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The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, August 25, 2026, a public holiday to commemorate this year’s Eid ul Mawlid, marking the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the holiday on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani.

Tunji-Ojo congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and across the diaspora on the celebration and urged Nigerians to reflect on the values of compassion, humility and service exemplified in the life of Prophet Muhammad.

‘Every Eid ul Mawlid gives us reason to pause and draw lessons from a life defined by compassion, humility and service to others.

‘These are qualities our nation needs now more than ever, and I encourage every Nigerian, not just our Muslim brothers and sisters, to reflect on them,’ he said.

The minister also called on Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for lasting peace, unity and national cohesion, stressing that preserving harmony remained a shared responsibility.

He urged citizens to celebrate the festival peacefully, with restraint and mutual respect, and to extend warm wishes to the Muslim faithful for a joyous and peaceful Eid ul Mawlid.

Tunji-Ojo further reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property and to sustaining peace and security across the country.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer in the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general election.

He made his position known yesterday when he visited Governor Biodun Oyebanji at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti.

Oluyede informed the governor of his decision to work for Tinubu’s victory in the January 2027 presidential election.

He also discussed with Governor Oyebanji issues relating to the development and progress of Ekiti State, as the governor prepares to begin his second term on October 16.

Receiving Oluyede, Governor Oyebanji praised him for an act of statesmanship and his commitment to the progress of Ekiti State and national development.

Oyebanji expressed appreciation for Oluyede’s decision to support President Tinubu, saying his gesture demonstrated a shared commitment to the development of Ekiti and Nigeria.

Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have called for better reporting of domestic child workers to avoid harm falling on them.

The NGOs, Freedom Fund, in collaboration with Street Project Foundation(SPF), and Cece Yara Foundation, among others, made the call yesterday during the launch of a document titled, ”Ethical Media Reporting guidelines,” in Ikeja, Lagos.

Founder, SPF, Mrs Rita Ezenwa-Okoro, lamented that images and words affect child domestic workers, adding that this is why the law disallows their being reported.

”I’m really excited that we get to do the document. It’s a step in the right direction in protecting child domestic workers from harm,” she said.

After the launch, Ezenwa-Okoro added, there would be follow ups with their media partners to see how the guidelines had been of help to them, adding that they would assess how effective they had been. ”And it will go to show, based on the kinds of reports that we get going forward, that it does protect the rights of the child.”

The book was the outcome of a year’s work involving SPF, Freedom Fund and their partners.

She thanked the Freedom Fund and their implementation partners for making the launch possible.

The Chief Operating Officer, SPF, Eduvie Olutimayin, reiterated on better reporting of cases of child domestic workers’ abuse.She said there was the need to mask the affected children.The guidelines, as the title implies, she said, would guide reporters to do their work better.

She frowned at the mentioning of names and places of victims of abuse as well as use of their photographs, saying that these could affect them in future

”We believe that when we change the narrative, we change the norm. And when we change the norm, we change the lives of these children.

”The children at the centre of this are denied school, denied rest, denied childhood, and in many cases, denied dignity and safety.Yet their stories are rarely told. And even when they are told, they are told wrongly.

”As journalists, you hold the pen, the mic, the camera. You decide what the public sees.You decide whether a story generates outrage, empathy, or indifference.That is why we cannot fight to end exploitative child domestic work without working with you, the media,” she said.

She recalled that for years in Lagos, and indeed across Nigeria, child domestic work has been normalised.We call them house helps, apprenticeships.We post media responses to them on WhatsApp groups, and in the process, we are hiding the face of exploitation behind family framing, culture, poverty, and silence.

She urged media partnership on the eradication of child domestic abuse.”We want to work with you on stories, data, and on campaigns. We want your newsrooms to be a safe space where ethical reporting thrives,”, she said.

The manual highlights privacy, dignity, non-identification child-safe language and responsible images for child domestic workers.

Head of Programmes, Cece Yara Foundation, Mr Damilola Adenusi, noted that issues of social violence are common in the society, calling for journalists’ support to expose and stop them.

The leadership of the Amirah Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has commended the peace in the Southeast.

Dr. Sumaye Fadimatu Hamza spoke at a briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, ahead of its 11th national conference taking place at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Umuahia.

She said, contrary to reports on social and mainstream media, the Southeast, especially Abia State, the host state of the national conference, was peaceful.

