General News
UN Sees Jonathan, Buhari Contest as ‘Grave Test’
Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, secretary general of United Nations (UN), has expressed profound concern about the forthcoming Nigerian election, calling the presidential polls between President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), former head of State, a “grave test.”
And as the two contenders intensify their political campaigns across the country, international attention on the fate of the nation is rising even as the United Nations Security Council received a briefing on next month’s polls.
Ki-Moon, in chat with reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York, said: “We face another grave test as Nigeria readies for its election next month”
This is coming as Mohamed Ibn Chambas, his special representative in West Africa, also explained to the Security Council that the Nigerian general election is taking place in “an increasingly tense pre-electoral environment.”
Both Ki-Moon and Chambas link their worries mainly on the unrelenting Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.
“Boko Haram has continued its violence, killing Christians and Muslims, kidnapping even more women and children, and destroying churches and mosques. Mayhem has spread across the region, and is now having a direct impact on Cameroun and other countries,” Ki-Moon lamented.
He then urged the terrorists to cease their assault against the nation and the region, calling for the unconditional and immediate release of the Chibok girls abducted in April last year, insisting that the international community will not tolerate impunity, although he did not layout any new means of enforcing that.
“I urge Boko Haram’s leaders to end the destruction of so many lives and communities, and immediately and unconditionally release the kidnapped school girls and boys and all others. The international community cannot let human rights abuses continue with impunity. This is my personal appeal, as a father and grandfather. And as Secretary-General of the United Nations, I will continue to actively explore with member states what more can be done,” he added.
On the same day at another function at the UN the Security Council, which is the body’s highest organ, was also being briefed ahead of next month’s polls by a top official representing the Secretary-General at the Council meeting.
According to the official Ibn Chambas: “About a month from now, Nigerians will go to the polls for the presidential and legislative elections. The general election is taking place against a backdrop of violent insurgency by Boko Haram in the North-east and sectarian conflicts in the North Central and the North West as well as an increasingly tense pre-electoral environment.”
He specifically told the Council, which has Nigeria as a current non-permanent member, that the conduct of polls throughout the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa where the insurgency is very active “will present a formidable challenge.”
“The risk of pre-and post-electoral violence requires the international community to engage further with Nigeria, to address its ongoing challenges and to support the holding of credible and peaceful elections throughout the country”, Chambas said.
It is considered rather unusual in the UN diplomatic community here in New York, that a country which is a member of the Council is also now a security concern and subject to the Council.
Chambas continued that the West African region remains vulnerable to insecurity and terrorist threats. He restated the now well-known fact that civilian populations in the three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have over the past six months “been subjected to intense attacks and systematic human rights violations, including razing civilian settlements, kidnappings, suicide bombings, assassinations,” among others.
He disclosed that the death toll of this vicious violence, most of which has been attributed to Boko Haram, “is staggering, and counter-insurgency measures have failed to provide adequate protection of civilians.”
Regarding the Chibok girls, Chambas told the Security Council that since the abduction of over 200 of those schoolgirls from Chibok (Borno State) the international community has been supporting the Nigerian government’s efforts to address the problem.
He disclosed that the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force will hold the first in a series of workshops for law enforcement officials on human rights, the rule of law and prevention of terrorism during the third week ofthis month.
Chambas also reported that in his capacity as the Secretary-General’s High Level Representative to Nigeria, he visited the country in November and December to consult with high level government officials and other stakeholders “with a view to building consensus to face the threat of Boko Haram and to assess the potential of electoral-related violence.”
While the Boko Haram insurgency is deeply rooted in Nigeria, it is increasingly spilling across the borders into Cameroun, Niger and Chad, he observed.
He said more than 300,000 Nigerians have sought refuge in northwestern
Cameroun and southwestern Niger, adding pressure on the local economies in those countries and destabilizing the internal security.
Chambas, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria-Cameroun Mixed Commission on the issue of Bakassi, said the “insecurity in the Northeast of Nigeria has also seriously impeded the activities of the Cameroun-Nigeria Mixed Commission, in particular, its critical field assessments.”
Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has urged courier or logistics service providers to register with the service or face the wrath of the law.
Dr Chris Ashiedu, state postal manager, Enugu State, made the call while speaking on Tuesday at the ongoing 36th Enugu International Trade Fair.
The 10-day Fair, which kicked off on April 4, is themed: “Developing Nigeria Industrial Sector/SMEs for Economic Advancement and Global Recognition”.
Ashiedu said that any company or venture who failed to register as well as their workers would also be liable to legal sanction of fines, imprisonment or both.
He said that NIPOST had so far registered 29 courier/logistic service providing companies or ventures in Enugu State, while hunting for others operating under hiding.
According to him, we are succeeding in pushing to get them notwithstanding that they are dodging NIPOST officials but we are determined to get every courier/logistic service provider in Enugu State under our regulatory control and guidance.
