News
BREAKING: No Man’s land: Rhodes Vivour Condemns Obasa’s Statement on Divisive Laws
The Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos state for the 2023 election, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour has reacted to the statement of Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudasiru Obasa, that the house will make laws to protect the property right of indigenes, while cautioning the Speaker against laws that will divide Lagos residents along ethnic lines.
Rhodes Vivour warned Obasa that any enacted law that seeks to reverse property rights in favour of the indigenous people of Lagos state at the expense of other residents is divisive and not in the economic interest of Lagos.
Rhodes Vivour made this known in a statement posted on his official Twitter handle on Thursday
Ohibaba.com reports that Mudashiru Obasa had in his acceptance speech after his re-election as the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly said lawmakers will go to any length in protecting the state indigenes even if it means reversing existing law.
Rhodes Vivour described such a move as an attempt to undermine the fundamental right of residents as enshrined in the country’s constitution, adding that well-meaning Lagosians should resist “the divisive bill”
He also said that in considering such legislation, the speaker has disregarded the Nigerian constitution, adding the law will discourage the participation of local and international investors in Lagos’ economy.
“By considering this regressive bill, the Speaker disregards the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and perpetuates a discriminatory system that divides our society along ethnic lines.
“The proposed bill undermines the principle of private ownership and could severely affect investment, economic growth, and overall prosperity in Lagos State. By considering such legislation, the Speaker is sending a damaging message to local and international investors, discouraging their participation and confidence in the state’s economy,”
Rhodes Vivour said
Instead of promulgating such a law, Rhodes Vivour advocated for state laws that will rather “protect heritage, historical sites, and traditional institutions from political vandalism.”
He also urged the state government to stick to its duty of catering to the welfare of its citizens irrespective of the state of origin.
News
Insecurity: Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons Hit 3.726m
According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.
Data compiled by the International Organisation for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix, showed that there are 3,725,593 internally displaced persons, IDPs, now scattered across about 3,900 camps and settlements nationwide.
According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.
In Taraba State, about 90,000 displaced persons are currently sheltered in eight camps located in Peva and Kufai Ahmadu in Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA.
The report said that the crisis has largely been driven by insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, farmer–herder conflicts in the North-Central, and communal clashes in parts of the South.
It further said that Nigeria’s 3.726 million displaced population is larger than the population of at least 63 countries whose populations are under 3.7 million, according to United Nations population estimates.
Among countries with fewer than 3.7 million people are Uruguay (3.4m), Jamaica (2.8m), Qatar (2.7m), Namibia (2.6m) and Botswana (2.6m).
News
Atiku’s Media Aide, Ifeanyi Izeze is Dead
The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.
Atiku Media Office has announced the death of Ifeanyi Izeze, a member of the media team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In the statement , Izeze a prominent and pioneer member of the ex-VP’s media team died on Sunday.
“Ifeanyi Izeze joined the media team of the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2006, from Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot-Abasi as the Office Manager.
He brought to bear on the work of the media team at that critical stage of Atiku’s political career, his wealth of experience in the media, Niger Delta and Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Izeze trained as a geologist at the University of Port Harcourt up to postgraduate level, but carved a niche in journalism where he reported and wrote extensively on oil and gas industry in Nigeria for many years in the defunct Sunray, Anchor, and NewAge newspapers among others, before he joined ALSCON.
In the Atiku Media Office, Ifeanyi was a senior member of the team and its pioneer Office Manager who helped shape the campaign policies of the Atiku Presidential Campaigns in the Niger Delta, particularly in the oil and gas sectors,” the statement further reads.
Atiku Media Office described the deceased as a man with a prodigious sense of humour and a born-again Christian of the Christ Embassy.
The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.
He left behind children, grandchildren and an elder and only surviving brother, Pastor Emeka Izeze of the Guardian Newspapers fame
News
Tinubu Pledges Support for Nigerian Media in Battle Against Big Tech.
...Vows Tariff Relief on Newsprint and Equipment. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has thrown the full weight of his administration behind Nigeria’s media industry in its escalating fight against Big Tech’s dominance, unfair content usage, and crippling economic pressures, while promising to slash or eliminate import tariffs on essential production materials.
Speaking at a high-level interfaith dinner held at the State House on Friday, March 13, 2026, the President described the Nigerian press as an “indispensable partner” in the country’s drive for economic recovery, democratic consolidation, and national unity.
“We will help dismantle the fiscal hurdles and digital cannibalisation currently threatening the survival of the press,” Tinubu declared, assuring the delegation that his government is actively reviewing the national tariff exemption list.
Among the items under consideration for zero or reduced duty (currently 5–10%) are newsprint, printing plates, chemicals, and broadcast equipment for radio and television—materials the media sector has long argued should receive the same preferential treatment as educational and research imports.
“You have the government’s full support, because we know how important your work is to the sustenance of democracy,” the President told representatives of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) and other leading industry bodies.
The closed-door meeting brought together a powerful cross-section of Nigeria’s media leadership, including:
– Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, NPO President and Publisher of The Guardian
– Frank Aigbogun, NPAN Deputy President and Publisher of BusinessDay (who delivered the industry’s joint address)
– Aremo Olusegun Osoba (Vanguard)
– Sam Amuka (THISDAY/ARISE News)
– Prince Nduka Obaigbena (Channels Television)
– Dr John Momoh, Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
– Leaders of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), among others.
In his presentation, Aigbogun accused unnamed global tech platforms widely understood to include Google and Meta of systematically “scraping” Nigerian journalistic content, frequently breaching paywalls, to train artificial intelligence models without compensation.
He claimed these practices are depriving local media houses of up to 70% of their legitimate advertising and syndication revenue losses running into hundreds of millions of dollars annually while triggering widespread job losses across newsrooms.
Aigbogun called on the President to instruct the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch a formal investigation, in partnership with media stakeholders, into Big Tech’s alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, told the gathering that preliminary engagements with major tech companies, including Meta and Google, are already in progress.
“The government will not allow anybody to come here, reap from our economy, and go away without giving back,” Idris said firmly.Vice President Kashim Shettima, together with several senior presidential aides, also attended the event.
The State House meeting follows an earlier January 2026 letter and public statement from the NPO highlighting the existential threat posed by unregulated digital platforms to Nigeria’s independent media ecosystem.
Industry observers view the President’s commitments as a potential turning point, offering both short-term cost relief through tariff adjustments and longer-term policy backing in the global push for fair revenue sharing between traditional media and dominant tech intermediaries.
-
Business3 days agoSenate will pass 2026 budget after Sallah break, says Akpabio
-
International3 days agoTrump says he thinks Putin is helping Iran
-
Entertainment3 days agoTiwa Savage foundation to train 100 African music talents
-
Politics3 days agoCourt bars Aiyedatiwa from re-contesting for third term
-
Business3 days agoCBN restricts mobile banking apps operation to one device
-
Politics3 days agoAiyedatiwa: I never declared interest in contesting again in 2028
-
Sports3 days agoD’Tigress regroup for Saturday’s match with the Philippines
-
Business3 days agoIndorama, Nigerian Breweries and Genesis Power plan 45,000 tons rPET Plant in Lagos
