Author: Prima News

African healthcare systems are increasingly facing cyberattacks, with hospitals, laboratories and digital health platforms becoming prime targets for cybercriminals, Microsoft’s chief security advisor for Africa, Kerissa Varma, has warned. Writing in an opinion piece shared with The PUNCH, Varma highlighted the growing vulnerability of healthcare facilities on the continent, saying the sector is under a “silent emergency” as cybercriminals exploit the rush to digitise patient records and services. “While doctors fight to save lives, cybercriminals are infiltrating hospitals, laboratories, and clinics, turning life-saving environments into digital battlegrounds,” Varma said. According to Varma, recent attacks across Africa illustrate the fragility of…

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority have signed a cooperation agreement on search and rescue operations for aircraft in distress between the two countries. The agreement was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday following its signing by the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Nigeria, Chris Najomo, on behalf of the Nigerian government, and the Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Stephen Arthur, who signed on behalf of the Ghanaian government. Speaking in the statement, Najomo said the Memorandum of Understanding would strengthen both countries’ search and rescue framework and deepen operational collaboration. Najomo said,…

Global oil prices declined sharply on Tuesday after remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may end sooner than previously anticipated. Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian crude oil is priced, dropped by $6.75 or 6.8 percent to trade at $92.21 per barrel during mid-morning trading, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by $6.41, or 6.8 percent to $88.36 per barrel. Both benchmark contracts experienced even steeper losses earlier in the session, with prices sliding by as much as 11 percent before partially recovering. The decline followed a sharp rally…

The African Democratic Congress in Cross River State has raised the alarm over what it described as an attempt to hijack the structure of the party in the state. This was disclosed on Tuesday during a press briefing in Calabar by the party’s Vice Chairman for the Central Senatorial District, McFarlane Ejah, who represented the state chairman, John Oga, said to be away in Abuja attending to national matters. Ejah alleged that some individuals who are not recognised members of the party were planning to inaugurate a membership mobilisation, registration, and revalidation committee across the 18 local government areas of…

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has secured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for a $20 billion final investment in the Bonga Southwest Aparo deepwater project. The state-owned oil firm spokesperson, John Odey, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. The project is estimated to attract about $20 billion in foreign direct investment and position Nigeria for deepwater production. The presidential approval comes after months of technical and commercial negotiations involving NNPC Limited as the concessionaire, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, and the Shell CEO, Mr. Wael Sawan. Commenting on the…

Former Real Madrid forward Hugo Duro has praised Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar following his strong performances for Valencia in recent weeks. Sadiq joined Valencia from Real Sociedad in a permanent deal during the January transfer window. After a slow start at the club, the Nigerian striker has begun to show his quality at the Mestalla Stadium. At first, competition for places in the attack limited his playing time. However, his situation improved after mid-February when he started getting more minutes on the pitch. His breakthrough came when he scored an important goal in Valencia’s 2–0 victory over Levante. Since…

Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has selected 100 young talents for specialised training under the newly unveiled Tiwa Savage Music Foundation. Savage unveiled the foundation on Monday evening in Lagos as part of efforts to develop young music talents and strengthen infrastructure within Nigeria’s creative industry. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the launch event, held at The Delborough Lagos, attracted celebrities, industry stakeholders and government officials. Notable guests included Don Jazzy, Mo Abudu, Johnny Drille and Cobhams Asuquo. Other dignitaries were Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, Daisy Danjuma and Shade Okoya. Speaking on the red carpet, Savage said…

Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, has revealed why the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) refrained from imposing or naming a consensus candidate for the All Progressives Congress as his successor. He said the ruling party’s special convention and presidential primary that produced the former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, as the party’s flagbearer was a litmus test for the President, hence his neutrality. Adesina, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, stated these in a piece titled, ‘Knock, Knock! Who’s there?’. The presidential spokesman said despite his indication that he had a favourite candidate, the…

The Computer-Based Test Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria has raised the alarm over the N700 Computer-Based Test Centre Registration Service Charge for candidates registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, describing it as “grossly inadequate” amid rising operational costs and logistical challenges. The association’s President, Austin Ohaekelem, spoke to The PUNCH on Monday shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced the disbursement of N1.57bn to accredited CBT centres for the 2026 UTME registration exercise. In a bulletin on Monday, JAMB, through its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, said the payment represents the N700 fee collected from candidates on…

Three global music distribution giants—Empire, Sony, and Universal Music Group—accounted for 68% of Nigeria’s total streaming volume in 2025, underscoring how deeply foreign distributors have embedded themselves at the centre of Africa’s most valuable music market. Empire, an independent American distribution and publishing company, led the pack with 1.2 billion streams, representing 32.88% of all Nigerian Spotify consumption, according to a new report by Creator Economy IQ, a data intelligence organisation. Empire’s partnerships with Nigerian music labels, such as Dangbana Republik, placed it in a unique position as the leading company in streaming numbers. California-headquartered Universal came second with 786.4…