I wrote a short piece about that N11 trillion figure you may have been seeing around and why it is important as politicians start to make all sorts of campaign promises. Elsewhere the investment app, Bamboo, asked me to be part of a documentary on the Dangote Refinery IPO (YouTube). And although this has nothing to do with Nigeria or the usual stuff I write about, you can still my review in the WSJ of Katherine Dunn’s ‘Little Blue Dot’ about the history of the GPS and how it got into your phone.
Enjoy the week’s selection below
Nigerian Media
Government and rice farmers fighting over what should be the correct price for milled rice:
The federal government and rice processors have disagreed on how much milled rice should cost in the country. The government argues that the current rice price, which falls between N60,000 and N67,000 for every 50 kilograms bag, is excessive and should be reduced to what it described as a more reasonable range of N55,000 to N57,000.
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari and Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, along with their permanent secretary, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, convened a meeting, which was attended by the president of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, Mohammed Abubakar Mai Fata (chairman of Umza Rice Kano), and its Director-General, Dr Andy Ekwelem, representatives of Olam, WACCOT, and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, including the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin, to address concerns related to the prevailing market price of milled rice.
Weekend Trust gathered that the atmosphere of the meeting hall was tense as there were accusations and counter accusations over the current price of rice in the market.
The ministers argued that based on the market survey and analysis they conducted, the average production cost for a bag of rice was N49,389.23; therefore, the current market price, which is above N60,000 per 50 kg was “too high and indiscriminate.”
A warning from the Police:
The police have warned worshippers against publicly sharing personal achievements during church testimonies, following the foiling of a kidnap plot against a female cleric in Abuja.
The warning came after four members of a church were arrested over an alleged plot to kidnap Prophetess Elizabeth, who was reportedly targeted after sharing a testimony about her achievements.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Intelligence Response Team, Adamu Muazu, gave the warning on Thursday while parading the suspects, saying the planned attack was to be carried out after an evening service.
Muazu urged church leaders, particularly those operating in isolated locations, to strengthen security arrangements and ensure the safety of members attending evening services.
He cautioned worshippers against assuming that everyone in a congregation had good intentions.
Running a nightclub in Ondo is very tricky these days. But why are you running a nightclub in Ondo anyway? (note that I’m from Ondo so I cannot be racist against Ondo people):
Nightclub owners, entertainers and other stakeholders in the entertainment industry in Ondo State on Thursday protested in Akure against what they described as repeated disruption of their businesses by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The protesters expressed displeasure over recent EFCC operations in the state, particularly reports of shootings during some of the raids.
The protest reportedly caused traffic disruption for several hours, as the protesters blocked roads around the First Bank area and other parts of Akure while chanting solidarity songs.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Ayo, said the alleged incessant raids on clubs and entertainment centres were discouraging customers from patronising their businesses and threatening their survival.
He said, “We don’t know what we have done to the EFCC. They always attack our clubs and harass our customers.
“Some of them will say they are looking for ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ boys. If you are truly looking for them, you know how to track and arrest them. Not everybody who goes to clubs is involved in internet fraud.
Staying in Ondo. Roving bandits still in operation:
There was tension in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday as commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, and ticket sellers clashed over alleged multiple levies, leaving several people injured.
The confrontation reportedly occurred at different locations across the metropolis after some Okada operators resisted attempts by revenue collectors to enforce payment of what they described as a fresh levy, despite having paid similar charges earlier.
The riders alleged that they were being compelled to pay N7,000 for an emblem purportedly introduced by the Akure South Local Government Area.
They accused the council chairman, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, of authorising the collection, an allegation he denied.
The development disrupted commercial motorcycle operations in parts of the city as many riders abandoned their routes and joined colleagues in protesting the alleged levy.
A rider, Jimoh Akindele, alleged that enforcement agents had been stationed at strategic locations across the city to compel riders to make the payment.
“What they are doing is double taxation. How can Hon. Fasua be selling emblem for riders in Akure South for N7,000? They send boys to different locations to collect money from us.
“We were told the money is for Akure South Local Government and not for the state government. The state government is not even aware. We cannot continue like this. Enough is enough,” he said.
Another operator, who identified himself as Adekunle, said the riders were not opposed to paying legitimate government revenue but expressed concern over what he described as a lack of transparency and repeated demands for similar payments.
