Find the latest Nigeria and world news and analysis, headlines, blogs, pictures and videos from TODAY.NG.

Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, the Coordinator of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) for Enugu State, has appealed to the state government for the upgrade of facilities in the orientation camp. The state coordinator made the appeal on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2018 Batch 'C' Stream 1 corps members for the state. He said that the ca...

Isaac Success is among 24 players invited for the Super Eagles' double-take 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Libya. The Watford striker last played for Nigeria in 2017. Super Eagles' technical adviser Gernot Rohr also called up Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon for the clash against the Mediterranean Knights. Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezen...

Former Green Eagles winger, Adegoke Adelabu says football-loving Nigerians should not lose sleep over the absence of team captain, Mikel Obi from the Super Eagles squad. Coach Gernot Rohr left out Mikel from his list of invited players for the crucial 2019 AFCON qualifiers against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa next week. Mikel was not also part...

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, is to meet students under the platform of the National Association of Kwara State Students next Monday to discuss issues concerning their welfare. This was made known by the Special Adviser on Labour and Student Affairs, Comrade Bisi Fakayode, in a statement on Friday. Fakayode said the meeting, wh...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been summoned to appear before the House of Representatives' Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to respond to an allegation that it granted unofficial approval to a Chinese firm to lift over 80 trillion metric tonnes of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO). The summon followed a petition by two ...

France captain Hugo Lloris admits the world champions were fortunate to only lose 2-0 to Netherlands in Rotterdam. Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay scored for the resurgent hosts to give Ronald Koeman's men an impressive victory that kept alive their hopes of topping Group One in League A and, in the process, relegated Germany. A draw for Oran...

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather's proposed fight against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa will definitely go ahead on New Year's Eve, according to the CEO of the promotional company organising the mixed martial arts event. After announcing he would take on Nasukawa at the next Rizin Fighting Federation event in Saitama at a news conference in Tok...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to avoid a repeat of last season's defeat against Manchester United when both clash on Sunday. He has also said the derby will not define his team's campaign. City were in control against United in the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium last term, leading by two first-half goals, only for United ...

German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said on Wednesday that his plan to battle air pollution in cities by retrofitting older diesel vehicles would not require taxpayer funds or money from the car owners. The government is due to hold another summit on Friday to try to agree on a way to tackle pollution from diesel vehicles without resorting to...

Roger Federer beat Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 7-6(5) 6-4 to win the Swiss Indoors on Sunday and claim his 99th career title in front of his home crowd in Basel. Federer began the year by winning the Australian Open and his ninth Basel title was his fourth of the season, but the first since his victory in Stuttgart in June. The Swiss top seed w...

The Police Command in Abia has warned residents of the state against extrajudicial killings. DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the Police Public Relations Officer for the command in the state gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Aba. He was reacting to the killing of two suspected robbers by the mob on Wednesday in the state. Ogb...

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it would soon take delivery of 12 newly acquired aircraft from the United States as part of renewed efforts to end the insurgency in the Northeast. The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Sadique Abubakar, stated this while inaugurating "Modular Theatre" at the 465 Nigeria Air Force Hospital in Kano on Saturday. He said the ...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that he had no preferred candidate in the forthcoming general elections. Obasanjo said he would not tell Nigerians to vote or not to vote for any particular candidate, but should vote wisely. Obasanjo, who some people believed had decided to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of...

At least six Jewish settlers have been wounded in a drive-by shooting in the occupied West Bank, the army said. The settlers were standing by a "hitch hiking station" near Ofra settlement, The Jerusalem Post reported. One woman was in critical condition, medical officials said. "Shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli ci...

At least six people, including five teenagers, have died and about 120 were injured in a stampede when panic broke out during a rap concert at a packed nightclub in Italy. The suspected use of a pepper spray-like substance is thought to have sparked the chaos at the venue in the town of Corinaldo, near Ancona in central Italy, early on Saturday, th...

Hon. Umar Bago on Saturday donated 110 vehicles to the President Muhammadu Buhari re-election campaign team, with a call on the electorate to vote for continuity in the 2019 general elections. Bago, while delivering the vehicles to the Niger APC leadership in Minna, expressed optimism that Nigerians would vote for Buhari because he had done well fo...

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, officially launched his campaign on Saturday, addressing thousands of party supporters at a political rally held on the Ajelogo Field in Kosofe Local Government Area (LGA). The rally drew people from all the 16 LGAs and Local Council Development Areas (L...

