News

ASUU Adamant on Strike, NANS Begin Nationwide Protest

Days after announcing an extension of the industrial strike action to 12 more weeks, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has said it is not going back on that decision.

Speaking in a press briefing on Wednesday morning in the nation’s capital Abuja, ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osedeke said that the union had exhausted every other option to reach an amicable agreement with the government before deciding on embarking on an additional 3-month strike.

Osedeke told the media that the government was treating their matter with levity and were simply not willing to resolve pending issues because the state of the nation’s educational system did not directly affect them.

The president backed up his statement by citing how quickly the government swung into action after airline operators threatened to strike, saying that this was simply because the political elites were directly affected.

“Let me give you an example because this is where we are getting it wrong, when the airline operators said they were going to stop the flights, the Senate and House of Representatives quickly stepped in,” Osedeke said.

He then added, “This is because they are affected; they quickly rushed in and addressed the problem, why would they not resolve that of the education sector that is affecting the children of the poor and the ordinary people. If the government is willing to resolve the issues affecting the Nigerians, then there would be no need to go on strike. The problem is the will of the government to resolve issues.”

ASUU initially embarked on a warning strike on the 14th of February for reasons including the government’s failure to honor the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement, as well as the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS.

The staff union is also demanding that the government fund the revitalization of public universities, pay promotion arrears owed, as well as implement, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS).

Despite several meetings between the two parties, a gridlock persists.

Osedeke later added;

“All the issues that made us to go on strike are still there; that is the revitalisation fund, that is putting more money into universities and revitalising the infrastructure in the universities.

There is also the issue of our mode of payments in the universities. There is no university in the world where lecturers are paid salaries from the Accountant General’s Office.

We have challenged them to provide one, if universities are universal body, why are they doing things differently.

We talk of negotiation of agreement, proliferation of universities, among others, so there are lots of issues that they have not resolved.”

The minister of Labour, Chris Ngige who is among over twenty presidential aspirants of the APC to drop NGN 100 million for the party nomination form says the government has no money to meet ASUU’s demands.

Meanwhile, university students across the nation have begun a nationwide protest seeking to force the hand of the government to take action to halt the strike. Student protests have kicked off in Ogun, Oyo, and Lagos states. Students have also threatened to disrupt ongoing political activities in order to get the government’s attention.

“We have resolved that we have to take our destinies into our hands. The leadership of NANS has resolved that there will be no political activities, especially party primaries in Abuja and other parts of the country. The mass action is in all the 36 states of the Federation and FCT, said NANS Victor Ezenagu in his May 10th interview with Channels TV.

Ezenagu added;

“You cannot be a hunting game when your house is on fire. What is government? Government is about responding to the needs of the people and their welfare. ASUU cannot be on strike for three months and nothing is being done by the government to end it.

The mass protest actually started today (Tuesday) in almost eleven states. It started at the University of Lagos and others are joining. We will block all federal roads, shut down airports, and indeed the economy of Nigeria until the universities are reopened for students to resume classes.”

NANS has issued a 9-day ultimatum for the government and ASUU to reach an agreement and reopen varsities nationwide.

Entertainment

Kanayo O. Kanayo demands lifetime streaming royalties for Nollywood stars

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has stirred up a conversation the industry has been quietly avoiding for years. The award-winning actor and lawyer recently proposed that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) implement a policy mandating lifetime royalty payments for all Nigerian actors and actresses featured in films uploaded to streaming platforms.

He also called for a dedicated agency to oversee and enforce compliance nationwide, arguing it would ensure performers earn from their craft long after the cameras stop rolling. The timing of the proposal is telling. Stories of financial ruin among once-beloved Nigerian actors have become alarmingly common.

Last month, veteran actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, widely known as Papa Ajasco, spoke openly about his financial struggles despite decades in the industry.

Two years prior, Hanks Anuku made headlines with public pleas for financial assistance after falling on hard times post-Nollywood.

