Author: CSNews

Alvarez Breaks Silence on Arsenal Deadline Day Collapse, Leaves Door Open for January

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Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has addressed the collapse of his proposed move to Arsenal on transfer deadline day, insisting he never rejected the Gunners and that his representatives worked until the final moments to complete a deal. Alvarez said his agent explored a genuine move to Arsenal given the strong relationship between both parties, but the transfer could not be finalised before the deadline due to factors beyond their control, stressing that the interest was mutual and real. The Argentine praised Arsenal’s project, manager and style of play, revealing that his representatives remain open to a future move and that he believes the club could return with an offer in January. Alvarez said he remains focused on his current spell at Atletico Madrid for now, but confirmed he would be ready to consider joining Arsenal should a suitable proposal arrive when the transfer window reopens. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Take Shortcuts, Get Cut Short, Olukoyede Warns Nigerian Youths

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EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede has urged students and youths to build their futures through integrity and accountable conduct, warning against the temptation of shortcuts, speaking through the Commission’s spokesperson, DCE Dele Oyewale, when students of Wisdom Academy visited EFCC headquarters in Abuja. Olukoyede said many young Nigerians are drawn to criminality, internet fraud and financial infractions in search of quick success, insisting that such shortcuts ultimately cut ambitions short, and urged students to embrace sustainable, time tested values that can support them in the long run. He described Nigeria’s corruption problem as one requiring wisdom to navigate, tying the message directly to the visiting school’s name, and said Nigerians today find themselves choosing between being part of the problem or part of the solution. The EFCC boss stressed that no institution, not government nor the EFCC itself, would build the students’ futures for them, insisting that industry, resourcefulness and commitment to integrity remain the only firm ground for lasting success. Head of Enlightenment and Reorientation, ACE II Aisha Muhammed, added that the Commission runs Integrity Clubs in primary and secondary schools and Zero Tolerance Clubs in tertiary institutions, urging students to resist peer pressure and the get rich quick mentality often pushed on young people. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Reps Panel Clears Gbajabiamila, Names Adeniyi as Face of Fake Federal Agency Scheme

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A House of Representatives committee investigating a fake federal agency has cleared Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila of wrongdoing, while identifying Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as the principal figure behind the alleged scheme. The panel’s preliminary findings uncovered an elaborate operation involving a purported federal agency, fabricated presidential correspondence, a fake Executive Order and an altered document presented as an Act of the National Assembly, with the committee confirming the organisation, referred to as PFIPC, was never lawfully established. Investigators are examining about 58 linked bank accounts and an alleged N400 million transaction tied to the scheme, with Adeniyi Adeyemi identified as the principal person associated with the purported agency. The committee stressed that evidence before it does not establish that Gbajabiamila authorised or participated in the organisation, cautioning that no criminal guilt has yet been established against anyone named in the ongoing probe. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Twelve Years and Out: Uber Exits Nigerian Market, Cites Business Review

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Global ride hailing service Uber has announced its exit from the Nigerian market effective September 2, 2026, ending a 12 year run that began when the platform first launched in Lagos in 2014. In a statement sent to customers, Uber said the decision followed a thorough review of its business, describing the wind down of Nigerian operations as a difficult but necessary choice, while apologising for the disruption to customers’ daily routines and confirming its help centre would remain available until September 23, 2026 for final account queries. The exit coincides with a broader restructuring at Uber, with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announcing a roughly 10 per cent reduction in the company’s global workforce of about 34,000 employees as part of efforts to build a leaner, faster organisation with clearer ownership and fewer coordination delays. Founded in 2009, Uber transformed urban transportation by disrupting markets long dominated by taxis and private car companies, and currently operates in over 70 countries, more than 15,000 cities and over 700 airports worldwide. The company’s departure from Nigeria marks one of the biggest shifts in the country’s ride hailing industry in recent years, a development expected to reshape competition in the sector. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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FG Rebrands University Ranking Body, Sets Sights on Building Africa’s Own Oxford

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The Federal Government is strengthening Nigeria’s national university ranking system with support from expanding its scope to include polytechnics and colleges of education under a rebranded body now known as the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, replacing NURAC. Officials said the new committee, NTERAC, will go beyond producing rankings to institutionalise the process, helping institutions and their leadership understand the data, methodology and standards required for credible rankings, with the ambition of building a framework not just for Nigeria but for Africa. The national ranking system will sit on the Nigeria Education Data Initiative platform, consolidating education data in one place to give Nigerians a clearer picture of institutional performance, with participation made mandatory for all public and private tertiary institutions. Officials said strengthening the domestic system would help Nigerian universities compete better on global platforms such as Times Higher Education, thanking the NTERAC team led by Prof Peter Okebukola and TETFund for their support. The Federal Government framed the initiative as part of a broader ambition to build Africa’s own version of Oxford and Cambridge, urging Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts to work with the new committee to raise standards across the sector. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Nineteen Million and Counting: Al-Rawda Al-Sharif Sees Surge in Visitors Over Two Years