French champions Paris Saint-Germain have quashed reports the club could be forced to sell either Kylian Mbappe or Neymar in a bid to circumvent eventual Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions. Qatar-owned PSG are one of a number of clubs under scrutiny from UEFA's FFP regulations after splashing a combined total of more than 400 million euros in 2017...

President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of this year, confirming speculations about another high profile departure from his team. Trump broke the news on Saturday and described the former Marine Corps general as a loyal aide during his tenure. "He's a great guy," Trump told reporters as he departed the White...

President Muhammadu Buhari will host the Super Falcons for winning the Africa Women's Cup of Nations at the Villa. A source close to the team informed newsmen that the reception will hold on Monday at the Villa. "The girls will meet with the President who just came back from Poland on Monday and l must tell you that he is willing to receive the gir...

Dr Osahon Enabulele, Vice President, Commonwealth Medical Association, on Saturday decried the slow implementation of the National Health Act (NHA) 2014, saying it was making the country's health indices worse. Enabulele said this at the closing of the 9th Symposium and Awards organised by the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) in collab...

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of nine new permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service. The appointment was announced in a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita. The list of the successful Federal Permanent Secretaries and their states of origin are as follows: "Dr Baka...

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have successfully repelled Boko Haram insurgents' attack at Jakana village in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno. The insurgents coordinated the attack at Jakana barely 12 hours after the troops repelled them in Bama and Rann communities. Although there were no official comments either by the military and government...

Police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested around 400 people Saturday in the Belgian capital Brussels during a copycat "yellow vest" demonstration rocking neighbouring France. "A policeman was injured in the face. He was taken to hospital but his life is not in danger," Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van De Keere told AFP, adding that th...

A Mexican model and volunteer was crowned Miss World at a glitzy event on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on Saturday. Miss Mexico Vanessa Ponce de Leon, 26, has a degree in international business, volunteers for "Migrantes en el Camino" and is on the board of directors of a rehab centre for girls, according to the Miss World website. She was...

The Oil workers unions have reassured the Federal government that its members would not go on strike over the threat of Depot owners to shut down services over issues on payment of outstanding subsidy claims. The Unions are the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nige...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has accused Muhammadu Buhari administration of stopping transactions on all accounts belonging its Vice presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, wife, his family members and their businesses. A statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director, Media & Publicity PDP Presidentia...

The Kogi State Government on Saturday averted a mass protest planned by aggrieved electricity consumers in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area, over poor power supply and abnormal billing. The Special Adviser on Energy and Power to the Governor, Mr Otayitie Eminefo, convened an emergency stakeholders town hall meeting in Ogori, which calmed frayed ...

The Anambra Police command on Saturday said it had disciplined no fewer 28 police officers who committed different offences in the course of duty. In a statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, the command said the punishment meted out to the police officers included outright sack from the force. Mohammed said the dev...

Liverpool delivered a clear sign they intend to push Manchester City all the way in the Premier League with an emphatic 4-0 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday that was capped by a hat-trick from Mohamed Salah. This victory, the Reds' fifth consecutive league win, secured with the additional help of a Steve Cook own-goal, extended Jurgen Klopp's sid...

Boca Juniors' appeal to have River Plate disqualified from the Copa Libertadores final for the behaviour of the club's supporters has been rejected. The second leg of the South American club competition's final is set to go ahead in Madrid on Sunday after being delayed following fan violence in Argentina. The appeal came after River fans attacked t...

Four-time champions Senegal defeated Nigeria 2-0 on penalties following a 4-4 stalemate after regulation and extra time. The first game of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) took place in Egypt on Saturday. Nigeria, two-time champions, took the fight to the Senegalese but the West African team refused to bow to the firepower of the Supe...

The second edition of capacity-building for journalists in various media organisations in Nigeria organised by the British Council Nigeria has ended in Lagos. The event held at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, on Victoria Island. Similar workshops had earlier been held in Abuja and Port Harcourt within the year to enhance the capacity of journalis...

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has warned those using his picture and that of his wife to trade to desist. A producer of key holders had put the picture of Adeboye together with his wife in the key holders being sold at the ongoing Holy Ghost Congress of the church. Adeboye told his...

The National Association of Women Judges in Nigeria (NAWJN) on Saturday in Abuja elected Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court as its president for the next two years. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was part of the programmes at the biennial conference of the association held in Abuja under the theme 'Life After The Be...

