Category: Nigerian Tribune

IN the build-up to the recently concluded nomination exercise of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it wasn’t a secret that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, was headed for the Senate to represent Kaduna North. Many of his colleagues in the lower chamber knew about the ‘upgrade’ and were already nostalgic about the imminent ‘loss’ of their largely personable leader. The number four citizen even printed invites (though Gibbers can confirm the distribution of the same was shelved at the last minute) to his planned public declaration for the Senate in his Zaria base.

Then something changed!

There was a U-turn and Abbas ‘decided’ to cling to his Zaria Federal Constituency seat that catapulted him to the speakership over the last three years and, with the backpedalling, the centre would appear to have collapsed between his camp and that of Governor Uba Sani. The crisis of confidence between the two major groups dominating the Kaduna chapter of the ruling party blew into the open recently, forcing the usually reticent Speaker to publicly speak to it, albeit denying that his relationship with the governor had soured.

Addressing supporters, he said, ‘The governor and I enjoy a close relationship founded on trust, mutual respect and a common determination to improve the welfare of our people through purposeful leadership and effective collaboration.

‘The office of the Speaker is not only a blessing to Zaria or Kaduna North Senatorial District; it is a blessing to Kaduna State as a whole. We are committed to serving every part of the state with fairness, justice and inclusiveness, while ensuring that government programmes and development projects reach communities without discrimination or political consideration.’

For those who have always known him, especially through relationships forged in his younger, schooling years, the speech is the typical Abbas; the one to douse tension and seek peace as necessary.

But today’s politics would seem to require a different temperament. When Abbas ‘flipped’ and walked away from the Senate ticket, he reportedly threw a spanner in the carefully choreographed moves that would see the governor’s younger brother take up the Reps seat Abbas was to leave behind. The bigger stake was allegedly using the ‘upgrade’ to cast off the governor’s neck the political ‘yoke’ that comes with the state and its APC chapter producing the country’s number four citizen, for another four years.

It should be noted that the governor’s alleged discomfort with having a party man, with federal might, as a co-political lord, isn’t unexampled. It’s almost as historical as it is commonplace, maybe with different decibels of hysteria, from state to state and space to space. In his adopted home state, Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have had an on-and-off political relationship, with the current tension between them being over the Republican nominee to succeed the term-limited governor. While the president, the undisputed GOP national leader, wants black Congressman Rep. Byron Donalds, the outgoing governor has refused to endorse his leader’s candidate, who used to be his close ally before siding with Trump against the governor in the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

Back to Kaduna, with the detour by Abbas, Sani’s alleged projections simply collapsed.

A failed coup?

Both Kaduna APC lords are fierce loyalists of President Tinubu. While Sani is playing a dominant role in the president’s re-election campaign as deputy to Hope Uzodinma, the Renewed Hope Ambassador DG, it’s an open secret that Abbas, from the very beginning of his unlikely ascension to the number four citizen’s seat, has been a reliable enforcer for the Nigerian leader in the power game of the lower chamber.

With Nasir el-Rufai, Tinubu’s former main man in Kaduna, now out of favour, out of the party and neatly tucked in the dungeon, likely pending the conclusion of the general election next year, a leadership vacancy and vacuum definitely beckoned in the state’s ruling party, and the Yoruba will say there can’t be two kings in a palace. Well, the lingering Kano emir dispute would seem to have blunted the edge of the age-old truism, but the two emirs tussling in the emirate aren’t locking horns from the same palace. One is in the palace, the other, in the palace’s guest house. But both claimants still answer to the same title, possibly until the Supreme Court decides who was lawfully chosen and lawfully sacked between the duo. Someone may also want to say that would depend on the apex court coming out with enough clarity this time that won’t give room for opposing parties to be claiming victory from the same judgement that should clearly spell out a winner and a loser. So much for justice.

