By Miriam Humbe The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has activated the Agency’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to enhance the coordination, collation and processing of reliable data and information on the 2026 flood situation across the country. Humsimedia gathered that this is with a view to strengthening preparedness, planning and response efforts. Speaking during the activation and inauguration of members of the NEOC at the NEMA Headquarters in Abuja, Mrs. Zubaida Umar charged the team to be diligent, professional and proactive in the discharge of their responsibilities. She emphasized the importance of…
Author: Humsi
Sufuyan Ojeifo Last year, I received a routine call from my son in Canada. Just a check-in. A son keeping his father up to speed with life yonder. But his opening gambit blew my mind: “The Jagaban of the Ojeifo family!” I laughed. “Where did that come from?” I asked him. “Sir, you are a good man,” he replied. And then he went on. About his planned postgraduate studies in robotics engineering. About the several thousands of dollars I had spent to sponsor him in Canada. About how, with his Permanent Residency permit, he would now pay just under $20,000…
More than 70 Nigerian, African and international civil society organisations on Monday asked the National Assembly to immediately withdraw two controversial bills they say are designed to tighten government control over NGOs and social media platforms. Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja, the coalition described the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026, SB.1034, and a separate proposal to compel social media companies to open offices in Nigeria as part of a broader push to shrink civic space. The groups said the timing could not be worse. With the 2027 general elections approaching, they argued, Nigeria should…
China aims to raise the share of its electricity generated from non-fossil energy sources to 50% by 2030. This is according to a newly released national plan outlining the country’s power sector development for the 2026-2030 period. The five-year plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, sets out the overall road map for the country’s power sector in the 2026-2030 period and targets the initial establishment of a new power system by 2030. Under the plan, China aims to enable the high-level integration of more than 2.8 billion kilowatts of new energy…
By Miriam Humbe Effective from August 3, 2026, travelers from 50 nations, including 30 in Africa, could face refundable security deposits of up to $20,000 to visit the United States, following the permanent adoption of a visa bond policy by the US Department of State. The rule applies to selected applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas. Consular officers can require bonds of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance. Applicants who comply with the terms of their visas can have the bond returned. The permanent policy follows a pilot program launched in 2025. The pilot…
By Miriam Humbe In furtherance of efforts to strengthen flood preparedness and deepen inter-agency cooperation, the Head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abuja Operations Office (AOO), Pharm. Zakari Abubakar, led a delegation on a courtesy call to the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Comrade Salifu Joel Oyibo, at the Government House, Lokoja. The visit afforded both parties the opportunity to discuss strategies for strengthening disaster preparedness, emergency response coordination, and flood risk reduction across the state, particularly given forecasts pointing to a heightened risk of flooding this rainy season. Pharm. Zakari Abubakar reaffirmed NEMA’s resolve to work hand-in-hand…
By Miriam Humbe The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abuja Operations Office (AOO), on Monday coordinated the reception of 37 Nigerian nationals returned from the Republic of Türkiye at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The returnees arrived aboard a chartered aircraft following an official notification from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which informed the Agency of their scheduled arrival as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate the orderly return of Nigerian citizens. In line with its statutory mandate, NEMA Abuja Operations Office activated a coordinated reception mechanism involving relevant government agencies and humanitarian partners to ensure a seamless,…
By Miriam Humbe Despite being Nigeria’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, and with massive economic investments, China may have arguably maintained complicit silence in the face of daunting security challenges in the country. Reason is not far-fetched. China has a policy of Non-Interference. As emphasized by strategic analysis, Beijing avoids deep domestic security involvements or large-scale military financing in Nigeria, preferring to focus on economic diplomacy and infrastructure. Beijing’s non-interference policy is a core foreign policy tenet which states that China will not meddle in the internal political, economic, or social affairs of other sovereign nations. Rooted in the 1950s…
By Miriam Humbe Troops of 82 Division/Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA (OPUK), compelled members of a militant group to voluntarily surrender arms, while separate intelligence-led operations resulted in the recovery of additional weapons and an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). This feat marks another significant operational breakthrough recorded by the Nigerian Army’s sustained offensive operations in the South East. The latest successes further underscore the effectiveness of the Nigerian Army’s integrated kinetic and non-kinetic approach in dismantling criminal networks and restoring lasting peace and security across the region. The breakthrough followed sustained operational pressure mounted by troops of…
By Miriam Humbe China, Nigeria’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, on June 2, 2026, released a five-year plan for its national supply and marketing cooperative system, aiming to strengthen agricultural services and ensure food security for the 2026-2030 period. China is also the largest engineering contracting market on the African continent, sharing a comprehensive strategic partnership centered on trade, infrastructure, and investment. The agricultural plan outlines 18 key tasks focused on ensuring food security and advancing rural revitalization, according to the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. By 2030, the system will build or renovate more than 100…
By Miriam Humbe The Nigerian Navy has sustained its operational momentum against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, recording another significant success in Rivers State through the disruption of reactivated illegal refining infrastructure. Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director Naval Information, disclosed this in a statement signed on Sunday. The operation, conducted by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER within the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni axis of Rivers State, led to the discovery and deactivation of three newly established illegal refining sites linked to ongoing crude oil theft activities in the area. During the operation, personnel recovered…
By Miriam Humbe Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, deployed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kasuwan Daji, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have decisively foiled an attempted infiltration by terrorists. Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army/ Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA disclosed this in a statement signed on Sunday. The successful defense of the base resulted in heavy casualties for the attackers, forcing them to retreat in disarray, and led to the rescue of 9 abducted civilians. The incident occurred at approximately 0140 hours (1:40 a.m.)…