The H-1B visa program plays a key role in the U.S. job market, enabling companies to address labour shortages in specialized fields requiring foreign workers.

Established under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, this nonimmigrant work visa allows businesses to employ foreign talent for up to three years, with an annual cap of 65,000 visas.

Leading Employers Sponsoring H-1B Visas

Many of the world’s largest and most influential companies rely on the H-1B visa program to recruit skilled professionals from across the globe.

Below is a list of top U.S. companies that sponsored H-1B visas:

1. Amazon

As a leader in e-commerce and cloud computing, Amazon continues to expand its workforce globally. The company emphasizes diversity and inclusion, operating 11 employee resource groups and making significant contributions to social justice organizations. In 2024, Amazon had 9,265 H-1B visas approved.

2. Infosys

With a workforce of over 323,000, Infosys remains a dominant player in digital services and IT consulting. The company promotes cross-cultural collaboration through initiatives like Culture Chat. Infosys secured 8,140 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

3. Cognizant

A major force in digital solutions, Cognizant employs over 340,000 professionals worldwide. Due to its global presence, the company has a strong history of H-1B sponsorship, receiving 6,321 approvals in 2024.

4. Google

As a tech giant with employees across six continents, Google continuously strengthens its diversity and inclusion efforts. In 2024, the company had 5,364 H-1B visa applications approved.

5. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

With over 601,000 employees worldwide, TCS is a global IT powerhouse. The company actively promotes inclusive hiring practices, particularly in Latin America, and had 5,274 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

6. Meta

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, continues to attract global talent. In 2024, Meta had 4,844 H-1B visas approved.

7. Microsoft

A leader in software and cloud computing, Microsoft has been enhancing its diversity initiatives over the past decade. The company secured 4,725 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

8. Apple

Apple has ramped up its diversity efforts, launching the $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. The company had 3,873 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

9. HCL Technologies

With offices in 60 countries and over 220,000 employees, HCL Technologies is a strong advocate for workplace inclusion. In 2024, HCL America had 2,953 H-1B visa approvals.

10. IBM

As one of the oldest names in tech, IBM continues to foster international talent. The company employs professionals from various global regions and had 2,906 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

11. Cisco

A Silicon Valley staple, Cisco operates on a global scale, with over 90,000 employees worldwide. The company had 1,330 H-1B visa approvals in 2024.

12. Capgemini

A Paris-based IT leader with a strong global footprint, Capgemini employs more than 300,000 people across 50+ countries. In 2024, the company secured 2,795 H-1B visa approvals.

13. Accenture

Serving clients in over 120 countries, Accenture is a key player in IT consulting. The company had 2,157 H-1B visa approvals in 2024, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

14. Ernst & Young (EY)

A global consulting and auditing firm, EY is a champion of diversity and inclusion, earning international recognition for its efforts. The firm continues to support global hiring initiatives through H-1B visa sponsorship.

15. MobilityWare

A mobile gaming company known for its card and puzzle games, MobilityWare employs professionals across various fields and regularly sponsors H-1B visas for its workforce.

Business magnate and Coscharis Group founder, Cosmas Maduka, has asserted that Peter Obi would not have implemented policies different from those of President Bola Tinubu’s administration had he won the presidential election.

Speaking on Mic On podcast with Seun Okinbaloye on Saturday, Maduka argued that Nigeria is on the right path despite economic difficulties, stressing that key policies, such as subsidy removal, were inevitable regardless of who was in power.

“People have asked me, will Peter Obi have done anything different if he won the election? I said no. He would have removed subsidy from day one also,” he said. 

On concerns over the naira’s depreciation and economic hardship, Maduka acknowledged the challenges but insisted that government must reinvest subsidy savings into infrastructure to benefit the wider public.

“If the funds are used productively, there will be progress,” he stated, warning that failure to do so would leave the country stagnant.

He also addressed Nigeria’s debt profile, arguing that borrowing was not inherently bad if used for capital and infrastructural development, rather than frivolous expenditure.

“There is some level of discipline required to curtail excesses from the government. Are we in the right direction? Yes,” he concluded.

The family of late Afenifere co-founder and foremost nationalist, Pa Ayodele Adebanjo, has announced that he would be buried in his hometown, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on May 3, 2025.

The elder statesman who died at the age of 96 on February 14, 2025, will be honoured with a series of events leading up to his final interment.

The funeral proceedings will commence with a Day of Tributes and Service of Songs at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, where dignitaries, political associates, and family members will pay their final respects.

