Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
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…
The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vertex Labs, a technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation specialist based in Doha, State of Qatar, for the establishment, development, and operation of an Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing at a new campus. The technology infrastructure and academic partnership agreement follows extensive consultations, culminating in the finalisation of a comprehensive framework for the proposed institute. The ESUT Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius-Michael Okolie, expressed confidence in the agreement, describing the university’s position in the Memorandum as its finalised position for the partnership.…
By Elder Abraham Amah One of the most transformative pillars of Dr. Kelechi Anosike’s governorship vision for Abia State is the establishment of the Abia Labour and Global Opportunities Agency (ALGOA)—a specialized institution designed to connect Abia’s talented youth with legitimate employment opportunities across the world. At a time when thousands of highly educated and skilled young Nigerians are searching for opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the global economy, Dr. Anosike recognizes that government must move beyond traditional job-creation rhetoric and become an active facilitator of employment. His administration will therefore establish an agency dedicated to identifying, preparing, certifying, and…
The rising price of cooking gas has forced many households and businesses in the Federal Capital Territory to embrace traditional fuels such as charcoal and firewood. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that cooking gas prices in the FCT have risen sharply in recent months, moving from about N1,200 per kg to N2,000 per kg. Industry operators have attributed the increase to supply shortages, higher depot costs, foreign exchange pressures and rising transportation expenses. Consumers and vendors of the essential commodity, who spoke to NAN on Sunday, said the rising cost has forced many households and businesses to seek cheaper…