Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 2.68 million Nigerians have successfully completed their voter registration in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. INEC revealed the updated figures on Tuesday in a post shared on its official X handle, highlighting both online and physical registrations recorded since the exercise began. According to the Commission, 1,576,137 applicants completed their pre-registration online, while an additional 1,109,588 finalised their enrolment through physical biometric capture at INEC centres across the country. Osun State maintained its lead in the exercise with 208,357 new registrants, followed by…

By Peter Omopo The Federal Government has approved the reinstatement of the Presidential Council on Tourism, a move aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s push for economic diversification through the tourism, culture, and creative sectors. The approval, granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), was announced by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy on Monday. According to the Ministry, the revived Council will serve as a high-level national platform responsible for providing strategic leadership and strengthening coordination in the development of Nigeria’s tourism industry. The Council’s membership includes the Presidency, the Vice President, the Secretary to the Government…

By Peter Omopo Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as a record-setting economic rebound, citing improvements in foreign reserves, oil production, financial markets, and key infrastructure indicators. In a detailed statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday, Omokri asserted that Nigeria has recorded “the fastest economic turnaround in its modern history” within the president’s first 30 months in office. According to him, recent data reflects a period of sustained growth and stabilisation across multiple sectors. Economic analysts have also noted that the figures highlighted by Omokri—though subject to further independent…

By Peter Omopo The Federal Government has launched a N590bn maiden bond issuance to begin offsetting the more than N4tn owed to power generation companies (GenCos), marking a significant step toward resolving a long-running liquidity crisis in Nigeria’s electricity market. The issuance represents the first tranche of the N4tn NBET Finance Company Plc Bond Programme and is fully guaranteed by the Federal Government. It consists of N300bn in cash bonds to be offered to investors and N290bn in non-cash bonds to be directly allotted to GenCos on identical terms. According to documents seen by PUNCH Online, the Series 1 bond…

By Peter Omopo The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Osun State chapter, has issued a stern warning to Governor Ademola Adeleke over the continued closure of courts across the state, describing the situation as a looming constitutional crisis that could “precipitate a state of emergency” if not urgently resolved. Courts in Osun State have remained shut since September 22, 2025, following an industrial action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The strike, now in its third month, stems from disputes over welfare, delayed promotions, and what judicial workers allege is persistent neglect by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and…

By Asiwaju Dele Taiwo “Man proposes, God disposes” means that while we make our own plans for relationships, marriage, and life, God has the final say because He alone sees the future. We may desire certain people or dream of a particular path, but God directs our steps for our good. Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps”. Many times, God closes doors or redirects us not to punish us but to protect us, just as He did for Joseph, turning what seemed like setbacks into a greater purpose. In relationships and…

By Peter Omopo The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has rejected a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for a 60-day extension to appear before it, insisting that the company must honour a new deadline of December 15 to address allegations of massive revenue leakages. Committee Chairman, Bamidele Salam, issued the directive during a hearing on Monday in Abuja after NNPCL again failed to attend, despite what lawmakers described as more than seven invitations previously sent to the company. A letter from the NNPCL management, read aloud by Salam, claimed the organisation could not attend…

By Peter Omopo The African Democratic Congress has praised the Federal Government for its rapid response to Sunday’s failed coup attempt in Benin Republic, but urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to apply the same level of urgency to tackle the worsening insecurity within Nigeria. In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the response to the Benin crisis shows that the government is capable of swift and coordinated action when necessary. He, however, criticised what he described as the slow and inconsistent approach to addressing banditry, terrorism, and violent crime ravaging communities across the…

By Peter Omopo Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday met behind closed doors with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid renewed political uncertainty in the state. The governor was seen by The PUNCH correspondent walking the corridors leading to the President’s office at exactly 5:01 p.m., dressed in a deep-blue long-sleeve shirt, black trousers and a black flat cap. Earlier, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru had also arrived for a separate meeting with the President. Details of both engagements remain undisclosed at press time. Fubara’s visit comes as speculation mounts that he may be considering a…

By Peter Omopo President Bola Tinubu on Monday welcomed the release of 100 pupils abducted from Papiri Catholic School in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State and directed security agencies to secure the freedom of the remaining 115 captives without delay. Tinubu’s reaction was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. “I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work,” the President said. “My directive remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account…