Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Friday morning ‎

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dissolved the state Executive Council as part of measures to give his administration a fresh beginning. The governor also appointed a new Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Onwuka Nzeshi, weeks after he secretly laid off the former CPS, Nelson Chukwudi.

2. The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence, UDI, has identified two Nigerian men – Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka – killed while fighting as Russian mercenaries. The development comes after Russia denied knowledge of Nigerians being recruited to fight on the frontlines.

3. Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged African nations to embrace a generational shift in governance, arguing that the continent needs leaders between the ages of 25 and 50 to effectively confront the demands of modern leadership. Speaking on the physical and mental demands of public office, Jonathan said governance requires extraordinary stamina, recalling the intense pressure he faced while serving as president.

4. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited, reported an after-tax profit of N5.760 trillion, equivalent to $4.26 billion, for the 2025 financial year. The company disclosed the figures in its latest operational and financial update, detailing performance across upstream, downstream and gas operations.

5. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has proposed a total budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, with substantial allocations to election operations, technology and capital expenditure. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan made the presentation before the Senate and House of Representatives joint committee on Thursday.

6. There was an attempt to arrest former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday. Muyiwa Adekeye, Media Adviser to the former governor, disclosed this in a series of posts and videos on social media. He said El-Rufai was returning from Cairo, Egypt, when he was approached by security operatives.

7. The presiding judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja handling the trial of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and two others over alleged money laundering charges, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, has withdrawn from the case. Justice Egwuatu on Thursday announced his decision to step aside from the two related cases, citing personal reasons and the interest of justice.

8. Professor Abubakar Mohammed El-Jummah, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, has died while in the custody of Boko Haram militants after spending close to a year in captivity.

9. The Naira on Thursday appreciated to N1,438 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,447 per dollar on Wednesday. But the naira depreciated to N1,355 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NFEM.

10. Reports emerged on Thursday that about seven power plants across Nigeria are expected to experience gas supply constraints as Seplat Energy shuts down a major facility for scheduled maintenance, raising fears of potential electricity shortfalls and looming blackouts, the Nigerian Independent System Operator has warned.

Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Friday morning ‎