The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has mourned the reported death of veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo. Musawa described Hassan as a major figure in Nigeria’s film industry whose talent and dedication helped promote Yoruba culture and storytelling. In a condolence statement issued by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the minister said Ogogo was more than a movie star, describing him as a custodian of Nigerian culture. She said the actor used his career to project Yoruba traditions and Nigerian heritage to audiences across…
Author: National Update
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has challenged opposition parties to take the 2027 presidential campaign beyond President Bola Tinubu’s academic credentials and present Nigerians with clear alternatives. Ndume, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the opposition should focus on the economy, insecurity and other issues affecting Nigerians instead of making Tinubu’s certificate the centre of its campaign. He spoke in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Monday. His comments came amid renewed debate over Tinubu’s educational records, following concerns raised by some opposition figures about entries in the president’s EC9 nomination form. Tinubu listed…
Senator Suleiman Kawu Sumaila has urged the APC Presidential Campaign Council to make Nigerians’ economic hardship a central issue in its 2027 campaign and explain how the government intends to provide relief. Kawu, representing Kano South, gave the advice in a goodwill message congratulating Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari on his appointment as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The senator said the campaign must approach voters with empathy, listen to their concerns and show a clear understanding of the economic pressures facing families. He also urged the council to strengthen its grassroots engagement, warning that a disconnect between political…
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, was decorated as Grand Patron of the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office in May 2026, weeks before the ICPC questioned the organisation’s status. The development followed letters sent to several state governments asking them to nominate coordinators for the organisation. President Bola Tinubu later ordered the arrest of Nwabueze Buchi George, the organisation’s Executive Director and National Coordinator, after an ICPC investigation reportedly found that it operated under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation without presidential authorisation. At least 15 states and the Federal Capital…
By Friday Idachaba The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and 40 journalists from Nigeria’s North-Central, South-East and South-South zones have called for dedicated Child Rights Desks in media organisations to improve the protection and ethical coverage of children. The call was made in a communiqué issued after a two-day national workshop on Ethical Reporting of Children held in Port Harcourt under the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) and UNICEF. The participants said dedicated desks would help newsrooms provide sustained and specialised coverage of issues affecting children, particularly those exposed to abuse, violence, conflict and other forms of vulnerability. They urged…
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, has backed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the fuel subsidy removal, urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the policy. Vatsa, a former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said Nigerians had suffered severe economic hardship since the removal of the subsidy. In a statement issued in Minna on Sunday, titled “Let’s Take Atiku’s Message and Leave the Messenger,” Vatsa said the government should focus on the substance of Atiku’s criticism rather than his political identity. “Even if you don’t like the messenger, you should at least…
Pioneer alumni of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) have renewed their commitment to their alma mater after a three-day reunion in Abuja. The scasion featured a leadership transition, awards for outstanding members and multimillion-naira support pledges. The reunion, held from July 24 to 26, 2026, brought together former students from across Nigeria and abroad to reconnect, celebrate achievements and discuss ways to support the university. The event began with a Meet and Greet on Friday, allowing members to reconnect and share memories from their years at UNIJOS. A new executive committee was inaugurated on Saturday, following the handover of leadership…
Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has raised fresh questions over the alleged operation of a government-linked organisation that reportedly developed a network of coordinators across Nigeria and representatives abroad. Dalung said the emerging details suggest that the controversy goes beyond the alleged creation of a fictitious government agency and raises questions about how such an organisation could operate close to the centre of government. He said the organisation, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, reportedly had coordinators in about 20 states, as well as representatives outside Nigeria, including China and the United…
For Senator Neda Imasuen, the 2026 Most Outstanding Senator of the Year Award was less about personal recognition and more about the people he represents in Edo South. Imasuen, who represents Edo South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, received the honour at the 10th anniversary of the Nigeria Most Influential Awards (NMIA) in Abuja on Saturday. Rather than present the award as a personal achievement, the senator dedicated it to the “resilient and hardworking people of Edo South,” saying their trust and support continue to drive his service. “I am deeply honoured to receive the Most Outstanding Senator…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old woman in Ogun State and intercepted cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu, during separate operations across Nigeria. The woman, identified as Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested on August 15 in Ilisan, Ogun State, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis. According to the NDLEA, she told operatives that she sold the drug to locals after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. The NDLEA said Ogunmabo also claimed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied the drug to her every four…