Category Nigeria News

Badeggi FM, a radio station in the governor’s state of Nigeria, has rejected Governor Umar Bago’s request to stop operating, calling for “concrete evidence” of any wrongdoing and questioning the legality of the action.

Aisha Shuaibu, the general manager of Badeggi FM, claimed that the accusations of inciting public unrest and promoting anti-government sentiments were politically motivated and baseless on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief program.

Where is the proof, if he claims that Badeggi FM has been unethical and that we are inciting people against the government? The evidence must be seen. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should be in charge of weighing all the available data. NBC will punish us if we are found guilty, Shuaibu said on Tuesday.

She claims that the station had neither been issued any formal sanctions nor served any formal notice of wrongdoing.

The General Manager revealed that Badeggi FM is still broadcasting and has not stopped working despite the governor’s closure order and a visit from Niger State Urban Development Board officials who had visited the premises.

READ MORE: SERAP Gives the Niger Government a 48-hour ultimatum regarding Badeggi FM Closure.

The state government issued the order to close the station a few days ago in response to concerns over what it called unethical journalism and incitement.

The station believes that political unease may have resulted from its editorial focus on local issues, particularly insecurity, banditry, and community challenges.

“From our end, we make sure to speak with residents, farmers, youth leaders, and vigilantes who are directly affected by insecurity. They show up on our live television programs and reveal what’s actually happening in their neighborhoods. According to me, the governor doesn’t want the truth to be revealed. He opposes bringing up these details, Shuaibu said.

She further claimed that tensions may have gotten worse as a result of the station’s recent interview with former FIRS chairman Muhammad Nami, who is widely believed to have endorsed a 2027 gubernatorial candidate.

“I believe the only thing we did recently was to speak with Muhammad Nami, who is well-known for his interest in 2027. The governor seems threatened, in my opinion. She stated that, especially now that the APC has supported him for a second term, he doesn’t want criticism or other political options in the state.

The governor allegedly called the station’s managing director a treasoner in a more grave accusation.

Shuaibu characterized this as defamatory and revealed that station management is considering seeking legal redress.

The managing director’s accusation of treason is completely unacceptable. She stated that she intends to bring legal action against him for defamation of character.

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, has explained why there isn’t wifi in the country’s international airports. &nbsp,

Keyamo, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, attributed the issue to an argument between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) over who is responsible for providing wifi at the airports.

“There are many things involved, but when I first took office, I saw the situation first-hand. And the first issue I tried to resolve was a dispute between two of my agencies regarding Wi-Fi management.

According to the NAMA, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, “Well, if you look at the law of NAMA, it says NAMA is in charge of all navigation equipment, radio, communication, and all.” It’s our responsibility to look after Wi-Fi, NAMA said.

Another of my agencies, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, was claiming that it was a part of the airport’s infrastructure. Additionally, FAAN has the authority to manage all airport infrastructure, per law. They then responded that “Wi-Fi is an infrastructure component,” according to Keyamo.

READ MORE: 712 billion Lagos Terminal Rebuilding Funded With Subsidy Removal Gains – Keyamo

He claimed that the back and forth continued until last year when he decided FAAN should step down and NAMA should take over providing Wi-Fi at the airports. &nbsp,

He explained that the 2024 Budget, which NAMA is now in charge of Wi-Fi, meant the project could not be completed at that time. &nbsp,

He added that the 2025 budget has now been included, giving assurances to Nigerians that Wi-Fi will be available at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport terminal 2 by the end of 2025. &nbsp,

A new weather forecast for Monday, August 4, 2025 from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) warns of thunderstorms and varying amounts of rainfall in various areas of the nation.

The update, which was posted on NiMet’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, included flood alerts for high-risk areas as well as forecasted weather in the country’s northern, central, and southern regions.

In parts of the northern states of Adamawa, Taraba, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina States, early morning thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are anticipated.

The entire northern region was forecast for widespread thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.

