Author: Nigeriabrief

What started as a minor bystander irritation snowballed into one of the strangest subplots of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 finals, the infamous ‘towel incident’ that infuriated the goalkeeper and the players faced off against the ball boys. From being snatched by towels, thrown into the crowd and dragged across the grass to being taunted after the tournament by Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabari, the final between Senegal and Morocco exposed a pattern of unsporting behavior that had been smoldering throughout the tournament. The Beginning: The Importance of Goalkeepers and Towels In modern soccer, goalkeepers keep extra towels behind the…

Written by Ugo Inyama Trust is the silent currency that gives legitimacy to taxation. When the government is strong, it increases revenue through cooperation rather than coercion. Weak public finances make it difficult for even well-designed fiscal systems to function. For many Nigerians, paying taxes is like pouring water into a basket. Budgets have expanded, but results remain meager. While hospitals lack basic equipment, ministries are increasing. Politicians are becoming increasingly at ease even as the public is being told to tighten their belts. This rupture has disrupted the social contract that underpins sustainable revenue systems. The central challenge facing…

It usually begins in a familiar way.I saw the product on Instagram.The photo looks good.The comments seem reassuring. Send a DM. Seller responds quickly and warmly. Agree on the price and make the transfer.Then wait.The arrival of the product may be delayed. It may arrive by mistake. Sometimes they don’t arrive at all, or sometimes they stop responding. Other times, a package arrives and Nigerians openly joke about the “what I ordered and what I received” verdict. When this happens, many people do not escalate. They learned that pushing too hard often requires more judgment than support. So they sigh,…

The brother of a British man held in Nigeria after being the victim of an extraordinary drama has accused the British government of turning its back on him and called on Keir Starmer to “wake up” and “protect the British people”.Kingsley Kanu, the younger brother of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipobu), a prominent banned separatist movement in Nigeria, said the British government had failed to intervene in his brother’s case.”To date, neither the previous nor the current government has been able to ask the Nigerian government to accept its position and stop it,” Kingsley said…

Several undocumented Nigerians and other Africans living in the UK are sleeping in street bins to avoid deportation. In 2025, the British government embarked on a major review of its immigration policy, dubbed the Transformation Plan. The policy has caused a wave of fear among immigrants, as those without legal status will be deported in mid-2025. The Home Office announced that 43 asylum seekers and criminals were repatriated to Nigeria and Ghana on chartered flights. The Home Office said: “Those deported had no right to remain in the UK, including 15 people who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum and 11…

“Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. Fight like hell not to take it.” That was the message President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent in September when they announced that women should avoid Tylenol during pregnancy because of its link to autism. At the time President Trump issued his warning, the risks had not been substantiated by solid scientific evidence. Now, a group of researchers has responded with what may be the most thorough analysis of existing science on the subject yet.Their review, published Friday in the medical journal Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health,…

Nkiru sea lionOver the past few weeks, readings and videos of the poem “I AM A NIGERIAN” have been circulating on social media, with unknown origins. It has been sent to me several times as an unknown author, both in video and text format. First, I think it’s important to publicly acknowledge yourself as the author of the poem and talk about why you think it resonates now more than ever. I wrote a poem in 2006 called “I AM A NIGERIAN.” The impetus was three important influences. One was the “Heart of Africa” rebranding campaign by the then federal…

Atiku Abubakar, the son of former vice president and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and expressed support for President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. Popularly known as Abba, he was formally welcomed into the APC on Thursday by Deputy Senate President Balau Jibrin at the State House, along with other party leaders from the North East geopolitical zone. Party officials explained that the departure will be a major boost to APC’s efforts to unify the party ahead of the next general election. Speaking at the…

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on January 11. Julia Demaree Nickinson/AP Joe Keshi, Nigeria’s former permanent secretary and foreign minister, warned that the US is specifically targeting global remittance flows, with the latest crackdown barring 75 countries, including Nigeria, from obtaining immigrant visas. In an interview with Channels TV, he warned that Nigeria needed to develop a systematic strategy to engage with Washington and called on Nigeria’s federal government to urgently “reflect and understand” the motives behind the crackdown. The veteran diplomat emphasized the possibility of a…

The origin of Weirdis photography is Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesArticle informationauthor, Danai Nesta Kupembarole, BBC NewsAugust 22, 20254 minute readThe United States claims that he has a US visa with a record of more than 55 million pipos, but will go to find out whether he will break its terms or be allowed to stay in Contri.The level of tension for Nigerians and Pipo Way Day for all ODA world holding American visas.A State Department official told Tori Pipo that Pipo intends to suspend his U.S. visa under “always on,” the Associated Press reported.Officials said they will revoke visas if someone…