Patience Ozokwor recently put it bluntly: “The reason why Nollywood actors and actresses are poor is that we don’t get royalties for what we do, we only get paid for our appearance at the shoot.” Her words, along with the others, show a consistent pattern of demand.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from industry figures. Writer-director Jadesola Osiberu responded with sarcasm, suggesting that if actors want royalties, perhaps they should also contribute to covering a producer’s losses proportional to their screen time, a dig at the one-sided nature of the demand.

Producer and actress Bolaji Ogunmola was more direct: if actors want backend earnings, they should negotiate equity stakes and invest in projects upfront rather than seek guaranteed payouts after the fact.

It’s a fair challenge. The music industry comparison many have reached for doesn’t quite hold up here.

In more structured film industries, residuals are tied to carefully negotiated distribution contracts and enforced by unions, organisations built over decades with legal infrastructure and industry-wide buy-in.

News

Katsina plans mass wedding for 1,000 couples

The state government’s maiden welfare initiative will unite 2,000 individuals on April 25, even as armed bandits terrorise nearby communities. The Katsina State Government has announced a mass wedding ceremony for at least 1,000 couples drawn from all 34 local government areas, describing the initiative as a bid to ease the financial burden of marriage on the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The event, scheduled for April 25, 2026, will bring together 2,000 individuals, including widows, orphans, and economically disadvantaged people who, officials say, have long been willing to marry but unable to afford it.

The Director General of the Katsina State Hisbah Board, Malam Abu-Ammar, announced a livelihood support and counselling training session on Thursday.

He said the programme was conceived as part of the government’s efforts to reduce conditions that breed social vices.

“Many widows, orphans, and vulnerable individuals are unable to get married despite their willingness due to socioeconomic challenges,” he said.

The Katsina State Commissioner for Women Affairs, A’isha Malumfashi, added that all 1,000 couples had already undergone medical screening and compatibility verification ahead of the ceremony.

The government has promised support packages for both brides and grooms, though the total budget for the event has not been disclosed.

The announcement, however, comes at a fraught moment for the state. Just hours before it was made public, armed bandits reportedly issued a written ultimatum to communities in Kankia Local Government Area, demanding 700 cows and 1,000 sheep within four days or face violent raids.

News

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on countries arming Iran

Donald Trump has cautioned that the United States will impose heavy tariffs on any country that is found to supply military weapons to Iran, raising the bar of pressure in the midst of continuing tensions with Tehran.

On Wednesday, in a statement released on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that any country supplying arms to Iran would be subjected to a 50 percent tariff on all its goods exported to the United States without any delay.

“A country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed on all goods sold to the United States of America, 50 per cent, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” he wrote.

The warning comes shortly after the U.S. president announced a temporary ceasefire arrangement with Iran following heightened tensions in the region. This happened just hours before the deadline, Donald Trump urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US President announced a ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan. In a post X, the White House shared that Trump has issued a temporary hold on all military activities in Iran.

President Trump announced that after conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will be suspending the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks after the Iranians agreed to an “immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz”.

He went ahead and added that the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives and is making progress on a long-term peace agreement with Iran. Trump also said his administration is considering possible economic relief measures for Tehran, noting that Washington is currently engaged in discussions around tariff and sanctions relief.

The developments follow Iran’s reported agreement to temporarily reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route at the centre of recent geopolitical concerns.

While details of the ceasefire and negotiations remain limited, the latest remarks highlight a mix of economic pressure and diplomatic engagement from Washington as it navigates relations with Tehran.

The series of warnings started in March, when Trump issued one of his most explosive warnings yet to Iran, saying the United States could “completely obliterate” the country’s electric plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island if a deal with a so-called “new and more reasonable regime” fails and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

In a post on social media, Trump claimed the U.S. is in serious discussions with a new Iranian leadership aimed at ending American military operations in the country. However, he warned that failure to reach a deal quickly could prompt devastating military action against Iran’s infrastructure.