Fast rising singer Amarachukwu Amarachi Mercy, a student of Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsuka, is set to dazzle at the grand finale of Splash Talent Heroes Show, which holds Sunday, Dec. 9 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. In a chat, an excited Amarachukwu said: "I'm so excited to have come this far. I want to ...

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria says it will reduce the importation of substandard products by 75 per cent by 2019, if permitted to stay in the ports. Mr Obiora Manafa, SON's Director of Inspection and Compliance Directorate, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday. The director, who spoke against th...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has for the fourth time declined to assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly­ matters (Senate), Ita Enang, refused to state the reasons behind the President's rejection and said he has communicated to the National Assembly on the decision ta...

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo says it will soon commence an Emotional Psychological Evaluation (EPE) for all traffic offenders in the state. The state Sector Commander, Mr Anthony Oko, made this known during the flag-off of the Ember Months Safety Campaign in Auchi, Edo, on Friday. Oko said any driver who contravened traffic laws woul...

The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Lagos State Chapter, on Friday said that members of the union would not be used as political thugs in the 2019 general elections. Alhaji Mohammed Musa, the Chairman of RTEAN gave the assurance while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the warning by the Lagos State Police Co...

Despite the odds stacked against him, singer, Banky W (Olubankole Wellington) is determined to bring his political dreams to fruition and has kicked off his political campaign. Earlier in the week, he was on the campaign trail going from door to door and selling his vision to Lagosians living in Etin Osa LGA of Lagos. Obviously overwhelmed by the r...

National Assembly (NASS) workers under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Friday threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the management of the legislature failed to meet their demands. The Chairman of PASAN, Comrade Musa Bature, gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria ...

Dr. Dan Mou, Executive Chairman, Centre for Poverty Eradication, Development and Equal Opportunity (CEPEDEO), says political parties that failed to win at least a counselor seat during the 2019 election should be de-registered. Mou said this in Abuja at a National Conference on Electoral Integrity with the theme" Sustaining the Integrity of 2019 Ge...

Haruna Osegba, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, on Thursday promised that the state government will sustain the 100 percent payment of salaries of local government workers. It would be recalled that the LG workers had been paid in percentages since September 2016. Osegba, who spoke in Lafia durin...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is "very happy" and "fully committed" to the club, according to his agent. Mourinho's position at the club has been under scrutiny this season with United currently eighth in the Premier League, eight points off the top four. The Portuguese, 55, signed a contract extension at Old Trafford in January but has b...

Chief Eze Nwachukwu, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, has called on Igbos to massively vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election, saying Buhari would back power-shift to the South-East in 2023. Nwachukwu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Frid...

The Lagos State Police Command has deployed additional five hundred policemen to various routes on the Lagos Island with special focus on Apogbon, TBS, Eko Hotels and environs. This was done to boost the number of personnel already at various points in the area. The deployment was necessitated by the following events coming up on the Island which i...

The Abia State Police Command has dismissed a trending video in the social media showing some unnamed Chinese said to have been arrested in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, with 15 human heads, saying no such thing happened. The State Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike, said in a local radio programme that nothing like that happened in Umuahia or in ...

Luka Modric has been voted the best player on the planet and Real Madrid crowned European champions three times in a row but in Huesca, on Saturday they will meet a team from the opposite end of the ladder. Madrid´s stars gathered in Paris on Monday, dressed in shiny black suits and bow-ties, to watch their midfield magician collect the Ballon d´Or...

Find the latest Nigeria and world news and analysis, headlines, blogs, pictures and videos from TODAY.NG.

Forbes Africa, a major global research firm, has rated Nigeria as the 2018 best economy in Africa, beating South Africa, Egypt and others. According to Forbes, Nigeria came top with $172 billion, which was followed by South Africa with $166.735 billion. Also on the list was Egypt as third with $78 billion, Algeria with $66, Libya:$65, Botswana: $22...

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) says old pensioners will get the six months arrears of 33 per cent pension increment the Federal Government (FG) is owing them from Monday. Mr Actor Zal, the NUP General Secretary, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that this was based on assurances received from the Pension Transitional Administrative D...

Ahead of 2019 general elections, the Diverse, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Movement in Nigeria, has declared support for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The group said his nomination was a true pointer to the fact that the PDP would uphold human rights. According to the g...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that he had no preferred candidate in the forthcoming general elections. Obasanjo said he would not tell Nigerians to vote or not to vote for any particular candidate, but should vote wisely. Obasanjo, who some people believed had decided to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of...

Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, the Coordinator of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) for Enugu State, has appealed to the state government for the upgrade of facilities in the orientation camp. The state coordinator made the appeal on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2018 Batch 'C' Stream 1 corps members for the state. He said that the ca...

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that he would be supporting the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP), ahead of the state's governorship election. This is as his Chief of Staff and son-in-law to has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP). Nwosu, some members of the state House of Assembly, as wel...

Singer, rapper and fashion designer, Modupe-Oreoluwa Oyeyemi, aka Mo'Cheddah, 28, has revealed how she battled depression due to the hostility and hate she experienced in the music industry. Mo'Cheddah who spoke with DANG Network also gave further details on why she abruptly left the music industry, her suicide battles. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)...

Isaac Success is among 24 players invited for the Super Eagles' double-take 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Libya. The Watford striker last played for Nigeria in 2017. Super Eagles' technical adviser Gernot Rohr also called up Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon for the clash against the Mediterranean Knights. Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezen...

Former minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has resigned her position as leader of the Red Card Movement (RCM). The decision was made at the RCM secretariat, yesterday, in Abuja. The new leaders (co-chairs) are Dr Tony Akabuno and Nkiruka Omorotionmwan. The Red Card Movement is an independent and apolitical movement, whose primary objective is...

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said that if appropriate measures were not taken to replant after the recent flood, the country may experience rice shortage. Ogbeh disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the inauguration of National Agricultural Seed Council Molecular Facility and the 2018 Seed Fair and Farme...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday met with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja. Those present were the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi, among others. This was disclosed in a tweet by the President's aide on New Media, Bashir Ahmad. He wrote, "All...

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it would soon take delivery of 12 newly acquired aircraft from the United States as part of renewed efforts to end the insurgency in the Northeast. The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Sadique Abubakar, stated this while inaugurating "Modular Theatre" at the 465 Nigeria Air Force Hospital in Kano on Saturday. He said the ...

The Police Command in Abia has warned residents of the state against extrajudicial killings. DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the Police Public Relations Officer for the command in the state gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Aba. He was reacting to the killing of two suspected robbers by the mob on Wednesday in the state. Ogb...

The Berom ethnic nationality of Plateau State have urged the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar to caution Islamic bodies under his leadership in the country to stop promoting ethnic hatred and branding the Berom as Christian terrorists and cannibals. The group lamented that notable Islamic bodies such as Nigerian Supreme Council for ...

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker hailed US president George H.W. Bush on Saturday for the part he played in bringing unity and peace to Europe after the Cold War. "I will never forget the role he played in making Europe a safer and more united place following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain," Juncker said of Bush, who d...

Somali militant group al-Shabab on Wednesday released two Kenyans whom they had kidnapped on Nov. 22 from a village in Wajir county in the northeast region. Mohamed Birik, North-Eastern Regional Commissioner, confirmed the release of the two camel herders following successful negotiations between two clans in Somalia. The two were abducted on Nov. ...

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria says it will reduce the importation of substandard products by 75 per cent by 2019, if permitted to stay in the ports. Mr Obiora Manafa, SON's Director of Inspection and Compliance Directorate, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday. The director, who spoke against th...

Former Green Eagles winger, Adegoke Adelabu says football-loving Nigerians should not lose sleep over the absence of team captain, Mikel Obi from the Super Eagles squad. Coach Gernot Rohr left out Mikel from his list of invited players for the crucial 2019 AFCON qualifiers against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa next week. Mikel was not also part...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has for the fourth time declined to assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly­ matters (Senate), Ita Enang, refused to state the reasons behind the President's rejection and said he has communicated to the National Assembly on the decision ta...

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, officially launched his campaign on Saturday, addressing thousands of party supporters at a political rally held on the Ajelogo Field in Kosofe Local Government Area (LGA). The rally drew people from all the 16 LGAs and Local Council Development Areas (L...

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has finally been issued a visa to the United States, according to a report. A family source disclosed this on Saturday and confirmed that the former vice-president has left Nigeria for the UK, where he will spend some time before flying to the US. It was gathered that for...

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYFC, has reacted to the emergence of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 presidential election. The organization said that the 'God' that installed Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2015, will remove him and replace him with Atiku ...

Stakeholders of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the North East, have endorsed President Mohammadu Buhari's second term bid, saying he has performed well. They gave the endorsement at the end of a two -day APC North East Zonal meeting in Bauchi on Sunday. Malam Mustapha Salihu who is the APC National Vice Chairman for the North East said the presi...

