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By SAMUEL CHUKWUKA Lagos — Dr Felicia Tamuno, Institutional Banking Lead at The Alternative Bank, Nigeria’s leading non-interest financial institution, has called for a major shift in Africa’s banking system, urging greater adoption of non-interest and ethical finance models to bridge the massive financing gap facing women entrepreneurs. Speaking at the African Women in Banking and Finance Conference & Awards 2026, Tamuno said traditional interest-based lending models, which rely heavily on fixed asset collateral, property titles, and long credit histories, continue to exclude millions of women operating in the informal and semi-formal sectors.“Many women-led businesses remain locked out of formal finance despite their enormous…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Crisis is brewing in the Oyo State branch of main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as five of the party's governorship aspirants passed a vote of no confidence on the party’s State Chairman, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, demanding his immediate resignation. They cited alleged bias and actions which they claimed have undermined the integrity of the party. The aspirants, former Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan; Mr. Hakeem Alao, Mr. Akeem Agbaje, Mr. Ololade Usman Bakare, and Mr. Musibau Asanike, tabled the demand in a statement issued after what they described as a crucial meeting held on Monday.…

*Sent Home Barely A Year After Appointment The axe fell on Managing Director (MD) of Imo State Housing Corporation (IMSHC), Barr. Raymond Ucheoma, as Governor Hope Uzodimma approved his suspension from office, barely one year after he was appointed. Ucheoma's suspension, effective 2 June, 2026 was communicated to him through a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) which said the suspension was immediate. Ucheoma, the letter stated, was directed to hand over all government property in his custody to the Secretary of the Corporation or the most senior officer in IMSHC before the close…

*Accuse Urhobo, Ijaw Of Orchestrating Media Attacks On Tinubu, Wife By Emmanuel Ogoigbe, Warri Leaders of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality on Wednesday rejected the proposed delineation of wards, polling units, state constituencies and the creation of an additional federal constituency in Warri federal constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the exercise was fraught with constitutional, legal and technical irregularities. Addressing a world press conference at Ubeji Town Hall in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, the Itsekiri leaders accused INEC of relying on flawed fieldwork and disputed Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Oyo State Police Command said it has kicked off investigations into the reported abduction of Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, sister of ex-Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons this morning in Ibadan, the state capital. A family statement had revealed that the trio was kidnapped about 7:30am as she drove the children to school. A statement issued by the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ayanlade Olayinka, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), disclosed that upon receiving information about the incident, the State Commissioner of Police immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)…

*Don't Assist Strangers Get Our National ID Documents Illegally, He Rallies Countrymen *'3 Nigerians Deported From S/Arabia Presented Ghana Documents' Involvement in one criminality or the other has landed many Nigerians in jail in Ghana with the West African country's authorities saying Nigerians constitute 75 per cent of foreigners in prisons all over their country. Ghana said of a total of 14,000 prisoners in the country’s jails, 1,100 were foreigners. Furthermore, it disclosed that three Nigerians deported recently from Saudi Arabia landed in Abuja,the Nigeria capital, with Ghana passports, raising concerns over identity fraud and national security. Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak…

By our reporter Another misfortune dogged immediate past Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, as unidentified gunmen abducted one of his sisters and her 12-year-old twin sons in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, today. Reports said the 43-year-old former employee of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBB) was making preparations to join her husband in the United States (US) soon, before the enemies of society struck. The incident is coming few weeks after the ex-Minister, who resigned his appointment, lost the primary for governor under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a move which shocked not just him but his supporters. He…

*'They're Scared Of Me' By Emmanuel Ogoigbe,Warri. House of Representatives candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Warri federal constituency, Chief Sheriff Mulade, has dismissed claims in some quarters that he has stepped aside from the race. He clarified that he is still in the race to represent the people of Warri federal constituency in the 2027 general election. Mulade said the rumour of his purported ‘'stepdown’' was orchestrated by political opponents who, to him, are scared of his candidacy. He urged his supporters to remain steadfast and unwavering as he is set to give people-oriented and inclusive representation, if…

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday ensured a successful day two of the strike in Oyo State, called to protest the abduction of teachers and pupils of schools in Oriire Local Government Area (LGA) of the State amid seeming inaction by relevant authorities. President Bola Tinubu, though, had, weekend, ordered the recruitment and deployment of 1000 forest guards to ferret out the kidnappers. As happened on Monday too, some civil society organisations (CSOs) continued their protests in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, over the same…

By Emmanuel Ogoigbe, Warri Protesting members of Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri, Delta State, have warned the Presidency not to reignite ethnic tensions that sparked bloodshed which shook the oil city several years ago. Accusing the Presidency of interfering in the implementation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)'s final report on the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of electoral wards and constituencies in Warri federal constituency, they warned of consequences, if Abuja fails to hands off the matter. Addressing journalists in Warri today, the protesters, who read from a statement, alleged that the delay in implementing the delineation…