Since the idea of banning alcoholic drinks in sachets and small bottles in Nigeria was first mooted, certain Nigerians have not been comfortable with the idea. The idea was first mentioned in 2018 but due to the public outcry then, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and bodies like the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), came together and agreed to sign a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks. Ever since then, the government has shifted the implementation a couple of times. However, following the latest moves, reactions have continued to trail the idea. First, it was alleged that the manufacturers of these categories of drinks went into an intense lobby to ensure that the idea was buried but that didn’t happen as it kept coming on and on. What the manufacturers have been able to do was to have delayed the full implementation of the policy. However, last week, specifically on Tuesday, November 5, the Senate ordered NAFDAC not to extend the December 31 implementation deadline for the production of alcohol in sachets and small bottles. The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong representing Cross River South at plenary session on Tuesday last week. Presenting the motion, Ekpenyong said the directive was in line with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among Nigerians. He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC and industry’s bodies, including the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) voluntarily signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks. Ekpenyong explained that the Federal Government, upon appeals from manufacturers, had already granted a one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable producers to exhaust the existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives. However, the lawmaker expressed concern that some manufacturers were lobbying for another extension, which he said, would undermine regulatory authority, endanger public health and perpetuate the circulation of harmful alcoholic products in the market. “As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health. “We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety,” Ekpenyong said.

Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has congratulated Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State, on his 65th birthday. ‎ ‎Wike praised Fayose as a valuable friend and brother who is straightforward about his positions on issues. ‎ ‎In his congratulatory letter, Wike highlighted Fayose’s significance in Nigerian politics and governance. ‎ ‎In a statement signed by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, Wike expressed that Fayose’s age is a testament to God’s grace and a call for continued service to Nigeria. ‎ ‎Wike wished Fayose good health and fruitful days, acknowledging him as a dependable ally. ‎ ‎

At least two governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were previously accused of aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are conspicuously absent from the ongoing PDP convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. The governors are Ademola Adeleke of Osun and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State. However, governors Ahmadu Fintri of Adamawa State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and the host, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, are currently present.

Nollywood actor, Olarenwaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been reportedly released from prison following the Court of Appeal judgment that overturned his conviction for the sexual assault of a minor. THENEWSCREDIT had reported that the actor was arrested in 2021 and, in July 2022, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja sentenced him to 16 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty on multiple counts relating to the assault of a 14-year-old girl. An unverified but widely circulated video obtained by our correspondent on Saturday showed the comic actor sitting in a vehicle shortly after his release, expressing relief and saying he needed rest. The video was posted by several accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X ( Formerly Twitter) Although THENEWSCREDIT has not been able to independently verify the clip, the man seen celebrating his release appeared to be the actor. In a brief phone conversation captured in the clip, he was heard saying in Yoruba, ”Apase, I’m out… I just came out. “I want to relax. I just want to leave here so I decided to inform you. Thank you for supporting me. I will call you,” Baba Ijesha said.

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, has said that Nigeria’s dwindling revenue requires reforms. Adedeji made the remarks in Ilesa, Osun State, on Friday while delivering the University of Ilesa 2025 Distinguished Lecture Series titled “Economic Resilience in an Era of Dwindling Revenue,” the first in the series. He said the country must embrace reforms anchored on four key pillars to weather the storm of unstable revenue. Using Nigeria’s economic indicators—including GDP growth, tax-to-GDP ratio, oil revenue share, and debt service-to-revenue ratio—Adedeji acknowledged that while progress has been made, the country’s fiscal condition remains fragile.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Akure Zone, has accused the Federal Government of misrepresenting the status of negotiations with the union, adding that newly established universities are mere “crises centres.” Addressing journalists on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, the ASUU Akure Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Adeola Egbedokun, said that despite the seven-year moratorium placed by the Federal Government on the establishment of new universities, it still went ahead to announce new institutions. THENEWSCREDIT earlier reported that the Federal Government approved a seven-year freeze on creating new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, following concerns over the proliferation of under-utilised institutions, overstretched resources, and declining academic quality. The moratorium was approved at a Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a presentation by Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu Alausa. However, despite the moratorium, nine new universities — including the institution in Epe — received approval. Egbedokun, flanked by ASUU chairmen from the seven branches under the Akure Zone, expressed concern that while existing universities remained poorly funded, the Federal Government continued to approve new ones, even after announcing a freeze on such approvals. He said, “A few months back, the government came up with a kind of moratorium of seven years (on the establishment of new tertiary institutions). One of the agitations of our union is this issue of proliferation of universities, especially at the Federal and state levels and we were coming from the point of view that rather than proliferate, why not take care of the existing ones? “It was agreed that for seven years, no license will be granted to any university again, but we all saw what happened a few days ago when we heard that a new university was granted a license. I think the government of Nigeria should live up to its words. Let your yes be yes and no be no. Is seven years the same thing as seven days?” Reviewing the renegotiation process since the suspension of ASUU’s warning strike, Egbedokun stated that the National Executive Council rejected the salary adjustment proposed by the Federal Government, describing it as “a tokenistic and insulting gesture.”

