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England manager Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension with the Lionesses.

The 56-year-old’s previous deal was due to expire after next summer’s World Cup but her new contract will run until the end of Euro 2029.

Dutchwoman Wiegman guided England to their second straight European Championship title with victory over Spain in the Euro 2025 final.

The victory meant the Lionesses became the first England team – women’s or men’s – to win a major trophy on foreign soil.

‘I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football’ said Wiegman. ‘Working for a world-class organisation like The FA and alongside so many people dedicated to winning England teams and the growth of our game excites me every day.’

England thrashed Greece 8-1 on aggregate last week to qualify for round two of the World Cup play-offs where they will face Ukraine.

Should the Lionesses win that two-legged tie they will qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

‘My main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup and helping this squad realise their potential in the years to come’ Wiegman added. ‘We have an important job to do to confirm our place in Brazil and hopefully we can do that and give the country another special summer to remember next year.’

Wiegman replaced Phil Neville as England manager in September 2021 guiding the Lionesses to their first piece of major silverware at Euro 2022 when they beat Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley.

England then reached the World Cup final in Australia in 2023 only to lose 1-0 to Spain.

By reaching the 2025 Euros final Wiegman became the first women’s or men’s manager to reach five consecutive major international finals after leading the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title and runners-up at the 2019 World Cup.

England’s Euro 2025 victory meant Wiegman became just the second manager after Germany’s Christina Theune to win three successive European Championships.

FA chief Mark Bullingham described Wiegman as an ‘incredible coach with an unparalleled record in major tournaments’.

‘While we will all remember the trophies and thrilling moments she has given us I know she is only looking forward’ Bullingham added. ‘There is no one better to lead the Lionesses into the next two tournaments.

‘Sarina’s impact on English football has been immense and she continues to inspire so many throughout the game. We have so much more to do in the women’s game and she will be instrumental in helping us to achieve that.’

Ranchers Bees have unveiled Majin Mohammed as their new head coach as the Kaduna club seeks an improvement in its Nigeria Premier Football League results.

Mohammed brings experience from coaching roles with Niger Tornadoes and Kwara United.

He takes over a side that has found points difficult to secure in the opening weeks of the campaign with the immediate task of restoring confidence and producing more consistent performances.

The appointment also places attention on how General Manager Alhaji Kabiru Mu’azu and the new coach shape the squad for the matches ahead.

Ranchers Bees’ next listed league fixture is at home to Doma United on October 25 giving Mohammed a near-term opportunity to begin his tenure.

Grange School Ikeja won the overall title in the Under 13 and Under 15 categories of the second Pan African School Games while St Saviour’s School Ikoyi took the Under 11 title at the three-day tournament held at James Hope College Lekki.

Grange School topped the standings in both age groups and received a new bus sponsored by Mikano Changan Motors.

The event brought together more than 400 students from 11 schools. It was organised by Seun Akinbohun Busola Tejumola and Aderoju Ope Ajayi.

In the Under 11 category St Saviour’s won swimming and athletics and shared the football title with Lagos Preparatory and Secondary School. In the Under 13 and Under 15 categories Grange School won swimming and athletics while Riverbank School won football in both age groups.

The Director of Sports at the Lagos State Sports Commission Travih Nunayon said the commission had deployed talent scouts to the Games to identify promising athletes. Nunayon who represented the commission’s Director General Lekan Fatodu said discussions had begun with the organisers on sustaining the initiative.

He said athletes identified during the competition could be considered for events such as the National Youth Games and the National Intermediate Games adding that the commission would continue to monitor their progress.

Co-founder Aderoju Ope Ajayi said the Games were established to help children develop their sporting potential alongside their education. She said the founders who are also sports parents understood the opportunities sport could offer including scholarships.

‘We want children to look back and say this is where I was discovered this is where I got a scholarship opportunity and this is where I had my opportunities’ she said.

Ope Ajayi who is also Chairman of the Lagos State Aquatics Association thanked the participating schools families and partners.

The Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Sports Commission partnered with the organisers. Corporate sponsors included Prime Atlantic Zenith Bank Plumtre Advisory Mikano Changan Motors UAC Foods Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) Team 33 Productions Flytime What Media Kantar Logic City and Flutterwave.

Participants and coaches commended the organisers and expressed hope that future editions would bring in more schools.

The Ikeja Branch of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to professional excellence collaboration and social responsibility by donating items to Babs Salam Orphanage Home and paying a courtesy visit to the Acting Auditor-General for Lagos State Dr Olufunke Omolara Tayo-Makanjuola.

The branch chairman Mr Ekundayo Omitaomu FCNA disclosed this during the visit to congratulate Tayo-Makanjuola on her appointment.

Omitaomu commended her professional achievements and wished her success in her new role while conveying the goodwill of ANAN’s national leadership.

