Author: starconnect
By SCM Foreign Desk UNITED NATIONS — In a moment laden with symbolic weight and diplomatic tension, the Palestinian delegation took its seat on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly, positioned alphabetically among sovereign member states for the first time in the organization’s history. As the 79th session of the General Assembly convened in New York, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour took his place at a desk marked “State of Palestine,” situated between Sri Lanka and Sudan. For decades, Palestinian diplomats had been relegated to the back of the chamber or designated observer benches. Egyptian Ambassador Osama…
L-R: The NDDC Director, Imo State Office, Mr. Patrick Obayelu; the NDDC Director of Youths and Women Affairs, Mrs. Ahunna Imoni; and the Imo State Representative on the NDDC Board, Dr. Kyrian Uchegbu, during the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration in Owerri, Imo State. By SCM Correspondent OWERRI, Imo— The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment and gender equality across the region through targeted capacity-building programs in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and international trade. Speaking at the 2026 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration in Owerri, Imo State, the Imo State Representative on…
Admin I Sunday, August 02, 2026 RABAT, Morocco – Nigeria’s Super Falcons demonstrated supreme resilience, tactical discipline, and relentless determination on Saturday night, defeating the Copper Queens of Zambia 1–0 in a thrilling WAFCON group-stage encounter in Rabat. An early clinical finish from star forward Asisat Oshoala proved to be the decisive goal, securing all three points for the 10-time African champions despite playing over half the contest with ten players. Nigeria’s early pressure paid off in the 8th minute when Oshoala latched onto a sharp pass inside the box, finishing past the keeper with composure to…
Admin I Sunday, August 02, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Workplace mentor and career development expert Margaret Omovbude has called on professionals to embrace continuous learning, emotional intelligence and adaptability as critical skills for succeeding in an increasingly technology-driven workplace. She made the call at the maiden edition of the Corporate Power Room Conference held in Lagos, where industry leaders and workplace experts gathered to provide practical strategies for career advancement, leadership development and navigating the future of work. The conference, which brought together professionals from diverse sectors, featured sessions on workplace influence, career reinvention, salary negotiation, organizational effectiveness,…
Admin I Sunday, August 02, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Africa has been declared the next frontier for global travel, discovery and international exchange, as the World Public Summit Africa calls attention to the continent’s growing role as a destination for tourism, investment, diplomacy, culture and innovation. Bringing together global leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders in Addis Ababa, the Summit highlighted Africa’s vast potential to become a global meeting place where people, ideas and opportunities converge. With its extraordinary landscapes, rich cultural heritage, youthful population and expanding connectivity, Africa is poised to redefine its place in the…
By abiodun KOMOLAFE I Sunday, August 02, 2026 IJEBU-JESA, Osun – As Adlai Stevenson Jr. famously observed, “A hungry man is not a free man.” This truth conveniently haunts our troubled polity, where politicians tend to demand absolute electoral loyalty while offering nothing in return. But, again, can a hungry populace give their best while fending for themselves in a vacuum, and can one harvest where nothing was sown? True national planning implies a genuine devolution of power to the grassroots. In practice, these initiatives should start at the ward level, drawing directly from the expertise of local development…
Admin I Saturday, August 01, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Stanbic IBTC recently celebrated 30 years of providing custody services in Nigeria with a Closing Gong ceremony at The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX). The milestone reflects the institution’s longstanding contribution to investor confidence and the continued development of Nigeria’s capital market. In his opening remarks, Jude Chiemeka, Chief Executive Officer, NGX, welcomed Stanbic IBTC to The Exchange and commended its three decades of custody services. He highlighted NGX’s continued investment in technology, which he said has enabled over 2.6 million active retail investors to trade on the platform. “Technology continues…
Titus Eleweke, Editor, South East AWKA, Anambra – Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH),Amaku Awka,said it is unfortunate when anyone, particularly a professional, chooses to mislead the public by making false claims about an institution. It is even more troubling when such misinformation is directed at an institution whose leadership is making significant strides in transforming its operations and service delivery. This became evident when a former staff member of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, Dr. Charles Kenechukwu, who now resides in Canada, appeared on a social media podcast and made several allegations about…
Admin I Saturday, August 01, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria – The Publisher of First Daily, Dr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has expressed profound appreciation to distinguished guests, speakers, panelists, partners, sponsors and participants for their immense contributions to the success of the media organisation’s Sixth Anniversary Public Lecture and National Dialogue on Security. The landmark event, held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, brought together senior government officials, security chiefs, political leaders, legal practitioners, academics, diplomats, civil society organisations and captains of industry to deliberate on practical and sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges. Iworiso-Markson in…
Puts Judiciary, INEC on notice Admin I Saturday, August 01, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), is calling on President Bola Tinubu not to seek reelection in 2027 but instead, like a statesman with an eye on history and posterity, earnestly commit the rest of his tenure to restructuring Nigeria and giving her a new constitution. The organisation also said the demand for a new constitution for Nigeria before the 2027 elections should be jointly spearheaded forthwith by the ethnic nationalities under the socio-cultural groups and other relevant interest groups. These were some…