Hamza, who disclosed that members from all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), would be arriving in Abia State for the three-day event, thanked Governor Alex Otti and the people of the state for their support, hospitality and commitment to the successful hosting of the conference.

She said the theme for this year’s conference, ‘Faith, Resilience and Responsibility: Muslim Women Responding to Challenges,’ was carefully chosen because it reflects the realities of the time in the country.

According to her, the theme also reflects the urgent need for individuals, families, communities and institutions to respond positively to the challenges confronting the nation.

The FOMWAN national leader said the conference would provide an opportunity for Muslim women to dialogue, reflect, learn and network, adding that they also aimed to design an action plan that would strengthen families, communities and institutions.

The Muslim women’s leader, who highlighted some of the achievements and interventions the organisation had made in the past, disclosed that its interventions cut across education, politics, the economy and other sectors of the Nigerian state.

She reminded Nigerians that government alone could not address the challenges facing the country, emphasising that nation-building was a collective responsibility.

This is even as they called on the government and wealthy individuals in the country to massively invest in education and skills development, mental health and psychological support for communities, women’s employment and leadership, youth mentorship and responsible citizenship, among others.

They also prayed for peace, security, justice and a prosperous Nigeria where the government and citizens would work collaboratively.

The chairman of the Board of Directors of Geregu Power Plc, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, has moved to personally fund the immediate settlement of the company’s outstanding bond obligation to protect bondholders and restore investor confidence.

Yari, in a statement from his media office on Friday, said the bond was issued and the underlying arrangements entered into under Geregu Power’s former ownership and management, before the current ownership and board assumed control.

He decided to intervene personally because the unresolved obligation could unsettle bondholders, undermine confidence in the company, and affect the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders.

‘Notwithstanding that the day-to-day management of this obligation is not mine to carry, I have decided, in my capacity as Chairman, to personally step in and provide the funds required to address the immediate outstanding bond obligation,’ Yari said.

He stressed, however, that his intervention should not be construed as an admission of personal liability for the obligation or an indication that the current board and management were responsible for its emergence.

‘This is not an admission that the obligation is personally mine, nor is it a judgement that the current Board or management created this problem. It is a decision made in the interest of the institution I am privileged to chair,’ he said.

Yari said the company was already in discussions with its former owners and management about the circumstances surrounding the bond obligation and how it should ultimately be resolved.

According to him, the former owners and management have indicated their willingness to continue discussions towards a lasting and amicable settlement.

His intervention will address the immediate obligation to bondholders while discussions continue on the underlying dispute.

‘Our objective, ultimately, is a final, mutually acceptable resolution: fair treatment or reimbursement of the funds I am advancing now to protect the company, and clear, dependable arrangements for the company’s future obligations to bondholders,’ he said.

The Geregu chairman said he had remained closely involved with the board, management, financial and legal advisers, and other relevant parties since the matter emerged, to establish how the situation arose and determine the appropriate steps for its resolution.

He maintained that protecting investor confidence remained his overriding priority, warning that a dispute of this nature should not disrupt the company’s operations or undermine the confidence of bondholders, shareholders, and business partners.

‘Confidence, once shaken, is expensive to rebuild. I would rather act early than watch that happen,’ he said.

Yari assured bondholders, shareholders, employees, partners and other stakeholders that Geregu Power’s obligations would be honoured and that the company would maintain sound corporate governance as efforts to resolve the underlying matter continue.

‘To our bondholders, our shareholders, and everyone who has built something lasting with Geregu Power: this company’s obligations will be honoured, its governance will remain sound, and its future is not in question,’ he said.

He also pledged to keep stakeholders informed as discussions progress towards a final resolution.

The Coalition for Tinubu-Okpebholo-Nigeria has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the opposition’s emerging position on petrol subsidy ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing it as a contradiction that requires a clear explanation.

The coalition said Nigerians deserved to know what had changed between Atiku’s position during the 2023 presidential campaign and the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s current proposal to restore some form of petrol subsidy if it takes power in 2027.

Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), repeatedly advocated the removal of petrol subsidy during the campaign.

In July 2022, the former Vice President described subsidy removal as ‘inevitable’, although he argued that it should be implemented through negotiations with organised labour and other stakeholders. Later that year, he said his administration would move on the subsidy question within its first 100 days.

At another economic forum in Lagos, Atiku said he would complete the phased removal of subsidy and redirect the resources to other sectors of the economy, describing the subsidy arrangement as a ‘fraud’.

