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President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria’s founding fathers envisioned the country as a global leader of the black race, given its vast human and material potential.

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ýThe President stated this on Wednesday during a televised address on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.

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ýHe paid tribute to national icons such as Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

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ýOther heroes mentioned include Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.

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ý’Today marks the 65th anniversary of our great nation’s Independence. As we reflect on the significance of this day and our journey of nationhood since October 1, 1960, when our founding fathers accepted the instruments of self-government from colonial rule.

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ý’Let us remember their sacrifice, devotion, and grand dream of a strong, prosperous, and united Nigeria that will lead Africa and be the beacon of light to the rest of the world.

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ý’Our founding heroes and heroines-believed it was Nigeria’s manifest destiny to lead the entire black race as the largest black nation on earth.’

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ýTinubu acknowledged Nigeria’s path since independence has been shaped by deep social, political, and economic challenges.ý

‘While we may not have achieved all the lofty dreams of our forebearers, we have not strayed too far from them.’

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ýHe noted that in 65 years, Nigeria has made measurable progress in economic growth, infrastructure, and national cohesion.

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ý’Although, it is much easier for those whose vocation is to focus solely on what ought to be, we must recognise and celebrate our significant progress.’

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ýTinubu highlighted key improvements in education, healthcare, and access to opportunities across the country.

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ý’Nigerians today have access to better education and healthcare than in 1960. At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000.

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ý’Available data indicate that, as of year 2024, there were more than 23,000 secondary schools in our country.

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ý’At Independence, we had only the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology as the two tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria, comprising Federal, State, and private institutions.’

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ýHe reflected on Nigeria’s turbulent history, while commending its resilience and shared spirit through decades of challenges.

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ý’Our country has experienced both the good and the bad times in its 65 years of nationhood, as is normal for every nation and its people.

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ý’We fought a bitter and avoidable civil war, experienced military dictatorships, and lived through major political crises. In all these, we weathered every storm and overcame every challenge with courage, grit, and uncommon determination.’

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ýTinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to unity, inclusion, and progress for all Nigerians.

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ý’We will continue to strive to build a more perfect union where every Nigerian can find better accommodation and find purpose and fulfilment.’

In only his first start for Atalanta in the on-going campaign, Ademola Lookman had an impressive performance as La Dea beat Club Brugge , 2-1.

Atalanta had to come from behind through Lazar Samardzic and Mario Pasalic to claim their first Champions League victory of the season over the Belgian side at the New Balance Arena last night.

There was no Isak Hien, Giorgio Scalvini or Sead Kolasinac in defence for La Dea, nor Charles De Ketelaere, Gianluca Scamacca or Nicola Zalewski further up the pitch.

That, however, meant that Ademola Lookman was called into the starting line-up for the first time this season, following his attempts to leave the club over the course of the summer transfer window. There was also a first start of the campaign for Brazilian midfielder, Ederson.

Atalanta threatened early on through Lorenzo Bernasconi, who thundered a fierce volley just wide of the target from 25 yards out after less than four minutes.

Ederson, Lookman and Mario Pasalic all tried their best to get Atalanta ahead, but it was the visitors who would claim the first-half lead.

Atalanta had to wait until the final 20 minutes to find the equaliser. Nordin Jackers did brilliantly to stop Musah while charging into the area, but the Brugge goalkeeper overcommitted and brought down Mario Pasalic on the follow-up.

Samardzic stepped up to convert the penalty just inside the right post to level for Atalanta with what was his first competitive goal this calendar year.

Then, with three minutes of regular time remaining, Pasalic stole the lead with a well-placed header from Samardzic’s corner delivery, sending the New Balance Arena into a frenzy.

Atalanta, who had been eliminated by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round last season, are now off the mark with their first victory in Europe this season.

Incidentally before the game, Atalanta coach Ivan Juric said he called on Lookman and Emerson in the starting line-up for the match because they are ‘excellent athletes’.

‘They’re quality players. They’ve been training with us for a while, I think that today is a good opportunity for them to start playing in matches,’ Juric told Sky Sport Italia about the return of Lookman and Ederson to the starting line-up. ‘They’re two excellent athletes, we’ll see how they get on during the game.’

Former Nigerian international, Dimeji Lawal, has cautioned the Super Eagles not to get carried away by FIFA’s sanction against South Africa, stressing that the real challenge lies in their capability to win their remaining qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.

