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London, March 18, 2026 – Brent crude prices turned positive as supply disruptions — from Gulf producer outages to fresh attacks on ‌regional energy infrastructure — outweighed pressure from Iraq’s resumption of pipeline exports to Turkey’s Ceyhan port. With no signs of de-escalation in the Iran conflict, benchmark Brent futures prices have settled above $100 per barrel for the past four sessions. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude , ​in contrast, dropped $1.28, or 1.3%, to $94.93. Saxo bank analyst Ole Hansen said the divergence in the ⁠price directions of the …

Washington, March 18, 2026 – Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent said in a statement posted on social media, making claims President Donald Trump has denied. Kent, a former Green Beret …

Sokoto, March 17, 2026 – Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, has urged Muslims in Nigeria to begin searching for the crescent moon that will mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Muslim month of Shawwal. The Sultanate Council of Sokoto gave the advice in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Wazirin Sokoto and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sambo Wali Junaidu. The statement said Wednesday, March 18, 2026, would correspond to the 29th day of Ramadan 1447AH, had been set aside for …

Ilorin, March 17, 2026 – The Kwara State Government has started paying March salaries of civil servants ahead of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The state government announced this on Tuesday in a statement posted on the government’s official Facebook page. It said the gesture was to ease the financial pressure on workers during the Ramadan and also in furtherance of state government’s commitment to workers’ welfare and sustaining a tradition of timely salary payments, especially during major festive periods. The statement reads: “Eid al-Fitr: In line with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s longstanding …

Washington, March 17, 2026 – The war in Iran has thrust the world’s major central banks into a familiar – and deeply uncomfortable — position. Just as inflation pressures were easing and policymakers were preparing to move toward rate cuts, a surge in energy prices driven by disruptions in the Middle East is complicating the global outlook. The result is a worsening policy dilemma: rising inflation risks on one side, and slowing economic growth on the other. That trade-off will be in focus this week as the Federal Reserve, the European …

Abuja. March 17, 2026 – President Bola Tinubu has directed the service chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, to take charge in the aftermath of the multiple bomb attacks that rocked the town on Monday. The explosions resulted to the loss of over 20 lives, while more than 100 persons were injured. Tinubu gave the directive on Tuesday before embarking on state visit to the United Kingdom. According to a statement issued by the State House, the president expressed deep sorrow over the attacks, mourning those killed and …

Lagos, March 17, 2026 – Dr. Kassim Gidado, the Chairman of Polaris Bank, has called on newly inducted banking professionals to uphold integrity, embrace continuous learning, and demonstrate ethical leadership as they navigate the rapidly evolving financial services landscape. Gidado, made the call while delivering his remarks as the Special Guest of Honour at the 2026 Stream 1 Chartered Banker Induction Ceremony organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). The ceremony, which held in Lagos at the weekend, celebrated the induction of 2,037 professionals into the prestigious …

Lagos, March 17, 2026, Fidelity Bank Plc, a tier-one lender, has reaffirmed its leadership in the diaspora banking sector with the successful hosting of the Fidelity Diaspora Summit 2026. The summit is a global virtual engagement designed to help Nigerians living abroad navigate evolving policies and identify credible opportunities for wealth creation in Nigeria. The summit was held virtually on Saturday, March 14, 2026, and convened Nigerians across key diaspora markets including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. “Our theme today is, “Navigating the …

Abuja, March 17, 2026 – Nigeria’s headline inflation rate dropped marginally to 15.06% in February from 15.1% in January 2026. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in the latest edition of its the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Report released on Monday. The report attributed the gradual slide in the inflation rate during the month to a modest slowdown in the pace of rising consumer prices compared to the previous month. “On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 11.21% lower than the rate recorded in …

Lagos, March 17, 2026 – The Nigerian currency, the Naira, appreciated at the official foreign exchange market on Monday, closing at N1,355 to the dollar. The exchange rate had closed at N1,363.50 to the dollar at the market on Friday, appreciating by N8.50 against the dollar on Monday. The naira has been appreciating against the dollar at the market in the last four trading days on Tuesday when it was N1,390.50 to the dollar. Bid rates quoted by dealers in the market on Monday ranged between N1,354 and N1,365.35 to …