When Governor Sani and his benefactor, el-Rufai, parted ways, it made political sense for the governor to build new bridges and alliances and, until the recent burst, both Sani and Speaker Abbas were seen as buddy-buddy, though insiders claimed that the bromance had always been under strain. But it would seem the Speaker’s politics is as simple as his usually expressionless visage. Even after the president reportedly assured him of ‘continuity’, which implies he would keep the gavel for another four years, he reportedly acquiesced to the governor’s prodding to go to the Senate, again, allegedly with the approval of the president.

The presidency connection

With the totalitarian nature of President Bola Tinubu’s politics, it will always be easy-peasy for those with privileged access to him to use him as a meal ticket. In Lagos, even the councillorship candidates’ list is still reportedly run by and through him, even when he would not readily know those on it, making it easy for the dubious among his close political associates to shamelessly manipulate nomination contests with ‘Asiwaju so pe’ (Tinubu has decreed it). The syndrome also permeated the just-done APC National Assembly nominations in the state, leading to quality first-termers, including a beloved uncle, losing to the greed of some Bourdillon charlatans. But I digress.

Governor Sani allegedly invoked the president’s name in persuading Abbas to drop the gavel and move ‘up’ and sources in the know claimed the governor wasn’t fabricating the presidential approval claim. How can one person be approbating and reprobating?

Somehow Abbas, according to his inner circle, would not even bother to check back with the Nigerian leader on why he was changing his mind about him, and at a point he was said to be seriously considering walking away from politics altogether next year, instead of becoming what the Yoruba will call akùk?´ joyè (titular head), but before he could make the ìlèsànmí (quitting with dignity) decision, a very senior official of the administration (redacting his identity for a purpose), with unfettered access to the president, would not just let go. With some principal officers, he reportedly led an inquiry delegation to the president to know why he didn’t want the Speaker again.

The team also reportedly let the president into what was playing out in Kaduna, especially the permutations. Convinced the Speaker was about losing to the shenanigans of politics, the president allegedly directed that Abbas should hold on to his Reps ticket and, if re-elected, which is almost certain, his number four seat.

President Tinubu’s politics doesn’t cut the picture of justice for the cheated. His antecedents don’t suggest it. He has tons of cut-throat political records for his critics to back the assertion up. But twice now, he has proved that he could disprove the disposition, maybe when occasionally touched by the Spirit of God.

When the NTA top leadership was flushed out in a seeming coup by one of his aides who once ran a failed satellite television company, he recalled the affected top shots within hours, despite signing off on their sacking in the first instance, the moment his Minister of Information, who was kept in the dark on the matter, was able to convince him that his earlier sacking approval was obtained by subterfuge.

The Kaduna reversal looks like a repeat and just as he managed to still keep the scheming aide close despite foiling his coup at NTA, I believe he would find a way to still keep Sani by his side even when he has burst the governor’s move against the Speaker.

Who is Kaduna APC leader?

For the APC under the Tinubu presidency, governors are deemed the leaders of the state chapters where the party rules and maybe the most senior appointed or elected officials in the few states it doesn’t control. But there have been a lot of exceptions. Who is Sanwo-Olu to attempt to decide for the ruling party in Lagos? In fact, in the last council poll in the state of the President, not even a councillorship was reportedly ceded to him even in his base, simply because the real leader in the state, President Tinubu, was angry with him over his alleged role in the crisis that engulfed the state House of Assembly following the removal of the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

The same scenario has played out in Rivers. Even with Governor Sim Fubara porting to the APC, the blind can smell the authentic APC leader in the state. The bizarre dimension to the Rivers situation is that the person calling the shots in the APC isn’t even a member of the party. Politics is filled with stranger-than-fiction situations.

But by the party’s convention, Governor Sani is the assumed leader of the APC in the crucial vote-rich North-West swing state. But he has the ‘misfortune’ of his state and party producing the number four citizen of the country, who is higher up in the official protocol list. Unfortunately again for the governor, the national figure from his state seems to carry more political aura, value and weight than him and is far more beloved.