The world soccer ruling body, FIFA, on Monday docked South Africa three points and overturned their previous 2-0 victory over Lesotho after fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a preliminary qualifier on March 21, 2025. The disciplinary ruling awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win, while South Africa was fined CHF 10,000. Mokoena also received a formal warning from football’s governing body.

Speaking on the development, Lawal acknowledged the significance of the ruling but insisted that Nigeria’s qualification hopes depend on the Super Eagles’ performances in their last two fixtures.

‘I don’t get excited about the sanction of South Africa because one thing is to get three points taken away from South Africa. Another thing is for us to be able to win our remaining games,’ Lawal posited. ‘The bottom line is: can we win the last two games?

‘That’s the question and this is the crucial part of it. I’m not so excited about removing South Africa’s points. What I am looking forward to is how we can prepare ourselves in a manner that we can win the next two games.’

Lawal, who represented Nigeria at both youth and senior levels before moving abroad to play in Spain, Belgium, and South Africa, emphasized that FIFA’s decision was expected given their long-standing stance on player eligibility.

‘They won’t bend their rules at that level. They will not like to undermine their own regulations. So for sure when South Africa made that mistake, I knew they were going to forfeit the three points and three goals,’ he added.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday advised the federal government to urgently tackle insecurity.

CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in his 65th independence anniversary message, also pleaded for a united, peaceful, and prosperous nation.

Okoh recalled the resilience of Nigerians who have endured civil war, years of instability, and recurring economic and social crises.

He said, despite these difficulties, people have shown remarkable courage and faith, sustaining hope in the promise of a better Nigeria.

Okoh, in a statement, said, ‘The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) joins all citizens in celebrating the 65th anniversary of our nation’s independence. This milestone offers us the opportunity to reflect with gratitude to Almighty God on how far we have come, to recognise the challenges we still face.

‘We acknowledge the undeniable progress recorded in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, telecommunications, and other sectors over the decades. From a handful of schools and institutions at independence, our country today boasts thousands, producing generations of young men and women who continue to shape the nation’s future.

‘Yet, we must also be honest about the unfinished business of nation-building. Economic reforms, while necessary, have brought temporary hardship for millions. The rising cost of living, food insecurity, unemployment, and inflation continue to weigh heavily on households. True progress must be measured not only by statistics but by the food on every table, the security of every community, and the opportunities available to every child’.

Okoh prayed to God to grant our leaders the wisdom, courage, and strength to drive the reforms to a point where Nigerians will rejoice.

‘And may He protect them from sycophants who do not mean well for our nation.

‘Security remains an urgent concern. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal conflicts have caused deep pain and displacement. While strides have been made in restoring safety, more still needs to be done to guarantee the protection of lives and property. CAN urges sustained collaboration between security agencies, communities, and faith-based organisations to consolidate peace across the country.

‘We also recognise that young people are Nigeria’s greatest asset. Their energy, creativity, and determination hold the key to a better tomorrow. Yet, the persistent brain drain, where many of our brightest minds leave for opportunities abroad, remains a critical challenge’, he added.

The CAN boss said Nigeria must create the enabling environment that encourages its citizens, especially the youth, to stay, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Okoh said, ‘Investment in education, innovation, and youth empowerment must remain a national priority, ensuring that no young Nigerian is left behind.

‘As a faith community, CAN believes that the challenges we face can be overcome with collective sacrifice, patriotism, and trust in God. We therefore call on all Nigerians, leaders and citizens alike to rise above ethnic, religious, and political divides, and to work together for the common good.

‘On this anniversary, let us renew our commitment to justice, equity, and good governance. Let us embrace hard work, pay our taxes faithfully, support local production, and show love to one another as one people under God.

‘The dawn of a new Nigeria is possible. With God’s help and our shared determination, we shall build a nation where peace, prosperity, and unity flourish for generations to come’.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said that more governors from the opposition parties were putting finishing touches in preparation to join President Bola Tinubu in the ruling party, just as he noted that Nigerians were already seeing the positive outcomes of the Tinubu-led administration.

Akpabio stated this on Tuesday in his goodwill message at the launch of a book, titled: ‘Ten Years of Impactful Leadership of the APC Administration in Nigeria,’ written by Governor Hope Uzodimma and commissioning of projects by President Bola Tinubu in Owerri, Imo State.

Akpabio, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, said, ‘Mr President, with what you have done in the last two years, get ready to receive more governors from the opposition parties. As I speak, there are several governors in Nigeria today who are ready to be received by you.’

He stated further that Nigerians were beginning to see the positive outcomes of President Bola Tinubu, and they are saying it.

