarinpa. It is not clear whether her deployment had to do with such controversial allocations.

Head of the Town Planning department at the Federal Housing Authority, Surveyor Eyong had denied knowledge of such allocation. He however met some of the allottees and shop-owners mostly impacted by the illegal allocations, and thereafter halted any further developments. 

Last week, following the retirement of Surveyor Eyong, Mr. Adebayo and other allotees returned to site, prompting another round of heated exchanges at the Cornershops.

Investigations reveal that the controversial allocations commenced shortly before the Housing and Urban Development Minister, Alhaji Musa Dangiwa, assumed duty. 

Many of the shop owners at the Lugbe Cornershops who spoke to reporters on the matter, lamented that many of the Cornershops in Lugbe have been turned into residential homes allegedly with the connivance of FHA field office in Lugbe. The FCT Minister who has frowned at such indiscriminate constructions, insists that such buildings which have turned Lugbe and other settlements into big slums and hide-outs for hoodlums, will be demolished.

Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian tech enthusiast, is facing potential prison sentence of over 20 years in the United States following her arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

She was arrested in connection with a large-scale fraud scheme that targeted multiple US government agencies.

A programmer, Egemasi, who operates a Devpost account, was arrested around April 10, 2025, in Bronx, New York, alongside other co-conspirators, including Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who appeared to have led the syndicate.

Their arrest stems from a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, charging the suspects with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering for crimes said to have occurred between September 2021 and February 2023.

Egemasi and her Ghanaian co-defendants allegedly conspired to defraud the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars.

Her role, investigators say, involved designing spoof websites impersonating official US government domains to steal login credentials and facilitate the transfer of stolen funds.

Before her arrest, Egemasi was reportedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, although authorities believe she previously lived in Ghana, where she likely established ties with her co-conspirators.

She allegedly served as the syndicate’s tech lead, orchestrating the creation of fake sites and overseeing wire transfers to accounts under the gang’s control.

Text message records show that in August 2022, the syndicate rerouted $965,000 stolen from Kentucky into a PNC Bank account.

In a separate transaction around the same time, $330,000 was funnelled into an account with Bank of America.

To conceal the origins of her wealth, Egemasi reportedly claimed to have held multiple roles, mostly internships, at major multinational companies, including British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.

Widely known online as ‘tech queen’, Egemasi assumed a polished digital persona, especially on LinkedIn, where she showcased her skills and “flaunted a luxurious lifestyle”.

Her social media profiles featured photos of lavish vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal, funded, according to prosecutors, through illicit proceeds.

Egemasi and her co-accused are currently in federal custody and are being held pending trial in Lexington, Kentucky.

If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison, significant financial penalties, and eventual deportation to their home countries upon completion of their sentences.

[TheCable]

Boarding announcements were not an issue when I used to commute in Lagos by danfo, the ubiquitous yellow buses, or molue, the mass-transit lorries, which were improvised for public transportation.

The conductors often had a melodious and entertaining way of calling passengers that was enjoyable to hear. They called out in a drawl, accompanying each announcement with a warning for passengers to board with their change in hand or risk a “forced marriage,” which meant giving a fixed sum, usually a bank note, to two or more passengers to share at disembarkation.

Flying is a luxury – or should be – with no room for bus conductors and their outrageous threats of forced passenger marriages. But vehicle conductors across the country might be surprised to know that, however lowly their jobs, there are several areas where they do far better than their cousins at airports across the country, who, for want of a better description, carry the elegant titles of flight announcers, when quite frankly, they perform the job of conductors.

A conductor’s life

There is no intention to deride or demean, please. Conductors, whether at the motor park, opera, or the airport, provide the vital link that helps us understand and enjoy the moment, as we make a rite of passage.

But that vital function is threatened at many airports nationwide, even among crew announcers onboard several flights. I could have missed a recent flight from Asaba to Abuja because I wasn’t sure what the announcer said: “This is a broaden hannouncement on Flight PA7861 from Hum, Hum, Hum, to Ham, Ham, Ham…all persongers on this flight should phulease proceed to the gate to broad…a phust departure call phulease…”

I didn’t understand. The babble was neither British, American, nor trans-Atlantic. It was not even Ingili-Igbo (a variety of standard British English mixed with Igbo phonemes) as Chief Zebruddaya Okorigwe-Nwogbo alias 4.30 might have called it in the New Masquerade. It was indecipherable. But I noticed some passengers rushing to line up or scampering in different directions. I stayed put, waiting for a second, hopefully clearer announcement. It was the same thing.