Incidentally, Governor Sani is the one I can claim to know somehow between the duo. I got to interact with his ‘team’ sometime in 2024 during the judicial consideration of complaints against his 2023 electoral victory. Abbas, I have no relationship whatsoever with, but the regular rave reviews of his project deliveries can’t but catch attention.

I learnt that the anger from the governor’s camp stemmed from Abbas appearing to do too many projects in the state under the zonal intervention initiative, better known as ‘constituency projects’. Naturally, anyone with a low confidence level will also feel threatened, humiliated and overshadowed, especially a governor who is supposed to be the man on the ground. I gathered from insiders that the project siting issue became so intense that some of the projects facilitated and financed by the Speaker had to be conceded to the state government as its projects and allowed to be commissioned under the Sani administration banner of project delivery to the people of the state.

Abbas is reportedly into such concession to ensure every part of the state benefits from his national stature, also trying not to dwarf the state government at the same time. It is a kind of stooping to conquer, and that would seem the right thing to do in the circumstance, but a man’s ego is a man’s ego. And now that both men are likely to hold on to their current jobs till 2031, the head-butting may not abate anytime soon.

A tale of three Zaria ‘boys’

Interestingly, both Uba Sani and Abbas are from the politically conscious Zaria. El-Rufai, also. Call them the three disparate Zaria musketeers. Or call what is ongoing between Abbas and Sani a tale of two Zaria ‘boys’. Both are very close to the President and openly working to re-elect him. But they could end up handing the state again to the opposition, particularly Atiku Abubakar’s ADC, if they don’t close ranks quickly and pool resources together to safeguard their turf.

With the Tinubu administration gradually making a martyr of el-Rufai, all eyes would be on the state in the January poll. His men can’t afford to be on each other’s necks. In 2023, Atiku, running on the PDP’s platform, easily won the state with el-Rufai as the sitting governor, vociferously backing Tinubu. Atiku’s PDP also swept nearly all the National Assembly seats, with Abbas coming in as the lone APC lawmaker from the state. Today, he has almost harvested all the PDP Reps from the state into the APC.

The 2023 governorship poll in the state was a hair’s breadth for the APC. But for the jurisprudential brilliance of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, Uba’s electoral victory might not have withstood judicial scrutiny.

The 2027 dynamics are definitely different, but still not completely conducive to the governor despite his open romance with Southern Kaduna, which had always been at loggerheads with the state’s ruling establishment.

Aside from the anger of the Fulani Muslims against Sani for drawing the mainly Christian South of the state into the mainstream of governance, the fact that his ticket, fixed for him by el-Rufai, is still Muslim-Muslim like Tinubu’s is still an issue for some Christians in the state despite his open embrace of the Christian community.

Then his eternal rival and main opponent in 2027, who lost narrowly to him in 2023, has now opted for a Christian running mate.

Hopefully, Bayo Ojo will save the day again.

Nigeria is pushing for expanded job opportunities for its citizens in Qatar and stronger cooperation in the energy sector, following high-level diplomatic engagements in Doha on Sunday.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Mahmood Yakubu, held separate meetings with Qatari government officials and leadership of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) as part of efforts to deepen bilateral ties.

Ambassador Yakubu was received by Qatari Minister of Labour, Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri.

Discussions focused on opening up more employment prospects for Nigerian nationals in Qatar.

The envoy said the initiative aligns with the ‘4D Doctrine’ of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which prioritises Democracy, Development, Demography, and active Diaspora engagement.

Later on Sunday, Ambassador Yakubu hosted a delegation from the GECF led by its Secretary-General, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, a Nigerian national.

The GECF is headquartered in Doha. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, currently serves as Chairman of its ministerial meetings.

Two Nigerians recently evacuated from South Africa on Saturday recounted the discrimination, financial hardship and bureaucratic obstacles they faced abroad, as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) used the occasion to encourage young Nigerians to pursue their ambitions at home and abroad with resilience and determination.

The returnees spoke at the 2026 National Diaspora Day Youth Empowerment Summit in Abuja, where NiDCOM Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged Nigerian youths to believe in themselves, embrace leadership and draw inspiration from the experiences of Nigerians who had overcome adversity.

