By Olúmǐdé Ìyàndá The ninth edition of the Africa Music Awards( AFRIMA) is once again a reminder that Africa’s music industry has never lacked talent, energy or global relevance. What it has often lacked are strong continental platforms that can outlive their moment and resist the familiar cycle of early promise and quiet collapse. Tagged Unstoppable Africa, the series of events held in Lagos over five days from January 7 to 11, 2026, reflected the creativity, resilience and steady growth that have sustained AFRIMA for more than a decade. Too many promising platforms have risen, shone briefly and disappeared. That…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
Read More
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday, 16 January, 2026 advanced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, by passing a resolution requesting the state’s Chief Judge to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against them. The resolution was adopted during plenary, with 25 lawmakers voting in favour of referring the matter to the Chief Judge for further action, in accordance with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The move formally triggers the next constitutional stage of the impeachment process. The allegations against the governor and his deputy include…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a South Africa-based Nigerian who was abducted earlier this month, following a routine security patrol around the Isulo axis of Orumba South Local Government Area of the state. The rescue, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 15 January, 2026, was carried out by police-led joint security operatives attached to the Forward Operating Base in Aguata. The operatives encountered the victim during a visibility patrol, leading to his eventual extraction and safety. In a statement issued on Friday, 16 January, 2026, the police spokesperson in Anambra, SP Tochukwu…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 has recorded the highest revenues in the tournament’s history, achieving more than a 90 per cent increase and emerging as the most successful commercial venture in African football. In a statement published on its website on Thursday, 15 January, 2026, CAF said the achievement was driven by expanded sponsorship deals, wider media rights distribution and deliberate entry into new global markets, particularly in Asia. The body explained that these factors combined to significantly strengthen the commercial value of…
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has observed the orchestrated outrage and selective indignation of the opposition over Nigeria’s engagement of a U.S.-based lobbying firm. This agitation, though loud, betrays either a grave ignorance of modern governance or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. It bears restating that lobbying is a universal, lawful, and widely deployed instrument of statecraft. From advanced democracies to emerging economies, governments routinely engage lobbying and public affairs firms-particularly in strategic capitals like Washington-to promote national interests, attract investment, correct misinformation, and strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation. Countries across North America,…
By Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi The 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Kebbi State was a bittersweet occasion, with Governor Nasir Idris acknowledging the sacrifices of fallen heroes and their families, while also highlighting the challenges they face. The Governor lamented the difficult living conditions of families left behind by veterans who died defending the country and announced measures to alleviate their hardship. On the other side, the Chairperson of the wives of the fallen heroes, Hajiya Asama’u Umar Kanoma, acknowledged and appreciated the support being provided to them by the Governor and presented some demands that will further…
Today, I celebrate Chief Bisi Akande, elder statesman, former governor of Osun State and the first Chairman of our governing All Progressives Congress, on his 87th birthday on January 16, 2026. Baba Akande has contributed a lot to the growth and development of this country and to the emergence and institutionalisation of democracy in the land. Fired by Awolowo’s political vision and ideology, Baba Akande began life as an accountant, working for British Petroleum. He soon took a leave of absence and delved into public service, from which he never looked back. Because he distinguished himself, it was no surprise…
By Jeff Godwin Doki Ph.D As a country, Nigeria shall be 66 years old come October this year. On January 15, 1966, six years after political independence, the military led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogu seized power from the democratically elected government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa. The reasons the soldiers advanced for the coup were many and varied. Among other things they include: the need to arrest the drifting of the politicians into political violence; to end the corruption which had become pervasive in the country; to end the insecurity consequent upon the clash between Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Action Group)…
By Tunde Odesola (Published in The PUNCH, on Friday, January 16, 2026) Does anyone know why the chicken has no teeth? Honestly, I don’t. But I know its humble beginnings, dating back in time. That was when the chicken tilled the earth with its beak and four-toe pronged legs, fending for its daily bread. That was the time when the chicken was left to roam in the day and roost at night. I’m talking about when owners would comb the dark with lamps, looking for their chickens at night, scooping them into coops, and releasing them in the morning, cage-free.…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Lagos State Government has intensified calls for comprehensive mental health support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), as the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation organised a one-day awareness and sensitisation programme focused on healing and resilience. The programme, organised through the ministry’s Domestic Violence Unit, was held on Thursday, 15 January, 2026 at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alausa. It brought together key stakeholders, mental health professionals, religious leaders and participants to highlight the psychological impact of abuse and the urgent need for accessible support services for survivors across…