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Nigeria has secured the rights to host the 2027 Conference of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) in Abuja, following endorsement by the association’s General Assembly at its just-concluded 42nd Conference in Arusha, Tanzania.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has been awarded the hosting rights and approved to organise the event, scheduled for 16th to 20th August 2027.

The gathering is expected to draw policymakers, researchers, examination administrators and education experts from across the continent, providing a platform for Nigeria to showcase ongoing reforms in educational assessment.

In a related development, NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, was elected Vice-President of the AEAA. His elevation follows his earlier service on the association’s Executive Council as the West African sub-region representative.

These developments underscore Nigeria’s growing influence in educational assessment across the continent, particularly in digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence in testing and certification.

Since taking office as NECO Registrar in 2021, he has driven reforms to modernise examination administration, expand technological infrastructure, and extend the council’s international reach. NECO now conducts examinations in eight foreign countries.

No fewer than 41 people died yesterday after a boat carrying passengers capsized in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

But 11 people were rescued.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed the accident.

The NIWA Area Manager in Sokoto, Mr Abdulkadir Yusuf, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto.

Yusuf said the boat was carrying about 82 persons, including the community leader in transit to a rice farm for harvest.

About a year ago, 10 people died in a boat mishap in Sokoto.

Last September, 10 residents of Zalla-Bango village who were running away from bandits in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, drowned. Their bodies were later recovered by villagers and fishermen.

Weeks earlier at Garin-Faji, also at Sabon Birni, over five people died while 21 others were rescued in a mishap. Another mishap also occurred at Kojiyo village in Goronyo Local Government Area.

The US Open will offer the biggest prize fund in Grand Slam history with a total of $108 million (£79.2m) on offer – marking a 20% increase on last year.

The singles’ champions will receive $5.5m (£4.03m) each in a 10% increase on 2025.

First-round losers will take home $140,000 (£102,667) – which is $30,000 and 27% more than last year.

The prize pool includes a $2m (£1.47m) contribution to a welfare fund, which leading players have been demanding from all the Grand Slams.

The four Grand Slam tournaments have also jointly announced the formation of a Grand Slam Player Council. This was another key request from players, some of who limited media appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon to 15 minutes to highlight their grievances.

Their other main demand is for each Grand Slam to dedicate 16% of its revenue to prize money, with the figure rising to 22% by 2030.

It is possible the US Open has become the first Slam to hit that target, but the US Tennis Association (USTA) has not yet published its financial statement for 2025.

Player representatives have also not seen the figures. However, if you allow for 10% growth to the $559.7m (£410.5m) the US Open generated in revenue in 2024, then prize money of $98.5m would have be in line with player expectations.

The USTA says the financial statement will be published before the start of the main draw.

Chief executive Craig Tiley, who previously headed up Tennis Australia, described the offer as ‘a significant first step in a multi-year investment in athletes’.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, has applauded the three-year scorecard of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Describing Tunji-Ojo as a dedicated, visionary and committed minister, Nwauju said the minister had transformed a hitherto redundant ministry.

The former Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the APC recalled that Tunji-Ojo was among the 45 ministers Tinubu appointed, and that Tinubu assigned him to an unpopular ministry known only for headlining announcements of national public holidays.

But he said, ‘In the last three years, the Interior Ministry underwent measurable reforms and, in a particular instance, last year received parliamentary commendations for surpassing the revenue generation target set for it by the National Assembly for the 2024/25 fiscal year.

‘For those of us who believe that there is a serious need to deliberately inject fresh blood into every leadership stratum in this country, Dr Tunji-Ojo stands as empirical evidence. Having been tried and having delivered beyond the imaginations of naysayers.’

He said the Interior Minister remained a source of pride to the people of Ondo, the youth demography in the country and a silver lining for visionary and impactful leadership.

He said the minister hit the ground running as soon as he was appointed, mobilising funds through corporate social responsibility to the tune of N585 million to pay court fines and compensation for 4,068 indigent inmates in November 2023, as part of measures to decongest the custodial centres nationwide.

