General
Imo Govt Mulls Making Igbo Language Compulsory at Schools
The government of Imo State has expressed its commitment to preserve the culture of the Igbo ethnic group, particularly, the language.
Addressing a Civil Society Organisation, Green Pathway Initiative, in Igbo language recently in his office in Owerri, Deputy Governor of Imo State, Mr Gerald Irona, lamented what he described as the decline in the use of Igbo language.
He promised that the government will look into it, with a view to ensuring that something is done urgently to remedy the situation. He assured his guests that he would have a talk with Governor Emeka Ihedioha on the reintroduction of the Bill to make Igbo language compulsory at all levels of education to the State House of Assembly, arguing that language is part of a people’s identity that must be preserved.
“Every tribe has an identity. One of the identities of a people is their language. It is unfortunate that a lot of our children neither speak nor understand Igbo language. I commend the Igbofo group for their efforts in preserving the Igbo language. It is a step in the right direction. I will discuss the details with critical stakeholders, with a view to seeing how to take it forward. I will discuss with the Governor and I know he will be interested in making this work.”
“The Green Pathway initiative is an excellent idea. It aligns with the present administration’s programme of returning to nature. This will be encouraged, as it is one of our areas of interest. We must conserve our environment. We must clean our environment. We must work together in ensuring that the government of Emeka Ihedioha succeeds.”
Earlier in her speech, leader of the delegation and founder of Igbofo and Green Pathway Initiative, Professor Frances Chukwukere poured encomiums on the state Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, describing him as a man full of wisdom.
She described the Governor and his Deputy as a set of incorruptible and ideal civil servants, endowed with the capacity needed to take Imo State forward.
“The nomination of Gerald Irona as Deputy Governor did not come to us as a surprise. The combination is what Imo State really needs at this point to move forward. In all their years in public service, none of them has been linked with any scandal whatsoever; they have not been linked with any form of corruption or bribery; Ihedioha/Irona is the ideal combination for a new Imo State. None has any negative record. These are sterling qualities that the Igbos need at this stage of our history. With you, Imo is on the path of greatness.”
Adding his voice, a clergy, Rev. Father Uzoma Okwara called on the State Government to take steps to save the Igbo language from extinction.
He informed the Deputy Governor of a Bill earlier introduced at the State House of Assembly, aimed at making Igbo language compulsory, from kindergarten to University level in the state.
“Igbofo as a Bill had passed through first and second reading at the Imo State House of Assembly before the end of the last administration. We urge you to support the reintroduction of that Bill in the State Assembly.”
Highlights of the occasion were presentation of Awards to the Deputy Governor in recognition of his contributions and service to humanity, presentation of books, among others.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
