Author: TheLagosianMagazine

26th August 2025 By Peter Omopo  The Lagos State Government has announced plans to promote its cultural and tourism potential at the forthcoming African Cultural Festival in Pennsylvania, United States. The three-day event, themed “Africa to the World: Culture, Creativity and Collaboration”, will run from September 19 to 21, 2025, at the Forum Auditorium, Harrisburg, PA. Afrobeats star Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, is billed to headline the concert “Rhythms of Africa”, performing his iconic hit African Queen. A statement on Monday said Lagos will be represented by a delegation of creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators, as part of efforts…

26th August 2025 By Peter Omopo  The Vice Chancellor of Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State, Prof. Bayode Popoola, has pledged to transform the institution into a hub for teacher education, research, innovation, and national development. Popoola, who formally assumed duty last Thursday as the university’s first substantive Vice Chancellor, made the commitment while addressing staff and students on Monday. He succeeded Prof. Samuel Akintunde, who had served in an acting capacity since the school was upgraded from a college of education to a university. The new VC said he would soon unveil comprehensive plans covering structural reforms, academic…

25th August 2025 By Peter Omopo  Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), Lagos, has secured a research grant of €117,000 (over ₦200 million) from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme to advance innovation in food security. The project, titled “Integrated Aquaponics System for Sustainable Catfish Production and Dual Crop Cultivation of Leafy Vegetables and Corn”, will pilot a solar-powered aquaponics system that combines catfish farming with the cultivation of vegetables and maize. The initiative is spearheaded by the College’s Director of Research Support and Grants Management, Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, in collaboration with the Yabatech Agric Cooperative Society. A Local Innovation Hub…

25th August 2025 By Peter Omopo  The second day of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference in Enugu was on Monday disrupted by protests calling for the release of Labour Party lawmaker, Bright Ngene, who is serving a seven-year jail term. Ngene, representing Enugu South Urban Constituency in the State House of Assembly, was convicted in July 2024 by a magistrate’s court over a community dispute. His supporters, however, insist the ruling was politically motivated. Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene Now, a Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “NBA, Please Save Our Democracy”, the protesters…

By Peter Omopo On any given weekend when Arsenal takes to the pitch, one man’s voice is sure to be heard above the crowd in his living room. With his scarf proudly draped, his eyes fixed on the screen, and a glass lifted in hope, Prince Johnson Ogunleye cheers his beloved club with the fervour of a true Gooner. Friends say his loyalty to Arsenal mirrors his loyalty in life—unwavering, passionate, and steadfast, through the highs and lows. But Prince Ogunleye is much more than an Arsenal devotee. He is an erudite businessman, an astute Ekiti son, a reliable partner,…

Ilesa, Nigeria – August 25, 2025: The Ijesa community at home and in the Diaspora today rolled out the drums in celebration of one of its illustrious sons, Bobaseye Akinyemi Olusegun Fasakin, on the occasion of his 61st birthday. In a congratulatory message issued by Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland and Chairman of the Ijesa Community Development Assembly (ICDA), Bobaseye Fasakin was described as a “distinguished professional, exemplary leader, and a fearless advocate of truth whose life embodies the values of integrity, service, and excellence.” According to the statement, attaining the age of 61 is not only a…

It has been confirmed that Zhou Yahui, a Chinese tech billionaire, is the owner of OPay Bank in Nigeria. Zhou, who is also the chairman of Opera Software and founder of Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd, controls the mobile money platform dominating Nigeria’s fintech space. This revelation has sparked reactions among Nigerians, with many expressing shock over foreign ownership of such a widely used platform. “No wonder things dey always look one kind,” a social media user reacted. Despite being branded as a local financial solution, OPay is fully backed by foreign capital, raising fresh questions about digital colonialism and control…

By Sola Ojewusi  Surulere, Lagos — The bright lights of Teslim Balogun Stadium burned late into Saturday night as Lagos embraced one of its most improbable sporting stories: the return of Ike “The President” Ibeabuchi to the boxing ring after 26 long years. The 52-year-old heavyweight, once a feared figure in the 1990s, stepped between the ropes to the chants of a packed Lagos crowd. When his short-notice opponent Idris Afinni (18-9-2, 15 KOs) retired on his stool after three completed rounds, it was less about the victory itself and more about the symbolism of a lost son finally performing…

Ijebu Ode — The Fushengbuwa Ruling House of Agunsebi Quarters, Ijebu Ode, has announced the commencement of the selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebuland, while dismissing as false a list of “candidates” currently circulating on social media. In a statement issued over the weekend, the Ruling House confirmed that eligible princes have started submitting letters of interest in accordance with tradition. It, however, described the viral list as “unofficial and unauthenticated,” stressing that it did not originate from the House Secretariat and bore no signature from its leaders. “The publication was put out by unscrupulous actors attempting to…

By Taiwo Adisa Saturday, August 16, 2025, was set as a landmark date that would witness a unique event in the annals of Yoruba, Nigeria, if not African contemporary history. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enita Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, had signed on to a programme tagged the unveiling of the Social Media Website, 2GEDA. I got the well-packaged invitation letters and made arrangements to attend. It was meant to push forward Nigeria’s version of Facebook and dictate the pace of local content in the growing social media space. Commendably, the Ooni of Ife signed on to this project, and…