Renowned Nollywood actress and box-office producer, Funke Akindele, has challenged Nigerian youths to reject the "get-rich-quick" syndrome and embrace legal hard work, discipline, and skill acquisition. Speaking in a recent interview with media outlet BellaNaija, the filmmaker used her personal journey as a powerful case study for the younger generation. Akindele revealed that while easy, compromising paths to wealth were available to her in her younger years, she consciously chose the grueling path of legitimate labor. Reflecting on her university days, Akindele shared nostalgic memories of her early financial struggles. She disclosed how she resorted to trading accommodation spaces just to survive. “I could have been wayward to earn a living, but I decided to follow the right path," Akindele revealed. "I was selling bed spaces in UNILAG so I could survive. I was hustling. I am a hustler. That’s why you see that I am so ‘handsome’ [hardened].” She noted that the harsh realities of her past shaped her rigid work ethic. “I am very firm because life taught me. I can’t do otherwise. I just want to work and earn a living. I am wired like that,” she added. Addressing the soaring unemployment rates in the country, the A Tribe Called Judah producer warned youths against relying solely on formal educational degrees. She advocated fiercely for vocational empowerment,THENEWSCREDIT reports. “Skills acquisition is very important," Akindele urged. "As a young woman or man, you have to acquire skills so that when there is no job, you can use your skill to make money for yourself.”

Music executive Ubi Franklin has labeled having children with different women as the worst decision of his life. In a video shared on his Instagram page, Franklin expressed deep remorse over his past choices. He stated that he wishes he could change his history and choose a different path regarding his family structure. Franklin clarified that financial responsibility is not the issue. Instead, the primary difficulty lies in managing the complex emotions and relationship dynamics of the children`s mothers. The music mogul strongly cautioned young men against adopting a similar lifestyle, regardless of their financial status. He urged the younger generation to intentionally avoid "baby mama drama" to maintain peace and stability in their lives.

The Senate has passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introducing stringent penalties aimed at curbing traffic violations and improving commuter safety across Nigeria. The legislative framework seeks to thoroughly overhaul road safety enforcement by updating outdated fine structures to match current economic realities. Under the newly passed bill, which now awaits presidential assent, preaching, hawking, or trading inside commercial vehicles has been criminalized. Any individual convicted of these activities inside a transit vehicle faces a ₦50,000 fine. Lawmakers inserted this clause to eliminate unnecessary distractions inside commercial buses and maximize passenger safety. The proposed law also takes a uncompromising stance against motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs. The penalty for drunk driving has skyrocketed from the previous ₦5,000 to ₦100,000. Convicted offenders also risk facing up to two years’ imprisonment alongside or in place of the monetary fine. Furthermore, the amendment introduces strict penalties for motorists who refuse to cooperate with FRSC officials. Drivers who decline to take preliminary roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion will face severe consequences. The bill prescribes a ₦50,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both for non-compliance. Basic traffic violations will also attract much heavier financial penalties once the bill receives executive approval. Disobeying traffic lights, ignoring road signs, disregarding pavement markings, and flouting other traffic control devices will now attract a flat fine of ₦100,000. In a similar vein, speed limit violations and reckless driving penalties have been significantly upwardly reviewed. Speeding offenses, which previously carried a minor ₦5,000 fine, have been raised to ₦100,000. Drivers convicted of reckless driving will also pay ₦100,000 and face up to two years in prison. In total, the revised schedule under the amended legislation outlines 52 distinct traffic violations and their corresponding penalties. According to the Senate, this comprehensive review is explicitly designed to strengthen the FRSC’s enforcement powers, compel strict motorist compliance, and drastically reduce road crashes nationwide.

Afrobeats megastar David Adeleke, universally known as Davido, has sparked intense conversations online after publicly crowning his wife, Chioma Adeleke, as his ultimate “life coordinator” and the sole manager of his vast financial fortune. The revelation emerged from a viral video capturing a candid, behind-the-scenes moment between the singer and his crew While attempting to send money to his long-time personal assistant, Lati, the billionaire musician hit a technical snag. Unable to access his bank account due to poor network service before a flight back to Nigeria, Davido immediately dialed his wife for assistance. "Hello, hello baby, good morning my wife, my love. Help me send Lati $4,000. I can’t login, I don’t know why, it`s the service here. Alright. We’re taking off now to Naija, I love you," the singer was heard saying over the phone. Following the phone call, Davido’s official streamer, Davreltv, directly questioned the music icon on whether Chioma had officially taken full control of his bank accounts. Without hesitation, the "Unavailable" crooner admitted that his wife holds the purse strings due to his own poor financial discipline. "Of course, you know I’m a reckless spender," Davido laughed. "Na she dey arrange everything. Na my life coordinator be that (She arranges everything. She is my life coordinator)." The candid admission has ignited a wave of reactions across social media platforms. Many fans are praising the singer for his humility, vulnerability, and willingness to trust his spouse with his hard-earned wealth. Financial experts are also weighing in, noting that recognizing one`s spending flaws and delegating asset management to a trusted partner is a highly mature financial strategy.