He said that, as part of the prison reforms introduced by Tunji-Ojo, many Master’s, undergraduate and PhD candidates had successfully completed their studies, with numerous others enrolling for NABTEB/NECO examinations.

‘Other empirically verifiable projects/policies like the remodelling/upgrade of the National Fire Academy; launch of ECOWAS national biometric identity card (ENBIC); a new NIMC Act 2026 empowering NIMC as the mother certification authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI),’ he said.

Nwauju said under the minister, the immigration services in the country witnessed a turnaround following the digitising of expatriate quota and resident permit processes, and the inauguration of a Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre, the first of its kind in the 62-year history of the NIS

‘These are all testaments to performance delivery, which speaks volumes of an accountable leadership paradigm,’ he said.

He added, ‘It is my time-tested principle and belief that politics and governance should and must be about the good of the greater majority. In that light, the Interior Ministry under Dr Tunji-Ojo’s watch has promoted over 75,000 paramilitary officers, with elevations across various ranks, thereby ending years of career stagnation.

‘There is also an ongoing recruitment exercise of 60,000 youths into the four paramilitary agencies under that Ministry.’

Eko Akete (Mainland) Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited has held its 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Annual Report in Ikotun, Lagos.

President of the society, Victor Olusanjo Falemi, lamented the inflation and attendant hardship in the country, but stated the Management Committee’s resolve to ‘stay focused on the cooperative’s mandate, cushion the hardship through savings, affordable credit, and viable investment for our members’.

The president announced that the society recorded an increase in total income compared to 2024, driven by higher loan portfolio turnover, loan recovery and diversified income streams from investment outlets. He also announced that the society achieved a significant increase in net surplus for the year ended December 31, 2025.

He pledged that the management would remain prudent in the deploying of funds into low-risk high return ventures.

The Treasurer, Fredrick Olufemi Onabanjo, said the society realised a total income of N679,425,398.06, and N277,181,075.13 in expenditure; culminating in a net surplus of N402,244,322.93.

This was against N651,931,372.65 in 2024 – an increase of N27,494,02.41.

Onabanjo said the total expenditure in 2025 stood at N277,181,075.13, as against N267,604,768.43 in 2024, an increase ofN9,576,306.70, which he ascribed to rising operating and overhead costs.

Notably, loan interest was also raised from eight to 10 per cent from August 19.

The president cited the economic situation for the hard decision.

He informed members of plans to digitalise loan applications, to enable easier online application by members.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Olooye Adegboyega Adegoke, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with a chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and grassroots politician, Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Adebisi Olopoeyan, in Ibadan.

Adegoke was accompanied to the meeting at Olopoeyan’s residence in Basorun by the ADC Deputy National Women Leader (South-West), Alhaja Kafilat Omolabake Olayiwola, popularly known as Aje-Iya.

Details of the meeting were not disclosed, as both Adegoke and Olopoeyan declined to comment on the issues discussed.

However, sources said the meeting was likely connected with the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.

Adegoke and Olopoeyan were political allies in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before moving to the APM and ADC respectively.

The meeting comes amid reported disagreements between Olopoeyan and Oyo State Governor and APM presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, over the emergence of candidates for the December 2026 local government elections.

It was gathered that Olopoeyan and Makinde are backing different candidates ahead of the local government poll, which is expected to shape political alignments ahead of the 2027 general election.

Talented artist, Shalom Terem aka Shamzydane, has hit the airwaves with a sensational single entitled ‘Alone.’

Alone is an Afrobeat song with a brand known as Afro Soul and Afro Swing.

According to the artist behind the song, ‘Alone puts listeners in a solemn type of vibe. A listener goes into meditation because of the deep lyrics. It is all about my lifestyle, my experiences and my general feelings.’

Speaking on the creative path of the song released on August, 20, 2026, the 22-year old says, ‘It is basically talking about my phase of life, the pressure coming as a result of what is happening to me in my current state. It is all about my being. It is trying to figure out myself as I move forward and explaining that I am trying to do my best and move ahead.’

Shamzydane’s first attempt into the firmament of music is his being featured by Tomi Tribe, a US-based artiste on a track, ‘Loba Tan,’ a vibrant Afrobeat and party song.