Fast rising singer Amarachukwu Amarachi Mercy, a student of Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsuka, is set to dazzle at the grand finale of Splash Talent Heroes Show, which holds Sunday, Dec. 9 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. In a chat, an excited Amarachukwu said: "I'm so excited to have come this far. I want to ...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says some people who are unhappy with the contents of his book, 'My Transition Hours' have pirated it. Jonathan said in a Facebook post that the pirated books which are being sold in traffic may not have the original contents. He said, "It has come to my attention that a pirated book, purporting to be my Book, 'My...

After 11 years of controversy, Samsung has apologised for creating an unsafe work environment that resulted in a number of former employees contracting leukemia and other cancers. The company has vowed to compensate ill workers by 2028. The announcement comes weeks after Samsung reached a final settlement with Banolim, a group representing ex-Samsu...

A five-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto and presided over by Justice Hannatu Sankey has sentenced the Chairman of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Murtala Adamu Jengebe to a cumulative jail term of 41 years. Jengebe was convicted by the court after the appellate court found him guilty on the seven out of ...

A senator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Joshua Lidani (Gombe South), has announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, formally made the announcement on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. "Let me inform this Senate that very distinguished Senator Joshua Lidani representing Gombe South is...

Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello says he is ready to pay any amount agreed upon by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Governors Forum as the minimum wage for civil servants. The Governor said this on Wednesday when leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress in the state visited him. He also announced the approval of the release of N3billi...

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Youth Initiative For Advocacy, Growth And Advancement (YIAGA) says it will Deploy 3034 Observers for the 2019 general elections. Project Coordinator, YIAGA Watching The Vote, Working Group, Cynthia Mbamalu in an interview with newsmen said "we will be deploying 3034 observers so we will have observers in eve...

The All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed itself as a caricature party with its recent call for the resignation of both the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yakubu Mahmoud, and the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim. PDP National chairman, Uche Second...

Chris Smalling admitted on Saturday that struggling Manchester United were utterly frustrated by their failure to beat lowly Crystal Palace. United are languishing off the pace in the battle to finish in the Premier League's top four after their latest setback in a difficult season. After losing to arch rivals Manchester City before the internation...

The Kebbi State government has expressed readiness to partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to curb the menace of Almajiris in the 21 local government areas of the state. The commissioner for women affairs, Tsahara Bawa, made this known when she received members of Almajiris Support Initiative of Nigeria (ASIN) Kebbi State chapter, in ...

The Nigerian Navy in Port Harcourt has intercepted four barges laden with 1.75 million litres of suspected adulterated diesel believed to worth over N450 million. Capt. Samuel Garba, Executive Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, Pathfinder, made the disclosure on Wednesday while parading the barges and two suspects in Onne, Rivers. He said the two suspect...

Boca Juniors' appeal to have River Plate disqualified from the Copa Libertadores final for the behaviour of the club's supporters has been rejected. The second leg of the South American club competition's final is set to go ahead in Madrid on Sunday after being delayed following fan violence in Argentina. The appeal came after River fans attacked t...

Israel's supreme court on Sunday extended a deadline for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to pass a law related to military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a measure that could potentially provoke early elections. The court agreed to extend the deadline, which was on Sunday, until January 15, rejecting the government's request for it...

Deontay Wilder will aim to rekindle America's love affair with heavyweight boxing on Saturday when he faces Britain's Tyson Fury in a high-stakes showdown of undefeated fighters. As the reigning World Boxing Council champion, Wilder is the latest custodian of a belt which has been worn by some of the heavyweight division's most iconic names stretch...

Pep Guardiola admits Sergio Aguero is a doubt for Manchester City's Premier League trip to Watford on Tuesday because of a muscle problem. Aguero missed City's 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday with a muscle strain, the Argentina forward watching from the stands as Guardiola's team moved five points clear at the top of the table. Gabriel Jes...

Argentina's central bank has signed a deal with its Chinese counterpart to expand a currency swap programme by $8bn, the bank said in a statement. The agreement is an extension of a swap first agreed between the two countries in July 2017. The new deal, announced on Sunday during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, brings the total swap ...

The Zamfara state government has finally removed three (3) district heads four (4) village heads from office and declared the district head of Ruwan jema wanted as a result of their alleged involvement in armed banditry in the state. Briefing newsmen on Friday evening, the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs Alhaji Bello...

