Category Nigeria News

The Lagos State government has made it clear that the single-use plastics (SUP) ban, which goes into effect on July 1st, 2025, does not apply to nylon carrier bags, PET bottles, or pure water sachets, which are more than 40 microns thick.

Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner of environment and water resources in Lagos, made this disclosure available on Tuesday in a statement.

It adhered to what the government called “deliberate viral misrepresentations,” which suggested the ban was applicable to all types of SUPs.

Wahab reaffirmed that the state’s position is unchanged, noting that the ban only affects particular single-use plastic product categories.

The commissioner stated in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina, that “our focus is still on styrofoam food packs, all types of polystyrene (disposable) cups, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, and all single-use carrier bags and nylons.”

The state government launched the Plastic Waste Management Fund, a collaborative effort between the government, producers, and Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). To further its commitment, the state government set up the fund.

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The fund, which will be jointly managed and used, will be used to address Lagos’ persistent problem of plastic waste, according to the commissioner. It will be funded by contributions from producers and significant importers.

Following the conclusion of an 18-month moratorium that was announced in January 2024, Wahab reiterated that the ban would start to be enforced on July 1.

The commissioner for environment and water resources explained that the policy’s stakeholders had plenty of time to adjust during this time.

He stated in a separate post on Monday that “this is about environmental responsibility.” We have followed best practices from around the world for a while. What is unacceptable elsewhere cannot be accepted in Lagos. We must invest in our future and pursue good deeds.

“We’re not here to win any points,” the statement read. The purpose of our presence is to accomplish the work. We will insist on accountability and responsibility, just like we did with the Styrofoam ban’s successful enforcement. If everyone plays their part, we could have a cleaner, healthier Lagos.

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI, has already taken action in response to this enforcement.

The agency seized $5 million worth of seized styrofoam packs in Epe and other locations throughout the state in a collaboration with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

The federal government made a ban on single-use plastics throughout all ministries, divisions, and agencies in June 2024.

Iziaq Salako, the minister of state for environment, told journalists after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council that the 2020 National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (NPWM) wants to have some plastic categories banned from the country by January 2025.

According to information from the Lagos State Criminal Information System (LCIS), Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Lekki rank among the state’s top three crime hotspots.

At a ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN) made the disclosure.

According to Pedro, “Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Lekki were the top three crime locations in Lagos State between January 2024 and May 2025,” according to LCIS statistics.

He noted that the data highlighted growing concerns about the state’s key urban centers and the concentration of criminal activity.

The Attorney-General revealed that the LCIS had 74, 962 cases and inmates across Lagos between 2018 and May 2025.

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He complained about the strain being placed on the state’s correctional facilities, who disclosed that they are currently operating at a rate of 106% above their intended capacity.

He claimed that the total inmate population in May 2025 was 9 096 and that this figure “far exceeds the built capacity of the infrastructure.”

Pedro explained that the LCIS was conceived as a transformative initiative to streamline the criminal justice system and promote transparency.

It stores all criminal cases that are currently being heard in magistrates and high courts, including those that are awaiting bail or custody. Biometric data, personal data, and offence records are also included, he added.

Surging Data

Over 10,000 suspects and cases were processed through the system, with 64% of convictions secured by plea bargains, according to the data, between January 2024 and May 2025 alone.

Further, the data revealed that many suspects came from Ogun and Oyo States rather than other parts of Nigeria.

During the review period, the Directorate of Citizen Rights received 6,601 petitions related to social disorder.

443 of those cases were successfully resolved, 882 of which are still unsolved, and 285 of which were referred to other important government agencies.

Pedro also cited the Ministry’s financial support for victims.

He claimed that “on behalf of petitioners, a total of $7.3 million was recovered, with $3.3 million being awarded through court decisions.”

Sexual and Domestic Violence

The Attorney-General made the disclosure that 213 child neglect cases, as well as 272 child physical abuse cases, and 147 child sexual abuse cases, were handled.

Additionally, through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development’s collaboration, 57 children have been rescued from abusive environments and placed in government and private shelters.

The Ministry has established a Public Advisory Center to provide free legal counsel and information to Lagos residents who need help navigating government services as part of ongoing reforms in the justice system.

Two British-Nigerians who were recently sworn in as mayors of London, Opeyemi Bright and Jason Jackson, are congratulated by President Bola Tinubu, saying their accomplishments demonstrate how positively Nigerians in the diaspora continue to influence society.

