Author: Standard Focus

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have neutralised a suspected bandit and recovered weapons, ammunition and other items during a fighting patrol along the Gbise Igyudu Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. He said troops of Sector 1 encountered two suspected bandits... Read more

The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Rivers State chapter, has dismissed reports that the name of its Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr Mike Barieenee Nwielaghi, was not uploaded on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal. The party's media directorate, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday, described the report as false and misleading. “We state unequivocally that this narrative... Read more

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has again dismissed allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, that it removed the party’s nominated candidates for some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue states and replaced them with unauthorised names. Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said candidate nomination was exclusively the responsibility of... Read more

The Yobe State Government has introduced new microfinance products targeting traders, farmers, artisans and young entrepreneurs as part of efforts to improve financial inclusion and stimulate economic activities. Governor Mai Mala Buni unveiled the products during the maiden Yobe Business Community Development Day organised by the Yobe State Microfinance Bank Limited at the Government House Banquet Hall in Damaturu. The... Read more

The Sea Empowerment & Research Center (SEREC) has urged the Federal Government to go beyond intercepting illegal firearms at Nigerian ports by tracing the entire supply chain and stopping weapons before they leave their countries of origin.The call followed the recent interception of 204 firearms and firearm components concealed among declared household goods at the Tin Can Island Port in... Read more

Health insurance enrolment in Nigeria has increased to more than 22 million, but millions of citizens remain outside the insurance system, underscoring the challenge of achieving universal health coverage. The National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, said 22.03 million Nigerians were enrolled in health insurance schemes as of July 2026. The figure represents a 35 per cent increase over the previous... Read more

The Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, NCA, Rev. John Hayab, has said President Bola Tinubu deserves credit for infrastructure and other interventions across Northern Nigeria.Hayab, however, said the improvements had not resolved the region’s major challenges, particularly insecurity, hunger and poverty. He said northerners should acknowledge government interventions while continuing to demand more from the administration. Speaking on the... Read more

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, says its interventions in Nigeria’s healthcare sector have helped save the country about $200 million that would otherwise have been spent on medical tourism. Managing Director of the Authority, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, said the investments had produced measurable benefits for both the healthcare sector and the wider economy. He said the need to reduce medical... Read more

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has commenced a four-day specialised workshop designed to strengthen campus security management across the country.The training is targeting 600 Chief Security Officers drawn from tertiary institutions in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The workshop is being organised in collaboration with the International Academy for Gender and Peace, IAGP, with... Read more

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has said opposition parties can still forge a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections despite the absence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi from Monday’s National Opposition Summit in Abuja. NDC chieftain and Lagos Central senatorial candidate, Ladipo Johnson, stated this while speaking on Frontline, a... Read more