Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 22, 2025 — Parents of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014 have expressed sorrow over the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, while urging the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to secure the release of the 87 girls still missing. In a statement issued Tuesday and signed by Yana Galang and Zannah Mohammed on behalf of the Association of the Parents of the Missing Chibok Girls, the families acknowledged Buhari’s role in facilitating the release of 103 girls during his presidency — the highest number recovered under any Nigerian administration. “When…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 22, 2025 — Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has warned that no new large-scale refineries are likely to be developed in Africa unless governments across the continent dismantle entrenched rent-seeking interests in the petroleum sector through decisive political will. Speaking at the Global Commodity Insights Conference on West Africa’s refined fuel market — jointly organized by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and S&P Global Commodity Insights in Abuja — Dangote identified systemic corruption, offshore fuel dumping, and powerful international trading cartels as major…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | July 22, 2025 — In a renewed effort to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s police recruitment process, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has sought the collaboration of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to conduct drug integrity tests on prospective police recruits. The proposal was presented on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by PSC Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Hashimu Argungu, to NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. Argungu emphasized the importance of ensuring that only drug-free and mentally fit individuals…

By Peter Omopo  Bauchi | July 22, 2025 — Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, on Tuesday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation and remodelling of the Bauchi State House of Assembly complex—a landmark project valued at ₦7.8 billion. The governor described the initiative as a critical investment to revamp the legislative arm’s infrastructure, which had remained largely untouched for nearly two decades. The project is expected to be completed within 12 months. “This complex has not seen any significant renovation in almost 20 years,” Governor Mohammed said at the event. “We are committed to providing a conducive and…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, July 22, 2025 — The Federal Government has announced plans to fully transition the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an inspection of a pilot NECO CBT SSCE held at Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday. He confirmed that starting next year, all WAEC and NECO exams—both objective and essay components—will be conducted exclusively at accredited CBT centres. “This marks the beginning of the end for paper-based school exams,” Alausa declared.…

By Peter Omopo Abuja, July 21, 2025 — The Senate has approved a comprehensive borrowing plan embedded in the 2025 Appropriation Act, unlocking funding for critical sectors of the economy and solidifying revenue streams to finance the national budget. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, confirmed during plenary that the loan requests had already been factored into the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2025 budget. “The borrowing is already embedded in the 2025 Appropriation Act. With this approval, we now have all revenue sources, including loans, in place to fully fund the budget,” Adeola stated.…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, July 21, 2025 — A major milestone in Nigeria’s power sector is set to be achieved as the 1,250-megawatt power plant developed by billionaire businessman, Dr. Deji Adeleke, has been completed and is now ready for commissioning. Sources close to the project confirmed that the final step is the plant’s integration into the national gas supply grid. Once operational, the facility will stand among the largest privately driven power projects in Nigeria’s history, significantly expanding the country’s electricity generation capacity. The plant is expected to deliver a substantial boost to the national grid, offering new hope…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, July 21, 2025 — The Nigeria Police Force has raised concerns over attempts by unnamed individuals to hijack the ongoing protest by retired police officers who are demanding improved pension and welfare benefits. The protest, which began at the National Assembly complex, shifted on Monday to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where the retirees blocked the entrance gate in defiance of appeals to disperse. In a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the Police alleged that the peaceful demonstration was being infiltrated by persons with “ulterior motives” who are attempting to instigate confrontation and…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, July 22, 2025 — The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has raised alarm over the failure of state governments to utilise over N250 billion in intervention funds meant for the development of basic education across the country. The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a three-day financial management training for fund managers of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). She was represented at the event by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Dr. Razaq Akinyemi. Garba…

By Peter Omopo  Edo State, July 21, 2025 — Nigerian football legend and former Green Eagles star, Kadiri Ikhana, has been discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State after three days of treatment for an undisclosed illness. His recovery has been hailed as “nothing short of a miracle” by his former teammate and chairman of the International Sports Academy, Chief Segun Odegbami, who shared the update via LinkedIn late Sunday night. “Kadiri Ikhana, MON, my Green Eagles colleague that I reported was gravely ill last week, recovered quickly after intensive care and…