TWN NEWS - Weekly Roundup
Lagos, Nigeria
News Roundup
Seun Kuti & the Voice of a Generation: "How Can We Have a Working Nigeria of Our Dreams?"
This week a video went viral — and TWN News salutes it. In a clip circulating widely under the question "How Can We Have a Working Nigeria of Our Dreams?", musician and activist Seun Kuti — son of the immortal Fela Anikulapo Kuti — spoke a truth that cuts through the noise of every government press release and every stock market rally:
— Seun Kuti (@ThaBoyYom), viral clip shared via @SelahMeditate — a moment of national mourning and national awakening
Seun Kuti is not merely commenting from the sidelines. He is the inheritor of a tradition of radical, loving resistance that Fela built with every beat, every lyric, and every defiant performance at the Shrine. When Seun speaks, it is the voice of Kalakuta Republic asking Nigeria: when will you wake up?
His diagnosis is surgical. The problem is not just the politicians. It is the mindset — the Nigerian working class that has been so completely absorbed into a system designed to keep it consuming, competing, and divided, that it cannot see the collective power it holds. It is the market woman who votes for the man who gives her ₦2,000 on election day and then charges her ₦900 for petrol for the next four years. It is the civil servant who hates "the government" but cannot imagine organising with his neighbours to build something the government has refused to provide.
"People Power Without Violence — Building Nigeria from the Ground Up. TWN News does not call for violence. We never will. But we do call for something more powerful than any protest, more lasting than any riot, and more transformative than any government programme: organised, peaceful, community-led economic self-determination.
🛑 The Silent Economic Withdrawal: Imagine every Nigerian community deciding — for just one agreed week — to suspend all non-essential commercial activity. No panic, no violence. Just a coordinated, dignified, peaceful withdrawal of economic participation. No market, no buses, no purchasing from government-linked enterprises. A silent national conversation conducted in the language power truly understands: money. This is people power at its most civilised and most potent."
Seun Kuti is saying the same thing from the stage that Fela said from the Shrine — and that communities across Nigeria must now say from their streets, their farms, their cooperatives, and their local economies: We are the power. We choose when to deploy it. And we choose to deploy it in peace. 🇳🇬✊🌱
NGX Smashes Another Record — ₦163.66 Trillion, ASI at 252,113 as FTSE Frontier Inflows Ignite Banking Sector
The Nigerian Exchange finished little changed on Thursday, September 25, with the All-Share Index at 252,113.41 and market capitalisation at ₦163.66 trillion. The week's gains were powered by the FTSE Russell Frontier Market reclassification that took effect on Monday, September 21 — triggering mandatory reallocation from global tracker funds into Nigerian equities. On Monday, September 22, the Banking Index surged 2.50% to a new 52-week high, with IBTC gaining 7.09%, UBA adding 4.07%, Fidelity Bank rising 3.62%, FirstHoldCo gaining 3.06%, Zenith Bank advancing 2.64%, and GTCO adding 2.32% — as institutional investors front-ran Q3 2026 earnings season. The NGX year-to-date return now stands at an extraordinary 62.11% — Africa's single best-performing major equity index in 2026. Fidelity Bank was the most active stock by volume with 212.77 million shares, while Seplat Energy led by value. Market analysts project the NGX could cross ₦225 trillion following Dangote Refinery's full listing.
States Race to Cut Transport Costs by October 1 Using CNG Buses; World Bank: 67 Million Nigerians Reached by Cash Transfers
The Punch leads with a report on the race by states across the country to reduce transport costs in line with the announced schedule by the Federal Government, with states to cut transportation costs by the 1st of October. As the Federal Government moves to deliver measurable reductions from October 1, states are adopting different approaches to the Compressed Natural Gas initiative. This is a crucial test — if CNG buses genuinely lower commuting costs for ordinary Nigerians, it will be one of the most tangible economic reliefs of the Tinubu administration. The World Bank reported that Nigeria's cash-based social intervention programmes reached 67.19 million people and 10.44 million households by August 2026, even as analysts raise questions about the verification systems used to identify beneficiaries.
