Author: News Room

Femi Otedola, the chairman of First HoldCo Plc, has further consolidated his position as the top shareholder of the financial services group, with his latest share purchase valued at N14.8 billion. The billionaire entrepreneur, whose investment interest cuts across energy, banking and real estate, procured 370 million shares at N40.1 each on Thursday, according to a regulatory filing at the Nigerian Exchange Limited. He bought the shares through Calvados Global Services Limited, his special purpose acquisition vehicle, the document showed. The latest acquisition by the majority owner of Lagos-listed electricity provider, Geregu Power Plc, takes his combined ownership in First…

In every nation, there are groups whose contributions are visible and celebrated, and there are those whose sacrifices are carried quietly, etched into their bodies, their nerves, and their memories. Soldiers belong to the latter category. They return from service not with wealth or comfort, but with stories of danger, fragments of trauma, and bodies aged faster than their years. It is the responsibility of a grateful nation to honour such people, not merely with parades and medals, but with systems that ensure dignity long after the uniform is laid down. Nigeria has not yet learnt this lesson. Across the…

The Jigawa State government has raised concerns over a sharp rise in blindness cases, warning that a severe shortage of eye care specialists is worsening the crisis. According to official records, 81,797 cases of eye-related complications were reported in the state in 2024 alone, highlighting a growing public health crisis driven largely by cataracts and a shortage of eye care specialists. The Acting Chairperson of the Jigawa State Eye Health Committee, Usman Muhammad, said the state is operating with only a fraction of the eye specialists it needs. Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Dutse on Wednesday, Mr Muhammad described…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Inspector-General of Police, security chiefs, and the National Economic Council (NEC) to restructure security deployments, arm forest guards, and rehabilitate grazing reserves into economically viable ranches nationwide. The president issued the directive at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday as part of broader efforts to curb kidnapping, terrorism and recurring farmer–herder conflicts nationwide. The Nigerian leader noted that he is aware that “our people are exposed” and said there is an urgent need to make exceptional provisions for their protection. “I know some of our people are exposed and I understand that we…

Veteran Yoruba actor and filmmaker Lere Paimo has accused some individuals of attempting to remake his classic film Ogbori Elemoso without his consent, raising concerns over an alleged violation of his intellectual property rights, TCV reports. Ogbori Elemoso is one of the few notable Yoruba historical films that dramatise the events leading to the establishment of Ogbomoso land. The film was written and produced by veteran Mr Paimo in 1987 and distributed by Eda Films Ltd. It features a cast of prominent Nollywood and theatre veterans, including Jide Kosoko, Lere Paimo, Kareem Adepoju, Idowu Philips (Iya Rainbow), Isola Ogunsola, Dento,…

The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has expressed its willingness to provide free legal assistance to 115 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Uyo, who currently have no access to legal services. The Chairperson of NBA-SPIDEL, Associate Professor Uju Agomoh, stated this during a ceremony on “Data Collection of Inmates Without Legal Representation and Formal Presentation of Solar-Powered Installation for Borehole and Clinic Lighting Facility” held at Uyo Correctional Centre on Thursday. Agomoh, who has newly assumed office as chairperson, also urged institutions to ensure that the justice delivery system is “fair, humane,…

Former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, who was granted bail earlier today by an FCT High Court, has arrived at the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Caucus meeting in Abuja. Chris Ngige, who faces an eight-count prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged abuse of office and acceptance of gifts totalling around N2.2 billion, attended the gathering. President Bola Tinubu is presiding over the meeting at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. The gathering is the party’s first caucus since Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda was elected APC national chairman in July.

The Super Eagles have touched down in Fes, Morocco, for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, DAILY POST reports. Head coach Éric Chelle and his players arrived in the Moroccan city on Thursday night. They spent five days in a preparatory camp in Cairo, Egypt. The Super Eagles lost 2-1 to the Pharaohs of Egypt in their only pre-AFCON friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday. The three-time African champions will intensify preparations for the competition on Friday. Nigeria’s opening fixture is against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania next Tuesday.

The 1984 graduating set of Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos, has inaugurated the newly remodelled school dining hall. The renovation, valued at N90m, includes a new roof, tiling, restrooms, kitchen fittings and furniture. Chairman of BAOSA ’84 Set, Akin Dosumu, said in a statement on Thursday that the hall was handed over as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of the set’s graduation from the school. Dosumu said the project became necessary because the dining hall had deteriorated significantly. “We agreed to reconstruct this iconic structure — the school dining hall — because it was in a dilapidated condition. The…

President Bola Tinubu is presiding over a meeting of the National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. The session began at 7:38 p.m. when the President arrived at the hall. Thursday’s meeting is the party’s second caucus gathering in 2025, following an earlier session held on February 25. It is also the first since Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda emerged as the APC national chairman in July. An opening prayer was led by the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), who offered the Muslim prayer, while Akwa Ibom State…