NaijaTimes USA

08/05/2025

**FG begins overhaul of NYSC scheme, plans to add teachers and medical corps**

The Federal Government has inaugurated a reform committee to initiate a comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

This move marks a significant step toward strengthening the scheme’s structure, relevance, and impact, geared towards aligning it more closely with national development goals and the evolving needs of Nigerian youths.

The inauguration ceremony was held in Abuja and was attended by key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector.

In his address, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, emphasised the vital role played by the NYSC in fostering national unity and youth development since its inception in 1973.

However, he noted that the time had come to reassess and modernise the scheme to reflect contemporary realities and challenges.

“The issue of safety of corps members, infrastructural deficits, and the broader question about the relevance of the scheme in an increasingly....... READ MORE

08/05/2025

**Uproar as 18-year-old boy impregnate 10 girls in Anambra**

An 18-year-old randy boy has impregnated no fewer than 10 girls in Anambra State.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a social media video, saying that the matter was brought before her on Tuesday.

Two of the pregnant girls are his master’s daughter and salesgirl, while the eight others were impregnated just two months after he returned to the village, having been sent packing by his boss.

According to Obinabo, in a live video she shared on social media seeking advice, she said: “I want advice from the public because this one is beyond my capacity.

“This boy was sent to learn trade at the age of 18 and, three months into the apprenticeship, he impregnated his oga’s daughter and his salesgirl. He was sent packing. Two months after that, he impregnated eight others in the village.

“The mother reported the matter to my office, saying anytime she sees a girl coming towards her house nowadays, her heart would jump, and that she needs help

08/05/2025

**Court dismisses Multichoice’s suit against FCCPC over price hike**

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit by Multichoice against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for restraining it from effecting price increase.

In a judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho held that the suit constituted an abuse of the process of the court having been filed after a similar suit was filed on the issue by one Festus Onifade, with Multichoice and FCCPC as parties in the suit.

Justice Omotosho noted that an earlier suit filed by Onifade before the same Federal High Court in Abuja, and in which Multichoice is a party, was still pending before Multichoice decided to file this separate suit.

The judge said Multichoice could ventilate the issues in the suit filed by Onifade by simply filing a counter claim rather than filing a separate suit.

However, Justice Omotosho went ahead to determine the case on the merit and held that since Nigeria runs a free market economy, the FCCPC lacked the power to interfere in the decisions of private companies to fix their prices.......READ MORE.

08/05/2025

**FG Scraps Scholarship Programme For Students Abroad**

The federal government is ending a major scholarship programme (Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme) for university students abroad, citing the improvement of higher education at home and the country’s “limited public funds.”

The move comes as the country faces an economic crisis following reforms by President Bola Tinubu.

“Every course Nigerians travel abroad to study through the BEA is now available and often of higher quality within our own universities and polytechnics,” said Education Minister Morufu Olatunji Alausa in a statement, announcing the end of the programme.

“It is no longer justifiable to fund overseas studies with public resources when local alternatives exist.” He noted that this discontinuation reflects a compassionate and equitable strategy to manage limited public funds responsibly, adding that “the costs involved in sponsoring students abroad, including airfare, stipends, tuition, and living allowances, are better redirected into strengthening local institutions where more Nigerians can benefit.”

Alausa said the money would be better spent on strengthening Nigeria’s own universities.

Students currently enrolled will continue to receive funding through the end of their studies, he said........ READ MORE

08/05/2025

**‘He loves me’ – Tiwa Savage sparks dating rumours with Usher**

Nigerian afrobeats star Tiwa Savage and American singer Usher Raymond have sparked relationship rumours after the two were spotted participating in the viral 30-Second Challenge together in London.

Usher invited Tiwa Savage as a special guest during his ‘Past Present Future’ tour at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday night, where the audience erupted with excitement as they teamed up to perform Savage’s popular track, “Somebody’s Son.”

Later, at the afterparty, the pair took part in the 30-Second Challenge, which soon gained widespread attention online. In the playful moment, Usher encouraged Savage to freestyle for 30 seconds, and during her rap, she jokingly referred to him as someone who “loves her.” This lighthearted remark quickly sparked rumors about their potential relationship.

“I’m a little drunk! But it’s alright. I think I’m drunk enough, I think I’m drunk enough. Are you drunk enough? Usher, are you drunk enough? Listen, he loves me......... READ MORE

Nigerian afrobeats star Tiwa Savage and American singer Usher Raymond have sparked relationship rumours after the two were spotted participating in the viral 30

08/05/2025

**Two Co-Wives hospitalized after consuming sexual concoction to win back Husband after marrying third wife**

A domestic drama with serious medical consequences has gripped the Dakwa community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, where two co-wives were hospitalized after consuming a locally made herbal aphrodisiac known as kayan mata.