Tinubu Skips UNGA, Sends Shettima; Ex-Kogi Governor Idris Dies at 77; 5,000 PDP Members Defect to APC in Ogun
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has confirmed that he will not be physically present at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, instead directing Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria's delegation. The decision ends weeks of uncertainty and draws criticism from those who say Nigeria's voice at UNGA requires presidential-level presence. Former Kogi State Governor Ibrahim Idris died at the age of 77 on Sunday, September 20 — a significant loss for Nigerian political history. In Ogun State, 5,000 PDP members defected to the APC — further consolidating the ruling party's political dominance ahead of the 2027 general elections. Ondo State also sought a coroner's inquest over 49 deaths linked to the locally brewed alcohol known as "Monkey Tail."
24 NSCDC Personnel Arrested Over 37 Miners' Deaths; Fresh Revelations Emerge; NLC Opposes Concession of Unity Colleges
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrested and detained 24 of its own personnel found culpable in the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State. The Corps Public Relations Officer disclosed this at the Corps Headquarters in Abuja, adding that three more personnel had also been placed on suspension in addition to the initial 21 detained, bringing the total number held to 24. Fresh revelations also emerged this week about the circumstances of the deaths — with survivor testimonies and independent investigations continuing to contradict the official "disease outbreak" narrative. TWN News calls for a fully independent public inquiry with findings published without redaction. The NLC also opposed planned concession of King's College and other Unity Colleges — a move civic groups say would further widen the access gap in Nigerian education.
Toyin Abraham Opens Up on Pregnancy Loss; Minimum Wage Debate Intensifies; Nigeria Records First Tele-Robotic Surgery
Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham opened up about losing a four-month pregnancy while she was still working on a movie — a deeply personal story that resonated with millions of Nigerian women and reignited conversations about workplace pressure, maternal mental health, and the often invisible burden carried by working mothers. Her candour takes real courage and TWN News salutes her. Nigeria recorded its first tele-robotic surgery this week — a landmark milestone in Nigerian medical technology that signals the country's growing capacity for cutting-edge healthcare, even as millions still lack access to basic primary care. The diphtheria outbreak continues to spread in the North, reinforcing the critical importance of the NHTDAO digital health infrastructure project under Dr. Obi Adigwe.
NFF Elective Congress TODAY in Lafia — Nigerian Football's Most Important Day in a Decade
As this edition goes to press, the NFF Elective Congress is underway in Lafia, Nasarawa State — September 27, 2026. Nigerian football's future is being decided today. A new NFF president will be elected to replace Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who resigned amid the EFCC's ongoing ₦12 billion fund investigation. The criteria are simple: the new NFF president must be accountable, must prioritise grassroots development, must open the door to private investment and entertainment-sector club ownership, must end the patronage culture that has poisoned Nigerian football governance for decades, and must have a credible plan for Super Eagles qualification for the 2030 World Cup. TWN News will be watching the outcome closely. Nigerian football cannot afford another decade of the same. The Ondo State government also announced it would purchase Dangote Refinery shares for 500 young entrepreneurs — an innovative social investment model other states should consider.
⚽ JS Darinho Sports Academy — Grassroots Excellence in Ijebu-Ode
While the NFF decides Nigeria's football future at the top, JS Darinho Sports Academy — founded by Dare Osunsanya — continues building it at the bottom, where it truly matters: in communities, with young people, through structure, discipline, and honest hard work. The Ijebu Premier League is exactly the kind of private, community-rooted football initiative that the new NFF must champion across all 36 states. Learn more →
$12m Abuja Entrepreneurship Centre Welcomed; Rema Squashes Davido Rivalry; Ogbomoso Driver Saves Lives on Burning Tanker
President Tinubu welcomed the construction of the $12 million Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE), saying the project will strengthen Nigeria's MSME ecosystem. Supporting micro, small and medium enterprises is one of the most direct routes to the community-led local economies TWN News and Seun Kuti have both been calling for this week — young Nigerians need not illegal mining sites but business incubators, skills centres, and access to affordable capital. Rema clarified he has no issue with Davido, saying: "Davido and I have no issues; those are just rumours. I have so much respect for the OGs." In an extraordinary story of courage, an Ogbomoso-born driver averted tragedy while driving a burning petrol tanker in Osun State — steering the blazing vehicle away from populated areas at enormous personal risk. Nigeria needs to know this man's name. He is a hero.
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