‘The students, farmers, and businessmen are all speaking on the various reforms you have brought into governance, which are now yielding results, in the overall interest and benefit of the people.

‘If we say it, they will accuse us of rubber-stamping your achievements, but the beneficiaries are the ones talking about what you have done.

‘I believe strongly in development and progress. I thank Governor Uzodimma for deciding to put history in writing, in his 10 years of impactful leadership of the APC administration in Nigeria.

‘If you don’t tell your story, others will tell it for you. Progressiveness is not in words; it is in action. The quality of works done by the Governor is of high quality, and the people of Imo State must be very, very excited,’ the Senate President said.

Speaking further, he stressed that as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State 18 years ago, he was already a progressive based on the projects he executed.

Akpabio congratulated his host and the National leadership of the party for the achievements of the party in the last 10 years.’

As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence anniversary on Wednesday, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, senior special assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on political and other matters, called on citizens to embrace unity and faith in the nation’s future.

In a statement, Masari expressed ‘unalloyed joy’ over how far Nigeria has come despite its diversity and challenges. He invoked the symbolism of the ‘broom principle’ to stress the importance of togetherness.

‘A strand of broom is easily broken, but a bunch of brooms is hardly broken. The important thing is that we are better and stronger together,’ he said, urging Nigerians to contribute positively towards the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers.

Masari praised President Tinubu’s leadership, describing the Renewed Hope Agenda as transformative.

‘Our faith in a collective Nigeria where everyone’s future is assured should remain unshaken, more so as the leadership of the country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown strong capacity and commitment to returning the country to a path of progress with the Renewed Hope Agenda that is working beyond belief,’ he said.

He pointed to what he described as more inclusive governance, with development projects and appointments spread across political zones. ‘This is a time that all Nigerians are being carried along. so the spirit of divisiveness should die a natural death,’ Masari declared.

Highlighting improvements in education, security, infrastructure, health, finance, and the economy, Masari asserted that Tinubu’s administration had ‘brought back the coaches of our national derailment back on track.’

He encouraged citizens to rally behind government efforts to accelerate growth and catch up with developed nations.

Warning against political distractions, Masari urged Nigerians to remain steadfast. ‘Every scheme to draw us back by any political consideration should not only be thwarted but resisted,’ he said, before assuring that better days lie ahead.

‘Happy Independence Anniversary to all Nigerians,’ he concluded.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders to respect the rule of law and uphold judicial processes as Nigeria marks its 65th Independence anniversary.

In his Independence Day message, conveyed through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke congratulated Nigerians and stressed the need for genuine national reforms that would entrench true federalism.

He described the occasion as a crucial moment to evaluate the health of the nation’s constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and the delivery of good governance.

The governor further urged leaders to safeguard the foundation of national governance by ensuring strict compliance with the constitution and unwavering respect for the rule of law.

He said, ‘We have made progress, but we can move faster and better. We have recorded a lot of progress, but we should continue to protect the foundation of our national existence, the constitution and its interpretation by a truly independent judiciary.

‘We must, in totality, ensure compliance with the rule of law, not the rule of thumb. Judicial process must be respected as it is the only legitimate vehicle to regulate relationships among players in the democratic space and among Nigerians at large.’

He described democracy as rule-based, noting that Nigerian democracy will progress faster and good governance will be better delivered when democratic structures are allowed to function without unlawful interference.

‘I felicitate with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians at large. I task the political class to strive towards true federalism. Federating units must be strengthened within the context of more devolution of powers and resources.

‘Nigeria must run truly as a federation where the tiers of government operate with clear regulations as provided by the constitution and moderated by the rule of law. This will fast-track development at all levels of governance.

‘I urge Osun people to remain law-abiding, calm, and peaceful as the state government is deploying democratic tools to advance and protect the interests of the state within the federation and within the context of the rule of law. We must resist the temptation to take the law into our hands.

‘On this occasion of the 65th Independence anniversary, I congratulate Nigerians, at home and abroad. We look forward to more national and subnational improvement as democratic governance progresses’, the governor noted.

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON), Nigerian Interfaith Forum (NIF), National Coalition for Market Men, Women and Artisans (NACOMWA), and Petroleum Consumers’ Protection Alliance (PCPA) have called on the federal government to support the Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals against ongoing attacks by ‘oil cartel.’

The organisations that for decades, Nigerians have been held hostage by a cartel that thrived on import dependency, round-tripping, subsidy scams, and artificial scarcity.

