Lagos government plans to regulate use of informal spaces
Lagos State Government has said that it will take decisive steps in regulating and administering informal spaces across the state, in line with its physical planning mandate. The state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, disclosed this yesterday, while outlining the ministry’s strategic direction for the coming year. “The Law vests the ministry with the statutory responsibility for physical planning, land-use management, development coordination, and the regulation of spatial activities across the state, mandates that clearly encompass the administration of informal spaces,” he said. According to him, the planned assumption of full administrative control over informal spaces was aimed at strengthening land-use planning, achieving integrated urban development, and curbing unregulated activities in key corridors, gateways, and transitional zones across the state. He further said that effective control of informal spaces would contribute to improved mobility, safety, environmental quality, and the overall livability of Lagos State, while aligning with the state’s vision for a resilient, inclusive, and well-planned megacity.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 18:02 UTC
Italy pushes Meta to allow other AIs on WhatsApp
Italian regulators ordered Meta on Wednesday to open its WhatsApp chat platform to rival AI chatbots as it and EU authorities pursue a probe that the US tech giant is abusing its dominant market position. Meta has integrated Meta AI across the company’s platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram, that serve billions of users globally. Meta AI is a generative AI chatbot that can interact with users. Locking WhatsApp’s more than three billion users into Meta AI could potentially give the company a commercial advantage over rival AI chatbots. Meta already faces the risk of heavy fines under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates content.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 17:33 UTC
Nonalcoholic Smoky Citrus Punch
Let’s make nonalcoholic smoky citrus punch. But I wanted to make a nontraditional, nonalcoholic recipe this holiday season that feels like, well, it packs a bit of a punch. In a large glass jar, add 3 tea bags, pour in 3 cups of water, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. In a large punch or serving bowl, add the lemon and orange juice, citrus-sugar tea mixture, and the cold-brewed black tea. Ladle into individual punch glasses, and serve each with a lemon and orange slice.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 17:09 UTC
Nigeria gets first AI ultrasound therapy for prostate cancer
Nigeria has recorded a major milestone in cancer treatment with the introduction of artificial- intelligence–driven focal therapy for prostate cancer by The Prostate Clinic (TPC), a technology that can eradicate cancer without surgery, pain or loss of sexual function. TPC was established by Ekwueme, a UK-trained robotic and laparoscopic surgeon pioneering advanced, minimally invasive prostate cancer and enlargement treatments in Nigeria. The HIFU system follows earlier introductions of robotic surgery and minimally invasive treatment for enlarged prostate this year by the hospital. Ekwueme said: “The high-intensity focused ultrasound scan delivers ultrasound energy into the prostate and kills prostate cancer specifically where it has been identified. This is my Christmas present to Nigeria.”And we are not done yet.”Unlike conventional surgery, he explained that the HIFU system does not require cutting or removal of the prostate.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 16:50 UTC
UNN appoints Chimamanda Adichie, others as visiting professors
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka has appointed globally-renowned writer Chimamanda Adichie, African Development Bank executive, Prof. Kevin Urama, and Prof. James Robinson of the University of Chicago as Visiting Professors, in a move aimed at repositioning the institution on the global academic stage. According to the university, the Visiting Professors are expected to engage in teaching, collaborative research, mentorship, and strategic academic interactions that will strengthen UNN’s global standing. Chimamanda Adichie, one of the world’s most influential literary voices, was appointed in recognition of her outstanding contributions to literature, creative writing, and global intellectual discourse. He explained that the Visiting Professorships are designed to promote knowledge exchange, strengthen international linkages, and bridge the gap between theory, policy, and practice. Egwu further disclosed that the latest appointments bring the number of Visiting Professors appointed by the Vice-Chancellor in December 2025 to four, describing the development as “a clear signal of UNN’s renewed drive for global excellence.”
