Author: GANUX

 

The European Union, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the Sokoto State Government have reaffirmed their joint commitment to improving the lives of women, children, and adolescents through a series of targeted interventions.

 

Speaking on Tuesday during a working visit to various health and education facilities in the state, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, emphasised EU’s dedication to supporting Sokoto, particularly in the health sector.

 

“We are aware of the serious healthcare challenges facing Sokoto State, and this is why we’ve begun rolling out support through the recently launched SARA project for women and adolescent health.

 

“We are also providing humanitarian aid focused on nutrition and primary healthcare support, including Quranic and nomadic schools that integrate formal education,” Mignot stated.

 

Mignot highlighted the importance of girl-child education, describing it as a “powerful accelerator for development and prosperity.”

 

He noted that countries with empowered, educated women tend to perform better economically, adding, “Giving young girls educational opportunities is vital for the future prosperity of their communities.”

 

The EU’s humanitarian arm, ECHO, is also playing a critical role by channelling significant aid towards nutrition and healthcare needs in the region.

 

“Together with EU member states, we provide over €100 million in humanitarian aid annually to Nigeria, with a substantial portion allocated to the Northwest,” the Ambassador revealed.

UNICEF Country representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, echoed similar sentiments, applauding progress in primary healthcare coverage while stressing the urgent need for further expansion.

 

“Although improvements have been made, the demand remains overwhelming.

 

“Even the best-performing primary health centres are overstretched, and more functional facilities are needed per ward,” she said.

 

In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Faruk Wurno, reaffirmed the state’s readiness to meet these challenges.

 

Wurno disclosed that the government has already awarded contracts for the revitalisation of 116 primary healthcare centres, including the heavily burdened facility visited during the tour.

 

He stated, “This centre will be expanded and equipped with essential amenities, including solar power, to provide a conducive environment for both healthcare delivery and learning.

“Our goal is to reduce maternal and infant mortality by addressing key health indicators through the SARA project.”

 

The commissioner also pledged transparency and accountability in implementing the three projects launched recently, ensuring they are effectively executed to serve the people of Sokoto

 

Administrative processing has become a notable decision among United States visa applicants across the world in recent times.

 

The decision has existed since time immemorial, but visa applicants, especially in Nigeria, have begun to share their experiences with the now-popular decision.

 

While some claimed that after the decision was made known to them during interviews at the Consulate, consular officials advised them not to panic as there were checks that needed to be carried out on their profile either on social media or other documents submitted for approval.

 

Although there are only two possible outcomes for complete and executed US visa applications, and the consular officer will either issue or refuse the visa, if a visa applicant has not established that he or she is eligible for a visa, the consular officer must refuse that application.

 

According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, US Department of State, administrative processing, popularly known as letter 221(g), takes place after the visa interview and refers to visa applications that undergo additional review or security clearances outside of “normal” visa processing times.

 

The Bureau, on its website, also maintained that visa applications selected for administrative processing must be reviewed by several US government agencies before a decision is reached.

 

Clarifying the possible applicants for the decision, the bureau said, “Individuals may be selected for administrative processing due to their citizenship, field of study or scope of research, prior visa overstays or denials, criminal activities, and more. Citizenship, Nationality, or Country of Birth Scrutiny is imposed on visa applicants who were born in or are nationals or citizens of certain countries.

 

“The list has varied since 2001, and it is often unclear whether a particular country is officially on the list or not. Applicants from countries that DOS has identified as state sponsors of terrorism always undergo a security clearance.”

Recall, in March, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services proposed a new rule requiring applicants for green cards and visas to disclose their social media handles.

 

This initiative, aimed at strengthening security screening, has sparked concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.

 

The rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card.

 

Speaking with our correspondent, most of the applicants, particularly F1 (student) visa applicants, who craved anonymity because of the phase of their application decision, revealed their fears about the outcome.

 

While a few claimed that they had not gotten a decision since the decision was made, others said it came out positively after they were mandated to write their social media handles, including Twitter and LinkedIn, out.

