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Folarin Kehinde

Folarin Kehinde

Headlines

Strike: FCTA to open attendance register for staff

by Folarin Kehinde January 27, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

In a decisive move to restore administrative order across the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA’s bureaucracy, the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the FCT, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, has directed all Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments to immediately implement and maintain staff attendance registers.

The directive, issued in a circular dated Tuesday, January 27, followed a landmark ruling by Justice E. D. Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which ordered that the ongoing strike by the Joint Union Action Committee JUAC be suspended forthwith.

Nathan emphasized that all staff members across the various Secretariats, Departments and Agencies are required to resume their duties at their respective posts without delay to ensure the continuity of government operations.

In her communication to the Secretaries of Mandate Secretariats, Coordinators of major councils, and Permanent Secretaries, Nathan further clarified that the call for immediate resumption is coupled with a continued commitment from the FCTA Management to prioritize the welfare of its staff.

She instructed all senior officials to ensure the contents of the directive are brought to the attention of all concerned personnel to guarantee total and immediate compliance with the judicial mandate.

 

 

January 27, 2026 0 comments
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General

Self Help Africa Drives Innovative Rural Water Safety Pilots with FG Support

by Folarin Kehinde January 27, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

Self Help Africa (SHA), an Irish development charity, is leading the implementation of two innovative pilot projects designed to improve access to safe drinking water in rural Nigerian communities, in partnership with the Federal Government.

The initiatives—Dispensers for Sustainable Rural Water in Nigeria (DiSuRWIN) and Optimising the Benefits of Inline Chlorination in Nigeria (OPTIC)—were officially launched at a National Stakeholders’ Inception Workshop in Abuja, bringing together government agencies, development partners, civil society groups and private sector actors to align on implementation strategies.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr Dorgu Ebiye, Development Consultant and State Coordinator for Self Help Africa, said the projects reflect SHA’s commitment to practical, community-based solutions that address water contamination at the point of use.

“These interventions are designed to ensure that rural households not only have access to water, but to water that is safe for consumption,” Ebiye said. “Our focus is on prevention—reducing exposure to waterborne diseases through consistent and effective disinfection.”

Under the DiSuRWIN project, SHA will deploy 550 chlorine dispensers across Garin Malam and Danbatta Local Government Areas of Kano State, with each LGA receiving about 275 units.

The dispensers are calibrated to deliver a chlorine concentration of 1,100 grains per cent, using a standard 10 per cent chlorine formulation to meet approved water treatment standards.

According to Ebiye, the first phase of the project is expected to reach approximately 110,000 people, significantly improving the safety of drinking water at community level.

Beyond infrastructure, he noted that SHA is implementing a self-sustaining operational model, which includes professionalised maintenance services for dispensers and water facilities.

Community health extension workers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Development Agency, will handle chlorine refilling, dosing, monitoring and reporting.

“We are also investing heavily in capacity building,” Ebiye added.

“Local mechanics and community health workers are being trained, while Rural Water Supply Agencies and health institutions are engaged to ensure scalability and long-term sustainability.”

The second initiative, OPTIC, is being rolled out in selected communities in Kano and Cross River states, where SHA is testing inline chlorination systems integrated directly into handpumps and piped water schemes.

The goal is to assess the effectiveness of automated chlorination technologies across different rural water supply contexts.

The projects align with Nigeria’s National Framework for Drinking Water Safety and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NIS 554:2015), and complement ongoing government efforts to reduce cholera outbreaks and other waterborne diseases.

With an 18-month implementation period and a budget of about 721,995 dollars for DiSuRWIN alone, Self Help Africa says the pilots are intended to generate evidence that can inform nationwide scale-up of proven water safety solutions.

“Our approach is built on partnership, local ownership and evidence,” Ebiye said. “By working closely with government and communities, we aim to deliver lasting improvements in rural water safety across Nigeria.”