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More than 19 million visitors have visited Al-Rawda Al-Sharif in Madinah over the past two years, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, disclosed during the opening of the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum in the holy city. The three day forum brings together officials, experts and stakeholders to discuss ways of improving the experience of Umrah performers and visitors to the holy sites, featuring dialogue sessions, specialised workshops, an artificial intelligence competition focused on Umrah services and a hackathon dedicated to historical sites linked to the life of Prophet Muhammad. Al-Rabiah said the focus on artificial intelligence and innovation reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued effort to use modern technology to improve religious tourism and manage the growing number of visitors to Madinah. Al-Rawda Al-Sharif, located within the Prophet’s Mosque, remains one of the most significant sites visited by Muslims performing Umrah and those visiting the holy city, with the latest figures underscoring the scale of religious visitation and the importance of continued investment in infrastructure and visitor services. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Nigeria’s Economy Picks Up Pace, Grows 4.43% in Q2 as Push for $1 Trillion GDP Continues

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Nigeria’s economy expanded by 4.43 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.23 per cent in Q2 2025 and 3.89 per cent in Q1 2026, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance, lifting first half real GDP growth to 4.16 per cent, up from 3.68 per cent over the same period last year. The Ministry said growth is becoming more broad based, with 27 economic subsectors recording real growth above 3.0 per cent in Q2 2026, up from 23 subsectors a year earlier, showing expansion is no longer concentrated in a handful of industries. Productive sectors led the way, with manufacturing growing 3.24 per cent, more than double the 1.60 per cent recorded in Q2 2025, agriculture expanding 4.39 per cent, up from 2.82 per cent, and services, the largest driver of growth, expanding 4.60 per cent, up from 3.94 per cent. The Ministry said steady appreciation of the naira, up more than 12 per cent between H1 2025 and H1 2026, amplified these gains in dollar terms, expanding the economy by roughly 17 per cent in US dollar terms over the period, a pace it said could meaningfully lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty if sustained alongside government’s social programmes. Citing IMF data ranking Nigeria among the top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth in 2026, the Ministry said continued stability and investor confidence would accelerate the country’s progression toward becoming Africa’s largest economy by 2028 and reaching its target of a $1 trillion economy by 2030. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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EFCC Docks Abuja Man Over N1 Billion Suspicious Bank Deposits

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Mahmud A Abubakar before Justice N C Nwabulu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a two count charge bordering on retention of proceeds of crime totalling N1,098,976,008. Prosecutors allege that between January and December 2024, Abubakar retained N795,360,000 in criminal proceeds in his Access Bank account, knowing the funds were derived from criminal conduct, and separately transferred N303,616,008 from the same account to one Suleiman Umar under similar circumstances. Abubakar pleaded not guilty to both counts, prompting prosecuting counsel Y Y Tarfa to request a trial date and his remand, while defence counsel A M Aliyu filed a bail application that went unopposed by the prosecution. Justice Nwabulu granted the defendant bail with two sureties, both required to be Level 15 civil servants, with one required to own landed property in the FCT, ordering that he be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending fulfilment of the bail conditions. The matter was adjourned to September 30, 2026, for commencement of trial. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Customs Sets Date at Gwagwalada as Successful Recruits Prepare for Screening

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The Nigeria Customs Service has announced that the physical screening and documentation exercise for successful candidates enlisted into the Service will hold at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja. Shortlisted candidates are required to appear with original and photocopied documents, including their National Identification Number, original Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age, and educational certificates covering O’Level, ND, HND, Degree or other applicable qualifications. Candidates must also present a Certificate of State of Origin, two recent passport photographs, a completed Guarantor’s Form and an NYSC Certificate where applicable, while dressing in a white T-shirt, shorts and canvas shoes for the exercise. The Service stressed that candidates must report only on the date allocated to their respective states and cadres, warning that attendance is compulsory and failure to appear as scheduled may lead to disqualification from the recruitment process. Successful candidates will receive further instructions from NCS regarding subsequent stages of the recruitment process upon completion of the screening exercise. Under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Service assured candidates and the public of a transparent, fair and merit based recruitment process, urging applicants to rely solely on official NCS communication channels for authentic information. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Nigeria’s Economy Roars to 4.43% Growth, Government Eyes $1 Trillion by 2030

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Nigeria’s economy expanded by 4.43 per cent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.23 per cent in Q2 2025 and 3.89 per cent in Q1 2026, lifting first half real GDP growth to 4.16 per cent, up from 3.68 per cent over the same period last year, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance. The Ministry said growth is becoming more broad based, with 27 economic subsectors recording real growth above 3.0 per cent in Q2 2026, up from 23 subsectors in the same quarter last year, showing expansion is no longer concentrated in a handful of industries. Productive sectors led the way, with manufacturing growing by 3.24 per cent, more than double the 1.60 per cent recorded in Q2 2025, while agriculture expanded by 4.39 per cent, up from 2.82 per cent, and services, the largest driver of growth, expanded by 4.60 per cent, up from 3.94 per cent. The Ministry said steady appreciation of the naira, which strengthened by more than 12 per cent between H1 2025 and H1 2026, amplified these gains in dollar terms, expanding the economy by roughly 17 per cent in US dollar terms over the period, a pace it said could meaningfully strengthen dollar incomes and lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty if sustained. Citing IMF data ranking Nigeria among the top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth in 2026, projected to account for roughly 1.5 per cent of world growth this year, the Ministry said continued macroeconomic stability and investor confidence would accelerate Nigeria’s progression toward becoming Africa’s largest economy by 2028 and reaching the government’s target of a $1 trillion economy by 2030. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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