MIDDAY NEWS
THE HEADLINES
Strengthen governance or face regulatory action, CBN warns banks’ directors
JAMB to decide UTME cut-off marks May 11
Iran warns of ceasefire violation as US plans to escort Hormuz ships
Nigeria secure four World Championships tickets in Gaborone
THE DETAILS
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has warned bank directors and industry leaders to strengthen corporate governance or face decisive regulatory action, declaring that “strong governance is the foundation of trust and stability in the financial system.”
He gave the warning in a keynote address at the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) induction ceremony in Lagos.
According to him, “Nigeria’s financial sector has just completed a historic recapitalisation exercise. This reform was not simply a regulatory requirement, it was a strategic imperative to strengthen resilience, enhance investor confidence, and ensure that our institutions are positioned to support sustainable economic growth.”
Cardoso further declared that the new regulatory regime would demand higher levels of discipline from directors.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will convene its 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions on Monday, May 11, where critical decisions, including the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session, are expected to be determined.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin.
According to Benjamin the event will feature the 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Awards, aimed at promoting compliance with admission guidelines and improving standards in tertiary education across the country.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to release three individuals arrested over alleged defamatory reports involving Tony Elumelu, Chairman of United Bank for Africa.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Sowore argued that publishing claims about a public figure’s marital status does not constitute a criminal offence warranting arrest or detention.
Sowore’s comments followed a statement by UBA dismissing as false and defamatory a viral claim alleging that Elumelu had divorced his wife, Awele.
Amid activities leading to the Ondo State national and state Assemblies’ primaries in ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly , Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele, has called for mutual understanding and decorum among contenders
In a statement issued in Akure on Monday, doubly titled, “My Fellow APC Aspirants, Play the Big Game, Not Just the Ball” and “President Tinubu Re-Election is Non-negotiable”, Akindele emphasised that Governor Aiyedatiwa had top plans to ensure that the APC primaries are not raucous or divisive but ones that will make all members winners, in respective dimensions.
She also reminded aggrieved members that “our political relevance today is anchored in a larger force and leadership that inspired us to even step forward, as she added, “Our strength flows from that centre, and it must remain intact.”
FOREIGN NEWt
Iran warned on Monday that it would consider any US attempt to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz a breach of the Mideast ceasefire, as President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the blocked waterway.
Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, and Iran’s stranglehold on the strategic strait following US-Israeli attacks on Tehran has been a main point of contention.
Trump said Sunday the new maritime operation, which he dubbed “Project Freedom,” was a “humanitarian” gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade and which may be running low on food and other crucial supplies.
In response, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission said: “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
SPORTS NEWS
Team Nigeria ended their campaign at the 2026 World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, on Sunday by securing two more tickets to the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Despite the disappointments on the final day, the mixed 4x100m relay team also qualified for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, set to be held in Budapest in September, after finishing among the top six in the final, which was won by Jamaica in a world record time of 39.62s
Strengthen governance or face regulatory action, CBN warns banks’ directors
JAMB to decide UTME cut-off marks May 11
Iran warns of ceasefire violation as US plans to escort Hormuz ships
Nigeria secure four World Championships tickets in Gaborone
THE DETAILS
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has warned bank directors and industry leaders to strengthen corporate governance or face decisive regulatory action, declaring that “strong governance is the foundation of trust and stability in the financial system.”
He gave the warning in a keynote address at the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) induction ceremony in Lagos.
According to him, “Nigeria’s financial sector has just completed a historic recapitalisation exercise. This reform was not simply a regulatory requirement, it was a strategic imperative to strengthen resilience, enhance investor confidence, and ensure that our institutions are positioned to support sustainable economic growth.”
Cardoso further declared that the new regulatory regime would demand higher levels of discipline from directors.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will convene its 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions on Monday, May 11, where critical decisions, including the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session, are expected to be determined.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin.
According to Benjamin the event will feature the 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Awards, aimed at promoting compliance with admission guidelines and improving standards in tertiary education across the country.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to release three individuals arrested over alleged defamatory reports involving Tony Elumelu, Chairman of United Bank for Africa.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Sowore argued that publishing claims about a public figure’s marital status does not constitute a criminal offence warranting arrest or detention.
Sowore’s comments followed a statement by UBA dismissing as false and defamatory a viral claim alleging that Elumelu had divorced his wife, Awele.
Amid activities leading to the Ondo State national and state Assemblies’ primaries in ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly , Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele, has called for mutual understanding and decorum among contenders
In a statement issued in Akure on Monday, doubly titled, “My Fellow APC Aspirants, Play the Big Game, Not Just the Ball” and “President Tinubu Re-Election is Non-negotiable”, Akindele emphasised that Governor Aiyedatiwa had top plans to ensure that the APC primaries are not raucous or divisive but ones that will make all members winners, in respective dimensions.
She also reminded aggrieved members that “our political relevance today is anchored in a larger force and leadership that inspired us to even step forward, as she added, “Our strength flows from that centre, and it must remain intact.”
FOREIGN NEWt
Iran warned on Monday that it would consider any US attempt to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz a breach of the Mideast ceasefire, as President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the blocked waterway.
Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, and Iran’s stranglehold on the strategic strait following US-Israeli attacks on Tehran has been a main point of contention.
Trump said Sunday the new maritime operation, which he dubbed “Project Freedom,” was a “humanitarian” gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade and which may be running low on food and other crucial supplies.
In response, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission said: “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
SPORTS NEWS
Team Nigeria ended their campaign at the 2026 World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, on Sunday by securing two more tickets to the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Despite the disappointments on the final day, the mixed 4x100m relay team also qualified for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, set to be held in Budapest in September, after finishing among the top six in the final, which was won by Jamaica in a world record time of 39.62s