Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Former Nigerian football legend, Segun Odegbami, and Guinness World Record-holding chess master, Tunde Onakoya, have commended the sports infrastructure put in place for the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) in Ogun State, while urging the state to prioritise sustainability through regular maintenance. The duo, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, praised the state government for its commitment to hosting the national sporting event but warned that failure to maintain the newly upgraded facilities could render the investments short-lived. Odegbami, recently appointed Ogun State Sports Ambassador…

By Peter Omopo The Federal Government has approved plans by China to establish electric vehicle (EV) factories in Nigeria as part of a broader effort to strengthen bilateral ties and boost industrial development. Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, revealed the initiative during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, at his office over the weekend. The visit highlighted China’s growing interest in Nigeria’s vast solid minerals sector, particularly in leveraging lithium for EV production. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, Ambassador Dunhai described…

By Peter Omopo  Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to conduct an independent system audit following the technical glitch that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Kalu made the call on Sunday in Abuja while addressing journalists on the controversy surrounding the examination, which was plagued by widespread failures affecting about 380,000 candidates. The Deputy Speaker said the integrity of Nigeria’s educational assessment system has come under scrutiny, and the only way to restore public trust is through a transparent audit and comprehensive review of the…

By Peter Omopo  The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu (SAN), has disclosed that the Commission recently intercepted an attempt to divert N1.6 billion in public funds through the use of advanced technological tools. Aliyu made the revelation during a courtesy visit by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Halilu, according to a statement issued on Sunday by ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare. While he did not name the specific ministry or agency involved in the foiled theft, the ICPC…

An Ijaw environmental activist, Dr Bolouowei Kurokeme, has called on the Federal Government and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to urgently revisit and recognize the contributions of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, describing him as the architect of Nigeria’s oil sovereignty and a champion of indigenous participation in the energy sector. Kurokeme, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists on Sunday, also highlighted Etete’s enduring legacy, especially his bold policies in the 1990s that laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s present gains in local content development. According to him, the foresight of Etete in pioneering…

By Peter Omopo  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy, on Saturday to attend the official inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected 267th Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The solemn inauguration mass is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, and will be attended by world leaders and dignitaries from across the globe. President Tinubu was received at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, alongside officials from Vatican City and the Nigerian Embassy. His aircraft touched down at 6 p.m. local time. Tinubu…

By Peter Omopo  The Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Commission has completed the airlift of pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj, with the final batch of 68 pilgrims departing from Yola International Airport on Saturday. This concluding group included prominent members of the state’s Hajj delegation, notably the Emir of Fufore and Amirul Hajj, Alhaji Sani Ribadu; Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mallam Salihu Abubakar; Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Umar Kem; and other senior officials. According to the Commission, the pilgrims will transit through Borno State, where they will join counterparts from Borno before proceeding to the Kingdom of Saudi…

By Peter Omopo  Former Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole, has declared that the presidential system of government currently practised in Nigeria is ill-suited for the country’s unique socio-political context. Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television on Friday, Cole called for a complete reassessment of Nigeria’s governance structure, urging the country to adopt a system tailored to its indigenous realities. “This American system that we call the presidential system in Nigeria – we need to readdress it,” Cole said. “We cannot import the parliamentary system from the UK,…

By Peter Omopo  The Naira appreciated slightly against the U.S. Dollar on Friday, closing the trading week on a positive note at the official foreign exchange market. According to figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the local currency gained N0.60k to trade at N1,598.72 per dollar, up from N1,599.32 recorded on Thursday. This reflects a 0.03 per cent appreciation. The Naira had shown signs of resilience earlier in the week, posting consecutive gains. It rose by 0.02 per cent on Tuesday and recorded a stronger appreciation of 0.21 per cent on Wednesday. The modest gains are seen as…

By Peter Omopo  A gas explosion rocked the Nobpet fueling station near the Air Force Junction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday morning, leaving five people injured and eight vehicles destroyed. The explosion, which occurred at about 10 a.m. in the gas section of the facility, triggered a fire that quickly spread to the nearby premises of the Ebonyi State Transport Corporation, where the damaged vehicles were parked. Emergency response teams from the Rivers State Fire Service and the Nigerian Air Force Fire Service worked together to bring the blaze under control, preventing further damage. One of the victims,…