Dabiri-Erewa said the summit was designed to inspire and equip young Nigerians with the knowledge and confidence needed to become responsible leaders and contribute meaningfully to national development.

She urged participants to make the most of the experiences shared by resource persons and panellists, stressing the need to develop leadership skills, overcome challenges and remain proud of their Nigerian identity.

The NiDCOM boss recalled that some participants had attended similar capacity-building programmes in previous years and later returned to share success stories, describing mentorship as a powerful tool for youth empowerment.

One of the returnees, a chemical engineering student, narrated how he successfully combined his university education in South Africa with operating a tutoring business that served more than 30 students every week before circumstances compelled him to return to Nigeria.

He said he hoped to complete his education and build a career in Nigeria’s power and petroleum sectors.

While he admitted missing the friendships he had built in South Africa, he said he did not miss the discrimination and bureaucratic hurdles he encountered during his stay.

Another returnee, Mrs Maria Adeyemi, recounted the challenges she and her family experienced, including documentation problems, financial losses and prolonged separation from her husband.

She expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government for facilitating their evacuation through NiDCOM’s intervention.

Adeyemi also disclosed plans to establish a restaurant in Nigeria, saying she hoped to contribute to the country’s hospitality industry with her culinary skills.

Responding to their testimonies, Dabiri-Erewa assured the returnees that NiDCOM would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to support their reintegration and help them realise their aspirations.

She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to promoting youth development, supporting Nigerians in the diaspora and assisting returnees to rebuild their lives.

Earlier, she encouraged young Nigerians to dream big and remain determined despite challenges.

According to her, nothing was impossible for young people who were focused, resilient and willing to learn.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of ARCO Group Plc, Engr Alfred Okoigun, urged Nigerian youths to embrace innovation, integrity and lifelong learning as essential values for driving national development.

Okoigun commended NiDCOM for creating a platform that connects young Nigerians with accomplished professionals and members of the diaspora, describing it as a valuable avenue for mentorship, collaboration and nation-building.

He also applauded the Federal Government for supporting initiatives that empower young Nigerians while leveraging the expertise of Nigerians in the diaspora to promote sustainable national development.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Zamfara State has condemned the recent attacks by bandits in the Talata Mafara and Bungudu Local Government Areas, which targeted both the community and security forces. The party described these attacks as unacceptable.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau, the state NDC publicity secretary, Alkassim Kayatawa, noted that the Zamfara State chairman, Alhaji Surajo Maikatako, extends profound condolences to the families and communities affected by the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the state.

The statement reads in parts: ‘It is with deep shock and sorrow that we received the heartbreaking news of the brutal murder of innocent farmers in the communities of Sauna and Ruwan Gora, Talata Mafara LGA.

‘These hardworking citizens were ruthlessly killed by bandits while several others sustained severe injuries. Our hearts go out to the grieving families, and we share in their immeasurable pain.

‘Equally, in a horrific incident, terrorists invaded Bungudu LGA, abducted the current Local Government Council Chairman; they murdered his security detail, including two gallant policemen and two vigilante members.

‘We commiserate with the families of these fallen heroes who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

‘The Zamfara NDC strongly condemns these heinous and cowardly acts of terrorism.

‘The continued loss of innocent lives and the deliberate targeting of community leaders and security personnel are unacceptable and represent a grave threat to the peace and stability of our state.

NDC concluded by calling on the Federal Government and the Zamfara State Government to take immediate, decisive, and comprehensive action to end this banditry.

A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, AIG Jimoh Olorundare Moshood, to arrest, investigate and prosecute social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged cybercrime and defamatory online attacks.

The call was contained in a petition signed by the National Coordinator and Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity and Justice, Comrade James Okoronkwo.

According to the coalition, VeryDarkMan has, in recent weeks, allegedly used his social media platforms to launch what it described as coordinated and defamatory attacks against the senior police officer and the Nigeria Police Force.

