There are some artists whose music entertains us, and there are others whose lives become part of the music they create. Dolly Parton belongs firmly in the second category. Her extraordinary career has been built not only on a remarkable voice and an unmistakable songwriting gift, but also on a life story shaped by poverty, faith, family, resilience and an enduring belief in the dignity of ordinary people. Few songs capture that story more powerfully than “Coat of Many Colours.” Released in 1971, the song draws from Parton’s childhood in rural Tennessee and tells the story of a coat her mother…
Author: Elvis Eromosele
The Federal Government has released the 2026/2027 admission list for Junior Secondary School One (JSS1) candidates admitted into Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) across Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Education announced the release in a statement on Monday, following approval by Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education. Successful candidates can check their admission status and print their admission slips through the Federal Ministry of Education’s Posting Portal. Parents and guardians can also check the admission status of their children and wards on the notice boards of the relevant Federal Unity Colleges. Successful candidates are required to print their admission…
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has grossed N1.8 billion across West Africa, becoming the highest-grossing Hollywood film in the region, according to distributor FilmOne Entertainment. FilmOne announced the milestone on social media, describing the performance as a record for the Spider-Man franchise and thanking audiences across West Africa for their strong cinema turnout. The achievement comes after the movie had already broken box-office records in Nigeria during its preview screenings and subsequent nationwide release. In a post on X, FilmOne Entertainment said Spider-Man: Brand New Day had become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of all time in West Africa. The latest N1.8…
Femi Otedola, chairman of First HoldCo Plc, has further increased his stake in the financial services group after acquiring 95.7 million additional shares valued at N12.58 billion. The transaction, disclosed in a regulatory filing submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Monday, was executed through Calvados Global Services Limited, Otedola’s investment vehicle. The filing, signed by First HoldCo Group Company Secretary, Abiola Baruwa, showed that Calvados Global Services acquired 95,699,240 ordinary shares at N131.48 per share on August 24, 2026. The latest purchase takes Otedola’s total shareholding in First HoldCo from approximately 12.05 billion shares to 12.15 billion shares, increasing…
For Lucy Ikpesu-Ewhubare, the journey from a low-income family in Nigeria to becoming a UK-based engineer and scholarship advocate was anything but straightforward. It was a journey marked by ambition, persistence and repeated rejection. But those setbacks ultimately shaped a mission: to ensure that other young Nigerians do not have to struggle alone to find international education opportunities. Ikpesu-Ewhubare, founder of ScholarWaka, is passionate about expanding access to global education, particularly for students who may lack the financial resources or guidance needed to pursue opportunities abroad. Her own experience remains at the heart of that mission. “I’m just a girl…
Nigeria’s ability to secure a sustainable energy future will depend not only on its abundant natural resources but also on the quality, skills and adaptability of its workforce, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have said. The two organisations made the position known at the ongoing 5th PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit (PEALS) in Abuja, where stakeholders examined the role of human capital in strengthening Nigeria’s energy security and supporting the sector’s transition. Prof. Shuaibu Aliyu, PTDF Executive Secretary, said Nigeria’s energy challenge was, in many respects, a…
More than 200 Nigerians are currently waiting for corneal transplants, highlighting the urgent shortage of donated corneas in the country, the Eye Bank for Restoring Sight in Nigeria has said. The organisation also estimates that about 1.5 per cent of Nigeria’s population is living with corneal blindness, with many cases potentially treatable through corneal transplantation. Dr Festus Odunayo Oshoba, Chairman of the Eye Bank’s Board of Governors, disclosed this in Lagos during the unveiling of veteran actress Joke Silva as the organisation’s brand ambassador. Oshoba said the Eye Bank had facilitated more than 95 successful corneal transplants over the years,…
Lagos requires about N6 trillion in annual housing investment to bridge its housing capital gap, as the state’s housing deficit has climbed to 3.4 million units, a new research report by GTI Investment Group has found. The findings were presented at the “Beyond Rent: A Lagos Housing and Capital Forum” organised by GTI Investment Group on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Prof. Timothy G. Nubi, Founding Director of the University of Lagos Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, disclosed the figures in his keynote presentation, “Housing, Capital and the Future of Lagos.” The forum brought together government officials, housing experts, investors,…
Nigeria’s security crisis is spreading across multiple regions as insurgents, criminal networks and politically linked armed groups continue to exploit gaps in state security, according to SBM Intelligence. In its latest security assessment, the research and intelligence firm examined recent incidents involving Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East, Lakurawa in the North-West, armed groups in the South-East and criminal networks operating across the South-South and South-West. SBM warned that although recent military operations have weakened some insurgent and criminal networks, the groups remain capable of regrouping, adapting their tactics and exploiting communities with limited security presence. SBM said a…
Nearly one in five Nigerian creative professionals spend more than half of their working time each week on administrative tasks instead of creative work, according to a new report by NECLive. The finding is contained in the State of Nigeria’s Creative Economy 2026 report, which surveyed 377 professionals across eight creative sectors and examined the structural challenges limiting the industry’s growth. The report found that 19.6% of respondents spend more than 50 per cent of their weekly productive time on non-creative administrative activities. Overall, 83 per cent said they lose at least 10% of their productive time each week to…