The maiden edition of the Rise Superball Youth League sponsored by Nigeria’s leading investment platform, RiseVest, came to a thrilling conclusion as winners emerged across multiple sports.
The volleyball final pitted Abesan Junior Academy and Ikorodu Volleyball Academy in an entertaining clash of talents. After two keenly contested sets, Ikorodu Volleyball Academy emerged champions.
The Basketball event of the championship witnessed Anjorin basketball club overturn an early deficit against Warlords basketball club to emerge champions.
The highly anticipated fustal championship had semifinalists, Beyond Limit and Dannaz Young Cedars Football Academy compete for the third place match, with Beyond Limit clinching the bronze medal.
The final between 36 Lions and Ikorodu City Football Academy was a one-sided affair as 36 Lions thrashed their opponents 3-0 to emerge champions.
Sponsors of the tournament, RiseVest praised participating teams and match officials for their competitiveness and competence while reaffirming their commitment to grassroots sports development and youth engagement in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
Ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations clash against Nigeria, Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi admitted that he has laid out a strategy to contain the Super Eagles’ attacking threats, including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon.
Heading into Saturday’s clash at the Fez Stadium, the Eagles of Carthage lead Group C, thanks to a superior goal difference over Nigeria, who defeated Tanzania 2-1 in their tournament opener.
When asked whether he had prepared a plan or strategy to deal with Osimhen, Lookman, Moses and other Nigerian forwards, Trabelsi stressed that Tunisia would focus on collective discipline and organisation rather than targeting individual players.
Speaking at Friday’s press conference, he explained: “We must be focused. We need to maintain a high level of concentration against any opponent and any type of player in any team.
“We are a team known for a collective approach at all levels, both defensively and offensively. We will deal with all the players, and all the stars present in the Africa Cup of Nations with the same discipline.
“Nothing will be exceptional for any player but there will be collective defensive and offensive organisation. The national team’s performance means some important players will be less effective.”
Nigeria and Tunisia have faced each other six times at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, with the Super Eagles winning three, Tunisia one and two matches ending in draws.
Of the 28 players selected by head coach Eric Chelle for the ongoing tournament in Morocco, nine, including Ndidi, were part of the matchday squad that suffered a painful 1–0 defeat to the Eagles of Carthage in the Round of 16 at the 2019 AFCON.
Also involved in that encounter were Zaidu Sanusi, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Francis Uzoho, Semi Ajayi, Chidozie Awaziem, Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi, all of whom are again included in the current squad.
Asked whether the defeat to Tunisia in 2019 had been discussed within the group and whether it added extra motivation going into Saturday’s match, Ndidi acknowledged the hurt of that loss but stressed that the situation is different now.
“It was a painful loss in 2019. But it gives us more confidence. When we talked about it, the guys were really, really prepared,” Ndidi said at the pre-match press conference.
“We don’t want to think about what happened; we just want to face this one because it is definitely a new team, with good players and a good group.
“So yes, we have spoken about it, and we actually talked about it earlier. Hopefully, it is not going to happen twice.”
Mohamed Salah’s penalty gave Egypt victory over South Africa as the seven-time champions survived playing the second half with 10 men to book a place in the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a game to spare.
Having gone ahead through Salah’s contentiously-awarded spot kick in the 45th minute, the Pharaohs swiftly found themselves at a numerical disadvantage when right-back Mohamed Hany received a second booking during added time at the end of the first half.
Bafana Bafana made an attacking change at the break, replacing Thalente Mbatha with Sipho Mbule, but spent much of the second period struggling to find a way past goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, whose side managed to retain a counter-attacking threat.
With his defence resolute in front of him, El Shenawy made a vital late save to hold Aubrey Modiba’s uclose-range shot set up by Burnley forward Lyle Foster’s clever backheel, and also dealt with Siyabonga Ngezana’s weak header deep into injury time.South Africa were denied a potential penalty for handball after the clock had ticked past 90 minutes, with Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana going to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Angola’s draw with Zimbabwe earlier on Thursday means that Egypt are guaranteed a place in the last 16, while Hugo Broos’ team are two points above the two Group B underdogs.
Angola and Zimbabwe have played out a 1–1 draw in their Group B encounter at the Stade de Marrakech this Friday, leaving both sides still searching for their first victory in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. In a competitive clash where both defences were tested, it was Angola who struck first, only for Zimbabwe to respond late in the first half to ensure the points were shared.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute, when Angola opened the scoring through a well-worked move. Gelson Dala finished with composure, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner after a precise through ball from Tó Carneiro split the Zimbabwe defence. The goal was a reward for Angola’s early pressure and attacking intent, sparking celebrations among their supporters.
Zimbabwe gradually grew into the game and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. In the 45+6th minute, Knowledge Musona capitalised on a fast break, firing a composed right-footed finish from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner to level the scores, with Bill Antonio providing the decisive assist.
From the restart, Angola dominated possession and territory, creating multiple opportunities and keeping Zimbabwe under constant pressure. Despite their dominance, they were unable to find a winner, while Zimbabwe remained dangerous on the counter and created chances that could have seen them snatch a late victory. Even after four minutes of additional time, the score remained unchanged, and the match ended in a stalemate.
With the draw, both Angola and Zimbabwe remain without a win in AFCON 2025. Their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages now hinge on strong performances in their remaining group matches, as they look to build on this performance and secure vital points in the race for qualification.
Last year’s over-riding theme for the culture sector was: Art–conomy. True to Type, artists, stakeholders, culture technocrats and so on, worked within the ambiance of this theme. It was a year when artists keyed into that dream to allow their profession attract dividends to them. Edozie Udeze takes a retrospective insight into all the programmes that made culture entrepreneurs thrive and smile to the banks.
The year 2025 was aptly tagged the year of Art-conomy. And it truly came to pass, well fulfilled. The year was full of boisterous art and cultural activities, programmes and events that recreated the economy. From the private sector to the state and federal parastatals and agencies within the armbit of the culture sector, events were purposely created and organized to create jobs, to regenerate arts that encouraged artists to grow in all aspects of their professional endeavour.
In the beginning, the National Troupe of Nigeria, the Federal government’s apex dance ensemble, organized a five day training for children drummers. It was five days of intensive training that even traversed drumming into stage, dance, filmmaking, costuming and scripting. Undertaken by core professionals in the sector, the children who came out beaming with a smiles have since taken drumming as a way of life. Some of them beat to earn a living.
Also the National Gallery of Art (NGA), custodians of modern art pieces and relics and properties, finally presented reports of the art inventory which it did in collaboration with Goethe, German Cultural Centre in Nigeria and Julius Berger. The event showed that over 2,000 art pieces often forgotten by previous administrations have been retrieved and refurbished as national treasures. The art works were done by both the first generation and subsequent generations of Nigerian art masters. Today, the works are safe as they have been preserved as some of Nigeria’s richest art pieces ever recorded in history. Some of the works also generate income, money, for government and for the owners. Thanks to Ahmed Sodangi, the DG of NGA for his meticulous way of articulating ideas that generate revenue for the sector and for government.
In the main, some of the federal parastatals and agencies that sidelined paucity of funds kept the sector ever aglow. While the National Troupe made several trips abroad to represent Nigeria in international cultural and dance festivals, the National Gallery kept the home front alive. In February, the Gallery put together one of the most classical and colourful exhibitions that showcased love, love across tribes, love across boundaries and across barriers. It was tagged wealth and lovers’ art. Artists therefore made financial gains.
At the National Museums and Monuments, Onikan, Lagos, some stolen works and artefacts repatriated to Nigeria were officially handed over to Nigeria. They were showcased as they are said to worth millions of dollars. Oba of Benin was there, so also were all the top notch of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Art, Tourism and Creative Economy. The works glittered in their full blooms as they adorned the huge galleries. The Benin monarch beamed with satisfaction as the works eventually returned to Edo State as part of national collection.
It was a year of books, books and more books. Books that x-rayed the nation through thought-provoking narratives. Sam Omatseye surprised the sector with Juju Eyes. Juju Eyes is a catchy title and talks to the leadership cadre of the nation. Juju Eyes punctures the reckless life style of runs girls, politicians and pastors. The book tour took Omateye to parts of Nigeria to sensitise people about the exigencies of a troubled society now distilled within the bowels of a fictional offering.
Also Olatunji Ololade bestrode the sector with his book titled, of gods and their clay toys. In it, you encounter the powerful narrative voice of a Journalist who has vowed to elevate story-telling to a crescendo. In the book sector, the Nigerian Literature Prize last year seemed to have been exclusively reserved for only Nigerian authors in the Diaspora. Right from the longlist of eleven to the shortlist, it was their exclusive preserve. But the truth of the matter is that NLNG presented the highest number of entries last year than the previous years. This has indeed added unprecedented colours and value to one of worlds highest literary prizes ever.
The private sector was the one that kept the tempo streaming with total art-conomy. Art Miabo who invented the title Art-conomy for last year’s art programmes eventually hit the nation with an exhibition with same title. She came to Nigeria from her base in South Africa. She came with many foreign artists. She equally blended with the local ones to have a festival of arts that lasted for five days. It took place in Victoria Island, where her works also done mainly from discarded objects blended beauty with artistic acumen that for those remarkable days visitors came in from far and near to view and buy. Art Miabo is a phenomenon when it comes to art.