The petition alleged that the content published by the activist was intended to undermine the integrity of the AIG and the authority of his office.

‘We write to officially petition your highly esteemed office regarding the continuous, malicious and coordinated cyber-attacks perpetrated by a social media actor known as Mr Martins Otse (widely known as VDM),’ the petition stated.

It further alleged that the activist had been broadcasting ‘baseless allegations’ capable of inciting public hostility, arguing that the conduct went beyond social media commentary and constituted offences under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, including alleged cyberstalking, criminal defamation and actions likely to cause a breach of public peace.

The coalition said it had already embarked on media campaigns to counter what it described as false narratives against the police officer but maintained that public rebuttals alone were insufficient.

‘As a frontline civil society coalition dedicated to the defence of our national security institutions, we have already deployed extensive media resources to publicly debunk these malicious narratives and shield your office from this unwarranted digital blackmail. However, media rebuttals alone are insufficient to deter chronic cyber-anarchists,’ the petition added.

The group urged the police authorities to immediately arrest the social media influencer, conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation into his online activities and identify any alleged sponsors or collaborators.

It also called for his prompt prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.

‘Our coalition hereby formally demands the immediate arrest of Mr Martins Otse (VDM), a comprehensive investigation into his digital footprints, his enablers and the alleged sponsors of this smear campaign, as well as his prompt arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction.

‘A threat to the integrity of a high-ranking officer of the Nigeria Police Force is a threat to national security. We urge you to deploy the full weight of the law without delay,’ the petition stated.

The coalition also pledged to continue supporting the police through media advocacy and civil society engagement as the matter progresses.

As of the time of filing this report, VeryDarkMan had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition, while the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the request.

Former Senator and human rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani, has called for a renewed commitment to quality education, accountable leadership, youth inclusion, and the prudent management of Nigeria’s human and natural resources as key drivers of national development.

Sani made the call on Friday while delivering a special lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, titled ‘Rethinking Development in Nigeria: Key Lessons and Prospects for the Future.’

Sani noted that Nigeria has produced professionals and intellectuals who have excelled globally, reflecting the strength of its human capital.

He, however, lamented that despite its large population, abundant resources and skilled workforce, the country has not effectively harnessed these advantages for sustainable development.

He stressed that any serious discussion on Nigeria’s future must critically examine past decisions, achievements and failures, with history serving as a guide for younger generations.

‘We are benefiting from what past generations have been able to do for us. Future generations can only benefit from the seeds we are planting now,’ he said.

He urged young Nigerians to study national history, remain optimistic, and actively engage in addressing challenges such as unemployment, insecurity, corruption and weak institutions through civic participation.

Sani also called for greater youth inclusion in leadership, urging young people to demand accountability, uphold democratic values and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.

Earlier, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Gbenga Fasiku, said the lecture reflects the faculty’s commitment to intellectual discourse on national issues.

He described the series as a platform for exposing students to experienced Nigerians whose insights can enrich discussions on leadership and public service.

Fasiku noted that it was the faculty’s first special lecture of the 2025/2026 session and the first in the series featuring a guest from Northern Nigeria, adding that the theme highlights the need to reassess Nigeria’s development path and prepare future leaders.

Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Ibukun Akanni, commended the faculty for the initiative and described Sani as a seasoned politician and public intellectual whose experience offers valuable national insights. He expressed hope that the lecture would inspire students toward informed and responsible engagement in national issues.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Gbemisola Remi Adeoti, and other lecturers also urged youths to learn from past mistakes, strengthen democratic institutions and embrace responsible leadership.

Students who attended described the lecture as inspiring and enlightening, saying it motivated them to take greater interest in leadership and public affairs.

The event featured cultural performances by students of the Department of Dramatic Arts and the presentation of a commemorative award to Sani.

Nollywood actress, Dayo Amusa, has urged her colleagues to take movie promotion more seriously, stressing that an actor’s responsibility does not end when filming wraps.