 

However, in this report, PUNCH Online reviews the possible things to know about the now-trending decision among US visa applicants.

1. A visa refusal under section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) means the applicant did not establish eligibility for a visa to the satisfaction of the consular officer, as is required under U.S. law, specifically section 291 of the INA.

2. When an applicant is refused under 221(g), it means the consular officer determines that the applicant is not eligible for a visa after completing and executing the visa application and any required interview.

3. 221 (g) does not mean final refusal.

 

4. An issuance of the letter means that the consular is asking you to provide other documents.

5. Depending on the concern, the application may be extended for 60, 90, or six months.

 

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called on African leaders to make concerted efforts to build regional unity and integration among countries on the continent.

 

Diri made the call on Monday during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Central African Republic, led by the Minister of State for Education, Auretien Simplice Zingas, at the Government House, Yenagoa.

 

The governor, represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stressed the need for African leaders to remove all existing barriers to the free movement of people, goods, and services in order to achieve sustainable development.

 

He maintained that closer ties among African countries would enable them to harness their resources to make the continent a better place in terms of economic development and the overall well-being of its people.

 

According to him, Africa’s inability to bridge the divisive gaps created by the scrambling and partitioning of the continent by foreign imperial forces has placed it at a disadvantage, allowing developed countries to expropriate its natural resources for their own development.

 

Diri said that for the continent to move forward, its leaders must stop paying lip service to the issue of proper economic integration, noting that about 70 per cent of the natural resources used in developing other parts of the world are sourced from Africa.

 

He stated: “I believe that the scrambling and partitioning of Africa created imaginary walls that divided us, both in terms of development and socio-cultural integration. I strongly believe that those walls should be broken down at this age and time.

 

“Western countries, especially Europe, don’t have borders. So, why should Africa continue to have borders? We believe that if we pull down the walls, there will be more integration for Africa and businesses will flourish.

“I can assure you that over 70 per cent of natural resources used for industry and development, wherever in the world, are from Africa. So, we believe that by the time we achieve integration and work together, we will get a developed Africa.”

 

Diri expressed delight at the minister’s visit to study the workings of BayelsaPrime, noting that education was the top priority of his administration, and added that more resources would be deployed to the sector to achieve greater success.

 

He underscored Bayelsa State’s preparedness to partner with the Central African Republic in key areas, while calling on individuals and business organisations from Africa and beyond to make portfolio investments in Bayelsa to achieve mutual benefits.

 

He said: “Bayelsa is on a positive and good horizon. And that is why we are happy that people from outside are coming to learn from what we are doing here. We have just started, and we are going to improve on it to make sure that Bayelsa becomes the Mecca of education and sports in Nigeria.

 

“We are not going to rest on our laurels as a result of this success or victory we have achieved. I can assure you that the government will deploy more resources to make sure that we make more improvements. We are happy that you are coming to learn from us. We believe that we are also going to learn from you.”

 

In his remarks, Zingas said the ministerial delegation was in the state to understudy the BayelsaPrime Project in view of the remarkable success recorded in the state’s education sector.

Speaking through an interpreter, he appreciated the warm reception accorded him and his team by the state government, adding that they had already signed an agreement with New Global Education to replicate the BayelsaPrime model in the education system of the Central African Republic.

 

The BayelsaPrime Project, which was introduced two years ago, has reduced the number of out-of-school children in the state and reduced teacher absenteeism through the deployment of technology.

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results.

 

In this year’s UTME, over 1.5 million out of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scored below 200 in the just-concluded exam.

 

This was revealed in the statistical analysis of the 2025 UTME results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday.

 

The statistics indicated that only 420,415 candidates scored above 200 in the 2025 edition of the UTME.

The data showed that 75 per cent of the candidates scored below 200 in the exam, with less than 1% scoring above 300.

 

In the statement accompanying the data, JAMB said, “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.

 

The examination began on Thursday, April 24.

