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The just-concluded 2025 Africa Soft Power Summit brought thought leaders, disruptors, investors, and policymakers from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and beyond for a dynamic two-day convening held from May 22–23 in Nairobi, Kenya. Returning for its fourth edition, the summit explored the financial frameworks, technologies, policies, and social dynamics shaping Africa’s future under the theme “Africa’s Growth Engine: How Policy and Infrastructure Can Advance Emerging Financial Technologies for Continental Leadership.”   The convening featured two vibrant conferences: The Remarkable African Women’s Leadership Conference and The Creative & Innovative Industries Conference. Distinguished speakers included Dr. Nkiru Balonwu, Founder and Convener of Africa Soft Power; Hon. CJ Martha Koome, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya; Hon. Millie Odhiambo Mabona, Member of Parliament, Kenya; Philip Ikeazor, Director General, Financial System Stability at t...

  The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two police officers and the abduction of a Chinese national and a Nigerian in Oreke-Okeigbo community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state. The incident occurred at a mining site in the community around 6.30 pm on Wednesday, when gunmen launched an attack on the facility, killing two officers — an Assistant Superintendent of Police and an Inspector, both attached to the 45 Police Mobile Force, Abuja. In a statement on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, who signed on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident. The statement read in part, “The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Police confirms a deadly attack and abduction incident that occurred on 4th June, 2025, at about 1830hrs. This heinous act was done at a mining site located in Oreke-Okeigbo of the state. “Information received from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Oreke indic...

  Men of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army have arrested two persons over alleged kidnapping activity in Akunnu Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State. This was contained in a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Major Njoka Irabor on Thursday. According to the statement, the suspected kidnapper was arrested while making a move to collect ransom from the family of a 10-year-old boy who had earlier been abducted by the hoodlums, while the other suspect was caught giving information to the bandits. The statement read, “In an effort to sustain its operational activities, while maintaining maximum security to decimate kidnappers and other criminal elements within its Area of Responsibility, troops of 32 Brigade Nigerian Army deployed on operation Fast Strike Squad at Forward Operating Base Auga, on June 3, 2025, captured a suspected kidnapper and rescued one kidnapped victim. “The operation was carried out following ...

  President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing national security concerns. The full travel ban affects nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The restriction will take effect on June 9, 2025. In addition to the full bans, the proclamation imposes partial restrictions on citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. There are some exemptions, including athletes travelling for major sporting events, some Afghan nationals, and dual nationals with citizenship in unaffected countries, according to the BBC. Trump stated that the measure is intended to prevent individuals considered potential security risks from gaining entry into the US. “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,” he said in a video message posted on X on Wednesda...

  The telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile have threatened to withdraw network support for banks’ Unstructured Supplementary Services Data, USSD, following what they described as gross misinformation of subscribers on the mode of deduction for transaction fees. Yesterday, the banks issued a notice to their customers that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed them to stop deducting charges for USSD transactions directly from customers’ accounts, and that telecoms will now deduct charges from users’ mobile airtime. The notice from the banks read in part: “In line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), please be informed that effective June 3, 2025, charges for USSD banking services will no longer be deducted from your bank account. “Going forward, these charges will be deducted directly from your mobile airtime balance by the NCC’s End-User Billing (EUB) model. “Under this new billing struct...

  The National Emergency Management Agency says it has deployed its officials in 15 high-risk states to further enlighten residents on the impending floods and the need to relocate from flood-prone areas, saying victims of the tragedy in Mokwa, Niger State lived in gully areas and were caught unawares by the recent flooding disaster in the state despite official warnings. Head of the Press Unit at NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel, said the states include Kogi, Imo, Enugu, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory. He lamented that many victims of the May 23 flooding built their residences in gully areas prone to floods. The flood in Mokwa, a commercial hub in Niger State, claimed over 200 lives, with hundreds of others declared missing. The rainy season usually runs from April to October in Nigeria and last Wednesday, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued a forecast of heavy storms for Abuja and 14 of the country’s 36 states, including Niger. Niger, Nigeria...