Author: damazah@gmail.com

Nigeria’s textile, apparel and footwear manufacturers operated at just 53.05 percent of installed capacity in 2025, leaving nearly half of their productive potential idle and highlighting the deepening structural crisis in one of the country’s once-thriving industrial sectors. BusinessDay analysis of the First Quarterly Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN/NBS bulletin shows that the sector’s capacity utilisation improved marginally from 50.72 percent in 2024 to 53.05 percent in 2025. However, the industry remained below 55 percent capacity throughout the year, underscoring the difficulty manufacturers face in restoring production to sustainable levels. Capacity utilisation stood at 52.07 percent in the first quarter…

The Blood of Dawnwalker could be the start of an epic saga. Created by some of the talent behind The Witcher 3, this dark fantasy role-playing game takes place in the 14th century in the fictional land of Vale Sangora, a Carpathian valley of wetlands, mountains and forests cut off from the rest of the world and under the rule of a vicious vampire clan.The developers envisage Dawnwalker as a trilogy. And because protagonist Coen is half vampire himself, that trilogy can skip across time, culminating in the modern day.“It’s a journey through ages, continents, and cultures,” explains game director…

—Urges leaders to put nation’s interest above personal, partisan ambitions By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has warned political actors in the forthcoming general elections not to use divisive or primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power. The President made the remark in Abuja at the signing of the peace accord ahead of the 2027 elections. He urged political parties to commit to a peaceful and transparent electoral process, stressing that signing the peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that, as leaders, they will put the nation’s interest above personal…

Wildflowers are having a rough time in the countryside, mostly from the onslaught of intensive farming with fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and less grazing. On top of that, there are building developments, competition from invasive plant species and the climate crisis to contend with.The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century and over half of the country’s native flowers have been in decline for 70 years.But there is a surprising refuge for wild plants – in urban areas. Cities are often stressful environments, but that can help wildflowers by keeping down competition from other plants…

(FILES) Monaco’s French midfielder #08 Paul Pogba warms up ahead of the French L1 football match between Paris FC and AS Monaco at the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris on April 10, 2026. Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba will be released by Monaco after a series of injuries, the French club said on August 19, 2026. Pogba, 33, won the World Cup with France in 2018 but since serving a ban for doping has struggled to return to the elite level. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba will be released…

Marcus Anthony Thomas, who completed a directing mentorship on “House of the Dragon,” has started production on his directorial feature debut. Now shooting in London, psychological thriller “Cast Me!” will be led by rising star IIniki Mariano in her debut feature role, with Samuel Adewunmi (“The Last Tree”), Stella Gonet (“Spencer”), Dean-Charles Chapman (“1917,” “Game of Thrones”) and Clare Holman (“Inspector Morse,” “Lewis”) rounding out the principal cast. The film is being produced by Jordi Morera for 2020Films. Written and directed by Thomas, “Cast Me!” follows Aanya, a young actor who believes she has landed the role of a lifetime…

We asked students, and recent graduates, to tell us about the biggest financial shock they had when they started university, and what advice they had for freshers.George Gribben, third year, University of BrightonGeorge Gribben says the price of public transport is ridiculous. Photograph: George GribbenBiggest shockThe price of public transport is ridiculous. I pay the same price back home in Switzerland, but the trains and buses are actually on time – I want to visit my best friend, who goes to university in Exeter, but it’s £90 to get there.AdviceGet into cycling: buying a secondhand bike is cheaper in the…

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka lost just four games to breeze into fourth round, while Brandon Nakashima recorded a huge win against Grand Slam winner Daniil Medvedev.Published On 19 Aug 202619 Aug 2026World number one Aryna Sabalenka dominated China’s Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 to cruise into the Cincinnati Masters fourth round, while Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock defeat to Brandon Nakashima.Sabalenka took only 20 minutes on Tuesday to breeze through the first set against her 36th-ranked opponent and began the second set with a break of serve.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listShe kept up the pressure in the second set, with Wang…

Nume Ekeghe Stanbic IBTC Bank, has said that it has upgraded its transaction banking platform to FinnAxia 9.0, deepening its partnership with Nucleus Software and strengthening its capacity to deliver digital banking solutions to corporate and institutional clients. The upgrade, it said, marks another milestone in the more than decade-long relationship between Stanbic IBTC Bank and Nucleus Software, as both organisations continue to invest in technology to improve transaction banking services amid growing demand for faster, seamless and digitally enabled banking solutions.  Commenting on the development, Executive Director, Corporate and Transaction Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Eric Fajemisin, said the upgrade…

Unitree, the world’s biggest humanoid robot maker, has made a spectacular entry on to China’s stock market, with its shares surging by more than 600%.The Chinese company’s robots have gained global fame via viral videos of them performing martial arts, running at Olympic speeds and serving as backup dancers for pop stars.Two Unitree robots in a fighting demonstration at the World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Photograph: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty ImagesShares in the business, officially known as Yushu Technology Co, rose to as high as 1,100 yuan (£120.39) on Wednesday, up from an IPO price of just 150.8 yuan. Its…