Category: News

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are set to sign a landmark agreement aimed at ending years of protracted negotiations over the welfare of university lecturers and the funding of public universities.

According to the agreement, academic staff in federal universities will enjoy a 40 per cent increase in salaries, a move expected to ease the impact of inflation and improve staff morale across the university system. The pact also introduces improved pension conditions, including enhanced retirement benefits for professors and other senior academics.

The new deal is the outcome of the long-awaited renegotiation of the 2009 FG–ASUU Agreement, which has been at the centre of repeated industrial disputes and nationwide strikes that disrupted academic calendars for several years.

Beyond salaries and pensions, the agreement outlines reforms in university funding, with provisions for increased investment in research, laboratories, libraries, and staff development. A National Research Council is also expected to be established to strengthen research financing and innovation in the tertiary education sector.

The pact is scheduled to take effect from January 2026 and will be subject to periodic reviews. Stakeholders believe its successful implementation could usher in a new era of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities and reduce the frequent strike actions that have affected students and parents nationwide.

Education stakeholders have described the development as a major step toward stabilising the university system, while urging the Federal Government to ensure full and timely implementation of all agreed terms to sustain peace in the sector.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, outlining eight allegations of gross misconduct against him.

The lawmakers, acting under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, issued a notice announcing the commencement of the process and granted the governor and his deputy seven days to respond to the accusations.

According to the Assembly, the allegations border on financial impropriety, constitutional violations, and interference with legislative functions.

Among the claims is the alleged reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds without legislative approval, as well as the misappropriation of state resources.

The governor is also accused of obstructing the Rivers State House of Assembly from carrying out its constitutional duties, including making appointments without due legislative screening.

Further allegations include the withholding of salaries and entitlements of lawmakers, the seizure of the salary of the Clerk of the House, and the failure to implement constitutional provisions on financial autonomy for the legislature.

The Assembly also accused Governor Fubara of withholding funds meant for the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission, thereby crippling its operations.

The impeachment notice marks a significant escalation in the political crisis rocking the state, as the Assembly prepares to follow constitutional procedures should the governor fail to satisfactorily address the allegations within the stipulated timeframe.

Africa’s leading businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally withdrawn the petition he filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Dangote had accused Ahmed of corruption and alleged financial impropriety, including claims that he spent more than $7 million on the overseas education of his children without lawful income justification.

The withdrawal, communicated in a letter dated January 5, 2026 from Dangote’s legal counsel, noted that another law enforcement agency has taken over the matter.

Despite this, the ICPC stated it will continue its investigation under its statutory mandate, saying the probe is in the public interest and already underway.

A federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of properties valued at N213.2 billion allegedly linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to the Federal Government.

The order followed an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is investigating the assets as suspected proceeds of unlawful activities. In granting the application, the court directed that the properties be temporarily forfeited pending the determination of the substantive case.

According to court documents, the assets—numbering 57 properties—are spread across the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) as well as Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states. They include luxury residential buildings, hotels, commercial plazas, shopping malls, warehouses, filling stations, parcels of land and other high-value real estate.

The court further ordered the EFCC to publish a notice of the interim forfeiture in a national newspaper, inviting any interested parties to appear within 14 days to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The forfeiture order is interim, meaning the final decision will depend on the outcome of the ongoing legal process and any objections raised by affected parties. The case has been adjourned to a later date for a report on compliance with the court’s directives.

Let me know if you want a shorter version, a more detailed breakdown of the properties, or a stronger investigative-style headline.

Types and Locations of Properties

The properties are spread across Abuja (FCT), Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, and include a mix of:

Luxury residential properties, such as:

A luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja (valued at about N5.95 billion).

Terrace buildings in Asokoro, Abuja and residential estates across states.

Hotels and commercial buildings, such as:

Meethaq Hotels Ltd in Jabi and Maitama, Abuja (one valued at about N8.4 billion, another at about N12.95 billion).

A large two-wing storey building in Garki, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels) valued at N7 billion.

Commercial assets and land, including:

Shops in Vegas Mall, Wuse II, Abuja.

100 hectares of land along Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road.

Plazas, warehouses, supermarkets, schools, factories, and oil & gas filling stations.

The United States government has introduced a new visa bond requirement affecting citizens of 38 countries, including Nigeria, as part of measures to curb visa overstays and strengthen immigration compliance.

Under the policy, applicants from the affected countries seeking B-1/B-2 visitor visas (for tourism or business) may be required to post a refundable bond of up to $15,000 before a visa is issued. The bond will be refunded if the applicant complies with all visa conditions, including departing the United States on or before the approved date.

According to U.S. authorities, the decision is based on historical data showing higher overstay rates among nationals of the affected countries. The bond amount — which may be $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 — will be determined on a case-by-case basis during the visa interview.

Effective Dates

Most of the countries will come under the new requirement from January 21, 2026, while others were added in phases between August and October 2025. A smaller group will be affected from January 1, 2026.

Countries Affected

The countries cut across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific, and include:

Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

How the Bond Works

U.S. officials explained that the bond is not a visa fee and does not replace existing application charges. Instead, it serves as a financial guarantee and must be paid through the U.S. Treasury’s official payment system if required.

If a visa application is denied, or if the applicant fully complies with the visa terms after travel, the bond will be refunded. Failure to comply — such as overstaying — could result in forfeiture of the bond.

Implications

The policy has sparked concern among potential travelers, particularly in developing countries, where the bond amount may pose a significant financial burden. However, U.S. authorities insist the measure is targeted and aimed at encouraging compliance rather than restricting legitimate travel.

The visa bond requirement is part of a broader U.S. immigration pilot programme, which may be reviewed or expanded depending on its effectiveness in reducing visa overstays.

The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive set of measures aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in national examinations from 2026 onward.

The new policies, which will apply to examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and other examination bodies, are part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s assessment system.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government was intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

One of the key measures is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. While all candidates will answer the same questions, the sequence and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student writes a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.

Dr Alausa also reaffirmed the ministry’s strict ban on the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, noting that the directive—already communicated through an official circular—would be rigorously enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often linked to examination malpractice.

To further promote transparency, the minister said new national guidelines for continuous assessment have been developed for immediate implementation. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and NBAIS, are required to strictly adhere to standardised submission deadlines.

Under the new framework, first-term continuous assessment scores must be submitted in January, while second- and third-term submissions are scheduled for April and August respectively. The timelines, he explained, are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity and timely processing nationwide.

In addition, the ministry is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The identifier will enable effective tracking throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification and data management.

Dr Alausa assured stakeholders that examinations would be conducted under strengthened supervision and in close coordination with examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with ethical and operational guidelines.

He said the measures reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair and aligned with global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational challenges.

The minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of the reforms and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
NAN