Celebrating Valentine: Nigerians turn to Google for Galentine’s parties, money bouquets, and long-distance love in 2026
New search data from Google shows that Nigerians are ditching the standard dinner-and-roses playbook for something much more personal—and occasionally unexpected. Here is what is trending on Google Search in Nigeria this February. Nigerians are dreaming big this year, with top searches including ‘romantic weekend getaway lagos’ and the adventurous ‘valentine cruise trip near Nigeria’. The concept of Galentine’s Day is officially mainstream, with friend groups searching for ‘Galantine’s Day party’ ideas to celebrate their circle. It’s all about the aestheticWhen it comes to gifting, the generic is out and the ‘money bouquet’ is in.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
February 13, 2026 05:57 UTC
Oyo schoolgirl kidnapped as police launch manhunt
The Oyo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the abductors of a 12-year-old student of a private secondary school who was kidnapped on Thursday morning in Ibadan, the state capital. The incident occurred at about 7:20 a.m. in the Challenge area as the girl was alighting from a vehicle that conveyed her to school. “Preliminary information indicates that a 12-year-old female student of a private secondary school was allegedly abducted by unknown armed men at a junction leading to the school premises,” the police spokesperson said. The police spokesperson said eyewitnesses had been identified and questioned, adding that their accounts were providing useful leads for ongoing investigations. The command urged members of the public to remain calm and support the police with credible information, assuring that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 05:06 UTC
Nigeria's Oil Production Misses OPEC Quota for Six Months
According to OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report, Nigeria produced about 1.46 million barrels of crude oil per day in January 2026. Crude oil output had dipped in December 2025 by 14,000 barrels per day, despite government efforts to ramp up production. In 2025, Nigeria’s crude oil production fell below its OPEC quota in nine months, meeting or slightly exceeding the target only in January, June, and July. Meanwhile, the new Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has pledged to increase oil production. According to her, the agenda aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s plan to grow Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2 mbpd by 2027 and 3 mbpd by 2030.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 05:02 UTC
Nigeria Blackout Fears Grow Over Gas Plant Maintenance
The planned maintenance affects gas supply into the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) pipeline network and is expected to temporarily reduce thermal generation capacity on the national grid. “During the maintenance period, gas availability to certain power plants that depend on this supply network will be temporarily reduced. While Nigeria has abundant gas reserves—the largest in Africa—persistent supply bottlenecks, pipeline vandalism, payment arrears, and infrastructure maintenance have repeatedly disrupted electricity generation. The company acknowledged that the maintenance would temporarily reduce gas supply into the NGIC network, with possible knock-on effects on electricity generation. “During the four-day maintenance period, there will be a temporary reduction in gas supply into the NGIC pipeline network.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 04:35 UTC
‘Irrational charges will push many aviation companies out of business’
He specifically said that irrational and unnecessary levies by FAAN may shorten the lifespan of many aviation companies. Ojikutu argued that based on the 2024 traffic figures alone, revenue generated from Passenger Service Charges (PSC), aircraft landing and parking fees should not be less than N400 billion annually. He added: “Unless all these are factored rationally into FAAN earnings before new charges are introduced, unnecessary and irrational charges will be shortening the lifespans of many aviation operators. “Secondly, most of the earnings are not used on the critical services in airports, especially the perimeter/security fences. The aviation expert also suggested that runways, taxiways and associated landing aids be transferred to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), while airport security operations should be excised into an autonomous government security agency dedicated solely to aviation security.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 04:18 UTC
Fresh twist as Fubara sacks commissioners, dissolves cabinet
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council. The decision was announced on Thursday in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi. Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council for their service to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours. The minister said President Bola Tinubu met with key political actors from Rivers State, including Governor Fubara and his predecessor, in a renewed attempt to ease tensions arising from the power struggle in the oil-rich state. He said the President took the initiative to broker peace between Governor Fubara and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 04:18 UTC
Abiodun, others mourn late sports media icon Akintunde
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun described the former Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria in the state as a major loss to both Ogun and the wider media industry. “As a media professional, Alhaji Akeem Akintunde was an outstanding personality, pleasant to be with and completely dedicated to his job. Similarly, the Ogun State Football Association said the death of the seasoned journalist, who also served as Public Relations Officer of the All Stars Football Association in Abeokuta, had left a void in the sporting community. Ogun football and the entire sports community have lost a strong voice and a dependable ally. Colleagues said his legacy of integrity, service and commitment to the growth of sports journalism would continue to inspire generations in Ogun State and beyond.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 04:16 UTC