The visit followed the branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach to Babs Salam Orphanage Home where it donated foodstuffs and household items under its ANAN Cares initiative themed ‘Shaping Lasting Impacts Through Accountable Leadership’.

The outreach was part of a nationwide CSR exercise conducted simultaneously across ANAN branches to promote accountability integrity and service to vulnerable members of society.

The Director of Babs Salam Orphanage Home Alhaji Hassan Idris Tahir thanked the association for the donations saying the items would help meet the children’s needs at the facility.

Receiving the ANAN delegation Tayo-Makanjuola described the visit by the association’s elders and members as an honour. She thanked them for celebrating her appointment noting that the gesture was particularly significant given her professional affiliation with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

She also paid tribute to an ANAN elder Mr Oladimeji whom she described as a father figure who had played a significant role in her professional development and career advancement.

The Acting Auditor-General acknowledged his generosity and positive influence on auditors and accountants noting that his contributions continued to benefit practitioners.

She stressed the need for unity and collaboration among accounting professionals irrespective of their professional affiliations or whether they worked primarily as accountants or auditors.

She said both groups depend on one another to achieve shared objectives and must uphold high standards of professionalism in discharging their responsibilities.

Earlier Omitaomu commended Tayo-Makanjuola for receiving the delegation and explained that the visit’s primary purpose was to congratulate her on her appointment.

He recalled that while reviewing the branch’s records during his tenure as secretary he discovered that she had previously served as chairman of the branch’s Dinner Committee.

He described her tenure as one of the branch’s most successful and acknowledged her longstanding contributions to the association.

Omitaomu also appealed for more opportunities for members who had not previously attended ANAN conferences to participate while appreciating the support provided to members by the Office of the Auditor-General.

As part of the branch’s recommendations he requested that the branch nominate two officials to represent the Office of the Auditor-General at ANAN Ikeja Branch. Tayo-Makanjuola subsequently nominated Mrs Oyaleke Feyikemi and Mr Tokunbo Raheem.

The chairman also invited the Acting Auditor-General to the branch’s Dinner and Award Night scheduled for December 4 2026 at Marquee Hall. He said the chairman and members of the Dinner Committee would formally present the invitation and accompanying letter to her.

During the visit elders of the association congratulated Tayo-Makanjuola on her appointment and offered prayers for wisdom strength and success in her new role.

The two engagements reflect ANAN Ikeja Branch’s efforts to translate its professional values into social impact while strengthening relationships within the accounting and auditing profession.

Through its ANAN Cares initiative and engagement with professional stakeholders the branch said it would continue to promote accountable leadership collaboration and service to society.

The Deputy Director and Head of the Cybercrime Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice Jamila Ade has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies technology companies financial institutions and citizens to combat cybercrime and protect Nigeria’s digital space.

Ade said cybercrime often cuts across institutional and national boundaries making a coordinated response involving government and society essential to addressing the growing threat.

She spoke ahead of activities marking the 2026 Cybercrime Awareness Campaign themed ‘Securing Nigeria’s Digital Future: A Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Response to Cybercrime’.

According to her a single fraud case could involve victims banks telecommunications operators social media platforms law enforcement agencies and regulators underscoring the need for stakeholder cooperation.

‘The theme reflects what we see in practice: the response must involve the whole of government and the whole of society’ she said.

Ade explained that the awareness walk and fiesta scheduled for Eagle Square were designed to take the campaign beyond conference halls and educate Nigerians on how to identify scams protect themselves and report cybercrime incidents.

She added that national consultations would bring together government officials industry representatives civil society organisations and academics to assess Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework for combating cybercrime and develop practical recommendations for improvement.

Assessing the country’s progress Ade said Nigeria had recorded gains through international partnerships negotiations on global legal frameworks including the new United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and collaboration among government agencies.

However she identified uneven public awareness low victim reporting rates delays in obtaining electronic evidence from foreign service providers and a shortage of specialised skills as key challenges requiring urgent attention.

She stressed that addressing these gaps would require sustained cooperation among public institutions the private sector and citizens to strengthen cybersecurity and build a safer digital environment.

‘Closing these gaps requires sustained investment and stronger collaboration across sectors’ she said.

On the capacity of Nigerian institutions to tackle emerging cyber threats Ade said investigators and prosecutors were increasingly receiving training in digital forensics electronic evidence and cryptocurrency tracing.

She also noted that Nigeria had strengthened international networks for preserving digital evidence and requesting assistance.

However she warned that emerging threats including artificial intelligence-enabled impersonation deepfakes social engineering and fraud involving digital payment platforms continue to evolve.

‘I would not say we are fully prepared and no country can honestly say that’ she said.

Ade added that Nigeria was laying the foundations to respond to these threats through ongoing capacity building stronger partnerships with industry and a legal framework that could be reviewed and improved to keep pace with technological developments.

