Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Sidi Ould Tah Assumes Presidency Of African Development Bank With Bold Reform Vision. Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, a distinguished Mauritanian economist, was sworn in as the ninth president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group on 1 September 2025, marking a new chapter for Africa’s premier development finance institution. The ceremony, held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire, was attended by dignitaries including Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara, Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and outgoing AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose transformative 10-year tenure concluded on the same day. Elected on 29 May 2025 with a commanding 76.18% of…

NECO Streamlines English Language Exam For 2026. The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced a significant overhaul of its English Language Paper III for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, reducing the number of objective questions from 100 to 80, effective from the 2026 examination cycle. The decision, detailed in an official circular dated 1 September 2025 and signed by Osun State Coordinator Sunday K. Bolaji, aims to streamline the examination process and improve the testing experience for students across Nigeria. The revised Paper III, which tests objective skills in English, will now consist of six sections: Antonyms…

Lagos APC Defends Federal Allocation, Highlights Overstretched Infrastructure. Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has robustly defended the federal government’s allocation of funds to Lagos, arguing that the state’s infrastructure is severely overstretched due to its role as Nigeria’s economic and demographic powerhouse. In a statement issued on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, APC spokesperson Seye Oladejo dismissed claims that Lagos is “over-pampered,” asserting that the state’s contributions to the national economy and its unique challenges justify significant federal support. Oladejo described Lagos as “Nigeria in microcosm,” emphasising its status as the nation’s…

Bwala Retracts ‘No-Man’s Land’ Remark, Affirms Lagos As Yoruba Homeland. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has retracted his controversial statement describing Lagos as a “no-man’s land,” clarifying that the state is unequivocally the historical and cultural homeland of the Yoruba people. The clarification, posted on his official X account on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, followed widespread backlash after his appearance on Arise Television’s Daybreak programme earlier that day. Bwala’s initial comment, which suggested Lagos was a “no-man’s land” due to its cosmopolitan nature, sparked outrage on social media, with critics arguing it…

International Aid Pours In As Afghanistan Reels From Devastating Earthquake. A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025, claiming at least 1,469 lives and injuring over 3,700 people, according to the latest updates from local authorities. The disaster, centred in Kunar Province near the Pakistan border, has prompted a robust international response to support the war-torn nation’s recovery efforts. The quake, which hit just before midnight local time, had its epicentre 27 kilometres northeast of Jalalabad in Nurgal District, at a shallow depth of 8 kilometres, amplifying its destructive force. The United States Geological Survey reported…

IPOB Lawyer Calls For Peace As Ekpa’s Conviction Sparks Hope For South-East Recovery. Human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has hailed the recent conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland as a historic step towards restoring peace in Nigeria’s South-East, while criticising Igbo leaders for their silence on Ekpa’s violent activities. In a statement released on Wednesday, 3 September 2025, Ejiofor described Ekpa’s six-year sentence for terrorism-related offences as a vindication of IPOB’s peaceful stance and an opportunity to heal the region from years of bloodshed and deception. Ekpa, a…

U.S. Labour Market Faces Shift As 1.2 Million Immigrants Exit Workforce. Preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau, analysed by the Pew Research Center, reveals that more than 1.2 million immigrants have left the U.S. labour force between January and July 2025, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies. The figures, released ahead of the Labour Day holiday on 1 September 2025, highlight significant disruptions in sectors heavily reliant on immigrant workers, sparking debate about the economic consequences. Immigrants constitute nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce, with 45% of workers in farming, fishing, and forestry, 30% in construction,…

NRC Managing Director Issues Apology For Verbal Attack On Journalist During Train Derailment Coverage. Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has issued a public apology for verbally abusing Ladi Bala, a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) journalist, while she was covering the aftermath of a train derailment on the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor on 27 August 2025. The apology, delivered at a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council Secretariat in Abuja on 31 August, followed widespread condemnation from media stakeholders. The incident occurred when Bala, a former president of the Nigerian…

Delta Activist Remanded In Custody For Alleged Assault On Electricity Workers. A self-styled human rights activist, Victor Ojei, known locally as “Wong Box,” has been remanded in prison custody by a Delta State High Court in Asaba, Nigeria, following allegations of a violent assault on staff members of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). The incident, which has sparked significant local attention, occurred during an attempt to disconnect Ojei’s property due to an unpaid electricity bill. On 29 May 2025, BEDC officials visited Ojei’s residence on Anyameluhor Street, Asaba, to disconnect the electricity supply over an outstanding bill amounting…

Katsina Police Seize Machine Gun And Ammunition In Major Crackdown On Gunrunners. Katsina State Police Command has dealt a significant blow to criminal networks with the arrest of two suspected gunrunners and the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons. The operation, conducted in the early hours of 1 September 2025, underscores the force’s commitment to curbing illegal arms trafficking in Nigeria’s northwest. At approximately 4:35 a.m., officers from the Ingawa Division, patrolling the Ingawa-Karkarku village road, intercepted a blue Volkswagen Golf, registration number RSH 528 BY ABJ. The vehicle was found to be carrying a concealed arsenal, including…

Senate President Akpabio Celebrates 11-Year-Old TeenEagle Bronze Winner. Senate President Godswill Akpabio hosted 11-year-old Michelle Antai, a bronze medal winner at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals, at the National Assembly in Abuja, commending her exceptional achievement on the international stage. The young prodigy, a student of Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC) in Abuja, was recognised for her outstanding performance in the prestigious English language competition held at the University of Surrey, UK, from 27 July to 3 August. Michelle, competing in the TeenEagle 1 category for students born between 2013 and 2015, secured third place and a special award…

Ondo Mourns As Former SDP Governorship Candidate Akingboye Passes Away At 60. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the people of Ondo State are grieving the loss of Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, the party’s governorship candidate in the November 16, 2024, election, who passed away at the age of 60. Akingboye, fondly known as OBA, died in the early hours of Wednesday, 3 September 2025, at his residence in Victoria Garden City, Lagos, as confirmed by his Personal Assistant and Media Adviser, Oyeniyi Iwakun. Akingboye, a distinguished businessman and philanthropist, was the Chief Executive Officer of Benshore Maritime and Clog…