Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Tiwa Savage, has sparked dating speculations with American singer, Usher Raymond after the duo were captured doing the 30-second challenge in London.

Naija News reports that Usher brought Tiwa Savage out as a surprise guest at his ‘Past Present Future’ tour stop at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday night, and the crowd went wild after he brought the sensational singer to perform her hit song, ‘Somebody’s Son’.

At the afterparty, the duo were captured doing the 30-second challenge, a clip of which has now gone viral.

Usher Raymond challenged Savage to freestyle for 30 seconds, and during her freestyle, she spoke about the singer having feelings for her.

She freestyled, “I’m a little drunk! But it’s alright. I think I’m drunk enough, I think I’m drunk enough. Are you drunk enough? Usher, are you drunk enough? Listen, he loves me,” amid cheers from the crowd.”

Recall that Usher first brought Tiwa Savage to perform with him on stage during his headline performance at the Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana, in 2022.

However, the duo has yet to officially confirm whether they are dating or not.

Meanwhile, Tiwa Savage recently expressed her opinion about Nigerian men.

Naija News reports that in a recent conversation with GRAM Daily’s ‘Thoughts in a Culli,’ the ‘Koroba’ crooner said Nigerian men have swag but are not romantic.

According to Tiwa Savage, Nigerian men could also be generous, but she is not looking for ‘swag and money.’

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo over various projects completed by his administration in Anambra State.

The president, who is in the state to commission some projects executed by the Soludo administration said the governor has shown the people of the state that he is a solution provider.

Some of the projects assessed and commissioned by the president include the new Anambra State Government House, the Solution Fun City, the New Governor’s Lodge, built for the first time in 34 years, and the revamped House of Assembly, among others.

Speaking while commissioning the Government House, Tinubu said infrastructure is the backbone of development in every nation. 

He also said that the legacy being built by the governor now will last even after Soludo’s time.

Further describing the action of the governor as “environmentally responsive governance”, Tinubu commended Soludo for delivering quality governance to the people of Anambra.

“Anambra is achieving great heights. Building our tomorrow, today. A leader like Governor Chukwuma Soludo is placing Anambra on the path of 21st-century development.

“You are a good thinker, you are a solution provider. We can go places together. Building Nigeria. Building the future. Using technology to build and reflect good governance among the people. Promote investment. We must encourage good governance,” Tinubu stated.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by MultiChoice Nigeria, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, challenging the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (FCCPC) intervention in its recent subscription price hike.

Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice James Omotoso ruled that the suit constituted an abuse of court process as similar proceedings were already pending elsewhere.

He stressed that the plaintiff should have pursued its arguments in that court, rendering the current filing procedurally inappropriate.

Justice Omotoso noted that while the FCCPC has investigative powers under its establishing Act, it lacks the authority to fix or suspend prices unless specifically delegated by the President through a gazetted instrument. No such delegation was presented to the court.

“The power to fix prices is exclusively that of the President. Any decision taken without such delegation is a nullity,” he stated.

He added that Nigeria operates a free market system, and service providers like MultiChoice retain the right to set their prices, with consumers free to accept or reject them.

The judge further ruled that FCCPC’s actions, including directing MultiChoice to suspend its price increase, breached the company’s right to fair hearing and appeared selectively targeted.

He dismissed the FCCPC’s claim that MultiChoice held a dominant market position, calling the argument untenable.

“The use of services like those provided by the plaintiff is discretionary and not essential. Nigeria can do without it,” he added.

He warned that attempts to fix prices by regulatory bodies could scare off investors and harm the economy.

The court held that while the FCCPC may investigate market practices, it cannot impose price controls without proper legal backing.

MultiChoice had increased subscription rates by up to 25% on March 1, 2025, citing inflation and operational cost pressures.

The FCCPC opposed the move and threatened to sanction the firm.

Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, has said Nigeria needs a bill to regulate hunters’ activities across the country.

Naija News reports that Senator Jibrin emphasized that hunting remains a traditional part of life across the world.

Seconding a motion to establish a bill to regulate hunters’ activities, moved by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila on Tuesday, the Deputy Senate President stated that the Uromi killings would not have happened if such a bill were in place.

“I recalled how the killings of the innocent hunters led to national outrage, cutting across all segments of this country. Everybody, from the South to the West, from the Muslim to the Christian, was worried.

“But then we took solace in the quick responses of the federal government, the state governments and the Senate.

“You will recall that I visited the victims’ families in Kano South Senatorial District and donated N16 million to them.

“I also promised to follow up on this case until the culprits are brought to justice.

“Now, what is important is to ensure that those who committed that heinous act are identified and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to do that in the future.

