Friday, October 23Inside Business Africa
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Nigeria’s Female Boxers Win 3 Golds, Silver In Nairobi

Nigeria’s Female Boxers Win 3 Golds, Silver In Nairobi

Africa, Breaking News, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Growth & Insight, Interviews, News, Sports, Travel, World
Nigeria’s female boxers won three gold medals and one silver at the African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday. Ajishola Khadijat, Precious Anine and team captain Blessing Orakwe claimed the gold medals, while Patricia Mbata settled for silver as Nigeria recovered from earlier setbacks to finish strongly in the women’s finals. Khadijat opened Nigeria’s gold-medal account in the women’s 51–54kg category, defeating Algeria’s Malak Noir E 5–0 by unanimous decision. Anine followed with another victory over an Algerian opponent, Benane Djouher, in the women’s 60–65kg final to secure Nigeria’s second gold. Orakwe delivered the most emphatic performance of the night, knocking out Kenya’s Akinyi Elizabeth in the first round of their women’s 75–8...
Nollywood actors, X users mourn Francis Duru

Nollywood actors, X users mourn Francis Duru

Africa, Breaking News, Corporate Stories, Entertainment, News, World
The Nigerian movie industry has thrown into mourning over the death of veteran actor, Francis Duru. The family of the Nollywood actor announced his demise in the early hours of Friday, October 23, 2026. He was 57. According to a statement shared via his official verified Instagram page, francis.duru, the actor died after a brief illness. The statement read: “We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness. We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen” This sad event comes about two years after the actor lost his youngest son, Ifeanyi, in 2024. Since the news of his demise, friends and fans have taken to their X accounts to mourn the actor. Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu (President, Actors G...
Gombe FA Deploys 4-Tier League To Unearth Grassroots Talents

Gombe FA Deploys 4-Tier League To Unearth Grassroots Talents

Africa, Corporate Stories, Energy, Interviews, News, Sports, Travel, World
The Gombe State Football Association has established a four-tier domestic league structure to identify grassroots talents and create a pathway for their progression to professional football, its chairman, Yakubu Sarma, has said. The structure comprises a statewide grassroots competition, League Two, League One and the Gombe State Super League, providing a progression route for players from rural communities and other parts of the state. Sarma said the system had helped discover players who now feature for clubs in Gombe and other parts of the country at amateur and professional levels. Speaking in an interview, he explained that the statewide competition, also known as League Three, serves as the entry point for grassroots players seeking opportunities to advance to higher divisio...
FG to immortalise Nigerian soldiers killed in Liberia, Sierra Leone — Defence Minister

FG to immortalise Nigerian soldiers killed in Liberia, Sierra Leone — Defence Minister

Africa, Breaking News, Corporate Stories, Economy, Finance, Interviews, News, Politics, Power, Travel, What's Hot, World
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has pledged that Nigerian troops who died during peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group will not be forgotten. Musa gave the assurance when he received a delegation of ECOMOG veterans, led by Maj. Gen. Ohifeme Ejimai (retd.), at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja. This was contained in a statement on Friday by the Minister’s Media Aide, Leah Katung-Babatunde. Musa said the Federal Government remained committed to preserving the legacy and sacrifices of Nigerian troops deployed under the regional peacekeeping force. So This Happened (EP 434):UK universities withdraw admission offers amid stricter student visa rules The minister ack...
Tinubu’s gas reforms deliver four FIDs in two years –Verheijen

Tinubu’s gas reforms deliver four FIDs in two years –Verheijen

Africa, Breaking News, Business, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Finance, Interviews, News, Oil & Gas, Power, Travel, What's Hot
Nigeria has recorded four Final Investment Decisions in gas projects in less than two years under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, while average daily gas production has risen from about seven billion cubic feet to eight bcf, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Arowolo Verheijen, has said. She attributed the progress to reforms designed to remove investment barriers and unlock Nigeria’s gas resources for industrialisation, electricity generation and economic growth. Verheijen spoke on Wednesday at the Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum (AISF) 2026 in Lagos, which was themed ‘Energy Security and Africa’s Energy Transition: Defining the Role of Gas’. “In Nigeria, in the last three years, under President Tinubu’s leadership, we have delivered tangible r...
Navy To Establish Research Institute For Indigenous Military Technology