In a message addressed to members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Amusa said acting is only half of the job, while ensuring audiences watch the finished project is the other half.

She encouraged actors to actively promote every film they feature in, noting that appearing on a movie poster should also mean lending their voices to its publicity campaign.

According to her, promoting films is not about doing producers a favour but about investing in one’s own career and future opportunities.

‘When your face is on the poster, your voice must be on the promotion. You are not doing the producer a favour. You are investing in yourself,’ she wrote.

Amusa explained that active promotion helps actors build stronger personal brands, increases their market value and opens doors to more acting roles and endorsement opportunities.

She also noted that actors have enormous influence over their fans, saying a single social media post from a cast member can significantly boost cinema attendance or push a movie to the top of streaming platforms.

The actress further argued that promoting completed projects protects the hard work actors put into production and contributes to the overall growth of the Nigerian film industry.

Drawing a comparison with Hollywood, Amusa said international stars proudly promote their films and urged Nollywood actors to embrace the same culture if the industry is to achieve better remuneration and greater global recognition.

‘I urge every actor to adopt this standard: promote any project you feature in with posts, interviews and premiere attendance during its publicity window. Let us be actors who are not only talented, but visible, proud and supportive of our own craft. God bless AGN. God bless Nollywood,’ she concluded.

Long before the lights come on in the Big Brother Naija house and the housemates walk in, a small army of Nigerian artisans, engineers, and designers has already spent the better part of a year bringing one of Africa’s biggest reality television productions to life. By the time viewers see the Big Brother Naija house on launch night, months of planning, engineering, and construction have culminated in a purpose-built environment designed to support a multi-week show.

This season’s process began in November 2025, nearly nine months before its July 26th, 2026, premiere. To understand the BBNaija house, you have to look past the finished set and into the timeline behind it. The process begins with concept development and design, followed by months of procurement, sourcing, and planning before construction crews move in. From bare structure to camera-ready set, the physical transformation takes just two months.

The result is a custom BBNaija house in Lagos equipped with 52 robotic pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, seven handheld cameras, 59 microphones, 36 antenna blades, and 19 speakers, all working together to capture every conversation and movement around the clock. Constructed adjacent to the live television studio, which houses seven hand-held cameras, the space is flexible enough to accommodate over 20 housemates for the period while seamlessly morphing to capture every moment of the show.

What’s easy to miss watching from home is how much the house itself changes year to year. The house that we have now is fundamentally different from the house that we’ve had in the last three years. A major turning point came in 2024, when the production team moved the staircase into the center of the living room and relocated the bedrooms upstairs in a shift that reshaped how housemates move through and are seen within the space.

It’s a level of design ambition that goes well beyond aesthetics. Every reconfiguration is built around camera coverage, sightlines, and how housemates naturally gather and interact, the architectural equivalent of a director blocking a scene, except the ‘actors’ never leave the set.

Perhaps most remarkable is that the entire project is delivered locally. From civil engineering and electrical works to interior decoration and finishing, every aspect of the house is executed in Nigeria using local expertise. That commitment supports more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs each season, spanning carpenters, electricians, decorators, civil engineers and a wide range of specialist trades.

The impact extends well beyond construction. Once the house is handed over, hundreds more professionals take over-from production crews and camera operators to the ninjas who facilitate tasks, master control room (MCR) teams, housekeeping staff, caterers and technical support personnel who keep the production running around the clock.

For a franchise often defined by its drama, rivalries, and ratings, the Big Brother Naija house tells another story entirely. Before the cameras start rolling each season, a full-scale, homegrown production ecosystem dismantles, redesigns, and rebuilds the house from the ground up, ready for a new cast of housemates to make it their own.

A new study suggests that people who consume the highest amounts of artificial sweeteners may experience a significantly faster decline in memory and thinking skills, particularly adults under 60 and people with diabetes.

The findings, published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, indicate that high intake of artificial sweeteners is associated with cognitive decline equivalent to about 1.6 additional years of brain ageing.

