Labour Party leader and former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has slammed the Federal Government for approving a ₦712.3 billion airport renovation project, calling it “reckless, tone-deaf, and shameful” in a nation gripped by hunger and extreme poverty. Obi’s strong condemnation came just after the United Nations issued a dire warning: over 34 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger, including 15 million children. The crisis is being worsened by runaway food inflation and crippling unemployment. “This is not how nations are built. While our people go to bed hungry, you’re spending over ₦700 billion to renovate airports? This is not…
Author: National Update
By Berewari Gogo In times of political upheaval, one of the first casualties is often the people’s trust in government. For too long in Rivers State, the political drama between entrenched interests has played out like a tragicomedy, sidelining citizens and reducing governance to a game of thrones. But since the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator of the state, a noticeable shift has occurred—one that places the people, rather than the politicians, at the centre of statecraft. The idea that governance should be for the people is not novel. What is novel, especially in…
By Barido Tamunotonye In the turbulent theatre of Nigerian politics, few states have endured the kind of prolonged political trauma that Rivers State has witnessed in recent times. From bitter intra-party feuds to violent street clashes and legislative paralysis, the state teetered on the edge of breakdown. Into this charged atmosphere, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) was thrust in March 2025, appointed as Sole Administrator under a federally-declared state of emergency. For many observers, the immediate question was not what Ibas would do, but whether the centre could hold. With both the governor and the state assembly suspended, public trust…
The management of Folio Media Group (FMG), publishers of Daily Times Newspapers, has expressed profound sorrow over the passing of its former Editorial Board member, Dr. Doyin Abiola, who died on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the age of 82. Dr. Doyin Abiola, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola — acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election — was a trailblazing journalist, advocate for social justice, and a pioneering figure in Nigeria’s media landscape. In a heartfelt tribute signed by Dr. Fidelis Anosike, Chairman and Publisher of Folio Media Group, Dr. Abiola’s death was described as…
We of the Movement for the Emancipation of Kogi State, (MEKSTA), extol the Judiciary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for its forthrightness, fearlessness and good conscience in the criminal proceedings relating to Mr Yahaya Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State. We note that between the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, everything lawful and just is being done to ensure justice for the good people of Kogi State in the N110 Billion fraud case against Bello. We take special note of the concurrence yesterday, of the Appeal Court in…
For more than 100,000 children in Kaduna State who’ve never set foot in a classroom—or who were forced to drop out—hope is finally on the horizon. In a bold new initiative, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, has launched a $62.8 million education programme that promises not only to build schools, but to rebuild lives. At the heart of the programme is a $25.35 million concessionary loan from the Kuwait Fund, signed on Tuesday in Abuja. This forms the backbone of a broader blended financing package designed to bring inclusive, high-quality…
Amid growing concerns over regional imbalance in federal appointments, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) has called on the National Assembly to ramp up support for its constitutional mandate of ensuring fairness and inclusivity in public office distribution. At an interactive session with the House Committee on Federal Character on Tuesday in Abuja, Acting FCC Chairman Hon. Kayode Oladele sounded the alarm over systemic resistance from government agencies, funding shortfalls, and weak enforcement powers—issues he said are hampering the Commission’s ability to promote national cohesion. “We are tasked with monitoring over 700 MDAs across the country, yet our capacity is being…
In the unfolding theatre of Nigeria’s post-election politics, one man is stealing the spotlight—not with a defection, not with fanfare, but by walking a tightrope few dare to attempt. Nyesom Wike, the firebrand former Rivers governor turned Federal Capital Territory Minister, is redrawing the map of opposition politics from within the citadel of power. Call it contradiction or call it strategy, Wike calls it neither. He calls it loyalty—with a twist. “I’m not Janus. I’m not two-faced,” Wike declared during a recent media chat, brushing aside comparisons to the Roman god famed for looking both ways. “I didn’t support Atiku.…
Nigeria and the United States have pledged to strengthen their economic ties through deeper collaboration in trade, investment, and innovation, in a renewed push to drive sustainable development and private sector-led growth in Africa’s largest economy. The renewed commitment was made during a strategic meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and the United States Consul General to Nigeria, Mr. Rick Swart. The Minister was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya. The talks spotlighted mutual interest in unlocking investment opportunities, promoting fiscal sustainability, and supporting President…
The Federal Ministry of Education has broken its silence over growing attacks on the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, describing the allegations as part of a “coordinated smear campaign” aimed at frustrating ongoing reforms in the basic education sector. In a firm statement on Tuesday, Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the Ministry was alarmed by what it called a “malicious narrative” being peddled by a shadowy group known as the Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC)—a group whose credibility, he noted, is questionable. “The claims are not just false. They are clearly sponsored…