On Friday, May 3, the burial ceremony will begin with a wake at his country home in Isanya Ogbo, Ijebu Ode, followed by the interment and a reception for guests at the same venue.

The statement, signed by Ayotunde Ayo-Adebanjo, Adeola Azeez, and Obafemi Ayo-Adebanjo on behalf of the family, urged friends, political and business associates, and the general public to support the family in prayers as they prepare for the burial.

“We covet your prayers for the family and your professional support as we continue with preparations to give him a most befitting burial. We also look forward to your esteemed presence at all the events. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards,” the statement read.

Pa Ayo Adebanjo was a respected statesman, pro-democracy activist, and a pillar of progressive politics in Nigeria. His contributions to nation-building, democratic advocacy, and Yoruba socio-political movements remain enduring legacies.

A fake police officer, Vincent Ojo has been arrested for alleged impersonation and being in possession of dry leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp.

Spokesperson of the Gombe State Police Command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, February 23, 2025, said the 52-year-old suspect, is a resident of Old Rukuba Qtrs Area of Jos North LGA of Plateau State.

During a search, 495 kilograms of suspected Indian hemp with an estimated value of ₦12,652, 000, were recovered from the suspect.

“On 22/2/2025 at about 0900hrs, Police Officers attached to Operation Hattara, led by CSP Ali Madaki while on patrol at Jekadafari area of Gombe metropolis, during the State End of the month, General sanitation intercepted a Black Lexus vehicle with Registration number, GWA79CN Abuja, driven by the above-mentioned suspect who presented himself as a Police Officer serving at Force Headquarters Abuja,” the statement read.

"During the course of interrogation, the suspect could not present any Staff tag, his rank nor to mention the department he is attached too.

"And while searching the said vehicle, 495 kilograms of suspected Indian hemp was discovered loaded, with an estimated value at ₦12,652, 000 and additional Number plate BWR290AX was recovered as exhibit.”

"However, the suspect further confessed that he bought and transported the exhibit all the way from Ajegunle village of Ilesha LGA, Osun State to old Rukuba, Platuae State, thereafter he reloaded it with the intention to deliver it to Biu LGA Borno State,” he added.

"Investigation is ongoing, and the suspect will be charged in court for potential prosecution once the investigation is concluded.

“The command urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities promptly to ensure a quick response."

Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, has disregarded the Africa Cup of Nations as a major tournament.

Carragher argued this following the Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher suggested that Salah’s nationality and Egypt’s lack of success on the global stage could hinder the player’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or this year.

He said: “I think the problem [is] the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning.

“I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament.

“Normally, the player who excels in that, like Vini Jr and (Kylian) Mbappe right now, Real Madrid looking really good going for the Champions League.”

Former Manchester City defender, Micah Richards, hit back at Carragher saying, “Just to say, AFCON is a major tournament because a lot of people are at home saying ‘they aren’t taking it seriously’. AFCON is a big tournament, just so you know.”

Carragher responded by questioning if Egypt would be contenders for the World Cup, because according to him, only the biggest international competitions influence the Ballon d’Or race.

However, ex-England striker, Daniel Sturridge shut down the argument, saying, “If you win the Euros or Copa America, it’s deemed to be big, so the AFCON is on the same level.”

Nigerian rapper and activist Michael Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, has spoken about not being a husband or father yet.

The 51-year-old revealed that he vowed not to have a child out of wedlock when he was much younger, and has kept his word since then.

Ruggedman recently disclosed this while featuring on the TVC programme Your View.

He asserted that he is unmarried because he has been jilted a few times and is yet to meet the right person. In his words:

“I am not married and do not have a child yet. When I was much younger, I vowed never to have a child out of wedlock. Sometimes, I wonder whether I made the right or wrong decision. But still, it takes a lot from both parties. You have to do it with someone you really love.”

“I have met some ladies I thought I would end up with, but it didn’t work out. There was a particular lady I was supposed to marry, but a wealthy man came into the picture, and her mother separated us.”

In a 2021 interview, Ruggedman revealed that his mother and other family members were not pressuring him about marriage despite being over 40 years of age. He added that he would get married when he was ready.

Joseph Aloba, father of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, has broken his silence, fiercely challenged the claims made by his daughter-in-law, Omowunmi Aloba, in her recent tell-all interview about his son’s tragic death.

Wunmi had earlier, in her emotionally charged interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, shared unsettling claims about the events leading to her husband’s death.

