General
High Level British Delegation Visits Sudan
By Dipo Olowookere
A senior delegation from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DFID) visited Sudan on 9-10 January 2017 for wide-ranging talks. Led by FCO Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Simon McDonald and DFID Permanent Secretary Sir Mark Lowcock, the delegation travelled to Khartoum and Nyala, South Darfur.
Reflecting on the visit, Sir Simon said, “I’m delighted to have taken up the invitation extended by my Sudanese counterpart, Ambassador Abd Elghani Elnaim, when we met in London last October.
Relations between the peoples of Sudan and the UK are deep and historic, and our meetings over the last two days reflected that breadth.
“In addition to Sudan-UK bilateral interests, we also discussed human rights, conflict, migration, humanitarian and development assistance, economic matters, and the situation in the region.
“I am confident that our bilateral relations have a positive future. In my meetings with Government and the opposition, I urged them to not delay fully implementing the AU Roadmap and taking forward the national dialogue recommendations in an inclusive way.
“This is a key moment for Sudan to address its political and economic challenges and the opportunity should not be lost. The Government, the opposition parties and the armed movements must place the interests of the Sudanese people foremost and act accordingly.
“In Khartoum, the visitors met Foreign Minister Prof Ibrahim Ghandour and senior government interlocutors, as well as opposition figures and civil society representatives.
“In Nyala, the delegation was received by the Wali of South Darfur Adam Al-Faki and oversaw the launch of a cash-based transfer pilot in Otash camp.
Commenting on the launch, Sir Mark said: I’m proud to have launched in Darfur this innovative cash-based transfer project. Through this pilot, DFID, the World Food Programme and WorldVision, working closely with Blue Nile Mashreg Bank, will provide 75,000 people in Otash Camp with cash assistance, replacing the more traditional food assistance and vouchers, and providing greater choice for people participating in the programme. DFID spends £50 million per year in Sudan, and we are keen to work with partners on delivering more sustainable solutions for displaced persons where the opportunity allows.
This visit by the senior-most officials in the FCO and DFID was the third since the initiation of the Sudan-UK Strategic Dialogue in March 2016, and follows visits by the FCO Africa Director and the UK Special Representative for Sudan.
The British Ambassador Michael Aron emphasised the importance of maintaining high-level engagement: The UK is strengthening its relationship with Sudan through increased government to government dialogue. This is essential in order to respond to shared challenges including the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, increased migration flows and countering violent extremism. We are committed to building a dialogue that is frank and open, including on how the UK can support efforts to end conflict and promote peaceful political transition, and the central importance of respect for human rights and political freedoms.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn