Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has secured her place in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after a dominant display in the semifinals on Monday. The 27-year-old, who holds the world record in the event, clocked 12.36 seconds (-0.2 m/s) to win her heat. She finished ahead of Nadine Visser of the Netherlands (12.45s) and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska (12.51s). Amusan, who stunned the world with her 12.12s record at the 2022 championships in Eugene, looked sharp from the gun, gliding cleanly over the barriers before powering home in the final stretch. Her performance…

By Peter Omopo The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says over 4.4 million Nigerians have pre-registered online in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise, which began on August 18, 2025. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. “As of Sunday, 14th September 2025, a total of 4,445,505 Nigerians have now pre-registered online in four weeks since the commencement of the exercise,” Olumekun said. According to the breakdown, 2,141,294 (48.17%) are male while 2,304,211 (51.83%) are female. Young Nigerians remain the dominant group, with 2,924,643 (65.79%) between…

By Peter Omopo President Bola Tinubu will return to Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, to resume official duties after ending his vacation earlier than scheduled. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development in a statement on Monday. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded his work vacation ahead of schedule and will return to Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to resume official duties,” Onanuga said. Tinubu departed Nigeria for France on September 4 to spend part of his annual holiday, with plans to split the period between France and the United Kingdom. While in…

By Peter Omopo  Former spokesman to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has dismissed claims that he is set to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, the Ogun-born politician clarified that despite his meeting with President Bola Tinubu earlier this year, he remains a committed member of the PDP. “If I wanted to decamp to the APC, I would have done that, but not at this time. I’m still a member of the PDP,” Sowunmi said. Speculations about Sowunmi’s political future intensified after his…

By Peter Omopo The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has dismissed reports claiming that a new Chief Imam has been appointed for the ancient town. In a statement issued on Monday by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaye, the monarch described the reports as false and misleading, urging residents to disregard them. “The attention of the Alaafin’s Palace has been drawn to wild speculations that a new Chief Imam has been appointed for Oyo. The good people of Oyo and members of the public are advised to disregard such unfounded and baseless information, as no candidate…

By Peter Omopo The Dangote Group has dismissed allegations by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) that its refinery sells petrol to international traders at prices cheaper than those offered in Nigeria. DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, claimed in an interview that marketers had purchased petrol from traders in Lomé, Togo—who sourced supplies from Dangote—at rates about ₦65 cheaper per litre than the refinery’s local price. He added that the situation sometimes made importing the product a better option. However, in a statement on Monday, Dangote described the claims as misleading, insisting that petrol prices in…

By Peter Omopo Team Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel has advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships after storming to victory in his heat on Monday. The 21-year-old clocked 48.37 seconds, combining speed and technical finesse to dominate the race and announce himself as one of the athletes to watch as the competition intensifies. Nathaniel maintained a smooth rhythm over the barriers and finished strongly, drawing applause from spectators and coaches impressed by his poise under pressure. American Caleb Dean finished second in 48.67 seconds, while Brazil’s Francisco Dos Reis Viana set a personal best…

By Peter Omopo Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has paid glowing tribute to award-winning Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who marked her 48th birthday on Monday. In a statement shared on his social media platforms, Obi described Adichie as a “literary Amazon” and a beacon of inspiration whose works have shaped global literature and cultural discourse. “Chimamanda has blossomed into a true literary giant, whose writings enrich global literature while uplifting humanity. She has used her extraordinary gift to tell our stories with dignity and raise new generations of storytellers,” Obi said. He praised the author of Half…

By Peter Omopo Nigerian celebrity chef, Hilda Baci, has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing an astonishing 8,780 kilogrammes (19,356 lb 9 oz). The achievement, made in partnership with food brand Gino on Friday in Victoria Island, Lagos, was confirmed by Guinness World Records (GWR) in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. “New record: Largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice – 8,780 kg (19,356 lb 9 oz) achieved by Hilda Baci and Gino in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria,” GWR announced. Baci, who first gained global attention with…

By Peter Omopo The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday stalled the hearing of a medical request filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as the presiding judge referred the case for reassignment. Justice Musa Liman, who had been handling the motion during the court’s annual vacation, ordered that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment, citing time constraints as the reason. He explained that the vacation court could no longer accommodate the matter, as multiple pending cases were already listed for determination. Kanu, through his counsel,…