January 27, 2026 0 comments
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Headlines

VIDEO: Tinubu stumbles briefly during reception parade in Turkey

by Folarin Kehinde January 27, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday briefly stumbled during a ceremonial march-past organised for his reception at the parade ground in Türkiye.

The incident occurred as the President joined the guard of honour, drawing momentary attention before the programme continued without disruption.

Tinubu’s visit is aimed at consolidating the long-standing cordial relations between Nigeria and Türkiye, while exploring new areas of cooperation to deepen a mutually beneficial partnership between both countries.

During the visit, the President is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on issues of trade, security, investment and regional cooperation.

The programme will also feature the signing of several memoranda of understanding between the two nations, alongside other high-level official engagements.

A business forum is expected to hold on the sidelines of the visit to connect Nigerian and Turkish investors and unlock opportunities for mutual economic growth.

Senior Nigerian officials who received the President at his hotel include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).

Watch video below

https://x.com/i/status/2016150730390856017

January 27, 2026 0 comments
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Headlines

BREAKING: Nationwide Blackout as National Grid Collapses Again

by Folarin Kehinde January 27, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

The national electricity grid collapsed on Tuesday morning, plunging parts of Nigeria into widespread power outages.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicated that as of 11 a.m., electricity load allocation to all 11 distribution companies (DisCos) had dropped to zero megawatts.

January 27, 2026 0 comments
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Sports

JUST IN: Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi loses father to road accident

by Folarin Kehinde January 27, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

Wilfred Ndidi, Super Eagles captain, has lost his father, Sunday Ndidi, who died in a road accident on Tuesday.

The late Sunday Ndidi, a retired military officer, was said to have been involved in a traffic accident in Umunede, Delta state.

He was rushed to a hospital in Agbor, also in Delta state, where he was confirmed dead.

Beşiktaş JK, Ndidi’s club, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Tuesday via its official X account.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident.

“May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones,” the club said.

The death comes months after Ndidi captained Nigeria to a third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Ndidi also scored his first international goal for the Super Eagles during the tournament.

While celebrating his headed goal against Tunisia in Nigeria’s second group match, Ndidi paid tribute to his father and referenced his admiration for Kanu Nwankwo.

“The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo,” Ndidi said.

“So I just thought about my dad. I had seen the video before, but it came to my head, and I said I was going to do it for my dad,” he added.

January 27, 2026 0 comments
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Headlines

DisCos reject FG’s free meter plan

by Folarin Kehinde January 26, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

Power distribution companies have expressed doubt over the directive by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that prepaid meters must be free for all categories of customers.

Operators, who spoke with our correspondent anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the minister made only a political statement without considering the input of other stakeholders, especially the installers and meter providers.

On Thursday, the Federal Government banned electricity distribution companies and installers from collecting any form of payment for meters, warning that DisCo officials and installers found extorting customers would be prosecuted. Adelabu issued the warning during an on-site inspection of newly imported smart meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.

Adelabu said the meters were procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme and must be installed for consumers free of charge, stressing that any demand for money would be treated as an offence.

He said the meters would be given to all electricity customers, regardless of their band.

“I want to mention that it is unprecedented that these meters are to be installed and distributed to consumers free of charge—free of charge! Nobody should collect money from any consumer. It is an illegality. It is an offence for the officials of distribution companies across Nigeria to request a dime before installation; even the indirect installers cannot ask consumers for a dime. It has to be installed free of charge so that billings and collections will improve for the sector,” Adelabu said.

However, the DisCo operators who spoke with The PUNCH said the meters tagged as free by the Federal Government would still be paid for by the DisCos within a period of 10 years. The operators told our correspondent that the DisCos cannot be the ones paying for installation, wondering why the government wants them to bear the cost of installation.

According to them, meter installers are not DisCo workers, and someone has to bear the cost of installation.

“Those meters you see, someone has to pay for them, and the government expects the DisCos to bear the cost of the so-called free meters. They said the DisCos can pay it over 10 years.