“The governor of Edo State should be commended for being at the forefront of this effort, working with the police and all the security agencies to apprehend those who committed that heinous crime. That cooled down the tension all over the country.

“For those who don’t know, these hunters are traditional, professional hunters. We have them all over the northern part of the country. They go from place to place to hunt. Once they are able to get animals, they will bring them back and sell them.

“It was on that premise that they went to where they went to hunt, and when they were coming back, the incident happened.

“To address the matter once and for all, I stress the need for us to accelerate the passage of a bill before the Senate intended to regulate the affairs of hunters. We have hunters in every part of the world.

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday said that notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji has been on the run as a result of sustained offensives by the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in recent time.

The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru stated this during a Ministerial Briefing on the activities of the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that troops also killed at least 11 notorious terrorist leaders in recent operations.

The Minister identified some of the terrorists killed as Maza Barume Madaro; Kachalla Alhaji Dati; Bani Wala Burki; Kachalla Dogo Kwaden; Chairman Hanazuma; Kachalla Bandiyo; and Maiyara Madaci.

Others killed include Alhaji Karki; Kachalla Makore; Zakiru and Okachalla Azarailu.

According to him, troops are neutralising the bandits by the day, and the leaders are going down by day. And they are on the run.

“Recently, there has been a renewed impetus to all our operations across the country, translating into commendable achievement, specifically in the Northeast.

“Inspote of the recent short-lived desperation of the terrorists, troops have responded excessively and turned a devastating blow across the theatres,’’ he said.

Badaru assured Nigerians of the commitment of the military to address all the prevailing security challenges, adding that they were doubling their intelligence to nip them in the bud.

He said that Nigeria’s security challenges were deeply rooted in decades-long social and political fractures, economic dislocation, transnational borders influence, and global terrorism metrics that continue to mutate beyond classical military doctrines.

The House of Representatives is to investigate the disbursement and utilisation of the N200 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan for the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs)

The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Uchenna Okonkwo (LP-Anambra) made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, adding that a 19-member committee had been inaugurated for the purpose.

He said that the main objective of the committee was to carry out an investigation on the programme earmarked for 2020, to enable the Licensed Electricity Distribution Companies provide electricity meters free for Nigerian electricity consumers. 

According to him, it is on record that NMMP was introduced in 2020 by CBN in collaboration with Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and other key stakeholders in Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

He explained that the aim was to help manage conflicts between energy users and distribution companies and to facilitate the elimination of arbitrary billing, closing metering gaps, and improving network monitoring within NESI.

The rep said that the programme was to be implemented in three phases to ensure the reduction of collection losses and improve market remittances in the industry.

“Under the pilot phase of the programme’s implementation, CBN commenced with the sum of N59.280 billion for procurement and installation of one million meters in 2020 at an interest rate of 9 per cent after a two year moratorium.

“Preliminary research on the NMMP has shown that instead of the pronounced amount of N59.280 billion naira for the phase 0, what was released was N55.4 billion for procurement and installation of 962,832 meters instead of one million meters pronounced by CBN.

“Research has also shown that what the eleven Electricity Distribution Companies who received the loan has paid back to CBN as refund for the N54.4 billion they received in 2020 without mentioning the 9 per cent interest on the loan.

“This calls for explanation as to how the fund managers handled the NMMP for national interest. 

“Also of concern the phase 1 of the NMMP which CBN and Deposit Money Banks (DMBS) were to fund for procurement and installation of 1,500,000 meters, as well as, the phase 2 of NMMP which the World Bank was to fund for procurement and installation of 4,000,000 meters has not been addressed.

“Having considered the effect of the above situation on the nation’s economic and social development, as well as transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, the house relying on its powers contained in Sections 88(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, decided to set up Sub – Committee to investigate the disbursement and utilisation of the N200 billion naira CBN loan for NMMP to DISCOs,” he said.

Members of the committee include, Rep. Obed Shehu, Rep. Ali Shettima, Rep. Abel Fuah, Rep. Salisu Koko, Rep. Ahmed Munir, Rep. Sani Umar Bala, Rep. Gbefwi Jonathan, Rep. Abdulmaleek Danga, Rep. Chinedu Obika and . Rep. Okunlola Lanre.

Others are Rep. Abass Adekunle, Rep. Akinosi Akanni, Rep. Obuzor Victor, Rep. Peter Akpanke, Rep. Ngozi Lawrence. Rep. Ogah Amobi Godwin, Rep. Ikeagwuonu Onyinye among others.

More than 60,000 Nigerian teachers, working in public and private schools, will, during a Teachers Conference in Lagos gather to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of teachers in one location.

Disclosing this at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, the Director of Strategic Partnerships, 1 Million Teachers, Oluwaseyi Anifowose, said the conference is slated for September 20 at the Tafawa Balewa Square(TBS) in Lagos.