But the ADC, the opposition platform with which Atiku is now associated ahead of 2027, has indicated that it would restore targeted petrol subsidy for low-income and commercial transport operators if it wins the next presidential election.

Reacting on Thursday, spokesman of the Coalition for Tinubu-Okpebholo-Nigeria, Mr. John Mayaki, said the apparent contradiction had created what he described as an ‘Atiku versus Atiku’ contest.

He said: ‘In 2022, candidate Atiku was emphatic. Petrol subsidy had to go. He described the arrangement as fraudulent and presented its removal as part of the economic surgery Nigeria required.

‘Today, the political platform with which he is associated is talking about bringing subsidy back. Nigerians are entitled to ask a very simple question: what changed?

‘Did subsidy suddenly become economically sensible, or did it become unacceptable only because President Bola Tinubu was the one who eventually summoned the courage to remove it?’

Mayaki said the coalition was not suggesting that politicians could never revise their positions, adding that changing economic circumstances could legitimately produce changes in policy.

He, however, maintained that such a major reversal must be accompanied by convincing explanations rather than campaign rhetoric.

‘If Atiku or his political platform now believes subsidy should return, Nigerians deserve the arithmetic,’ he said.

‘How much will it cost? Who qualifies? Where will the money come from? How will another subsidy regime avoid the leakages and abuses Atiku himself previously condemned?

‘And if the old subsidy arrangement was fraudulent when Atiku wanted to become President in 2022, Nigerians deserve to know what economic miracle has transformed its restoration into good policy four years later.’

The coalition said Atiku was within his rights to criticise the manner in which the Tinubu administration removed subsidy, including its timing, cushioning measures and the subsequent cost-of-living pressures.

It, however, argued that criticism of implementation was different from reversing the fundamental economic position Atiku had previously championed.

‘President Tinubu must be judged by the consequences and results of the reforms he implemented. Nobody disputes that,’ Mayaki said.

‘But Atiku cannot demand accountability from Tinubu while asking Nigerians to forget Atiku.

‘The newspapers remember. The television interviews remain. The internet remembers. Nigerians remember.

‘In 2022, the message was: remove subsidy. Ahead of 2027, the opposition conversation is increasingly about restoring subsidy.

‘The question is no longer merely Atiku versus Tinubu. On this issue, it is becoming Atiku versus Atiku.’

The coalition urged the former Vice President to state clearly whether he still stands by his 2022 position that petrol subsidy should be eliminated or has embraced the ADC’s proposed targeted restoration.

It added: ‘Nigeria is too important for economic policy to change according to the election calendar.

‘By 2027, Nigerians must know which proposition they are being asked to vote for – subsidy removal, subsidy restoration, or restoration today followed by removal tomorrow.

‘Until that explanation comes, what the opposition appears to be offering Nigerians is a subsidy on consistency.’

The member representing Esan West/Esan Central/Igueben Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Marcus Onobun, has urged lawmakers in Edo State House of Assembly to reject a bill seeking to repeal the House of Assembly and Judiciary Financial Autonomy Law in Edo State.

He said it was during the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki that Edo Assembly domesticated Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution, guaranteeing financial independence for state legislatures and judiciaries.

The former Edo Assembly Speaker, in a statement, said: ”No state action should now seek to reverse this democratic progress.’

He said the move to repeal the Financial Autonomy Laws contravened the fundamental principle of the separation of powers.

Onobun noted that a robust democracy relied on three co-equal branches.

He said: ‘Stripping the legislature of its financial autonomy destroys this vital system of checks and balances. A financially dependent parliament risks becoming a mere appendage of the executive, severely limiting its capacity for strict accountability, oversight and effective representation.

‘As a former Speaker, I urge the House to reject this proposal and protect its institutional integrity. Financial autonomy is a constitutional mandate, not a political privilege. Our democracy thrives best when the legislature remains truly independent.’

But Speaker of Edo Assembly, Yekini Idiaye, said the laws were not to be repealed but amended to strengthen project monitoring.

He said the House was not reversing the autonomy.

‘We are not reversing the autonomy. We are all beneficiary of the autonomy. The proposed amendment is focused on the capital project aspect of autonomy.

‘What we are trying to do, we are looking at the capital side of it, like the project. Some persons discovered that most projects are not executed.

