Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 16th September, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded his work vacation ahead of schedule.
Naija News reports that the President will return to Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to resume official duties.
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President departed for France on September 4, 2025, to spend part of his annual holiday and was initially scheduled to divide the period between France and the United Kingdom.
Last week in Paris, President Tinubu held a private luncheon with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée Palace. Both leaders reviewed key areas of cooperation between Nigeria and France and agreed to deepen the partnership for mutual prosperity and global stability.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has declined for the fifth consecutive month, easing to 21.12% in August 2025 from 21.88% in July, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS Consumer Price Index, published on Monday, showed that the drop was primarily driven by a slowdown in food prices, which remain a key component of the inflation basket.
On a month-to-month basis, inflation eased by 0.74 per cent, while food inflation slowed to 1.65 per cent.
The bureau in a post on 𝕏 noted, “In August 2025, the headline inflation rate eased to 21.12 per cent relative to the July 2025 headline inflation rate of 21.88 per cent.”
The figures also represent a significant year-on-year improvement. In August 2024, inflation had stood at 32.15 per cent, underscoring the pace of decline over the past 12 months.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, has lamented that President Bola Tinubu seems unable to resolve the hunger situation in the country.
Speaking via a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku decried the high level of hunger among poor Nigerians.
He recalled how poverty and hunger caused revolutions in the Arab world, as well as in France and Russia.
Atiku argued that there are “no manifest signs that this government is capable of addressing the grim issue of severe hunger staring the poor in the face” after two years in power.
Counselling that the current unacceptable situation offers an opportunity for reflection, Atiku cited the “French Revolution, the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Arab Spring in which a young man caught in the maelstrom of unbearable frustration set himself ablaze in a development which occasioned violent socio-political eruptions starting out from Tunisia to engulf the Middle-East and North Africa.”
According to him, “There is no government worth its salt that does not place priority on the welfare and security of the people.”
He stressed further that since reforms are made for citizens and not the other way round, the reforms of this administration should have a human face.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, returned a motion filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
Naija News understands that Kanu, through his counsel, is seeking an order transferring him to the National Hospital in Abuja for urgent medical care. His lawyers argued that his health condition has deteriorated dangerously in detention.
Justice Musa Liman, in a short ruling, directed that the case file be referred back to the Chief Judge following an application by Kanu’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku (SAN). The judge explained that the annual vacation of the court ends today, and there was insufficient time to conclude the matter.
He noted that not less than 30 cases were listed before the court on Monday, but only six could be taken.
“In line with Section 46(8) of the FHC Rules, any case that could not be completed within the vacation period must be sent back to the CJ for reassignment,” Liman said.
Although he acknowledged the urgency of Kanu’s request on health grounds, the judge observed that the application was filed relatively late.
The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration (ARD-FCTA), on Monday declared an indefinite strike over the refusal of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to address their long-standing demands.
The strike, which took effect from 8 am on Monday, September 15, 2025, follows the expiration of a seven-day warning strike.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, ARD-FCTA President, Dr. George Ebong, said the action was not targeted at the minister personally but against what he described as a “failed health system” in the nation’s capital.
Ebong listed some of the grievances to include the non-payment of 26 members despite seven months of dialogue, unexplained salary deductions, and stagnated promotions since 2023.
He also lamented the poor state of facilities in FCTA hospitals. “Some of the hospitals do not have X-rays. Hospitals are not favourable for working,” he said.
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has fired former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over recent comments about the present administration.
In a statement on Monday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that Atiku and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in Nigeria, adding that ‘talk is cheap.’
He described Atiku’s claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of the country’s situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, as grossly misleading.
He pointed out that under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues.
According to the presidential spokesperson, states are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects – an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.
Guinness World Records (GWR) has officially confirmed the new record for cooking the largest pot of jollof rice by Nigerian celebrity chef, Hilda Baci.
Naija News reports that the feat held in Lagos, Nigeria, produced thousands of kilograms of rice.
In a post on its official 𝕏 handle on Monday, GWR announced: “New record: Largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice, 8,780 kg (19,356 lb 9 oz) achieved by Hilda Baci and Gino in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.”
Recall that Hilda Baci first gained global attention in May 2023, when she broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, cooking non-stop for 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Nollywood actress Bimbo Oshin has remembered her husband, Ola Ibironke, popularly known as Dudu Heritage, four years after his sudden death.
Naija News reports that the 53-year-old actress in a post on Instagram reflected on how much she and their children still miss him.
She described the emptiness his absence left in their lives and how they continue to adjust to living without him.
She said that the children are growing stronger but still long for their father’s presence, guidance, and love.
World record holder, Tobi Amusan, on Monday, secured silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the ongoing 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Amusan stormed to a time of 12.29 seconds, finishing behind Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, who claimed gold with a new national record.
Her performance marked Nigeria’s first medal at the championship and reaffirmed her status as one of the most consistent hurdlers in global athletics.
The bronze medal went to Grace Stark of the United States, who clocked 12.34 seconds, while her compatriot Masai Russell narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth in 12.44 seconds.
Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska and the Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton both recorded season’s bests of 12.49 to share fifth place.
Jamaica’s Danielle Williams crossed the line seventh in 12.53, with the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser finishing eighth in 12.56.
Amusan, who set the world record of 12.12 seconds in 2022, has dominated the hurdles scene for three years and remains Nigeria’s brightest star on the track.
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has clarified that the primary duties of the commission does not include deciding the fate of the Super Eagles’ head coach, Eric Chelle.
He said the decision on whether Chelle stays as the National Team coach or not will be made by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ on Monday, the NSC Chairman explained that it is the duty of the NFF to evaluate Chelle’s performance and make a recommendation which they can then approve, disapprove or engage on to come to a final decision.
Naija News reports Dikko made the submission amidst the rising dissatisfaction over the Super Eagles’ poor 2026 World Cup qualification campaign, which currently sees their qualification hanging by a thread after a disappointing 1-1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein on September 9.
While acknowledging the uncomfortable situation the Eagles have found themselves in the qualifiers, Dikko insisted that Eric Chelle had performed well since coming on board in January 2025.
He argued that previous results are largely responsible for the current situation the team have found themselves.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.