Author: Prima News

Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises need more than access to finance to thrive, according to FCMB’s Senior Vice President and Divisional Head of Business Banking, George Ogbonnaya, who highlights infrastructure, skills and digital transformation as critical growth drivers, in this interview with OKECHUKWU NNODIM Beyond financing, what additional support do Nigerian businesses need to scale sustainably? Infrastructure remains one of the most significant challenges. Reliable electricity, efficient logistics networks, and strong digital infrastructure are critical for competitiveness. Energy is particularly important because of its direct impact on operating costs. This is one reason we have invested significantly in renewable energy…

By all measurable economic standards, no serious nation has ever industrialised without first solving one critical problem: how to move goods, people, energy and capital efficiently. That was the secret behind America’s rise. It was the foundation of China’s transformation. It was central to Europe’s industrial revolution. And today, quietly but aggressively, President Bola Tinubu appears to be placing that same bet on Nigeria’s future. While much of Nigeria’s political conversation remains trapped in tribal arguments, partisan hostility and social media warfare, a far more consequential development is unfolding beneath the noise: the physical reconstruction and reconnection of Nigeria’s economic…

New graduates’ careers are unfolding in an era when AI is not optional. The most successful engineers treat artificial intelligence as leverage, not competition.Here are seven tips to help keep young professionals in demand no matter how quickly the field’s tools evolve.1. Master the fundamentals first. AI tools can help you code, but you still need strong fundamentals in:AI can autocomplete syntax, but if you don’t understand how things work under the hood, you’re likely to struggle to debug or optimize.2. Learn how to work with AI, not against it. The best engineers will not try to out-code AI. Instead,…

Portuguese giants Benfica confirmed on Thursday that Real Madrid would have to pay 15 million euros to prise away their coach Jose Mourinho. Real president Florentino Perez has vowed to bring back Mourinho to the Bernabeu, 13 years after he left the club in 2013, as he seeks re-election this weekend. Benfica released a statement saying that Perez had told them of his “firm intention to recruit” Mourinho, while stipulating that the Portuguese boss’s release clause was worth 15 million euros ($17.4m). Previous media reports had suggested that it could cost the Spanish giants as little as three million euros.…

Africa can unlock more than $469bn in additional annual revenue without raising statutory tax rates, according to the African Development Bank. Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management at the African Development Bank, Prof Kevin Urama, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the additional revenue could be mobilised without increasing tax rates, stressing that stronger domestic resource mobilisation remained the most sustainable source of development financing for the continent. According to him, improving tax administration through digitalisation, strengthening public institutions, and enhancing service delivery would…

At a time when universities around the world are grappling with the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence, the University of Abuja has unveiled what is believed to be Nigeria’s first AI-powered academic research ecosystem dedicated to structured thesis, dissertation, and scholarly writing through its Thesis-Speedwrite platform. Specifically, the platform is designed to support ethical, structured, and disciplined research writing by guiding students, researchers, and academics through the various stages of scholarly work, from topic development and literature review to data analysis, citation management, and final manuscript preparation. Developed by Professor Isaiah Ilo of the Department of Theatre Arts, the…

The Federal Government on Thursday said it is targeting the engagement of at least 20,000 young Nigerians annually through the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment. The government also noted that selected fellows receive a monthly stipend of N150,000 for one year while gaining hands-on workplace experience. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Akubo Adegbe, disclosed this in Abuja, at the NJFP 2.0 Abuja Job Fair, themed “Building a National Workforce for the Future.” Adegbe said the government was working to ensure the sustainability of the programme beyond…

FIFA has banned fans from bringing refillable water bottles into stadiums for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a decision that will require supporters to buy bottled water inside the venues. According to reports, FIFA recently changed its stadium rules. Last month, the guidelines allowed fans to bring empty, clear reusable plastic bottles with a capacity of up to one litre into stadiums. However, the updated rules now clearly state that reusable water bottles will not be allowed inside any World Cup venue. Explaining the decision, FIFA said the change was made for safety reasons. “FIFA is committed to protecting the…

Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, has said he felt “insecure for the first time in his life” following the exposure of his personal data at the Independent National Electoral Commission. Speaking on News Central Television in a video shared on X on Thursday, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, House of Representatives aspirant described the incident as an abuse of power, adding that it raised concerns about citizens’ safety and data protection in the country. Ike confirmed that he has initiated legal proceedings against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. “It was…

Outlining “repeated attacks” and “routine targeting” of law enforcement personnel in Gaza, OHCHR said that they have been killed while directing traffic and patrolling streets and crowded markets.This “systematic targeting” of key public institutions and workers has caused a collapse of civic and public order since Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel sparked the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, maintained Mayy El Sheikh, OHCHR spokesperson in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Obligations ignored“Israel as the occupying power actually has the obligation under international law to ensure civic and public order for Palestinians who live under the occupation… targeting them, unless they are…