Author: Olukayode Oke

Super Eagles forward and Italian Serie A leading goal scorer, Victor Osimhen, and in-form FC Barcelona Femeni forward, Asisat Oshoala, top the list of nominees for the ninth edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards. The awards is scheduled to hold in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Friday, March 24, 2023. Osimhen, the record scorer of the FIFA U17 World Cup finals (with 10 goals, achieved at the finals in Chile in 2015) has continued to bang in the goals in the Italian Serie A where he is currently the leading scorer and scored four of Nigeria’s 10 goals in the…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said there are no challenges associated with the Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS. JAMB said after updating the CAPS platform to improve security to serve the institutions and the public better, all users of the platform are mandated to change their existing passwords, to which an Advisory on the landing page of the CAPS platform has been provided. In a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said: “It has come to the knowledge of the Board that some institutions are experiencing challenges accessing their Central…

Al-Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, on Thursday scored his 500th league goal. Ronaldo hit the milestone against Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League. The 38-year-old received the ball inside the penalty area, took a couple of touches before firing a left-footed shot past the goalkeeper. It was his second goal for Al-Nassr following his move from Manchester United. Ronaldo added another before half-time. He then continued with his blistering form on the night by scoring two more in the second half. His 503 league goals have come across five clubs – 311 for Real Madrid, 103 across two spells with United,…

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Thursday promised to supply commercial banks with plenty of funds to address the new Naira note scarcity in Kogi State. Kogi CBN Branch Controller, Ahmed Sule, made the vow while speaking with NAN in his office in Lokoja. Recall that protesters had on Wednesday picketed some commercial banks over purported non-compliance with the apex bank’s directive to make the new notes available to citizens across the nation. According to Sule, the scarcity of the new Naira might have resulted in some commercial banks not opening for customers on Wednesday and Thursday. He said,…

The Super Eagles and Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman, has expressed optimism over choosing Nigeria at the international level over the Three Lions of England. The 25-year-old attacker was born in Wandsworth, South West London to Nigerian parents. Although, he represented England at the youth level before switching his allegiance to Nigeria following the FIFA approval to play for Nigeria on February 10, 2022. In an interview with an Italian news platform, L’Eco di Bergamo, Lookman insisted that he is happy with the decision to represent the three-time African champions. I have no regrets, I took the right decision. This is my…

The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has declared a State of Emergency on bleaching after establishing that Nigeria today has been ranked first in cases of bleaching, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, raised the alarm on the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria, saying the problem has become a national emergency that calls for serious attention. She stated this while flagging off a media sensitization workshop on Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Control organized by the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists in Kano on Thursday. She added that 77 percent of those…

The National Universities Commission, NUC, has directed the closure of all universities and inter-university centres between February 22nd and March 14. NUC said there would be no academic activities during the shutdown. The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Maiyaki. According to the statement, the decision followed concerns about the security of staff, students and the universities’ properties during the general elections scheduled from February 25 – March 14. The Commission said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the directive following consultation with relevant security agencies.

The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that it will deploy the use of WhatsApp, a social media platform and the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data service to enhance less cost effective method of payment of tax. The Executive Chairman of the state revenue service agency, Dr. Zaid Abubakar, made this known on Wednesday during a public-private dialogue on revenue generation drive. The dialogue was organised by a Civil Society Organisation, Tax Justice and Governance Platform, in collaboration with KADIRS and supported by Christain Aid. He noted that WhatsApp platform, used primarily for social engagements, would ease taxpayers the stress…

Africa’s quest for a third Club World Cup final appearance ended after European champions Real Madrid beat Egypt’s Al Ahly 4-1 in the semi-final on Wednesday. Al Ahly’s well organised defence capitulated as Vinicius Jr opened the scoring three minutes before half-time with Federico Valverde doubling the lead just after the break. The Red Devils competed well after the hour mark, and the pressure paid off when Eduardo Camavinga tripped Hussein El Shahat inside the box. Tunisia’s Ali Maaloul tucked away the penalty to make it 2-1 in the 65th minute. Al Ahly had their moments during a frenetic second…

With 16 days to the commencement of the 2023 general election, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje. Atiku said Agbaje had been accused of attempting to compromise the upcoming election. He noted that the REC’s insistence on using the Lagos State Park and Garage Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo to carry sensitive election materials was a ploy to compromise the election. Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communication,…

Fears remain over the wellbeing of former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu, who is among those missing after a devastating earthquake in Turkey. The Hateyspor star and sporting director Savut Taner were among those buried in rubble days after the disaster that has killed at least 11,000 people across Turkey and Syria. Initially it was claimed by his club’s vice-president, Mustafa Ozat, that he had been pulled from the wreckage, with the Ghana FA claiming that the ex-Newcastle and Chelsea winger had been found. However, Hateyspor club doctor, Gurbey Kahveci, and Atsu’s agent, Nana Sechere, have since spoken out to say the 31-year-old…

Hours after the Supreme Court stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN from executing the February 10 deadline for the validity of old naira notes, the governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele met with President Muhammadu Buhari. A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Okoro, in a unanimous ruling had on Wednesday ordered that the old naira notes remain in circulation even after the new deadline. The development followed an ex parte filed on Tuesday by the Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara state governments. The Supreme Court also held that the Federal Government and the CBN…