• Nigeria aims to send first man to space
• FG sets eyes on acquiring $4.4 billion new loan as debt rises to ₦101 trillion
• NCDC warns of possible declaration of state of emergency due to cholera outbreak
• Davido sues baby mama over custody of daughter, Imade
• Moroccan airline announces new flight route between Abuja and Casablanca

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

Nigeria aims to send the first man to space

The federal government, through Dr Matthew Adepoju, the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), announced that the country was working on sending its first civilian to space.

He made this revelation at a conference in Abuja, saying that the country had entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to bring this project to reality.

“This initiative opens up new avenues for scientific research and technological advancement,” he said.

FG sets eyes on acquiring $4.4 billion new loan as debt rises to ₦101 trillion

The federal government is determined to acquire a new loan of $4.4 billion from the Africa Development Bank and the World Bank despite already borrowing $4.95 billion from the World Bank within a year.

The country’s debt has now risen to ₦101 trillion amidst the conversations of servicing external debts.

According to reports, the bank had approved the funding of six projects, which included $750 million for Nigeria’s power sector to serve as an addition to whatever the FG had readied for transforming the power sector into a desirable state.

NCDC warns of a possible declaration of state of emergency due to cholera outbreak

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed a possible chance that it might declare a state of emergency due to the soaring number of reported cases of cholera outbreak in the country.

The NCDC Director General, Dr Jide Idris, stated that the situation in Lagos State was wild and rising beyond control; therefore, if the new data brought forward reveals an alarming rate of cholera outbreak, the NCDC might have no choice but to declare a state of emergency.

The NCDC, in its last report, announced that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, there have been over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths reported from 96 local government areas in 30 states.

Davido sues baby mama over custody of daughter, Imade

Nigerian singer David Adeleke, also known as ‘Davido’, has sued his baby mama, Sophia Momodu, for custody of his first child and daughter, Imade.

In a motion filed by Davido’s lawyers, the award-winning singer was hoping the court would grant him joint custody of his daughter, Miss Imade Adeleke, while also requesting that he receive “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”

In the document submitted in court, Davido shared his pain, saying that the respondent (Sophia Momodu) continues to make outlandish demands of him in the name of raising his daughter. He stated that he had ensured that the daughter, Imade, lives a comfortable life; however, Sophia Momodu seeks to frustrate him at every turn financially.

Moroccan airline announces new flight route between Abuja and Casablanca

The Royal Air Maroc, a Moroccan airline, has recently announced its acquisition of a licence to fly directly between Abuja and Casablanca starting June 23.

Royal Air Maroc is one of the leading airlines in the country, and with its new achievement, it has demonstrated its commitment to a lifelong partnership with Nigeria, connecting Nigerians on an easy flight trip between the two countries.