News from Mapo Customary Court:
An 81-year-old man, Ademola, has dragged his wife, Adesewa, before Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, seeking that their 54-year-old marriage be dissolved on the account of irresponsibility, infidelity and violence by the latter.
Ademola stated that he started regretting his union with Adesewa 16 years ago after he caught her in an adulterous act.
Ademola also said that Adesewa was in the habit of sleeping outside their home.
The plaintiff explained that there were instances when the defendant deserted home for three days without any cogent reason.
Ademola further said that Adesewa was troublesome and refused that he had rest of mind.
Ademola stated that Adesewa always turned every argument into a fight, adding that she fought him almost on a daily basis.
The plaintiff further said that he went about almost naked because the defendant had torn most of his clothes to shreds.
Ademola further told the court that his wife is violent.
He mentioned an incident when she grabbed his neck during a fight and attempted to strangle him after he caught her with another man.
The plaintiff mentioned that he and the defendant had become a common face at the police stations.
One of the most common stories in Nigerian media. It will happen again:
Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, a senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, has died in a hotel room after reportedly having an encounter with a 21-year-old commercial sex worker.
Uwuigbe, a lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, was said to have died on Monday, October 5, 2026, at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the State.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, said the hotel owner, manager and the lady involved in the incident had been arrested and detained for questioning.
Ikoedem disclosed that the command received a report at about 8pm on Monday that the lecturer lodged in the hotel and engaged the services of a 21-year-old woman identified as Angela Defa Jacob.
The police spokesperson added that the lecturer later asked the woman to go out and purchase water for him but came back to find the lifeless body of the lecturer. She said the investigation has commenced.
Is it really profitable to print fake naira? Surprised to see this:
Abia State Police Command says it has raided a hideout in Obikabia community in Aba, where criminal elements were allegedly producing counterfeit Nigerian currency.
According to the command, a 40-year-old suspect, John Paul, was arrested with seven bundles of counterfeit N200 notes.
The development was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, in a press statement on Friday.
She noted that the command had commenced an investigation into the matter, adding that efforts were underway to arrest other fleeing members of the counterfeit naira-producing syndicate.
Not sure what we are to do with this information Yinka Quadri obliged us with but ICYMI:
Yinka Quadri, the ace Yoruba actor, has opened up about his wife’s tolerance of his relationships with actresses, revealing that she cared for them despite knowing about the affairs.
In a snippet of an interview on African A List, the film star said his wife Sadiat was fully aware of his relationships with other actresses but chose to remain cordial with them, even when some of them approached her to gossip about him.
He added that she would welcome and look after some of the actresses at their home after late-night film productions, knowing they were involved with him.
“At some point, some female colleagues in the industry will approach my wife to gossip that I’m dating other actresses, even though I’m also dating some of the very actresses who gossip about me. My wife knows about it and doesn’t fight with them,” he said.
“Sometimes, when we finish production late and some of them come to sleep at my house, my wife feeds and takes care of them despite knowing that I’m dating them.”
Non-Nigerian Media
Are the soybeans in India from Niger or Nigeria? I think we all know the answer to that one:
Indian customs authorities are investigating a surge in soybean imports declared as originating in Niger, suspecting the cargoes came from Nigeria and were mislabelled to evade import tariffs, according to sources and a customs letter seen by Reuters.
Niger was the biggest declared supplier of soybeans to India in the first seven months of this year, trade ministry data showed, despite producing no significant quantity of the oilseed.
India allows duty-free imports from countries categorised as least-developed, such as Niger, which produces less than 100 metric tons of soybeans a year, according to assessments within Africa’s soybean milling industry.
Neighbouring Nigeria, by contrast, is Africa’s leading producer and exporter of the oilseed, although it ranks much lower globally.
Customs authorities are asking importers to prove that soybean shipments declared as originating in Niger qualify for duty-free treatment, two government and two industry sources aware of the matter said.
Importers would have to pay the full 45% import tariff if the cargoes are found to have been mislabelled, the sources said.
