January 2026 – Page 167

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Presents Opportunity To Concretise Agreements, Says Tuggar

13.01.2026

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has said that the ongoing Sustainability Week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has provided Nigeria the opportunity to concretize agreements reached with partners at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) held in Brazil last year. Responding to questions from journalists ahead of President Bola...

Benin, Kaduna Show Major Lapses

13.01.2026

At least five electricity distribution companies supplied a disproportionate share of power to less commercially viable and poorly accounted feeders in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest industry performance report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. The affected DisCos—Benin, Kaduna, Ibadan, Yola, and Port Harcourt—recorded significant negative variances between their Billing...

ARM Launches N200bn Private Debt Fund for Nigerian SMEs

13.01.2026

ARM Investment Managers has unveiled a N200bn private debt programme aimed at expanding access to long-term financing for small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria. The Chief Executive Officer of the ARM Private Debt Fund, Deji Opeola, disclosed this on Monday during the launch of the SME financing initiatives in Lagos. He announced the launch of...

Nigeria’s Aviation Budget Cut Despite Infrastructure Needs

13.01.2026

The Federal Government has appropriated a total of N87,309,964,483 to the Ministry of Aviation in the 2026 budget submitted to the National Assembly for the fiscal year. The allocation represents a decline from the N105,953,496,365 budgeted for the ministry in 2025, indicating a decrease of N18.6bn, despite the push and calls for more infrastructure development...

RusselSmith secures NIPC pioneer status for manufacturing

13.01.2026

RusselSmith, an ISO-certified provider of innovative asset integrity and advanced manufacturing solutions for critical industries in Africa, on Monday announced that it has been granted pioneer status for additive (3D) manufacturing by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. In a statement, the firm said the designation is in recognition of the company’s pioneering activities in deploying...

Saudi Airlines Abandons 401 Passengers in Abuja

13.01.2026

Saudi Airlines has come under intense criticism after abandoning 401 Kano-bound passengers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for close to 48 hours, triggering tension and security concerns. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that bad weather in Kano forced the airline to divert to Abuja, but noted that it failed to make adequate...

How Banks & Fintechs Drive Financial Inclusion in Nigeria

13.01.2026

The Managing Director of FairMoney Microfinance Bank, Henry Obiekea, has said that structural harmony between banks and fintechs would help to deepen financial inclusion and drive the $1tn economic ambition of the Federal Government. This was disclosed in a thought leadership piece, which he authored and was made available to The PUNCH on Monday. According...

Economic Reforms Drive Nigeria’s BOP Rebound & FX Inflows

13.01.2026

Ongoing economic reforms in Nigeria are gradually reshaping the external sector, reversing deficits, strengthening foreign exchange inflows, and restoring investor confidence across trade, reserves, and capital markets, JUSTICE OKAMGBA writes The reforms in Nigeria’s financial sector have supported the expansion of the Balance of Payments surplus, alongside rising diaspora remittances and stronger inflows into external...

African startup funding hits nearly $20bn in seven years

13.01.2026

By the close of 2025, Nigerian startups and their counterparts across Africa had secured nearly $20bn in funding over a seven-year period. This was disclosed in the review of 2025 by Africa: The Big Deal, a platform that tracks startup ecosystem activities on the continent. According to compiled data tracking fundraising activity since 2019, more...

Tech Innovator Deploys AI for Disability Inclusion

13.01.2026

In a move highlighting his commitment to using technology for social good, Nigerian-born tech innovator Hanu Agbodjie has donated AI-powered smart glasses to hearing-impaired Nigerians, as part of efforts to expand access to opportunities and promote social inclusion for persons living with disabilities. The first beneficiaries of the initiative are Joylyn Oge Jacobson, a Lagos-based...