By Ayomide Otitoju Mastercard and Zenith Bank have unveiled the Essential Debit Card, a new scalable payment solution aimed at expanding access to secure digital financial services for underserved Nigerians, particularly low-income earners who often face obstacles to formal banking. The rollout comes as Nigeria’s digital economy continues to accelerate. Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank…
Brazil, host of COP30, pushed Tuesday for an early breakthrough in UN climate talks, aiming to bridge divisions on fossil fuels, climate finance, and trade measures. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to return unexpectedly to Belem on Wednesday to support negotiations in a high-level bid to finalize a deal. Following Brazil’s accelerated…
South Africa will host the first-ever G20 summit on African soil this weekend, with the debt crisis facing developing nations high on the agenda. Developing countries now carry $31 trillion in global debt—double their share from 2010—according to UNCTAD, the UN body for integrating developing nations into the global economy. African economies, with young and…
The European Union is set to unveil plans on Wednesday to revise its AI and data privacy rules, following pressure from European and U.S. companies to simplify regulations and boost innovation. The proposals, aimed at cutting red tape and helping European businesses compete with American and Chinese tech giants, will be presented by EU digital…
By Ayomide Otitoju President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday depart Abuja for a two-nation trip to South Africa and Angola, where he is scheduled to attend two major international summits. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the trip in a statement issued on Tuesday. Tinubu’s first stop will…
By Ayomide Otitoju Germany and the Netherlands sealed their World Cup berths in emphatic fashion on Monday, closing out European qualifying with dominant victories. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann hailed his side’s performance after a ruthless 6–0 win over Slovakia in Leipzig. “Every player played well today and worked like a dog,” he told ZDF. Both…
The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution backing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, approving the deployment of an international stabilization force and outlining a pathway toward a future Palestinian state. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor, while Russia and China abstained but did not exercise their veto…
By Ayomide Otitoju The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has ordered troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify search-and-rescue operations for students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The directive, issued during an operational tour of Kebbi State on…
By Ayomide Otitoju Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the deadly attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, which left the Vice-Principal dead and 25 students abducted. The assault reportedly occurred on Sunday night when gunmen stormed the school in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area. The attackers killed the school’s…