Anifowose who is the convener, said the event is tagged:  Let There Be Teachers Conference 2025,  while the theme is: Teachers’ matter: Celebrating the role of teachers in enhancing quality education.

In the preparations for the event, he said the Lagos State Government, not only approved of the event, but is supporting it.

“The Lagos State Government has expressed support for the event and approved the attendance of all public school teachers, while the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT and other associations and stakeholders in the sector are involved.”

Anifowose added: “Over 60,000 teachers will gather at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos to celebrate their role, reaffirm their commitment and make history. We are proud to announce that the event will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of teachers in one location.

“This is not just about breaking records, it’s about breaking barriers. It’s about challenging the status quo, disambiguating societal perception, and raising the bar and a new banner for teachers in Nigeria. It’s about raising a new generation of teachers that can illuminate the mind, inspire change and transform generations, one child at a time.”

He added that it will also feature keynote speeches from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa and other national and  international education leaders, and a “call to action” communique for a teacher-led education policy reform.

Anifowose who commended teachers for their pivotal roles in the society, said he became a teacher by choice, not by accident or because of having no other thing to do.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer of 1 Million Teachers (1MT) Prof. Hakeem Subair, reiterated his commitment to creating a world with enough high-quality teachers to ensure all children can access proper education. 

Head of Growth, Edusko, Sola Adeola, described the conference as a celebration of the transformative power of teachers. 

Teachers groups and associations in both private and public schools are expected at the gathering.

The issue of wage review beyond the national minimum wage has become a trending discourse within the Labour movement, especially because of the increasing rate of inflation even before the implementation of the N70 000 new national minimum wage.

During May Day, it was also strident in the joint statement of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterparts, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively.

In a chat with Ajaero after the May Day celebration, he gives insight into this issue among others, hinting that the issue of cost of living allowance will be next battle with the government and employers.

During the May Day celebration, NLC and TUC were loud on their demand for wage review. What informed this demand few months after a new national minimum wage?

When we went for the negotiations of the new national minimum wage , we had in mind that we were going to get a clear agreement based on the cost of living. But we met a government team that was unprepared.

We asked how much of the N70,000 they wanted to pay would go towards transport? What about basic needs? How much is housing? We tabulated the costs of cooking gas, a bag of rice, and other essentials. The government team didn’t have any response. At that time, the situation was biting seriously, and we insisted on a living wage.

In the end, we didn’t get it. We wanted to benchmark it against inflation. If inflation increases, the wage should adjust automatically. But they still refused.

So, after a national strike, numerous protests, and an agreement with the President that if we accepted N70,000, they would not increase the pump price (which they reneged on), we reluctantly accepted the N70,000. Now, the value of that N70,000 has been completely eroded.

Even the wage award they gave as relief has stopped. You can see that we have every right to demand a cost of living allowance to address our current situation.

These are some of the things we are going to raise. If you look at the money they made from the so-called removal of the subsidy, the president has acknowledged that the money now goes to the governors. But the governors don’t seem to be doing anything with it. In some states, they are not even paying wages.

We have every reason to demand wage awards or some form of relief. This has happened before, where people were given foodstuffs, like rice, just to survive. It’s not a matter of right or wrong. The economy is in a dire state, and it is hurting the people.

Why did organised Labour choose “Reclaiming the civic space in the midst of economic hardship” as theme for this year’s May Day celebration?

The question should have been, “If not this theme, what else?” If you look at the issues surrounding this theme—civic space and the economy—there is hardly anyone in this country, even outside the labour circle, who isn’t concerned about the economy.

These days, market women can give you a clear analysis of the rate of the dollar. Sometimes, you ask yourself, “Does the dollar affect the sale of amala and vegetables?”

It shows the extent to which they have tried to understand what is happening with our economy. You can no longer predict the price of any product until you get to the market.

The dynamics keep changing, inflation is rising, and Nigerians are suffering. As a labour leader, you get these complaints on an hourly basis, depending on what is happening. There is no way we could mark May Day without discussing the economy and insecurity. They are two key issues affecting our operations today.

Then there is the civic space. It is like when you beat a child and tell him or her not to cry. When the economy is haunting us, we need to shout out, to speak out. But when we cry out, we are met with threats and attacks if we go to the civic space to talk.

This is similar to what happened during the anti-Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) protests. The Head of State then, General Ibrahim Babangida, said there was no alternative to SAP, and we told him there was an alternative.

Some of us were at the National Arts Theatre Iganmu, and other locations, providing alternatives. There was a debate that defeated him, although he still introduced SAP. Anytime there is a strong economic policy, especially one dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank, the people will resist.

