Author: News Room

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, have assured Nigerians of sustained legislative–executive cooperation and fiscal discipline as President Bola Tinubu on Friday presented the ₦58 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint sitting of the National Assembly. They gave the assurance in their separate addresses at the joint session held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, where Mr Tinubu formally laid the 2026 budget before lawmakers. Mr Tinubu told the joint session that the 2026 budget proposes total revenue of ₦34.33 trillion and total expenditure of ₦58.18 trillion, leaving a…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday cautioned state governors that he could issue an Executive Order to enforce direct funding for local governments if they fail to comply with a recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the third tier of government. The President issued the warning while speaking at the 15th National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. Tinubu recalled that at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the APC on Thursday, he had stressed that local government autonomy must be backed by adequate funding to be…

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Gusau says the Super Eagles are ready to win the title at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles came close winning their fourth title at the last edition of the competition, losing 2-1 to hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the final. Eric Chelle’s side are among the favourites to win the title in Morocco. The Super Eagles will look to make up for their disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Gusau also believes winning the AFCON will make up for the team’s failure to earn…

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has revealed that Super Eagles defender Ola Aina is still some way off full fitness despite making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 29-year-old has been sidelined for three months after suffering the injury during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in November, forcing him to undergo surgery. Aina returned to action for Forest’s Under-21s in their 2-1 win over Millwall last week, playing 53 minutes, but was omitted from Eric Chelle’s final 28-man AFCON squad. “Ola is halfway through his progress in fitness. He is training more…

The Itesiwaju Omu Arogun Area Community Development Committee in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State has called on the state government to fix the deteriorating infrastructure in Mowe, particularly the uncompleted Mowe–Ofada Road and persistent power failures in the area. The group, according to a statement shared with Saturday PUNCH, made the appeal during the 3rd Annual General Meeting of the association held in Mowe last Sunday. In attendance were residents, government representatives, and community stakeholders who gathered to review this year’s activities, unveil future plans, and honour outstanding contributors. In his address, the Chairman of the committee,…

The Christmas season invites reflection on the enduring values of peace and harmony, values that are most deeply expressed through the relationships and connections we share with others. It is a time that encourages togetherness, reminding everyone that the true spirit of Christmas lies not in material celebration but in love. Peace is an enduring state of safety and calm that thrives where love and understanding prevail. A peaceful marriage is a joyful union of two, as true happiness cannot be attained without peace of mind. This season offers an opportunity to strengthen and renew positive relationships by spending meaningful…

The Central Bank of Nigeria may have earned at least N192m in non-refundable fees from the 82 Bureau De Change operators who have just secured final licences under the revised regulatory framework, according to an analysis by Saturday PUNCH. The amount is based on the fee schedule in the May 2024 Regulatory and Supervisory Guidelines for Bureaux De Change Operations in Nigeria and the list of approved operators released by the Bank on December 8, 2025. In a recent press statement, the CBN announced that it had granted final licences to 82 BDCs, effective November 27, 2025. “The Central Bank…

Real Madrid have emerged as the latest European heavyweights monitoring Nigeria’s highly rated teenage defender Honest Ahanor, intensifying a transfer race led by Chelsea and Manchester City, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 17-year-old Atalanta starlet has quickly become one of the most closely watched young defenders in Europe after an outstanding breakthrough season in Bergamo, according to a report by TeamTalk. Chelsea are understood to be leading the chase, having tracked Ahanor since his formative years at Genoa, but Madrid’s growing interest is expected to reshape strategic thinking around the youngster’s future. Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle are…

The Federal Ministry of Education, through the National Board for Technical Education, has approved the upgrade of the PEFTI Film Institute, accrediting it to offer five new National Diploma programmes. The approval comes shortly after PEFTI was named Best Innovation Enterprise Institution in Nigeria for both the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions at the National Tertiary Admissions Performance–Merit Awards. Under the new upgrade, PEFTI has been accredited to run National Diploma programmes in Business Administration and Management, Fashion Design and Clothing Technology, Mass Communication, Multimedia Technology, and Music Technology. Speaking on the development, PEFTI Registrar, Abiola Adenuga, described the accreditation…

Former National Secretary-General of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, shares his views on Nigeria’s 65 years of independence, the country’s slow pace of development, the need for true federalism, leadership failures, and President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, in this interview with PETER DADA Nigeria recently marked 65 years of independence, yet many believe the country remains stagnant in terms of development. What, in your view, is the real problem? In the real sense of it, 65 is a good year, a mature year in the lifespan of humanity. When you are 60, in fact, old age is expected…