Navy To Establish Research Institute For Indigenous Military Technology

Africa, Appointments, Breaking News, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Finance, Growth & Insight, Industry, Innovation, Insurance, Interviews, Maritime, News, Power, Technology, Technology & Innovation, Travel, What's Hot, World
Nigerian Navy plans to establish a research institute and research and development cells across its commands to develop indigenous technologies, reduce operational costs and strengthen its combat capabilities. The Navy said criminal networks were increasingly exploiting technology to evade detection and threaten critical national assets, requiring improved intelligence gathering, accurate surveillance and more effective deployment of military resources. The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, disclosed this yesterday in a keynote address at the Nigerian Navy’s 2026 Research and Development Seminar, held at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja. Abbas said the initiatives were designed to institutionalise innovation, harness the ingenuity of naval personnel and translate re...
Experts Seek Stronger Collaboration To Drive Nigeria’s Digital Growth

Experts Seek Stronger Collaboration To Drive Nigeria’s Digital Growth

Africa, Appointments, Breaking News, Business, Capital Market, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Finance, Growth & Insight, Industry, Innovation, Interviews, News, Power, Technology, Technology & Innovation, Travel, World
Experts in the financial services and technology sectors have called for stronger collaboration among banks, fintech companies, regulators and infrastructure providers to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation and strengthen the country’s digital economy. They made the call on Wednesday at GrowthX by Techeconomy 2026, in Lagos, where industry stakeholders examined the opportunities and challenges associated with digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and financial technology. Speaking during a panel session titled “Data Localisation, Security and Future of Payments in Nigeria,” the Chief Technology Officer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Blessing Ehize, said data localisation should be viewed not only as a regulatory requirement but also as an opportu...
Foundation Plans Solar Power, Digital Facilities For OAU Postgraduate College

Foundation Plans Solar Power, Digital Facilities For OAU Postgraduate College

Africa, Agriculture, Appointments, Breaking News, Business, Capital Market, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Finance, Growth & Insight, Health, Industry, Innovation, Insurance, Interviews, News, Power, Technology, Technology & Innovation, Travel, What's Hot, World
The Tunji Olowolafe Foundation has pledged to provide solar power, virtual learning facilities and digital infrastructure for the Postgraduate College of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.Its founder, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, disclosed this in an address at the grand finale of the Postgraduate College Week, organised as part of the university’s 65th anniversary celebrations. He said the foundation would instal a dedicated solar power system for the college’s administrative offices, ICT centres and examination facilities, provide a fully equipped virtual learning and oral defence facility, and digitise and modernise the college’s boardroom. Olowolafe added that the foundation would fund preliminary research and pilot studies on a case-by-case basis to strengthen researchers’ capaci...
NEC Approves 90-Day Economic Plan To Ease Cost Of Living

NEC Approves 90-Day Economic Plan To Ease Cost Of Living

Africa, Appointments, Business, Corporate Stories, Economy, Energy, Exclusive, Finance, Growth & Insight, Health, Industry, Innovation, Insurance, Interviews, News, Oil & Gas, Power, Travel, What's Hot, World
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved a 90-day economic action plan to ease the cost of living, make food more affordable and attract investment, while urging federal and state governments to ensure that economic reforms deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians. The council endorsed the plan, proposed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, at its 161st meeting on Thursday, chaired virtually by Vice President Kashim Shettima. According to a statement by Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the plan focuses on five areas: food affordability, tax harmonisation, completion of high-impact projects, removal of investment bottlenecks and regulated household support. As part of efforts to improve accountability, the council also approved ...
Nollywood Eyes $10B Asian Market In Landmark Nigeria-China Film Pact

Nollywood Eyes $10B Asian Market In Landmark Nigeria-China Film Pact

Africa, Breaking News, Business, Economy, Energy, Entertainment, Exclusive, Finance, Growth & Insight, Industry, Innovation, Insurance, LifeStyle, News, Power, Technology & Innovation, Travel, World
A groundbreaking strategic alliance poised to redefine the global footprint of African cinema has been unveiled in Abuja as Nollywood leaders and top Chinese film executives announced a direct commercial theatrical pathway between Nigeria and China. The historic initiative, launched at the China Cultural Centre during the opening of the Chinese Film Exhibition in Nigeria 2026—hosted alongside the 23rd Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF)—aims to bypass traditional Western distribution gatekeepers and connect Nigerian storytelling directly to the world’s second-largest box office. Addressing an audience of regulatory officials, foreign diplomats, and filmmakers, AIFF Founder Fidelis Duker framed the partnership as a strategic economic imperative for the continent’s creative econom...