Accra bound?

I looked at my colleague with whom I was travelling and asked, “Did you hear what the announcer said?” “I think she said something like it’s a flight to Accra,” he responded. “No way,” I replied. “You mean that flights now depart from the Asaba Airport to Accra? And see the number of passengers lining up.”

Time was ticking. We hurried to the line, which is often the typical response when there’s no airline staff in sight, where a passenger smiled a knowing smile and told us it was a flight to Abuja, not Accra. At that time, something that sounded like the final boarding announcement had been made.

I had experienced a similar thing on my outbound trip from Abuja, where the flight announcer seemed more concerned about how her fake imitation of an Oyinbo accent than the clarity of what she was saying. I got up twice to ask at the desk.

Suupri…suupri…suupri

The second time, the announcer who faked an Oyinbo accent told me in plain, audible language that my flight had not been announced. “Is it impossible to announce as you have just told me, Ma?” I asked. She smiled and adjusted the PAS: “This is a boreding announcement on Flight PA74862 from suupri, suupri, suupri, to ham, ham, ham…all persongers on this flight should phulease proceed to the boreding gate…a phust departure call phulease…”

I gave up.

Sometimes, the noise in the departure lounge can make things worse. At other times, the lack of coordination and/or the poor sound quality of the PAS can also compound the problem. There’s hardly such a thing as a level key. The volume is too high, too low or a garbled screeching static sound. As for the tone of voice, that’s something else altogether.

What was that, pilot?

It happens onboard, too. For aerophobics like me, a pilot’s calming voice before departure, midflight, or shortly before landing has a huge calming effect. Often, however, you’ll have to strain to hear. There’s such a deafening noise in the inflight PAS that it’s difficult to decipher what even the pilot says, whether it will be fair weather, or you should brace up for a bumpy ride. On this last trip to Asaba, it wasn’t very different, but it was the attendant who had me cracking a rib.

From her appearance, she seems a full-blooded Nigerian woman, likely from the Southeast. As we neared landing, she unleashed a torrent of fake accents. She concluded by welcoming passengers to “Asaaabhaaa,” pronounced like a JJC would say Asaba, with enough drawl of the “Icheku” variety (the Nigerian TV drama series based on the foibles of the colonial courtroom) to spice the miserly inflight passengers’ lunchbox. Where did she acquire that accent from?

Oyinbo blues

I might be a latecomer to this flourishing business of phonemical jiggery pokery. Farooq Kperogi flagged it in an article two years ago, entitled “Fake Accents on Nigerian Airplanes and Airports,” in which he narrated how an Oyinbo man approached a passenger to interpret what the flight announcer said. It was his second article on the subject in seven years.

Although recent aviation concerns have focused more on air traffic control staffing shortages, technology and flight delays, it would be interesting to see statistics on how indecipherable announcements may have contributed to passenger misery, including perhaps, missed flights.

It wouldn’t be a big issue if the humour of Oyinbo wannabes were all there was to it. It would, in fact, be a good source of entertainment when flights are delayed, as they frequently are. But passengers who bank on in-flight announcers who use them to practice phonology risk missing their flights.

Lessons from the motor park

In many parts of the world, airports are enhancing the quality of announcements. Tools like PAXGuide, for instance, can monitor every announcement, including who made it and when. Instead of terminal-wide announcements, announcements can be targeted and localised to specific gates, while automation through display boards and technological upgrades can also help to improve the passenger’s experience.

There’s also something that airports, with a bit of humility, can learn from the motor parks. I’m serious about this. The conductors in the motor parks hardly ever pretend to be someone they’re not or borrow a language they’re uncomfortable with. Apart from the points suggested, is it also possible for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to authorise using pidgin English (perhaps the most widely spoken language across the country), as the second language for flight announcers at least for domestic routes?

It would take a truly wayward flight announcer to nasalise pidgin English and not sound ridiculous in his or her own ears.