A touch of elegance and style filled the air as Beautiful Bride, located opposite the National Library in Jos, Plateau State, officially unveiled its Civil Wedding Dress Collection on January 1, 2026. The event attracted a vibrant mix of event planners, entertainment stakeholders, models, and fashion enthusiasts, all gathered to witness the latest trends in civil wedding fashion.
The highlight of the unveiling was a captivating runway showcase, where stunning models graced the stage in a variety of sophisticated and contemporary civil wedding dresses. The collection, designed to blend simplicity with elegance, reflects the evolving tastes of modern brides seeking stylish yet understated options for their special day.
Jamila Anita, the Convener and CEO of Beautiful Bride expressed gratitude to attendees for honoring the unveiling despite their busy schedules. She explained that civil weddings, also known as court, registry, or statutory weddings have evolved significantly, especially in fashion. According to her, modern civil wedding dresses now feature trendy designs such as short styles, bows, and fascinators, unlike in the past. She noted that many brides often overlook civil wedding preparation, creating demand for stylish options. In response, Beautiful Bride introduced a new collection to meet this need, ensuring Jos brides have access to luxurious, contemporary dresses and accessories for their special day.
Naomi Gadzama, CEO Usiju World Event Center expressed joy and appreciation for the strong turnout, describing the gathering as small but impactful. She emphasized the importance of collaboration in the event and wedding industry, noting that no business can thrive in isolation. Gadzama urged stakeholders to support and promote one another rather than compete destructively, highlighting the need for unity and maturity in business. She commended the vision behind the initiative and encouraged continued innovation. She also advised patronizing local businesses in Jos, stressing that collective support can strengthen the industry and reduce reliance on cities like Lagos and Abuja.
Simi Gyang, one of the models described the unveiling as a unique and memorable experience, noting it was her first time modeling civil wedding dresses. She highlighted the honor and pressure of opening the runway, expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Simi Gyang praised Beautiful Bride’s consistency and support for models, adding that such a civil wedding showcase is rare in Jos, making the event both innovative and impactful for the local fashion scene.
Pedro Omobolaji, Station Manager at Jay FM praised the variety and inclusiveness of the showcased designs, noting they cater to different body types, styles, and preferences. He highlighted the high quality and elegance of the dresses, emphasizing their versatility beyond civil weddings for other occasions. According to him, the collection offers diverse, stylish options, giving brides the freedom to choose designs that suit their taste and personality.
Nanmet Anthony, the CEO of Mettaworld Events described the showcase as impressive, noting the wide range of well-curated dresses suited to different body shapes. She emphasized that no single style fits every bride, encouraging clients to consider their body type when choosing outfits. Mrs Anthony added that the displayed pieces were just a sample of a broader collection, assuring brides that more options are available to match individual preferences and enhance confidence.
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Guinea Insurance Plc has released its unaudited financial results for the period ended 31 March 2026, showing resilient revenue performance, a stronger asset base, and a deliberate strategic response to mounting industry claims pressure.
The company reported a 6.9% increase in total assets, rising to ₦7.75 billion, supported by solid investment returns. Investment properties grew significantly by 29.5% to ₦1.11 billion, driven by favourable revaluations and ongoing portfolio optimisation efforts.
Net expenses on reinsurance contracts declined to ₦109.3 million from ₦174.7 million in March 2025, representing a reduction of about 37%. This reflects a more cautious risk transfer strategy, as the company strengthened its reinsurance coverage to reduce exposure to emerging risks and high-value claims.
However, insurance service expenses surged sharply by approximately 803% to ₦850.1 million, compared to ₦94.1 million in the same period last year. This increase was largely due to the settlement of several high-value claims across the industry. While these claims impacted profitability, the company prioritised prompt and responsible settlement, which placed pressure on earnings and resulted in a loss for the period.
Commenting on the results, Managing Director Ademola Abidogun noted that the decline in profitability represents a temporary setback rather than a structural weakness.
He stated that the claims experience reflects broader industry trends and is not unique to the company. He emphasised that the decision to settle all valid claims promptly reinforces the company’s commitment to trust, reliability, and customer confidence.
Abidogun added that enhanced risk management practices, disciplined underwriting, and a strengthened reinsurance programme are expected to support a recovery in performance in the coming quarters.
Looking ahead, the company remains cautiously optimistic. Management has introduced targeted recovery initiatives, including stricter cost controls, portfolio rebalancing, and a renewed focus on more profitable business segments. These measures are expected to restore earnings momentum and strengthen the company’s competitive position within Nigeria’s insurance sector.
After landing agreements with Google, SpaceX, and OpenAI, the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday that it has signed deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Reflection AI that allow it to deploy their AI tech and models on its classified networks for “lawful operational use.”
“These agreements accelerate the transformation toward establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare,” the statement reads.
The deals come as the U.S. Department of Defense has accelerated its diversification of AI vendors in the wake of its controversial dispute with Anthropic over usage terms of its AI models. The Pentagon wanted unrestricted use of Anthropic’s AI tools, but the AI lab insisted on guardrails to prevent Anthropic’s tech from being used for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
The two are fighting it out in court at the moment, though Anthropic in March won an injunction against the Pentagon’s move to brand the company a “supply chain risk.”
“The Department will continue to build an architecture that prevents AI vendor lock-in and ensures long-term flexibility for the Joint Force,” the statement reads. “Access to a diverse suite of AI capabilities from across the resilient American technology stack will give warfighters the tools they need to act with confidence and safeguard the nation against any threat.”
The DoD said the companies’ AI hardware and models will be deployed on Impact Level 6 (IL6) and Impact Level 7 (IL7) environments to “streamline data synthesis, elevate situational understanding, and augment warfighter decision-making.” IL6 and IL7 are high-level security classifications for data and information systems that are deemed critical to national security, and require that these systems be protected physically, through strict access controls and audits.
The Pentagon said more than 1.3 million DoD personnel have so far used its secure enterprise platform for generative AI, GenAI.mil, which provides access to large language models (LLMs) and other AI tools within government-approved cloud environments. It is designed to help primarily with non-classified tasks like research, document drafting, and data analysis.
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