The All Progressive Congress (APC) Youths in Kaduna State on Saturday held a gathering tagged, "Kaduna State APC Emerging Young Leaders Summit'', to break the barriers to youth leadership in the state. Muhammad Abdullahi, Commissioner, Planning and Budget Commission, said at the opening of the event that the gathering in Kaduna would provide an ave...

A deep 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in eastern Indonesia Saturday night, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake hit in the sea in southwest Indonesia, about 130 kilometres (80 miles northeast of the city Tiakur at 10:27 pm (0127 GMT), at a depth of 140 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. The national d...

Maoist rebels in the Philippines declared a ceasefire on Friday for the Christmas and New Year holidays, but the government said it would not be fooled into joining the truce. Guerrillas from the Communist Party of the Philippines have been battling government forces for 50 years, in one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies. The party said in a s...

The Federal Government's Fadama III Second Additional Financing (AFII) says it will on Monday start a review of Food Security and Livelihood Support Project activities of the six North East states ravaged by insurgency. Mr Ibrahim Alkali, the Desk Officer for Fadama III AFII, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuj...

The National Association of Women Judges in Nigeria (NAWJN) on Saturday in Abuja elected Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court as its president for the next two years. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was part of the programmes at the biennial conference of the association held in Abuja under the theme 'Life After The Be...

Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi on Sunday expressed optimism that the nation will overcome her numerous challenges. Nigeria, in recent time has been engrossed in serious security challenges, which led to the ...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has accused Muhammadu Buhari administration of stopping transactions on all accounts belonging its Vice presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, wife, his family members and their businesses. A statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director, Media & Publicity PDP Presidentia...

Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari says his team can fix their problems after a 3-0 humiliation at Eibar on Saturday in La Liga. The Argentine won four matches as interim coach but suffered a painful defeat at Ipurua in his first game since taking charge permanently this month. Gonzalo Escalante, Sergi Enrich and Kike Garcia piled misery on Real Mad...

A 28-year-old businesswoman, Lola Ologuntere on Wednesday urged an Iyana-Ipaja Customary Court to dissolve her two-year-old marriage to Niyi, over alleged fetish lifestyle and incessant complaints on the part of her estranged husband. The petitioner, who resides in Ishefun, Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, told the court that her husband sprayed perfum...

Find the latest Nigeria and world news and analysis, headlines, blogs, pictures and videos from TODAY.NG.

Super Eagles forward, Ahmed Musa, bagged a hat-trick for his Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, who defeated their hosts Al-Qadisiyah 3-O in a league game on Wednesday. Musa had previously fired blanks in their opening two games of the season. The former Leicester City man opened scoring for Al Nassr in the 21st minute, after he was set up by Abderrazak...

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is set to inaugurate a N1 billion hostel it built for the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Kaduna State. The management of the university described the Dangote hostel project as a "big relief," saying that accommodation is one of the nightmares of the sprawling university. The Director, Physical Planning and M...

Forbes Africa, a major global research firm, has rated Nigeria as the 2018 best economy in Africa, beating South Africa, Egypt and others. According to Forbes, Nigeria came top with $172 billion, which was followed by South Africa with $166.735 billion. Also on the list was Egypt as third with $78 billion, Algeria with $66, Libya:$65, Botswana: $22...

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Saturday advised Nigerians to stop electing leaders without education into public offices. He said Nigerians in the past had elected or chosen to elect leaders who had no education and thus could not give an education when they were elected. The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor spoke at the 6th convocati...

Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has said that it is criminal to sponsor people to Hajj and other pilgrimages with government's funds. He made the assertion at the two-day Northern Nigeria Traditional Leaders Conference on Out-Of-School Children, which ended yesterday in Kaduna. According to him, any one who takes one kobo to sponsor people for ha...

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerian youths that his administration will make the country more attractive to discourage the desperation that makes them dare both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, all in a bid to take up menial jobs in Europe. The President, who described the dangerous migrations by the youths as hurting the pr...

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says $12.7 billion worth of crude oil was stolen from Nigeria between 2011 and 2014. Goodluck Jonathan was president during the three years mentioned by the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Falana made the comment on Thursday while speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senio...

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to tell Nigerians what he used the N13 trillion his government borrowed within three years of his administration for. Atiku, in a statement Tuesday by his Atiku Presidential Campai...

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to be more concerned over his indictment by the House of Representatives in the N5.8 billion he approved for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. Jonathan, in a statement by one of his aides, Reno Omokri, was reacting to the Vice President's claim that his govern...

