The Lagos State Government has dismissed as false claims that it raised billboard permit fees to N700 million, describing the reports as fake news aimed at damaging its image.

In a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, the government said the allegation circulating on social media was baseless and should be ignored.

“Billboards are owned by private operators. The most expensive billboard is about N10 million monthly. The government does not run billboards,” the statement read. It clarified that the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) is only a regulator, not an operator of outdoor advertising structures.

According to the government, anyone wishing to register as an outdoor advertising practitioner in Lagos must pay a non-refundable one-off fee of N7 million to LASAA, register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and meet other legal requirements.

LASAA does not set the rates charged by billboard owners. Those rates are commercial decisions made by private operators and vary based on factors such as size, format and location of the structures.

The agency stressed that all outdoor advertisements, including political campaign materials, must be displayed only on approved structures operated by registered practitioners who hold valid LASAA permits. The structures must also meet standards for location, structural safety and environmental compliance.

Statutory permit fees paid to LASAA are separate from the commercial costs of media placement, production and other services provided by advertising practitioners.

The government noted that LASAA recently conducted public sensitisation on election campaign advertising guidelines to educate political parties, candidates, practitioners and the public. After the elections, the agency said it would remove all campaign materials at no cost to restore the city’s visual order.

Lagos, the statement added, remains open to all politicians and parties that follow the rules.

The Federal Government has issued a travel advisory warning Nigerians, particularly those with pre-existing medical conditions, about health risks linked to Ethiopia’s high altitude after 16 citizens died while transiting through Addis Ababa this year.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the government said Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in the Ethiopian capital recorded the 16 deaths, which were reportedly tied to health complications associated with the city’s high-altitude environment.

Addis Ababa sits at approximately 2,355 metres (about 7,726 feet) above sea level. At that elevation, lower atmospheric pressure reduces oxygen availability. While healthy people generally adapt, individuals with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions face heightened risks, including headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath and, in severe cases, more serious complications.

The ministry urged Nigerians whose health conditions could be worsened by high altitudes to exercise caution when planning journeys involving stopovers in Addis Ababa and to seek medical advice beforehand.

Officials stressed that the advisory is not a ban or an attempt to discourage travel through or to the Ethiopian capital, a major transit hub connecting West Africa to other regions. Instead, it aims to ensure vulnerable travellers are informed and take necessary precautions.

The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragic deaths of four students at an off-campus house party in Nsukka.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya addressed the media on the incident, which occurred on 11 November 2026. He clarified that ten UNN students attended the party, organised to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations. Four of them died after consuming substances suspected to be alcohol and drugs. The remaining six are currently receiving treatment and recovering in hospital at various stages.

Prof. Ortuanya announced the three-day mourning period, during which all social and academic activities on campus will be suspended. He also cancelled a previously scheduled town-hall meeting between the university community and the Governor of Enugu State.

Describing the loss as “a death too many,” the Vice-Chancellor extended heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased. “The Management, staff and the students of the University of Nigeria share in their grief at this difficult moment and pray for the repose of the souls of the departed,” he said.

He further clarified that the students involved came from different departments, contrary to widespread speculation that they were from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Prof. Ortuanya reiterated the university’s ban on all forms of sign-out celebrations and urged students to refrain from activities that endanger their lives. He added that the university is cooperating fully with security agencies to determine the exact cause of the deaths.