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Nigeria’s inflation rate declined marginally to 15.06 percent in February, down from 15.1 percent recorded in January, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The figures were contained in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for February published by the statistics agency on Monday.

The report indicates a slight easing in the country’s headline inflation, reflecting a modest slowdown in the pace of rising consumer prices compared to the previous month.

Further details from the CPI report are expected to provide insight into the components driving the marginal decline.

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Nigeria has been ranked first globally in ownership of the two largest stablecoins, Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), marking the country’s growing reliance on dollar-related digital assets.

Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC are pegged to the US dollar, allowing users to store value digitally without exposure to the volatility of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

According to the 2026 Stablecoin Utility Report by BVNK, a stablecoin firm, 59 percent of Nigerian crypto users hold USDT, while 48 percent own USDC, the highest combined ownership level among the countries surveyed.

The report ranked Nigeria ahead of major economies like Australia and India, highlighting the country’s strong adoption of dollar-denominated digital assets.

Australia ranked second with 34 percent USDT ownership and 29 percent USDC, while India came third with 30 percent USDT and 27 percent USDC holdings.

Other countries in the ranking include Colombia with 25 percent USDT and 29 percent USDC, and Singapore with 29 percent USDT and 24 percent USDC.

In South Africa, the report said 23 percent of users hold USDT while 29 percent hold USDC. The United States (US) recorded 22 percent USDT ownership and 26 percent USDC.

The report also listed the Philippines with 27 percent USDT and 20 percent USDC, Thailand with 25 percent and 21 percent, and Argentina with 25 percent and 20 percent respectively.

Among European economies, France recorded 21 percent USDT ownership and 14 percent USDC, while Germany reported 15 percent USDT and 17 percent USDC.

In Latin America, Mexico showed 16 percent ownership for both USDT and USDC, while Brazil recorded 14 percent USDT and 16 percent USDC.

The United Kingdom recorded 16 percent USDT ownership and 14 percent USDC.

The report indicated that USDT ownership exceeds USDC in several countries, including Nigeria, Australia, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, and France.

The USDC is widely viewed as a more compliance-focused stablecoin due to its transparency standards and regulatory alignment.

For example, in South Africa and Colombia, 29 percent of users hold USDC, compared with 23 percent and 25 percent USDT, respectively.

Similarly, in Germany, USDC ownership stands at 17 percent, compared with 15 percent for USDT, while in Brazil, the adoption rate is 16 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

The data also highlights how stablecoin usage is being driven primarily by emerging markets rather than advanced economies.

The report said countries such as Argentina, Nigeria, and the Philippines are among the largest adopters, where users increasingly turn to dollar-pegged assets to protect savings and facilitate international payments.

(TheCable)


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President Bola Tinubu has sworn Taiwo Oyedele in as Minister of State for Finance.

The swearing-in took place briefly at the State House on Monday.

Oyedele and his wife were earlier cleared by Villa security at approximately 2:09 pm, with the new minister dressed in a navy blue suit while his wife wore white traditional attire.

Details soon….

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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Ladan Salihu, has criticised governors defecting to the ruling party, arguing that relying on President Bola Tinubu for political survival is neither new nor a guarantee of electoral success.

Salihu, also a former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, made the remarks on Monday during The Morning Show on Arise Television.

The comments come as several state governors continue to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Salihu said many governors now treat Tinubu as a “tin god” who can secure their political future, instead of trusting the support that first brought them to office.

He questioned the logic behind governors abandoning the parties under which they won elections convincingly, suggesting such moves are motivated by political calculations ahead of future polls.

“Let me say this, the history does not lie.

“We have political precedence when people defect from one party to another, chasing what they believe is the golden fleece, and it often crashes before our eyes.

“And you remember, at a point the PDP had about 28 governors or thereabout, and that did not stop the PDP from losing the election to the APC,” Salihu said.

The latest defection includes Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, who formally left the PDP in early March, bringing the number of ruling party governors to 31.

Earlier this year, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State also left for the APC.

There are also ongoing rumours that Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who serves as Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, has concluded plans to defect from the party to the APC.

