EVENING NEWS
THE HEADLINES
FG bans ‘Dr’ prefix for honorary degree holders, flags fraud
Reps slam NCC over persistently poor telecom services,
China seeks ‘complete’, immediate end to Middle East fighting
World Cup host is FIFA, not America, says Iran football chief
THE DETAILS
The Federal Government on Wednesday banned recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional usage.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alausa, who appeared alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the FEC approved a uniform policy for the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities
The policy also restricts the types of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts
It declared that the use of the title by such recipients constitutes a misrepresentation of academic credentials, which will henceforth be treated as academic fraud, with attendant legal and reputational consequences.
Nigeria’s House of Representatives, on Wednesday, criticised the Nigerian Communications Commission over what lawmakers described as weak regulatory oversight, blaming the agency for the persistently poor quality of telecom services across the country.
Speaking on the motion, Jaha stressed the central role telecommunications now play in Nigeria’s economy and daily life, while lamenting the widening gap between subscriber expectations and actual service delivery.
He pointed to recurring issues such as dropped calls, poor data speeds and failed message delivery as evidence of systemic inefficiencies within the sector.
The House, in its resolution, called on telecom companies to invest in modern infrastructure, expand coverage, especially in rural communities, improve customer service systems and adopt fair pricing that reflects service quality.
Lawmakers also directed the NCC to enforce stricter quality standards and hold service providers accountable, signalling a possible shift toward stronger legislative oversight of the sector.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission from sanctioning broadcast stations under provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code described as controversial.
The court, in an order dated May 4, 2026, barred the NBC, its officers, and agents from enforcing or imposing sanctions on broadcast stations based on the disputed provisions, pending the determination of a motion on notice.
The ruling effectively stops the commission from acting on its recent “Formal Notice,” which warned broadcasters against expressing personal opinions as facts, intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.
The case has however been adjourned to June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Dangote Refinery has reversed its earlier petrol price increase, bringing its ex-depot rate for Premium Motor Spirit back to N1,275 per litre, just hours after announcing a higher price to marketers.
The reversal comes after the refinery had earlier on Wednesday effected an upward adjustment to N1,350 per litre, triggering immediate reactions across the downstream market before the decision was rolled back.
A senior official of Dangote Refinery, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the earlier price increase but said the refinery has now reversed it.
He explained that the decision was taken quickly in response to changing market conditions, especially the sharp drop in global crude oil prices.
FOREIGN
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Wednesday for an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the United States and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”, during talks with his Iranian counterpart.
China is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and Beijing has quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the crisis and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran.
SPORTS
The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has insisted that football’s governing body, not the United States, is the true authority behind the 2026 World Cup, amid growing political tensions over Iran’s participation.
The comments come after Iranian football officials were blocked from attending a FIFA Congress in Canada, with authorities citing concerns linked to alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is designated as a terrorist organisation in several countries
Iran insists that football must remain separate from politics and that its participation should not be affected by diplomatic disputes.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has however, reiterated that Iran remains scheduled to participate and will play its matches as planned, despite political complications.
FG bans ‘Dr’ prefix for honorary degree holders, flags fraud
Reps slam NCC over persistently poor telecom services,
China seeks ‘complete’, immediate end to Middle East fighting
World Cup host is FIFA, not America, says Iran football chief
THE DETAILS
The Federal Government on Wednesday banned recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional usage.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alausa, who appeared alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the FEC approved a uniform policy for the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities
The policy also restricts the types of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts
It declared that the use of the title by such recipients constitutes a misrepresentation of academic credentials, which will henceforth be treated as academic fraud, with attendant legal and reputational consequences.
Nigeria’s House of Representatives, on Wednesday, criticised the Nigerian Communications Commission over what lawmakers described as weak regulatory oversight, blaming the agency for the persistently poor quality of telecom services across the country.
Speaking on the motion, Jaha stressed the central role telecommunications now play in Nigeria’s economy and daily life, while lamenting the widening gap between subscriber expectations and actual service delivery.
He pointed to recurring issues such as dropped calls, poor data speeds and failed message delivery as evidence of systemic inefficiencies within the sector.
The House, in its resolution, called on telecom companies to invest in modern infrastructure, expand coverage, especially in rural communities, improve customer service systems and adopt fair pricing that reflects service quality.
Lawmakers also directed the NCC to enforce stricter quality standards and hold service providers accountable, signalling a possible shift toward stronger legislative oversight of the sector.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission from sanctioning broadcast stations under provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code described as controversial.
The court, in an order dated May 4, 2026, barred the NBC, its officers, and agents from enforcing or imposing sanctions on broadcast stations based on the disputed provisions, pending the determination of a motion on notice.
The ruling effectively stops the commission from acting on its recent “Formal Notice,” which warned broadcasters against expressing personal opinions as facts, intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.
The case has however been adjourned to June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Dangote Refinery has reversed its earlier petrol price increase, bringing its ex-depot rate for Premium Motor Spirit back to N1,275 per litre, just hours after announcing a higher price to marketers.
The reversal comes after the refinery had earlier on Wednesday effected an upward adjustment to N1,350 per litre, triggering immediate reactions across the downstream market before the decision was rolled back.
A senior official of Dangote Refinery, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the earlier price increase but said the refinery has now reversed it.
He explained that the decision was taken quickly in response to changing market conditions, especially the sharp drop in global crude oil prices.
FOREIGN
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Wednesday for an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the United States and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”, during talks with his Iranian counterpart.
China is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and Beijing has quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the crisis and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran.
SPORTS
The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has insisted that football’s governing body, not the United States, is the true authority behind the 2026 World Cup, amid growing political tensions over Iran’s participation.
The comments come after Iranian football officials were blocked from attending a FIFA Congress in Canada, with authorities citing concerns linked to alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is designated as a terrorist organisation in several countries
Iran insists that football must remain separate from politics and that its participation should not be affected by diplomatic disputes.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has however, reiterated that Iran remains scheduled to participate and will play its matches as planned, despite political complications.