News
Editors Condemn Increasing Spate of Journalists’ Abduction
· Say Cyber Crimes Act not enacted to persecute journalists
· Urge government to step up fight against terrorists, bandits
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has condemned the increasing sequence of abduction and arrest of journalists in the country by security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, under the guise of enforcing the Cyber Security Act, and warned of the consequence of such illegal actions on press freedom.
The professional body of media executives and senior editors also warned of the dangers of allowing certain territories of the Nigerian states falling into the hands of terrorists and bandits, and expressed optimism that the federal government has all it takes to flush out these enemies of the country, and guarantee peace and security of the country and its people.
The Guild stated these in a press statement issued and signed by its President, Mr Eze Anaba and the General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, at the end of its Standing Committee meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, weekend.
According to the Guild, ‘’The meeting deliberated on the state of the media with emphasis on the increasing spate of abduction and arrest of journalists in the country – under the guise of enforcing the Cyber Security Act, and warned of the implications of such illegal actions on press freedom.
‘’The professional body of media executives and editors while warning the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, against press freedom violation, called for a proper understanding and intention of the Cyber Security Act, declaring that the law was enacted as a legal framework for combating cybercrimes and not for persecuting journalists, who are performing their legitimate duties in a democracy.’’
The editors particularly condemned the method of abduction/arrest of journalists, the long detention and inhuman treatment they are subjected to, and said it was a negation of a democratic space.
‘’Press freedom is the ability of the media to report news and express opinion without government interference, censorship, or retribution. It is a fundamental human right essential for a healthy democracy, allowing citizens to access accurate information, hold leaders accountable, and participate in informed public discourse’’, the editors added.
The NGE noted the harsh economic ecosystem under which the media currently operates in Nigeria, and called on the federal government to ensure the sustainability of the media industry through robust economic policies and direct interventions that are capable of enhancing its capacity to transcend existing challenges.
Commenting on the state of the nation, the Guild congratulated the government on its one year in office and advised it to step up its fight against insecurity in certain parts of the country in order to flush out terrorists and insurgents, who have continued to perpetrate mayhem in some communities.
The NGE also decried the current high cost of living – exacerbated by the harsh economic policies and programmes of the federal government, and called for sustainable interventions to mitigate the several biting effects of the policies.
The Guild expressed its appreciation to the Rivers State Government for providing a conducive environment for the meeting and hoped that the current peace-initiative by the government will be sustained in the general interest of the people and development.
News
City Boy Movement: FTSE’s Nigeria frontier market restoration validates Tinubu’s reforms
The City Boy Movement, Nigeria’s premier youth advocacy organisation, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the economic reforms that paved the way for Nigeria’s return to FTSE Russell’s Frontier Market status, describing the development as an important vote of confidence in the Nigerian economy.
According to verified reports, FTSE Russell is proceeding with Nigeria’s reclassification from “Unclassified” to “Frontier Market” status, effective September 21, 2026. Nigeria was removed from the category in September 2023 following difficulties accessing foreign exchange and repatriating capital.
The Director General of the City Boy Movement, Francis Shoga, described the decision as a significant validation of the progress made under the Tinubu administration.
“When our grand patron, President Bola Tinubu, took office, Nigeria’s foreign exchange market was under severe pressure, with billions of dollars in investor funds trapped in the country.
Three years on, FTSE Russell reports that FX queues have cleared, and international institutional investors no longer face significant delays in repatriating their capital. Nigeria is rejoining the global investment benchmark after being removed.
“That is measurable progress, independently assessed by one of the world’s leading index providers,” Shoga said.
He further commended the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and capital market stakeholders for their role in strengthening market confidence and supporting the reforms.
“There is still work to be done, particularly in ensuring that these gains translate into better living standards for Nigerians but we should still acknowledge progress when independent global institutions recognise it. We therefore urge the subnationals to deepen investments in human capital and social development at the grassroots particularly for the youthful Nigerian population.
“On behalf of the City Boy Movement, we commend President Bola Tinubu for staying the course, appreciate the SEC, CBN and capital market stakeholders for their contributions, and congratulate Nigerians on this important milestone,” Shoga stated.
News
FG commissions 37 electric buses for civil servants
Walson-Jack described the commissioning as her “parting gift” to federal civil servants, coming less than 24 hours before the end of her tenure as Head of the Civil Service.
•Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack
The Federal Government has commissioned 37 electric buses as the first batch of 100 approved under the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Programme.
Each of the electric buses can carry up to 200 passengers and cover at least 200 kilometres on a full charge.
The full deployment will be completed by December 2026.
The buses were unveiled on Wednesday at Eagle Square, Abuja, with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, describing the initiative as a significant step towards improving working conditions for government employees.
Walson-Jack described the commissioning as her “parting gift” to federal civil servants, coming less than 24 hours before the end of her tenure as Head of the Civil Service.
“What we have here is 37 buses, being the first instalment of the 100 Electric Buses,” she said.
She noted that transportation costs and challenges directly affect workers’ finances, safety, punctuality and productivity.
“For many Civil Servants, the daily commute shapes their finances, their safety, their punctuality, and ultimately their productivity,” she said.
The buses will initially operate on selected routes under a pilot phase before being expanded nationwide.
They will eventually be deployed to Federal Secretariats across the states to extend the benefits to civil servants outside Abuja.
News
NIGCOMSAT To Procure Two New Communication Satellites
The deployment is expected to extend connectivity to underserved, unserved and hard -to- reach communities, strengthen national communications resilience and increase Nigeria’s capacity to deliver satellite e-enabled services.
The federal government, through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), has approved the acquisition of two communications satellites, NIGCOMSAT 2A and NIGCOMSAT 2B.
This was contained in a statement released by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), and signed by the Acting Head, Corporate Affairs Division, Stephen Kwande.
He said that the satellites, to be deployed by Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), are designed to expand Nigeria’s satellite capacity and strengthen broadband, broadcasting, enterprise and critical communications services.
NIGCOMSAT will lead implementation under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The deployment is expected to extend connectivity to underserved, unserved and hard -to- reach communities, strengthen national communications resilience and increase Nigeria’s capacity to deliver satellite e-enabled services.
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