Dr. Akinwumi Adesina re-elected as AfDB President

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group on Thursday, August 27, 2020 by the Board of Governors of the Bank. 

A globally renowned development economist and a World Food Prize Laureate and Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Adesina has distinguished himself in driving a bold agenda to reform the Bank and accelerate Africa’s development. He was first elected as President of the Bank on May 28, 2015. 

A Nigerian Kelechi Madu Becomes Canada’s First Black Justice Minister

A Nigerian lawyer has been appointed Canada's new minister of justice and solicitor general for the province of Alberta on 26 August 2020.  Mr Kelechi (Kaycee) Madu is the first black man to occupy a ministerial post at that level in Canadian history. 

Alberta's premier described the appointment as making a powerful statement at a time of increasing sensitivity to racial prejudice. 

Mr Madu in response to the appointment said, "I've always said my story could only have been possible in my province of Alberta...

Ex-Oyo Gov, Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, Dies at 70

The former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi died at late hour on 25 June, 2020 at age 70. Before the latest information filtered in, his alleged death was rumoured about one and half weeks ago but was later dispelled by his media aide, Mr Bolaji Tunji and one of his children.
Ajimobi, who was born on 16 December, 1949, was on life support machine since last Friday at First Cardiology Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos. Ajimobi who COVID-19 had related ailment was rushed thereafter he reportedly fell into coma.

The Nollywood Veteran Actor, Ogun Majek, Passes On

The Yoruba Nollywood veteran actor, Alhaj Hakeem Gbolagade Akinpelu popularly known as Ogun Majek (Alias: Gudugudu A b’Eyin Jakanjakan) at last surrendered to the cold hand of death at early hour of 25 June, 2020. The gifted actor who was said to have been under the weather for some time was said to have given up the ghost Thursday morning at his Imalenfalafia home, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria. The veteran actor nurtured strange ailment before resort to his last repose. May His gentle rest in perfect peace.

My Sickness Tells Me There Is Life after Death – Ngozi Nwosu

Ngozi Nwosu is one of Nollywood’s finest actresses. She began her acting career by starring in Yoruba movies before making her home-video debut in ‘Living in Bondage’ in 1992.

The veteran actress has in recent time waded through a temptation ended with breakthrough. The lucky actress shared her experience and lessons learnt with media in this exclusive interview. Also, she breaks the jinx in acting role’s difficulties in the movie industry, being single or married.

Eidul Fitri Celebrations Around the World Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns

Muslims around the world celebrate a sombre Eidul Fitr on Sunday, 24 May 2020, amid coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns, but lax restrictions offer respite to worshippers in some countries despite fears of skyrocketing infections.  

You Can Make One Million Naira A Month In Acting —Actress Aishat Lawal

Many may not know that Nollywood actress, Aishat Lawal is a lawyer, who studied Law at the Lead City University, Ibadan and also a businesswoman. The award-winning actress, who was on maternity break for up to two years, is returning with a new movie entitled ‘Apala’.  In this interview with media, she talks about her new movie, her career and also shares some of her career experiences.

Excerpts:

For about two years you were off the screen, how would you describe last year and what have you been up to this year?

Last year was one of the most successful years for me because God came through for me in so many ways. The major highlight for me last year was giving birth to my daughter and this year, I have resumed work fully. I have been up and down from one location to another. I had been on break for the past two years. I just got back fully and I must say, I am so much enjoying it.

Egyptian Former President Hosni Mubarak Dies

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak died in Cairo late hour this morning at the age of 91. The nonagenarian died at a military hospital in Cairo. His death was confirmed by Egyptian State media on Tuesday, 25 February 2020.

Joshua Reclaims World Heavyweight Titles from Andy Ruiz

British boxer Anthony Joshua (white trunks) contended with Mexican-American boxer Andy Ruiz Jr (golden trunks) during the heavyweight boxing match between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua for the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles in Diriya, near the Saudi capital, Riyadh on Saturday  7^th December, 2019.
 Joshua reclaimed his world heavyweight crown from Andy Ruiz, outclassing the Mexican-American to score a unanimous points victory.

Nigeria’s Adesanya Beats Australia’s Whittaker to Become Middleweight Champion

Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya beat Australian Robert Whittaker in the second round of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 243 on Sunday 6^th October, 2019 to become the unbeaten world middleweight champion. Adesanya’s victory over Robert Whittaker at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, in just two rounds crowned him undisputed middleweight champion of the UFC 243.

Uchechi Promise, The Overall Best Graduating Student from NDA 2019

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Student, Uchechi Promise Echefu, bagged on 5^th October, 2019, First Class honours in Computer Science and the overall best graduating student from NDA (Navy) in 2019. Uchechi Promise Echefu a native of Mbeke Autonomous community in Isiala mbano LGA of Imo state graduates from NDA, Kaduna.