The Special Adviser to the President for Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Tinubu praised them for “maintaining the legacy of good works by Nigerians in the diaspora” and for upholding values like honesty, integrity, hard work, and commitment to public service in a press release released on Wednesday.

Their tales, in the president’s opinion, are bound to inspire countless young people, both domestically and abroad, to strive for excellence and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

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“I wish the mayors Opeyemi Bright and Jason Jackson my heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the government and the people of Nigeria. As the first residents of Barking, Dagenham, and Islington, I urge you to keep giving your best in your new roles.

Tinubu stated, “I have every confidence in your abilities and look forward to the positive impact you will make in your respective boroughs.”

Bright, 29, became Barking and Dagenham’s youngest civic mayor ever.

Her inauguration comes after seven years of dedicated service to her community, starting in 2018 with the 22-year-old who became the borough’s youngest Labour councillor.

Jackson also set a noteworthy precedent by becoming the first mayor of Islington since the borough’s founding in 1900.

Jackson quickly rose up the ranks to become the chair of Islington’s Homes and Communities Committee in 2023 after being elected as a councillor in 2022.

Reacting New Mayors

Jackson reflected on his transition from his native Nigerian roots to becoming Islington’s first citizen in a response to his swearing-in in an Instagram post.

Islington’s mayor sworn in as such on October 1st. Family and friends from all over the world came to celebrate and remember it as a proud, humbling, and unforgettable experience.

This is more than just a personal milestone, according to the first citizen of Islington, a small Nigerian village. No dream is too far away with faith, community, and determination, as it is exemplified.

I’m here to serve with passion and purpose as mayor. I’ll promote our diverse communities, help young families, boost local businesses, and make sure everyone in Islington feels heard, he wrote.

Opeyemi Bright’s heartfelt post entitled “History Made” also honored her inauguration as mayor of Barking and Dagenham.

She remarked, “A memorable day as I was elected Barking and Dagenham mayor.” Every step is covered when you first set out on a journey with God at your heart. I’m 29 years old and have made the decision to leave my corporate career to serve the Borough where I was raised, now your mayor.

“Barking and Dagenham is my family, my heart, and my community.” I’m honored to be there. Being mayor is more than just a title; it’s a commitment to be heard, seen, and helped improve every neighborhood of our city.

I’ll be visiting our schools, working with our residents, supporting local businesses, walking our high streets, and honoring the residents and places that make Barking and Dagenham unique. We’ll talk, raise our voices, and continue to advance our borough together. God’s blessings on Barking and Dagenham. Her Worshipful Mayor, “

Since the announcement of their new roles, Nigerians have congratulated the mayors in numerous ways.

Umar Bago, the governor of Niger State, claimed that the country’s abundant agricultural resources can help its citizens escape economic hardship.

At the Taraba State Banquet Hall, TY Danjuma House in the state capital’s Jalingo, Gogo made this statement on Wednesday at the state capital’s capital, Jalingo.

He claimed that Nigeria’s fertile landmass had significant untapped potential.

He therefore demanded that the country use the agricultural potential to end poverty, calling on the Federal Government and individuals in the private sector to do so.

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We can farm 24/7, 365 days a year, but only for three months a year in Europe. In poverty, that is implying that we have no business. ”

In Taraba State, Bogo, who described himself as the “Chief Farmer of Nigeria,” made it clear that all the necessary land, water, sunlight, and manpower are abundantly present.

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Gogo reaffirmed the support for development by regional governments in Taraba and throughout the nation.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the NGF chairman, is expressing his gratitude to Taraba State’s governor and the governor. He has asked me to reassure you that sub-nationals will work together to help Taraba State’s citizens develop, he added.

Governor Bago urged the state government to work with major construction companies to deploy their land-cultivation equipment, enabling widespread agricultural production.

He argued that by creating a favorable environment for business investment and capital procurement, the government should act as an enabler.

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I want to see the state government work with large construction companies, as the governor of the state. Use those bulldozers and cumminated machinery to cultivate land and invite visitors to farm. ”

Bago reassured the local population that agricultural investments, whether local or foreign, won’t cause them to abandon. He also addressed potential fears about land exploitation.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump played a video that he claimed showed that white people were being systematically targeted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, causing farmers to flee to the United States.

