• Peter Obi slams early UTME start times, cites safety risks for students
• Nigeria to host 2026 African Defence Colleges meeting
• FG warns of rising cyber-slavery targeting nigerian youths
• FG, World Bank partner to boost digital infrastructure, youth employment
• Fitch upgrades credit ratings of four nigerian states after sovereign boost

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

Peter Obi slams early UTME start times, cites safety risks for students

Peter Obi has criticised the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) schedule, warning that early start times are putting young students at risk.

In a statement on Sunday, the former presidential candidate expressed concern that teenagers, some as young as 15, are required to arrive at exam centres by 6:30 a.m., exposing them to dangers while traveling in the dark.

Obi described the arrangement as “reckless,” pointing to reports of accidents, missing students, and psychological distress.

He questioned who would be held accountable if harm came to children simply trying to access education.

FG warns of rising cyber-slavery targeting nigerian youths

The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing threat of cyber-slavery in West Africa, warning that many young Nigerians are being lured abroad with false promises of lucrative jobs.

In a statement by Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government said traffickers are increasingly targeting teenagers.

The warning came after Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) recently rescued 231 Nigerians who were forced into cybercrime activities in Accra.

Nigeria to host 2026 African Defence Colleges meeting

Nigeria has been selected to host the third edition of the Forum of African Defence and War Colleges’ Commandants (FADWCC) in 2026, the National Defence College (NDC) announced on Sunday.

NDC spokesman Navy Capt. Muhammed Tukur said the hosting rights were awarded after a unanimous vote by member countries at the forum’s second edition, with the announcement made by Col.-Maj. Lahcen El-Hajjami of Morocco’s Royal College of Higher Military Studies.

Nigeria will be the forum’s second host and the first Anglophone country to do so.

FG, World Bank partner to boost digital infrastructure, youth employment

The Federal Government and the World Bank are collaborating to drive private sector investment in digital infrastructure and create high-quality jobs for young Nigerians, according to the Finance Minister, Wale Edun.

Speaking at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., Edun said the initiative aims to equip Nigeria’s growing youth population for opportunities in the digital economy, reduce unemployment, and promote inclusive growth.

Fitch upgrades credit ratings of four nigerian states after sovereign boost

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings of Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, and Oyo states from ‘B-’ to ‘B’, citing better macroeconomic stability and recent policy reforms.

The global agency announced the upgrade on Saturday, noting that the outlook for the four states remains Stable.

The move follows Nigeria’s sovereign credit rating upgrade from ‘B-’ to ‘B’ on April 11, 2025, with Fitch explaining that state ratings are closely tied to the federal government’s fiscal performance.