‘So for us to have a good understanding of the purpose for which we got the autonomy, especially on the side of the project party… what we are thinking is that we want to create a form of an agency,’ he added.

Idiaye said the agency would be responsible for monitoring release of funds, execution and supervision of capital projects for both arms.

‘That all projects will be passing through that agency. They will be monitoring. As it is now, there is no proper monitoring.

‘So we want to have an agency that we want to amend. So that they will be the one monitoring the release of funds, the execution, the supervision. And when you finish, you bring your certificate, take it to the agency.

‘What we are saying is that the amendment is not going to affect the financial aspect of it. It is the operational side of it that it will affect. I don’t even want to say the capital,’ he concluded.

FirstBank has announced the inaugural public lecture of the FirstBank Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair in Business Ethics and Governance scheduled to hold at the University of Lagos on September 3, 2026.

The lecture, themed: ‘Business Ethics and the Future of Nigeria’s Economy,’ will bring together academics, students, business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other stakeholders to examine the critical role of ethics, integrity, accountability, and sustainability in shaping Nigeria’s economic future and fostering long-term national development.

The Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair in Business Ethics and Governance was created in honour of Samuel Asabia, the Bank’s first indigenous Managing Director. The Chair has served as a platform for promoting scholarly research, teaching, and thought leadership in business ethics, corporate governance, responsible leadership, and sustainable business practices.

In recognition of his exemplary leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Olusegun Alebiosu, will serve as Chairman of the Lecture.

Speaking on the significance of the lecture, Olusegun Alebiosu stated: At FirstBank, we believe that sustainable economic progress is anchored on ethical leadership, strong governance, and responsible enterprise. The Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair represents our enduring commitment to advancing thought leadership and fostering meaningful dialogue on issues that shape the future of business and society. Through this inaugural public lecture, we are bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders to explore how integrity-driven leadership can strengthen institutions, enhance economic resilience, and accelerate Nigeria’s journey toward a more inclusive and prosperous future. We are proud to support this important platform for knowledge exchange and nation-building.’

The initiative further reflects FirstBank’s belief that sustainable development extends beyond financial performance to encompass ethical decision-making, responsible corporate citizenship, strong governance, and the development of future leaders capable of driving positive societal change.

The Chair is currently occupied by Professor Kenneth Amaeshi, an internationally recognised scholar whose work spans Sustainable Finance, Corporate Governance, Business Ethics, and Economic Development.

Through enduring investments in education, research, and thought leadership initiatives such as the Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair, FirstBank continues to contribute to the development of ideas, institutions, and leadership principles that support a more prosperous, ethical, and sustainable Nigeria.

The newly elected President of the Yola Polo Club, Abdulrahman Haske, has delivered a message of consolidation and steady promotion of the ‘game of kings’ to the Nigerian polo community.

?Speaking during an interactive media session following his election, Haske vowed to redouble efforts to promote polo in Adamawa State, across Nigeria, and on the international stage. He expressed gratitude to the Grand Patron of the club and Lamido of Adamawa, HRH Muhammadu Barkindo Musdafa, for the opportunity to serve, declaring that his management committee will elevate the sport to greater heights. Haske, who is also the patron of the Haske and Williams polo team, assured fans that the forthcoming 2026 Yola International Polo Tournament will be one of the most exciting in recent memory.

?Revered as the premier sporting attraction and social highlight of the North-East region, the 2026 festival is scheduled to run from September 8 to September 13 at the historic Lamido Musdafa Polo Ground in Yola. Confirming the dates, Haske noted that no sporting event captures the cultural heritage of the Adamawa Kingdom quite like this annual gathering. He recalled that since the inaugural edition was held at the Eastern Gate of the Lamido Palace in the mid-1930s, the tournament has grown steadily in both popularity and prestige.

?Traditionally hosted by the Lamido and supported by the Adamawa State Government alongside corporate and private sponsors, the tournament features several highly coveted trophies. Key prizes include the high-stakes Governor’s Cup and the historic Lamido Cup-the oldest trophy in the club’s 80-plus-year history. According to Yola Polo Captain Asharaf Yahaya, over 25 top teams from across Nigeria, featuring foreign players, are expected to compete. Other silverware up for grabs includes the Emir of Mubi Cup, INTEL Cup, ABTI Cup, General Hassan Cup, A.A. Mustapha Cup, and the M.C. Tahir Cup.

