*SOME NIGERIAN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES+, 04/08/2025*

Nigeria’s D’Tigress beat Mali to win 5th consecutive AfroBasket Women title

Petrol nears N900/litre as OPEC+ plans oil production hike

220 oil blocks abandoned amid debt, crude crises

Mother, son, two others killed in fresh Benue attacks

Edo hotelier killed, 20 others escape death in building collapse

Rainstorm wreaks 50 houses, farmlands in Plateau, Niger

Lagos lists 176 illegal estates, gives 21-day ultimatum

Amusan wins fifth national title in Lagos

Lagos Country Club holds spectacular 76th anniversary gala

US tariff: Insurance sector urged to strengthen risk management

AfDB completes eight agro-industrial hubs in Nigeria

American sculptor to honour first Nigerian in space Salis with monument

10 Beninese arrested over human trafficking in Ondo

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*DID YOU KNOW?*

* Panthers are not actually a separate species of cats. They’re just leopards or jaguars with a black color mutation.

* Besides water, tea is the most popular beverage worldwide.
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I look forward to receiving you in Abuja – Tinubu to victorious D’Tigress

Tinubu hails Abdul Samad Rabiu at 65, calls him “trusted partner in nationhood”

Tinubu intervenes in NNPCL-funded projects, reassures of payments

Constitution review: Rep backs more seats for women

Ribadu delivers relief to 500 Adamawa flood victims

Troops, DSS rescue kidnapped Taraba varsity lecturer

NDLEA arrests dispatch riders delivering illicit drugs in Abuja

Navy intercepts seven boats smuggling foreign rice in Badagry

NAFDAC seizes N20.5bn fake drugs, tomato paste in Rivers

Benue leaders united behind Tinubu to end killings – Akume

Obi’s one-term pledge deceitful, Presidency warns

No contract awarded for Baro port project – FG

No road project under NNPCL scheme will be abandoned, Umahi assures

US Mission breached protocols with anti-govs report – FG sources

Nigerians will enjoy uninterrupted power supply before Tinubu leaves office -Adelabu

Nigeria open to new national carrier model — Keyamo

Wi-Fi coming to MMIA terminal 2 by late 2025, Keyamo promises

FG extends para-military recruitment application deadline by one week

Incomplete documentation delaying disbursement of N75b loans to beneficiaries, says BoI

FG agrees to gazette nurses’ scheme, ends strike threat

SEC flags $2.1bn suspicious crypto deals across W’Africa

Charcoal trade endangering forest sustainability, FG warns

FG unveils initiative to tackle maternal, neonatal mortality in Nasarawa

INEC warns against vote buying, violence ahead of 2026 Osun polls

Tap into Nigeria’s $2bn sugar market, NSDC boss tells investors

Atiku, Obi merger can’t unseat Tinubu in 2027 – FG

Striking doctors cripple LAUTECH hospital operations

Strike: LASU halts exams, other activities indefinitely

Babcock graduate died inside hostel – Police

Benue leaders declare Akume political compass, laud Tinubu’s support

Afenifere to S-West govs: Leverage on UN recognition to equip Amotekun

IPI gives Niger gov 48 hours to reopen Badegi FM

Oando posts N1.72tr revenue in H1 2025

Eterna Plc reports N1.6bn H1 profit

Industrial-led development key to $1trn economy target — Manufacturers

Fuel imports surge to 71% as marketers ditch local refineries

Hospitality industry to hit $2.61bn by 2029 – Report

NSIA, partners award $280,000 to top Nigerian startups

Leaked memo: Obidient Movement petitions Obi over ADC marginalisation

By-election: PDP will not rise again in Edo, says Igbinedion

Obi to Soludo: My one-term four-year vow sacrosanct

PDP releases timetable for elective National Convention

Kano Gov inaugurates tree planting campaign, distributes 5m seedlings

Okpebholo predicts APC takeover in Edo by 2027

Sani appoints new MD for Kaduna media corporation

Ekiti Reps caucus canvasses govt support for agric development

Lagos Govt warns event centres against traffic obstruction

Legal battle brews over Rivers LG poll

Oyo distributes five million treated nets to fight malaria

Jigawa builds 132km embankment, 32 drains to combat flooding

LASTMA impounds 7,000 vehicles, sanctions 18 erring officers

Olubadan-in-Council to declare stool vacant today

Foreigner escapes death in Abuja building collapse

12 injured, houses razed in fresh Akwa Ibom clash

Prisons officer dismissed for taking snapshots of inmate

Abuja chief imam’s son shot dead over land dispute

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*TODAY IN HISTORY*

* On this day in 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. Seen by many as the decision that began the first World War, Britain declared war on Germany after Germany refused to accept its ultimatum of getting out of Belgium.

* On this day in 1984, the Republic of Upper Volta was Renamed Burkina Faso. The West African country was first created in 1958 as a self-governing French colony and gained its independence in 1960. In 1983, a military coup installed Captain Thomas Sankara as the country’s president. He changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso a year later on the coup’s anniversary.

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Life doesn’t run away from nobody. Life runs at people. – Joe Frazier

Good morning


*Compiled by Hon. Osuji George osujis@yahoo.com +234-8122200446*

Lagos Is Playing with Fire — And Tinubu Must Put It Out

By Babafemi Ojudu

A troubling trend is unfolding in Lagos State. In the aftermath of the recent local government elections, some newly elected officials have embarked on a reckless spree of renaming streets—particularly those bearing Igbo names or named after prominent non-indigenes. This is not coincidental; it is a calculated political maneuver rooted in resentment, identity politics, and shortsighted leadership.

