Good morning, Nigeria. Here’s a roundup of some of the major news stories making headlines across the country today, Thursday, 29th May, 2025, as compiled by Naturenex.
1. Senate, House Of Reps Pass Harmonized Tax Reform Bills
Both chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly on Wednesday approved the harmonized conference committee report on four different tax reform bills.
Naturenex gathered that lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives endorsed the bills after the presentation of the harmonized report in their respective chambers.
In the Senate, the report was presented by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance and also led the Senate team to the committee. Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Abiodun Faleke (APC, Lagos), Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, laid the report before his colleagues.
Faleke explained that the conference committee had resolved all areas of disagreement between the Senate and House versions of the bills.
2. Wike Reveals Greatest Challenge He Is Facing In Abuja
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has expressed concerns over a major issue plaguing Abuja — the refusal of residents to pay ground rent and other government levies.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, the minister criticized residents for demanding infrastructural projects while evading their financial obligations.
Wike disclosed that some residents owed ground rent fees spanning 20 years, despite the rates remaining unchanged for a long period. He insisted that he would not give in to what he described as attempts by a segment of the elite to blackmail him, especially in enforcing ground rent payments.
3. FG To Pay Students ₦45,000 Monthly Stipend (See Beneficiaries)
The Federal Government has introduced a plan to pay students in technical colleges across the country a monthly stipend of ₦45,000.
This was disclosed by Prof. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), during an interaction with journalists in Abuja. He explained that the initiative aims to boost interest in technical and vocational education.
Bugaje noted that President Bola Tinubu’s government had allocated ₦120 billion to support students under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He lamented the decline in interest in technical education over the years and emphasized the need to revitalize it. Justifying the move, Naturenex reports that Bugaje stressed the importance of producing skilled graduates who can find employment both locally and internationally.
4. 2027: ‘Atiku Has Not Said He Will Run, People Are The Ones Saying He Should Run’ – Fabiyi
A prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figure, Oladimeji Fabiyi, has clarified that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has not yet announced his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Fabiyi stated that it is supporters and admirers who are urging Atiku to run. He emphasized that Atiku is presently more concerned about saving Nigeria from its numerous challenges than chasing political power for personal reasons.
He further stressed that Atiku was not responsible for the PDP’s internal disputes and believes that opposition parties must unite to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
5. $21 Billion Is A Borrowing Plan For States, FG – Presidency
The Presidency has clarified that President Bola Tinubu did not request a $21 billion loan from the National Assembly, as widely speculated.
Temitope Ajayi, Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, explained via his 𝕏 account on Wednesday that the President merely presented a borrowing plan to the legislature.
Naturenex reports that Ajayi criticized circulating misinformation about the borrowing plan, emphasizing that it does not amount to an outright loan request and may not necessarily lead to a loan being taken. He said the submission was part of the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility.
6. Wike’s Men ‘Shun’ Tinubu’s Directive As PDP Headquarters Remain Under Lock And Key
Over 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to unseal properties closed due to unpaid ground rents, the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja remains shut.
Naturenex reports that the FCTA sealed numerous properties on Monday, leading to public criticism before Tinubu intervened and directed that the buildings be reopened, giving defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle their dues with a ₦2 million penalty.
Despite this, by 10:15 am on Wednesday, the PDP headquarters in Wuse Zone 5 remained padlocked with a visible FCTA seal on the gate. Some party staff were seen loitering around, while others expressed frustration over the situation. An anonymous staff member suggested there might be a covert directive preventing the office from being reopened.
7. Unity Cup: Super Eagles Of Nigeria Beat Ghana Without Osimhen, Lookman
The Super Eagles of Nigeria triumphed over rivals Ghana with a 2-1 win in an international friendly match played on Tuesday, despite being without forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 14th minute, calmly converting his chance. Shortly after, pressure from the Nigerian side forced Ghana’s Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer into an own goal, making it 2-0.
Ghana mounted a response in the second half and reduced the deficit through Brandon Thomas-Asante in the 70th minute. The Nigerian team, however, maintained their composure and defended their lead to seal the victory in the West African derby.
8. Chelsea Become First Club To Win Conference League, Europa League, Champions League
Chelsea Football Club has made history by becoming the first club to win all four major UEFA competitions following a decisive 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
Already champions of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and the defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, Chelsea added another title to their collection in Wednesday’s final at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
Though Betis took an early lead in the 9th minute, Chelsea quickly regained control. Moisés Caicedo sealed the comprehensive win in added time with a long-range strike, giving the London club a memorable victory and an unprecedented record in European football.
9. ‘It’s A Private Issue’ – Enioluwa Speaks On Priscilla Ojo’s Purported Pregnancy
Popular content creator and influencer, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, has reacted to rumors about his best friend, Priscilla Ojo, allegedly being pregnant.
Naturenex reports that while speaking to reporters in Tanzania, where he’s attending the final events of Priscilla and Jumax’s wedding celebrations, Enioluwa dismissed the claims. He added that he would likely be the third person to know if it were true, after Priscilla’s mother, Iyabo Ojo, and her husband.
An interviewer had directly asked the influencer to confirm the rumoured pregnancy.
10. ‘My Husband Was Called A Living Corpse’ – Nollywood Actress, Regina Chukwu
Nollywood actress Regina Chukwu has opened up about the tragic loss of her husband just three years into their marriage, following a serious illness.
Naturenex reports that she shared her story on a YouTube podcast hosted by fellow actress Biola Adebayo. Regina revealed that their youngest child was only four months old when her husband passed away, after they had exhausted their resources seeking a cure.
In a desperate bid to save him, they traveled to his village in Enugu State for treatment at a local health center. She recounted how, in his agony, her husband once pleaded for a death injection, and some people in the community referred to him as a “living corpse.”
That wraps up the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. For more updates and breaking stories, visit Naturenex. See you tomorrow.
