NIGERIAN NOTCH

Former Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, PhD, on Tuesday, 16th December received the 2025 Maltina Teacher of the Year, Ms. Sarah Yusuf, at his Abuja residence, where she formally presented her award following her emergence as the national winner of the Maltina Teacher of the Year award 2025.  Yusuf, an English teacher at Wisdom International School of Excellence (WISE), Lugbe, Abuja, and a member of the Young Nigerian Voices (YNV), Abuja Chapter, clinched the prestigious award after a rigorous nationwide selection process, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Congratulating her on the achievement, Hon. Nwajiuba described the feat as a testament to excellence, dedication, and the transformative power of education. He commended Yusuf for her commitment to teaching and social development, noting that her recognition had brought pride not only to herself, and the FCT but to the country at large. The former minister offered fatherly adv...

Olakunle Churchill, the former husband of Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh, has taken to social media to reflect on healing and personal growth, shortly after the actress publicly shared details of her past struggles with addiction and emotional challenges. Ms. Dikeh, 40, made the revelations during a church testimony, where she spoke candidly about battling alcohol addiction, smoking, prolonged anger issues and other personal difficulties. She described her experiences as a form of “demonic oppression,” adding that she was able to overcome them through faith and spiritual renewal. According to the actress, her journey to recovery began with a renewed spiritual life, which she said brought about significant changes. She disclosed that she had taken up smoking at a very young age and had struggled for years with various addictions before experiencing what she described as divine healing. She further stated that she was recently delivered from deep-seated anger, which she said h...

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, has presented certificates of participation to staff members who successfully completed a training programme on career development and coaching. The presentation took place on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, when the beneficiaries were formally received by the Rector. Dr. Awuzie congratulated the participants for completing the programme and urged them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the benefit of students and the overall development of the institution. The training, themed “Discovering Career Paths in This Modern Age,” was organised by the Directorate of Career Services as part of ongoing capacity-building efforts aimed at equipping staff to serve as career coaches and mentors for students. Leading the participants to the Rector’s office, the Director of Career Services, Mr. Chioma Nwankwo, expressed appreciation to Dr. Awuzie for facilitating the training and ensuring its successful execution....

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, has approved the appointment of Dr. Kenneth Ezekwe as the new Director of Academic Planning (DAP) and Chairman of the institution’s Ceremonial Committee. The appointment was conveyed to Dr. Ezekwe through official letters issued by the Rector on December 16, 2025. He is expected to assume duty in his new role as Director of Academic Planning with effect from December 17, 2025. Dr. Ezekwe, who is the immediate past Deputy Rector (Administration), takes over from Dr. Ferguson Ezeokafor, who has been appointed Deputy Rector (Administration). During a brief handover ceremony, Dr. Ezeokafor congratulated Dr. Ezekwe on his appointment and expressed confidence in his capacity to deliver effectively. He also prayed for divine wisdom, grace and strength to enable him discharge his responsibilities efficiently and contribute to the continued growth and development of the Polytechnic.

The Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has provided detailed clarification on the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of its former Registrar, Mr. Anthony Umeozor, amid widespread reactions and commentary on social media. In a statement aimed at setting the record straight, the institution noted that the matter predates both the current Governing Council, chaired by Senator Engr. Dr. Barnabas Gemade, and the incumbent Rector, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie. While the 12th Governing Council was inaugurated in July 2024, the Rector assumed office in February 2025, making claims of vendetta or victimisation unfounded, the Polytechnic said. Mr. Umeozor was appointed substantive Registrar by the 11th Governing Council in June 2022. However, the Federal Ministry of Education later identified procedural irregularities in the appointment process and subsequently nullified it. Following this decision, an Acting Registrar was appointed with the approval of the Ministry. Dissatisfied with the dev...

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EEDC) has attributed the recent decline in power supply across the South-East to low system frequency caused by gas constraints affecting electricity Generation Companies. In a statement issued on Tuesday, by the company’s group head, corporate Communications,  Emeka Ezeh explained that the gas-related challenges had forced the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to implement load shedding of available energy on the national grid, thereby reducing power allocation to distribution companies. EEDC said the development has adversely affected the volume of energy allocated to it and, consequently, the level of electricity supply to customers served by its subsidiary companies—MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra and EastLand. The company noted that relevant stakeholders in the electricity supply industry are working to resolve the challenges and restore normal power distribution as soon as possible. EEDC apologized...

An information security expert and Doctor of Information Security,  who is also an European engineer, Dr. Kingsley Chibuzor Aguoru, has cautioned that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s tax authority, the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP), may expose Nigeria to latent data security and digital sovereignty risks, despite official assurances that no Nigerian taxpayers’ data will be accessed or compromised. Dr. Aguoru warned that from an information security standpoint, tax and revenue systems constitute some of the most sensitive elements of national digital infrastructure. He noted that such systems hold vast amounts of personally identifiable information, financial records, behavioural data and strategic economic intelligence. According to him, data compromise does not occur only through direct database access or copying, but can also arise from system visibility, architectural influence and process a...

Dauda Usman Zamani, a popular political figure in Yobe State and a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has resigned his membership of the ruling party and defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Zamani, who is widely known across the state and within the APC as a Special Adviser to the Yobe State Government, announced his decision in a formal resignation letter addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Bolawa B Ward, Potiskum Local Government Area. The resignation takes immediate effect. He said the decision followed extensive consultations and engagements with his political associates, stressing that his defection to the ADC was driven by the desire to actualise the ARISE agenda for the development and progress of Yobe State. According to him, the move was taken after careful consideration and in the best interest of the state, as he believes the ADC provides a viable platform to pursue policies and programmes that would enhance good...

A former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salaam, has emerged as the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2026 Osun State governorship election. The emergence followed the party’s governorship primary held on Monday at the Ultimate Civic Centre, Osogbo, with Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba PhD serving as the Returning Officer and Chairman of the panel of ADC 2026 Primary Election Committee. Speaking to party delegates before the commencement of the primary, Nwajiuba disclosed that Salaam was the sole aspirant cleared to contest the party’s ticket. “From the list and information provided by the ADC Organising Secretary’s Office, as well as the outcome of the screening exercise conducted by this committee, it is clear that Mr. Najeem Salaam is the only aspirant seeking the party’s governorship ticket,” Nwajiuba stated. A total of 528 delegates drawn from the 332 wards across Osun State subsequently lined up to cast their votes during the...

The leadership and members of Young Nigerian Voices (YNV), in collaboration with Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, PhD, have congratulated Ms. Sarah Yusuf, a member of the Abuja Chapter of the organisation, on her emergence as the Winner of the 2025 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award. In a statement issued on the official Facebook platform of Young Nigerian Voices, the organisation described the honour as a well-deserved recognition of Yusuf’s passion for teaching, unwavering commitment to excellence and selfless dedication to shaping young minds for a better Nigeria. According to the statement, signed by the Director-General of Young Nigerian Voices, Prince Collins Enwere, the prestigious award not only brings pride to her state and the YNV family but also places her among the nation’s finest educators whose impact transcends the classroom and contributes meaningfully to national development. Prince Enwere noted that Yusuf’s achievement stands as a powerful inspiration to teachers...