Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has disclosed that approval has been secured for the establishment of an Army brigade in Anambra State, with hundreds of soldiers expected to be deployed to further strengthen security operations across the state. Speaking at the third anniversary of the Anambra State House of Assembly, which coincided with the June 12 Democracy Day celebration, the Governor said, “Yesterday, I received a delegation from the Army that is working to set up a brigade. That has been approved and will be established. They will be building their barracks here, and hundreds, if not up to a thousand, soldiers…

THE PUBLIC RECORD: RT HON. BARR. NKEIRU ONYEJEOCHA, PhD – A series on infrastructure, human development, and public value across Isuikwuato and Umunneochi …Read as a record of constraints removed – not a list of works completed Part I – The Roads That Changed Communities: Infrastructure, Connectivity and Economic Opportunity Political seasons are temporary. Public value endures. Every community lives within the limits of its own connectivity. Where a road ends, opportunity tends to end with it. The distance between a farm and a market, between a household and a clinic, between a child and a classroom, is rarely just…

Veteran and upcoming Nollywood Movie Starts, toured around the infrastructure projects of Governor Alex Otti in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state and hailed the governor for his massive impact. This is even as the governor assured of his administration’s commitment to supporting the creative industry and positioning Abia as a major hub for film production, entertainment, tourism, and cultural promotion. Governor Otti made this known yesterday in his office while receiving a delegation of Nollywood practitioners led by Mr Francis Ifeakandu, who is currently working on a film, The Chronicles of Enyimba City, an Aba-made film project that…

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has described his Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Hart as a dependable ally and a key pillar behind the successes of his office, and celebrated on the occasion of his birthday. Kalu in a birthday message said behind every successful leader are committed individuals whose dedication, wisdom, and sacrifice often go unseen, noting that Hart has been one of those rare individuals whose loyalty, professionalism, and commitment to excellence have strengthened their shared vision and service to Nigerians. “Today, I celebrate my Chief of Staff and dependable ally in…

MTN’s Youth cultural and lifestyle event “The Gathering” will hold in Aba at the Prime Event Centre from June 14 to 15, 2026, with a high-stakes Pitchathon designed to spotlight and reward the most promising early-stage founders in the city, offering a total prize pool of ₦5 million. The competition will award ₦2.5 million to the winning startup, ₦1.5 million to the first runner-up, and ₦1 million to third place, giving young entrepreneurs not just funding, but a direct platform to validate their ideas in front of investors, consumers, and industry stakeholders. The Aba Pitchathon follows a highly successful Lagos…

In an era when many young people are derailing, with many wallowing in ignorance, Ted Chinekezi (22 years old) and Jesse Chinekezi (20 years old), software programmers, have used their tech company, Avatar and Qantum AI Technologies Limited, to build what can be described as one of the most dynamic and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) builders in our world, a vibe coder called Multiverse. Presenting the product to newsmen in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, the brothers who spoke separately on the product acknowledged that Multiverse is not the first vibe coder ever produced, not even in Africa,…

The Aba Made Film Project, titled “The Chronicles of Enyimba”, is set to begin the second phase of its preproduction activities after recently concluding auditions in the three senatorial zones of Abia State and three nearby cities. Addressing newsmen, the producer of the movie, Mr Francis Ifeakandu, explained that in the course of the audition, each senatorial zone was given three slots or locations where the whole audition activities took place. According to Ifeakandu, the Abia North Senatorial Zone took place in Ohafia, Isuikwuato and Abia State University, Uturu; Abia Central took place in Isiala-Ngwa South, Umuahia North and Michael…

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Abia State, said it has noticed the use of threats of litigation and judicial intimidation by the Alex Otti administration as a tool to silence critics, suppress dissenting voices, and prevent citizens from exposing what it considers the misgovernance, waste, fraud, and brazen corruption currently taking place in Abia State. The APC said that it is aware of several attempts by the state government and its agents to intimidate, harass, oppress, and, in some instances, use their influence within the judicial system to persecute Abians who dare to question government actions or demand transparency, accountability,…

Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State has called for an urgent overhaul of the curriculum in Nigeria’s polytechnics and universities of technology, urging educational institutions to embrace artificial intelligence, digital innovation and emerging technologies to prepare students for the future economy. The governor said the nation’s tertiary education system must adapt to rapidly changing global realities, warning that academic certificates alone may soon become insufficient in an increasingly skills-driven world. Uzodimma made the call at the weekend when a delegation of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) paid him a courtesy visit at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House,…

In a bold step toward modernizing public transportation and cutting carbon emissions, Governor Otti’s administration has announced the departure of a second batch of 20 electric buses from China to Abia State. The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alex Otti, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, said that this latest shipment will double the State’s green shuttle fleet to 40 buses before the end of next month, advancing Governor Otti’s plan to reform and transform the State Transportation ecosystem. He explains that the electric bus programme is a key pillar of the Governor’s forward-thinking transformation of the State transport sector. “It targets three…