Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo | September 15, 2025 Nigeria’s premier children’s literary event, the Akada Children’s Book Festival (ACBF), will return for its seventh edition on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the UPBEAT Recreation Center, Lekki, Lagos. Organisers announced the details in a statement on Monday, unveiling the theme “Book An Adventure,” which highlights the power of stories to spark imagination, celebrate culture, and inspire self-discovery. Festival convener and author, Olubunmi Aboderin-Talabi, said this year’s theme goes beyond books as mere entertainment. “Adventure lies at the heart of every great story, and this year, we want children to discover reading as…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has condemned the proposed salary hike for Nigeria’s top political officeholders, describing it as “an insult” to millions of citizens struggling with inflation, subsidy removal, and the soaring cost of living. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Falana faulted the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for considering the review of salaries for the President, Vice President, governors, deputies, and lawmakers while civil servants and ordinary Nigerians remain under severe economic pressure. “I will say that RMAFC is not in a position to increase…

Diran “Direxblows” Aderinto’s Iṣilọ – A Settlement Story is a documentary that feels both intimate and urgent. It is a story about migration, but more importantly, it is a story about what it means to search for home, identity, and belonging in unfamiliar spaces. Told with striking honesty and visual sensitivity, the film captures the dissonance between expectation and reality, the weight of systemic barriers, and the beauty of resilience. At its core, Iṣilọ is not about policy, statistics, or abstract debates. It is about people, individuals who must carry their history, culture, and dreams into new environments that…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46, the UK’s Press Association confirmed on Sunday. Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, northwest England. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 am (0545 GMT) today (Sunday), where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.” Hatton, nicknamed “The Hitman”,…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 Oil and Gas Industry Consultant, Dr Maurice Ibe, has said the revocation of the operating licence of the Oritsemeyin Rig by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) should serve as a strong warning to upstream operators on the need for strict compliance with industry guidelines. Ibe, who is the Group Executive Chairman of the Benham Group, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday. The NUPRC, in a letter dated September 11, 2025, revoked the operating licence granted to Selective Marine Services Limited for the…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Sunday paid a courtesy visit to the Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija residence in Ibadan, Oyo State. Obi said his visit was to congratulate the former Oyo governor on his appointment as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, while also commending his record of service and leadership. “My visit is to congratulate him as the next Olubadan of Ibadanland. This is about Nigeria, about selfless leadership—leadership committed to turning our society around. I believe Oba Ladoja will bring his wealth of experience to bear…

By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025 The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, and three Nigerian accomplices following the interception of a consignment of 2,248,000 tramadol pills worth an estimated N3.99 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. According to a statement on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the shipment—concealed as multivitamins in 114 cartons—arrived from Delhi, India, on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on September 8. Babafemi said operatives kept the cargo under surveillance before intercepting a clearing agent and two drivers attempting to move the goods…

By Peter Omopo September 14, 2025 — Nigerian sprinter Konyinsola Ajayi has stormed into the men’s 100m final at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, marking a historic milestone for the country. On his 21st birthday, Ajayi ran an impressive 9.93 seconds in the semi-finals on Sunday, finishing second behind Olympic champion Noah Lyles (9.92s). South Africa’s Akani Simbine followed closely in third with 9.96s. This achievement makes Ajayi the first Nigerian in 18 years to reach the men’s 100m final at the World Championships. The last was Olusoji Fasuba, national record holder and former African record holder, who…

By Peter Omopo September 14, 2025 — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed media reports claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed and released a list of its state chairmen across the country. In a statement on Sunday, ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi said the report was false and intended to mislead party members and the public. “The attention of the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been drawn to a widely circulated statement titled ‘Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide’, which purports that INEC has released and validated a list of…