Novak Djokovic survived a scare in his quest for tennis history before joining Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.

But home favourite Nick Kyrgios will not join them as the combustible Australian failed to clear the first hurdle, swearing and in pain.

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff powered through with minimum fuss as they seek to dethrone two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Another winner was two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

On a blockbuster second day in Melbourne, Djokovic lost the first set to 107th-ranked American Nishesh Basavareddy in the prime-time evening match on Rod Laver Arena.

But the Serbian great, hoping to roll back the years and win an 11th Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered to pull through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

[Leadership]

Senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his political appointments since assumption of office.

Tinubu has come under attacks from some sections in the country as he is being accused of favouring the South West where he hails from, particularly with his appointments.

Speaking on Arise TV, Ndume described Tinubu’s appointments as violations of the constitutional provision for federal character.

He added that the appointments have not reflected the diversity mandated by section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution.

According to him, “The figures are there. It’s not that I’m just making accusations or that the president has no right to do that kind of thing.

“But it’s a constitutional provision. Section section 14 (3) of the constitution is very, very clear on that. When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments. And it is because of avoiding such infractions that the constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here”, he stated.

He said he was only calling the attention of Mr President to such “infractions” for him to correct it so that it will not “boomerang at a certain period of time.”

Ndume, a ranking senator, insisted that his remarks were not an attack on the president but a constitutional responsibility.

“I know, as you rightly say, people look at me as somebody that is critical of the government. I have the right to do that in the first place. And in fact, that’s why I’m in the national assembly in the first place”.

“Collectively, we are supposed to oversight the acts of Mr President and point out some of these irregularities. That is what we swore to do. It’s not personal”, he submitted.

He stated that he is not scared of being attacked for his latest take on the Tinubu administration.

“Each one of us will stand before God and God will ask him to account for what he is responsible for. Besides, we are all in this government. What will we tell our people? When you have these figures out, it is already viral, it is already in circulation.

“But you know what, after this interview, those attack dogs or maga-dogs will start attacking Ndume, not the message”.

He said his position is “not about Ndume or me being a senator. As a Nigerian, I have the right to voice out all these things. Not only that, I have the right to even protest. I have the right. That is guaranteed by the constitution.

“But from tomorrow, those so-called Tinubu boys or people will start attacking Ndume. These are the facts”, he added.

There have been changes in expected climatic or weather conditions all over the world in recent years due to global warming and this has had great impact on human health, other animals and the environment. The entire world is experiencing an upsurge in atmospheric temperature and of course its impact. Everyone is talking about climate change but it did not just occur suddenly. Human activities created this monster and now the entire world is grasping under the weight of the impacts this phenomenon has brought.
Mankind has always been a problem to its own existence through its activities. The human (anthropological) activities that reportedly brought about global warming and consequently its twin climate change include use of fossil fuel, deforestation, bush burning etc.
For years, it has been postulated that human activities have the ability to change the climatic conditions of a region. The link with human and environmental health was however not well defined.

Global Warming: How It Started

Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius was the first person to give quantitative prediction of global warming as a result of increasing atmospheric carbon-dioxide in 1896.
Eunice Foote has earlier in 1856 theorized about the idea that the warming effect of the sun increased with the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

However, Guy Callendar was the first scientist to link global warming with human activities in 1938. The industrial revolution between the 1700s and 1800s is attributed to be responsible for the beginning of global warming.
In 1712, British Engineer, Thomas Newcomen, invented the steam engine which paved the way for the large scale use of coal (fossil fuel) in industries. The black gold (crude oil) was later discovered and this revolutionized industrial developments. The drawback is that combustion of these fossil fuels involves emission of atmospheric pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides etc. These were later called greenhouse gases (GHG)

Climate scientists observed that the earth’s surface temperature increased by 1°C during the industrial revolution of the 1700s and 1800s.
Burning of fossil for energy production results in release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun on the earth’s surface leading to gradual increase of the Earth’s temperature.
The growing concern over the consequences of change in Earth’s climatic conditions and global warming resulted in the formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. This led to the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and since then a Conference of Parties (COP) on global warming and climate change has been held annually. 

