Residents doctors in Nigeria prepare for strike on January 12
Nigeria’s public hospitals are set for renewed disruption as resident doctors plan to shut down clinical services nationwide from January 12, threatening access to healthcare barely days into the new year. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced it will resume a total inactivity of clinical services (TICS 2.0) from midnight on that date, following an emergency meeting of its national executive council, signalling another standoff with the federal government.
The association said the action will persist until its demands are met, including the reinstatement of five doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and full implementation of professional and specialist allowances. In a statement signed by NARD president Muhammed Suleiman Usman, the group cited prolonged government inaction and directed its 91 centres nationwide to begin congresses and media engagements, heightening concerns over further strain on Nigeria’s already overstretched health system.
Rivers’ fragile peace threatened as Fubara faces fresh impeachment
Rivers’ fragile peace threatened as Fubara faces fresh impeachment
Rivers State plunged into political turmoil on Thursday as the House of Assembly officially launched impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh. Twenty-six lawmakers accused Fubara of gross misconduct and constitutional violations, presenting formal charges in a high-stakes plenary session presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule. Both the governor and his deputy are set to be officially served within seven days, signaling the start of a dramatic showdown that could upend the state’s leadership.
The move ignited fierce political backlash, exposing deep fractures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). A faction led by Emeka Beke warned the Assembly against destabilizing the Fubara administration, while a coalition of party leaders, under the APC Leaders Forum and the Tinubu/Shettima Solidarity Movement, demanded President Bola Tinubu remove Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike over alleged anti-party actions. The escalating standoff between state and national political forces threatens to reshape Rivers State’s political map, with potential consequences rippling far beyond the state capital.
Hearn silent on Anthony Joshua’s boxing future after fatal road accident
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has struck a cautious tone over Anthony Joshua’s future in the ring following a tragic road accident in Nigeria that killed two of the British-Nigerian boxer’s close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua sustained minor injuries after the Lexus SUV he was travelling in collided with a stationary truck near Lagos on December 29, but the emotional impact of the incident has raised fresh uncertainty about whether the former heavyweight champion will continue his career.
The accident occurred just days after Joshua’s high-profile victory over Jake Paul in Miami, where he knocked out the YouTuber-turned-boxer in the sixth round, reigniting talk of major bouts ahead. However, Hearn suggested the personal loss could outweigh professional considerations, casting doubt over long-running speculation about a lucrative potential showdown with fellow heavyweight Tyson Fury as Joshua takes time to process the tragedy.
Macron presses French companies to revive investment in Africa
President Emmanuel Macron has urged French companies and financiers to re-engage aggressively with African markets, warning that excessive regulation and corporate risk aversion have cost France its traditional economic foothold on the continent. Speaking at a conference of French ambassadors in Paris on Thursday, Macron said rivals had moved in where French firms hesitated, eroding France’s influence in markets it once dominated.
He argued that deeper partnerships with African economies must now be central to France’s growth strategy, calling for stronger ties in entrepreneurship, finance and investment, as well as a more strategic role for the African diaspora in driving cross-border business and innovation.
Dangote takes petition against ex-NMDPRA boss Farouk Ahmed to EFCC
Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, has intensified a high-stakes corruption dispute with Farouk Ahmed, former managing director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, by filing a formal petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The move follows the withdrawal of an earlier complaint from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), a strategic shift aimed at accelerating investigations into alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment within Nigeria’s highly sensitive oil and gas regulatory sector.
In the petition, signed by lead counsel O.J. Onoja, Dangote called on the EFCC, under its chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, to thoroughly investigate the allegations and prosecute Ahmed if a prima facie case is established. Citing judicial precedents affirming the commission’s authority to sanction financial crimes, the petition stressed that swift action would strengthen accountability and serve as a deterrent to corruption among public officials, underscoring Dangote’s professed commitment to transparency in the petroleum industry.