The organisations condemned recent actions of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), and the ill-timed strike threats by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) that disrupted activities at the oil company.

COCSON’s President, Ibrahim Suleiman; NIF’s National Chairman, Mathew Ayodele; NACOMWA’s National President, Boma Agbede, and PCPA’s Chairman, Yusuf Danladi, charged President Bola Tinubu to hold the unions responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in the country.

The organisations noted that DAPPMAN has chosen to undermine the Dangote Refinery and petrochemical and other indigenous refining initiatives because they fear competition, transparency, and efficiency.

According to them, DAPPMAN’s opposition to Dangote Refinery’s emergence as a major force in local refining is not about policy or about patriotism but about preserving their stranglehold over Nigerians.

‘Their agenda is to keep fuel importation alive, so they can continue profiteering at the expense of ordinary citizens who are already battered by poverty, unemployment, and inflation,’ they said

‘We declare our unwavering support for the Dangote Refinery and other indigenous refineries as the path to energy security, job creation, and economic sovereignty.

‘We demand that the government stand firm with the Dangote Refinery and accelerate policies that will break the cartel’s stranglehold once and for all,’ they added.

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s economic participation, saying deliberate investment in women is key to inclusive growth and prosperity.

Deputy Governor Dr. Kadri Hamzat, spoke at the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA)’s flagship conference, WAPA Connect 2025.

According to him, the recently launched Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy Roadmap was designed to dismantle barriers that limit women and girls from contributing fully to the economy.

‘WAPA Connect Conference is our flagship 2025 event, uniting government officials, civil society, private sector partners, and everyday women across Lagos. This year’s theme underscores our strong commitment to making policies practical and impactful, ensuring measurable outcomes for women’s empowerment. We believe that investing in women is not just an act of charity-it is a matter of economics, justice, and prosperity. A society cannot really thrive if it leaves half of its population behind,’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu explained that the roadmap, developed from real-life experiences of Lagos women across sectors, would expand opportunities in entrepreneurship, agriculture, skill acquisition, the traditional labour market and emerging industries.

He added that the state was prioritising partnerships with women-led organisations and private sectors to ensure measurable results, while improving data collection to guide targeted interventions.

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Dada, described the programme as a platform that enables women from all backgrounds to connect, network and explore opportunities.

She said this year’s theme serves as a reminder that empowering women benefits families, businesses and the wider economy.

Highlighting the ministry’s achievements, Mrs Dada said 28,913 students had graduated from the state’s 19 free skills acquisition centres since the inception of the administration, while 17,213 beneficiaries received equipment under the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI).

She added that 18,241 women were trained under the Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme (LEEP), 5,494 benefitted from agricultural programmes in Badagry, while more than 5,500 widows received cash grants and empowerment packages.

According to her, over 28,000 sanitary pads have been distributed to schoolgirls under the menstrual hygiene programme, while the ministry’s Purple Project provides shelters, psychosocial counselling and legal aid for survivors of gender-based violence across the 57 councils.

She said the initiatives have strengthened food security and created employment opportunities across the state.

The commissioner commended the state government’s continuous support and stressed that WAPA’s achievements reflect Sanwo-Olu’s vision of placing women at the heart of development.

Wife of the governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mrs. Funmi Omotoso, also commended the commissioner for sustaining the conference and placing women at the centre of its agenda.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced on Wednesday that it would begin nationwide enforcement against persons who overstayed in the country in violations of visa amnesty granted by the government.

The expiration of the Federal Government’s three-month visa amnesty programme begins on October 1, 2025.

The crackdown targets foreign nationals who failed to regularise their immigration status during the grace period.

A statement by the spokesman of the NIS, Akinsola Akinlabi, warned that offenders would face fines, deportation, or lifetime entry bans.

‘With the expiration of the amnesty period, effective October 1, 2025, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,’ Akinlabi said.

The enforcement covers a wide category of foreigners, including those with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA), expired single- and multiple-entry short visit or business visas, as well as holders of expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Cards (CERPAC).

According to the NIS, foreigners who have overstayed by less than three months risk removal, a $15 daily fine, or a two-year entry ban.

Those who have overstayed between three months and one year face removal, a $15 daily fine, or a five-year entry ban. Overstayers of one year and above face removal, a 10-year entry ban, or a permanent ban from Nigeria.

The Service said the measures are aimed at safeguarding national security and ensuring lawful migration.

‘The Nigeria Immigration Service remains committed to enforcing the law, protecting national interests, and promoting transparency and efficiency across all immigration processes,’ Akinlabi said.