Top 5 Stories Of The Day | Senate Passes Electoral Bill 2025 for Second Reading

• Senate passes Electoral Bill 2025 for the second reading
• FG launches $220m programme to boost youth employment
• Moniepoint secures an additional $90m, expands Series C funding to $200m
• Nnamdi Kanu lists Wike, Sanwo-Olu, Buratai, others as witnesses in terrorism trial
• UK reduces post-study work visa for foreign graduates to 18 months

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

Senate passes Electoral Bill 2025 for the second reading

The Senate on Wednesday passed for the second reading a bill seeking to repeal the Electoral Act 2022 and replace it with the new Electoral Bill 2025.

The bill, which had earlier been stepped down on October 16 for wider consultation, aims to enhance transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who announced its passage after a voice vote, said more work was still required to ensure credible elections in the country.

Akpabio emphasised that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must take greater responsibility for electoral materials and procedures. The bill has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters for further legislative work and a public hearing.

FG launches $220m programme to boost youth employment

The Federal Government has announced plans to invest $220 million in job creation for young Nigerians under the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima revealed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the official launch of the programme, which is being implemented in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Shettima said the initiative would provide high-potential graduates with work experience, training, and mentorship to improve their employability. The move comes as Nigeria’s unemployment rate, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), fell from 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024 to 4.3% in the second quarter.

Moniepoint secures an additional $90m, expands Series C funding to $200m

African fintech leader Moniepoint has raised an extra $90 million in its Series C funding round, increasing the total to $200 million after securing an initial $110 million in 2024.

The latest investment was led by Development Partners International (DPI) with backing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Leapfrog Investments, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, and Visa. The round signals growing investor confidence in Moniepoint’s expansion plans and the continent’s digital finance potential.

Co-founder and CEO Tosin Eniolorunda said the new funds would drive further innovation and growth, reaffirming the company’s goal of “financial happiness for Africans everywhere.” Moniepoint, valued at over $1 billion, now serves more than 10 million customers and processes over $250 billion in annual transactions, solidifying its position as one of Africa’s top fintech firms.

Nnamdi Kanu lists Wike, Sanwo-Olu, Buratai, others as witnesses in terrorism trial

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a fresh motion to open his defence in his long-running terrorism case, naming several high-profile political and military figures as witnesses.

In the motion, Kanu listed 23 witnesses, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.). Others include former Defence Minister Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), Minister of Works, David Umahi, and ex-Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Kanu said he would rely on Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011, to compel the attendance of those described as “vital and compellable” witnesses in the trial that has lasted nearly a decade.

UK reduces post-study work visa for foreign graduates to 18 months

Starting January 1, 2027, international students in the United Kingdom will have only 18 months to secure employment after graduation, a reduction from the current two-year period.

The policy change, outlined in a white paper released in May and discussed in Parliament last week, forms part of broader immigration reforms aimed at tightening post-study work routes. According to the Home Office, the move seeks to ensure that graduates “contribute effectively to the economy,” following data showing that many had not transitioned into graduate-level roles.

Additionally, from the 2025–2026 academic year, foreign students will face higher financial requirements for visa applications, as they must now prove they have “sufficient funds” to support themselves, though the government did not specify the new minimum threshold.

Read » Top 5 Stories Of The Day | Senate Passes Electoral Bill 2025 for Second Reading on YNaija