On the national consultations she said stakeholders would examine whether existing laws adequately covered emerging offences and technologies including AI-enabled crimes.

Other areas expected to receive attention include electronic evidence cross-border cooperation service providers’ obligations victim protection and redress and aligning domestic laws with relevant international instruments.

According to Ade the consultations’ outcomes would be compiled into a report and presented to relevant authorities including the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice for consideration.

She said recommendations involving institutional practices training protocols and coordination could be implemented more quickly while proposals requiring legislative amendments would follow the appropriate legislative process.

Ade also stressed the need for sustained public education and stronger engagement with technology companies financial institutions and telecommunications operators to improve cybercrime prevention early detection and incident response.

Urging Nigerians to take personal responsibility for their digital security she advised citizens to verify information before trusting it avoid sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) and personal identification numbers (PINs) use strong and unique passwords enable two-factor authentication and report incidents promptly.

‘Cybercrime thrives where people stay silent. Securing our digital future is a shared responsibility and everyone has a part to play’ she said.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Kano State Branch has called for urgent measures to protect physicians’ well-being and to accelerate the adoption of digital health technologies to secure the future of medicine in Nigeria.

The call was made by the Association’s Chairman Dr. Abubakar Nagoma Usman in a statement marking Physicians’ Week 2026 themed ‘Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria.’

Dr. Usman said this year’s theme challenges stakeholders to look beyond immediate healthcare delivery and address fundamental issues shaping the profession’s future including physicians’ welfare medical education digital health and the sustainability of the health system.

He said the first sub-theme ‘Saving the Savers: Promoting Physicians’ Wellbeing and Preventing Burnout Cardiovascular Disease and Premature Death’ highlights the need for urgent action to protect doctors.

He said medical practice is characterised by long hours heavy workloads emotional pressure inadequate resources and difficult working conditions which without institutional support compromise physicians’ physical and mental health and professional performance.

‘We must move away from the culture that expects doctors to remain endlessly resilient while neglecting their own health’ he said stressing that physicians deserve rest preventive care safe working environments psychological support and reasonable working conditions.

The NMA Chairman called for stronger institutional measures to promote occupational health prevent burnout encourage routine health screening and improve access to confidential healthcare for medical practitioners.

He urged government and healthcare institutions to address workforce shortages improve working conditions strengthen security in health facilities and ensure prompt payment of physicians’ entitlements.

‘A healthcare system that fails to protect its caregivers ultimately places its patients at risk. Saving the savers is not merely a professional welfare issue; it is a patient safety and public health priority’ he said.

On the second sub-theme ‘Transforming Medicine: Harnessing Digital Health Innovation and Future-Ready Medical Education’ Dr. Usman said digital technologies telemedicine artificial intelligence electronic medical records and data-driven decision-making are reshaping healthcare delivery.

He said Kano State must position itself to benefit from these developments through deliberate investment in digital health infrastructure reliable connectivity data protection and training for healthcare professionals.

He also called for continuous reform of medical education to integrate digital literacy technological innovation research critical thinking and lifelong learning noting that innovation must remain patient-centred and ethically guided.

The Association reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with the Kano State Government and other stakeholders to improve healthcare infrastructure primary healthcare emergency services specialist care and workforce development.

Dr. Usman urged the public to prioritise preventive healthcare routine medical check-ups and timely consultations with qualified professionals and called on the media to partner with the medical profession to promote accurate health information and combat misinformation.

‘As we celebrate Physicians’ Week 2026 the future of medicine in Nigeria must be built on healthy physicians innovative healthcare systems quality medical education and a renewed commitment to patient-centred care’ he added.

It appears sheer magic – that pledge by the Lagos State government to increase electricity to the state from under 1 000 mw now to 3 000 mw by March 2027. It is already October 2026. So that means in less than six months!

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu speaking through his Deputy Obafemi Hamzat gave this commitment at the 4th Lagos Business School Africa Energy Conference.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future: Policy Reform Capital Mobilisation and Pathways to a Sustainable Power and Energy Market’ the governor said the goal was to embed 24 hours uninterrupted electricity.

It’s backed by a seven-point strategy: market functionality boosted generation a reinforced transmission infrastructure and a distribution capacity upgrade.

The remaining three: expanded metering a more secure gas-to-power supply and deploying along the power generation-transmission-distribution chain state-of-the-art IT monitoring systems including SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – the brain box that monitors and gathers realtime data on both industry software and hardware.

Other technological upgrades are the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) the Lagos State Electricity Intelligence Platform (LEIP) and a change in policy to power schools and streetlights by solar away from diesel plants.

This is clearly the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) per the Lagos State Electricity Law 2024 taking full charge of its market district vide the Federal Power Sector Reforms that federalised electricity per the Electricity Act 2023.

