By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Ogun State Government has admitted an error in its earlier statement on the approved location for oil exploration, following protests and a formal petition by indigenes of Ipokia Local Government Area over what they described as attempts to shift the project from Tongeji Island to another community. The controversy arose after conflicting reports emerged on the exact site approved for oil drilling, prompting concerned residents of Ipokia to seek urgent clarification from Governor Dapo Abiodun. In a petition dated Friday, 23 January, 2026, and signed by the Baamofin of Ipokia Kingdom, Barrister Lawal Orisadare, on…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Nigerian Army has denied reports alleging that a Gombe State indigene, Ibrahim Nazifi, died during military training at the Depot Nigerian Army (NA), Zaria, dismissing the claim as false, misleading and unsupported by official records. The Army’s position was conveyed in a statement issued on Saturday, 24 January, 2026 by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Depot NA Zaria, Captain Chikadibia Viola Anele, and subsequently posted on the Defence Headquarters’ official X handle. According to the statement, although Nazifi was among candidates shortlisted for the 2025 recruitment exercise, he never reported to the Depot…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health over its failure to implement the report of the Technical Committee on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), warning that continued delay could trigger nationwide industrial action. The ultimatum was contained in a joint statement issued on Saturday, 24 January,2026 in Abuja and signed by the TUC Secretary General, Mr Nuhu Toro, and the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr Benson Upah. According to the unions, the CONHESS…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that digital payment transactions in the country recorded a 276 per cent increase in volume over the past five years, underscoring rapid adoption of electronic payment channels even as cash remains critical to economic activity. The disclosure was made on Friday, 23 January, 2026 at the Committee on Bank Operations (CBO) Annual Conference, where the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, delivered the keynote address through his Special Adviser, Fatai Kareem. Addressing participants, Cardoso said Nigeria’s payment ecosystem has evolved significantly, stressing that digital innovation and physical cash must coexist…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Ogun State Government and the Ijebu Ode Local Government have dismissed as false reports alleging the suspension of three prominent Ijebu traditional chiefs from the Ijebu Council of Chiefs. The denial was contained in a joint statement issued on Friday, 23 January, 2026 by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, and the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, in response to a report circulating on social media. The report alleged that the Kakanfo of Ijebu land, Chief Abimbola Okenla; the Lapoekun of Ijebu land, Chief Tunde Odulaja; and…
By Ademola Adegbamigbe Friendship, I have come to realise, is sometimes less about constant proximity and more about destiny’s quiet insistence that certain lives must keep intersecting. No matter how far apart time, geography, or circumstance may pull us, true friendship has a way of circling back—stronger, wiser, and more meaningful each time. This is the story of my friendship with Mustapha Kunle Ogunsakin, a man whose life has consistently mirrored intellectual depth, humility, resourcefulness, and a rare ability to stay true to his plans despite challenges and distractions. Kunle turns 60 today, 24 January 2026, and this tribute is…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200 millilitres, following a resolution of the Nigerian Senate. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday, 21 January, 2026, in Lagos during a media briefing organised by the agency. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NAFDAC had on November 11, 2025, announced plans to begin enforcement of a total ban on the affected products by December 2025, in compliance with…
By Musa Pai Two of Nigeria’s most consequential power centres today are the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State. One is the seat of national authority and the symbol of our collective future; the other is the country’s energy nerve centre. Stability, competence, and restraint are therefore non-negotiable in the governance of both. What Nigeria is witnessing today, however, is an unhealthy concentration of political overreach by one man, Nyesom Wike, who now threatens governance in Abuja while pushing Rivers State toward needless chaos. It is neither normal nor healthy for a minister, other than the President, to exert disruptive…
Former Aviation Minister and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, has called on Nigeria to adopt a single-term presidential system, arguing that the country’s current two-term arrangement fuels continuous electioneering and weakens effective governance. Chidoka made the proposal during the Nigeria Leadership Series virtual town hall organised by the Africa Leadership Group. The event, themed “Nigeria, 2026 and Beyond,” was hosted by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, President of the Group, and brought together policy experts, civic leaders, and citizens to examine Nigeria’s governance trajectory. According to Chidoka, prolonged political cycles leave little room for sustained reforms,…
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), has unveiled an ambitious operational roadmap for 2026, directing commanders across the country to intensify efforts aimed at dismantling drug cartels and expanding nationwide sensitization against substance abuse. Marwa gave the directive during the agency’s annual review and strategic planning meeting held at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja. The high-level meeting brought together the agency’s top leadership, including members of management, zonal commanders, commanders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as heads of seaports, international…