 

In this report, PUNCH Online highlights the step-by-step guide on checking this year’s JAMB result via the website and the SMS options. See the processes below:

Check UTME results 2025 via the website

 

Visit the JAMB eFacility Portal: Open a web browser and visit the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s eFacility portal at https://efacility.jamb.gov.ng/login.

Enter your login details: Here, you’ll need to provide your email address and password you used during registration.

Access your results: Once you’ve entered the required details, click on the “Check UTME Results” button. Your UTME score for each subject taken will be displayed on the screen.

 

Checking UTME results 2025 via SMS

 

Open your messaging app: On your mobile phone, launch your text message application.

 

Compose a new message: In a new message, type “RESULT” (all caps) followed by your JAMB Registration Number.

 

Send the SMS: Send the message to either 55019 or 66019, the official JAMB result via SMS numbers.

Receive Your Results: JAMB will then send you a reply SMS containing your UTME scores for each subject taken.

 

Service Charge: This method incurs an N50 charge, which will be deducted from your mobile phone airtime.

 

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on all levels of government in Nigeria to urgently redirect national focus toward critical areas of development, particularly health, education, and poverty alleviation.

 

Obi made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday via X, warning that the country’s worsening poverty levels were a result of years of misplaced priorities.

 

“In Nigeria today, the situation we find ourselves in calls for urgent and deliberate action,” he said. “It is time for all levels of government to prioritise critical areas of development—particularly investment in health, education, and poverty alleviation.”

 

Citing recent data from the World Bank, Obi said the poverty rate among rural Nigerians has now risen to over 75 per cent as of April 2025, while 41.3 per cent of Nigeria’s urban population also lives below the poverty line.

 

“This shows that poverty is no longer just a rural crisis—it has become a national emergency,” he stated.

 

According to the former governor of Anambra State, the current levels of poverty are significantly worse than in previous years.

 

“In comparison, the World Bank reported that in 2018/2019, about 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line. As of 2025, that figure has more than doubled instead of improving,” he added.

He blamed the deterioration on what he described as misplaced government priorities over the years.

 

“These facts confirm that poverty in Nigeria has worsened significantly—and this is no coincidence,” he said. “It is the direct result of years of misplaced priorities. Rather than investing in critical sectors, we have continued to prioritise wasteful spending on non-developmental projects such as conference centres, government houses and lodges, guest houses, and fleets of official vehicles.”

 

Obi emphasised the need to shift attention to human capital development as the foundation for national transformation.

 

“We must reassess what truly matters. The decisions we make—what we build, fund, and focus on—must align with the pressing needs of the people,” he said.

 

He added that Nigeria’s path to development lies in expanding access to quality education and healthcare and in supporting job creation through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

 

“Nigeria must expand access to quality education and healthcare and support job creation by investing in and empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, which are essential for lifting people out of poverty,” Obi stated.

 

Six members of the House of Representatives from Delta State and their two counterparts from Enugu have announced their defection from their former parties to new political platforms.

 

While the six members from Delta state announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, the two members from Enugu state swapped the Labour Party for the PDP.

 

The letters of defection from the members were read on the floor of the House at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

 

The defecting members from Delta were led by the Leader of the Southern regional caucus of the three House and the longest-serving member, Nicholas Mutu (Bomadi), who has been in the House on the platform of the PDP since 1999.

Other defecting members include Nnamdi Ezechi (Ndokwa/Nkwuani), Jonathan Okodiko (Isoko), Thomas Eriyetomi (Warri), Julius Pondi (Burutu), and Victor Nwokolo (Ika North and South).

 

Those who left LP are Mark Obetta (Nsukka/Igboeze South of Enugu state and Dennis Agbo (Igbo Eze North/Udenu).

 

The defectors anchored their reasons for seeking fresh political platforms on the crises rocking their former parties across all levels.

 

Recall that the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the former Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, left the Peoples Democratic Party two weeks ago to join the All Progressives Congress.

 

Marketers of refined petroleum products say petrol and diesel prices may drop as crude oil prices slump again.

