Author: damazah@gmail.com

Femi Odugbemi I recently had the privilege of presenting a masterclass to members of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) during the Guild’s National Awards Week. The subject was one I believe has become increasingly urgent for Nigerian cinema: What is the next level for Nollywood? For more than three decades, we have achieved something remarkable. We built an industry. We learned to produce quickly, economically, and under immense pressure. We created stars, filled cinemas, fed television schedules, and increasingly supplied streaming platforms. We found ways to tell stories that resonated with audiences, often against formidable odds. These are significant…

• Nigeria needs credible safety nets and immediate relief—not another inadequately costed petrol subsidy By Gloria Fraser Any presidential candidate promising to restore petrol subsidy without publishing its cost, funding source and safeguards is not presenting an economic policy. He is selling an illusion to a distressed electorate. Professor Farooq Kperogi’s defence of Atiku Abubakar’s proposed subsidy arrangement is eloquent and politically entertaining, but its central argument remains economically unconvincing. Kperogi appears delighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his supporters are supposedly “squirming in discomfort like cats stranded on a hot zinc roof.” That is colourful imagery, but public…

By Kayode Akinyemi The story of Globacom, Nigeria’s symbol of indigenous excellence, is one of determination, innovation, service and a commitment to giving customers more. At the heart of that story is a simple belief: Never Settle for Less. Over the past 23 years, the company has shown what is possible when challenges are met with resilience, bold thinking and a constant drive for better results. Recall the early vicissitudes and chequered formative history of the company as a late arrival in the telecoms market, after two foreign mobile telecom firms were licensed and made their debut two years before…

Xabi Alonso began his tenure as Chelsea manager with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday, as debutant Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro struck to give the Blues a winning start at Craven Cottage. Pedro opened the scoring after just 31 seconds before Fulham levelled through Josh King following a costly error by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Rogers restored Chelsea’s lead on his debut, justifying the British-record £117 million ($159 million) fee that brought him from Aston Villa during the summer. Read Also: Chelsea posts £262.4m loss amid agent spending surge Cole Palmer then extended Chelsea’s advantage after the…

Oura, the smart ring maker, with offices in San Francisco and Finland, is reportedly planning to raise up to $3 billion as soon as next month in a U.S. IPO that values the more than 900-person company at north of $16 billion, according to Bloomberg. The outlet adds that investors are expected to sell a major chunk of stock in the offering. A $16 billion valuation would mark an enormous jump from the $10.9 billion valuation Oura was assigned last September, when it closed an $875 million Series E round backed by Fidelity, ICONIQ, Whale Rock, and Atreides, joining earlier…

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced new economic sanctions on Tehran, describing the measures as an “economic D-Day” as the US war on Iran approaches the six-month mark.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the sanctions on Monday, alongside a naval blockade of Iranian ports.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listBessent said the sanctions target key sources of Iran’s revenue, including its oil and gas industry, and called on countries around the world to cut economic ties with Tehran.What are the sanctions?The Treasury Department said the sanctions will target Iran’s aviation, digital assets, gold, technology and…

The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, in Anambra State, has suspended a lecturer in the institution’s Department of Chinese Studies, Ifeanyi Odinye, for violating the university’s General and Academic Regulations. NAU, a federal university in Anambra State, is popularly known as UNIZIK. The UNIZIK spokesman, Aloysius Attah, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Odinye, a professor, was physically assaulted and stripped on 15 August by some angry students over an alleged attempt to sexually molest a female student of the university sexually. At the time of the report, his identity had not been…

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville made their 2026/27 Premier League season predictions on Monday Night Football.Title winnersJamie Carragher – Arsenal A few weeks ago, I thought Man City might have a chance – but it was all around Rodri. If Rodri stayed I’d maybe make a case for them, but without Rodri, I just can’t see it. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Highlights from the Premier League match between Arsenal and Coventry. Gary Neville – ArsenalOne hundred per cent Arsenal. They’re way out in front. With what they’ve got already now in defence and in…

President Bola Tinubu has mourned veteran Nollywood actor, filmmaker and screenwriter Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, describing his death as a major loss to Nigeria’s creative industry. Ogogo died on Sunday at 66 after battling stage-four cancer. His death came days after his daughters publicly disclosed the severity of his illness and sought help connecting him with specialists who could explore further treatment options. The actor was laid to rest in his hometown of Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday, in accordance with Islamic rites. In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo…

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) have suspended their two-week warning strike after reaching an agreement with the Enugu State Government to increase the university’s monthly subvention to ₦276 million. The ASUU-ESUT announced the suspension of the strike in a communiqué issued after an emergency congress of the union on Monday. The communique was signed by the Acting Chairman of ASUU-ESUT, Andrew Apeh. The lecturers explained that the decision to suspend the industrial action was taken in line with the union’s principles of negotiation, collective bargaining, and…