Additionally, the agency issued flood alerts for the states of Adamawa, Taraba, and Bauchi, urging residents to be cautious and preventive of runoff and water accumulation.

Light morning rains are forecast for the states of Benue, Niger, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, and Nasarawa in the central region.

Rainfall is likely to continue down the coasts of Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and the FCT by afternoon and evening.

In the southern states, according to NiMET, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa were forecast for cloudy skies and light-moderate morning rain.

Over Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States, light to moderate precipitation is forecast for later in the afternoon and evening.

In addition, NiMet advised residents in those regions to stay on top of their flood risk and watch for early warning signs. Oyo, Ogun, Edo, and Delta States are among those states.

DAILY WEATHER OUTLOOK
Valid for: Monday, 4th August 2025 (00: 00 – 23: 59)
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) released the information on: August 3, 2025.

Northern states

: Morning
In some areas of Adamawa, Taraba, Sokoto, Kebbi, and other places, moderate rain is forecast. twitter.com/ClvD4kHTi4

A forecast for Sunday, August 3 had earlier been released by NiMet, indicating widespread storms.

In the morning, tornadoes with moderate rainfall were reported in states like Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, and Gombe, with later-day activity reaching Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kaduna, and others.

Light rains started off in parts of the Central region in the morning in parts of the FCT, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue, followed by afternoon showers that spread across Plateau and the state of the state.

In the morning, light rain fell in the southern states, extending to Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, and other places by evening, and sweeping across Ebonyi, Enugu, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa.

“Take Care”

NiMet advised people to take precautions against strong winds, lightning, and localized flooding, particularly in thunderstorm-prone regions.

Iconic Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says the suffering of ordinary Nigerians is what worries her most about the country’s current economic situation.

Chimamanda&nbsp, lamented that the ongoing hardship has reduced many middle-class Nigerians, who were previously managing to get by, to the point of begging.

In an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, Adichie stated that the most important political judgment one can make is based on how ordinary citizens are faring.

“Life has become so hard in Nigeria, and me I can see it. For example, people who were formerly kind of securely middle class, not that life was rosy for them, but they got by—are now people who beg and are in need. That worries me greatly”, Adichie said.

“The level of suffering, how expensive food has become… I think the biggest political judgment one can make is about the lives of ordinary people.

” People talk about the stock market. Personally, I don’t really care about those sorts of things. What I care about is: that person earning minimum wage, how is that person getting on in this economy? It’s the suffering that worries me the most. And it’s terrible. “

While not excusing crime, the writer noted that when life becomes difficult, people often begin to consider actions they wouldn’t ordinarily contemplate.

” It’s not to excuse crime, but I think when life gets very hard, even people who before would not have considered certain things suddenly are willing to, and that’s dangerous to society, “she said.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Quitting Writing Was Never An Option Despite Earlier Rejections – Chimamanda

Adichie also spoke on her writing career, saying that despite receiving as many as 25 rejections for her debut novel, &nbsp, Purple Hibiscus, she never considered giving up.

She emphasised that she would have continued writing even if she had never been published.

According to Chimamanda, writing is a divine gift, something she considers spiritual and believes to be her primary purpose on earth.

” The thought of quitting writing is never an option for me because writing is my vocation. Writing is really what I believe I am here to do, it’s a bit spiritual.

Femi Falana, a senior advocate for human rights in Nigeria (SAN), has urged President Bola Tinubu to lead the nation’s efforts to combat widespread poverty rather than just urging governors to take action.

At a recent meeting with governors elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC), where the President acknowledged the harsh economic realities that Nigerians face as a result of neoliberal policies, Falana made reference to the President’s remarks in a statement on Sunday.

Falana, the president’s quota, stated that “Nigerians are still complaining at the grassroots.” You must wet the grass more, governors, to bring about progressive change in Nigeria. God’s blessings on our democracy and fertile soils

Falana urged the Federal Government to abandon appeals and instead demonstrate leadership by fully funding current welfare programs.