Through the intervention of Emmanuel Macron, the French Prime Minister, a group of people with the French Embassy in Nigeria brought global culture to Nigeria. The result was a week-long international conference held in Victoria Island and titled Cultural and Creative Industries Forum – Forum Creation Africa Lagos. It brought the world to Nigeria. And Macron rightly accepted that Nigeria has the largest concentration of cultural properties in Africa to create high level jobs, to renew hopes and to change lots of lives.
True to type, the conference taught people how to produce world class films, animations, cartoons, scripts and art works. It also redirected attention to gastronomy and the relevance of music in all spheres of human life. Afrobeat was taken as an ample example. Finally, the National Theatre, the Apex Culture House of Nigeria was handed over to government. The renovations took four years or so to complete. Today, the edifice stands like a new bride. The former glitter has come back. On the day of the reopening, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described it as the cultural icon and pride of a nation. The social amenities now function to the fullest. However, the artists and workers are yet to have access to it.
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) had as its convention title last year: Nigerian writer and the urgencies of a nation-state. The theme was adopted to address all the inanities in a state in a quagmire. The convention held in Abuja was not only heated, it brought into it Africa’s first nobel laureate in literature Professor Wole Soyinka to the writer’s village for the first time. ANA is consistently progressive, no doubt. Soyinka’s presence re-ignited the euphoria and the electrifying nature as the gathering suddenly became more accelerated.
The year ended with variety of stage plays, including Itan, The story by Ayo Jaiyesimi. There were also musicals, art exhibitions, etc. that saw stakeholders smiling to the banks. Indeed economy and culture were truly in harmony.
The outgoing year claimed the lives of many prominent people within and outside the country. Former President Muhammadu Buhari and Catholic Pontiff Pope Francis were among notable people who passed on in the course of the year. Gbenga Aderanti writes.
January
RABI’ATU SIFAWA
While many were still celebrating the New Year, the sad report of the death of the daughter of the Sokoto State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), broke early in the year.
The incident the state into a mourning mood turned into a mourning mood on Monday, January 6, when the report of the death of the Sokoto SSG’s daughter, children, and maid was confirmed.
The victims were said to have died in a fire accident.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Sokoto State Governor Abubakar Bawa, “The victims of the unfortunate incident include Rabi’atu Sifawa and her three children – Fatimatu, Maryam, and Abubakar – as well as their house help, Aishatu Muhammad,” Bawa stated.
AJOSE ADEOGUN
Six day after the tragic event in Sokoto, the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), lost one of its elders. A member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Chief Ajose Adeogun, passed on January 12, after a brief illness.
The Lagos State governor, Olusola Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, described the late GAC member as a great loss to Lagos State, particularly the ruling party, considering his unique position as a retired public servant and one of the great mobilisers in the ruling party.
Ajose was a prominent figure in Lagos State politics. His influence and contributions to the party and the state were widely acknowledged.
As a seasoned administrator, Ajose also served as the Lagos State Head of Service when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the Lagos governor.
ADEWUNMI ORIYOMI ONANUGA
The House of Representatives was plunged into a deep grief, following the death of the Deputy Chief Whip of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, on January 15.
Until her demise, Onanuga was representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State.
Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., confirmed her death in a statement.
“It is with profound sorrow that the House of Representatives announces the passing of Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who,
until her demise, served as the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State.
“She passed away earlier today, January 15, 2025, after a brief illness,” the statement said.
EDNA IBRU
Ex-Miss Nigeria and former First Lady of Delta State, Mrs Edna Ibru (nee Park), died on Saturday, January 18.
Ibru, wife of Olorogun Felix Ibru, the first civilian Governor of Delta State between 1991 and 1992, died in a London hospital after a brief illness.
The deceased, who was Miss Nigeria 1964 and the first Nigerian/African to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe, had two children for Ibru.
The Ibru family of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom in Delta State confirmed the death of the former first lady in a statement issued by her son, Dr Paul Ibru.
“Our amazing mother passed into glory on Wednesday 15, January 2025, after a brief illness, ” the statement partly read.
It continued, “Until her death, she was full of life, and we never expected her to leave us so soon, but we cannot question the will of God in her precious life.
“She was a lover of people, a mediator, a mother to many, outrageously humorous, deeply caring, down to earth, full of stories all the time, and we will miss her very dearly.”
JEREMIAH TIMBUT USENI
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lieutenant
General Jeremiah Timbut Useni died on Thursday, 23 January 2025, at 82, after a brief illness.
He was the FCT Minister under the Sani Abacha military regime.
Useni first rose to national prominence in 1984 when he was appointed Military Governor of the then-defunct Bendel State, which was later split into Edo and Delta states.
He was also Nigeria’s Minister for Transport and Quarter-Master General of the Nigerian Army.
He was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
ADEMOLA AMBODE
Lagos was thrown into grief again on January 31, when Ademola Ambode (Dodo), the brother to the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode passed on.
Ademola died in Sugar Land, Texas, USA.
Dodo was a dedicated politician and grassroots mobilizer.
His contributions to community development and governance were widely acknowledged, particularly within Ikorodu, where he was held in high esteem.
February
HORST KOEHLER
The first death that was recorded in the month of February was that of the former German president, Horst Koehler. He ruled from 2004 to 2010.
He died on February 1 at the age of 81.
Born in 1943 in German-occupied Poland, Koehler spent most of his early years living in refugee camps with his family before settling in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg.
Köhler was little known to most Germans and a stranger to front-line politics before he won the presidency. His nomination was greeted by the mass-circulation daily Bild with the headline “Horst Who?”
SAM NUJOMA
The Founding president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, died at 95.
Nujoma had been hospitalised for three weeks in Windhoek before succumbing to an undisclosed illness.
He died Saturday, February 8.
Sam Nujoma, the revolutionary leader who guided Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years.
SOLOMON AYODEJI-OTEGBOLA
Former Chairman of the Federal Housing Authority and former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Solomon Ayodeji-Otegbola, died on Feb 15, 2025, at the age of 92.
Ogun State governor described the late Otegbola as “a man of deep intellect, service, and patriotism.”
AYO ADEBANJO
Afenifere leader Ayo Adebanjo died Friday morning on a Valentine’s Day, February 14 2025, at 96, at his Lekki, Lagos State.
The family confirmed his passing in a statement.
“With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.
“He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025, at his Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria home at the age of 96,” the family statement read.
Adebanjo, a lawyer, a radical politician and a nationalist of Yoruba extraction, was born in Isanya Ogbo, a village near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria, on April 10, 1928.
He was originally a journalist before going to the United Kingdom to study law. After completing his studies, he was called to the English Bar in 1961.
Chief Adebanjo started politics at an early age, joining the struggle in 1943 as a Zikist, a follower of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
However, in 1951, he became a member of the youth wing of the Action Group, and a mentee and political disciple of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
ROBERTA FLACK
Regarded as soul queen, Roberta Flack, died February 24, at the age of 88.
A Grammy Award-winning artist and educator, she was one of the essential voices of the 70s, with her smooth, soft-spoken, slow-burning soul style. Her song ‘Killing Me Softly’ was remixed by the Fugees, and became an instant success when it was released in 1996.
She remained a dominant force in the music industry in America throughout that decade, and her popularity extended somewhat into the ’80s and even the ’90s.
CHIEF EDWIN CLARK
Even death, the Ijaw people are stilling missing their down to earth leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
The former National Commissioner and an Ijaw leader, died on February 17 at the age of 97.
The Ijaw Nation will remember him for his role in protecting the interests of the oil-producing states and the Ijaw people in general.
Though he had no office while former President Goodlick Jonathan was in the saddle, the late Clarke played a prominent role.
The family confirmed his demise in a terse statement, signed by his brother, Prof. C. C. Clark and son, Penawei Clark “The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo Family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, wishes to announce the passing of Chief (Dr.) Sen. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark OFR, CON on Monday, 17th February, 2025.
“The family appreciates your prayers at this time.
“Other details will be announced later by the family.”
TOM ADABA
Father of Nigerian broadcasting and the first Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Professor Tom Adaba, passed away at the age of 83 on February 22.
He was in 1980 appointed the first Principal of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Television College, Jos, established to provide training in television production and journalism to meet the needs of the country’s expanding television industry. In 1992, he was appointed the pioneer Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the regulatory body responsible for the country’s broadcast licence and codes.
March
DOYIN OKUPE
The former Presidential spokesperson to former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe, died early Friday of March 7.
He was said to have been battling with health issues until he eventually died on that Friday morning.
Okupe was on medication for 40 years, a source said.
He was also a former Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 Presidential Campaign.
GEORGE FOREMAN
Legendary boxer and businessman George Foreman passed away at 76, on Friday, March 21.
After retiring as a boxer, he became a preacher.
Many will remember him for his fight with his arch-rival, Muhammad Ali, a bout held in Kinshasa, Zaire, dubbed ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ when he was dethroned as the world heavyweight champion by Muhammad Ali in the eighth round.
Foreman’s family announced his demise on an Instagram account.
“Our hearts are broken.
“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose.
“A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honour the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.