 

However, the marketers who spoke with our correspondent, said the drop may not be immediate, saying it has to do with the stability of the new low prices.

 

Our correspondent reports that crude prices tumbled below $60 per barrel over the weekend. The prices hovered around $65 as of Friday.

 

However, on Monday, the benchmark Brent was trading at $59.80 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate traded around $56.71 a barrel, according to oilprice.com

Nigeria’s Brass River and Qua Iboe stood at $64.60 per barrel. The prices were over $10 below the proposed $75 in the 2025 budget revenue projection. This has also triggered fears about the feasibility of the 2025 budget.

 

As the fall in crude prices impacts the Federal Government’s revenue negatively, Nigerians are hopeful that this may translate to cheaper fuel at the pumps. Crude oil prices and the foreign exchange rate are the major determinants of refined product prices.

 

Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, marketers said the prices of petroleum products may come down, but not immediately.

 

The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said oil speculators will look at the cause of the price crash and how stable it will be.

 

“The price of petrol may come down, but it might not be soon. Oil speculators will look at the stability first and the factors that brought the price down. So, if the factors are natural, they will not look at bringing down the price. If it is an artificial factor that can definitely be ratified, they will also leave it and watch.

 

“So, I think for now, to enjoy stability, they will look at it and leave it this way. Maybe by the next two weeks, if it continues like this, there will be a reduction in refined petroleum products,” Ukadike stated.

Similarly, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, explained that some refineries had bought crude before the prices went down.

 

“Some of these things are the input values that should be able to create a low and high, but it doesn’t take just that same speed to impact the system because there’s always crude feed that has been there before, either it’s a higher price or a lower price.

 

“But if it’s a lower price, sometimes it’s easy to think it’s better to increase the price now so that you can have money to buy more crude. But the projection will always be that once there is a price fluctuation, it will naturally affect the input cost, and therefore also affect the output prices that will be sold from the retail outlets. So, we should expect such a response.

 

“But it will not be as fast as Nigeria expects it to be. There are still processes that it will go through,” Gillis-Harry stated.

According to Reuters, oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel on Monday after OPEC+ decided to accelerate its output hikes, causing concerns about more supply coming into a market clouded by an uncertain demand outlook.

 

The contracts opened on Monday at their lowest levels since April 9.

 

Reuters said those moves compounded losses after Brent shed 8.3 per cent and WTI lost 7.5 per cent last week on rising supply concerns after Saudi Arabia signaled it could cope with a prolonged lower price environment.

 

That offset optimism on the demand side that US-China tariff talks could occur, Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said.

 

OPEC+ agreed on Saturday to further speed up oil production hikes for a second consecutive month, raising output in June by 411,000 barrels per day.

 

The June increase by eight participants in the OPEC+ group, which includes non-OPEC member allies like Russia, will take the total combined hikes for April, May, and June to 960,000 bpd, representing a 44 per cent unwinding of the 2.2 million bpd of various cuts agreed on since 2022, according to Reuters calculations.

 

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, says no fewer than 8,000 terrorists and bandits were neutralised across Nigeria in 2024 under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

Speaking while assessing the performance of the current government, Matawalle credited the massive security gains to the renewed operational strategies and leadership focus brought by the Tinubu administration.

 

He added that beyond the killings, over 11,600 criminals were arrested while security forces recovered more than 10,000 illegal firearms from various theatres of operation across the country.

 

This was contained in a statement on Monday by Patience Ituke on behalf of the Director, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Defence.

 

Matawalle emphasised that the administration’s success in tackling terrorism and banditry among other achievements of the President would earn the President a second term in 2027.

 

The statement partly read, “Bello Matawalle lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his transformative reforms, asserting that these initiatives will pave the way for a brighter future for Nigeria and potentially secure Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

 

“Minister Matawalle highlighted several key achievements of President Tinubu’s administration, particularly in the areas of security and defence.

 

“He noted the successful neutralisation of over 8,000 terrorists and bandits, the arrest of 11,600 criminals, and the recovery of more than 10,000 weapons in 2024.