President Bola Tinubu is urged to ensure that the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act is passed and signed into law by the 36 state governments, saying that they should not be pleading with them to “wet the ground more.”

READ ALSO: NBA Requires Immediate Reversal After Shutting Down Radio Station In Niger

The senior lawyer argued that governments at all levels should concentrate on putting together positive social policies to alleviate suffering among the populace rather than spending billions on state house renovations.

Falana criticized the Federal Government for funding the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in 2025 with a sum of 32.7%, noting that this amount is significantly lower than the 39.9% that was reportedly used to renovate the Abuja International Conference Center.

He argued that a government that recently claimed to have spent 39 billion dollars on the renovation of the International Conference Center in Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory cannot justify the $32.7 billion investment in the National Social Investment Programmes for 2025 to help the 133 million people who are alleged to be multi-dimensionally poor in the nation.

A federal initiative to reduce poverty, the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), established under the 2023 Social Investment Programme Agency Act, provides funding for programs like the N-Power for youth empowerment, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme for access to soft loans, the school feeding program to combat child malnutrition, and conditional cash transfers for disadvantaged households.

Falana pointed out that there are funds available to help with these programs. He cited the $11.9 trillion that the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) provided to the 36 states, local governments, and the Federal Capital Territory last year.

The National Assembly allegedly padded the federal budget by putting together 11, 122 projects worth $6.93 trillion, according to a report from BudgIT, a civic tech company. Falana pointed out that President Tinubu signed a $54.99 trillion budget into law on February 28th, making up 12.5% of that figure.

He questioned the viability of a system where senators receive massive salaries each month and House of Representatives members receive $115 million in funding for crucial social programs.

Falana argued that the social sector needs to be given the same urgency as the Federal Executive Council, which recently approved $3.5 trillion in funding for roads, airports, and other infrastructure.

According to him, the Federal Executive Council should appoint not less than $5 trillion to finance the National Social Investment Programme as a matter of urgency.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a well-known author in Nigeria, has revealed that she never considered giving up on writing despite receiving up to 25 rejections for her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus.

Adichie made the disclosure in an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans, which aired on August 3, 2025. She emphasized that even if she had never been published, she would still continue to write.

She considers writing to be a divine gift and thinks that this is her main goal on earth.

READ MORE: &nbsp, Chimamanda To Headline Inaugural “Things Fall Apart” Festival In Enugu

“Writing is my vocation, so I never consider giving up on it,” I said. I do believe I’m here to write, but it’s a little spiritual.

Even if I hadn’t been published, I would still be writing today because I believe that is a gift I have received. Giving up writing was never an option, therefore. However, “Chimamanda said, “the rejection was demoralizing.”

The well-known author first shared her story of being rejected for Purple Hibiscus after speaking at the Things Fall Apart Festival’s inaugural grand finale in Enugu in July.

Adichie reflected on how those rejections came about and how the experience helped her stay more grounded and effective in advancing her writing career.

She said, “I started writing this book, and I was a college student in the US at the time. I was working on my novel while my sister and I were residing in their home. And when I finished writing the book, I thought it was good and someone would probably publish it right away. &nbsp,

“So I started distributing it. You typically send it out physically and with a self-addressed envelope at the time, which was before email became a thing. I had read every book on how to become a published author. &nbsp,

You were advised to distribute in batches of four or five to increase your chances. The Writer’s Marketplace was a book that you could visit, and there you would look at various publishers and agents who were interested in literary fiction, or what was then known as ethnic fiction.

So I created a list of the people I began sending out, and I immediately felt very confident in doing so. I thought, “I’m sure four people will say yes, it’s not even five.” So I was shocked when I received the first five rejections. I was genuinely shocked. But I think it was very beneficial for me because it made me much more realistic and overly optimistic about what publishing meant in America.

Following Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie continued to publish books with acclaim, including Americanah, Half of a Yellow Sun, and her most recent book, Dream Count.

She has also received honorable mentions for her work in literary journals, including Purple Hibiscus, the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007, and the Americanah Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, among others.