NEWS

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has defended her recent remarks urging low-income citizens to engage in micro-businesses, such as frying akara, roasting corn, or producing kuli-kuli. The initial comments, delivered to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, June 25, sparked widespread public backlash. Critics argued that promoting low-yield, traditional petty trading is regressive at a time when global economies are transitioning toward technology-driven industries. Addressing the controversy during an official event in Jigawa State on Monday, June 29, the First Lady dismissed the criticisms, emphasizing that the federal government remains committed to supporting grassroots commerce. She noted that national empowerment initiatives regularly target small-s...

The Federal Ministry of Works has banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles from plying the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.The restriction was announced in a statement on Sunday, June 28, by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Olufemi Dare.The ban takes effect this week.Dare said the decision was introduced “to protect the newly constructed superhighway from misuse and deterioration.”He explained that the measures were necessary to preserve the road and ensure its long-term sustainability.The Federal Controller also warned that indiscriminate parking of trucks and articulated vehicles would no longer be permitted.He said, “The restriction applies to the coastal highway and all bridges across Lagos State.”The ministry also prohibited the “indi...

Nigeria has received 23 looted Benin Kingdom artefacts from Switzerland, marking another milestone in the country's efforts to recover its stolen cultural heritage.The collection includes 18 Benin artefacts returned by three Swiss museums, alongside five additional cultural objects that were previously seized by Swiss authorities.The artefacts, commonly known as the Benin Bronzes, were looted during the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom. They include metal and ivory objects created at the royal court of Benin. The handover took place at the National Museum in Lagos, where the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) formally received the artefacts on behalf of the Federal Government.During the ceremony, Switzerland's Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schne...

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a wide-ranging reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introducing a new uniform and several structural changes aimed at modernising the scheme for the first time since its establishment 53 years ago.The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the development on Monday via his official X account, describing the decision as a significant milestone in repositioning the NYSC to better serve the needs of young Nigerians while preserving its core objective of promoting national unity.According to the minister, the reforms are designed to transform the NYSC into a more skills-oriented, productivity-driven and youth-focused institution in line with President Bola Tinubu's vision of building a $1 trillion econom...

The Lagos State Government has commenced the removal of illegal squatters, shanties, makeshift structures and unauthorized traders occupying the median of the Orile–Okokomaiko section of the Badagry Expressway.The enforcement exercise, directed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is being executed by the Lagos State Environmental Task Force, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) brigade, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).According to the state government, the operation is aimed at reclaiming the road's right-of-way, restoring order along the corridor and preventing the illegal occupation of public spaces.The Lagos State Government has commenced clearance operations along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway to remove illegal structures and restor...

The Chairman of the Labour Party in Abia State, Mr Peter Azubuike, has said the party is poised for a landslide victory in the 2027 general elections, claiming it would win “before 2 pm” if the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted an election today.Azubuike stated this on Monday while speaking with journalists at the LP State Secretariat in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.He said the party had resolved its internal crises and was now fully mobilised for the next electoral cycle.Describing the LP as the most grassroots-driven party in the state, the chairman cited its current electoral footprint as proof of its dominance.He said, “If INEC conducts an election today, we will win before 2 p.m. because we are the only political party with a strong grassroots ...

Arise News Political Editor, Sumner Sambo, has advised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to remain with the party and confront its current legal and political challenges instead of seeking another platform.Sambo made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Arise Television's Morning Show, following a ruling by a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which nullified its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.Reacting to the court's decision, the political analyst questioned what he described as a recurring pattern of controversies surrounding political parties associated with Obi.According to him, challenges appear to intensify whenever the fo...