NKECHI NWEJE
Nollywood actress Nkechi Nweje died on March 22 after a brief illness.
Confirming her demise, a movie producer, Stanley Ajemba, popularly known as Stanley Ontop, while paying tribute to Nweje, described her as a vibrant actress and his best friend.
He wrote, “Nollywood in tears as we lost one of our vibrant Nollywood actresses, @nkechi.nweje, after a brief illness.
“Couldn’t post since morning because it was like a dream to me. Ezigbo Nwanyi Onitsha.
“Rest in peace, ma’am. My best friend always called me on the phone, advising me. The last time we spoke was during the Queen’s saga. She said, ‘Ontop, stop.’ I’m still speechless.”
Another veteran Nollywood actress, Rita Edochie, shared a candlelight with a dark background via her Instagram on Friday with the caption, “This world is really not our home.”
SHAKA SSALI
The host of Straight Talk Africa, Voice of Africa, Dr Shaka Ssali, also known as Kabale Kid, died March 27, at the age of 71, in Virginia, following a surgery.
Ssali was born in Uganda and began his journalism career in the 1970s.
He worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers in Uganda before joining the Voice of America in 1994.
Ssali hosted, ‘Straight Talk Africa” from its inception in 2000 until his retirement in 2023.
Ssali left an instruction to be cremated, and half of his ashes were scattered in the River Potomac in Washington DC. Then the remainder of the ashes should be flown back to his native Kabale in Uganda’s southwest.
RAPHAEL BASSEY
A former commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Raphael Bassey, passed away at the age of 54 on March 29.
Bassey, who served as the Commissioner for Housing under Governor Umo Eno, reportedly died after a sudden health crisis during which he vomited blood.
He was said to have contributed significantly to the educational sector, serving as a member of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and as a supervisor before that role.
His dedication to community development and governance left an indelible mark on the areas he served.
April
YEKINI ADEOJO
The people of Ibadan, Oyo State, and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are yet to to get over the death of their chieftains, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo.
Adeojodied in the early hours of Friday, April 4.
He was a top grassroots politician and one of the pillars of the PDP, particularly in Nigeria’s Southwest region and Nigeria in general.
Adeojo was an astute industrialist, politician, and statesman who contributed immensely to the economy of Oyo State and Nigeria.
He contested the gubernatorial election on the platform of the PDP in 1999.
OMOLOLU OLUNLOYO
Two days afte the death of the late Adeojo, Ibadan lost another illustrious son in the person of the former governor of Oyo State and a Mathematician, Dr Chief Omololu Olunloyo.
The former governor died at the age of 89 years, on April 6, just a few days before his 90th birthday.
Olunloyo governed Oyo State for just three months.
He was the Balogun of Oyo and Otun Bobasewa of Ife, Osun State.
Olunloyo’s death was confirmed in a statement signed by Barrister Oladapo Ogunwusi.
PASCAL DOZIE
The Founder of Diamond Bank and ex-MTN director, Pascal Dozie, died at 85 April 8, a day before his 86th birthday.
He played a defining role in the development of Nigeria’s modern banking and telecommunications industries.
Announcing his transition in a statement, his son, Uzoma Dozie, described him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man of unwavering Catholic faith.
“With deep sorrow, but with gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of our beloved father,” the son said.
“His life was marked by service—to God, his family, and his country.”
CHRISTIAN CHUKWU
Former Green Eagles captain Christian Chukwu died four years after it was rumoured that he had died.
In 2021, false reports of his death had circulated widely, prompting Chukwu to publicly deny the rumours during his 70th birthday celebration.
“I am terribly embarrassed by this news that I am dead,” Chukwu had said. “Several people have been calling me from across the world since the news broke. I am still investigating the source of the story.”
He did not actually die until Saturday, April 10, at 74.
The news of his demise was announced by one of his colleague during his active playing days, Segun Odegbami.
Chukwu was the captain of Green Eagles that won the Africa Nations Cup in 1980.
He also served as the head coach of the Super Eagles in the early 2000s.
POPE FRANCIS
Pope Francis transitioned on April 21, on Easter Monday, at the age of 88, at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City.
Pope died of a stroke and subsequent heart failure. Twice, he was hospitalised with severe pneumonia.
His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo, in a broadcast by Vatican Media.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God,” Farrell said.
May
KOLADE AKINDAYOMI
Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, the first son of the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pa Josiah Akindayomi, passed away on May 4, 2025, at age 75.
He died 45 years after his father passed on. He lived away from media attention.
The late Kolade, who fought in the Nigerian civil war, was said to have left the Army without fulfilling his dreams to rise in rank, raising suspicions that his military career floundered because his father was not happy with his choice of the khaki job.
OMONIYI CALEB OLUBOLADE
Former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State and retired naval officer, Navy Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (rtd), passed on in the second week of May at the age of 70.
His death was announced in a statement signed by his first daughter, Oluwayemisi Akinadewo.
The statement reads, “He drove himself to the facility to play lawn tennis in the evening and slumped while playing. Efforts were made by medical officers around to revive him to no avail.
“He was immediately rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa, where he was pronounced dead.”
NGUGI WA THIONG’O
Regarded as the giant of African literature, Ngugi wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87.
On May 29, his daughter announced his demise via her Facebook account. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o.”
At the time of his death, Ngugi was reportedly receiving kidney dialysis treatments, but his immediate cause of death is still unknown.
Born in Kenya in 1938, Ngugi will be remembered as one of Africa’s most important postcolonial writers. Formative events in Ngugi’s early life included the brutal Mau Mau war that swept British-ruled Kenya in the 1950s.
June
OBISIA NWAKPA
One of the best boxers to have come out of Nigeria, Obisia Nwakpa, died in the early hours of July 3, at the age of 75.
In his last days, battled with dementia and other health issues.
In September 2024, he made a rare public appearance at the National Gym in Surulere, Lagos, accompanied by his wife and children.
During that visit, his daughter spoke on his behalf, revealing that the once-vibrant champion was no longer able to speak or recognise familiar faces due to severe memory loss.
Nwankpa won gold at the 1973 All-Africa Games in Lagos and the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, both in the light-welterweight category.
His professional career was equally distinguished: he became the Nigerian Lightweight Champion, African Boxing Union (ABU) Lightweight Champion, and Commonwealth Lightweight Champion.
At his peak, he was the number one contender for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Light-Welterweight Title, challenging American champion Saoul Mamby.
Over his professional career, Nwankpa fought in 29 bouts, winning 23, including 16 by knockout, and losing 6.
Following his retirement from the ring, Nwankpa transitioned into coaching, serving as the Head Coach of the Nigerian Boxing Team.
DANIEL DANTSOHO ABUTU
June was unfair to those in the judiciary. Early in the month, precisely, June 3, Hon. Justice Daniel Dantsoho Abutu, a former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, died at the age of 79.
The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Sulaiman Hassan, announced Abutu’s death in a statement.
Abutu served as chief judge of the court from September 2009 to March 2011.
Hassan described the late former chief judge as a jurist who served the court and the nation with “distinction, integrity, and unwavering commitment to justice.
JIBRIL AMINU
Former Education Minister, Jibril Aminu died June 5 at the age of 85.
He served as the pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and a former vice-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID). He was also a petroleum mineral resources minister.
In his condolence message, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda said Mr Aminu embodied the finest qualities of leadership, scholarship, and public service that have long distinguished the North.
MOHAMMED LAWAL UWAIS
Death played another cruel joke on the judiciary again three days after the late Abutu passed on. On June 6, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, passed on.
The former CJ died at the age of 88.
He was described as a phenomenal jurist and statesman who served Nigeria with honour, courage and exceptional integrity.
His tenure as Chief Justice of Nigeria, from 1995 to 2006, remains one of the most defining periods in the history of the nation’s judiciary. As the second-longest-serving Chief Justice, he was a staunch advocate of judicial independence, ethical discipline on the Bench, and the preservation of democratic principles.
During his tenure as the CJN, he championed judicial reforms aimed at improving the administration of justice in Nigeria.
He was also instrumental in establishing the National Judicial Council, which plays a critical role in maintaining the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
In retirement, he headed a panel to investigate the conduct of Nigeria’s elections.
He led the panel to produce a critical report that contained a detailed prognosis of our electoral system.
MIKE EJEAGHA
Highlife legend, Mike Ejeagha, joined the class of Nigerian artistes who died in June.
The veteran highlife musician and Igbo oral tradition custodian died at 95 after battling with prostate cancer for 16 years.
He passed away at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6, at the 32 Garrison Hospital in Enugu, according to his eldest son, Emma Ejeagha.
His 2024 remix of the classic hit ‘Gwogwogwo’ by comedian Brian Potter reignited interest in his music among younger audiences.
SOLAPE ABOLARIN
The wife of the Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Olori Solape, died on June 9.
The queen was often described as the strongest pillar of Oba Abolarin. She was said to have stood by the monarch through thick and thin.
Solape breathed her last in an Ibadan hospital.
JESUTEGA ONOKPASA
Like Olori Solape, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jesutega Onokpasa, also passed on June 9.
Announcing his demise on his X account on Tuesday, a pro-APC crusader, Okezie Atani, said the prominent political commentator was survived by his wife and children.