Victor Ayebameru won the International Quant Championship, run by WorldQuant, that challenges entrants to build mathematical models that forecast price movements across a range of financial instruments. Tough gig:
WorldQuant, a global quantitative asset management firm, today announced the winners of the sixth International Quant Championship (IQC), its flagship global quantitative research competition. This year’s IQC marked another year where registrations have nearly doubled year over year since 2024 – growing from ~38,000 participants in 2024 to ~80,000 in 2025 to ~156,000 in 2026.
The winners were selected following the Global Finals in Singapore on October 6–7, where 13 finalist teams developed and presented new alphas¹ in a live challenge before a panel of WorldQuant leaders. The finalists represented 13 universities across four continents, reflecting the breadth of the global talent pool entering quantitative research.
The 2026 IQC Champions:
First Place: Victor Ayebameru, Adekunle Ajasin University (Nigeria)
Second Place: Ziming Xu, Fudan University (Mainland China)
Third Place: Chang Yen Tsai, National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
NYT talks to 4 women on the ingredients that makes their cooking special. One of them is Ozoz Sokoh. And if you haven’t listened to our podcast with her, you don’t know what you’re missing:
Growing up in Warri, on the Southern coast of Delta State, Nigeria, Ms. Sokoh didn’t consider red palm oil particularly special. It was everywhere: Trees heavy with fruit lined the roads, bunches often carried home from the market, the nutty core enjoyed as a snack and the hard shell used as gravel for the roads. But in 2009, a Brazilian colleague described a red oil called azeite de dendê (the name in Portuguese for red palm oil), being used to fry a crispy bean fritter dish called acarajé, similar in profile to the Nigerian akara. Was this the oil she knew from the palms lining the streets of Warri? It turned out it was.
Ms. Sokoh recounted that, in Brazil, colonial powers tried to obliterate the African palm but could not kill the seeds. “The seeds replant themselves,” she said, referring to a process called sub-spontaneous growth. “You can’t get rid of them.”
On the battle to uncover Bola Tinubu’s FBI files:
Nigeria’s president is locked in a fierce reelection battle — one that is not just playing out among voters ahead of January polls, but pitting teams of lawyers and lobbyists against a lone litigant half a world away in California. Remarkably, this latter-day David just won a significant victory over Goliath.
For three years, Bola Tinubu has fought to keep old FBI records tied to a 1990s Chicago drug probe about him sealed, hiring US lawyers to support the Justice Department in the fight. His main adversary is not a political rival or a diaspora activist, however. It’s a Freedom of Information Act litigant in California with no apparent connection to Nigeria who says he just wants to get to the truth.
Tinubu’s efforts to prevent disclosure have partly failed. In August, the FBI acknowledged for the first time that it holds an investigative file on him and alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released hundreds of pages of partially redacted records.
The fight now underway is over whether that is enough. On one side is Tinubu’s team of US attorneys, led by Chicago firm Henderson Parks. On the other is Aaron Greenspan, founder of legal document website PlainSite, who argues more documents should be released, with fewer redactions.
Who is Rachel Ojuromi and why is she the coolest girl in Nigeria?
Rachel Ojuromi had been in Paris for a week when one of her oldest manifestations started to become real life. “I’ve always wanted to come to Paris,” the 22-year-old says. Back in 2020, she would post videos imagining herself one day living there, cats and all. “And now, I’m like, ‘Hello? I’m actually in Paris?!’”
She has rightly been making the most of it. By her second night in the city, Ojuromi had gathered her friends for a 3 a.m. pilgrimage to the Eiffel Tower, calling others back home in Nigeria to share the moment. And she’s been back again. “I really, really love looking at the Eiffel Tower,” she says, laughing. There have been chicken and fries (“the French fries are actually really good”), long conversations with friends, and matcha runs. But nothing quite compares to what came next. Last night, Rachel Ojuromi made her runway debut at Chanel.
Long before Ojuromi was walking beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais, she was making Lagos her own runway. Working closely with her best friend, stylist and designer Debby Fasingha, Ojuromi began attracting attention online with exuberant fit-check videos that placed her model walk and vibrant, reference-heavy looks against the legacy of maximalist Nollywood and the everyday bustle of her hometown. Viral clips see her stride and strut through Lagos in fuchsia fringed skirts and animal print co-ords, louche tailored suits and luxurious layering, and corseted gowns, all to buy vegetables from a market, pick up the newspaper, and balance a basket of bananas on her head. There’s joyous colour combos, textural delights, and plenty of aesthetic-hopping. It’s a conceit that hits because it’s simple but magnetic: if the fashion world wasn’t immediately available to her, she could build one around herself. (That’s something Ojuromi has continued to uplift too with her own culture platform The Process Africa.)