The women, whose names have not been disclosed, reportedly ingested the concoction in a desperate bid to reignite their husband’s sexual interest following his recent marriage to a third wife. Kayan mata is a traditional herbal mixture popular in parts of northern Nigeria, believed to enhance female sexual allure and boost male libido.

The incident occurred just days after their husband, Musa Muhammad, took a new bride from Gusau, Zamfara State. According to Muhammad, the situation escalated quickly and left him shaken.

“I was called from my main house that my two wives were not feeling well because I passed the night at a different house where my new bride is residing,” Muhammad told reporters. “I rushed back and found them writhing in pain, complaining of stomach issues........... READ MORE

08/05/2025

**Tinubu bags chieftaincy title of ‘Dike si mba Anambra’**

President Bola Tinubu has been conferred with the chieftaincy title of ‘Dike si mba Anambra’ by all the royal fathers from the 179 communities of Anambra State.

Tinubu was conferred with the title by the Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Ogalagidi, Eze Iweka III), at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Thursday.

The President was in Anambra on a one-day working visit to commission some “legacy” projects completed by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

Igwe Iweka, while conferring the chieftaincy title on the President, said, “This is a title from all the royal fathers in the 179 communities of Anambra State. The title is called ‘Dike si mba Anambra’, meaning ‘warrior from the Diaspora’, and it is in recognition of your good works across the country.

“We welcome you to Anambra, and we salute you for honouring our invitation. Your efforts in governance are positively impacting every nook and cranny of the country.

“With your efforts, we have seen critical infrastructure such as key roads that connect the Second Niger Bridge as well as other projects in our comm........ READ MORE

08/05/2025

**Bill Gates to Donate 99% of Wealth, Announces Closure of Gates Foundation**

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced an ambitious plan to donate 99% of his estimated $107 billion fortune and permanently shut down the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation by December 31, 2045.

The move marks a significant acceleration of the foundation’s original plan, which had envisioned closing several decades after Gates’ and co-founder Melinda French Gates’ deaths.

In a post on his personal blog, Gates Notes, the Microsoft co-founder wrote, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.” He continued, “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.”

Gates emphasized that he now views the next 20 years as a crucial window for impact. “That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned,” he wrote. “I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently.......... READ MORE

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced an ambitious plan to donate 99% of his estimated $107 billion fortune and permanently shut down the Bill &

08/05/2025

**Robert Francis Prevost Becomes First American Pope, Takes Name Leo XIV**

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first American to hold the papacy. He has chosen the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

The announcement was made from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, following the traditional white smoke that signifies the successful conclusion of the papal conclave.

Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago and is a member of the Augustinian religious order. He has spent significant time as a missionary in Peru and in senior Vatican roles, earning him a reputation as "the least American of the Americans."

His election followed four rounds of voting by 133 cardinals, representing the largest voting bloc in conclave history. Notably, 108 of the voting cardinals were appointed by the late Pope Francis, who has........ READ MORE

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first American to hold the papacy. Pope Leo XIV.

06/05/2025

**UK opens visa application centres in Enugu, Port Harcourt**

Residents of Enugu and Port Harcourt seeking to travel to the United Kingdom can now enjoy greater access to visa services following the launch of new Premium Visa Application Centres by VFS Global in both cities.

According to a statement from the UK Home Office released on Monday, the new centres are located at Omedel Luxury Hotel in Enugu and Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, and are designed to meet the increasing demand for UK visas from Nigerian nationals, particularly as the summer travel season approaches.

Appointments for the new centres can be made online via the VFS Global website, the statement added.

“The government is pleased to be able to reopen the Premium Visa Application Centres in both Port Harcourt and Enugu,” said the UK Minister of State at the Home Office, Rt. Hon. Lord Hanson.
“In 2024 we received more than 230,000 visa applications from Nigerian nationals across all visa routes and these new premium app

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a "very fast

06/05/2025

**Trump orders a 100% tariff on all movies produced abroad**

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries were offering to lure filmmakers.
The announcement comes as the White House is coming under mounting criticism over its aggressive trade policies that have seen Trump impose sweeping tariffs on countries around the globe.

“I am authorising the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands and then sent into the United States.

“This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He added: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on X: “We’re on it.”
Neither Lutnick nor Trump provided any details on how the tariffs would be implemented.
It was unclear if the tariffs would apply to movies on streaming services as well as those shown in theaters, or if they would be calculated based on production costs or box office revenue.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a "very fast

06/05/2025

**All Delta PDP Reps defect to APC**
All Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives members have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC

Their defection was made public by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Tuesday.

Recall that former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, had dumped the PDP for the APC.

Oborevwori and Okowa announced their defection during a stakeholders meeting in Asaba, Delta State.

Following their defections, the House of Representatives member from Ideato F