He wrote, “We lost Barr. Jesutega Onokpasa, may his soul rest in perfect peace.”
He contributed greatly to the APC as a member of the APC Publicity Committee and the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023.
He gained national attention for his political commentary and staunch support for President Bola Tinubu, often appearing on TV to defend the administration.
Many will remember him for his bust-up with one of the anchors of a morning programme, Arise, Rufai Oseni.
FREDERICK FORSYTH
Also on June 9, best-selling author Frederick Forsyth, known for thriller novels including ‘The Day Of The Jackal’, died at the age of 86.
He died after a brief illness.
He was said to have published more than 25 books.
Many Nigerians would remember him for his novel, ‘Biafran Story’, a fictional story on the Biafran war with Nigeria.
His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said: “Still read by millions across the world, Freddie’s thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”
CORNELIUS OLATUNJI ADEBAYO
Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, former governor of Kwara State and minister of communications, was one of the VIPs who passed on in June.
Releasing an official statement about his demise, the son of the former minister, Oluwasegun, said Adebayo passed on June 25, at 84.
“With profound sadness but gratitude to God, we announce the passing of our father and grandfather, Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo. Born on 24 February 1941, he died in the early hours of today, June 25,” the statement read.
“He was at various times a lecturer at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), a Second Republic Senator and later Governor of Kwara State and Minister of Communications and Transportation between 2003 and 2007.
“Throughout his life, he was a dedicated public servant who served with distinction and integrity,” Oluwasegun said.
The deceased was born in Igbaja in the Ifelodun Local Government Area to parents from Oke-Onigbin in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State.
A former commissioner for education in Kwara between 1975 and 1978, he was elected senator in 1979 under the opposition Unity Party of Nigeria upon Nigeria’s return to civil rule under the Second Republic.
July
JIMMY SWAGGART
The controversial American televangelist, Jimmy Swaggart, passed away on July 1.
His death was announced on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn’t immediately given, though at 90, he had been battling health challenges.
He was said to have been involved in prostitution, an act that tainted his thriving ministry.
“I have sinned against you,” Swaggart told parishioners nationwide. “I beg you to forgive me,” said, admitting his sin to his congregation in 1988.
He announced his resignation from the Assemblies of God later that year, shortly after the church said it was defrocking him for rejecting punishment it had ordered for “moral failure.” The church had wanted him to undergo a two-year rehabilitation program, including not preaching for a full year.
Swaggart’s messages stirred thousands of congregants and millions of TV viewers, making him a household name by the late 1980s. Contributors built Jimmy Swaggart Ministries into a business that made an estimated $142 million in 1986.
PETER RUFAI
Peter Rufai, with the moniker, Dodo Mayana, was the Nigerian goalkeeper and darling of the lovers of the Super Eagles.
He had the Africa Nations Cup to his credit, a competition he won in 1994.
He died on July 3 at 61 in a Lagos hospital.
He had been ill for some weeks before finally passing about 6 a.m. (West Africa Standard Time) .
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau described his death as a huge loss for Nigerian football. “I saw him about a week ago, and he was looking lean. When I asked him if all was well, he said he was okay,” Gusau told a news agency.
Rufai captained Nigeria during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., the Super Eagles making their first appearance at the global tournament, and he retained the No. 1 jersey at France ’98.
MONDAY SINCLAIR
13 days after Dodo Mayana passed away, the death of the former Green Eagles coach, Monday Siclair was announced.
Regarded as the godfather of Nigerian football, finally bowed to death at 88, after battling with diabetes for many years.
He mentored stars like Peter Rufai and Taribo West and coached various Nigerian clubs. He was the coach of the Super Eagles in 1999.
Reports said the ex-international died July 16.
Coach Sinclair was widely respected for his football acumen, tactical intelligence, and commitment to grassroots development. His playing days spanned the 1960s, but his coaching legacy extended far beyond.
HULK HOGAN
American wrestling star, Hulk Hogan died July 24 at 71.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea was a two-time WWE Hall of Fame and former world champion died at the age of 71.
He died of acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, according to a copy of Hogan’s cremation report obtained by a news agency.
He had a history of atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
AMINU DANTATA
Alhaji Aminu Dantata, a philanthropist and businessman, died July 28 at 94.
His aide, Mustapha Junaid, announced his passing early Saturday morning, July 28.
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and forgive his shortcomings,” he wrote.
He was a member of the illustrious Dantata trading dynasty of Kano. Aminu was the fifteenth of seventeen children in a family whose roots in commerce stretched back generations. His grandfather Abdullahi and great-grandfather Baba Talatin were prominent merchants who, after migrating from Katsina to Madobi, laid the foundations for what would become one of West Africa’s most enduring business legacies.
August
DOYIN ABIOLA
Dr Doyin Abiola and wife of the June 12, 1993, presidential election winner, Chief MKO Abiola, passed away at exactly 9.15 pm on August 5 after an illness.
She was aged 82.
She was the first Nigerian woman to become editor-in-chief of a national daily newspaper.
She would be remembered as a fearless journalist, a mentor to generations of women in the media, and a symbol of integrity and resilience in Nigeria’s democratic journey. Dr Abiola spent over three decades in the media industry, breaking barriers and shaping public discourse through journalism.
AUDU OGBEH
Two days after the death of Doyin Abiola, the media was awash with the news of the death of the Former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh.
Ogbeh died on August 7 at the age of 78 years.
He was the pioneer National Coordinator of the FRSC Special Marshals, and a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
He served as the Chancellor-Designate of the Proposed Legend Metropolitan University, Abuja.
He died peacefully in his sleep, a family member had told a journalist.
“He told us that he wanted to rest. After that, he went to lie down in the early hours of that day (Saturday). He peacefully left,” his daughter-in-law, Ann Ali, told The Nation.
Before his demise, Ogbe recently granted an interview to a national newspaper, which was published on the day he died. In the interview, he expressed concern about the future of the country.
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
While Nigerians were still mourning Doyin Abiola, the news of the passing away of the former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, threw many off balance, though many people were aware that the former president was in a hospital in London recuperating, it never crossed anybody’s mind that the former general would not come home alive.
As the president of Nigeria, he was abroad number of times for a medical treatment.
On August 13, the news of the death of the ex-president was made public.
In a terse statement by the late President’s media aide, Garba Shehu, the 82-year-old former leader died in a London clinic after a brief illness.
“President Buhari died today in London at about 4:30 pm (15:30 GMT) following a prolonged illness,” President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson announced on Sunday via the social media platform X.
Buhari will be remembered for an anti-corruption drive.
SIKIRU KAYODE ADETONA
Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona joined his ancestors in August at the age of 91.
The monarch passed on Sunday, July 13, just hours after the death of his longtime friend and former president, Muhammadu Buhari, was announced.
Adetona ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and reigned for over 64 years, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Nigerian history.
In 1983, shortly before Muhammadu Buhari’s military coup, then Ogun State governor Olabisi Onabanjo had signed a formal order to depose Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. The removal was set to take effect on January 2, 1984.
However, the military coup of December 31, 1983, which overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government, abruptly halted the plan. In a twist of fate, Buhari’s intervention inadvertently safeguarded Awujale’s throne.
TERENCE STAMP (Superman)
Terence Stamp, the English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films, died Sunday, August 17, at the age of 87.
The Oscar-nominated actor starred in several films, including ‘The Adventures of Priscilla’, ‘Queen of the Desert’, ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ and ‘Valkyrie.’
According to a statement by his family members, “He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer, that will continue to touch people for years to come,” they said.
During his heyday in the 1960s, Stamp was known for his good looks, fashion sense and high-profile girlfriends, including actress Julie Christie, who he later starred alongside in Far From the Madding Crowd, and sports and supermodel Jean Shrimpton.
ISYAKU IBRAHIM
Consummate businessman, politician and a sport enthusiast, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, joined the league of the VIPs who passed on Saturday, August 18, at t a private hospital in Abuja.
He was 88.
The late Ibrahim was one of the founding leaders of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and a close associate of the Second Republic Nigerian President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He nominated Shehu Shagari as the NPN presidential flagbearer, as leader of the Plateau delegates.
He was one of the founding fathers and a financier of the Peoples Democratic Party, and was the campaign manager of the late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, when he vied for the PDP presidential ticket against then President Olusegun Obasanjo at the party’s primaries in 2003.
He was the founder of the Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos in the 70s and the first Nigerian to hire a foreign coach from Brazil to manage the club.
He was also one of the first Nigerians to own a private jet, a symbol of his success as a businessman and his reputation as a forward-thinking figure. He once served as president of the Nigeria Universities Games Association (NUGA) and was active in parliament before Nigeria’s first military coup in the 1960s.
REGINALD CARROLL
American Comedian Reginald Carroll died at 52, in Mississippi at 52, on August 24.
He was said to have been shot during a tour with Cat Williams.
Carroll was known for his series, ‘Knockout Kings of Comedy,’ while also making guest appearances in programs such as ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ and ‘The Parkers.’
Carroll was a well-known fixture on Baltimore’s comedy scene who toured nationally with big names.
“He’s one of those personalities that you never think about not having around. And so that was my brother, and I love him,” comedian Larry Lancaster said.