Before ‘Alone’ the singer from Ogoja, Cross River State had released ‘Link Me Up’ a love and party song expressing his emotions towards a girl he wants to win. His third remarkable experience is Yawa, a duet by him and Jaypopah.

Shamzydane envisages a society that is united, progressive and ready to grow and be there for its people.

The Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders Forum has called for a comprehensive review of the remote and immediate causes of the party’s defeat in the August 15, 2026 governorship election, and has proposed a broad restructuring of the state chapter to restore unity and rebuild party members’ confidence.

In an open letter to President Bola Tinubu dated August 18, the group identified internal divisions, concerns over candidate selection, and the distribution of political appointments as factors that contributed to the party’s defeat.

The forum, coordinated by Professor Akin Adeyanju and Secretary Sola Ajayi, said that the concentration of political appointments and electoral decisions around the immediate past governor of the state and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, had raised concerns among certain sections of the party.

It said that the limited involvement of some party elders and stakeholders in key decisions affecting the state chapter had also weakened internal cohesion and may have contributed to the loss of support among critical stakeholders and communities across the three senatorial districts.

To address the situation, the stakeholders urged President Tinubu to facilitate an independent review of the Osun APC leadership structure and candidate-selection process, alongside measures to reconcile the various interests within the party.

As part of its proposed way forward, the group called for the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a state congress to produce what it described as a genuinely representative state executive.

It also proposed a stakeholders’ reconciliation summit bringing together all factions, party elders and interest groups within the state chapter.

The forum urged the APC to establish a transparent and inclusive framework for future candidate selection, based on broader consultation rather than the preference of any individual leader.

It also called for a more equitable distribution of federal appointments and future electoral opportunities across the three senatorial districts and the party’s various interest groups.

The stakeholders said the proposed measures were necessary to reposition the APC and improve its prospects in Osun ahead of future elections.

They expressed confidence that timely intervention by President Tinubu would help reunite the party, restore members’ confidence and position the APC for stronger performance in subsequent elections.

The forum commended Tinubu for what it described as his leadership and commitment to the party before and after the August 15 election, while expressing regret over the APC’s defeat despite his support.

The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, August 25, 2026, a public holiday to commemorate this year’s Eid ul Mawlid, marking the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the holiday on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani.

Tunji-Ojo congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and across the diaspora on the celebration and urged Nigerians to reflect on the values of compassion, humility and service exemplified in the life of Prophet Muhammad.

‘Every Eid ul Mawlid gives us reason to pause and draw lessons from a life defined by compassion, humility and service to others.

‘These are qualities our nation needs now more than ever, and I encourage every Nigerian, not just our Muslim brothers and sisters, to reflect on them,’ he said.

The minister also called on Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for lasting peace, unity and national cohesion, stressing that preserving harmony remained a shared responsibility.

He urged citizens to celebrate the festival peacefully, with restraint and mutual respect, and to extend warm wishes to the Muslim faithful for a joyous and peaceful Eid ul Mawlid.

Tunji-Ojo further reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property and to sustaining peace and security across the country.

Transcorp Power Plc has won the Power Generation Excellence Company of the Year award at the Business Times Awards 2026 for its operational performance and contribution to Nigeria’s power generation sector.

The company received the award at the Grand Gala Award Ceremony on Thursday at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, where it received a golden plaque and an Award Certificate of Recognition.

The Business Times Awards Editorial Board cited Transcorp Power’s leadership, innovation and impact on the power sector as reasons for the recognition.

Speaking on the award, the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ikenga, said the recognition reflected the commitment of the company’s board and employees to maintaining reliable power generation.

‘This award belongs to the board and every member of the Transcorp Power team whose commitment keeps our turbines running and power flowing to homes and businesses across Nigeria,’ he said.

Ikenga said the company would continue to focus on improving generation reliability, strengthening relationships across the power value chain and creating sustainable value for shareholders and the country.

Transcorp Power Plc is a power generation subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group), with investments across the power, hospitality and energy sectors.