Ashiedu said that the Agency was already developing a technological App to track those operating in the secret and get their locations.
He said: “NIPOST is a Federal Government agency constitutionally charged with the regulation and licensing of all courier and logistics services in Nigeria.
“We clamped down on all unregistered courier and logistics service companies or providers last month in Enugu, and we will keep on chasing them until they do what the law demands.
“We will also compel them to do their annual re-registration.
“It is made easier for them since NIPOST has categorised courier/logistics services into international, national, regional and state and bulk of the couriers/logistics fall into state category to pay very less for registration and annual re-registration.”
The manager explained that any movement of item, be it food or even fruit on a motorised equipment (vehicle or motorcycle) from one location to another in terms of delivering is doing courier service.
General News
Sofia Zab, PalmPay CMO Highlights Strategies for Driving Digital Payment Adoption in Africa
At the recent Tech Unite Africa 2025 conference in Lagos, PalmPay’s Chief Marketing Officer, Sofia Zab, shared valuable insights on accelerating the shift from cash to digital payments in Africa, as the company introduced its latest innovation: the PalmPay Debit Card.
During a panel discussion, Zab addressed the critical barriers hindering digital payment adoption encountered by PalmPay when the company launched in Nigeria: reliability and cost. She noted that in 2019, many Nigerian consumers and merchants avoided digital payments due to frequent transaction failures and high fees.
To overcome these challenges, PalmPay developed a robust infrastructure ensuring a 99.95% transaction success rate and pioneered a user-friendly model with zero rated bank transfers, fee-free bill payments and cashback rewards.
“Once users experience the benefits, they don’t want to return to cash,” Zab stated. “The key to shifting consumer behaviour is making digital payments more convenient, more rewarding, and less stressful than using cash.” As consumers adopted cashless payments, they began seeking out merchants that would accept payment with transfer, driving digitisation in retail payments organically.
Zab also highlighted PalmPay’s inclusive approach to building a cashless ecosystem, especially in areas with unreliable internet access. Beyond its smartphone app, Nigerians can transact through PalmPay’s nationwide network of mobile money agents, who are equipped with multiple devices and SIM cards from various providers and can transact on behalf of users if a particular network is experiencing an outage.
In 2024, PalmPay went a step further by introducing a USSD code (*861#) for users without data access, and with the new PalmPay Debit Card, its customers now have another access point and can withdraw cash from ATMs or point-of-sale terminals when digital transactions are not feasible. “For us, the key is about meeting people where they are, rather than waiting for the perfect infrastructure to arrive”, Zab emphasized.
In alignment with its mission to drive financial access, PalmPay unveiled the PalmPay Debit Card at the conference. Developed in partnership with Verve, Africa’s largest domestic card scheme, the card offers zero maintenance fees, easy in-app application with nationwide delivery, and integration into PalmPay’s full suite of financial services – including cashback, merchant rewards, and high-yield savings. This initiative marks a significant milestone in PalmPay’s evolution into a comprehensive digital banking platform.
With over 35 million users on its smartphone app and a MSME network of 1.1 million agents and merchants across Nigeria, PalmPay continues to build one of the continent’s most dynamic fintech ecosystems, dedicated to redefining digital banking to be more personalised, comprehensive, and accessible to everyone.
In line with the 2025 World Health Day theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” QNET has reiterated its dedication to enhancing maternal and neonatal health, particularly in emerging markets.
The global direct-selling company has spotlighted its wellness and nutritional products, which it says are designed to address key health challenges in underserved regions.
Statistics from the World Health Organization show that 287,000 women died due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications in 2020, with 95 percent of these deaths occurring in developing countries.
UNICEF reports further underline the severity of neonatal mortality, with 2.3 million newborns dying within the first 28 days of life in 2022, accounting for nearly half of child deaths under five globally.
Many of these fatalities are linked to preventable causes such as infections, poor nutrition, and complications from unsafe drinking water.
Biram Fall, Regional General Manager for QNET Sub-Saharan Africa, underscored the significance of maternal and neonatal health as a foundation for societal well-being. “The foundation of a healthy society starts with the well-being of mothers and their newborns,” he said.
Among the company’s health-focused products are EDG3 Plus, a glutathione precursor blend aimed at enhancing cellular repair and immune function, and HomePure Nova, a seven-stage water filtration system that addresses the issue of unsafe drinking water—a major contributor to maternal and infant morbidity.
Local stakeholders have also lauded QNET’s efforts, highlighting the potential impact in Nigeria, where maternal mortality rates stand at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to World Bank data.
As public-private partnerships gain traction in addressing health gaps in sub-Saharan Africa, QNET’s initiatives have been positioned as a complementary solution to overstretched health systems, aligning with the global goal of “Good Health and Well-Being” under the Sustainable Development Goals.
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