She averred that a nurse had administered an injection that triggered a severe reaction in Mohbad. Wunmi alleged that Joseph Aloba was present on Mohbad’s final day, and that he thwarted attempts by her husband’s manager to have the nurse arrested, insisted on letting the nurse go after noticing the harm caused by the injection.

In a phone conversation with blogger Bukky Jesse, Mohbad’s father minced no words as he tore into Wunmi’s narrative.

According to him, he never once set eyes on the nurse whom Wunmi alleged played a role in Mohbad’s death. He painted a stark picture of exclusion, revealed how Wunmi, along with his estranged wife, Bose, and his younger son, Adura, orchestrated a wall of silence around him throughout Mohbad’s crisis, shut him out completely until the bitter end.

He disclosed that he and Wunmi had not been on speaking terms for a long time, even before Mohbad’s passing. The only interaction since his son’s death, he said, was a phone call filled with curses hurled at him by Wunmi.

Mohbad’s dad added that, aside from that turbulent call, the only person from Wunmi’s family he had spoken with in recent weeks was her father.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Monday declared that it wants an independent nation of Biafra and not additional states in the Southeast.

There have been moves to create an additional 31 new states in Nigeria, including five states from the Southeast.

The proposed states are Etiti State, Adada State, Urashi State, Orlu State, and Aba State.

However, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the current states are bankrupt and not functioning properly.

In a statement he signed, Powerful said:

“Following the rumours that the Nigerian Government and the National Assembly proposed to create an additional 31 new states in Nigeria, we, the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) worldwide, wish to categorically state that Biafrans do not want the creation of new states. Instead of multiplying economically bankrupt states, the unworkable Nigerian unity should be dissolved.

“The IPOB movement is against the creation of new states because the existing states are bankrupt and not functioning properly. Creating more states is tantamount to creating more confusion, disunity, and insecurity. Nigerians are suffering because of the faulty foundations of the Nigerian state and the insurmountable corruption in the Nigerian government.

“Nigerian politicians are deep to their necks in corruption. Corruption has eaten into every fabric of Nigerian society. Hence, no amount of multiplication of states and security agencies will solve Nigerians’ monumental corruption, insecurity, and other problems. Nigeria is a country founded on fraud, sustained in fraud, and incapable of sustaining human and capital development. Any society built on fraud cannot stand. That is why IPOB and other rational indigenous minds in Nigeria are calling for the dissolution of Nigeria.

“At their flag independence given to them by the British in 1960, Nigeria had three major regions. Later, the Mid-Western Region was created after a referendum, making it the fourth region. These regions were progressive and competitive because they enjoyed constitutionally granted autonomy. However, Nigeria’s woes started when a genocidist, ‘Jack’ Gowon, and his clueless Supreme Military Council created 12 states in order to divide Biafrans and prevent them from fighting the war of 1967-1970 in unison. Gowon’s decision to divide and carve out some ethnic groups from one region to another was the beginning of ethnic tensions in Nigeria today. Such an ethnically bigoted decision destroyed the autonomy of the regions, leading to this useless federal system that has resulted in the country’s economic and security woes.

“To add salt to injury, a heartless murderer, Murtala Muhammad, created more states and increased Nigeria to 19 states, favoring the Northern Region with more states than the South. In the same way, Fulani military heads of state like Ibrahim Babangida and Abacha created even more states to continue favoring the Northern region. Today, the incessant state creation, inspired by the born-to-rule mentality of the Fulanis, has destroyed the progressive regions and resulted in useless states that depend on Abuja handouts in the name of allocation sharing to survive. Even if Tinubu’s government creates an additional 100 states, the political equation between the North, West, and East (previous regions) will never be balanced. The previous ethnically bigoted Northern military leaders have already created unfavorable political equations that are inimical to the unity of Nigeria. Postponing the division of Nigeria is embracing the evil days, which are already upon us.

“IPOB says NO to the new state creation proposal that will include the Biafra region. Our position is clear: we don’t want our region to be balkanized or broken down any further. Instead, Ndigbo need our Igbo brothers and sisters, villages, clans, and whole regions carved into Kogi, Benue, and Edo states back into Alaigbo. The Nigerian government can create more states to suit them in their Nigeria, while Ndigbo establish an independent state of Biafra. What Ndigbo want is an exit from Nigeria in a peaceful and democratic way. That is why IPOB is calling for a referendum date from the Nigerian government so that Biafrans can decide their fate—whether to remain in one delusional united Nigeria or to exit into an independent state of Biafra.”