(FILES) FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the welcome session of the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)FIFA will distribute 100,000 soccer balls to 500 cities across the United States as part of efforts to build excitement ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced. With 48 teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be a celebration of humanity, bringing people together in joy and football spirit. “I was delighted to meet the mayors of the 11 US Host Cities who will welcome the world in 2026, each bringing their own unique energy to this historic event,” the FIFA President said. “We were thrilled to welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA World Cup trophy to our winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Side hustles remain a popular way to earn extra income alongside a full-time job or small business. For those looking to make more money online in 2026, a growing number of niche side hustles can be run entirely from a laptop at home. Theme pages focus on a single topic—such as fitness, motivation, travel, relationships, or finance—and grow audiences by sharing consistent, high-quality content. Once a following is established, theme pages can generate income through sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, or by selling digital products such as guides, templates, or online courses. Using a print-on-demand model, sellers can design notebooks, planners, journals, or templates and sell them through online marketplaces such as Etsy or Amazon KDP.

Published 17 hours ago • loading... • Updated 10 hours ago Show Less IconNigeria’s president to make a state visit to the UK in March The visit aims to boost economic, immigration, and security cooperation between the UK and Nigeria, with trade reaching €9.3 billion last year, the UK Department for Business said.

So, the issue of mandatory transmission should be an advancement from the 2022 Act. There were clear reasons advanced by people clamouring for electoral reform, and there was an agreement that there must be mandatory transmission. If Nigerians are demanding mandatory transmission, I don’t think there are legislators who want to act contrary to what their people want. If the majority of Nigerians want mandatory transmission, I don’t think they will go against it. If Internet coverage was an excuse before 2022, it is no longer an excuse now that we have network virtually everywhere.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, has described the shutdown of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries as a necessary step to end what he called decades of self-deception in the country’s downstream oil sector. Ojulari said the internal review conducted by NNPC revealed that refinery operations had become a ritual rather than a business. This transition weakened preventive maintenance culture, increased reliance on turnaround maintenance cycles that proved more commercially attractive to external parties, and contributed to the gradual erosion of in-house operational capacity within NNPC. “We had to admit that this system was not working.”He added that the shutdown allows NNPC to confront reality without the distraction of ongoing losses. The NNPC boss also credited the Dangote Refinery with creating the space for reform.

THREE persons have been killed while a Catholic priest and 10 other residents were abducted following an early-morning attack on Karku community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed that the victims were taken in the early hours of Saturday when suspected terrorists invaded the community. In a statement issued by the Diocesan Chancellor, Very Rev Fr Jacob Shanet, the Church announced the abduction of Rev. Fr Nathaniel Asuwaye, the Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku. “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with profound sadness, we announce the kidnapping of our priest, Rev Fr Nathaniel Asuwaye, the Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, Kauru LGA of Kaduna State, Nigeria,” Shanet stated.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will embark on a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom (UK), according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Windsor Castle,” the Royal Family posted on X. Confirming the scheduled state visit, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Tinubu on information and strategy, described the state visit as the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. “First state visit of a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years confirmed. King Charles, then Prince of Wales, visited Nigeria in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed that the kidnapped priest, Nathaniel Asuwaye, is the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku. “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with deep sorrow, we announce the kidnapping of our priest, Rev. Nathaniel Asuwaye, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, Kauru LGA of Kaduna State,” Shanet said. He added that the priest was abducted alongside 10 other residents during the attack, which left three people dead. “This terrible event has resulted in the killing of three people, aside from those abducted,” Shanet lamented.

An 18-year-old house wife (name withheld) in Potiskum, Yobe, has allegedly cut off her husband’s manhood. SP Dungus Abdulkarim, the Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, disclosed this in a statement in Damaturu on Saturday. Abdulkarim said the suspect, who was at large, used a sharp knife to mutilate her husband’s organ and fled the scene of the crime. Abdulkarim said the state Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ado, strongly condemned the crime and emphasised that marriage should be built on mutual respect, understanding, patience, and tolerance. “Marriage must never be an avenue for violence, abuse, or humiliation,” the police spokesman quoted the commissioner as saying.