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 16:34 UTC
Worry as drug smugglers infiltrate maritime supply chains
There are growing concerns that criminal gangs have infiltrated maritime supply chains and are now operating ‘legitimate’ forwarding businesses that move significant amounts of illegal drugs via commercial vessels. World Customs Organisation study (WCO) findings revealed that 70 per cent of maritime drug seizures had a trusted insider link. The research body stated that smugglers continue to exploit surveillance gaps and compromised officers, while economic despair, particularly among youths, drives participation in the drug trade and consumption. The group stressed that only an integrated, proactive approach can stem the tide of illicit drug proliferation and its attendant socio-economic consequences. “The time has come for decisive reforms, community participation and technological modernisation in managing the war against drugs,” SEREC stated.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 15:46 UTC
Ndume urges probe, suspension of tax laws over alteration claims
Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the disputed Tax Reform Acts scheduled to take effect in January, amid growing controversy over their passage. Ndume made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, following claims and counter-claims over alleged alterations to the tax laws after their passage by the National Assembly. Reacting, Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, urged Tinubu to set up an ad hoc committee to verify the authenticity of the laws and investigate the alleged alterations. The former Senate Chief Whip warned that implementing the laws without resolving the allegations would create legitimacy challenges and undermine public trust. That is to say, the tax law will not be implemented, because you can’t build on nothing.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 15:44 UTC
Court Orders Forfeiture of Goodluck Jonathan Estate Land
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two expansive parcels of land earmarked for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate. In his ruling, Justice Umar directed the ICPC, on behalf of the Federal Government, to supervise the completion of the proposed 962 housing units on the forfeited land. The judge ordered the final forfeiture of Plot No. He also ordered the ICPC and FMBN to constitute a joint committee to oversee the completion and implementation of the housing project. The commission also told the court that the developer was allegedly making moves to sell off the land to unsuspecting members of the public, a development it said could frustrate recovery efforts.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 14:49 UTC
Ministry seeks single-digit loans for fishermen
Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho (left); Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola at a Citizens' Engagement Meeting on the activities of the Ministry in Abuja. The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has commenced engagements with financial institutions to provide single -digit interest loans for fishermen nationwide to boost productivity, empower operators and curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this during the Ministry’s Fourth Quarter 2025 Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement held recently in Abuja. “Adigitally enabled Ministry is a more responsive Ministry. According to her, the ECMS will enhance institutional memory, reduce bureaucracy, improve accountability, and align the Ministry with the Federal Civil Service’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 14:41 UTC
Tata Punch EV Facelift to Launch in 2026
Featuring refreshed exterior and interior designNo mechanical changesTata Motors is working on a big update for its compact electric vehicle, the Punch EV. The facelift is expected to launch in FY2026, potentially alongside the all-new Sierra EV. Tata may introduce a suite of new tech features inspired by its newer electric models. Inside, the Punch EV facelift is expected to get improved equipment, including a larger infotainment touchscreen, premium audio system with Dolby Atmos, and updated upholstery. With these anticipated updates, the 2026 Tata Punch EV facelift aims to remain a strong contender in India’s affordable EV market.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 14:27 UTC
The 20 best podcasts of 2025
It was a powerful start to a ballsy series about reclaiming what a person has lost (in the broadest sense). Curiously, the term wasn’t coined until more than 20 years after the Strokes kicked off the scene with their dirty Converse. 14View image in fullscreen Reunited … Alan Carr and Paloma Faith on Mad, Sad and Bad. 4The New Yorker’s In the Dark has long been one of the most compelling true-crime series around, and its latest British-based outing kept the bar high. Photograph: Tenderfoot TVThis word-of-mouth hit wasn’t just a gripping true-crime podcast, but a format-busting exercise in ensuring that describing it as “a gripping true-crime podcast” almost certainly fails to do it justice.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 14:23 UTC
KWAM1 Withdraws Lawsuit Over Awujale Selection Process
“On Monday, his exparte motion came up for hearing, but unfortunately, the presiding judge, Justice A A Omoniyi, declined to grant the order of interim injunction seeking to stop the selection process of the Awujale. Recall that the musician had shown his interest in the vacant stool of Awujale, linking his lineage to the Jadiara Royal House of the wider Fusengbuwa Ruling House. The Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is the ruling house to produce the next Awujale, had, however, rejected the claim, saying that Wasiu Ayinde is not from the royal house. However, giving his ruling on the application for the interim injunction order on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice A. A. Omoniyi, held that the interim injunction prayed for by the applicant lacked merit.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 13:56 UTC
Zelensky reveals US-Ukraine peace plan to end Russian war
(Photo by Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE / AFP)Ukraine secured some concessions in the latest version of a US-led draft plan to end the Russian invasion, as revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian troops are advancing on the front and hammering cities and Ukraine’s energy grid with nightly missile and drone barrages. Any plan that involves Ukraine pulling back its troops would need to pass a referendum in Ukraine, Zelensky said. On NATO, Zelensky said: “It is the choice of NATO members whether to have Ukraine or not. The plan also sees joint US-Ukrainian-Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian troops.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 13:26 UTC
Crisis brews over alleged illegal land takeover in Anambra
This development, it was learnt, triggered a spontaneous protest by community members who demanded immediate government intervention to halt what they described as an illegal and forceful land takeover. Some stakeholders in the area have petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the growing tension currently gripping Omalima Layout, Oze Nkwelle-Ezunaka, in the area. The petition, written by the so-called Concerned Residents of Omalima Layout, Oze Nkwelle-Ezunaka, with support from community leaders and civil rights advocates, has faulted the alleged complicity between government officials and interested parties. The letter further read: “Your Excellency, the people of Omalima Layout are not questioning your commitment to justice, due process and the rule of law—values your administration is widely known for. We trust that your intervention will bring clarity, justice and lasting peace to Oze Nkwelle-Ezunaka and reaffirm the principle that no one is above the law”.
Source:The Guardian
December 24, 2025 12:14 UTC
Measles Outbreak in Nigeria: Death Toll Reaches 153
The centre disclosed this in its measles situation report made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. “The age group 9–59 months accounted for 9,399 (48.92 per cent) of all confirmed cases. A total of 153 deaths (CFR = 0.8 per cent) were recorded among confirmed cases. “Up to 14,801 (77.04 per cent) of the 19,213 confirmed cases did not receive any dose of the measles vaccine (‘zero dose’),” it added. According to the report, a total of 188 LGAs across 27 states recorded measles outbreaks from January to November 2025.
Source:Punch
December 24, 2025 12:10 UTC