When you ask the DisCos to pay for any capital expenditure, we call it allowable capex. You have to allow it when computing their tariffs; otherwise, it makes their balance sheets toxic,” an official with a distribution company stated.

Another operator said, “We need to know that meter installers are not staff of the DisCos. They are already asking who will pay them if the consumers do not pay. Did the minister consider all those? You said the people should not pay the installers; who should pay them? We, the DisCos, are not the ones installing meters. That role was taken away from the DisCos when Babatunde Fashola was the power minister.

“They said the DisCos have no business with metering. This is the result we are seeing today. Assuming the DisCos are the ones installing meters, you can force them to pay. We will all see the outcome of that pronouncement in the coming days. If the government can pay installers, no problem, but I’m not sure any DisCo will volunteer to pay the installers.”

The officials described Adelabu’s comment as a populist statement from a politician.

“The statement was just a populist statement from a politician. We are not sure if the President sent him that message. He said everything should be free; where is the position of cost recovery? Anything you do in the power sector, you have to first consider who bears the cost. Somebody has to bear the cost to avoid debt piling up.

“The government ought to sit with the Discos and the meter manufacturers to seek advice if the plan is to make sure the people don’t bear any cost, and we will come up with our various contributions. But instead of doing that, the government would go and make unrealistic promises to the public. For instance, the meters are coming in batches, but you have made the masses believe that there are enough meters for everyone. That’s not the reality,” one of the sources stated.

The operators added that the free meter declaration would jeopardise the Meter Asset Providers scheme, which allows the sale of meters to individuals who desire them.

 

“People are now rejecting the Meter Asset Providers scheme because they have heard that meters are free. The minister came up with a very wrong narrative. Has he sat down with stakeholders before going out to say meters are free? How can you say you have enough meters for over five million people? We still have the MAP scheme ongoing, whereby the meter provider sells directly to the customer. MAP is still there because the free meters they are bringing cannot fill the metering gap.

 

January 26, 2026 0 comments
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Headlines

Nigerian-born nurse loses licence in Australia for sleeping on duty

by Folarin Kehinde January 24, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has been stripped of her nursing registration in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept during night shifts at an aged care facility, thereby placing elderly residents at serious risk.

According to reports by the Daily Mail, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal, on January 20, ruled that Ms Okembunachi’s conduct in March 2024 amounted to professional misconduct, ordering the cancellation of her nursing licence.

Ms Okembunachi, 25, had commenced employment at Hardi Aged Care, Guildford, in western Sydney, in February 2024. She was suspended barely a month later and subsequently tendered her resignation.

Tribunal proceedings revealed that between March 13 and March 27, she was the only registered nurse on duty during night shifts, supervising three to four assistants-in-nursing (AINs) while responsible for the care of about 100 residents.

Evidence showed that on six separate nights, Ms Okembunachi failed to carry out her duties after falling asleep on duty. On three occasions, residents reportedly missed prescribed doses of morphine.

On March 21–22, an AIN reportedly switched on the light at the nurses’ station in an attempt to wake her, but she allegedly turned it off shortly afterwards and went back to sleep.

The tribunal also heard that on March 15, she instructed an AIN to administer Panadol to a resident, despite the assistant not being authorised to do so, reportedly saying, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”

Two nurses later reported her conduct on March 27. The following day, she received an email notifying her of her suspension and inviting her to a meeting. However, she resigned about 20 minutes later and declined to attend the meeting.

Ms Okembunachi, who was born in Nigeria, migrated to Australia in 2018. She obtained a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021 and was studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working at the aged care facility.

In her submission to the tribunal, she said the incidents caused her “significant stress,” admitting that she should not have accepted the role. “Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk,” she said, adding that sleeping on duty meant she failed in her responsibility to supervise staff and residents.

While the tribunal acknowledged her “remorseful and contrite” attitude, it ruled that deregistration was necessary, stating that her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”

Ms Okembunachi is barred from applying for a review of the decision for at least nine months. She has since stepped away from nursing but continues her medical studies, supported by her father and a Centrelink Student Allowance.