A group within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo State, Concerned Youth Movement, CYM has said the revelation made by a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has shown that there is no future in the party. The group made this declaration via a statement made available to THENEWSCREDIT on Friday. The statement was signed by CYM Publicity Secretary, Laide Ajao. Our correspondent gathered that Saraki had earlier asked that the party postpone its national convention billed to take place in Ibadan. The former governor of Kwara State said that with what is happening in the party, no serious politician with electoral ambition will seek to contest on the platform of the PDP in 2027. CYM in its reaction noted that it is clear that there is no future in the PDP based on what Saraki said. Ajao in the statement, appealed to other PDP members in the state to wake up and face the reality. He maintained that factionalisation of the party and the insistence of a faction loyal to governor Seyi Makinde to hold the national convention will further polarise the party.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to halt the plan by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to implement Computer-Based Testing, CBT, for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, warning that the initiative could trigger widespread academic failure, psychological distress, and even fatalities among students. The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Kelechi Nworgu on Thursday, who called for immediate intervention to prevent what he described as an impending crisis in education. Speaking on the motion, Nworgu acknowledged that while CBT has been successfully utilised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the current state of most secondary schools in Nigeria renders such a shift premature for WAEC exams in 2026. He stressed that the Federal Ministry of Education’s plan to conduct the 2026 WASSCE via CBT, despite objections from the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and school principals, would place millions of students at a significant disadvantage, particularly those in rural communities who lack computers, stable electricity, and internet connectivity. “Most of the over 25,500 schools across the country, especially in rural areas, do not have functional computers or qualified computer teachers. “Many students have never used a computer before, yet they are being compelled to take up to nine subjects, including theory and practical exams, through CBT,” he said. Nworgu warned that the initiative is being rushed without sufficient groundwork and cautioned that its fallout could be severe, potentially resulting in mass failure, frustration, drug abuse, and other social ills among young people. He recommended that WAEC and the Ministry of Education postpone the CBT rollout for at least three years, suggesting a more feasible implementation period around the 2029–2030 academic session, after necessary infrastructure and training have been established. In response, the House directed WAEC and the Ministry of Education to immediately suspend the planned CBT initiative. It urged the government to allocate funds from the 2026 budget for hiring computer teachers, constructing computer labs with internet access, and installing standby generators in schools nationwide. The House also tasked its Committees on Basic Examination Bodies, Digital and Information Technology, Basic Education and Services, and Labour, Employment and Productivity to engage stakeholders in the education and technology sectors and submit a report within four weeks to guide further legislative measures.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to halt the plan by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to implement Computer-Based Testing, CBT, for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, warning that the initiative could trigger widespread academic failure, psychological distress, and even fatalities among students. The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Kelechi Nworgu on Thursday, who called for immediate intervention to prevent what he described as an impending crisis in education. Speaking on the motion, Nworgu acknowledged that while CBT has been successfully utilised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the current state of most secondary schools in Nigeria renders such a shift premature for WAEC exams in 2026.

A professional hairstylist identified simply as Sebastine Timothy has been shot dead by suspected armed robbers in the Satellite Town area of Lagos State. A police source, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the deceased was attacked shortly after returning home from work. It was gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday night along Olasanoye Street in the community. According to the source, the robbers broke into Timothy’s apartment, dispossessed him of his belongings, and transferred an undisclosed amount of money from his bank account before shooting him in the head. The source added that the assailants fled the scene immediately after the attack, while neighbours who heard gunshots later found Timothy’s lifeless body. In a separate account, an online channel known for exposing cult-related activities, Confra Naija, claimed in a post on X that the attack was cult-related. According to the platform, the assailants, believed to be members of the Eiye confraternity, had originally targeted Timothy’s brother, who is allegedly affiliated with a rival group, Aye, but turned on the hairstylist when they could not find him. “The Eiye cultists came to attack Sebastine’s brother, who is a member of Aye. When they didn’t find him, they turned on Sebastine, who told them his brother wasn’t around. They forced him to unlock his phone and transfer money to them, took his phone after the transfer, and shot him in the head,” the post read. When contacted on Wednesday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident but gave a slightly different account. She said Timothy sustained a fatal head injury during a fight with unidentified men in the area. “He sustained an injury to the head and died on his way to the hospital. The police cannot confirm yet if it was a gunshot wound or a machete cut. The family reported the case at the station and later took his body to the mortuary,” Adebisi stated.