1. ASUU Declares Nationwide Day of Protest
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared Tuesday, August 26, 2025, as a nationwide day of protest across all public university campuses. This action is intended to express “strong dissatisfaction with the government’s persistent neglect of our demands,” which center on unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, and the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement. ASUU President Christopher Piwuna, in a press release issued on August 8, titled “Act Now to Avert the Looming Crisis,” reiterated the union’s frustration, pointing to underfunded institutions, politicisation of vice-chancellorships, and the imposition of IPPIS salary payments that undermine collective bargaining principles. Lecturers, he lamented, continue to work under demoralising conditions with poorly equipped infrastructure and without timely payment of withheld salaries.
2. Nigeria and Brazil Seal Landmark Air Services Pact
Nigeria and Brazil signed a bilateral air services agreement (BASA) during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil, paving the way for direct flights between the two countries. The pact was formalized in Brasilia with Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho, signing the agreement in the presence of both presidents. The agreement is heralded as a strategic move to boost trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people exchange, aimed at deeper economic integration and enhanced diplomatic cooperation.
3. PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket to the South
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on August 25, resolved that its 2027 presidential ticket would be zoned to the South of Nigeria. According to a statement read by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the decision was reached to maintain internal cohesion and equity. This follows the retention of all National Working Committee (NWC) positions in their respective regions. The move revives the PDP’s tradition of rotational zoning, last realized when Goodluck Jonathan (South) became president after Umaru Yar’Adua (North). Speculation points to potential contenders like Jonathan and Governor Seyi Makinde, though neither has formally declared candidacy.
4. Kano Government Denies N6.5 Billion Diversion Allegations
The Kano State Government has vehemently denied allegations that ₦6.5 billion was diverted by the Director-General of the Protocol Directorate, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo. In a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the government dismissed the claim as “a work of fiction, carefully crafted by political opponents” as part of election-year blackmail. The statement emphasized that all disbursements from the state treasury are duly budgeted and adhere to fiscal protocols. It reaffirmed confidence in Rogo’s integrity, insisting that the Directorate of Protocol operates strictly within due process and noted that the allegations will not undermine the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
5. President Tinubu Meets Brazil’s President Lula
President Bola Tinubu is currently on a two-day state visit to Brazil, having arrived in Brasília on August 25. The visit included an official reception by Brazilian officials and members of Nigeria’s delegation. Tinubu met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where they signed the bilateral air services agreement (BASA), reflecting a mutual commitment to deepen aviation, agricultural, and economic collaboration. The visit underscores Nigeria’s expanding global outreach and pursuit of stronger bilateral ties with South America’s largest economy.
6. Crude Oil Theft Linked to International Syndicates
At the opening of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja on August 25, 2025, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bashir Bayo Ojulari revealed that crude oil theft in Nigeria is orchestrated by “sophisticated international syndicates” exploiting vulnerabilities across state, national, and continental security frameworks. He emphasized that such theft is not a localized issue and called for comprehensive regional and continental cooperation to safeguard energy infrastructure. The intensified security measures have yielded results: pipeline and terminal receipts are now nearing 100%, a dramatic improvement from just three years ago when only around 30% of oil reached export terminals. Ojulari credited this success to coordinated efforts by defense, intelligence agencies, and private security partners.
7. FCTA Demolishes 1,000 Shanties in Abuja
On August 25, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) executed a large-scale sanitation and security operation in Karsana, near the Bunkoro district of Gwarinpa, Abuja. More than 1,000 shanties and makeshift structures were dismantled along a 2-kilometre stretch slated for the Ring Road 3 (RR3) corridor. Development Control Director Muktar Galadima clarified that temporary structures—wooden shacks and roadside squatters—were targeted, while indigenous homes were deliberately spared. The move is part of the FCTA’s broader initiative to enhance safety, sanitation, and restore unobstructed access along planned infrastructure routes.
8. Katsina State Acquires Armoured Personnel Carriers
Katsina State has boosted its security apparatus by unveiling eight newly acquired Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), raising its total fleet to 43, the largest in Nigeria’s northwest region. The unveiling occurred following a State Security Council meeting, with Acting Governor Faruk Lawal Jobe reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating persistent banditry and kidnappings. This announcement comes in the wake of a recent attack in Malumfashi LGA where local resistance, aided by vigilantes and security forces, rescued 76 kidnapped victims. The state has also invested over ₦36 billion in a multipronged security strategy that includes surveillance equipment, combat gear, and support for community-based vigilante groups.
9. NNPCL Deductions from Frontier Exploration Fund Total ₦235.6 Billion
Between January and July 2025, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) deducted ₦235.6 billion from the Frontier Exploration Fund (FEF), in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). These deductions represent 30% of Profit Sharing Contract proceeds, earmarked for exploration activities in frontier basins—primarily in northern Nigeria (e.g., Chad Basin, Benue Trough, Anambra Basin). The sum underscores an aggressive push to diversify oil production outside the Niger Delta, with operations resuming in areas such as the Kolmani field spanning Bauchi and Gombe states. For perspective, while the FEF has seen ₦235.6 billion in just seven months, the Host Communities Development Fund in the Niger Delta has amassed ₦328.2 billion over four years.
10. Military Incinerates Vessels Used for Oil Theft
General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), disclosed that the Nigerian military has resorted to incinerating vessels used for crude oil theft due to systemic failures in prosecution. During an interview on Channels Television dated August 22, 2025, he lamented that legal technicalities often undermine oil theft litigations—cases collapse or result in token penalties, allowing operators to resume illegal bunkering. “They give them peanuts and the vessel is back,” he said. He cited environmental concerns but emphasized that destroying seized vessels was sometimes the only effective deterrent in the face of legal inertia.
The Naija Lowdown Writer 