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has commiserated with the people and government of Abia State over the fatal pipeline explosion that killed scores of people in Umuimo and Umuaduru communities in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state. A delegation led by the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and...

President Muhammadu Buhari has shared N500 million free cash to needy people in Adamawa. Buhari distributed the money from August 2017 to August 2018 through the House Uplifting Programme under the Cash Conditional Transfer programme. Mr. Zhegun Joseph, the Head of Programme, Adamawa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (...

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki has responded to the taunt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his (Saraki's) performance at the just concluded Presidential Primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The APC spokesman, Yekini Nabena, had in a statement issued on Tuesday, mocked Saraki's performace saying that his "President...

Ahmed Musa scored the only goal of the game to hand Al Nasr all three points against Al Shabab (KSA) in the Saudi Premier League played at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium on Friday evening. Musa, who was the stand-in captain for Super Eagles in the recent international break returned to his Club and scored the winning goal in the 35th minute to...

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYFC, has reacted to the emergence of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 presidential election. The organization said that the 'God' that installed Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2015, will remove him and replace him with Atiku ...

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said that he would be supporting the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP), ahead of the state's governorship election. This is as his Chief of Staff and son-in-law to has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Democratic Peoples' Party (DPP). Nwosu, some members of the state House of Assembly, as wel...

Uche Mefor, deputy leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), says Nnamdi Kanu did not reach any agreement to work against President Muhammadu Buhari's reelection. Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, had said Kanu vowed to work against the reelection of Buhari when they spoke via telephone on Saturday. But in a statement, Mefor ...

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday visited the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to canvass for support for his presidential bid in 2019. He asked the PDP faithful in the state to take a critical decision in the 2019 poll that would save the country from its present situation. He said Nigeria would need a digital...

The philanthropist attitude of Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, was recognized and highlighted by Richtopia, a digital periodical that covers business, economics and financial news, based in the United Kingdom, on Wednesday as the richest man in Africa was named as the sixth most charitable man in the world. Dangote recently endowed his f...

A former Vice President and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday said he would continue to work for the success of the party even if he does not win its presidential ticket. Atiku was speaking in Katsina State, when he visited the state secretariat of the party to seek the support of...

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over his alleged refusal to obey court orders, describing it as a national embarrassment. Soyinka made this known as he spoke at the Handshake Across Nigeria summit titled: 'Nigeria beyond oil', organised by Nzuko Umunna and The Core Federalists, which took place in Lagos. T...

Ahead of 2019 general elections, the Diverse, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Movement in Nigeria, has declared support for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The group said his nomination was a true pointer to the fact that the PDP would uphold human rights. According to the g...

The Nigeria Police on Friday denied it was aware of the case of forgery of certificate by a former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Saturday PUNCH is reporting. The Force Public Relations Officer, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Jimoh Moshood, stated the position of the police in an interview with the newspaper. Adeosun resigned when it was ...

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has finally been issued a visa to the United States, according to a report. A family source disclosed this on Saturday and confirmed that the former vice-president has left Nigeria for the UK, where he will spend some time before flying to the US. It was gathered that for...

President Muhammadu Buhari broke his silence regarding the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as Presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, accusing him of securing the party's mandate through financial muzzle. Buhari also regretted the crave for materialism on the part of the electorates, warning that most politicians ...

A legal luminary, Femi Falana, SAN, has faulted President Muhammad Buhari for allegedly placing a travel ban on suspected looters. It will be recalled that the Federal Government placed no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by Executive Order 6 (EO6) on watch-list and restricted them from leaving the country pending the determinat...

Hajiya Amina Titi Abubakar, wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, said she married her husband because of his honesty, sincerity and integrity. Mrs Atiku made the remarks when a group, Women for Atiku, paid her a courtesy visit at her Maitama residence in Abuja. "I get confused whenever I read the false a...

Joe Igbokwe, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, has declared that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2019, insisting that all the presidential candidates put together will not be able to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Igbokwe, the ruling APC would not lose sleep over the emergence of form...

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday, in Abuja, pledged the commitment of his administration to bring backup the 'good old days' when the cotton and textile industry employed hundreds of thousands of Nigerians. The president, according to his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement, made the pledge while receiving the Chief Executive Officer o...

The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has awarded scholarships to five children of the victims of the recent attack on 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele, Borno. Abubakar made the declaration in a statement personally signed by him on Wednesday in Abuja. He also called on those who desired to celebrate hi...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released stiff regulations that would henceforth make it compulsory for deposit money banks and other financial service providers in the country to return failed transactions into the account of its customer under the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) within 10 minutes or face severe sanctions. The new regulation...

