Football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, has become the first active footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which listed the Portuguese star’s net worth for the first time this week. Bloomberg valued the 40-year-old Al-Nassr forward at $1.4 billion, taking into account his career earnings, endorsement deals and investments. The Index credited Ronaldo’s tax-free contract in Saudi Arabia and brand partnerships with Armani and Nike as key drivers of his rising fortune. As reported by BBC Sport and ESPN on Wednesday, Ronaldo, already football’s highest-paid player, further boosted his wealth earlier this year when he signed a…
Author: Reporter
Big Brother Naija Season 10, Opeyemi Ayanwale, popularly known as Imisi, has expressed her desire to work with award-winning actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, describing her as a mentor and inspiration in Nollywood. Imisi stated this while speaking to journalists shortly after receiving her N150 million grand prize and a car at the presentation ceremony in Lagos. According to the 23-year-old reality star, her participation in the Big Brother house helped showcase her acting talent, further igniting her passion for the movie industry. “I think people saw a lot of my acting skills in the house. Even housemates said I’m…
ABUJA The Federal Government has assured the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), of its commitment to addressing all outstanding demands raised by the lecturers. It said unlike in the past where separate committees handled negotiations for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, the government has now adopted a unified approach to ensure efficiency and coherence in the process. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the plea in Abuja on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the progress of ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and the university-based unions. Alausa disclosed that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary…
Four persons have been killed in separate cult clashes in the Atan-Ota area of Ogun State and the Ojo area of Lagos State. A security source in Ogun State said that the incident at Atan-Ota occurred on Monday night at about 8 p.m. According to the source, who pleaded anonymity for his safety, the clash broke out in the Kajola area of Atan-Ota between suspected members of the Aiye confraternity and the Eiye confraternity. The source disclosed that the attack was carried out by members of the Aiye group in what was suspected to be a reprisal for the earlier…
Immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has said his resignation from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet was as a decision to protect his integrity and prevent distractions to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Nnaji resigned from his post on Tuesday, amid controversies surrounding academic records and allegations of certificate forgery. Nnaji, whose resignation was confirmed by the Presidency on Tuesday, said in a statement on Tuesday that he stepped down after “deep reflection and consultations with family, associates, and well-meaning Nigerians.” According to him, his exit followed “an orchestrated sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated, and…
The price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, also known as cooking gas, has increased to N25,000 this week from N17,500 the previous week. Checks by our reporter confirmed that the price of 1kg currently retails at between N1, 500 and N2, 000, depending on the location. Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Bassey Essien, told Vanguard on phone yesterday that the distribution of the product was disrupted by the recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN. He said: “Dangote Petroleum…
The Senate on Tuesday, disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited, has responded to 19 queries raised against it in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023. However, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Aliyu Wadada, explained that the responses were yet to be critically looked into. Recall that the Committee had on the 29th of July this year, gave the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Engineer Bayo Ojulari, three weeks to respond to the 19 queries on N210 trillion yet to be accounted for in its audited account. Wadada said: “While we were on recess, management…
IPERU The Gateway International Airport, Illisan, in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Tuesday recorded its first commercial flight take-off, as a Value Jet airplane conveyed passengers from the airport to Abuja. The plane took off at 10.02 a.m. in the presence of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, and other government functionaries. Speaking with newsmen after the official take-off of the first commercial flight, Abiodun appreciated God for making it possible. The governor noted that God had given the team the grace to envision, to implement and to see it happen. Abiodun described the event as a major…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested the approval of the House of Representatives for new external borrowing and debt refinancing totalling $2.3 billion, alongside the issuance of a $500 million debut sovereign Sukuk in the international capital market. The request, contained in a letter read on the floor of the House by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, seeks the National Assembly’s resolution in line with Sections 21(1) and 27(1) of the Debt Management Office (DMO) Establishment Act, 2003. According to the President, the new borrowing is aimed at implementing provisions of the 2025 Appropriation Act, refinancing maturing Eurobonds, and diversifying Nigeria’s funding…
Embattled Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday returned to the Senate after serving a six-month suspension. She was seen smiling as the upper chamber resumed plenary following a 10-week recess, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio presiding over the session. The lawmaker was accompanied by a handful of activists and loyalists, including Aisha Yesufu, who was spotted in the gallery, while others weren’t allowed in. She walked into the Senate chamber and made her way to her seat and after exchanging pleasantries with a few senators. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return marks the end of a suspension that had generated widespread public…