AFDB President Akinwumi Honoured at Traditional Ceremony in Swaziland

The King of Eswatini and Head of the Swazi Royal Family, King Mswati III, honoured the President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Akinwumi Adesina, at a traditional royal reed dance event in Swaziland on 6th September, 2019.

The annual weeklong ceremony is a traditional dance event where up to 40 000 Swazi maidens gather and dance for the Queen Mother.

This Swazi cultural event is performed as a tribute to the Royal Family and dates back centuries in time.

Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Passes On

The former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, is dead. He died at the age of 95. The veteran African nationalist reportedly died in a hospital in Singapore on Friday morning, 6th September, 2019.

He served as prime minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as president from 1987 to 2017. Fadzayi Mahere, Zimbabwe’s Education, Sport, Art and Culture Secretary, tweeted: “Rest In Peace, Robert Mugabe.

“My response to your passing is complicated. I’m going to write a long piece. However, for now, deepest condolences to his family”, his tweet read.

Nigeria Crushes South Africa 2 – 1 to Qualify for the Semifinal AFCON 2019

Super Eagles of Nigeria qualified for the semifinal of the 2019 African Cup of Nations at Cairo Stadium, Egypt after thrashing bitter rivals South Africa 2 – 1 on Wednesday, 10 July 2019, in the semi-quarterfinal. Nigeria entered into this match with lots of confidence after beating reigning champions Cameroon in the round of 16, while South Africa on the other hand defeated hosts Egypt.

Gernot Rohr's men scored their first goal in the 27^th minute through Samuel Chukwueze who benefited from an excellent pass by Alex Iwobi.

AFCON 2019: NIGERIA BEATS BURUNDI 1-0

Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations competition got off to a hard-earned winning start on Saturday 22 June, 2019 as they edged out Burundi 1-0 at El Burug Alexandria Stadium, Egypt.

Gernot Rohr's warriors struggled for long periods in their Group B opener at the Burug Stadium but sealed all three points in the 77^th minute.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons qualify for Women World Cup Round 16

The Nigerian Super Falcons slim loss to France in their final group A match of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in France on Monday 17 June 2019 put every Super Falcons supporter in anxiety, counting their standard performance in the match.  Now as a sigh of relief after the conclusion of other group games, the Super Falcons have been graded to qualify as one of the four teams to go through as best third-placed finishers. The Nigeria Ladies have snatched the last ticket into the Round 16 at the tournament.

Newly Released Pictures of VP Yemi Osinbajo and His Family

Check out the Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo and his family in photos recently shared by members of the family.

 The photos were taken on 29 May 2019, when Osinbajo became the Vice President of Nigeria for the second time after the Inauguration ceremony.

Engnr Makinde Sworn In As Oyo State Governor, No More Secondary Schools Fees

Engineer Oluseyi Makinde was sworn in as the new governor of Oyo State on Wednesday 29^th May 2019.

Makinde took his oath of office at exactly 12.21pm, immediately after his deputy, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan (NAN). The Chief Justice of Oyo state, Justice Muktar Abimbola, administered the Oath.

In his inaugural speech, Makinde promised to donate his entire salary as governor to the state Teachers’ Pension Fund.

He noted that attaining quality education is not possible without quality teachers and that quality enrollment and benefit attract quality teachers.

Flying Eagles Beat Qatar 4-0 in FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland

The Nigeria’s Flying Eagles obtained their first winning game at the World cup tournament by defeating Qatar 4-0 in the opening match of the Group D match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Stadion Miejski in Tychy, Poland on Saturday 25^th May, 2019. Goals were from Maxwell Effiom, Henry Offia, Ayotomiwa Dele-Bashiru and Aliu Salawudeen gave the Nigerians an emphatic win over their Asian counterparts in Tychy.

Maxwell Effiom got the first goal for the Paul Aigbogun's side on 12 minutes before Sweden based Henry Offia doubled the lead on 24 minutes with both assists from Captain Ikouwem Utin.

Adeola, The First Nigerian Female Pilot to Fly Qatari Airways Aircraft

Adeola Sowemimo became the first Nigerian female pilot to fly with Qatar Airways and set to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Aircraft.
 

The Nigerian trailblazer emerged in the aviation industry to become the First Nigerian Female Pilot at Qatar Airways likewise the First Nigerian Female Pilot on the Gigantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner Aircraft. The Airway is the state-owned national carrier of Qatar.

Iyalode of Ibadan, Aminat Abiodun, Dies at 94

The Iyalode of Ibadanland, Aminat Abiodun, the only female member of the Olubadan-in-Council, died in the early hours of Saturday 08 December 2018, about a fortnight to her 94^th birthday on 24 December, 2018.