The establishment of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell has significantly enhanced strategic coordination in the fight against kidnapping.”

 

He also highlighted other achievements of the Tinubu government, including the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which he said is already helping to reduce grain prices and boost agricultural productivity in the North.

 

“Matawalle also commended the government’s economic initiatives, particularly the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which aims to harness the agricultural potential of the North, promote economic growth, and empower millions of citizens.

 

He pointed to the recent decline in grain prices across the country as evidence of the effectiveness of the government’s agricultural policies.”

 

In the area of infrastructure, he noted ongoing road construction and transportation network upgrades as key drivers of economic growth, particularly in underserved regions.

 

“Matawalle’s commendation of President Tinubu’s performance extends beyond these areas, reflecting his belief that the President’s reforms will have a lasting positive impact on the nation.

While he expressed confidence in Tinubu’s achievements, it is important to note that his projection of a second term victory in 2027 is based on the current trajectory of the administration’s performance.

 

His optimism underscores the positive influence of Tinubu’s leadership and vision on the Nigerian populace, “ the statement added.

 

A judge on Monday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to admit around 12,000 refugees into the United States, a blow to the government’s efforts to reshape America’s immigration policy.

 

The order clarifies the limits imposed by an appeals court ruling, which allowed the Trump administration to suspend the refugee admissions system, but said it must admit people already granted refugee status with travel plans to the United States.

 

The Trump administration argued at a hearing last week that it should only have to admit 160 refugees who were scheduled to travel within two weeks of an executive order in January halting the system.

 

But US District Judge Jamal Whitehead overruled the claim on Monday, saying “the government’s interpretation is, to put it mildly, ‘interpretive jiggerypokery’ of the highest order.

 

“It requires not just reading between the lines” of the appeal decision “but hallucinating new text that simply is not there,” Whitehead wrote in his order.

 

Whitehead had originally blocked Trump’s executive order halting refugee admissions, ruling in February that it likely violated the 1980 Refugee Act.

 

But his decision was overruled by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals a month later.

 

“Had the Ninth Circuit intended to impose a two-week limitation — one that would reduce the protected population from about 12,000 to 160 individuals — it would have done so explicitly,” Whitehead wrote.

“This Court will not entertain the government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” he added.

 

The lawsuit had been brought by Jewish refugee non-profit HIAS, Christian group Church World Service, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and a number of individuals.

 

Those nonprofits said in their February lawsuit that several people who had been about to travel, having sold all their belongings in their own country, were abruptly left in limbo by Trump’s order.

 

Refugee resettlement had been one of the few legal routes to eventual US citizenship and had been embraced by former president Joe Biden, who expanded eligibility for the program to include people affected by climate change.

 

Trump’s White House campaign was marked by vitriol about immigrants.

 

He has also pushed a vigorous program of deportations, with highly publicised military flights taking handcuffed people to countries in Latin America.

 

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the people of Danbatta Local Government Area following a tragic motor accident that claimed the lives of five individuals on Sunday.

 

The condolence message was contained in a statement on Monday by the governor’s Spokesperson, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa.

 

The fatal accident occurred around Shantake, approximately seven kilometers from Danbatta town, as the victims were returning from Bauchi after escorting a newlywed bride to her marital home. The journey back to Kano ended in tragedy.

 

Among the deceased were members of a single extended family. Alhaji Surajo, the elder brother, lost two of his children, while his younger brother, Alhaji Salisu Dan Raino, lost three, bringing the total number of fatalities to five.

In his condolence message, the governor described the incident as “a devastating loss that has cast a shadow of grief over the entire state.”

 

He offered prayers for divine comfort and strength for the bereaved families and the Danbatta community.

 

“This tragedy has deeply touched us all. The pain of losing loved ones in such a horrific manner is unimaginable. On behalf of the government and people of Kano State, I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to the affected families, Danbatta Local Government Chairman, and the entire people of the area,” the governor said.

 

Yusuf also assured the community of the state government’s support during this difficult period and prayed for Almighty Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.