A 38-year-old Tranell Marquise Williams, who was working as a security guard, was arrested in connection with Carroll’s murder.
AHUJA BELLO
A day after the American comedian was killed, the entertainment industry in Nigeria lost one of the finest juju musicians, Ahuja Bello.
The Juju maestro and one of the contemporaries of King Sunny Ade, passed away on August 25, a day after his 83rd birthday.
Last year, during an interview with The Nation, he revealed that many had thought he was dead. “In the thinking of some people, Ahuja Bello is dead. I remember during one of my shows last year, a man came to the stage to touch me. He said: ‘Are you truly Ahuja Bello? Or are you his younger brother? It was rumoured that you passed on some time ago.’ But I thank God I am alive. I don’t do studio albums anymore. I do live shows when I get invitations. But I know things could be better than this,” he said with infectious stoicism.
SOLOMON ARASE
The 18th Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who also served as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, passed on August 30 at 69.
Arase died in the early hours of August 30, at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness
He was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was known to have brought transformative reforms to the Nigeria Police Force, prioritising citizen-centric policing and human rights protection. His establishment of the Complaint Response Unit was a landmark initiative, ensuring swift responses to public complaints and fostering accountability within the police.
September
GRACE ADAYILO
The death of the pioneer and first female Head of Civil Service for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mrs. Grace Adayilo, was a shock to many.
She was said to have slumped and passed away suddenly, shortly after attending church services on Sunday, August 31, 2025, where she ministered. She passed on September 1 at 57.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike described the deceased as a hardworking woman, stating that he had petitioned to extend her tenure due to her exceptional work ethic.
“The late FCT Head of Service, Grace Adayilo, was very hardworking. I pleaded with President Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her hard work.
“If I had gotten the information on the demise of the FCT Head of Service, I would have put off this media chat. Her death is really sad,” Wike said.
LEILA FOWLER
Chief Leila Euphemia Apinke Fowler (MFR), the proprietor of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, passed on September 6, at 92.
Fowler, who was born in 1933, is a recipient of a national honour. She also had a traditional honour in her kitty, bestowed on her by the late Oba of Lagos, Adeyinka Oyekan.
Born in Lagos on March 23, 1933, Fowler (née Moore) was educated at CMS Girls’ School in Lagos and later at Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, where she obtained her Senior Cambridge Certificate in 1951.
She served as a councillor in the Lagos City Council from 1978 to 1980, and was said to be actively involved with the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Red Cross, and the Corona Schools Trust Council.
OLOROGUN OSKAR IBRU
Well-known within and one of the scions of Ibru’s family, Olorogun Oscar Ibru, died at the age of 67. He died September 24, according to a statement by his family, after a brief illness.
A billionaire industrialist and chairman of the Ibru conglomerate, he was instrumental in sustaining and expanding the conglomerate established by his late father, Olorogun Michael Ibru, whose business empire covered shipping, oil and gas, real estate, and commerce.
His passing came less than a decade after the death of the family patriarch, Michael Ibru, in 2016.
October
CHRISTOPHER KOLADE
The late Christopher Kolade belonged to the class of well-respected Nigerians within and outside the boardroom.
A business luminary, teacher, and broadcaster died on October 8, aged 93. While condoling with his family members, the governor of the late Kolade’s home state, Osun, Ademola Adeleke, Dr, in a tribute wrote:
“Throughout his life, Dr Kolade made integrity his watchword in all his dealings, and his commitment to excellence attracted people from far and near. As a public officer, he never used public office for personal benefits, and as a businessman, he championed integrity through his chairmanship of organisations such as Integrity Organisation Ltd GTE and The Convention on Business Integrity Ltd GTE.
“As much as his passing represents a huge loss, I ask that everyone touched by this incident be consoled by the life of services and contributions that defined Dr Kolade’s time on Earth, and to also work to preserve his good legacy to keep him in the minds of the people forever.”
The late boardroom Czar was born in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Nigeria, in 1932. He was the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and formerly the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
UMA UKPAI
Until he succumbed to the cold hand of death, the late Uma Ukpai enjoyed a cult following, especially among the people from the Southern part of Nigeria.
He founded the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA). Born January 7, 1945, he died October 6, at the age of 80.
UUEA is a non-denominational ministry focused on revival and unity across churches, though it has a base fellowship called Victory Cathedral in Uyo, and the association is building a large prayer cathedral/city. He intentionally avoided establishing a church to serve as a bridge for other denominations, conducting massive interdenominational crusades globally.
RAILA ODINGA
Even in death, former Kenyans Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, was highly celebrated.
Described as a veteran opposition leader, Odinga was said to have suffered a heart attack and died on October 15 2025, at age 80 years, at Devamatha Hospital, Koothattukulam, India.
He was a prominent figure in Kenya’s struggle for democracy. He also served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013.
He is the leader of Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS
Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the wife of the former Ghanaian president, Jerry Rawlings, passed on October 23 at the age of 76. She died in Accra after a short illness.
Her husband, Jerry John Rawlings, died five years earlier in November 2020.
November
IFEOLUWA AKINDAYOMI
Ifeoluwa Akindayomi, the lastborn of the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, was the first Nigerian VIP to exit the world in November.
He died on Sunday, November 2, at the age of 62.
According to a source, his death came about 45 years after that of his father and seven months after the transition of his elder brother, Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, who died on May 4 this year.
His death came about 45 years after that of his father and 7 months after the transition of his elder brother, Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, who died on May 4 this year.
A source said the late Ifeoluwa Akindayomi’s death was shocking and too sudden. “Nobody would have thought he would die barely 24 hours after he was chairman of a wedding ceremony.
The source said, “he was very okay and had no sign of any illness. For him to have served as chairman of a wedding a day before he died was a clear indication that he was okay to many of us. But the unexpected did happen.”
He was also said to have gone for a prayer walk on Sunday morning and came back to his house at the RCCG Camp, and was about to prepare for the Sunday service when he missed his steps and fell headlong, hitting his head on a sharp object in the house. He sustained an injury from the fall and passed out. Before he could be helped to the hospital, the worst had happened.”
Until his death, Pastor Ifeoluwa Akindayomi was an Assistant Provincial Pastor of Ogun Province 5 of the RCCG. He also owned a vibrant printing press.
His wife and children have since relocated abroad, according to the source, “Leaving only him in Nigeria.”
ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED
Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (retd.), a former Chief of Staff to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua, transited on Wednesday, November 5, in his home in Abuja.
He was buried on Wednesday, 5th November 2025, at the National Cemetery, Abuja.
He has the credit of helping establish the NSO, NIA, and DIA, and served as the governor of the defunct Benue-Plateau state from 1975 to 1976.
SARKIN MAFARAN SHAGARI
At a time when the death of the former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, was being denied, Sarkin Mafaran Shagari, wife of the late Nigerian President, Shehu Shagari transited at the age of 79.
In a terse statement by the family, signed by the Sarkin Mafaran Shagari, Capt. Bala Shagari, the matriarch of the Shagari family, died on Monday November 10.
Hajia Sarkin was the last surviving wife of the former President Shehu Shagari.
Sutura died at about 3 p.m. after a prolonged illness.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Hajiya Saratu Shagari, the last surviving wife of former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, GCFR, Turakin Sokoto.
“Hajiya Saratu was an embodiment of grace, humility and quiet strength who lived a life of dignity,” Shagari said.
DAN AGBESE
Even in death, the foremost journalist and one of the founders of NewsWatch Magazine, Dan Agbese, has continued to court controversy.
He died on Monday, November 17, 2025, at the age of 81.
An innocuous tribute by one of his colleagues set social media abuzz recently.
One of Agbese’s former colleagues, Ray Ekpu, wrote a tribute for Dan Agbese; part of the piece did not go down well with Babafemi Ojudu.
Ekpu wrote that the late journalism icon, Agbese, not an apostle of guerrilla journalism because he knew that guerrilla journalism was fraudulent propaganda, not fit to be touched by any self-respecting journalist.
That aspect of the tribute apparently irritated some apostles of guerrilla journalism, including Babafemi Ojudu, journalist, politician and farmer, who co-founded TheNEWS and Tempo Magazines in 1993.
Born on May 12, 1944, Agbese’s early life was in Benue State and later his studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
But it was in 1984, when he joined Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Mohammed to found Newswatch, that his legacy became cemented. Together, the quartet created what became Africa’s most influential weekly newsmagazine, consistently challenging power and reshaping investigative reporting in Nigeria.
SEGUN AWOLOWO
Segun Awolowo, who died at 62, was one of the great minds Nigeria has ever produced. Cool and calm, the grandson of the late sage, and a nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He passed away on 20 November
Segun was the former Director General of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, from 2013 to 2021
He was said to have had a surgery abroad due to a health condition, ‘he never made a complete recovery as he kept emaciating.”
Announcing his demise in a statement, the family said, “With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather – steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family. A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment.
“He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being. He loved his family. He loved his work. He loved his country. And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
BAYO OSIYEMI
Chief Bayo Osiyemi, former Chief Press Secretary to the first Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, was a journalist to the core. His pen never ran dry, even till the last hours of his death.
Until the column was rested, he was a columnist with the Widest Circulating Newspaper in Nigeria, The Nation.