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) says old pensioners will get the six months arrears of 33 per cent pension increment the Federal Government (FG) is owing them from Monday. Mr Actor Zal, the NUP General Secretary, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that this was based on assurances received from the Pension Transitional Administrative D...

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, on Thursday said that the ministry recovered 690 out of 800 containers of electricity equipment abandoned at port for 10 years by previous administrations. Fashola said this at the commissioning of 2×100MVA – 132/33kv power transformers at Ejigbo Transmission Substation in Lagos. The New...

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has said that it would be suicidal if President Muhammadu Buhari returns to power in 2019. Tambuwal, who was one of the 12 presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged that Buhari was not in charge of the country. Tambuwal claimed that the President ran the countr...

Former president Goodluck Jonathan says only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can feed Nigerians three times a day. Jonathan asked Nigerians to vote Atiku Abubakar, the party's presidential candidate in 2019, "so that all of us will have food to eat". Speaking at the flag-off of the 2019 presidential election campaign by the PDP, Jonathan said th...

President Muhammadu Buhari has again faulted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for allegedly mismanaging the nation's resources. He stated this at a meeting with a select group of South East leaders on Friday at the State House in Abuja. The President believes that although the forthcoming elections should not be a do or die affair, he will never ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigerians that he will not disappoint them if he is re-elected as President in 2019. He gave the assurance after being declared as the APC presidential candidate at the party's National Presidential Convention which ended in the early hours of Sunday at the Ab...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that any candidate elected out of the 13 at the Peoples Democratic Party convention will be the next president of Nigeria. Jonathan spoke at the convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt in the early hours of Sunday. He said that all the aspirants are qualified to lead the country, having interacted with t...

A head of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over possible foreign interference in the process through the internet. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, raised the concern on Monday in Abuja. He put advanced democracies in Europe, North America, Russia and elsewhere on notice that ...

After failing to secure assurances from the US Department of Justice that he will not be arrested in the United States, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reportedly shunned visiting the U.S. It was gathered that Atiku was supposed to go to the U.S. after his visitation to the United Kingdom...

John Agim, spokesman of the defence headquarters (DHQ), has told members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to be ready to face the consequences if they take on the military. Members of the movement better known as Shi'ites clashed with soldiers in some parts of Abuja last week. The army confirmed that three Shi'ites were killed while four so...

Former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has urged Igbos to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in their own interest. Chime told journalists in Enugu on Wednesday that the president had done a lot for the people to warrant their support. According to him, Buhari does not need to campaign but we are the people that need to convince the people ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness at the sheer desperation of some Nigerian youths who dare both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of greener pastures. He lamented that the situation was hurting the pride of the country, a development that would propel his administration to do everything possible to make the count...

Huge cost of servicing new loans amid poor revenue informed the Federal Government's decision to dispose of 10 state-owned assets to select investors and the public between now and year end, in order to fund the 2018 fiscal plan. This clarification was given by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, and her counterpart in the Budget and Nation...

President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Chile Eboe-Osuji, has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari is one of the most highly respected African statesmen. Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Eboe-Osuji expressed reverence for president Buhari, quoting him three times in his speech to the UN. The speec...

Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday said it was very sad that two global banking giants were leaving Nigeria as a result of bad economy. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had announced on Friday that Global banking giant, HSBC and UBS, a Swiss private bank, had closed their representati...

President George Weah of Liberia has showered praises on Nigeria's Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, describing him as good role model for other Vice Presidents to follow. Prof Osinbajo who is in Liberia to speak on leadership and women empowerment at the International SHEROES Forum paid a courtesy call on President Weah in Monrovia, the capital ...

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 16 members of the Peoples Democratic Party that it claimed were in possession of "customised INEC tags, face cap and jackets with the inscription of "INEC Osun 2018 Election Observer" during the Osun rerun. The police also said the suspects, who included Moshood Adejare, the PDP House of Representatives aspiran...

The father of Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany was elected as the first black mayor in Belgium after winning support in a Brussels commune. Pierre Kompany, 71, is a mechanical engineer who was born in Congo and serves in the Brussels Regional Parliament. He ran for election in Ganshoren as a non-partisan candidate on a platform dedicated to ...

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) are largesse dispensed for political goals. The SURE-P was created in 2012 during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan while the NSIP was created by the administration...