🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Nigeria secures seven medals, including three gold, at African Taekwondo Championships in Mali
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
Nigeria concluded the 2026 African Taekwondo Championships in Bamako, Mali, with a total of seven medals: three gold, one silver, and three bronze. Aderibigbe Faridah earned a gold medal in the Freestyle Poomsae category and a silver in the Pair Poomsae event with Salawudeen Abdulafeez. Haruna Usman secured another gold in the Poomsae U-40 Male category, while Para-Taekwondo athlete Mathew Udom won the first gold in the -57kg Kyorugi category. Bronze medals were awarded to Joel Jordan in the men's +87kg Kyorugi division, Chidinma Okoko in the women's -62kg Kyorugi category, and Salawudeen Abdulafeez in the Poomsae U-30 Male event. Morocco emerged as overall champions, dominating the Kyorugi event with eight gold medals. Nigeria Taekwondo Federation President, Tayo Popoola, expressed satisfaction with the team's performance.
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Protesting teachers in Mexico City toppled statues of football players on the main promenade and threatened further demonstrations before the World Cup if their labor demands are not met. The dissident wing of the national teachers' union, CNTE, organized the protest and is also threatening mass demonstrations at the World Cup's opening on June 11. Protesters used ropes to bring down three five-meter-high plastic statues, stripping and burning their uniforms. Graffiti on a nude mannequin read, "Long live the CNTE," and another stated, "If there isn’t a solution, the ball won’t roll." This follows a Monday incident where police dispersed another CNTE march with tear gas and sound grenades near the Zocalo plaza, the site for the World Cup "Fan fest." The CNTE dissident wing is demanding a 100 percent salary increase and opposes pension reforms, rejecting a nine percent raise agreed upon by the official union leadership. The protest on Tuesday caused road closures and traffic congestion in the capital. While statues representing Belgium, France, and Spain were toppled, the mannequin in the Mexican kit remained standing. Police did not intervene. Juan Pablo de la Cruz, a 44-year-old teacher, stated, "If Sheinbaum calls toppling some statues a crime, what would she call the act of taking away our rights? We need to be more firm." President Claudia Sheinbaum described the protest as peaceful, and a government statement called for a resumption of dialogue. Mexico is co-hosting the W
The Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission has announced the signing of four new regulatory bills into law, aiming to improve electricity supply within the state. These laws are designed to dismantle the monopoly held by FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited, a subsidiary of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which currently manages power distribution in Anambra. The ASERC Chairman, Prof. Frank Nwoye Okafor, stated that the commission's role is to regulate the Anambra electricity market and ensure adherence to Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan. The four regulations, which include Business Rules, Customer Protection Regulation, Licensing Regulation, and Investment Regulation, are intended to foster a more structured, transparent, and equitable energy landscape. Prof. Okafor emphasized that these regulations will protect consumer rights, establish clear and fair licensing frameworks, and attract sustainable investment into the electricity market, thereby boosting Anambra's economic environment through consistent electricity supply. He also called for collaboration to ensure the commission's effective operation.
Four Nigerian wrestlers have arrived in Mongolia to participate in the 2026 World Wrestling 3rd Ranking Series. The team, comprising Genesis Mercy Miesinnei 50kg, Ogunsanya Christianah Tolulope 53kg, Kolawole Esther Omolayo 62kg, and Ojo Damola Hannah 76kg, aims to earn ranking points to improve their world standings and secure top seedings for the World Championships. Women’s wrestling coach and Nigeria Wrestling Federation Technical Committee Chairman Akuh Purity is leading the delegation and acknowledged the support of NWF President Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for covering all logistical and participation arrangements.
Must ReadThe African Development Bank AfDB reported that Nigerian banks lend only 9.4 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product GDP to the private sector, indicating a limited role of the financial system in supporting business growth. This places Nigeria among the weakest performers in private sector credit provision compared to other major African economies like Kenya 31.6 percent, Egypt 28.3 percent, and Côte d’Ivoire 21.4 percent, and significantly below emerging lower-middle-income market economies such as Vietnam 121.6 percent. The AfDB’s African Economic Outlook 2026 report noted that Africa’s domestic credit to the private sector averaged 34.6 percent of GDP between 2020 and 2024, a decline from the previous decade and the lowest globally. The report attributes this weak credit environment to poor financial intermediation, low domestic savings mobilization, and regulatory weaknesses. Africa’s gross domestic savings averaged 16.6 percent of GDP between 2021 and 2024, well below the global average of 27.3 percent. The AfDB also pointed out that commercial banks across Africa hold significant government securities, reducing resources for business lending. For Nigeria, the AfDB described the financial system as shallow, with stock market capitalization averaging 11.8 percent of GDP between 2020 and 2024. The bank recommended deeper financial market reforms and greater use of financing instruments like green bonds and public-private partnerships to expand access to long-term