Impact of Global Warming
Everything on planet earth is affected by global warming.
• There have been severe heat-waves causing heat-strokes in man and animals. Heatstroke is presented by heavy sweating, exhaustion, dizziness and unconsciousness.
• Changes in precipitation patterns resulting in droughts, floods, storms in different regions of the world.
• Rise in sea level leading to erosion, loss of coastal land and loss of biodiversity.
• Reduced agricultural productivity which impacts global food security and ultimately increased food prices and famine.
• Global warming and its twin climate change resulted in loss of habitat/shelter for both humans and animals, disruption of the ecosystem.

Crude oil is the major culprit responsible for global warming through the emission of greenhouse gases during combustion and energy generation.
According to the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), there is a need to cut emission of greenhouse gases by 43% to limit temperature rise to 1.5oC and avoid the worst impacts of climate change still to come. Truly, the world is in need of climate change solution more than ever before.

[TheNation]

 The suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has instituted a N5billion defamation case against her colleague, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi for alleging that she had six children for different men.

In the process she filed through her team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. M. J. Numa, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described Nwaebonyi’s claim as false, saying it was a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation.

She told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that Nwaebonyi who represents Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, had severely injured her reputation, caused her considerable distress and embarrassment to her credibility and public perception.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan told the court that the defendant, who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, had on March 6, 2025, during a televised interview on Channels TV’s “Sunrise Daily” programme, falsely, maliciously, and without any lawful justification, referred to her as a “gold digger,” a “habitual liar,” and a “habitual blackmailer.”

She told the court that aside from the allegation that she had six children for different men, Senator Nwaebonyi equally alleged that her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, married her under duress.

“These statements were broadcast nationally and rebroadcast across multiple online and social media platforms, thus ensuring wide publication,” the claimant added, insisting the claims were false, malicious and targeted at bringing her image to disrepute.

“The claimant further contends that these statements in their natural and ordinary meaning, are meant and were understood to portray the claimant: as someone who constantly extorts people for money through dishonest and unscrupulous means as a career.

“As someone who demands money or other benefits from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. As a woman who forms relationships with men purely to obtain money or gifts from them.

“As someone who constantly tells lies and does not speak the truth on most occasions and as someone who uses the threat of damaging information to coerce others into acting in her favour.”

The claimant told the court that the defendant deliberately made the defamatory statements knowing same to be false as it was meant to discredit her, in an attempt to justify her illegal suspension by the Senate.

“That the defendant, who is equally a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, made those false and reckless statements to prejudice the mind of the public against the claimant’s petition before the Senate.”

Consequently, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on a six-month suspension, among other things, prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies or anyone howsoever called from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained about or any other defamatory words concerning the claimant.

In the suit marked: CV/1259/25, she further prayed for an order of the court, to compel the defendant to retract the defamatory words on the same platforms used to make the defamatory publications and to tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers electronically and vide print media circulated nationwide, within 7 days from the day of the delivery of judgment in the matter.

She also urged the court to award “the sum of N5 billion only, against the defendant being aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statements that have since caused the Ccaimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.”

As well as: “An order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum awarded to the Claimant at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her characterization by the defendant as a mother of six from different men was baseless, malicious, and indeed reckless.

“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.

“The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance,” she added.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.

[Vanguard]

Ali Baba, the ace comedian, has revealed political strategies he claims were shared with him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on how to become Nigeria’s president.

In an interview on Outside The Box, the 59-year-old entertainer said Obasanjo allegedly shared the strategies with him via chat because he thought he was venturing into politics and wanted to guide him.

Ali Baba claimed that Obasanjo emphasised the importance of gaining the support of seven governors, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, to clinch the presidential seat.

“I was speaking with Obasanjo one time, and he listed some things that are necessary in politics,” the comedian said while picking up his phone to show proof that he documented his conversation with the former president.

“He thought I was going into politics, so he was happy I was talking to him about politics. He said ‘Ali, I’m happy you are catching up with politics, but you still have a lot to learn about how governors and presidents are selected’.