Osiyemi, a journalist, passed away on November 21 at the age of 75.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, husband, grandfather, and esteemed community leader, Prince Bayo Osiyemi.
“While we mourn his loss deeply, we also celebrate his well-lived life and the countless individuals he touched. Further details on funeral arrangements will be announced shortly,” the family said while officially announcing his demise.
Popularly known as the “Charming Prince,” Osiyemi was a respected figure in Lagos politics and journalism. He previously served as Chairman of Mushin Local Government and was at various times Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Matters to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Osiyemi also made his mark in the media industry as Editor of Lagos News, Chief Executive of Penby Communications, and a long-running weekly columnist with The Nation newspaper.
NEMUEL ABUBAKAR BABBA
The former Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev. (Dr.) Nemuel Abubakar Babba also died on November 24 at the age of 73.
He was laid to rest on Monday, December 15, after a funeral service at The Lutheran Church, Rituvík, Faroe Islands, Denmark.
Like many people of his age, Babba passed on after a prolonged illness.
He requested to be buried in the Faroe Islands, where his wife comes from.
JIMMY CLIFF
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, one of the Jamaican all-time greatest reggae artists and a contemporary of that icon, Bob Nesta Marley, passed away at the age of 81 on November 24, 2025, due to complications from a seizure and pneumonia.
Cliff’s wife, Latifa Chambers, broke the news on his official social media handle.
Apart from excelling in music, many Nigerians still remember him for his brush with a Nigerian promoter over a show deal in 1974. He was in jail for three days before a court dismissed the baseless case, an experience he later detailed in his song. Cliff was briefly detained in Nigeria during the brouhaha, but reprieve later came for him, and he returned to Jamaica.
Cliff was a global music icon known for hits like “The Harder They Come,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” helping to popularise reggae worldwide and leaving behind a rich legacy in music and film.
You can watch this video for a tribute to the life and career of Jimmy Cliff.
ADEGBOYEGA FAMODUN
Four days after the death of that reggae icon, Jimmy Cliff, the traditional ruler of Igbajo and former Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Oba Gboyega Famodun, also passed on.
What started like a rumour was finally confirmed on November 28, 2025. Before then, the former Osun Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Owa of Igbajo, Oba Philip Adegboyega Famodun III, was alleged to have been seriously indisposed.
Some of his admirers had dismissed this, regarding it as the handiwork of mischief-makers, but when the news of the passing of Oba Falodun was confirmed via a press statement signed by Prince David Adekunle Famodun on behalf of the royal family, it put paid to initial speculations.
Oba Falodun died at 67.
The statement said, “On behalf of the Gbeleru Royal Family of Igbajo, I write with a deep sense of loss and gratitude to Almighty God to notify you of the passing of our revered traditional ruler and the 30th Owa of Igbajoland, Oba Philip Adegbogbega Famodun III. He passed away on Friday, November 28, 2025, after a brief illness.”
December
SIYAN OYEWESO
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Abdulgafar Siyan Oyeweso, passed on at the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, at the age of 64.
The news of his passing was announced on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter) by Olalekan Badmus, Special Assistant to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Digital Media.
In his post, Badmus expressed sadness over the loss, writing, “Rest in power, Prof. Siyan Oyeweso. An illustrious son of Ede, Osun State, and Nigeria. What a sad loss!”
TVC also reported that the professor’s younger brother, Olawale Oyeweso, confirmed his
JOHN AJAYI
On Wednesday, December 10, the news of the demise of the Founder and Publisher of MARKETING EDGE, John Ajayi, threw the media industry in Nigeria into mourning.
He passed on at 62 on Wednesday, December 10, at around 3 am.
A source said he had been battling an ailment before he finally succumbed to the cold hand of death on that early Wednesday morning.
At the time of writing this report, his colleagues in the media were still mourning him with tributes all over social media
His demise has thrown the brand and marketing communications industry into mourning.
Ajayi was a respected journalist and one of the foremost voices in the nation’s integrated marketing communications space.
He left behind a legacy that profoundly shaped, and will continue to shape, the industry he passionately served.
Through MARKETING EDGE, he championed ethical practice, elevated professional standards, and built a respected platform that provided insight, analysis and thought leadership for practitioners and institutions within the sector.
LAWRENCE EWHRUDJAKPO
The way of man is different from the way of God. This aptly captures the passing of the late deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
He died on Thursday, December 11.
He was preparing to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before death struck.
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of the death of the state’s deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Diri, in a statement, paid glowing tribute to the memory of the deceased, describing his death as “profoundly shocking”, adding that the deceased “was active and carrying out official duties earlier in the day”.
Ewhrudjakpo died on Thursday after collapsing in his office. The late deputy governor was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
In a statement on Thursday night, the national spokesperson for the PDP, Ini Ememobong, described the death of the deputy governor as “devastating and an inexplicable loss.”
Mr Ewhrudjakpo chose to remain in the PDP when his boss, Governor Diri, dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last month. Mr Ewhrudjakpo’s decision to break with the governor and his camp on the defection fuelled speculations of a plot to remove him from office and replace him with a compliant candidate that will share the same party with the governor.
TUNDE PONLE
Founder of Micom Golf Ada, Pa Tunde Ponle, Dies at 85 December 14
Business mogul Prince Michael Ayantunde Ponnle, Chairman of Miccom Golf and Country Club situated at Ada, and the husband of former Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Ponle, has passed away at the age of 85.
The renowned philanthropist owns a popular golf course in his hometown, Ada, in the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.
He reportedly died on Sunday at the age of 85.
TANKO MUHAMMAD
While many were still smarting over the death of Tunde Ponle, the news of the death of Nigeria’s former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) filtered in.
He died two weeks before his 72nd birthday. He was 71 years old.
Before he passed on, he was on admission in a private hospital
in Saudi Arabia. He would have been 72 on December 31.
Muhammad hailed from the Doguwa in Giade Local Government Area of Bauchi.
His death came nearly three and a half years after he abruptly resigned from office on health grounds on 27 June 2022.
His resignation in June 2022 was 18 months earlier than his scheduled retirement at age 70 on 31 December 2023.
Muhammad was Nigeria’s 17th chief justice.
His assumption of office followed the controversial suspension of his predecessor, Walter Onnoghen, in January 2019.
PETER NWAOBOSHI
Nigerians were thrown into mourning as the news of the demise of the former Delta Senator, Peter Nwaoboshi, was announced.
The former Senator, who died at 68 on December 19, was said to have been indisposed for a while before he finally passed away.
He represented the Delta North Senatorial District and was a one-time chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta.
AMINU SA’AD UNGOGO AND SARKI ALIYU DANEJI
On Christmas eve, the Kano State House of Assembly was thrown into mourning following the death of two of its members within one hour.
According to a report, the first to die was Hon. Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo, who represented Ungogo Local Government Area in the Assembly.
Ungogo was said to have been at the Assembly earlier in the day where he attended committee meetings before news of his death broke.
Lawmakers and staff were still grappling with the loss when, barely an hour later, another member, Hon. Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who represented Kano Municipal Constituency, was also confirmed dead.
The Director-General, Media and Public Relations to Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf, Malam Sanusi Bature, confirmed Daneji’s death in a statement issued shortly after the announcement of Ungogo’s demise.
The sudden deaths have sent shockwaves across the Assembly and the state.
As at the time of filing this report, the causes of their deaths were yet to be officially disclosed.
Global cut in funding of vaccines puts thousands of Nigerian children’s lives in danger
How corrupt official ate innocent children’s future
Questions trail multi-billion naira investment in local vaccine production
GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, is said to have provided over $732 million to Nigeria for vaccine procurement, cold chain infrastructure, and health systems strengthening over the last 24. With this and billions of naira committed by previous governments towards local production of vaccines, Nigeria still depends on international help to get millions of its citizens, especially the children immunized. Following massive cuts in global funding for vaccination, the die appears cast for Nigeria as thousands of children may not have access to vaccination in coming years. There are concerns that the country may witness a spike in preventable diseases and deaths if nothing drastic is done to address this challenge. Innocent Duru reports.
IN 2017, May and Baker Plc, an indigenous pharmaceutical industry reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government, to immediately begin local production of vaccines.
Under that agreement, Nigeria was expected to roll out its first locally produced vaccines by July 2019, beginning with the drugs against Yellow fever, Tetanus Toxoid and Hepatitis B.
To ensure that the firm being floated to achieve this target, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, met the target May and Baker said it would need to invest $50 million (N18.5 billion) to resuscitate a manufacturing line at the defunct National Vaccine Production Laboratory (NVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, which it had acquired.
According to the MoU, the project, which is being handled through Biovaccines, will build local capacity in vaccine production as well as develop a centre of excellence for research and development of vaccine technology and other biologics.
May and Baker, confirming its involvement in Nigeria’s quest to produce vaccines locally, said on its website that it “ began an aggressive expansion and diversification programme since 2005 which has culminated in the creation of new businesses and subsidiaries. In 2005, Biovaccines, a local vaccine production subsidiary was set up in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria. In 2006, the company constructed a multi-billion naira food processing factory, constructed a local plant for the production of anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria while the construction of a World Health Organization Standard Pharmaceutical production facility was completed and commissioned on June 27, 2011.”
