Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Manny Ita The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, in collaboration with Dr. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, has officially announced the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Centre for Arts and Vocations (BATCAV). The plans were unveiled during a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, where the organizers detailed a landmark fundraising art exhibition scheduled to take place on February 5 at the Muson Centre in Victoria Island. Curated by Artifact Galleries, the exhibition serves as the primary vehicle to generate the resources necessary to build what organizers…

Manny Ita ​Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Zuba has ordered the remand of the former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) under the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, at the Suleja Correctional Centre. Mohammed was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, alongside Prince Chibuike Echem on a 54-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, and forgery. The prosecution alleges that between May 2022 and February 2024, the defendants defrauded the Managing Director of Diamond Leeds…

FIFA Men’s football: Transfer fees hit record $13bn By Elegbede Abiodun Clubs from England were once again both the number-one spender and the number-one recipient of transfer fees. International transfer fees in men’s football hit a record $13.08 billion (10.9 billion euros) in 2025, world football’s governing body said on Wednesday. FIFA said in its annual Global Transfer Market report that there was an all-time record of 86,158 international transfers completed in 2025. Women’s football accounted for 2,440 transfers (+6.3%) and total spending of $28.6 million, a year-on-year increase of more than 80%. The joint transfer total from men…

Manny Ita The Federal Government has earmarked a total of ₦13,124,747,575 for the procurement of arms, ammunition, and related security hardware in the 2026 Appropriation Bill. This allocation, which forms part of the broader ₦5.41 trillion defense and security sector budget, is spread across several key security institutions to bolster internal security and counter-insurgency operations. According to budget documents, the Nigerian Air Force is set to receive the largest portion of this specific fund, with ₦6.13 billion dedicated to aircraft platforms and munitions, including ₦1.79 billion specifically for the acquisition of 2,000 AR-M5T assault rifles. ​The distribution of the…

Chaos as Lagos Police fire tear gas over Makoko demolition protesters By Elegbede Abiodun On Wednesday, men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command fired tear gas to disperse residents protesting demolitions in Makoko and Iyana-Oworo. The demonstration, which drew hundreds of residents to the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Ikeja, quickly turned chaotic when police began deploying teargas around 1:30 pm. Workers, passersby, and protesters fled the scene in panic. Eyewitnesses reported multiple injuries, though organizers have not yet confirmed casualty figures. Protesters carried banners calling on the government to halt…

Manny Ita Administrative activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its affiliate agencies have resumed today, January 29, 2026, following a National Industrial Court ruling that mandated the immediate suspension of a nearly two-week-old strike. The court order, issued on Tuesday by Justice Emmanuel Subilim in the suit filed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, held that while workers possess the right to industrial action, such rights are not absolute once a trade dispute has been formally referred to the court for adjudication. Justice Subilim cited Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Dispute Act, emphasizing that any ongoing strike…

Manny Ita The Nigerian Senate has deferred a public debate regarding the December 25, 2025, United States airstrikes in Sokoto State, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruling on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, that the matter must be handled in an executive session. The decision followed a point of order raised by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), who argued that the unilateral authorization of foreign military strikes on Nigerian soil constitutes a “complete violation” of the 1999 Constitution and a breach of the United Nations Charter. Ningi maintained that the National Assembly was not consulted prior to the operation, warning…

Manny Ita PwC Nigeria, in partnership with BusinessDay, is hosting an exclusive executive roundtable today, January 29, 2026, at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. The forum, themed “Nigeria’s Economic Outlook 2026: The Executive Playbook for Growth, Resilience, and Efficiency,” serves as a high-level strategic session for chief executives and C-suite leaders to analyze the federal government’s 2026 Budget. The primary objective is to evaluate how the private sector can transition from the “macroeconomic stabilization” phase of 2025 into a period of sustainable, multi-sectoral expansion. ​Sam Abu, Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria, noted that while the…

Manny Ita The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially rejected assertions made by former Osun State Governor and ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, regarding the impact of political defections on the 2027 general elections. In a robust rebuttal issued on the morning of January 29, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, characterized Aregbesola’s recent public commentary as an attempt to diminish the momentum of the ruling party. The APC maintained that the recent wave of high-profile defections—most notably that of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf—is a testament to the party’s growing national appeal rather than a…

Ex-FIFA President Blatter Supports Boycotting 2026 World Cup In US • Considering bans on some of the qualified countries. Former President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Sepp Blatter, has joined growing calls for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be jointly hosted by the United States, citing concerns over the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration. Blatter, who led world football’s governing body from 1998 to 2015 before resigning amid corruption investigations, expressed support for a proposed fan boycott in a post on X on Monday. His comments aligned with…