In a massive leap toward modernizing civil administration, the National Population Commission (NPC) has officially rolled out the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, allowing Nigerians to register births, deaths, and obtain certificates directly online. NPC Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, announced the immediate commencement of this transformative platform at a briefing in Abuja. The digital system went fully operational across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Dr. Yusuf described the innovation as one of the most significant reforms in the history of Nigeria`s civil registration. By leveraging technology, the commission aims to eliminate the historical bottlenecks that have plagued birth and death documentation. Previously, millions of vital events went undocumented due to geographic and bureaucratic hurdles. Current national estimates indicate that Nigeria records roughly five million births annually, yet birth registration coverage hovers at 57%, while death registration sits below 20%. The new NPC Birth Registration Self-service platform provides Nigerians with round-the-clock online access, eliminating the need to physically visit registration centers for basic procedures. This is expected to drastically reduce wait times, paperwork, and unnecessary travel. To ensure that rural and underserved areas are not left behind, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centers across the country`s 774 local government areas. The commission is actively working to expand this network to approximately 8,000 community-level centers. To achieve this decentralization, the NPC has forged strategic partnerships with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited. According to the NPC, the new system is fully integrated into Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem. Every digitally registered newborn will be automatically assigned a National Identification Number (NIN), while the system will streamline data sharing among authorized agencies . While basic birth registration and notification services remain highly subsidized to encourage universal coverage, certain specialized administrative tasks—such as record modifications, attestations, and certificate reissuance—will attract reviewed fees to sustain the digital infrastructure . Dr. Yusuf strongly urged parents and all relevant stakeholders to ensure prompt registration, emphasizing that credible demographic data is vital for effective national planning. He maintained that accurate records are the bedrock of effective governance and evidence-based development.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared that Nigeria’s economy is making critical foundational progress, acknowledging the severe pains of recent fiscal adjustments but insisting the reforms are yielding positive long-term results. The President made this assertion at the State House while hosting a high-powered delegation from Deloitte Africa, led by its Africa Chief Executive Officer, Ruwayda Redfearn. The high-level meeting was also attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji. `Bitter Medicine` is Working Defending the pace and execution of his administration`s policies over the last three years, President Tinubu compared the structural economic shifts to a necessary medical treatment rather than a seamless commercial transaction. “Yes, reforms are difficult. It has not been a McDonald’s customer relationship but a harvester of good things, if implemented well, and that is what we are about," Tinubu stated. "The reforms on revenue will continue to stimulate growth. And the effect of the reform? Yes, some issues are difficult, taking the bitter medicine, but it is working well. For the economy, Nigeria is making serious foundational progress.” According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled ‘Our Economy Is On Steady Growth, Says President Tinubu To Deloitte Africa,’ the President argued that the current policy direction has successfully strengthened the fiscal sector, repositioned financial institutions, and boosted Nigeria`s global competitiveness. Deloitte Pledges Global Support The delegation from Deloitte Africa commended the administration`s financial and fiscal restructuring. Redfearn affirmed that the global professional services firm—which boasts over 500,000 employees globally and recorded $74 billion in revenue in 2025—is fully prepared to deploy its resources to support Nigeria`s economic trajectory. “We are before you to say that we want to serve. We have a local team on the ground that is ready, as well as the global firm, to support you and support your administration as you lead the country,” Redfearn promised. Cascading Gains to Ordinary Citizens While validating the structural framework established by the presidency, the Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte West Africa, Yomi Olugbenro, noted that the immediate priority must shift toward translating macroeconomic statistics into visible relief for citizens. “Where we are at the moment, we believe that the ground has been solidly laid," Olugbenro noted. "There is a need to truly extract more value and deliver the dividends of democracy to ordinary Nigerians on the street. The bigger work is really about how to cascade some of those big reforms further down.” Olugbenro added that Deloitte intends to leverage its global experience in national economic transformations to assist Nigeria in navigating this transition phase. Focus on Youth Capacity Building During the visit, President Tinubu shared a lighthearted moment reflecting on his professional roots, tracing his early career back to his formative accounting years with Deloitte in Chicago. He leveraged this connection to urge the multinational firm to aggressively invest in Nigeria`s massive youth demographic through targeted recruitment and advanced training pipelines. Echoing the President`s sentiment, the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, strongly pressed the Deloitte leadership to make youth capacity building their primary area of social impact, describing it as the single most consequential investment required to safeguard Nigeria`s economic future.

The House of Representatives has assured citizens that the proposed state police system will not serve as private armies for state governors. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas gave this assurance on Wednesday during the National Security Roundtable at the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja. He emphasized that the reform aims to strengthen local security while maintaining national oversight. Abbas described the bill as one of the most critical constitutional reforms currently before the National Assembly. He highlighted that this marks the historic first time a sitting president has formally transmitted an executive bill to establish state policing. The House leader promised that the green chamber will rigorously scrutinize the bill. This process will ensure the new system protects the rule of law and strengthens democratic governance rather than undermining it. "State police will not be private armies for the various state governors," Abbas stated. "For the first time in our history, a sitting president has made state police a central part of national reform. He has done so not with words alone, but with a bill that now sits before the House of Representatives."

