Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Enhanced Games: Nigerian athlete, Usman becomes first Nigerian to participate File Photo: Maryam Usman Events include swimming, athletics, weightlifting and strongman. Maryam Usman has become the first Nigerian athlete confirmed to compete at the inaugural Enhanced Games, the controversial multi-sport event that permits the use of performance-enhancing substances, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The competition, founded by Australian businessman Aron D’Souza, is scheduled to take place on May 24, 2026 at Resorts World in Las Vegas. The 35-year-old weightlifter, is a three-time Olympian who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Games. She is also a four-time African Champion, Commonwealth Games…

Parallex Bank sponsors future Africa Leaders Awards Parallex Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing African youth talent as it sponsored the 2025 edition of the Future Africa Leaders Awards, which recognises young Africans driving exceptional impact across their communities. In a statement on Monday, the lender said that the 2025 award edition organised by the Future Africa Leaders Foundation honoured 10 outstanding young leaders across the continent for developmental projects spanning education, technology, healthcare, agriculture, community service and social innovation. The star prize was won by Rejoice Waithera, a 23-year-old Kenyan agripreneur and humanitarian whose initiatives in…

Manny Ita In a major push to address a long-standing judicial backlog, the Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated a plan to fast-track the trials of approximately 5,000 suspects currently held on terrorism-related charges. This move, spearheaded by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), alongside the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), aims to decongest detention facilities and ensure the swift administration of justice. The plan falls under the newly unveiled NCTC Strategic Plan (2025–2030), which prioritizes “strengthening legal and judicial support for terrorism prosecutions.” ​The Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National…

Manny Ita The Lagos State Government has begun preliminary steps to address the crisis at Computer Village following a “Save Our Souls” appeal by affected traders, although no formal compensation package had been announced as of January 22, 2026. The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that the affected area has been cordoned off to allow for a structural integrity assessment, describing the process as a mandatory first step before any financial enumeration or rebuilding can take place. At the local level, the Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Hon. Mojeed Balogun, visited the…

Manny Ita In a comprehensive briefing held at his Lagos residence on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, billionaire businessman Dr. Deji Adeleke formally dismissed long-running paternity claims linking his son, the global music star Davido, to a 12-year-old girl named Anuoluwapo. Providing a detailed timeline of events, Dr. Adeleke revealed that the family had conducted multiple scientific verifications, beginning with a 2014 DNA test at Vedic Lifecare Hospital in Lekki. To ensure the integrity of the process and prevent local interference, samples were sent to South Africa for analysis, with the final report indicating a 0.00% probability of paternity. Dr. Adeleke…

Manny Ita The $5.1 billion Health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria and the United States in late December 2025 has emerged as a major flashpoint for political and social debate this January, as opposition parties and civil society groups raise concerns over its conditions and the manner in which it was presented to the Nigerian public. The Federal Government has described the agreement as a landmark investment that will strengthen Nigeria’s health system over a five-year period from 2026 to 2030. The MoU is anchored on the United States’ “America First Global Health Strategy” and outlines a co-investment…

US announces priority visa for 2026 World Cup ticket holders File: An illustrative file photo of a visa The United States on Tuesday, said it opened a priority visa appointment system for holders of tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing fans to seek earlier appointments ahead of the tournament. The scheme will enable ticket holders to access prioritised visa slots before the competition begins on June 11, the BBC has reported. The World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The US will host 78 of the 104 matches…

Manny Ita The Federal Government has pledged to collaborate with the Niger State Government to upgrade the historic Bida Bariki Festival (also known as Hawan Bariki) into a national cultural event with international recognition. The partnership was solidified on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, during a meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, and a high-level delegation from Niger State led by Hon. Sa’idu Musa Abdullahi, representing the Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency. ​The proposal aims to reposition Bida—already recognized as Nigeria’s first UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts—as the…

Manny Ita The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has officially unveiled plans to host the nation’s first-ever Conference on Cultural Diplomacy, scheduled for January 27 to January 28, 2026. Under the theme “Building Nations Through Cultural Diplomacy,” the landmark summit is designed to transition Nigeria’s vast creative and traditional heritage from mere aesthetic value into a strategic instrument for conflict prevention and international relations. Convener Zainab Mohammed noted that the initiative is a direct response to the “growing recognition of culture as an underutilized instrument for development,” emphasizing that the country’s soft power—ranging from its globally dominant music and…

Manny Ita The prosecution of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, reached a critical juncture today, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama. During the proceedings, the third prosecution witness, Richard Agulu, provided a detailed account of how over ₦1.6 billion was allegedly disbursed in cash under Emefiele’s direct instructions. Agulu, a former employee of Zenith Bank currently serving with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), told Justice Yusuf Halilu that these transactions were facilitated through Emefiele’s personal assistant, Eric Ocheme, who acted as a primary liaison. The witness testified, “Mr.…