However, eight years after the signing of the MoU, Nigeria is yet to start local production of vaccines. It still spends billions of naira annually to import vaccines highly subsidized by international organisations like GAVI.
A Public Health Physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya says there will be grave consequences should Nigeria have challenges accessing vaccines as it has always done.
“The implication is that our infant mortality rate will worsen. All the things that the minister of health said are already improving will continue to get worse,” he told The Nation.
“Many of these diseases that vaccines prevent are deadly.”
Dr Adesanya recalled that the GAVI funds that would have benefitted the health sector was lost to corruption.
His words:“ The GAVI issue is in the public domain. We read about how corruption affected how those funds were utilized. GAVI actually supports immunization programme all over the world but in our own situation, the experience we had with GAVI is that corruption came in and many of the people that were programme managers, those who were in charge, allowed that money to be embezzled.
“Corruption set in and the money was not judiciously used. This led to why many funders had to withdraw because there was no transparency in the policy regarding how the money was used. Corruption made it impossible for us to use the GAVI funding very well. Corruption destroyed the stability of the programme.”
Dr Adesanya’s assertion was corroborated by reports of how Professor Oyewale Tomori, the distinguished virologist and former Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University informed the world of the way in which avarice and ineptitude combined to undermine the effectiveness of Gavi’s interventions in Nigeria, thereby putting the lives of millions of children at risk.
In an article entitled “The Shame of Nigeria’s Stalled Transitioning from Gavi Support,” he explained the brazen manner in which a total of US$7.6 million in Gavi funds were misappropriated. The organisation had undertaken an extensive audit of its programmes in Nigeria between January 2010 and March 2015, and found that $2.2 million and $5.4 million had gone into irregular or ineligible use.
After prolonged discussion, Nigeria agreed to return the misused funds to Gavi. An initial $5.4 million was paid; payment of the balance of $2.2 million became a condition for Gavi to consider Nigeria’s proposed request to extend its transition from Gavi support to 2028.
Alarmed by the development, Tomori reportedly asked: “How come a nation so rich with enough resources to fully vaccinate every child and more, is asking for such a long extension?”
Nigeria produced vaccines between 1940 to 1991
Time there was when Nigeria never depended on international organisations for supply or getting subsidized vaccines. The country produced its own vaccines to take care of its citizens.
Between 1940 and 1991,it was not only producing vaccines for smallpox, yellow fever, and anti-rabies vaccines, but also exported to Cameroon, Central African Republic and a few other countries.
However, in 1991 the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory (FVPL) in Yaba, Lagos, stopped production ostensibly because the government wanted to reactivate and upgrade the facility, which never happened.Also, Nigeria spends over N8 billion annually importing vaccines into the country, with about 80 percent cost of vaccines being subsidized by Global vaccine initiative (GAVI).
Reacting to our question regarding the defunct centre, Dr Adesanya said: “The federal vaccine centre in Yaba was producing vaccines but not all the vaccines. Inconsistency in government policy affected the production of vaccines. This minister will come and bring a different policy, that one will come and bring his own policy. The fact that the country went through recession and all that affected the centre.
“But like I said earlier, such centres are heavily funded by non-governmental organisations and by the government in order for it to succeed. Inconsistency in policy affects funding for such centre.”
Continuing, Dr Adesanya said: “our population has increased. In those days, we were able to produce vaccines for the population but now the population has increased. The kind of population we have now especially for the paediatric age is very high. So, it will take a lot to be able to produce vaccine to meet that population.
“Our younger population is one of the highest in the world. We need a lot of resources to make such a place to be active. You can see how funding came during Covid 19. Oil companies, philanthropists and others put money together to curtail that pandemic that happened that time. Things like vaccine and vaccination go through a lot. Funding, unstable government, inconsistency in policy is what has affected the vaccine centre.”
FG releases N10b for vaccine production
The Federal Government in January 2021 announced the release N10 billion to support domestic vaccine production.
The then Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during a briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 in Abuja said N10 billion was released by the Ministry of Finance to explore “options for licensed production in collaboration with recognised institutions.”
Dr Adesanya clarified that the N10 billion released by the federal government was just a seed money and not all that was needed to embark on local vaccine production.
“Production of vaccines involves a lot. If you look at a place like the US, apart from the funds that the government will put on the ground, there are different foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the rest that will also put their money into that research to make sure that they are able to produce quality vaccines that are safe for the environment,” he said.
“The funds that the Federal Government gave that time may not actually be enough to assist. This money given was for programmes. A lot of logistics are also involved. Things like paying royalty, flying experts from one country to the other, paying volunteers , then recruiting people. By the time they start putting money in different places that they are meant to be, it may not achieve much.”
Continuing, the physician said: “As I have said, in a place like the US, there are many foundations that inject funds into all these beyond what the government has done. We may not yet be there but if you look at the budget, it is not yet up to the 15 percent that is globally expected for health. Whatever the federal government gives, is still part of the health budget. The health budget in Nigeria is less than 10 percent,whereas WHO prescribes that 15 percent of a nation’s total budget should go to health.”
Fresh global health crises loom
WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, during World Immunization Week in April, warned that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever are rising globally, and diseases like diphtheria, that have long been held at bay or virtually disappeared in many countries, are at risk of re-emerging. In response, the agencies called for urgent and sustained political attention and investment to strengthen immunization programmes and protect significant progress achieved in reducing child mortality over the past 50 years.
“Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing around the world, putting lives at risk and exposing countries to increased costs in treating diseases and responding to outbreaks. Countries with limited resources must invest in the highest-impact interventions – and that includes vaccines.”
The world bodies noted that measles is making an especially dangerous comeback. They stated that the number of cases has been increasing year on year since 2021, tracking the reductions in immunization coverage that occurred during and since the COVID-19 pandemic in many communities. Measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023, a 20% increase compared to 2022.
The agencies warned that this upward trend may continue.
In the past 12 months, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks – the highest number observed in any 12-month period since 2019.
The agencies equally observed that meningitis cases in Africa also rose sharply in 2024, and the upward trend has continued into 2025. In the first three months of this year alone, they said, more than 5500 suspected cases and nearly 300 deaths were reported in 22 countries. This follows approximately 26 000 cases and almost 1400 deaths across 24 countries last year.
The statement further said that yellow fever cases in African are also climbing, with 124 confirmed cases reported in 12 countries in 2024. This comes after dramatic declines in the disease over the past decade, thanks to global vaccine stockpiles and use of yellow fever vaccine in routine immunization programmes. In the WHO Region of the Americas, yellow fever outbreaks have been confirmed since the beginning of this year, with a total of 131 cases in four countries.
These outbreaks, the agencies regretted, came amidst global funding cuts. A recent WHO rapid stock taking with 108 country offices of WHO – mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries – shows that nearly half of those countries are facing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunization and access to supplies due to reduced donor funding. Disease surveillance, including for vaccine-preventable diseases, is also impacted in more than half of the countries surveyed.
At the same time, the agencies said the number of children missing routine vaccinations has been increasing in recent years, even as countries make efforts to reach children missed during the pandemic. In 2023, an estimated 14.5 million children missed all of their routine vaccine doses – up from 13.9 million in 2022 and 12.9 million in 2019. Over half of these children live in countries facing conflict, fragility, or instability, where access to basic health services is often disrupted.
“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Immunization services, disease surveillance, and the outbreak response in nearly 50 countries are already being disrupted – with setbacks at a similar level to what we saw during COVID-19. We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable diseases.Continued investment in the ‘Big Catch-Up initiative’, launched in 2023 to reach children who missed vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other routine immunization programmes will be critical.”
NAFDAC still hoping to achieve local production
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has continued to speak of its commitment to the commencement of local production of vaccines.
In 2021, the agency said it was being audited by the WHO to prepare Nigeria for local production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Director-General of the NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye told stakeholders at a hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations in Abuja that the agency takes the issues of health, safety and environment seriously.
NAFDAC supervises 165 pharmaceutical industries, over 45, 000 food manufacturing industries and over 5000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the food and drug industry.
“The WHO is carrying out an audit of NAFDAC, which will enable the country to start manufacturing vaccines” Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, NAFDAC, Fori Tatama, said.
Four years after, NAFDAC is still hoping that the country will one day start local production of vaccines.
In October this year, Prof. Adeyeye, challenged pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria to make bold investment decisions that will make the local production of human vaccines a reality.
She warned that Nigeria must not wait for another pandemic before getting prepared.
“When COVID-19 struck, we were at the mercy of other countries because we depended entirely on foreign supplies for vaccines. That experience should never repeat itself,” she said.
According to her, NAFDAC has strengthened its regulatory system through a major restructuring process in line with WHO’s global benchmarking standards to pave the way for vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria.
The agency, according to her, achieved WHO Maturity Level 3, ML3, in 2022 for medicines and imported vaccines, a global recognition that qualifies it as a functional regulatory authority.
She said that in November 2024, NAFDAC established a new Directorate of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices, following approval by the Head of Service of the Federation, to align with international best practices and ensure effective oversight.
“For NAFDAC to be benchmarked for vaccines and biologics, we needed a dedicated directorate,” she said.
“We are now operating at the same level as advanced countries.”
