3 March 2011 FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Thursday hailed Africa's first World Cup in 2010 as a financial success, after it pushed the governing body's four-year revenues above four billion dollars for the first time. Blatter claimed it vindicated the choice of South Africa despite fears that the decision to bring football's biggest tournament to the continent was a…
3 March 2011 Manchester City's Ivory Coast international defender Kolo Toure has been suspended after failing a drugs test, his club announced on Thursday. A statement on City's official website read: "Manchester City confirm that the FA has informed Kolo Toure that an 'A-sample' provided by him has tested positive for a specified substance. "As result of this, he has…
Two legislators, Kabiru Liman (Kaura North) and Ibrahim Kunchin-Kalgo (Tsafe West), have defected from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) in Zamfara State. They announced their defection in a statement to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdullahi Sambo in Gusau on Thursday. "We wish to notify you of our decision…
Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, got what may be a preview of what he will encounter during the April polls when his campaign convoy was held up yesterday by angry drivers along the Old Oyo-Ogbomoso road. The campaign buses of the governor, who was not in the convoy, were filled with politicians and plastered with party logos and posters of…
Director-general of the Godswill Akpabio Campaign Organisation, Idongesit Nkanga, said yesterday in Uyo that opposition parties in the state would fail in the upcoming elections if they do not campaign sufficiently. The retired air commodore who spoke in Akwa Ibom State at the PDP campaign rally in the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district for the governor, Mr. Akpabio, wondered how opposition…
The Beginning Dat Man, real name Ayo Ogunlade, started out as a chorister in church and shortly after, discovered he was good in various aspects of music such as vocalisation, arrangement and song writing. Dat Man wrote his first song in 1996 and has not looked back ever since. Although he only began music professionally two years ago, the artist…
The much talked about first edition of the Champagne Conversation, went down at the pool side of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday February 27.The star studded event was an evening of music ,endless supply of champagne, conversation and unlimited fun. The decoration and ambience was a delight to behold while Shuga Band and DJ Jimmy…
Terry Tha Rapman and his Boys Are Not Smiling henchmen, including childhood friend and many times collaborator Pherowshuz, real name David Torkuma Joshua, and their in-house DJ, DJ XChris, dropped by the NEXT News Room at Oregun, Ikeja, last Tuesday. It’s been just five months after Tha Rapman, real name Terry Madaki, released his highly anticipated and critical acclaimed sophomore…
By Ayo Onikoyi The gist which is running riot right now in some certain circles in Lagos is that the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, who is being drawn by the party to unseat the incumbent Governor Fashola of Lagos may just be developing cold feet even before the actual battle begins. This position which is fast becoming the…
By Ayo Onikoyi The former chairman of Nigerian Ports Authority and PDP stalwart who was just released from prison might have come home to a hero’s welcome from his supporters and the party bigwigs but a drama that ensued during the President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Lagos during the week showed that there are definitely some members of the…
By BENJAMIN NJOKU Folake Shadare is by no means an unknown face in the Nigerian movie industry. A former beauty queen, an actress of note and producer, she started acting in 2005 and stayed on the screen for four years before she travelled abroad with her man. Now back to the country after her sojourn in the United Kingdom, she’s…
Despite the recent call by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the devaluation of the naira, financial analysts believe that with the sustained intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the value of the naira would remain stable this year. However, they cautioned that this would be at the expense of foreign reserves. According to Victor Ndukauba, an investment research…
Not minding the obvious difficult business climate, Nigeria's trade partners are still interested in increasing their foothold in the country. Andy Davidson, deputy director, United Kingdom Trade and Investment department in Nigeria, said though the banking crisis has hampered the growth of businesses in the country, enormous opportunity still abound for other countries to tap into. He said his office…
2 March 2011 Argentine sensation Lionel Messi scored his 27th league goal of the season as champions Barcelona defeated Valencia 1-0 at the Mestalla stadium on Wednesday to move ten points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the Spanish first division summit. Messi netted a 76th minute winner as Barcelona continued their unbeaten away run and put Real under extra…
Lack of interest has been identified as the bane of agricultural development in Nigeria. Benard Onuegbu, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture said this on Tuesday in Port Harcourt. “Many persons are tempted to accuse government of not evolving the right policies and programmes, I think that the right policies are there but the interest is not. In this…