The long-simmering tension between Yoruba and Igbo communities reached a boiling point during the 2023 elections. Peter Obi of the Labour Party shocked the political establishment by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu—Lagos’s long-reigning political figure—in the presidential poll within the state. That upset sent shockwaves through the ruling APC, and fears grew that a similar surprise might unfold in the governorship race. What followed was an aggressive, divisive campaign that shamelessly weaponized ethnicity, fear, and misinformation.

Wild accusations flew: that the Igbo had “bought up” Lagos, “taken over” the economy, and were scheming to seize political power. These narratives were dangerous—and not entirely new. But while they didn’t arise in a vacuum, they have been irresponsibly amplified.

It’s true that some individuals within the Igbo community, in asserting cultural pride, have crossed into political overreach—not just in Nigeria but abroad. A recent example is an Igbo man in Ghana who purchased large tracts of land and declared himself a king, sparking fears—justified or not—of secessionist ambitions in host communities. Similarly, the proliferation of self-styled “Eze Ndi Igbo” (Igbo kings) across non-Igbo regions can be perceived as provocative, especially when seen as parallel authority structures. While these acts may stem from pride and cultural identity, they can easily be exploited by opportunistic politicians to sow fear and division.

But make no mistake: these isolated actions do not justify collective punishment or cultural erasure.

Lagos was built by many hands—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, Tapa, and more. Its strength lies in its diversity. To target any group—especially one so deeply embedded in the city’s economy and social fabric—is not just morally wrong; it is politically suicidal.

Rather than stoking ethnic division, Lagos leaders should focus on the real threats to the city: youth unemployment, drug addiction, urban decay, traffic congestion, and collapsing infrastructure. These are the issues threatening Lagos’s future—not the names on its street signs.

What makes this ethnic posturing even more shortsighted is the broader national context. Discontent is rising across Nigeria. The economy is reeling, inflation is crushing households, and insecurity remains rampant. As the 2027 elections approach, the ruling APC is grappling with waning public trust. Alienating a significant Southern demographic—the Igbo—while Northern political elites express growing dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership is a dangerous gamble.

Just recently, Northern heavyweight Rabiu Kwankwaso declared that the North feels marginalized under Tinubu’s presidency and may not support his re-election. If the North grows distant and the Southeast is antagonized, where will the support come from? This trend risks isolating the South West politically—and that isolation will not bode well for the Yoruba, both at home and in the diaspora.

This is where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must rise above the fray. He cannot afford to allow partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment to blind him to the growing danger of ethnic polarization. Left unchecked, it could spiral into something far more sinister—even ethnic cleansing. Nigeria is too fragile for such a descent.

The President must initiate a process of reconciliation. He should reach out to Igbo leaders—both at home and abroad—to promote moderation and mutual respect. Online abuse and reckless insults, such as referring to revered Yoruba figures like Wole Soyinka in derogatory terms, must cease. I was stunned to read a young Igbo man referring to Soyinka as a “gbajue professor.” Such incivility wounds the national psyche and deepens mistrust.

At the same time, Tinubu must speak frankly to Yoruba communities—especially indigenes of Lagos. Being a host comes with responsibility, not superiority. You cannot sell your land willingly, spend the proceeds on indulgent lifestyles, and then resent those who invested and built on that land. You cannot eat your cake and still have it. If you admire the success of others, emulate their work ethic and community spirit—don’t scapegoat them.

Meanwhile, fault lines are cracking elsewhere. In the North, Muslim-Christian tensions are rising. The once-cohesive Fulani-Hausa alliance is showing strain. In the South, Yoruba-Igbo relations are fraying. In the Niger Delta, some groups are rejecting the inclusion of Igbos in the Biafra narrative. Even among the Yoruba, there is growing resentment against the idea of “giving everything to Lagos,” while some Lagosians disparage non-indigenous Yoruba (“ara oke”) who’ve found success in the city.

Nigeria is a house divided—and unless urgent steps are taken, it may not stand much longer. The crisis in Rivers State has stirred new waves of resentment in the Niger Delta. Everywhere, identity-based fault lines are deepening.

President Tinubu must not be complacent. If Nigeria fractures, history will not remember his economic policies or political victories. It will remember that the house collapsed under his watch.

The task before him is urgent and non-transferable: call your boys to order, heal old wounds, unite the nation, and rise above petty politics. This is not a job for committees or proxies. Only bold, visionary leadership can pull Nigeria back from the brink.

The window is closing. Now is the time to act.

• Ojudu is a former Senator, journalist, political scientist,

Wealth strengthen the mindset

*DREAMS Become Reality When Thoughts Become ACTIONS *

Everyone has dreams, but only the disciplined turn those dreams into reality.
Wishing is easy. Planning is smart. But action is *what makes it real.*

> *FACT:* 92% of people never achieve their goals—not because they don’t dream big, but because they never take *consistent* steps toward them.

Your ideas mean nothing without execution.
Your goals remain fiction until you put in the *work.*

*Here’s what separates dreamers from doers:*

- *Clarity of vision* – Know what you want, and why it matters.
- *Daily action* – Small, steady steps are better than random sprints.
- *Resilience* – Action invites failure—but it also breeds strength.
- *Accountability* – Track your progress, adjust, and keep moving forward.

The gap between “someday” and “success” is *action.*
Don’t just visualize your dream, *build it.*

Start now. Start small. Just start.

Do you know that children needs Gymnastics.
Gymnastics stimulates both physical and cognitive development. It enhances strength, flexibility, and coordination while also improving cognitive skills like memory, spatial awareness, and problem-solving.

Do you know that children needs Gymnastics.
Gymnastics stimulates both physical and cognitive development. It enhances strength, flexibility, and coordination while also improving cognitive skills like memory, spatial awareness, and problem-solving.

"Those that wait upon the Lord, the Lord shall renew your strength."