By Ejike Agbata 

All is set for the 16th convocation ceremony of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State, with a total of 3,355 students expected to receive first degrees.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kate Omenugha, disclosed this during a press conference held at the Vice Chancellor’s conference room, outlining activities lined up for the ceremony scheduled to commence on April 22.

She revealed that the convocation will feature a Founder’s Day Lecture titled “Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future: Beyond Rhetorics,” to be delivered by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, at the ETF Auditorium.

According to her, the convocation lecture, themed “Building Innovative Minds and Bridges for Shared Prosperity,” will be delivered by the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria.

Other activities include an interdenominational service and interactive sessions with students aimed at engaging them and assessing their welfare.

Prof. Omenugha described this year’s convocation as a “diplomatic edition,” noting that the university is strengthening partnerships with institutions within and outside Nigeria to boost its global relevance and visibility.

She commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his support to the institution, particularly in infrastructure development and the renovation of the university’s substation.

The Vice Chancellor expressed optimism about the future of the institution, stating her goal to position COOU among the top 10 universities in Nigeria by 2027.

Karex Berhad, the world’s top c0nd0m producer, says it plans to raise its prices by 20 percent to 30 percent due to supply chain disruptions as a result of the Iran war.

The company, based in Malaysia, produces over five billion c0nd0ms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan.

The company also supplies to state health systems such as Britain’s NHS and global aid programmes run by the United Nations.

Goh Miah, the company’s CEO, told Reuters that since the conflict began in late February, the cost for everything from synthetic rubber and nitrile ‌used ⁠in manufacturing c0nd0ms to packaging materials and lubricants such as aluminium foils and silicone oil,
have increased.

Kiat said Karex is also seeing a surge in c0nd0m demand due to rising freight costs and shipping delays which have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual.

“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive. We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to ⁠the
customers,” he said.

The CEO said Karex’s shipments to destinations such as Europe ⁠and the United states are now almost two months to arrive, compared to a month previously.

“We’re seeing a lot more c0nd0ms actually sitting on vessels that have not ⁠arrived at their destination but are highly required,” he said.

He added that many developing countries do not have enough stock because it takes time for the products to reach them.

He said Karex has enough supplies for the next few months and is looking to boost output to meet growing demand.

The company joins a growing list of companies, including medical glove makers, facing supply chain bottlenecks as the Iran war disrupts procurement of raw materials.

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Three members of the House of Representatives have defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections.

Thaddeus Attah (Eti-Osa federal constituency, Lagos), Usman Zubairu (Birnin Gwari/Giwa federal constituency, Kaduna), and Sani Noma (Argungu/Augie federal constituency, Kebbi) left the Labour Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC,
respectively.

In Niger state, Abubakar Buba (Chanchaga federal constituency) and Ibrahim Mohammed (Bunza/Birnin Kebbi/Kalgo federal constituency, Kebbi) moved from the PDP to the APC.

Mudashiru Alani, representing Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa federal
constituency of Osun, and Adetunji Olusoji, who represent Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe federal constituency, both defected from the PDP to the Accord.

Meanwhile, in Taraba state, David Fuoh, who represents Sarduana/Kurmi/Gashaka federal constituency, switched from the APC to the PDP.

Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house, read the defection notices during Tuesday’s plenary.

The lawmakers attributed their defections to the internal crisis in their former parties.

Subsequently, the house adjourned plenary to Wednesday over the death of Muhammad Hassan.

Hassan, who represented Dawakin Kudu/Warawa federal constituency of Kano state, died on April 10 after a period of illness.

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The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against alleged plotters of a coup against President Bola Tinubu.

Among the suspects are a retired Major-General, a retired naval captain, a serving police inspector and three others.

Recall that Nigerian security agencies concluded investigations into an alleged coup plot to violently overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

There were reportedly 40 suspects identified in connection with the alleged conspiracy.

Sixteen military officers were arrested for direct participation, two civilians for reconnaissance, two for being recruited to incite civil disobedience to justify the coup, and five others in connection
with funding channels.

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The All Progressive Congress (APC) has released its timetable and schedule of activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Monday night and signed by Sulaiman Argungun, APC’s national organising secretary, the ruling party pegged the cost of its nomination and expression presidential aspirants at N70 million and N30 million respectively.

For the governorship ticket, the party fixed the expression of interest form at N10 million and the nomination form at N40 million.

Senate aspirants are to pay N3 million for the expression of interest form and N17 million for the nomination form, while those seeking seats in the house of representatives will pay N1 million and N9 million, respectively.

For the state house of assembly, the expression of interest form is pegged at N1 million, while the nomination form costs N5 million.

The party said female aspirants, youths, and persons with disabilities would only be required to pay the full expression of interest fee and 50 percent of the nomination fee.

More to follow…

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The National Youth Service Corps has announced a change in the orientation schedule for prospective corps members deployed to Enugu and Osun states for the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream II exercise.

In a statement issued on Monday by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the scheme said the orientation course for the two states will now commence on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and end on Monday, May 18, 2026.

NYSC said, “This slight adjustment is due to the on-going extensive renovation of the Camps by the State Governments which has necessitated the change in date.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Orientation Exercise for all other states and the FCT is scheduled to be held from Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to Tuesday, May 12, 2026.”

It urged affected prospective corps members to take note of the revised dates and comply accordingly.

The scheme also wished all prospective corps members a safe journey to their respective states of deployment.

It was earlier reported that the Corps has released call-up letters for prospective corps members in the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream II.

Checks on Monday, supported by screenshot evidence from candidates, showed that the call-up numbers and deployment details were uploaded on the NYSC portal early Monday morning.

Confirmations from prospective corps members also indicated that the portal became active in the early hours, though many users experienced difficulty accessing it due to heavy traffic.

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Former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Shekarau announced his defection into the ruling party on Sunday.

Born on November 5, 1955, Shekarau, a veteran Nigerian educator and politician, served as the Governor of Kano State from 2003 to 2011.

The ex-Kano governor also served as Minister of Education from 2014–2015, and a Senator for Kano Central from 2019 to 2023.

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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced that American negotiators will travel to Pakistan on Monday to continue discussions aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran.

In a post shared on social media on Sunday, Trump reiterated his administration’s readiness to reach a resolution, describing the offer on
the table as “a reasonable deal.”

However, he warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger severe consequences, including potential strikes on key infrastructure in Iran.

The US leader also accused Tehran of breaching the existing two-week ceasefire, alleging that Iranian forces carried out attacks on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am offering Iran a reasonable deal,” Trump said, adding that if the proposal is rejected, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR NICE
GUY!”

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A roadside hawker has been killed in a traffic accident at Okokomaiko, while seven other people were injured in another crash at Ogudu inward Toll Gate, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed.

In a statement, LASTMA said both incidents happened in different parts of the state and its officials responded quickly to manage the situations and assist those affected.

The fatal crash at Okokomaiko involved a Lexus Jeep with registration number SMK 674 HY, resulting in the death of an adult male hawker.

Officials of the agency who arrived at the scene promptly secured the area and removed the body from the road to restore order and prevent further danger to other road users.

Police officers from the Ketu Division later took over the scene and moved the remains to the Badagry Mortuary for necessary procedures.

At Ogudu inward Toll Gate, LASTMA officers also attended to another crash involving a Mazda commercial bus, marked MUS 231 YA, and a Lexus
Jeep with registration number FKJ 23 HL.

Seven passengers sustained injuries in the collision and were rescued at the scene.

Operatives from the Ogudu Police Division supported the emergency response, while officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) took the injured victims to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said all vehicles involved in both incidents have been handed over to the police for further investigation to determine what led to the crashes.

Reacting to the incidents, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged motorists to be more careful on the road.

He advised drivers to follow traffic rules, avoid speeding, and stay alert at all times, especially at night when visibility is often
reduced.

“LASTMA remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and ensuring seamless traffic management across the State,” the statement
said.

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