Author: Ifetayo Adeniyi

Manny Ita The Cloves Producers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (CPPMAN) has officially launched the country’s maiden nationwide cloves farming initiative, aimed at transforming Nigeria into Africa’s second-largest commercial producer of the spice by the 2026 wet season. The program, which seeks to replicate the success of the global industry leader Zanzibar, involves the mobilization of at least 2,000 farmers from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, totaling over 74,000 participants. National Coordinator of CPPMAN, Malam Abdullahi Shuaibu, announced the rollout during a North-West training workshop at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, noting that the initiative…

Box office: Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty grosses ₦1bn Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty grosses ₦1bn at box office. Credit : IG | Filmoneng Nollywood film Oversabi Aunty has crossed the ₦1 billion mark at the box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. The announcement was made by distributor FilmOne on Instagram, revealing that the movie earned ₦1,017,201,953 in cinemas across West Africa. The milestone also makes Oversabi Aunty the first Nollywood directorial debut to reach ₦1 billion. In a celebratory post, FilmOne thanked audiences across the region for their support, describing the achievement as a “full…

Manny Ita The ancient city of Ile-Ife reached a spiritual crescendo on Monday, January 26, 2026, as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, led the final major observances of the 2026 World Obatala Festival. The week-long celebration, which drew thousands of devotees and cultural tourists from across the global Yoruba diaspora, culminated in a series of sacred rites at the Obatala Temple aimed at fostering “national renewal and moral rebirth.” ​Central to the closing ceremonies was the observation of “Oshoosi Day,” where the monarch, clad in traditional white regalia signifying purity and spiritual authority, performed ancestral…

Fidelity Bank Elevates Learning & Hygiene Standards For Makoko Schoolchildren Fidelity Bank is ranked among the best banks in Nigeria. Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc has reinforced its commitment to community development and youth empowerment with the donation of educational and hygiene materials to pupils of Wesley Nursery and Primary School in the Makoko Waterfront Community, Lagos, under its Fidelity Helping Hands Programme (FHHP). The FHHP outreach was led by the Bank’s Risk Management Directorate as part of a “Back to School” intervention aimed at improving learning conditions and promoting personal hygiene among children in one of Nigeria’s most…

Africa Trade Conference 2026: Access Bank To Convene Global Trade Leaders In Cape Town Access Bank Plc has announced plans to host the second edition of the Africa Trade Conference (ATC 2026), a high-level strategic convening designed to accelerate Africa’s role in shaping the future of global trade. Scheduled to take place on 11 March 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa, ATC 2026 will bring together influential leaders from government, finance, trade, logistics, technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and policy to drive practical, outcome-oriented solutions for expanding intra-African and global trade. Building on the momentum of its…

Manny Ita ​A definitive shift in international consumer behavior has triggered a significant surge in demand for Nigerian indigenous textiles, specifically Adire and Aso Oke, across major retail hubs in London, New York, and Atlanta. Market data for the first quarter of 2026 reveals that Western consumers are increasingly prioritizing unique, “non-mass-produced” luxury items over conventional fast fashion, positioning Nigeria’s hand-crafted fabrics as premium alternatives in the global “eco-luxury” sector. Retailers in Manhattan and Mayfair have reported a marked increase in sales for Adire-patterned silk blends and modernized Aso Oke garments, which are now being marketed alongside traditional high-end tweed…

Manny Ita Public primary and secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory were shut on Monday after teachers formally joined the ongoing industrial action by unions under the Federal Capital Territory Administration, bringing academic activities in Abuja to a halt. The Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT Wing, directed its members to comply with the strike following a resolution reached with other labour unions. In a statement issued to its members, the union instructed teachers to “withdraw their services with immediate effect” and fully participate in the industrial action until further notice. The strike is part of a broader action led…

Manny Ita In a landmark achievement for Nigerian medicine, The Prostate Clinic (TPC) in Lagos successfully performed West Africa’s first robotic-assisted gynecological surgery on Sunday, January 25, 2026. The procedure was conducted on a 30-year-old woman suffering from a debilitating ovarian tumor that had caused her chronic pain for over six months. Led by Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme, a Consultant Robotic Surgeon and Medical Director of TPC, the surgical team also included Prof. Yusuf Oshodi, a Consultant Gynecologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and UK-based specialist Mr. Olaolu Alalade. ​The surgery utilized advanced robotic technology to remove two…

Manny Ita Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Rosa Benevides, in what has been described as the single largest heroin seizure in the facility’s history. The suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Brazil via Doha. The arrest followed a period of intense intelligence-led surveillance by anti-narcotics officers targeting international drug syndicates. ​A comprehensive search of Benevides’ two checked-in suitcases led to the discovery…

Manny Ita Yoruba self-determination activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, returned to Nigeria on Monday, January 26, 2026, ending over four years of self-imposed exile. The activist arrived in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and proceeded immediately to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, in a move widely viewed as his formal reintegration into the country’s social and political fabric. His spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, confirmed the arrival, stating, “As I’m speaking to you, Chief Sunday Adeyemo is on his way to the Olubadan Palace. This is a moment of joy for Ibadanland and…