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has heavily criticized the Federal Government following the latest mass abduction at a school in Kogi State, declaring that armed bandits have effectively taken over the nation’s education system. The reaction follows a daring Tuesday invasion by gunmen at Government Secondary School (GSS), Olowa, located in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. The attackers stormed the school premises during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, forcefully abducting the school principal, four students, and a NECO ad-hoc official. In a scathing statement released on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the Kogi school raid as definitive proof that the government has abandoned its primary responsibility to protect lives, learning, and the future of Nigerian children. The former presidential candidate expressed deep concern over the vulnerability of students during national academic exercises. "An examination hall should be a sanctuary of hope, not a crime scene," Atiku stated. "A school principal should be preparing students for the future, not negotiating with kidnappers. A NECO official should be supervising examinations, not struggling for survival in the hands of bandits." He added that it remains a "tragic and disgraceful" reality that Nigerian children can no longer sit for public examinations without the imminent threat of being marched into the forest by heavily armed criminals. Linking the security breach to deeper structural failures, Atiku accused the current administration of normalizing insecurity through systemic negligence. He argued that the government`s recent policy decisions have left public academic institutions highly vulnerable. "It is impossible to separate this attack from the attitude this administration has displayed towards education," the statement continued. "A government that has repeatedly made education more expensive through unprecedented increases in WAEC and NECO examination fees, neglected public schools, failed to secure learning environments, and reduced education to empty campaign slogans should not be surprised that criminals now see schools as abandoned territories." Local reports confirm that security operatives have launched a manhunt in the forests surrounding the Dekina local government area to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the principal, the official, and the four students. The incident has renewed intense national debate regarding school safety, particularly in rural and semi-urban communities, with civil society groups calling for immediate tactical intervention to protect the ongoing nationwide examinations.

The Senate has officially approved a N50 million intervention fund to support the families of five citizens who lost their lives following the recent school abductions in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the emergency relief package during Wednesday`s plenary session. He described the tragic deaths of the victims as a painful but unforgettable sacrifice in the nation’s ongoing battle against internal insecurity. Under the approved financial structure, N10 million will be directly disbursed to each of the families of the two teachers murdered by the bandits and the three soldiers who fell during the high-stakes rescue operation. THENEWSCREDIT reports that the legislative intervention comes on the heels of a successful military mission that secured the freedom of the remaining abducted pupils and school teachers after nearly two months in grueling captivity. Akpabio highly commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and collaborating security agencies for their resilience, tactical precision, and unwavering bravery throughout the prolonged and high-risk rescue campaign. The Senate President emphasized that while no amount of money could replace the lost lives, the financial gesture aims to provide immediate economic stability to the dependents left behind by the deceased. Lawmakers at the plenary collectively observed a solemn minute of silence, urging the Federal Government to quickly deploy advanced surveillance technologies to vulnerable school communities across the country. The upper legislative chamber concluded the session by reaffirming its commitment to working closely with the executive arm to implement stricter, capital punishments for kidnapping and related banditry nationwide.

Armed gunmen on Tuesday afternoon invaded a secondary school in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, disrupting national examinations and abducting six individuals, including the school head and multiple students. The daring daylight assault has triggered widespread panic across the academic community and surrounding communities in the state. The Kogi State Police Command officially confirmed the security breach on Wednesday morning, identifying the targeted institution as Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina. According to law enforcement officials, the heavily armed attackers breached the school premises at approximately 5:25 p.m. while academic activities were actively underway. At the time of the invasion, students were inside classrooms writing papers for the ongoing National Examinations Council [NECO] terminal examinations. The bandits capitalised on the vulnerability of the exam setting, rounding up victims before fleeing into nearby forest reserves. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Salisu Oyiza, confirmed that the abductees included the school principal, one NECO ad-hoc staff member, and four students. In response to the crisis, a combined team of police operatives, military personnel, and local vigilantes immediately launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation. Giving an update on the emergency response, ASP Oyiza revealed that security forces have successfully rescued one of the abducted students. The joint task force remains on the trail of the fleeing assailants to secure the safe release of the remaining five victims and apprehend the perpetrators. The high-level gravity of the situation prompted an immediate deployment of top security chiefs to the area for an on-the-spot assessment. Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, traveled to the scene to directly coordinate tactical operations. In a separate, bizarre security development, the police command also confirmed an armed ambush on a funeral convoy along the Ochadamu-Ejule Expressway. Bandits attacked a vehicle conveying the corpse of a deceased Federal Road Safety Corps [FRSC] official, Augustine Ikwue, temporarily abducting the occupants before security forces recovered the casket and vehicle.