If the civic space is compressed, it becomes a problem. That is the hallmark of democracy. When economic policies affect people, they will voice out.

During that time, I was in the Student Union Movement. It was the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that resisted SAP. It got to the point where Labour was emasculated and dissolved, and NANS was strong. When their (students) parents were suffering, it affected the students.

That was when protests erupted in places like University of Binin, UNIBEN, Ahmadu Bello University ABU, and other universities. Babangida came out and called it a civilian coup. He then announced he would create one million jobs. He created Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery, MAMSA, Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures, DIFRI, Peoples Bank, National Directorate of Employment, NDE, and even Road Safety in response to what NANS and others did.

But today, in a democracy, when people want to protest in Abuja, the police come out and say you cannot protest, even shooting at unarmed citizens. That is not how democracy works. When economic policies are too harsh, people usually protest. Many protests and reactions are tied to the economy.

If you look at the 1929 Aba Women Riot, it stemmed from the fear of taxation. There was an insinuation that the colonial masters wanted to tax even domestic animals. That made the women protest, saying this would not happen.

Though some Eurocentric historians now call it the Aba Women Riot, it was actually a protest that spread across various areas. When harsh economic policies are implemented, the people will resist.

The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed that over 1.6 million bags of onions are informally traded to neighbouring countries annually without being reflected in Nigeria’s official export statistics.

This is as the NEPC and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to begin systematic data capturing of informal cross-border trade activities across the country.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held in Abuja, the executive director/CEO of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the partnership marks a strategic turning point in Nigeria’s effort to grow its non-oil exports by formally recognising and recording the value of trade in the informal sector.

The agreement aims to establish a framework for capturing data from Nigeria’s vast informal cross-border trade sector

According to Ayeni, the figure, cited from the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), reflects onion exports to countries including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, and Niger Republic—none of which are captured in formal trade records. 

“Existing trade data primarily capture activities within the formal sector, offering limited visibility into informal export trade transactions, despite their significant volume and economic impact,” Ayeni said. “In 2024 alone, formal export records show that 7.291 million metric tons of non-oil products valued at $5.456 billion were exported from Nigeria. This figure excludes data from the informal trade segment.”

Ayeni emphasised that informal trade, often carried out across Nigeria’s porous land borders, is far from trivial. Rather, it forms a critical part of the nation’s trade reality, supporting livelihoods, strengthening regional supply chains, and contributing meaningfully to the economy.

“Informal export trade represents millions of dollars in goods and services that have remained largely outside our official records,” she said.

“Data collected by NEPC state offices across major corridors in Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Lagos, Ogun, and Adamawa reveal transactions valued at over $31.8 million in some months of 2024 alone.”

She further cited a report from the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), which indicated that over 1.6 million bags of onions were traded informally to neighbouring countries including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Congo, and Niger Republic.

“These impressive achievements are not captured in the national export statistics, and that has real implications for our economic planning,” Ayeni said. “It weakens Nigeria’s voice in regional and global trade negotiations. It also denies informal traders—particularly women, youth, and MSMEs—the recognition and support they need to thrive.”

She described the MoU as a targeted intervention to correct this imbalance by capturing the full scope of Nigeria’s export activity, including informal trade flows that are vital to inclusive economic growth.

In his remarks, the Statistician General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, described the partnership as a critical response to one of the most pressing gaps in Nigeria’s trade data architecture.

“The signing of this MoU demonstrates the strong spirit of collaboration required to tackle the persistent challenge of capturing and integrating data from informal trade and trade in services into our national statistical system,” he said.

Adeniran warned that failure to capture informal trade data undermines the integrity of macroeconomic indicators and weakens evidence-based policymaking. “Traditional trade statistics have focused on formal, large-scale transactions while overlooking the vibrancy of informal trade routes. This must be corrected if we are to align our economic statistics with reality,” he said.

He noted that across Sub-Saharan Africa, informal trade accounts for 20 to 40 per cent of intra-African commerce, with Nigeria playing a central role due to its extensive land borders and regional trading links.

“These are not just gaps in data; they represent gaps in our understanding of economic life and the well-being of millions of Nigerians,” Adeniran said.

According to him, the collaboration with NEPC offers a timely opportunity to build institutional capacity, develop smarter data strategies, and support the formalization of the informal sector. He noted that capturing this data would also facilitate better food security policies, more accurate monitoring of regional integration, and targeted support for small businesses.

“This initiative will position Nigeria as a regional leader in trade statistics,” he added. “It will help us identify new economic opportunities and foster inclusive economic growth by bringing visibility to previously undocumented trade.”

Both agencies committed to deploying advanced data collection tools, conducting grassroots-level engagement, and working with development partners to ensure the success of the initiative.