January 24, 2026 0 comments
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Business

AI may outsmart humanity in five years — Musk

by Folarin Kehinde January 24, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

Billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could surpass the combined intelligence of humanity within the next five years, a development he said would fundamentally alter how people live, work and find purpose.

Musk made the assertion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos during a discussion with BlackRock CEO, Larry Fink, noting that the pace of AI development has exceeded earlier expectations.

“AI could be smarter than any individual human this year,” Musk said, adding that “within five years, it may be smarter than all of humanity combined.”

Beyond software, Musk linked the rapid growth of AI to advances in humanoid robotics, which he said could significantly reshape the global economy.

According to him, Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots are already performing basic tasks within the company’s factories, with more advanced capabilities expected in the near future.

“If things go well, we expect to sell humanoid robots to the public by the end of next year,” Musk said, stressing that safety and human control would remain critical considerations before large-scale deployment.

On autonomous vehicles, the Tesla boss claimed the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software has reached a level of maturity that has prompted insurers to offer “significant discounts” to users of the technology.

He also disclosed that Tesla is seeking regulatory approval to expand supervised self-driving operations across Europe as early as next month, with China expected to follow.

“If regulated and supervised, it will be widespread,” Musk said, reiterating his vision of a future dominated by driverless vehicles and significantly reduced road accidents.

Shortly after his remarks, Tesla announced the launch of its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s first public operation of fully driverless rides without a human safety driver in the vehicle.

Confirming the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk wrote: “Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car. Congrats to the @Tesla_AI team!”

The move represents a major milestone in Tesla’s autonomous driving ambitions, allowing passengers to travel without anyone behind the wheel.

January 24, 2026 0 comments
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Headlines

BREAKING: Kano Gov Abba Yusuf dumps NNPP

by Folarin Kehinde January 23, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

The governor of Kano state, Abba Yusuf has formally announced his resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Yusuf announced this in a statement issued by his media aide Sunusi Tofa on Friday, January 23.

According to Tofa, the governor cited the growing internal crisis which has continued to rock the party and its leadership.

Tofa added that the governor in a letter addressed to the chairman of the NNPP in Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area said his resignation as a member of the party is with effect.

“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party,” Yusuf’s letter said.

Continuing, Tofa added that the governor said that in recent times, the NNPP has been confronted with persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes, many of which are presently before the courts for judicial determination.

“The growing disenfranchisement among party members has created deep divisions within the party structure, resulting in cracks that appear increasingly irreconcilable and have generated uncertainty at both state and national levels,” Yusuf said.

He also appreciated members of the party and its leadership for presenting the platform and support to deliver good governance to the people of Kano States.

“I remain sincerely appreciative of the opportunity given to me by the party, its leadership, and members across Kano State to be part of its political journey since 2022, as well as the support, goodwill, and cooperation extended to me during my time in the party.

In addition to this, Tofa said in the statement that the governor will be leaving the party alongside 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen across the state.

 

January 23, 2026 0 comments
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Tinubu
Headlines

BREAKING: Tinubu approves posting of Ambassadors to U.S., UK, others

by Folarin Kehinde January 22, 2026
written by Folarin Kehinde

President Bola Tinubu has approved the posting of four ambassador-designates, out of the 68 confirmed by the Senate last December.

Tinubu confirmed the postings of Ambassador Ayodele Oke as the ambassador-designate to France, and Colonel Lateef Are as the ambassador-designate to the United States of America.

Also confirmed by the President is the posting of Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, former ambassador to South Korea, as the high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.

Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, former governor of Kebbi, is the ambassador-designate to Turkey, where the President is scheduled to begin a state visit next week.

In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Tinubu urged the ministry to notify the governments of the four countries about the ambassador-designates, in accordance with diplomatic procedures.

January 22, 2026 0 comments
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