
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu is scheduled to visit Abia State on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, to celebrate the Akwete weaving heritage. She will be hosted by Governor Alex Otti and his wife, Priscilla. The visit will include a tour of the Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society in Akwete, Ukwa East Local Government Area, where Senator Tinubu will interact with master weavers. Following the inspection, the First Lady and Governor Otti will attend a civic reception at the Akwete Central School Field. This event aims to celebrate the visit and showcase Akwete's cultural heritage, bringing together government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents. Akwete cloth, handwoven in Ukwa East for centuries, is a significant cultural export from Nigeria and a key source of income for women in the region. Residents of Abia State, particularly those in Ukwa East and surrounding communities, are encouraged to attend and welcome the First Lady.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission NUPRC is set to open the commercial phase of the 2025 oil and gas licensing round today, July 21, 2026. A total of 143 companies have been invited to compete for 50 oil and gas blocks across Nigeria's hydrocarbon basins. These blocks include 16 in the Niger Delta Onshore, 18 in the Niger Delta Shallow Water, one in the Niger Delta Deep Offshore, three in the Benin Basin Onshore, four in the Anambra Basin Onshore, four in the Chad Basin Onshore, and four in the Benue Trough. The commercial bid conference, an invitation-only event, will take place in Abuja. This stage follows a rigorous prequalification process that began in November 2025, attracting 286 initial applications, with 196 companies prequalified. The 143 invited companies submitted 200 bids for the available assets. Bids will be assessed based on signature bonus, work programme commitments, and performance security, culminating in a weighted technical and commercial score. This licensing round is part of the Federal Government's efforts to boost crude oil and gas production, attract investment, and develop underdeveloped petroleum assets, aligning with reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
One year after President Bola Tinubu signed Nigeria's tax reform laws, the country is experiencing substantial growth in tax revenue, moving away from its historical dependence on crude oil. The reforms aim to simplify the tax system, eliminate double taxation, encourage compliance, and provide sustainable funding for development. Under the leadership of Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, tax administration has seen remarkable improvements. Between January and June 2026, the Nigeria Revenue Service collected N21.6tn in tax revenue, a 49 percent increase over the N14.27tn collected in the same period in 2025. In June alone, Nigeria generated N799.75bn in Value Added Tax, with total statutory revenue reaching N3.701tn, resulting in a gross revenue of N4.501tn. This growth reflects a steady pattern, with tax revenue rising from N10.1tn in 2023 to N21.6tn in 2024, and then to N36.8tn in 2025. The reforms have been bolstered by improved tax administration, wider technology deployment, electronic invoicing, and stronger enforcement against leakages. This shift is strengthening Nigeria's economic security, boosting investor confidence, and providing greater capacity for government investment in public services, aligning Nigeria with other countries that have strengthened domestic revenue to fund development.
Must ReadThe Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has resumed the implementation and enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. This follows a Federal High Court judgment delivered on Monday by Justice A.L. Allagoa in Lagos, which upheld the validity of the regulations. The judgment dismissed a suit filed by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria Ltd/Gte, which had challenged the FCCPC's authority and led to a temporary suspension of the regulations. Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, stated that the court upheld the DEON Regulations as being within the commission's statutory and constitutional powers, and discharged the interim ex parte order that had previously restrained their enforcement. The FCCPC emphasized that the regulations aim to promote responsible lending, improve regulatory accountability, curb unfair and exploitative practices, and strengthen consumer protection in Nigeria's digital lending market, without stifling innovation or limiting financial access.