All efforts towards instant confirmation of her death from the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, were turned. An aide to Olubadan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were processes to follow before the palace would officially announce the demise of a High Chief of the Iyalode’s status. As the news of her death filtered into town, top dignitaries started trooping to her residence to commiserate with the family.

Super Falcons Win to Lead AWCON to France 2019

The Super Falcons of Nigeria made its record towards ninth title after its victory over the Banyana Banyana of South Africa at the 11^th African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Ghana on Saturday 1 December, 2018.

It was, however, a very disappointing evening for the Banyana Banyana of South Africa who hoped for a first title but lost 3-4 to Nigeria on penalty kicks.

Ife Monarch Reveals New Wife, Naomi Oluwaseyi

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has unveiled his new wife, Queen Shilekunola Morenike Naomi.

Oba Ogunwusi made the announcement on social media platforms, on Friday, 19 October, 2018, praising her for her beauty, uniqueness and royal qualities and most especially, the fear of God in her.

“Shilekunola, Moronke, Naomi; the greatest Arsenal you can apply on this highly revered throne with many rules and regulations in the midst of undiluted tradition, heritage and culture is the “Fear Of God In You”, which is the beginning of your wisdom on this throne of Oduduwa.

UN Pays Final Respects as Kofi Annan Laid to Rest in Ghana

The UN paid final respects to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan as the late Ghanaian diplomat is laid to rest on Thursday 13 September, 2018 in Ghana.

The current UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his remarks at the funeral of his predecessor, played glowing tributes to Annan, who died on 18 August 2018, at the age of 80.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UN General Assembly would hold a commemorative meeting to pay tribute to the former Secretary-General on Friday 14 September, 2018., at the UN headquarters in New York.

President George Weah Plays for Liberia against Nigeria, aged 51

The football icon, former World Footballer of the Year and the current President of Liberia, George Weah led his country's team in a friendly match against Nigeria's Super Eagles in Monrovia on Tuesday, 12 September, 2018, in 2-1 loss to Nigeria.

Liberia had arranged the friendly to retire the number 14 jersey made famous by Weah.

But fans were in for a shock when, 16 years after his last international appearance, the striker led the national team onto the pitch wearing it instead. Weah turns 52 in just over a fortnight.

Nigeria Super Eagle Beats Seychelles 3-0 in AFCON Qualifier

Nigeria forged ahead in its journey to the Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after the Super Eagles beat Seychelles 3-0 on Saturday 8 September, 2018.

Ahmed Musa scored the first goal in the 15^th minute, which was accompanied by a brilliant rebound from Chidozie Awaziem, in the 34^th minute.

Odion Ighalo topped up the goals with another one, which he scored from the penalty spot.

Arsenal Signs a Nigerian Wonder Kid, Adetiba

After five weeks on trial at the popular Arsenal football academy in London, the Club signed a nine-year-old Nigerian boy, Jayden Adetiba. The Nigerian-born Adetiba relocated from England to South Africa 2 years ago. He played for the SuperSport United Soccer School in Cape Town.

Adetiba’s coach, Brent Sanders told KweséESPN that the boy has “something special”.

“Jayden worked with me for two years from the age of seven, and from his first practice session I could see that he was an exceptional talent that stood out in the group,” Sanders said.

The Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, Passes On at 80

Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan died at age 80, his foundation confirmed Saturday, 18 August 2018.

Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff.

He had also been a member, since 2007, of The Elders, a humanitarian group of a dozen leaders and activists of worldwide stature formed by Nelson Mandela. In 2013, Annan became its chairman.

Falconets Beat Austrian Club 4-0 in a Great Warming Up Match

The 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup silver medalists hammered Austrian Women League top flight team, FC Wacker Innsbruck 4-0 in their final pre-tournament friendly in Tirol on Saturday, with a brace from top scorer Rasheedat Ajibade and one each from Adebisi Saheed and Chinyere Igboamalu.

A few days earlier, the Nigerian girls had spanked another Austrian top flight side, FC Bergheim 3-0. Saturday’s match in Tirol was also watched by Nigeria’s Youth and Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung.  Ajibade, who plays for FC Robo Queens of Lagos and also featured at the last tournament in Papua New Guinea, top –scored for Nigeria in the African qualifying campaign and is heavily touted to dazzle the world in France next month.

Nigeria Unveils New National Carrier, NigeriaAir

The Federal Government on Wednesday 18 July, 2018 unveiled the branding and insignia for the new national carrier, Nigeria Air, and the airline would be officially launched at the end of the year.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja, the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, unveiled the carrier at a press conference during the Farnborough Air Show in London.

The Minister was quoted as saying, "I am very pleased to tell you that we are finally on track to launching a new national flag carrier for our country, Nigeria Air. We are all fully committed to fulfilling the campaign promise made by our President, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015. We are aiming at launching Nigeria Air by the end of this year.