Indeed in May LASERC had outed with strategies to rev up supply off the national grid from independent power plants. Three of those plants are the Mainland Power Ltd Fenchurch Power Ltd and Viathan Engineering Ltd. All three should jack up their combined power supply from 60 mw to 400 mw in three years (2026-2029).

As at that time too LASERC was negotiating power-trading deals with the following: Isolo Power Supply Ltd Isolo Power Generation Ltd GossLink Ltd (with three licences) Daybreak Ltd (with six licences) Enaro Energy MiniGrid Ltd and New Hemisphere Capital Ltd.

Add these independent plants to the two current vendors from the national grid: Ikeja Electric Plc and Eko Distribution Company Plc and what you see is a fully liberalised Lagos electricity market teeming with different players that could well be vendors to their immediate communities and environs.

Might this putative constellation of players have boosted this new pledge of a massive intrusion: less than 1 000 mw to more than 3 000 mw in less than six months? An expectant market certainly would hope LASERC got its numbers right! It certainly must have before the governor could make that very ambitious goal public.

While the market waits for LASERC to walk its talk the regulatory agency couldn’t be more right on the imperative for mass metering. Indeed metering has always been prominent in its focus – as it should be.

That’s the near-sole guarantor that power investors will get their nourishment as and when due. This is aside from assuring customers – households industries schools hospitals and general government agencies – that they are not being ripped off.

Indeed there’s still a huge gap in metering. By numbers from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) just released 4.7 million homes are still unmetered.

But for Lagos its two DisCos aren’t doing badly – in comparative terms. With 89.64% Eko DisCo led the metering charge for August followed by I.E. with 87.74%. Still these are comparisons with metering laggards nationwide. The absolute numbers are still rather poor.

So to make its bid a success LASERC must maintain its 100% focus on metering. That would make it easier for it to achieve its 24-hour electricity target.

From less than 1 000 mw to more than 3 000 mw in six months is nothing less than audacious. But even that would supply only a quarter of the 12 000 mw LASERC itself had said Lagos needed.

But with right investments and effective regulations the goal is achievable. LASERC more than anyone has its work well cut out. We can only wish the body well.

The Ogun State Police Command has apprehended a 56-year-old man Madarikan Emehinola in connection with a suspected arson that claimed the life of his 40-year-old wife Igbagbo Erobe at Igbo-Edu in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.

The deceased’s body has been deposited at a mortuary for post-mortem examination.

In a statement the spokesman for the Command Oluseyi Babaseyi stated that the case is being processed for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Eleweran Abeokuta for further investigation.

According to him the incident was reported at Abigi Divisional Police Headquarters last Sunday following information that a house had been set ablaze resulting in the woman’s death.

He said: ‘The Commissioner of Police Ogun State Command Bode Ojajuni assured the public that the matter will be investigated diligently and professionally in accordance with the law.’

He reiterates the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that allegations of serious crime receive appropriate investigative attention.

The command however led the public to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that may assist crime prevention and ongoing investigations.

Two persons sustained severew injuries yesterday after a diesel-laden tanker plunged from Otedola Bridge in Lagos and burst into flames beneath the bridge.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said its emergency response team working with other emergency agencies rescued the victims from the scene.

The injured were evacuated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency’s Rescue Unit (LRU) to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre Toll-Gate for immediate medical treatment.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also deployed personnel to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading to nearby infrastructure.

Other agencies involved in the rescue and fire-fighting included the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and operatives from the Alausa Police Division.

LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki commended the emergency responders for their prompt intervention saying their coordinated efforts helped rescue the victims and contain the fire.

He wished the victims a speedy recovery and stressed the importance of rapid emergency response and collaboration among relevant agencies in managing road traffic incidents.

The authority urged motorists particularly operators of heavy-duty and articulated vehicles to conduct regular mechanical inspections comply with safety standards and adopt responsible driving practices to prevent avoidable accidents.

Property and other valuables worth millions of Naira were yesterday razed at the popular Bodija foodstuff market in Ibadan North Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the shops 15 in a row of 44 were burnt while the remaining ones were partially torched.

The inferno which has thrown the community into mourning started from one of the affected shops.

In a statement the Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform/Chairman Fire Services Agency Dr. Moroof Akinwande expressed shock over the inferno.

He attributed the incident to electrical wiring fault from one of the affected shops.

He however added that the timely arrival of the fire-fighting crew mimimised the losses.

He said: ”The firefighting crew led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent (ACFS) Bamidele promptly mobilised and responded to the scene.”

‘The fire was curtailed without serious damage to the affected shops. The suspected cause of the fire incident was the upsurge from faulty electrical wiring.’

To prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the market Akinwande emphasised the importance of installing and maintaining functional fire fighting extinguishers in every commercial building shops and household to curb fire incidents at incipient stage.