Expressing optimism that Nigeria would soon begin manufacturing its own vaccines, Adeyeye said:
“It will be exciting news for me if, before I leave office, Nigeria begins vaccine production. We’ve been producing veterinary vaccines since 1924, yet we still depend on foreign countries for human vaccines. That must change.”
She noted that Nigeria fulfilled nine WHO Global Benchmarking Tool modules, with NAFDAC responsible for eight of them, and has achieved ML3 for seven—except for locally manufactured vaccines, which are yet to begin.
“We are working towards ML3 for locally manufactured vaccines. WHO has verified our vaccine Lot Release indicators; what remains is local vaccine production, which will allow us to carry out facility inspections,” she added.
Adeyeye also revealed that NAFDAC is the only National Regulatory Agency (NRA), in sub-Saharan Africa with an in-house laboratory for vaccines, biologics, and medical devices.
“The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has a vaccines lab, but it’s outsourced. Ours is fully in-house,” she said.
Speaking further, she urged manufacturers to seize the moment, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda encourages local manufacturing across sectors.
“We have capable scientists and a strengthened regulatory framework. We can start with the ‘Fill and Finish’ stage while developing full-scale manufacturing. Now is the time to get it done,” she said.
Corroborating the NAFDAC DG’s position, Mrs. Khadijah Ade-Abolade, Director of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices Registration and Regulatory Affairs, said the federal government is already playing a strategic role to ensure that vaccine production takes off in Nigeria.
“The regulatory framework is already established and functional for imported vaccines, and it will be applied to locally produced ones once manufacturing begins,” she explained
Ministry yet to respond
Effort to get the reaction of the Ministry of Health on why the country has not commenced local vaccine production was unsuccessful.
The spokesperson, Alaba Balogu, was yet to respond to our inquiry at press time.
His ideological orientation, philosophical disposition, temperamental short fuse, intrinsic racial arrogance, and instinctual transactional style of political engagement may prove disruptive and destabilising to America’s internal class and power relations, as well as the international political, military, and economic order.
However, it is not unlikely that by the time he is done with his country and the world, the contemporary international political order will be bifurcated into the “before” and “after” Donald Trump eras. The 45th and 47th President of the world’s sole, if steadily but imperceptibly declining global superpower, Donald J. Trump, is unabashedly refashioning American politics and global international relations in his own image. Unfortunately, it is not a particularly predictable, rational, coherent or readily explicable image.
But at least the Islamic terrorists and bandits, allegedly dispatched to hell’s gate after America’s Christmas day’s drone strikes in the Northwest of Nigeria, specifically Sokoto, know that Trump wants them nowhere near this terrestrial sphere of existence. The drone strikes were undertaken in pursuit of Trump’s purported agenda of saving Nigeria’s Christians from the genocidal attacks of ‘Islamic terrorists’. Ironically, though, American expertise, technology and intelligence enthusiastically aided Netanyahu’s Israel in the genocidal extirpation of Palestinians, including thousands of Christians, in Gaza.
Neither does it seem to matter that the admittedly inexcusable terroristic killings in the North of Nigeria, particularly, hardly discriminated between Christian or Muslim, woman or man, child or adult. Long before sending an investigative team of US legislators to Nigeria to ascertain the truth or otherwise of allegations of Christian genocide in the country, President Trump had declared Nigeria guilty and pronounced her, with solemn finality, ‘a now disgraced country’ to the eternal delight of the Peter Obis of this world.
Of course, America, in Trump-speak, has regained respect and reverence across the world. Ignore the daily killings of scores of innocent citizens, including school children, in insane gun killings across America’s urban and rural communities. Discount the ceaseless assaults on America’s most cherished institutions and traditions of respect for human rights and liberties ever since the ‘Make America Great Again (MAGA)’ mantra has gained ascendancy.
Close your eyes to the daily intimidation of judicial officers and consequent ever- increasing expansion of executive powers to the detriment of democracy and the rule of law in ‘America, their America’. Erase from memory the disgracefully (?) unforgettable spectacle of a murderous, instigated mob invading and desecrating The Capitol, inner sanctum of American democracy, in a bid to pull down the levers of civil governance in protest against patently false claims of rigged elections in 2020. But Nigeria is now a disgraced country. But St America’s vestments of innocence and chastity remain unstained.
But then, does the Nigerian State have any excuse for the persistence and ever-steadily worsening of an Islamic insurgency whose seeds were sown in the extra-judicial murder of the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, in police custody in 2009? Why the tardiness of the Nigerian governance elite across successive administrations in surgically addressing the structural impediments to the effective protection of lives and property in a sprawling, ethnic-regional, cultural and religious social mosaic like ours?
Now, Trump has spoken ‘guns a-blazing’. You may question his motives. You may interrogate his sincerity. You may mock the affected ‘Christianity’ of perhaps the most irreligious occupant of the White House in recent times. But Trump is not to blame. Neither are the gods. The fault lies fairly and squarely with our ruling class. And here lies the grave danger. Trump does not hide his racism. In his first term, he described African countries as ‘shithole’. He dismisses Nigeria as ‘now disgraced’ based on allegations of baseless Christian genocide that he accepts before ordering an investigation!!
Trump contemptuously accuses South Africa of genocide against whites without a shred of credible evidence, refused to attend the last G20 meeting in that country and has barred her from attending the next meeting of the group in the US!!! In Venezuela, he is conducting air strikes against vessels allegedly conveying drugs without providing any evidence or adherence to due process, leading to the extra-judicial murder of nearly 100 persons.
One thing is clear. In the emergent post-Trump world order, weakness is a crime. Might is right. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is learning the hard way. There is a new spring in Vladimir Putin’s step. Continued weakness is not an option for Nigeria. But the eminent political scientist, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and active member of the pro-democracy group, NADECO, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, foresaw this long ago. His 2016 Convocation Lecture delivered at the University of Ibadan was titled ‘Nigerian Exceptionalism: Nigerian Quest for World Leadership’ – an admirable venture in intellectual audacity if you ask me.
In concluding the first part of this piece, I will quote Professor Akinyemi at some length. In his words, “In 1987, as the Minister of External Affairs, I called for Nigeria to develop a nuclear weapon, infelicitously called the Black Bomb. I believe I was right then, and I believe I am still right. In 1987, when I made the call, the only high-ranking public official who called to say he agreed with me was General Abacha, not known for making calls. The media, the intellectuals and practically everyone thought I was mad…When General Abacha became Head of State in 1993, he raised the issue of the feasibility of such a programme with me, but I said the United States would not permit it. I remember his reply: “I don’t intend to get along with the United States. Maybe I should have taken him for his word.”
Professor Akinyemi continued, “…as of 2015, the GDP per capita of Nigeria was $6,100.00, India was $6,200.00, and Pakistan was $5,000.00. The three countries were within the same range. Yet, Pakistan and India are nuclear powers with an incredible underbelly of poverty. Of course, Pakistan and India did not spend N7.2 billion importing toothpicks or N62.8 billion importing French fries.
“Let me be as categorical as I can be. Even if all roads in Nigeria were to be paved with gold, and every Nigerian were to own a Rolls-Royce in his or her garage, Nigeria would not secure respect from the world, the kind of respect extended to Pakistan or India or even North Korea, which has a per capita income of only $1,800.00 but has a nuclear programme. At the moment, no country will speak to India or Pakistan or even North Korea the way Nigeria is spoken to or spoken about.”
To have been at the forefront of progressive politics in a dynamic, diverse, cosmopolitan and sophisticated constituency like Ikeja, the capital of Nigeria’s commercial, financial and industrial nerve-centre, and with unbroken electoral success for over two decades since 2004, Honourable James Abiodun Faleke, is no doubt made of no mean stuff.
On Christmas Day, Honourable Faleke clocked 66 eventful years this side of eternity. Ikeja Federal Constituency and far beyond were agog. What can be described as the constituent elements of Faleke’s political philosophy and praxis? First, is an uncompromising commitment to the communal good.
The efficiency, diligent organisation, methodical exactitude and consistent regularity with which he organises his constituency outreach poverty alleviation programmes for maximum impact reflect his educational training in logistics planning, procurement processes and business management.
A second element of his politics is ideological fidelity and loyalty to leadership and party ethos. He is one of the enduring and unflinching pillars of support, ever constant as the northern star in President Bola Tinubu’s political firmament. The third essential feature of his politics is a humble disposition, a close affinity with the grassroots and personal accessibility to both the high and the low.
He was the first Executive Secretary of the Ojodu Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) and was elected as substantive Chairman of the Council in 2004. Apart from his indelible achievements in infrastructure provision and social service delivery, it is noteworthy that he was the Chairman of Conference 57, the association of Local Government Chairmen in Lagos State, during his tenure.
In 2011, he was elected to represent the Ikeja Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives and has brought his characteristic commitment and seriousness to the enormous responsibility of law-making and pursuing the interests of his constituency.
Faleke was elected to Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives in 2011, to represent the Ikeja Federal constituency of Lagos State. He is currently the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance.
An indigene of Ekirin-Adde in Ijummu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Faleke’s teeming supporters in the state are awaiting his next political move, especially given his continued close links with the formidable structure of the late political colossus, former governor Abubakar Audu, in the state.