Solomon Ewanehi, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Solewant Group, went down the memory lane, with Segun Kasali, giving reasons for his career switch at the university. He told me to follow my heart and he was already relating with some business people in Canada. What I wanted to study was actually what I am doing now which is Engineering. Having done that, I felt that there was need for me to say “this is what I want to do”. For you to be prepared for the future, you need to understand that, you need to receive a lot of trainings.

The disputed clause seeks to make electronic transmission of election results mandatory — a safeguard advocates argue is critical to closing gaps in Nigeria’s electoral process. “Nigerian voters expect prompt electronic transmission of results from polling units,” Ugwunmadu said. He alleged that some lawmakers, having benefited from what he described as flawed electoral processes, lack the incentive to strengthen statutory safeguards. It must now be made mandatory,” Asemudara said. Both lawyers urged the National Assembly to prioritise institutional credibility and electoral integrity, warning that failure to enact decisive reforms could undermine confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, has called on leaders and key stakeholders in the South-East to prioritise security and peace, infrastructure development and the delivery of bankable, investment-ready projects. This, according to him, is critical if the South Eastern region of the country is to unlock its long-term development agenda under the South-East Vision 2050 (S8V2050). Alawuba made the call while delivering a goodwill remark at the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholder Forum which was held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu on Wednesday. The South-East must present specific, bankable projects with defined impact – projects that can unlock investment, create jobs and deliver real improvements in the lives of our people,” Alawuba stated. Other key participants included the Honourable Minister of Regional Development, the Chairman, Board Members and Management of SEDC, Royal Fathers and members of the clergy, members of the Diplomatic Corps, captains of industry, and development partners.

At a time when visibility and online clout often define success in the creative industry, Otegbayo Joseph Timi, popularly known as Timi Phoenix, has taken a different path, one anchored in consistency, structure and long-term vision. Timi Phoenix is the founder of Afro Gospel Crusade, a platform that has steadily grown into a major force within the Afro-Gospel movement. Rather than relying on hype, the initiative has focused on nurturing talent, creating spaces for authentic expression, and positioning Afro-Gospel as both a cultural and spiritual sound with global relevance. READ ALSO: Top 10 gospel songs Nigerian churches are singing in 2026He is widely seen as being poised to uplift the gospel music industry through a blend of talent, branding and purposeful creativity. As Afro-Gospel continues its ascent on the global stage, Phoenix’s approach underscores a broader lesson: while the movement’s sound may be loud and celebratory, its growth has been guided by deliberate planning and quiet leadership, one that is increasingly shaping the future of the genre beyond local boundaries.

YOUR organisation has long advocated mandatory electronic transmission of election results, especially after the 2023 elections. Isn’t the actual issue about mandatory transmission? But in a recent interview, he appeared to avoid the term “mandatory transmission”, which is the crux of the issue for advocates. The Conference Committee needs to know that they have a huge burden, and that burden is to ensure that they defend public interest. And when they take actions that deviate from public interest, that undermine public interest, they lose the legitimacy to even call themselves senators.

In 2007, despite his unhidden fatherly affection for him, Obasanjo as president reportedly sidestepped then Kaduna governor, Ahmed Makarfi as potential successor due to health concerns. Daniel desperately wished the divine message in the dream of Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, would be for the enemies of his majesty. Even the Nigerian delegation that went with the president was out of sorts, demonstrating poor diplomatic understanding on the part of those representing us in Ankara. I’m pleading with Mr President to see his “fall” in Ankara as an opportunity to end the jankara (street lingo for anyhowness which includes fraudulent deeds) in his presidency. That is when the jankara monkey business is always reportedly conducted, according to Villa sources.