INEC Proposes N874bn Budget for 2027 General Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday informed the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections. The N873.78bn proposed for the 2027 elections represents a significant increase from the N313.4bn released by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election. The country will hold general elections in 2027, while Ekiti and Osun states will conduct governorship elections this year, alongside the Federal Capital Territory election and by-elections. According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of the 2027 general elections, while the N171bn proposal for 2026 is to support routine activities, including by-elections and off-season polls. He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 04:06 UTC
Lookman Matches Osimhen’s Impact, Says Peseiro
Former Nigeria coach José Peseiro believes Ademola Lookman has grown to rival Victor Osimhen’s influence with the Super Eagles and insists the forward has the qualities to become a central figure at Atlético Madrid. Although Osimhen has long been regarded as Nigeria’s leading figure, Peseiro said Lookman’s performances, particularly at the Africa Cup of Nations, have been equally decisive. If you give him freedom and accept his boldness and creativity, Lookman has the potential to produce outstanding seasons and make an era at Atlético,” Peseiro said. He did not understand it and believed he had a future there, but he had to accept it,” Peseiro revealed. Now approaching his peak years, Lookman has added defensive discipline and physical strength to his attacking qualities, according to his former coach.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 04:02 UTC
Sussan Ley had the second shortest tenure as Liberal party leader – One Big Chart
Sussan Ley’s troubled tenure as the leader of the federal liberal party has come to an end, with her loss to Angus Taylor. But how does she rank against other Liberal party leaders? The only leader to have had a shorter tenure than Ley was Alexander Downer, leader of the Liberal party from 23 May 1994 to 30 January 1995. Downer was replaced by John Howard in his second, and longest, stint as leader. Note: we have used dates listed in the parliamentary handbook to calculate tenures, and these can differ from dates listed elsewhere.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 03:53 UTC
Osimhen on IFFHS top scorers list alongside CR7, Messi, Mbappe
Osimhen currently sits joint 14th on the list with Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović, with both players recording 27 international goals since 2021. At the summit of the IFFHS rankings is Norway’s Erling Haaland, who has scored 49 international goals since 2021, ahead of England captain Harry Kane on 46 and Argentina legend Lionel Messi on 44. Beyond the decade statistics, Osimhen’s overall impact for Nigeria continues to grow. In 2025, Osimhen was the joint-fifth highest scorer worldwide in all competitions with a total of 46 goals for both his club and country. This made him the top African scorer of the year and represented the highest single-year tally for an African player since 2019.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 03:41 UTC
INEC proposes N873.78b for 2027 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections, with significant allocations to election operations, technology and capital expenditure. The INEC chairman noted that the capital component was higher than in previous budgets because several capital items that had not been adequately captured in earlier appropriations had now been consolidated into the 2027 election budget. The breakdown includes N109 billion for personnel costs; N18.7 billion for overheads; N42.63 billion for election-related activities; and N1.4 billion for capital expenditure. He recalled that during the last general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time. “Meanwhile, the IREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 03:34 UTC
Ukraine declares two Nigerians killed as Russian mercenaries
The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (UDI) has identified two Nigerian men, Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, killed as Russian mercenaries during assaults in Luhansk. UDI announced their deaths in a statement on Thursday, with photographs revealing their pre-death military poses and one family image. According to the statement, both men served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701) of the 4th guards kantemirovskaya tank division of the armed forces of the Russian federation. UDI said that they signed contracts with the Russian Army in the second half of 2025: Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28. Both Nigerians, the report added, were killed in late November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 03:18 UTC
Copa del Rey: Lookman scores as Atletico thrash Barcelona 4-0
Ademola Lookman scores for Atlético against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinal clash. Credit: BeinSportsAtletico Madrid delivered a 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday. He has now been directly involved in four goals in just three appearances for Atlético, including a goal and assist in his debut Copa del Rey outing against Real Betis. Atlético continued to press in the second half, with Julian Alvarez and Lookman creating chances and keeping Barcelona on the back foot. The defeat leaves Barcelona with a mountain to climb in the return leg, while Atlético Madrid look set to progress comfortably to the Copa del Rey final.
Source:Punch
February 13, 2026 03:11 UTC
Police reunites missing girl with guardian in Ondo
By Boye OyeyemiThe Ondo State Police Command has reunited Baliki Azeez, who was earlier declared missing, with her verified guardian, bringing relief to her family and the community. Akibu informed the police that the child’s parents were deceased, a claim that was also confirmed by the girl during questioning. The Command said it conducted the necessary assessment and verification before releasing the child to the guardian to ensure that due process was followed. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, has cautioned parents and guardians to properly monitor and supervise their children to prevent cases of missing persons. He stressed that vigilance, awareness of children’s whereabouts and constant communication could significantly reduce such incidents.
Source:The Guardian
February 13, 2026 02:57 UTC