
Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has affirmed his dedication to continuing economic reforms. This commitment was announced in a statement from the Ministry of Finance. During his inauguration, Oyedele acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing minister, Wale Edun, to the ongoing reform efforts. He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve. Oyedele expressed his readiness to collaborate with the ministry's leadership and staff to achieve results consistent with the government's economic goals. He stressed the importance of building on current reforms and focusing on measurable impact in key economic sectors. Oyedele noted that Edun's tenure advanced fiscal and economic reforms aimed at stabilizing the macroeconomy and promoting sustainable growth, including efforts to boost revenue, improve fiscal coordination, and support structural reforms. Oyedele stated that his appointment signifies continuity in the ministry's service, with an emphasis on deepening economic reforms, fiscal discipline, and better outcomes for Nigerians. The Permanent Secretary, Finance, Mr. Raymond Omachi, and the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, welcomed Oyedele and pledged the ministry's full support for his mandates.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadKatsina State has achieved 11 consecutive months without a new polio case, following a mass immunization campaign that reached over 2.9 million children. This milestone was announced by Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE HALG during World Immunisation Week 2026. Dr. Bartholomew Ochonye, Chief Executive Officer of HALG, stated that while this progress is significant, the fight against polio remains fragile. The campaign, which began in April 2025, involved over 4,000 field teams conducting house-to-house enumeration across 2,356 hard-to-reach settlements, covering more than 836,000 households and vaccinating over 1.6 million children in its first phase. HALG also led a statewide micro-planning exercise across all 34 local government areas to improve vaccination accuracy. Despite these gains, the campaign revealed that over 50,000 children identified had never received a single vaccine dose before the intervention. Major obstacles persist, including insecurity preventing access to some settlements, vaccine hesitancy, cold chain limitations, and weak health infrastructure. Dr. Ochonye emphasized the need for sustained funding for last-mile immunization systems, including enumeration, community engagement, and monitoring, to ensure that all children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas, are consistently reached. Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, but outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus continue to pose a threat, particularly in northern states with

Five people, including a traditional ruler, his wife, son, and two others, were killed in an attack by gunmen in the Olegabulu community of Agatu Local Government Area, Benue State, on Thursday night. According to a local source, four assailants on two motorcycles entered the traditional ruler's residence around 8 pm, shot him and two family members, and then moved to an adjacent house, killing two more people. One person sustained injuries during the 20-minute operation. The source noted that the attackers spoke in the local dialect, initially leading residents not to suspect them. Melvin Ejeh, the Chairman of the local government, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that five people died and one was injured, and police had visited the scene. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, stated she had not yet received the report.
Must ReadAliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, has warned that artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional engineering systems and replace designs historically undertaken by human engineers. Speaking at his induction as an Honorary Fellow of The Nigerian Academy of Engineering in Lagos, Dangote urged professionals to proactively shape the future of the engineering discipline. He noted that AI is increasingly replacing human capability and hard-thinking characteristics, suggesting it could soon phase out engineering designs. Dangote called on engineers to address the ramifications of AI on their profession, influencing its integration into education and real-world applications. He emphasized engineering's centrality to national development, stating that industrialization is impossible without it, and highlighted its role in his conglomerate's growth. The Dangote Group, he said, has been built on engineering excellence and technological innovation, employing thousands of engineers across its operations, including the refinery, fertilizer, and other industrial projects. Dangote also mentioned the company's investment in training local engineers through the Dangote Academy and urged Nigeria to deepen its engineering talent pool to compete globally. Prof. Rahamon Bello, President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, recognized Dangote's contributions to engineering-driven industrialization, citing the Dangote Refinery as a landmark achievement

Mikel Arteta states that Arsenal still believes they can win the Premier League title, even after Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Burnley on Wednesday moved City into first place. Arsenal is currently level on points with City but trails on goals scored. They have an opportunity to reclaim the top position by avoiding defeat against Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Less than two weeks ago, Arsenal held a nine-point lead over City, but recent losses to Bournemouth and City have shifted the title's destiny out of their hands. Arteta expressed confidence in his team, emphasizing the importance of winning their upcoming match against Newcastle. He highlighted that the team's energy and belief are high, with five games remaining in the season. Arsenal will also see the return of Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori from injury for the Newcastle match. City's recent win put them at the top of the league for the first time since August 2025, while Arsenal has secured only one win in their last six matches across all competitions. Arteta recalled his experience of winning the Scottish Premiership with Rangers on goal difference in 2003, underscoring the special feeling of such a victory.