Salihu maintained that true political survival comes from the same forces and grassroots support that originally brought the governors to power, not from switching to the ruling party in anticipation of future elections.

“I often wonder, why should a governor, or governors, rush out of their parties where they won convincingly to join a ruling party?

“The answer is simple: governors tend to forget. Politicians of repute, when they win an election and the second stanza is beckoning, forget the Almighty God that first gave them the power.

“They have now adopted President Bola Tinubu as their own tin god. They believe he can give them power and a platform to win elections, ignoring the God you and I serve. I’m shocked and flabbergasted by the kind of politics we play,” he added.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that six healthcare workers contracted Lassa fever within a single week, raising fresh concerns about occupational exposure among frontline health personnel.

The agency disclosed this on Monday in its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 9, covering February 23 to March 1.

According to the report, the infections occurred as Nigeria continues to battle the viral haemorrhagic disease across several states.

The NCDC noted that a total of 37 healthcare workers have been infected with Lassa fever in 2026 so far.

During the week under review, Nigeria recorded 65 confirmed cases of the disease, slightly lower than the 77 cases reported the previous week. The confirmed infections were reported in Benue, Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, and Nasarawa states.

The report also indicated that 460 suspected cases were documented during the period, with nine deaths recorded among confirmed cases, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 13.9 percent.

Cumulatively, the NCDC said Nigeria has recorded 2,446 suspected cases and 469 confirmed cases of Lassa fever in 2026, with 109 deaths reported so far. The overall case fatality rate stands at 23.2 percent, higher than the 18.7 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.

In addition, 18 states and 69 local government areas have reported at least one confirmed case this year. About 86 percent of the confirmed infections were recorded in five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo.

The NCDC attributed the rising fatalities partly to late presentation of cases at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour, and low awareness in some high-burden communities.

To address the situation, the agency said it has activated a multi-partner Incident Management System to coordinate response efforts nationwide. Response activities include active case searches, contact tracing, distribution of personal protective equipment to health facilities, and the deployment of rapid response teams to affected states.

The agency also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high level of vigilance for suspected Lassa fever cases and to strictly follow infection prevention and control measures to reduce hospital-based transmission.

According to the World Health Organization(WHO), Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness first identified in 1969 in the town of Lassa. The disease is endemic in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, and is primarily carried by the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis).

Humans typically become infected through contact with rodent urine or droppings, contaminated food, or through person-to-person transmission in healthcare settings where proper infection prevention measures are not followed.

While many infections are mild or asymptomatic, about 20 percent can develop severe illness, with symptoms including fever, headache, vomiting, bleeding, and organ failure. 


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Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Monday morning after a train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja collided with another train along the rail corridor, forcing authorities to immediately suspend operations on the route.

The incident occurred during the busy early morning commute and has raised fresh concerns about safety procedures and the signaling systems used on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail lines.

According to reports from passengers, the train departed Kaduna as scheduled but later encountered another train on the same track. Details about whether the other train was stationary or moving are still unclear.

Witnesses described the moment of impact as a sudden and violent jolt that caused both trains to come to an abrupt stop.

“We were moving at a steady pace when there was a loud bang and the train suddenly braked,” one passenger wrote on social media. “We later realized we had hit another train on the same track. Everyone is shaken, but we are waiting for official information.”

Another passenger, Sada Malumfashi, said the impact threw passengers off balance.

“I just dropped from the Kaduna–Abuja train. We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across. Some passengers were hit and are bleeding with serious injuries,” he said.

A separate passenger reported that the train was delayed for about 30 minutes before continuing towards Kubwa, adding that there had been no communication from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has yet to release an official casualty figure. However, early reports from the scene indicate that although the collision caused notable damage to the front sections of the trains, there have been no confirmed fatalities so far.

Emergency responders and security personnel have since been deployed to the area to assist passengers and secure the site.

The collision has also raised urgent concerns about the digital signaling system designed to prevent trains from occupying the same section of track at the same time. Experts note that such incidents may point to a breakdown in communication between train operators and the control center, or a malfunction in the automated signaling infrastructure.

Sahara Reporters

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