Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The Nigeria Customs Service has said that it received 573,519 applications in the just-concluded 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, barely a week after the portal was opened. The applicant seeking jobs for the available positions surpasses the 3,927 vacancies to be filled by the service. Last week, Finance Minister Olawale Edun announced that the Federal Government had approved the recruitment of 3,927 officers for the NCS to bridge gaps and enhance trade facilitation. But providing an update after the expiration of the deadline, the NCS’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, revealed that a total of 573,519 applicants have already applied for…

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has dismissed speculations about his potential defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Responding to the rumours on Monday, Oborevwori, through his Chief Press Secretary, Festus Ahon, described the claims as baseless and the work of opposition elements in the state. Reports had alleged that the governor had sent emissaries to President Bola Tinubu and was considering a move to the APC, raising doubts about his reception within the Delta APC fold. Refuting the claims, Ahon stated, “The rumours of Governor Oborevwori planning to defect to another party are…

The Borno Executive Council has approved the renaming of Borno State University (BOSU) to Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri, in honour of Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the first Governor of Northern Nigeria. The decision was taken during the first council meeting of 2025, chaired by Gov. Babagana Zulum in Maiduguri. Speaking to newsmen on the development, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said that the renaming would take effect after the necessary legislative amendments and notifications to regulatory authorities. “Council approved that Borno State University shall be renamed Kashim Ibrahim University. “This decision is subject to legislative processes…

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has reshuffled his cabinet and relieved five commissioners of their duties. In a press release issued on Tuesday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, the move was described as part of efforts to revitalize governance and enhance service delivery to the people of the state. The statement noted, “Five commissioners have been removed as part of the administration’s commitment to introducing fresh ideas and energy into governance. This aligns with the governor’s vision of strengthening government operations and effectively addressing emerging challenges.” The affected commissioners are Jamila Dahiru (Education), Abdulhameed…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced a remittance of over N6bn to the coffers of the Nigerian government in 2024. According to the board’s weekly bulletin released on Monday by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB generated a total income of N22,996,653,265.25 in 2024, out of which N6,034,605,510.69 was remitted to the government. Additionally, the board noted that the reduction of N1,500 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination form fees for candidates, multiplied by the number of beneficiaries, increased the effective remittance to N9,013,068,510.69. The board also said the remittance formed part of its operating surplus…

Popular Nigerian content creator Mark Angel has opened up about facing a tough year in 2024, revealing that he lost $3.7 million in forex trading and ended up drowning in debt. In a post on Instagram on Sunday, Mark Angel described how this loss led to one of the darkest times in his life. He felt like everything was falling apart, his properties were taken by loan sharks, and the pressure of debt made him feel hopeless. Mark also shared that while he was healing through therapy, another setback came, a scandal that shook his career and made him realize…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived Accra, the capital of Ghana, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect, John Dramani Mahama. Tinubu, who departed from the Presidential wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos around 4:20pm, was received at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, by the Chief of Staff to the President of Ghana, Hon Julius Debra around 4:05pm, Ghanaian time. While in Ghana, President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS, will join other African leaders to witness the swearing in ceremony of Mahama, along with his Vice President-elect,…

The Senator Representing Aba South Senatorial District, Enyinaya Abaribe  is optimistic that President Bola Tinubu will soon release the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu. Abaribe who is also the leader of the South East caucus in the National Assembly gave the indication during a visit to Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti in his Country home at Umuehim, Nvosi Isialangwa South LGA. READ: http://Tinubu’s Anti-Masses Policies Will Cost Him 2027 Election – NNPP “I expect that the President will listen to both his Attorney General and every one of us who have been agitating that the…

The APC National Welfare Secretary, Donatus Nwankpa, has expressed doubts about Governor Alex Otti’s chances in the 2027 Abia State governorship election.  Nwankpa in an interview with The Sun Newspaper didn’t make a definitive prediction, but questioned Otti’s party affiliation, pointing out that independent candidates don’t contest elections in Abia State. Also Read : https://drumafricanews.com/2025/01/05/endorsement-your-bitterness-is-understandable-emeka-kalu-fires-back-at-abia-pdp/ “I have never claimed to be a prophet, and I did not see Nostradamus to tell me the secrets of how we can predict the way he did. But let me ask you something, does the governor of Abia State have a political party platform?…

Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, a stalwart member of the Abia State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for over two decades, has fired back at his party for disowning him over his endorsement of Governor Alex Otti. In a scathing response, Kalu clarified that his support for Otti stems from his commitment to good governance, not party affiliation. Kalu’s dedication to the PDP is undeniable, having served as Director General (DG) of the Atikulated Agenda and authoring “Atiku Abubakar: The Man for Nigeria.” Read https://drumafricanews.com/2025/01/04/endorsement-abia-pdp-disowns-emeka-kalu/ However, he asserts that his loyalty lies with the people of Abia State, not the party stressing…