Author: TheLagosianMagazine

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | June 28, 2025 — Nigeria’s total public debt rose to ₦149.39 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released on Friday by the Debt Management Office (DMO). The figure represents a ₦27.72 trillion or 22.8% increase compared to ₦121.67 trillion recorded in the same period last year. On a quarterly basis, the debt stock also climbed by ₦4.72 trillion or 3.3% from ₦144.67 trillion in December 2024. The DMO attributed the continued rise in public debt to fresh borrowings by the Federal Government and the depreciation of the naira, which significantly raised…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | June 28, 2025 — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on Nigeria’s security chiefs to ramp up preparations for a series of crucial electoral activities slated for the next six months. This appeal was made on Friday during a high-level meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), convened at INEC headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and representatives from various security and intelligence agencies. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, highlighted the upcoming electoral calendar, warning…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja | June 28, 2025 — President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ismael Ahmed, a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi). The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Friday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, Ahmed will oversee and coordinate the PCNGi’s operations, which form part of the administration’s broader efforts to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by providing Nigerians with cheaper, more accessible, and environmentally friendly energy alternatives. The PCNGi is one…

By Peter Omopo  Agege, Lagos | June 28, 2025 — The Lagos State Government has announced the immediate reopening of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege, following substantial compliance by its operators with required environmental and hygiene standards. The facility was initially sealed on June 19 over what authorities described as “environmental violations and inappropriate operational practices.” Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, confirming that the abattoir had now met “the minimum benchmark for the operations of abattoirs in the state,” which it had previously flouted.…

By Peter Omopo  Kano, June 28, 2025 — Renowned businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, has passed away at the age of 94. His death was confirmed on Saturday in a Facebook post by his Principal Private Secretary, Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata,” the statement read. Dantata, a respected figure in Nigerian business and social circles, was the last surviving member of the first generation of the famous Dantata family of Kano. He was widely celebrated for his contributions to commerce, community…

By Peter Omopo  Abuja, June 27, 2025 — Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on Friday asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to release his international passport to enable him to travel abroad for a medical check-up. Bello, who is currently facing trial over alleged money laundering involving ₦80.2 billion, filed the request through his lead counsel, J.B. Daudu (SAN), during the resumed court proceedings. Daudu argued that the application was in line with Bello’s bail conditions, which require court approval for international travel. “He has pressing medical needs to attend to during the court’s vacation period. After eight…

By Peter Omopo  Lagos, June 27, 2025 — The Lagos State Government has called on homeowners in government housing estates, particularly those who purchased properties before 2019, to come forward and collect their official Deed of Sub-Lease documents. The Deed of Sub-Lease serves as proof of legal ownership within any state-owned housing estate and is essential for business transactions, including loan applications and using property as collateral. The appeal was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Mr. Abdulhafis Toriola, during a monthly stakeholders’ meeting with residents of government housing estates in the Ikorodu Division. Toriola was…

By Peter Omopo Ijebu Ode, June 27, 2025 — The 2025 edition of the Ojude Oba festival, widely acclaimed as the largest in the event’s history, attracted over ₦2 billion in sponsorship, according to cultural ambassador and festival icon, Farooq Oreagba. Oreagba revealed this in a recent interview, stating that this year’s celebration surpassed previous editions in both scale and economic impact, with major corporate endorsements and expanded logistics to accommodate record-breaking crowds. “Ojude Oba 2025 was the biggest ever. The arena could not contain the number of people. We had to adjust the whole structure of the event,” he…

By Owei Lakemfa WITH the country moving to its new capital Abuja, the late General Mamman .J. Vatsa wrote: “Keep your new Capital City; It’s too much of a great pity. I am rushing back to my Lagos; Where everyone’s a big boss.” One of the big bosses in Lagos was charismatic Ademola Adeniji-Adele, perhaps the best known Prince of the Lagos Ruling House who slept, ate and drank Lagos. Those who did not grow up on Lagos Island might not understand why many of those who did, see it as the centre of the universe; a bustling city complete…

Contrary to the claims by the former Chairman of the defunct of Skye Bank Plc, Mr Tunde Ayeni, that the court ruled in his favour in a suit he filed against an Abuja-based lawyer, Bar Adaobi Alagwu, the Customary Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dawaki, Abuja has declined jurisdiction to entertain the suit. In the certified true copy of the ruling obtained on Wednesday, the Customary Court further held that it had no power to entertain the reliefs sought by Ayeni in the suit as at is trite law that one can’t place something on nothing and expect…