“He said ‘you need seven governors to win an election. Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna and the CBN governor’. Then I said ‘Kano and Kaduna don’t have money,’ he said ‘that is for the numbers’…

“You need 44 of the most popular senatorial districts.”

The comedian, born Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, also alleged that Obasanjo mentioned the key tasks to be accomplished in the first term to increase the chances of being re-elected.

“You need to have awarded 10 contracts and 15% of that contract can give you a marginal impact at the polls. And you must award this contract in your first year of assumption of office,” he said.

“If you don’t do that, then, you can’t ask the people for anything because when you give them at the first year of your getting into office, when it’s time for elections you just tell them ‘Do you want to continue this contract or not’.”

Ali said Obasanjo emphasised the importance of making strategic appointments, including “the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), controller-general of customs, head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), inspector-general of police (IGP), and CBN governor”.

The comedian said Obasanjo allegedly advised on steering clear of corrupt governors who are “loaded” and can be “financially useful when needed”.

“He said you must name your CJN, IGP, controller general of customs, head of the NNPC, CBN governor, and you must suspend pending cases of corrupt past governors who are loaded,” he added.

“Don’t forget that those guys have war chests that they are just sitting and waiting for who they want to align with. No matter how much EFCC milks from them, they still have plenty.

“These are people who were sitting on a monthly federal allocation. Don’t forget that some states that when they get their federal allocation, they don’t touch it.

“They actually add to it because their state’s internally generated revenue is higher than what the federal government gives to them.

“So if the federal government gives them N3, they can add N4 to it and spend N7. When they leave office, EFCC can’t come looking for them because they added money to what the federal government gave them, but you see that internally generated revenue that is their sweat as it is called, it is their money, they generated it themselves. They can determine what they want to do with it.”

Ali Baba alleged that Obasanjo highlighted the importance of securing support from key figures, including foreign countries, the wealthy, religious leaders, and bloggers.

According to him, “he also advised infiltrating opposition parties and strategically influencing delegates by offering incentives to ensure loyalty during elections”.

“This is the meaty part of it, he says ‘Get US or China support because of their businesses in your country, they would support,” he said.

“Get National Association of Nigerian Students, market women, National Union of Road Transport Workers. Unsettle the organized labour. Get 10 of the richest Nigerians on your side. Infiltrate your opposition party and let them decamp for elections.

“So let me explain. You have your party and I want to infiltrate the party. I will send my people to leave my own party and join your own party before the elections. So when the time of election comes, they will then disrupt the whole thing.

“They will probably be the ones they will put in charge of electioneering campaign and you won’t know that the reason they decamped was to make sure that your own campaign doesn’t succeed. So when you are planning, they inform their original party.

“Obasanjo continued saying infiltrate the opposition party, but delegates one year before your congress.

“So I asked how do you buy delegates then he said “you know who and who that would be selected as delegates, give two of his daughters job in the bank, give another’s wife a shop, sponsor another’s trip to Hajj so when the time for election comes and you say this is the person I’m supporting, they won’t mess up because of what you have done.

“While some people are trying to raise money to give dollars, you already have bought their loyalty since. Have a hand in appointing all parties’ chairmen.

“Secure INEC and state rec, blogs, social media, religious leaders, royal fathers, appointment of board of chairman and DGs. Get four constitutional lawyers on retainship.”

[TheCable]

Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has issued a warning to the Federal Government to halt the mass approval of licenses for new universities across the country, stating that the trend, if not stopped, could undermine Nigeria’s future.

Babalola gave the warning during a High Impact Research and Journal Advancement Workshop organised by the institution in Ado-Ekiti.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria expressed concern that many newly licensed institutions lacked the necessary infrastructure and facilities to deliver quality education, warning that a “quantity-over-quality” approach was dangerous.

“Approving establishment of universities without consideration for quality and infrastructure could adversely affect the country in the future, if not stopped immediately,” he said.

Referencing the era of Prof. Peter Okebukola as the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Babalola said the process was previously more rigorous and credible.

