General News
NIGERIA SET TO HOST AFRICA’S FIRST COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN 2030 AS PRESIDENT TINUBU ASSURES COMMITMENT
Nigeria has expressed strong commitment to hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, welcoming the Commonwealth Sport Bid Evaluation Committee to Abuja on Thursday. Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, in a statement confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s assurance of Nigeria’s readiness to host an inclusive and world-class Games on African soil for the first time.
Bayo Onanuga highlighted President Tinubu’s emphasis that the Commonwealth champions unity and diversity, and Africa deserves this moment after nearly a century since the Games began in 1930. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff, represented President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, receiving the delegation led by Darren Hall, Director of Games and Assurance at Commonwealth Sport. “You’re very welcome to Nigeria. I hope you enjoy our great hospitality… Mr President fully supports this bid,” Gbajabiamila said.
Gbajabiamila conveyed President Tinubu’s Letter of Guarantee, stressing Nigeria’s readiness: “We’re ready. We’re willing, we’re able, and we actually want this. It’s been almost 100 years. The games have not been held on any soil in Africa.” Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, argued Nigeria deserves the honour, noting Africa has 22 Commonwealth nations.
President Tinubu, via Gbajabiamila, highlighted reforms repositioning sports as a strategic driver of national development, including scrapping the Ministry of Sports for the National Sports Commission. Bayo Onanuga noted the President assured infrastructural, security, and hospitality needs will be met. Habu Gumel, President of Commonwealth Sport Nigeria, said the country aims for environmentally sustainable Games.
Nigeria proposes 15 sports including football for the 2030 Games in Abuja, aiming for legacy and youth development. Darren Hall thanked Nigeria for their warm welcome, noting the Commonwealth’s aim for greater diversity approaching 100 years. Nigeria and India are bidders; the host will be decided by the Commonwealth Games General Assembly in November 2025. Bayo Onanuga confirmed ministerial support with attendees like Ministers Muhammed Idris, Festus Kayamo, and Hannatu Musa Musawa backing the bid.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has introduced an urgent, coordinated strategy to safeguard food security across West Africa and the Sahel, as global economic disruptions and rising oil prices continue to threaten agricultural production.
The decision followed an extraordinary virtual meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Agriculture held on March 23, 2026, where regional leaders assessed the growing risks to food systems.
The high-level meeting, convened by the ECOWAS Commission through its Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture under Commissioner Kalilou Sylla, brought together key regional institutions, development partners, and financial stakeholders.
Participants—including representatives from the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel—reviewed the impact of rising fertiliser costs, driven by global market volatility and increasing energy prices, on agricultural productivity across the region.
Deliberations resulted in the adoption of a medium- to long-term operational framework aimed at strengthening food sovereignty and building resilience within regional food systems.
Key measures outlined in the plan include the immediate establishment of regional agreements to secure strategic fertiliser supplies, as well as the creation of emergency reserves to cushion the effects of future price shocks.
The ministers also approved the introduction of liquidity swap mechanisms through central banks to address foreign exchange constraints faced by importers—an intervention expected to improve access to critical agricultural inputs.
“Our collective response underscores the urgency of safeguarding food security in the face of external shocks,” Sylla said, noting that enhanced regional coordination and targeted interventions would help sustain agricultural production and protect vulnerable populations.
The initiative highlights ECOWAS’ commitment to deepening regional cooperation and implementing sustainable solutions to emerging threats to food security across West Africa and the Sahel.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday paid a Sallah homage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos.
The visit formed part of activities marking the Sallah celebrations, as top government officials and political leaders paid courtesy calls to the President.
During the meeting, President Tinubu also received members of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council, a key political body in Lagos State.
Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council
The engagements provided an opportunity for discussions on national issues and strengthened ties between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The Sallah homage is a long-standing tradition in Nigeria, where political leaders and stakeholders visit the President and other top officials during major Islamic festivities.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has expressed concern over the reported arrest of a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar, describing the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.
In a statement issued on Monday, Obi said he was informed that the cleric was arrested by authorities shortly after hosting him in Kaduna on Sunday. He described the situation as “deeply troubling,” warning that it reflects a growing pattern of intimidation and suppression of dissenting voices in the country.
Obi noted that such actions, if confirmed, undermine fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and movement, which he said are essential pillars of any democratic society.
He further stressed that harassment or persecution of citizens based on perceived political affiliations must not be tolerated, urging the government to uphold the rule of law in its dealings with Nigerians.
“This country must defend freedom and free speech, which are the hallmarks of every democratic society,” Obi stated, adding that suppression and intimidation of dissent have no place in a functioning democracy.
The former Anambra State governor called on authorities and all relevant actors to refrain from actions capable of weakening the nation’s already fragile democratic system.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official confirmation from security agencies regarding the alleged arrest.