The Olu of Warri gave an interview to the Jerusalem Post during a visit to Israel:
The king’s visit was organized by Bishop Robert Stearns of Eagles’ Wings, a Christian movement dedicated to strengthening Jewish-Christian ties, supporting Israel, and fighting antisemitism.
“The sooner we all heal and allow things to flow from a healed heart, the world can only be a better place,” King Ogiame Atuwatse III, 21st Olu of the Warri Kingdom of Nigeria, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday in an interview at Jerusalem’s Tower of David.
The king’s first visit to Israel was organized by Bishop Robert Stearns of Eagles’ Wings, a global Christian movement dedicated to strengthening Jewish-Christian relations, supporting Israel, and fighting antisemitism.
The current delegation brought 550 Christian leaders from 51 nations to Israel, where they met leaders and soldiers and attended the annual international Christian worship festival Awake Jerusalem.
Taking place during Sukkot and the week of the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, one of the purposes of the visit is to “reveal the truth about the region.”
Reflecting on this, the king told the Post that peace in the region means “Hearts. Vision. Perception. And once the heart is at peace, at equilibrium, everything stems from the heart.”
Who are the best dressed Nigerian celebrities? Click through for the list:
Nigeria is a country that never misses when it comes to beautiful, bold, and bright fashion. With Lagos Fashion Week just around the corner, the Nigerian fashion scene is about to light up the city and remind the world why Nigeria remains one of Africa’s biggest style capitals. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Nigerian celebrities, stylists, and fashion insiders who really know how to put together a look—and, baby, they always understand the assignment.
News from Ireland:
Gardaí said it was too risky to deport six Nigerian criminals on a commercial flight and a special charter aircraft would be needed instead.
A Garda assessment said some of the men were too “high risk” to consider removal on an ordinary passenger plane.
Instead, they were flown to Rome on a chartered aircraft, which cost the Irish taxpayer nearly €77,000.
There, they joined up with an operation by the Italian government and the European border agency Frontex to have people removed from several EU member states.
The six men had accumulated 75 criminal convictions while living in Ireland.
[…]
“For the charter cited, which participated in a joint return operation to Nigeria managed by Frontex, deportation orders were enforced against six Nigerian nationals.
An ICE arrest and US politics:
When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure this week, it included a political attack that’s drawing complaints from Democrats and a nonpartisan government watchdog.
The department’s press release alleges that the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in a Pennsylvania battleground district, an unusual reference to a high-profile midterm contest.
“It’s unbelievable that Janelle Stelson would employ an illegal alien to work on a congressional campaign, let alone a pervert who exposed himself in public,” Charles Wall, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in the press release.
A police report said the man had fliers for Stelson in his vehicle. Stelson’s campaign denied that the man was an employee, and campaign finance reports don’t show any payments to him.
[…]
According to a police report obtained by The Associated Press, Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe was arrested by an East Pennsboro Township police officer on Sept. 27 after a report of a suspicious vehicle parked next to a public park on a residential street in the Harrisburg suburb.
The officer wrote that, when Igbojekwe opened the door to talk to the officer, he noticed that Igbojekwe’s “genitals were exposed.”
Igbojekwe told the officer he was “in the neighborhood for work and that he was waiting to hand out flyers for Janelle Stelson’s political campaign,” according to the report. Igbojekwe produced a stack of flyers, the officer wrote.
Latest from UK universities:
Universities are revoking offers en masse made to international applicants from countries including Nigeria and Pakistan as they fear the UK government’s visa crackdown will result in a ban on their recruiting international students.
In the first half of this year, 10.5 per cent of study visa applications to the UK ended up being withdrawn, up from 2.3 per cent in the same period last year and 0.4 per cent in 2023.
[…]
In addition, 22.7 per cent of study visa applications from Nigeria were withdrawn in the first half of this year, up from 4.5 per cent in the first half of 2025. Bangladesh’s proportion of withdrawn applications rose from 7.1 per cent to 23.5 per cent and India’s from 1.2 per cent to 5.2 per cent.