“Not only was the visitation and accreditation process rigorous, it was also impossible for anyone to obtain approval to commence degree programmes, especially in Medicine, Engineering, and Law, especially in the first few years of establishing a university. 

“But what do we have today? Mass approval of mushroom and substandard universities, with some lacking even the basic learning facilities and infrastructure,” he noted

NUC quality control compromised 

Babalola lamented that the current licensing system had weakened the NUC’s regulatory capacity, putting the integrity of Nigeria’s university system at risk.

“As a result of this anything goes syndrome, approach to university licensing and accreditation, NUC’s ability to ensure quality control, and to stamp out substandard institutions, have been seriously compromised,” he noted.

He disclosed that Nigeria currently has more than 270 universities, with about 200 new proposals pending before the National Assembly.

“The focus now seems to be on quantity, not quality, licensing more universities, without adequate plans for monitoring their standards. 

“The end result is a rapid decline and rot of our educational system, and in the quality of our graduates. 

“What we need is quality education, because poor education is worse than illiteracy,” he emphasized.

Quality research 

Babalola stressed that Nigeria’s quest for national development through research cannot be achieved without addressing the proliferation of substandard universities.

“If we are really serious about accelerating national development, through research, the starting point will be that the process of approval for university licenses should be thorough,” he noted.

What you should know 

The federal government has taken steps to expand Nigeria’s higher education sector by approving the establishment of several new universities, both federal and private, as part of a broader plan to enhance educational access and promote national development.

• Early this year, President Tinubu signed bills into law establishing two new federal universities: the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies in Iragbiji, Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State, to promote agricultural innovation, technology-driven education, and sustainable environmental practices.
• Tinubu also approved the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoni, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State in February 2025.
• Further expanding access, the Federal Executive Council under Tinubu granted provisional licenses to 11 new private universities across different states in March 2025. These institutions were expected to increase the options available for tertiary education in Nigeria and help bridge the gap between demand and capacity in the higher education system.

However, following the surge in private university approvals, the Federal Government announced a one-year moratorium on the registration of new private universities to give the National Universities Commission (NUC) time to review and strengthen regulatory guidelines. The moratorium aims to ensure that new universities meet the required academic standards, infrastructure needs, and capacity benchmarks before being granted licenses to operate.

[Nairametrics]

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

He disclosed that Wike departed Nigeria on Sunday evening after spending time with his political allies and associates in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

[Naija News]

The Federal Government has marked 700 properties for demolition for the Lagos-Calabar Highway project.

Lagos State Controller of Works, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

According to her, the number was significantly lower than initial estimates.

“Instead of having to demolish about 1,500 houses, we took the most economical route. Now we are left with less than 700 houses to be demolished,” she said.

She lauded the pace and planning of the project, stating that Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is 47 plus 400 kilometres, was awarded some time ago.

Addressing concerns over alignment and property demolition, Kesha said a lot of people complained about set alignments, but they are not duty-bound to follow any alignment.

“It was set aside when somebody else was to do it, but now that it’s the Federal Government, we have to look at the most feasible, most economical route,” she said.

Earlier, the Minister of Works, David Umahi declared that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will not only revolutionise Nigeria’s transport landscape but also generate carbon credits through its eco-friendly construction and design.

He explained that the road will ease traffic congestion and integrate multi-modal transport infrastructure.

“This project is going to evacuate all the traffic out of the town, and that will be a big plus for us. We are not only building for today. We are also building for tomorrow. And, of course, there will be a rail line in the middle. The middle is 12 metres gap,” he stated.

The minister added that some areas would also have train stations and facilities for future developments.

Addressing the challenges in Section two of the project, Umahi said the existing industrial infrastructure posed a serious challenge, noting that with Dangote refinery, one needs about 60 metres clearance for the trucks to go in and out.

He said: “We are now building a flyover that has a span of 60 metres. And then the next span is 41.6 metres, counterbalanced by the next span, and then the rest is 22, 23 metres.

“So, we are flying over Dangote’s refinery, we are flying over Dangote’s fertilizer, and we are flying over some other conflict points.”

On plans for further expansion, Umahi said there are extensive ongoing and planned projects across several states.

