Author: Opalim Lifted

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has proposed the Fly Nigerian Act, a bill that would require all government officials to use Nigerian airlines on international routes. Keyamo announced the plan on Sunday during the ceremonial send-off of Air Peace’s inaugural direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow. The event was attended by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace. He explained that the proposed law would mandate every public official travelling abroad to patronise a Nigerian airline if it operates that route. Only when no local carrier serves…

Several months after halting operations, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the resumption of commercial train services on the Warri-Itakpe route from Tuesday, October 29. The service was suspended in April after a train broke down mid-journey, leaving passengers stranded for hours before they were rescued. In a weekend statement, NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, said the suspension allowed for essential repairs, maintenance, and system checks to ensure safer and more reliable operations. He confirmed that the online booking platform would reopen by 12 noon on Monday, October 27, at https://nrc-fane.ng, urging passengers to book early or…

Nigeria has been selected among 11 countries to benefit from the new Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Integrated Programme, a global initiative that aligns climate and biodiversity goals through innovation, capacity building and shared knowledge. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched the $800 million programme in partnership with the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Other beneficiaries include Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam. With $100 million in GEF funding and $700 million in co-financing, the initiative seeks to…

A new report by Cowrywise has revealed that young Nigerian couples now spend an average of ₦13 million to organise a wedding. The report titled Simplified Issue 12: The Cost of “Yes, I Do”, released on October 12, 2025, examined financial spending across the proposal, traditional wedding and white wedding stages among young working couples in the country. According to the document, there is no fixed average cost of a Nigerian wedding, as spending ranges from ₦200,000 for small, intimate events to ₦20 million and above for luxury celebrations. The report stated, “There is no fixed ‘average’ cost of a…

Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest ended in defeat as Bournemouth moved up to second in the Premier League with a thoroughly deserved victory. Forest, 2-0 winners over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, were comfortably second best at Vitality Stadium, but they fell behind in unconventional circumstances when Marcus Tavernier’s corner sailed over goalkeeper Matz Sels and straight into the net. Forest were aggrieved at the decision to award Bournemouth a corner in the first place, with Tavernier’s cross appearing to hit Neco Williams and rebound off the Bournemouth winger’s foot before looping…

Unai Emery celebrated three years as Aston Villa manager with a hard-fought victory to end off-colour Manchester City’s nine-game unbeaten run. Aston Villa are unrecognisable since the Spaniard took over from Steven Gerrard in 2022 and, after a sticky start this season and shock defeat by Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League on Thursday, the battling victory over City was their fourth on the bounce in the league. The hosts netted the winner on 19 minutes courtesy of Matty Cash’s precise left-foot finish from the edge of the box after a corner, but the visitors were unhappy with the…

Pretty Mike, the Nigerian socialite, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over “possession of illicit substances.” Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the controversial socialite and over 100 others were arrested on Sunday. The arrests were made at Proxy Lagos, the nightclub owned by Pretty Mike in Victoria Island, Lagos. Babafemi said that the raid followed intelligence about an alleged drug party taking place at the venue. He added that NDLEA officers, who had been stationed at the venue since 11 pm on Saturday, disrupted the gathering around 3 am on Sunday in line with standard…

The “King of Afrobeat”, “Black President”, activist and legendary musician Fela Kuti has returned to his hometown and Nigeria’s cultural capital Lagos through a landmark exhibition that celebrates his life and legacy and opens Monday. The “Afrobeat Rebellion” exhibition, organised by the French Embassy and the Kuti family, builds on one held in Paris in 2022 and coincides with the launch of the week-long “Felabration” festival that honours the musician every October. “The Paris exhibition was outstanding, but to have it here at home feels so special,” said Papa Omotayo, a Nigerian architect who helped to organise the Lagos event.…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced total and indefinite nationwide strike beginning on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm. This decision means public hospitals across the country may experience major service disruptions in the coming days. The strike decision was reached after a five-hour emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday. The NEC, which is the highest decision-making body of the association, voted unanimously for a full shutdown following what the doctors described as the Federal Government’s failure to respond satisfactorily to their 30-day ultimatum. NARD President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, disclosed the outcome of the…

Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says some internet fraudsters, popularly called “Yahoo boys”, possess exceptional creativity that could benefit the nation if redirected. “Some of our so-called Yahoo boys are geniuses who need redirection, not condemnation. Their creativity and courage, if properly guided, can drive innovation and national development,” Obi said on Saturday in Onitsha, the capital of Anambra state. The former governor spoke at the “Golden Health” conference held at the Archbishop Patterson Auditorium, All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha. The event, themed “Money beyond wealth”, focused on promoting ethical leadership and moral renewal among young…