Author: David Great

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has approved the appointment of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo. The announcement was made on Friday in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade. According to Oyelade, Abimbola Owoade was selected after extensive consultations and traditional divinations conducted by the Oyomesi, the council of kingmakers in Oyo. “Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade, after thorough consultations and divinations, has been recommended by the Oyomesi and approved by Governor Seyi Makinde as the new Alaafin of Oyo,” the statement read. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,…

BudgIT, a prominent civic-tech organisation advocating for transparency and accountability in governance, has raised alarms over several irregularities in the proposed 2025 Federal Government Budget. Nancy Odimegwu, Communications Associate for BudgIT, in a statement released on Thursday called on the National Assembly to take a patriotic and inclusive approach during its review process to ensure the budget meets the developmental needs of Nigerians. The statement highlighted persistent issues with the Federal Government’s budget performance, citing unrealistic macroeconomic assumptions, a lack of transparency, and questionable allocations. “The government’s inflation projection of 15% in the 2025 fiscal year appears grossly unrealistic, considering…

Real Madrid will chase a record-equalling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real will play Barcelona for the Super Cup trophy on Sunday after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca…

Manager Rob Edwards has left Luton Town by mutual consent after two years in charge of the The Hatters, the Championship side said on Thursday. Edwards, who took over in November 2022, led Luton to promotion to the Premier League in his debut season. The club, however, were relegated back to the second-tier Championship last year, and currently sit 20th in the league, two points above the relegation zone. “The current campaign back in the Championship has clearly not progressed as anticipated, and after holding amicable talks following Monday’s defeat at QPR, the board and Rob Edwards have agreed to…

Nigeria and China plan to deepen cooperation in areas such as clean energy, defence and finance, with China pledging support for Nigeria’s issuance of Panda bonds to fund infrastructure, the two countries’ foreign ministers said on Thursday. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi also outlined efforts to address regional security challenges. Wang was visiting Nigeria as part of a wider four-nation tour of Africa, an annual journey seen as aimed at advancing Beijing’s already considerable influence on the continent. His visit follows recent high-level exchanges, including intergovernmental committee talks in Beijing last June and President…

Everton have sacked Sean Dyche as head coach, the Premier League club said on Thursday, hours before their third round FA Cup home tie against Peterborough. With his backroom staff also leaving, Everton said under-18s head coach Leighton Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman would take charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis. “Everton Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as senior men’s first team manager with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement. “Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer have also left the club. The process to…

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as suitors in the race to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. Having fallen down the pecking order under new head coach Ruben Amorim, Rashford has been made available for transfer this month but the significant cost of a deal – a reported fee of £40m plus Rashford’s huge wages – has left clubs exploring loan moves instead. AC Milan are believed to be leading the race after reports of a formal bid emerged earlier this week, but the Daily Mail insist they are not alone as Tottenham are chasing Rashford’s signature as well. Spurs…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has announced that the details of Nigeria’s newly rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be launched by the end of January. This was disclosed on Thursday during a sensitisation workshop on GDP and Consumer Price Index (CPI) rebasing, organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the NBS in Lagos. The rebasing, which aims to reflect current economic realities and account for structural changes, will adopt 2019 as the new base year. The NBS had earlier announced in October its plans to update the GDP and CPI frameworks. During his presentation, Moses Waniko, the…

Tottenham Hotspur claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory against EFL Cup holders Liverpool in the first leg of their semi-final clash, securing just their second clean sheet in 12 matches and gaining a crucial edge in the tie. New signing Antonin Kinský made his debut in goal, the second Spurs goalkeeper to do so in consecutive matches, as manager Ange Postecoglou continued to navigate an injury-hit squad. Despite these challenges, Tottenham started brightly against the Premier League leaders. However, their momentum was disrupted when Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off after a lengthy stoppage. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah had a rare chance midway…

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its collection with 20 new Nigerian words and expressions in its latest update. Among the newly added terms are “japa,” “agbero,” “eba,” “419,” and “abi,” which reflect the vibrant linguistic and cultural heritage of Nigeria. These entries, rooted in Pidgin English, street slang, and local cultural expressions, signify the growing global recognition of Nigerian English. Interestingly, some terms, including “japa” and “jand,” are listed as both nouns and verbs, demonstrating their versatile usage in everyday conversations. Pronunciation guides have also been included to help non-Nigerians accurately pronounce the words. Kingsley Ugwuanyi, a Nigerian…