The New Diplomat https://newdiplomatng.com/ Nigeria's global voice Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:20:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://i0.wp.com/newdiplomatng.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-newdip-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 The New Diplomat https://newdiplomatng.com/ 32 32 127640339 How ex-NAF chief Osita Obierika died mid-air on London-Abuja British Airways flight https://newdiplomatng.com/how-naf-chief-osita-obierika/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:20:46 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285103 By Obinna Uballa Facts have emerged about how a retired Nigerian Air Force Chief, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Osita Obierika (rtd.), died aboard a British Airways flight from London to Abuja on Sunday night. Obierika, fondly called Prof and remembered as a distinguished elder statesman, was an octogenarian and former Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training […]

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]]> 285103 Nnaji insists he graduated from UNN in 1985, dismisses forgery scandal as political witch-hunt https://newdiplomatng.com/nnaji-insists-graduated-unn/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:17:19 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285101 By Obinna Uballa Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has doubled down on his claim that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1985, dismissing allegations of certificate forgery as a politically motivated smear campaign. At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, September 6, 2025, addressed on […]

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]]> 285101 Rowdy session expected at Senate plenary today as Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan resumes https://newdiplomatng.com/rowdy-session-expected-senate/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:38:41 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285099 By Obinna Uballa Tension is mounting at the National Assembly as the Senate reconvenes today (Tuesday), with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central set to resume plenary after serving a controversial six-month suspension. Her anticipated return has stirred unease within the red chamber, amid warnings from her legal team that any attempt to block her […]

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]]> 285099 Portugal Golden Visa: Americans Still Welcome Amid New Legal Changes https://newdiplomatng.com/portugal-golden-visa-americans/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:27:42 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285096 It’s good news for Americans looking to make Portugal their home through its golden visa program. A recent announcement by the Portuguese government to increase taxes on foreign nationals buying homes in the country is unlikely to impact golden visa holders. Plus, the Portuguese government’s recent ratification of its new immigration law also benefits golden […]

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]]> 285096 Charted: The History of U.S. Government Shutdowns https://newdiplomatng.com/charted-the-history/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:07:31 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285093 Key Takeaways The first U.S. government shutdown was in 1981 under President Ronald Reagan, and lasted two days. Including the latest shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, there have been 15 U.S. government shutdowns amounting to 97 days of suspended federal operations. The U.S. entered its 15th government shutdown on October 1, 2025, under […]

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]]> 285093 Low Oil Prices: Saudi Gift to Trump or Ticking Bomb? https://newdiplomatng.com/low-oil-prices-saudi-gift/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:00:58 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285091 OPEC+ has agreed to modest monthly production boosts, keeping oil prices range-bound around $65 per barrel, which benefits consumer countries like the US but creates challenges for producer nations. Saudi Arabia’s strategy of unwinding production cuts has been seen as a gift to President Trump, aiming to keep fuel prices low and potentially impacting Russian […]

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]]> 285091 Uche Nnaji: Politicians Only Need Secondary School Certificate– Shehu Sani https://newdiplomatng.com/uche-nnaji-politicians-only/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:09:03 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285088 By Abiola Olawale Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has declared that a secondary school certificate is more than adequate for anyone aspiring to hold political office in Nigeria. Sani’s statement comes amid a fresh scandal involving Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji. A report, which has sent shockwaves through Nigeria, revealed that […]

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]]> 285088 Jilly Cooper, best-selling British author, dies at 88 https://newdiplomatng.com/jilly-cooper-selling-british/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:05:01 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285085 By Obinna Uballa Celebrated British novelist Jilly Cooper, famed for her witty and racy tales of high society, has died at the age of 88, her family and agent confirmed on Monday. Media reports in the United Kingdom said Cooper passed away after suffering a fall on Sunday. Her publicist, Felicity Blunt, paid tribute, describing […]

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]]> 285085 Obaseki, Orbih trade accusations as Edo PDP crisis deepens https://newdiplomatng.com/obaseki-orbih-trade/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:02:03 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285082 By Obinna Uballa The lingering crisis in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh turn, with former governor Godwin Obaseki and the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih, locked in a bitter war of words over the party’s leadership and future. Orbih, speaking on Sunday at a […]

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]]> 285082 NUPRC marks 4th anniversary with $40bn investments, 762% rig surge, N358bn host community fund https://newdiplomatng.com/nuprc-marks-anniversary/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:58:42 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285080 By Obinna Uballa The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas regulator, has rolled out an ambitious scorecard to mark its fourth anniversary, citing record rig activity, fresh multibillion dollar investments, improved revenues, and a sharp drop in crude theft as evidence of sweeping reforms since its creation under the Petroleum […]