Researchers followed 12,772 adults in Brazil for approximately eight years, examining their intake of seven common sweeteners found in diet drinks, sugar-free desserts, flavoured water, and tabletop sweeteners.

These included aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose. Six of the seven sweeteners were linked to faster cognitive decline, while tagatose was the only one not associated with worsening brain function.

Participants completed detailed dietary questionnaires and underwent repeated cognitive assessments measuring memory, verbal fluency, working memory, and processing speed.

After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, the researchers found that participants with the highest intake of artificial sweeteners experienced a 62% faster decline in overall cognitive function than those with the lowest intake.

The difference was comparable to about 1.6 additional years of brain ageing. Even those with moderate sweetener intake experienced a 35% faster cognitive decline, equivalent to roughly 1.3 extra years of brain ageing, compared with participants who consumed the least.

The association was particularly strong among adults younger than 60, who experienced faster declines in overall cognition and verbal fluency. A stronger link was also observed among people with diabetes, who are more likely to rely on sugar substitutes to reduce their sugar intake.

When the researchers examined the sweeteners individually, aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol were all associated with faster cognitive decline, particularly memory loss. Tagatose was the only sweetener that showed no significant association.

The researchers stressed that the study does not prove artificial sweeteners cause memory loss or accelerate brain ageing. Because it was observational, other factors, including overall diet, lifestyle, and underlying health conditions, may have contributed to the findings.

Even so, the results raise fresh questions about the long-term effects of sugar substitutes, which are widely marketed as healthier alternatives to sugar.

The researchers said more studies are needed to determine whether artificial sweeteners themselves contribute to cognitive decline or whether the observed link is driven by other health and lifestyle factors. Until then, they suggest moderation may be the most sensible approach to consuming sugar substitutes.

The Oyo State Government has commenced a fresh enforcement exercise against non-compliant billboard operators, sealing more than 18 billboard structures operating without the required approvals across the state.

The enforcement, carried out by the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), is aimed at restoring order in the outdoor advertising sector, improving public safety and ensuring strict compliance with the state’s signage regulations.

According to a statement issued by the agency, the affected billboard structures were identified during compliance verification and inspection exercises conducted across the state.

The agency said the action followed several demand notices, stakeholder engagements and repeated opportunities given to operators to regularise their operations before enforcement commenced.

It listed the infractions to include non-payment of assessed billboard and advertisement fees, operation without valid permits, display of advertisements on unregistered structures, continued use of structures previously marked for compliance, erection of billboards without approval, failure to meet structural and environmental standards and the placement of billboards in unauthorised locations.

OYSAA clarified that only billboard owners and practitioners found to have violated the regulations were affected by the exercise.

It stressed that operators with valid permits, approvals and verified evidence of payment were not impacted.

The agency said the enforcement involved inspection and verification of approval and payment records, sealing of non-compliant structures, removal or deactivation of unauthorised advertisements, documentation of affected structures, issuance of final compliance directives and commencement of processes to recover outstanding statutory fees and enforcement costs.

Speaking on the exercise, the agency said the action underscored the determination of the state government to sanitise the outdoor advertising industry.

‘The enforcement reflects the determination of the Oyo State Government to promote discipline, fairness and professionalism within the outdoor advertising sector,’ the agency stated.

It added, ‘The affected operators had been given sufficient notice and opportunities to comply before enforcement began.’

Reiterating the objectives of the exercise, OYSAA said, ‘Our objective is to protect law-abiding practitioners, improve road safety and ensure that all operators meet the same regulatory obligations.’

The agency further warned that the ongoing exercise was only the first phase of a wider compliance campaign.

‘This enforcement exercise marks the beginning of a wider compliance campaign across billboard corridors and other strategic locations in the state. Operators who fail to regularise their structures risk further administrative or legal action,’ it said.

OYSAA also urged billboard owners, businesses, religious and political organisations, as well as corporate institutions, to verify the status of their advertising structures, renew expired permits, settle outstanding assessments and obtain the necessary approvals before erecting or displaying new advertisements.