Author: Prima News

Nigeria’s Falconets secured a narrow but important 1-0 victory over Senegal on Saturday to take a slim advantage into the second leg of their third-round qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. Playing at home in Abeokuta, the perennial World Cup contenders dominated large spells of the encounter, creating several scoring chances. Unfortunately, the Falconets found the net just once through substitute Kindness Ifeanyi in the second half. The result leaves the tie delicately balanced ahead of next week’s return leg in Dakar. The Falconets went into the match under pressure, having been reminded by head…

Operatives of the Kogi State Police Command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local hunters and vigilante groups, have arrested eight suspected criminal elements, including alleged informants, during coordinated bush-combing operations across parts of the state. The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday in Lokoja by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat. The statement noted that the exercise involved thorough combing of identified forested and remote areas suspected to be vulnerable to criminal exploitation in the state. Police authorities said the operation forms part of continuous, intelligence-led security measures routinely conducted across different…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has met with the Chancellor of Baze University, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, to discuss plans for the establishment of a School of Aviation in Abuja, a move aimed at boosting Nigeria’s aviation manpower and reducing dependence on foreign training. Baba-Ahmed, who was the running mate to Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 general election, led a delegation of Baze University’s management on a courtesy and project-advocacy visit to the Ministry in his office in Abuja. Members of the delegation included the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Jamila Shu’ara, the Registrar, Prof Abiodun…

Transcorp Power Plc has announced key corporate actions following the release of its audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025. The power generation company proposed a final dividend of ₦4.00 per ordinary share, subject to shareholders’ approval and applicable withholding tax. When combined with the interim dividend of ₦1.50 per share paid on August 18, 2025, the total dividend for the 2025 financial year stands at ₦5.50 per share. The dividend announcement aligns with the company’s recently reported 30 percent year-on-year revenue growth to ₦398.27 billion and profit after tax of ₦91.42 billion. Qualification and Register Closure…

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated has released its unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025, posting strong earnings growth driven by higher revenue, improved operating performance, and balance-sheet expansion. Gross earnings rose by 14 percent to ₦4.82 trillion, compared with ₦4.21 trillion recorded in the 2024 financial year. Revenue increased by 18 percent to ₦3.67 trillion, up from ₦3.11 trillion in the prior year. Operating profit before impairment charges climbed 29 percent year on year to ₦1.89 trillion, reflecting stronger core banking performance across the group’s operating markets. Profitability Strengthens Profit before tax increased by 30 percent to ₦1.28…

By Blaise Udunze The Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalisation exercise, which is scheduled for a March 31, 2026, deadline, has continued to reignite optimism across financial markets and is designed to build stronger, more resilient banks capable of financing a $1 trillion economy. With the ongoing exercise, the industry has been witnessing bank valuations rising, investors are enthusiastic, and balance sheets are swelling. However, beneath these encouraging headline numbers, unbeknownst to many, or perhaps some troubling aspects that the industry players have chosen not to talk about, are the human cost of consolidation and the infrastructure deficit. Recapitalisation often leads…

Ex-NEXIM MD Robert Orya has been jailed for 490 years over N2.4bn fraud. NewsOnline Nigeria reports that a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Robert Orya, has been sentenced to a cumulative 490 years’ imprisonment over a N2.4 billion fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured Orya’s conviction on Thursday, February 5, 2026, before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja. Justice F. E. Messiri sentenced the former bank chief to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 49 counts preferred against him, bringing the total jail term to 490 years. Orya, who…

From military tradition and security warnings to political realignments and international fraud convictions, this afternoon’s headlines reflect key developments shaping Nigeria’s defence, politics and justice landscape. The Nigerian Army celebrated 10 retired senior officers in Lagos, a US lawmaker cautioned against separatist agendas in Nigeria, and supporters of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso proposed a joint ticket with Peter Obi ahead of 2027. Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Kwara after a deadly attack, and a Nigerian man was sentenced to more than eight years by a US court for a $6 million inheritance scam. Here’s your complete afternoon roundup of…

The Kwankwaso Support Group 2027 has proposed a joint presidential ticket pairing former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, with Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso. Speaking in Kano on Friday, the leader of the group, Abba Gwale, stated that as loyal supporters of Senator Kwankwaso, they found it necessary to appeal to Nigerians to support the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance, describing it as a chance to rescue the nation from its current challenges. “As Kwankwaso supporters and loyalists, we have proposed and thrown our weight behind the joint presidential ticket, especially with Peter Obi, in any of the political parties. The current political trajectory has…