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]]> 285080 Macron’s govt in turmoil as French PM Lecornu quits after just one month in office https://newdiplomatng.com/macron-govt-turmoil-french/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:51:01 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285077 By Obinna Uballa France was plunged deeper into political turmoil on Monday after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his government abruptly resigned, barely a month into his tenure, dealing a fresh blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s fragile grip on power. Lecornu, 39, who had only hours earlier unveiled his cabinet lineup, quit amid a storm […]

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]]> 285077 Peter Obi Demands Prosecution of Tinubu’s Minister Amid Shocking Certificate Forgery Report https://newdiplomatng.com/peter-obi-demands-prosecution/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:46:47 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285074 By Abiola Olawale The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has demanded the immediate prosecution of a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. The call comes on the heels of a damning investigative report accusing the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji of alleged certificate fraud. The report alleged that […]

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]]> 285074 Dangote Refinery Praises Tinubu’s Intervention in Resolving Labor Dispute With PENGASSAN https://newdiplomatng.com/dangote-refinery-praises/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:40:36 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285072 By Abiola Olawale Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, owned by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his role in quelling a brewing industrial crisis with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). The refinery also commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, the […]

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]]> 285072 Nigeria strengthens lead as Africa’s net exporter, as trade surges by N610bn in H1 2025 https://newdiplomatng.com/nigeria-strengthens-lead/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:37:43 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285070 By Obinna Uballa Nigeria has reinforced its status as Africa’s leading net exporter, as trade volumes with regional peers jumped by N610 billion in the first half (H1) of 2025, according to fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Total trade with other African countries climbed to N4.82 trillion in H1 2025, up […]

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]]> 285070 Senegal aims to surpass $3bn FDI as Invest Forum 2025 kicks off Tuesday https://newdiplomatng.com/senegal-aims-surpass-fdi/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:34:46 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285067 By Obinna Uballa Senegal says it is set to showcase its ambitions as a rising investment hub when the Forum Invest in Senegal 2025 (Fii Senegal 2025) opens on Tuesday in Diamniadio, with the government aiming to build on nearly $3 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) recorded in 2024. The high-level gathering, held under […]

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]]> 285067 Tinubu Concludes 10-Day Working Visit to Lagos, Heads Back to Abuja https://newdiplomatng.com/tinubu-concludes-day-working/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:30:36 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285065 By Abiola Olawale President Bola Tinubu has wrapped up a 10-day working visit to Lagos State, returning to Abuja on Monday. This was made known in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Recall that Tinubu touched down in Lagos State on Friday, September 26, 2025, after […]

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]]> 285065 Certificate forgery scandal: Embattled minister Nnaji to address press today https://newdiplomatng.com/certificate-forgery-scandal/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:27:59 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285062 By Obinna Uballa Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, is set to break his silence today, Monday, 6 October, following a PREMIUM TIMES investigation that uncovered he forged his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates. The two-year investigation, published on Saturday, detailed how Nnaji submitted falsified credentials to President Bola […]

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]]> 285062 Crisis rocks PENGASSAN as members accuse Osifo of ‘undemocratic conduct’ https://newdiplomatng.com/crisis-rocks-pengassan-members/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:25:04 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285059 By Obinna Uballa Fresh crisis is brewing within the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), as some members have accused the association’s national president, Festus Osifo, of “undemocratic conduct and constitutional violations.” In a petition to the Registrar of Trade Unions at the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, seen by TheCable, […]

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]]> 285059 Oil Prices Climb After OPEC+ Announces Modest Output Hike https://newdiplomatng.com/oil-prices-climb-after-opec/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:02:53 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285057 On Sunday, OPEC+ agreed to raise oil output by 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) from November. The increase is equal to the one adopted in October, with markets seeing it as a cautious step amid persistent fears of an oversupplied market. This relatively modest increase came after the group hit back at rumors of a potential 500,000 bpd […]

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]]> 285057 Saving Democracy: The Urgency of Electoral Reforms https://newdiplomatng.com/saving-democracy-the-urgency/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 06:38:47 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285047 By Dakuku Peterside Voter turnout is democracy’s vital sign, and ours has been fading. Since 2007, participation has fallen from 57% to 26.7% in 2023—our lowest since the return to civilian rule. Out of 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million cast their votes. These are not just statistics; they are signals from the body […]

