Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Jaylen Brown. Credit: Afenifere National Youth Council/X Elegbede Abiodun The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Monday, hosted American basketball star Jaylen Brown and bestowed on him the traditional Yoruba name, “Babatunde.” Brown, a player for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association, arrived at the palace and was received by the Ooni. The royal father was accompanied by other traditional rulers and palace officials during the basketball star’s visit to the historic city. In a statement by his Senior Media Officer, Sodiq Lawal, Ogunwusi explained that Babatunde meant “the father…

Hooligans in their numbers on Tuesday have reportedly attacked the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, along the Gboko-Makurdi Expressway in Benue State, preventing him from visiting Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area to sympathise with victims of the June 13, 2025, terrorist attack. Obi had arrived in Makurdi, the state capital, in the morning and was on his way to Yelwata when the incident occurred. The Benue State NDC Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem Ordedoo, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of mobilising thugs to stop Obi from reaching the community. “Thugs in…

FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have demanded the immediate suspension of the ongoing Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) electoral process as they begin a comprehensive assessment of the leadership crisis engulfing Nigerian football. The directive was contained in a letter dated 7 September 2026 and signed by FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov, addressed to NFF Deputy General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme. FIFA and CAF said they were reviewing the legal, governance, administrative and electoral implications of recent developments within the NFF, following notifications concerning the resignation of the NFF President, members of the Executive Committee and the…

NBS said the total trade rose by 5.61 per cent from N39.244.42 trillion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and a 19.13 per cent increase from N34.788.59 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter. Nigeria recorded N12.596trillion trade surplus in the second quarter of 2026. In the period under review, the country’s export hit N27.020trillion, while its import was N14.424trillion, bringing the total to N41.444trillion in the quarter. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in its “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics Report – Q2 2026,” that was released yesterday. In its overview, the NBS report said, “Nigeria’s total…

As Nigeria continues to diversify its economy beyond oil, agriculture and non-oil exports are emerging as powerful drivers of growth, job creation, food security, and foreign exchange earnings. To advance this conversation, FirstBank will host the 5th edition of its Agric and Export Expo on 16 and 17 September 2026 under the theme: “From Farm to Global Markets: Building Nigeria’s Export Value Chain.” The two-day event will bring together policymakers, regulators, agribusiness leaders, exporters, investors, and development partners to discuss practical solutions for strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural value chain and expanding access to global markets. The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and…

Nigerian content creator and streamer Peller has spoken on how he knew his wife, Jarvis, was ‘the one’ for him. He narrated that during the early stage of their content creation journey, Jarvis supported him financially. Peller further explained that Jarvis was already receiving several gifts from viewers while creating content in her village, whereas he barely received any. He added that she would then take a significant portion of her TikTok earnings and give it to him after noticing that viewers were not supporting him financially. Peller stressed that at the time, they were not dating but he felt…

File photo: Dangote Refinery The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE will open Africa’s largest-ever Initial Public Offering on Monday, September 14, 2026, giving Nigerians a chance to own equity in the refinery. Dangote Group Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote, signed the offer documents at a ceremony held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday, September 7, 2026, alongside the advisers and issuing houses managing the sale. The offer comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at N525 each, with the company targeting about N2.15tn to part-fund an expansion that would nearly double the refinery’s capacity to 1.4…

File photo: Falconets * Match ended in 2-0 defeat to Nigeria team. Nigeria’s Falconets began their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign on a losing note after falling 2-0 to former champions Spain in their Group F opener in Poland on Monday. Spain, who won the competition in 2022, controlled much of the encounter at the Arena Sosnowiec and took the lead in the 13th minute through Marisa García. The goal came after Noemí Bejarano worked her way down the flank before sending a low ball into the box, with García finishing to put Spain ahead. Nigeria struggled to…

File: Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo The Federal Government has denied introducing additional charges for Nigerians applying for international passports in the United Kingdom under the ongoing special passport intervention exercise. The clarification followed complaints over delays and inconvenience experienced by Nigerians at some intervention centres in the UK, including Manchester. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, expressed concern over the situation and assured Nigerians that efforts were underway to address the challenges associated with the exercise. In a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the minister said the intervention was introduced…

The actress and Lateef have been married since 2021. Nollywood actress Mo Bimpe has responded to social media criticism surrounding a viral video showing her sharing a playful moment with actor Jide Awobona at a recent movie premiere in Lagos. The clip showed Mo Bimpe excitedly showing Awobona something on her phone while her husband, actor Lateef Adedimeji, sat beside them. Some viewers questioned the interaction and wondered why Lateef appeared unconcerned. Reacting to the comments, Mo Bimpe said her husband was not bothered because he is confident in their marriage. “A one minute clip of myself & Jide has…