Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Ballon d’Or 2025 award. Photo: Ballon d’Or/X The Ballon d’Or ceremony for 2026 will take place for the first time in London on October 26 to mark the 70th anniversary of the trophy being awarded to England’s Stanley Matthews in 1956, organisers announced on Thursday. The most prestigious individual prize in football is an award that, for many years, has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele won last year, in a ceremony held in Paris by Groupe L’Equipe, owners of the France Football magazine. The London venue for the 2026 ceremony was not…

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has dismissed as false and misleading circulating online reports alleging that the Federal Government has suspended students’ upkeep allowance payments under the student loan scheme. In a statement issued by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the fund described the publications currently making rounds on social media as fabricated and intended to misinform the public and create unnecessary panic among students and other stakeholders. “The Nigerian Education Loan Fund wishes to categorically refute and condemn the false and misleading publications currently circulating across social media and online platforms alleging that the Federal Government has…

Recently, FirstBank in partnership with Visa, launched the Visa Signature card in Nigeria, a premium offering tailored for affluent customers seeking global travel privileges, lifestyle benefits, and exclusive merchant deals. This card is positioned as a strategic expansion of FirstBank’s premium portfolio, targeting executives, entrepreneurs, and frequent international travelers. Visa Signature unlocks exclusive privileges for customers including lifestyle rewards and seamless access across Visa’s worldwide network, redefining what it means to bank with prestige. What Makes Visa Signature Card Stand Out? Multi-currency functionality: Make payments from your Naira, Dollar, Euro, Pounds account with just one card Global travel privileges: Access…

Access Bank Plc has been recognised with two prestigious honours at the 2026 Global Good Governance (3G) Awards, reaffirming its leadership in corporate governance and sustainable community impact. The Bank received the 3G Community Empowerment Award 2026 and 3G Best Corporate Governance Framework Award 2026 The awards, conferred by Cambridge IFA under the Global Good Governance Awards (3G Awards) platform, are based on rigorous, independent research and evaluation conducted throughout the nomination process. The award ceremony was held on April 28, 2026, in Singapore, attracting over 300 high-level participants from more than 15 countries, including leaders from government, corporate organisations,…

Former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, has reportedly lost valuables, including a wristwatch said to be worth over ₦120 million and his wedding ring, during a controversial raid at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. According to reports by SaharaReporters, the items were allegedly taken during a search operation carried out by senior officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service inside the custodial facility. Sources within the prison claimed that the operation involved top correctional officers led by the Deputy Controller-General of Operations, alongside officials stationed at the Kuje prison. The sources further alleged that suspended Deputy Commissioner of…

As Muslims across the world celebrate Eid al-Adha 2026 yesterday, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has called on the faithful to intensify prayers for lasting peace in the state and Nigeria at large. The governor made the appeal in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, ahead of the Eid prayers. Eid al-Adha, known as the “Festival of Sacrifice,” is observed annually by Muslims on the 10th day of Dhulhijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival commemorates the unwavering obedience and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.), who was willing to sacrifice his son Isma’il in submission to Allah’s…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken steps to strengthen security enforcement and judicial coordination across the nation’s airports. FAAN warned that offences committed within airport facilities pose serious risks to passenger confidence and national security. At a high-level stakeholders’ engagement on airport security and prosecution processes, FAAN stressed the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies, prosecutors, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to improve arrest procedures, prosecution and judicial administration within the aviation sector. The engagement, with the theme: “Strengthening Arrest, Prosecution and Judicial Administration Within the Airport Environment,” brought together legal professionals, security agencies, prosecutors and…

Nollywood actor Musa Ibrahim also known as ‘Ibro’ has opened up about the spiritual challenges he claimed to have experienced after featuring in the 2007 horror movie ‘666’, (Beware the End Is at Hand), 19 years after it was released. While speaking with content creator Lucky Udu in a video shared on Tuesday, May 26, actor Ibraham spoke about the spiritual challenges he claimed to have faced after starring in the film. The actor said he was later involved in a serious accident that left him in hospital for nearly two years after the movie’s release. “So many things happened…

• MTN Nigeria paid N878.7bn in taxes, levies, and duties to federal and state authorities in the 2025 financial year. As Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand non-oil revenue and improve tax collection under its fiscal reform agenda, corporate tax contributions from major private-sector operators are becoming increasingly critical to government financing. Supporting that drive, MTN Nigeria paid N878.7bn in taxes, levies, and duties to federal and state authorities in the 2025 financial year, representing a 15 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the company’s recently released 2025 Sustainability Report. The trajectory, according to a statement, shows that…

Millwall winger Femi Azeez. Photo: Millwall Azeez’s performance showed the outstanding season he had with Millwall. Millwall forward Femi Azeez announced his arrival on the Nigerian football scene on Tuesday night, scoring a brace on his debut to help the Super Eagles beat Zimbabwe 2-0 and reach the final of the 2026 Unity Cup in London. Azeez was one of the 12 debutants invited by coach Eric Chelle for the Unity Cup title defence, and the 24-year-old made an immediate impact by becoming the first Nigerian this millennium to score a brace on his debut. His first goal came inside…