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]]> 285047 Certificate Scandal: Accused Minister confesses + Details of court records https://newdiplomatng.com/certificate-scandal-accused/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 06:30:43 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285044 The Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), never issued him a degree certificate. This admission validates the findings of a painstaking two-year investigation by PREMIUM TIMES, which revealed that he forged the credentials he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his […]

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]]> 285044 Billionaire vs the union, By Sam Omatseye https://newdiplomatng.com/billionaire-union/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 05:56:46 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285042 There is nothing that the story of oil will not do in this country. It is black but a devious beauty. It is a tale of a beautiful woman or what poets call a femme fatale. Nobel Laureate Garcia Marquez in his immortal novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, wafts the tale of Remedios the […]

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]]> 285042 [VIDEO] Hilarious Moment as Obasanjo Stands Up to Address Aiyedatiwa https://newdiplomatng.com/video-hilarious-moment/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:08:53 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285038 By Abiola Olawale In a moment that’s already lighting up social media, former President Olusegun Obasanjo turned a formal courtesy visit to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State into a masterclass in Yoruba wit and elder-statesman charm. During his recent visit to Ondo State for the 75th birthday celebration of renowned constitutional lawyer Dr. Tunji […]

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]]> 285038 BREAKING: How Imisi won BBNaija Season 10 . . . takes home N150 million grand prize https://newdiplomatng.com/breaking-how-imisi-bbnaija/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:43:08 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285026 Stand-out housemate Imisi this Sunday night, October 5, 2025 emerged winner of the Big Brother Naija Season 10 reality TV show. She beat the eight other finalists during the grande finale to take home the N150 million grand prize. With the disqualification of Faith for violence against Sultana on Thursday, Imisi, known for her resilience, […]

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]]> 285026 Kemi Badenoch unveils radical plan to deport 150,000 illegal migrants annually https://newdiplomatng.com/kemi-badenoch-unveils-radical/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 19:49:35 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285024 By Obinna Uballa Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has announced a sweeping immigration crackdown that would see 150,000 illegal migrants deported each year, branding it the toughest border reforms in British history. In a video statement posted on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Badenoch outlined what she called the […]

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]]> 285024 [PHOTOS] Wike, Fubara, Rivers Elders Council Meet in Port Harcourt https://newdiplomatng.com/photos-wike-fubara-rivers/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:02:46 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285018 By Abiola Olawale The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara convened with the Rivers State Elders Council in Port Harcourt on Saturday evening. The New Diplomat gathered that the closed-door gathering, attended by key figures including State House of Assembly Speaker Martins Amaewhule and Elders Council […]

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]]> 285018 N14 trn: SERAP Writes Sanwo-Olu, Wike, Fubara, Bala Mohammed, Otti, Others to render Account https://newdiplomatng.com/trn-serap-writes-sanwo-olu/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:53:48 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285016 By Abiola Olawale The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a stern letter to 36 state governors, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Nyesom Wike of the FCT, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Alex Otti of Abia, demanding a detailed breakdown of how the states have utilized an estimated N14 […]

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]]> 285016 Trump Launches $2,500 Incentive for Migrant Teens to Voluntarily Return Home https://newdiplomatng.com/trump-launches-incentive/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:51:37 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285014 By Abiola Olawale The administration of United States President Donald Trump is reportedly set to unveil a program offering unaccompanied migrant teenagers $2,500 to voluntarily leave the United States. Reports emerging on Sunday revealed that the reported initiative is targeted at teens aged 14 and older , who are currently in federal custody. According to […]

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]]> 285014 “ADC Pressuring Me to Join Them”, Tunde Bakare Reveals https://newdiplomatng.com/adc-pressuring-join-them/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:49:19 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285012 By Abiola Olawale Prominent cleric and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has disclosed that he is facing “immense pressure” from influential figures to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). However, Bakare, the founder of Citadel Global Community Church, firmly reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to the APC, likening the […]

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]]> 285012 Want a Second Passport? These 13 Countries Let You Buy Citizenship https://newdiplomatng.com/want-second-passport-these/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:55:55 +0000 https://newdiplomatng.com/?p=285009 Key Takeaways Citizenship by investment programs allow individuals to acquire a second passport by making significant financial contributions to a country’s economy. Minimum investment amounts and requirements differ significantly by country. Citizenship by investment programs give wealthy individuals the chance to secure a second passport by making significant financial contributions. The requirements vary by country, but […]

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