EFCC FC Gains Promotion

By Bliss Okperan A 21-year-old Spanish international winger, Nico Williams, has extended his current deal with Athletic Bilbao, which expires in June 2024, by three seasons. He agreed to remain with the Spanish football outfit until 2027, the La Liga club confirmed this action on Friday. Nico Williams, whose elder brother, Inaki Williams, also plays for Athletic Bilbao, scored nine goals in 43 games in all competitions for the club last season. He represented Spain in the last World Cup in Qatar, while his brother played for their home country, Ghana. The younger Williams has reportedly been targeted by league

By Adedapo Adesanya The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has announced the trio of Morocco, Portugal and Spain as the joint host of the 2030 World Cup. It will be the second time the quadrennial tournament will be played on the African continent after South Africa hosted the 2010 edition but will be the first time it will take place in North Africa. The 2030 World Cup, which will mark 100 years since the first one was played in Uruguay, will involve teams playing in six countries, each of which will qualify automatically. The tournament has never been played

By Adedapo Adesanya South African football club, Mamelodi Sundowns, have emerged as the first-ever champions of the African Football League (AFL) title, defeating top Moroccan side, Wydad Athletic Club, 2-0 in Pretoria on Sunday. Sundowns trailed 2-1 from the first leg played in Casablanca last weekend, and they ensured they won by a margin of two goals with a clean sheet to engrave their names in the books of history. The South African Premier Soccer League side sealed a 3-2 aggregate win to claim the top prize. Sundowns striker, Peter Shalulile, returning to the team after weeks out with injury,

By Dipo Olowookere Brazilian winger, Anthony, is now eligible to make the Manchester United squad again, a statement from the football club has disclosed. A few weeks ago, the footballer was suspended by the English sports outfit over allegations of assault in his home country. His former girlfriend, Rosilene Silva, accused the footballer of assaulting her, prompting the police in Brazil to launch an investigation into the claims. The police in the United Kingdom also took an interest in the matter, forcing the Old Trafford team to ask Anthony to stay away from the team. In an update on Friday,

By Dipo Olowookere Group Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, has assured shareholders of the company of more dividend payment for 2019 financial year. Last Friday, the pan-African financial institution announced its Audited Financial Results for the year ended December 31, 2018 and also proposed the payment of 65 kobo per share as dividend, bringing total dividend for the year to 85 kobo, same as 2017 fiscal year. In the results, the Africa’s global bank improved its gross earnings by 7.0 percent to N494.0 billion against N461.6 billion recorded in the corresponding period of

By Bliss Okperan, Adedapo Adesanya  The cost of cooking a pot of jollof rice, one of the most consumed foods daily in Nigeria, has surged by 37.4 per cent, according to research carried out by Business Post. Using market data and the most recent food price watch by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), major food items in making the delicacy, including rice, groundnut oil, tomatoes, and onions, among others have recorded a massive increase within the past year, making it hard for the average Nigerian to survive. According to NBS, 1 kilogram of Rice cost N757.06 in 2023 as

By Aduragbemi Omiyale An expert in development economics, Mr Rufus Idris, has been appointed as the new Nigeria Country Director for Heifer International. The seasoned development specialist with cross-cultural experience spanning over 17 years was chosen to lead the Nigerian operations of the organisation and operationalize its global mission and strategy in Africa’s largest and most populous economy. It was gathered that the new appointee assumed his duties in June 2021 and has already set the ball rolling. “I am excited to join Heifer International as the Nigeria Country Director and to lead its innovative and inclusive in-country programs to

By Sodeinde Temidayo David The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has expressed its willingness to work in partnership with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) for a short term on the option of financing. This was made known by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari, during the visitation of the stock exchange team to his office in Abuja recently. Mr Kyari noted that the recent signing of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has opened up unique opportunities to create value for shareholders and there is a need to access capital to build on NNPC’s positioning as the largest

By Dipo Olowookere A Senator representing Bayelsa Central constituency of Bayelsa State in the National Assembly, Mr Emmanuel Paulker, has described most assumptions in the 2018 budget presented to the parliament by the executive as wrong. On November 7, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari presented a budget proposal of N8.6 trillion to a joint session of the National Assembly for consideration and approval. During his presentation, the President said the 2018 budget deficit is about N2.01 trillion and will be financed mainly through new borrowing of N 1.7 trillion while the balance of NGN 306 billion is expected to come from

By Investors Hub The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Tuesday following the strong upward move seen last week. Profit taking may contribute to initial weakness on Wall Street, although trading activity may remain somewhat subdued ahead of the release of the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday. Stocks moved mostly higher in morning trading on Friday but turned mixed over the course of the session. The major averages eventually ended the day on opposite sides of the unchanged line. While the Dow and the S&P 500 closed higher for sixth consecutive

By Adedapo Adesanya The federal government has concluded plans to restore mangrove ecosystems in Ogoniland and the rest of the Niger Delta region. This was revealed in a statement from the Director of Press, Ministry of Environment, Mr Saghir el Mohammed, following an International Expert Meeting on Mangrove Restoration in the Niger Delta. Quoting the Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammad Abubakar, said the meeting was a turning point for mangrove ecosystems in Ogoniland. The Minister said, “Using the knowledge and experience of the experts assembled here today, together, we will be able to restore the mangroves and improve the lives

By Adedapo Adesanya Yellow Card, a leading pan-African fintech and cryptocurrency exchange, and Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin provider, have completed Phase 1 of their strategic collaboration across three key African markets. The two-month collaboration focused on raising awareness, providing education and driving the adoption of USD₮, Tether’s stablecoin, among students and young professionals in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Activities included financial literacy tours in universities and a canvassing campaign which involved Yellow Cards brand ambassadors engaging with individuals across major cities in the three countries. Over 10,000 young people were reached – including students drawn from the six universities