“We have started in Cross River, and of course, Akwa Ibom. We are going there to flag off the construction,” he stated.

Touching on the Sokoto-Badagry legacy project, the minister explained the challenges and solutions being considered.

He revealed that the third section of Sokoto-Badagry is going to start from Badagry, where there are very big challenges.

According to him, there are three kilometres of rivers across the stretch, and it would cost a lot of money to deal with them. He, however, said they have devised about four options to handle it.

Umahi said the four legacy projects are connected and inclusive, explaining that the third legacy project is the one that is coming from Calabar, going through Ebonyi, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Abuja.

“The fourth legacy project goes from Abuja to Makurdi, Keffi, Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, and Gombe. The four legacy projects are all connected together and no region is left aside,” he said.

The minister issued a stern warning against the misuse of infrastructure.

[Guardian]

The Nigerian government has said that it was considering an adjustment to its N54.99trn 2025 national budget as part of measures to respond to potential shocks of the United States’ global trade tariff hike.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, gave the hint on Monday at a Corporate Governance Forum organised by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) in Abuja.

Edun also acknowledged that the adverse effect of the US tariff on Nigeria will be through oil price plunge. He claimed that the government was making efforts to ramp up crude oil production to curtail any price effect.

“We are also focusing on non-oil revenue mobilisation by FIRS and Customs.

“Budget adjustment and prioritisation where possible, and also innovative non-debt financing strategies,” Edun listed the possible counter measures at the event that was held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Monday.

Recall that US President Donald Trump had last week announced general global tariffs on all imports into the country, including Nigeria.

Nigeria-US trade has been in surplus in the last three years (2022-2024). According to official data, Nigeria’s export to the US is between $5bn to $6bn annually.

“Consequently, the tariff effect on exports is negligible if we sustain our oil and minerals export volume,” Edun told the gathering.

However, he claimed that Nigeria was positioned to withstand global trade disruptions, including the new United States import tariffs, a position that triggered a murmured disagreement from the crowd present at the event.

He said the administration was determined to attract investment, not just through policy rhetoric but by demonstrating corporate readiness and governance in state-owned enterprises.

Edun stressed that Nigeria remained relatively insulated due to early reforms and a shift in economic strategy.

The minister said that the government was prioritising non-oil revenue mobilisation through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to mitigate potential revenue shortfalls.

Edun said Nigeria was already pivoting its economic model toward private sector-led growth, equity-based financing, and strategic asset optimisation.

According to Edun, while the government accounts for 10 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), the private sector contributes 90 per cent.

He credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration with stabilising key macroeconomic indicators and laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.

[Leadership]

A high court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has adjourned the trial over the murder of Major-General Idris Alkali (rtd) to May 28 and 29, 2025, for the defendants to open their defence.

The adjournment followed the continued cross-examination of retired Major-General U. I. Mohammed on Wednesday. Before this, the prosecution had formally closed its case.

General Alkali, who was the former Chief of Administration at the Nigerian Army Headquarters, was declared missing just weeks after retiring from active service.

He had embarked on a journey from Abuja to Bauchi, passing through Plateau State, where he was last heard from during the trip. He was driving a black Toyota Corolla car.

At the time of his disappearance in 2018, General Mohammed (then a brigadier-general) was the Garrison Commander of the 3 Division and led the search-and-rescue mission for the missing officer.

His efforts led to the discovery of Alkali’s car in a deep mining pit in Du community and, later, his body in an abandoned well at Guchwet village in Shen district of Jos South LGA of Plateau State. During Monday’s proceedings, the defence counsel extensively cross-examined General Mohammed regarding inconsistencies and clarifications related to his previous statements and testimonies concerning Alkali’s death.

The questioning, which lasted for about two hours, focused on both his initial and subsequent accounts of the incident.

After the session, Justice Arum Ashom excused the witness and scheduled the next hearing.

Prosecuting counsel, Simon Mom, who represented the Plateau State Attorney General, did not object to the adjournment.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case to May 28 and 29 for the defence to begin presenting its case.

[DailyTrust]