?Club Secretary Usman Saad highlighted the tournament’s role as a major tourist draw, noting that it regularly attracts visitors from neighbouring Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Europe. ‘We promise a much bigger Yola International this year, as the country’s top-rated players are set to battle for the four major prizes and various individual awards,’ Saad stated.

?The upcoming event follows a thrilling previous edition where the Jos-based Malcomines team and the local Haske and Williams contingent dominated headlines. Murtala Laushi’s Malcomines secured the Governor’s Cup, while Crown Club Resort claimed the Lamido Cup. Haske himself delivered strong performances last year, leading Haske and Williams and Bijou Africa Race to runner-up finishes in the Governor’s and Lamido Cups, respectively. Other winners included the Bauchi Valadora team and Jalingo’s Sadauki Starboys, who lifted the Emir of Mubi Cup.

The 31 companies awarded 37 oil and gas blocks in the 2025 licensing round yesterday got the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)’s nod to pay the signature bonuses as part of the post-award process in the next 60 days.

The winners also have the next 60 days to provide guarantees and complete post-award requirements or risk forfeiting their licences to the reserved bidders.

This was contained in a notice posted on its X handle.

NUPRC said: ‘Exactly a month ago the commission held the 2025 commercial bid conference in Abuja, where 31 companies emerged as provisional winners of 37 blocks.

Having issued the winners with the provisional awards, compliance with the payment of signature bonuses has already begun.’

The commission warned that winners who fail to meet the post-award conditions within the Petroleum Industry Act-mandated timeframe will forfeit their bid guarantees and lose their provisional awards to the reserve bidders.

The NUPRC had stipulated a 90-day window for the winners to pay their signature bonuses, meet other post-award conditions and complete the necessary documentation, failing which they risk forfeiting their bid guarantees and provisional awards.

With 30 days already gone, the awardees now have 60 days to meet the requirements.

At the commercial bid conference in Abuja on July 21, the commission chief executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, had told winners that emerging successful did not automatically translate to the grant of a licence.

She said winners must provide the required guarantees, pay the signature bonus and first-year rent, and execute all contractual documents before a Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) is formally issued.

Eyesan said the process was being conducted in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021, and gave winners a 90-day window from the date of their offer letters to meet these conditions.

‘If you have been told anything contrary to the fact that this process was going to be credible and transparent, do not believe it,’ she said.

She said the commission would apply the drill-or-drop provision against firms that failed to develop their assets after licensing, while adding that the commission would support credible operators facing genuine operational challenges.

Also, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said at the same conference that the PIA had ended discretionary allocation of oil blocks in Nigeria.

‘The PIA, unfortunately for some people, has prevented discretionary allocation of oil blocks,’ Lokpobiri said, adding that no government official had prior knowledge of the commercial bids before they were officially opened.

He said licences should translate into field development rather than remain speculative assets.

‘In the past, I have seen people go round conferences across the world carrying licences and looking for partners who never came. Those days must be over. The licences issued today must translate into actual field development and production,’ Lokpobiri said.

Under the terms set by NUPRC, a winner that fails to pay its signature bonus and meet other post-award conditions within the 90-day period will forfeit its bid guarantee. The affected block will then be offered to the reserve bidder ranked immediately behind the winner in the evaluation process.

Most of the 37 blocks had multiple reserve bidders. PPL 2A29, PPL 2A32, PPL 2A50 and PPL 2A51 each had four reserve bidders listed behind the winner.

Winning companies include SSonic Petroleum Limited, Asharami Deepwater Resource Limited, Gupsco Energy Limited, Blackrock Energy Holdings Limited, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited and Concept-Real Petroleum Services Limited, which was awarded two blocks – PPL 2A47 and PPL 2A55.

The round also covered Nigeria’s frontier basins. Dakoda and U Limited was awarded blocks in the Benin Basin (PPL 308) and the Benue Trough (PPL 800). Nikstalis Nigeria Limited, Attabason Global Company Nigeria Limited, Southborne Oil and Gas Limited and Lanaka Petroleum Limited were awarded onshore blocks in the Anambra Basin.

NNPC EandP Limited did not emerge as a winning bidder in the round. It is listed as a reserve bidder for PPL 2A32 in the Niger Delta onshore terrain.

NUPRC has said the 37 awarded blocks are expected to add about 500 million barrels to Nigeria’s crude oil reserves and increase output by at least 300,000 barrels per day within three years, as part of the federal government’s target of three million barrels per day by 2030.