African Security Watch has ranked the Nigerian Army as Africa’s Best National Army in Counter-Terrorism Operations for 2025.

The prestigious award was formally presented to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, by Major General Teriworie Gagariga, who had earlier received it on behalf of the Nigerian Army during the African Security Watch Awards Ceremony in Banjul, The Gambia.

The recognition further affirmed the Nigerian Army’s growing reputation as a professional and highly capable institution whose operational doctrine, combat experience and institutional best practices continued to serve as valuable reference points for armed forces across the African continent.

The award underscored the Nigerian Army’s emergence as Africa’s leading force in Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN).

It reflected years of sustained, intelligence-driven operations that have significantly degraded terrorist networks, restored security to affected communities and contributed to regional peace and stability.

The Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has approved the recruitment of 6,580 qualified candidates into various academic, technical, and administrative roles across public primary and junior secondary schools in the state, with a strong focus on the state’s 267 Smart Green Schools.

In a statement, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) Hyginus Banko, stated that teaching applicants must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or HND with a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, or a Nigeria Certificate in Education in specified subject areas.

A breakdown of the positions shows that the board seeks 4,698 core subject teachers across fields such as Mathematics, English Language, Basic Science, Basic Technology, ICT, French, Igbo Language, and History.

Other positions advertised include 520 Digital Librarians, 380 Experiential Learning Innovators, 267 Guidance and Counsellors, 267 ICT Staff, 267 Laboratory Attendants, 136 Account Officers, and 45 Technicians.

The United States has announced a major visa shake-up across Africa, with routine visa services at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic posts set to be discontinued effective August 1, 2026.

The US Department of State said that the realignment to regional hubs was part of efforts aimed at strengthening national security, cutting government waste, and ensuring more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards.

According to a statement released by the State Department, President Trump’s administration is putting America and Americans first by realigning overseas operations to advance US priorities efficiently and effectively.

Other diplomatic posts affected by the routine visa realignment include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, and Lilongwe.

The rest are Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek.

The State Department stressed that the realignment does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people.It also clarified that the policy does not affect any currently valid US visas.

It explained that the immigrant visa categories being realigned include immediate relative, IR; family preference, FP; employment-based, EB; fiancée/fiancé, K visas; adoptions; diversity visas; and follow-to-join asylee and refugee, V92/V93, cases.

However, routine visa services, according to the State Department, will continue at US embassies and consulates in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.

The services to be provided at the hub locations include all routine nonimmigrant visas – tourist, business, and petition-based – as well as immigrant visas.