The Oval Office’s typically shaky diplomatic setting became a staging ground for Trump’s claim that white South Africans are being persecuted as a result of the unexpected stunt.

The video was put on a large screen by Trump’s staff, who claimed it showed black South Africans discussing genocide while the media was standing by and Ramaphosa was occasionally unable to speak up.

They are white farmers who are fleeing South Africa, which is very sad. But I hope there is a solution, because I am aware that you don’t want that, Trump said.

Ramaphosa tried to speak repeatedly but was drowned out. He once pleaded that they “talk about it very calmly.”

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Following Trump’s and his billionaire, South African-born ally Elon Musk’s vociferous and unfounded accusations of genocide, the South African leader’s visit was touted as a chance to spruce up relations. Elon Musk was also in the Oval Office when Trump and his billionaire ally visited.

In essence, Ramaphosa said, “We are here to rekindle the relationship between the United States and South Africa.”

In an effort to woo the golf-loving US president, he made his way to the White House along with two of South Africa’s top golfers, Johann Rupert and Retief Goosen, both of whom are world-class golfers.

The three prominent Afrikaners who make up Ramaphosa’s delegation have endorsed Trump’s request to “refuge.” Around 50 Afrikaners have already arrived in the US to accept the offer.

Trump made the offer despite the fact that his immigration crackdown has stopped asylum seekers from arriving from the majority of the rest of the world.

According to reports that his government would offer Musk a deal to run his Starlink satellite internet network in the nation, the president of South Africa was also expected to bring gifts.

The Tesla and Space X CEO has accused Pretoria of “openly racist” laws, a reference to post-apartheid policies that were perceived as a hindrance to Starlink’s licensing.

Land law row

Since the US president’s second term in office began, the administration has been torn apart in South Africa.

It has criticized South Africa’s case involving the International Court of Justice’s inquiry into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, cut foreign aid, and imposed tariffs of 31%, and expelled Pretoria’s ambassador after he criticized Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

A South African land expropriation law signed in January that seeks to correct the historical injustices of white minority rule has been Trump and his team’s main concern.

At Tuesday’s Qatar Economic Forum, Musk, who is in charge of Trump’s radical Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), criticized the land laws.

Why does South Africa have racist laws? he stated.

Despite being only 7.3 percent of the population, land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, where the majority of farmland is still owned by white people.

Ramaphosa has refuted Washington’s claim that white-owned land will be arbitrarily sequestered.

Authorities deny that the claims made by right-wing Afrikaner lobby groups that farmers are being killed in targeted killings are untrue.

According to police figures, young black men in urban areas make up the majority of South Africa’s sky-high murder rate.

The Gulf emirate of Qatar offered President Donald Trump’s Boeing 747 for use as an Air Force One on Wednesday, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Regarding using an aircraft donated by a foreign power to be used as the highly sensitive presidential plane, Qatar’s offer for the jet, which is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, has raised serious constitutional and ethical concerns.

According to a statement from a Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal laws and regulations.

According to Parnell, who referred to the US Air Force, “The Department of Defense will work to make sure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.”

In a section known as the Emoluments Clause, the US Constitution forbids government officials from accepting gifts from “any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

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Trump, however, has said it would be “stupid” for the US government to not accept the plane, saying there are no moral concerns with accepting it.

When asked if the oil-rich Gulf state would expect anything in exchange, the 78-year-old billionaire responded, “It’s a great gesture.”

That kind of an offer would never be turned down by me,” I said. I mean, I could be a moron and say, “No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.”

Trump’s use of the aircraft would be prohibited by the leader of the Democratic minority in the US Senate, which was introduced earlier this week.

The Pentagon would be unable to use taxpayer funds to retrofit any aircraft that had previously been owned by a foreign government for use as the presidential plane under Chuck Schumer’s Presidential Airlift Security Act.

Schumer stated in a statement that “Donald Trump has demonstrated time and time again that he will sell out the American people and the presidency if it means putting money into his own pockets.”

There are no guarantees that this plane will be secure, despite the fact that it would require billions of taxpayer dollars to attempt to retrofit and secure it.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Trump supporter, is not required to introduce the bill to the floor of the upper chamber despite the fact that several Republicans have expressed concerns about the proposed gift.

However, Schumer intends to compel a vote by including it as a provisional amendment to spending bills that Republicans will need to pass later in the year.