RoundReports

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has distributed palliative relief materials to residents of Oguta Community in Imo State, as part of efforts to ease the impact of economic pressures across the Niger Delta. RoundReports understands that the distribution, carried out at the civic centre in Oguta, was coordinated through the Commission’s Directorate of Education, Health and Social Services.  READ ALSO : Burna Boy Seeks NDDC Partnership for Ahoada Development According to NDDC, the intervention aligns with ongoing measures to support vulnerable communities amid rising living costs. Speaking at the event, the NDDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, represented by the Director of Social Services, Jeremiah Oritsejolone, said the Commission remained focused on improving welfare and living standards across the region.  Ogbuku explained that the relief exercise forms part of wider social support initiatives designed to complement longer-term d...

Nigeria has recorded a decline in new HIV infections across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), according to fresh figures released on Wednesday by the National Data Repository (NDR). The updated dataset, which tracks national trends over the past decade, shows that new HIV cases have dropped dramatically to 21,389 in 2026, down from 111,513 in 2025, a year-on-year reduction of more than 90 per cent. New infections rose steadily from 228,014 in 2016 to a peak of 464,355 in 2020, before declining unevenly in subsequent years.  Annual totals stood at 237,756 in 2017; 215,231 in 2018; 27,181 in 2019; 451,402 in 2021; 330,690 in 2022; 238,748 in 2023; and 143,666 in 2024. Despite the national improvement, Lagos and Benue states recorded the highest number of newly identified infections, with 2,342 and 1,956 cases respectively.  They were followed by Rivers (1,185), Akwa Ibom (1,155) and Anambra (1,023), and at the other end of the scale, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara...

More than a million people living with heart disease in England are set to be offered a weekly weight loss injection to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes.   The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the use of semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, for overweight and obese patients with certain cardiovascular conditions.  According to reports, the drug, already prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes, works by slowing digestion and encouraging weight loss.   NICE said clinical trials also suggest semaglutide has a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels, with evidence showing a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events among trial participants.  The guidance recommends the jab for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or above, alongside statins, a reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise.   READ ALSO : NCDMB Launches Overhaul of Nigerian Content Consultativ...

The Bayelsa State Government has confirmed that a long-awaited independent power plant, a 630-metre bridge and a key dual carriageway in Yenagoa are all scheduled for inauguration this month. Governor Douye Diri announced the timeline on Tuesday night during the March edition of the state’s monthly Praise Night at the Government House in Yenagoa.  Diri said the 60-megawatt gas-fired turbine plant is undergoing final preparations for a test run ahead of its formal commissioning by President Bola Tinubu. Situated at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area, the plant is expected to deliver round-the-clock electricity and significantly exceed the power Bayelsa currently receives from the national grid.  Diri said the facility is 99 per cent complete and would transform small and medium-scale businesses once it comes fully on stream. “ For decades, Bayelsa has lived without stable electricity ,” the governor said, stressing that the new plant would generate far more power than the s...

As the March 31 deadline set by President Bola Tinubu for political appointees to resign in order to contest in the 2027 general elections expired on Tuesday, a number of senior members of his federal cabinet have formally exited government. The directive, communicated through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, required ministers and other political appointees with electoral ambitions to vacate their posts by the end of March to comply with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.  " President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed all political appointees under his administration who intend to contest elective offices in the forthcoming 2027 general elections to resign their appointments on or before March 31, 2026 . " The directive is pursuant to the provisions of Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission for party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections ," Tin...

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that the recent spate of killings in Nigeria bears the hallmarks of foreign intelligence interference rather than religious conflict.   In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gumi condemned the Palm Sunday attack on Gari Ya Waye community in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, Plateau State, where more than 20 people were reportedly killed and several others injured.  He argued that the violence was part of a broader pattern of orchestrated assaults designed to destabilise the country.   “ The pattern suggests a clandestine foreign intelligence operation. It has nothing to do with religion. Many unscrupulous Nigerians are willing to serve as foot soldiers for these mercenaries ,” Gumi wrote.   He cited recent incidents, including the March 16 coordinated bomb blasts in Maiduguri that killed at least 23 Muslims, and the March 29 attack in Jos that targeted Christians during Palm Sunday worship, while mentioning ...

The National Assembly, on Tuesday, approved a N68.323 trillion federal budget for 2026, making a N9 trillion increase on the N58.47 trillion proposal earlier submitted by President Bola Tinubu. RoundReports understands that the upward review followed executive adjustments endorsed by lawmakers to accommodate unfunded capital obligations, nationwide priority projects and major infrastructure initiatives.  The Appropriation Bill scaled its final hurdle after consideration of reports from the Senate and House committees on appropriations. According to the breakdown presented, N5.71 trillion was allocated to cover unfunded capital commitments carried over from the 2025 Appropriation Act, while N2 trillion was set aside for priority projects across sectors.  A further N478.6 billion was approved under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated framework for Presidential Legacy Light Rail projects in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Ogun states. Lawmakers also approved N8.96 billion for feasibilit...

An academically gifted teenager sought advice from an artificial intelligence chatbot about suicide before taking his own life on a railway line, an inquest has been told.   Luca Walker, 16, from Yateley, Hampshire, died on 4 May 2025 after leaving home for what he told his parents was a lifeguarding shift.  Hours earlier, he had used ChatGPT to ask detailed questions about suicide, sidestepping the system’s safeguards by claiming his queries were for research purposes.   Police investigators described the conversation as “ chilling and upsetting reading ,” as digital forensics revealed Luca had also written farewell notes to family and friends on his phone.   The inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court heard Luca was a gentle, kind teenager who excelled academically and was surrounded by a loving family, close friends, and a supportive girlfriend.  His parents, Scott Walker and Claire Cella, said they had no idea he was struggling, describing his ...

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has debunked reports claiming he has stepped down from office, describing the rumours as " false and misleading ."   Adelabu's denial comes amid heightened political speculation following a directive from President Bola Tinubu requiring ministers and appointees with ambitions for the 2027 elections to resign by March 2026.   In a WhatsApp message to journalists on Tuesday, Adelabu’s media aide, Bolaji Tunji, branded the reports as fake news and circulated images of a purported resignation letter stamped " fake ." " The news of the minister’s resignation is fake. There is no truth to it ," Tunji said, stressing that Adelabu remains focused on his duties in the power sector.   At a press briefing last week, Adelabu acknowledged the timeline for political decisions but insisted his immediate priority is tackling Nigeria’s electricity challenges.  " What matters to me most now is this job that I am doing as...

Protesters under the banner of Concerned Niger Delta Stakeholders on Tuesday staged a demonstration at the National Assembly, opposing calls to decentralise the pipeline surveillance contract handled by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited. The group said attempts to review the existing framework were driven by narrow interests and could undermine the security gains recorded in the oil-producing region. Marching with placards bearing messages such as “ Nigeria cannot afford setbacks in oil security ” and “ Don’t destroy Niger Delta peace for self-interest ,” the protesters warned against altering what they described as a working system. Speaking for the demonstrators, Hon Duduke Ebitimi recalled the period before Tantita’s engagement, when oil theft, pipeline vandalism, kidnappings and sea piracy were rife across the Niger Delta.  He said crude oil output at the time fell to between 800,000 and 900,000 barrels per day, dealing a blow to national revenues. Ebitimi added that w...