Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday dismissed his deputy for parliamentary affairs over a costly trip to Antarctica, as the country grapples with hyperinflation amid a biting economic crisis.

A photo shared on social media in recent days showed the now former vice-president, Shahram Dabiri, alongside a woman identified as his wife, posing near the Plancius cruise ship.

The Dutch-flagged vessel has offered luxury expeditions to Antarctica since 2009, with one agency pricing an eight-day trip at 3,885 euros per person.

“In a context where economic pressure on the population remains high… expensive leisure trips by officials, even if paid out of their own pocket, are neither defensible nor justifiable,” the Iranian president wrote in a letter published Saturday by the official IRNA news agency, which noted that Dabiri was dismissed.

Dabiri, a 64-year-old physician by profession and a close confidant of Pezeshkian, had been appointed to the post in August.

The government faced strong criticism after the photo was published, and several of Pezeshkian’s supporters urged him to remove the official.

IRNA, late last month, cited a source in Dabiri’s office as saying that he had made the trip before he held a governmental position.

The controversy is another major blow for Pezeshkian, who was elected last year on a promise to revive the economy and improve the daily lives of his fellow citizens.

In early March, his Economy Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati was dismissed by parliament amid a sharp depreciation of the national currency against the dollar and soaring inflation.

AFP

Nigeria’s total public debt rose to N144.67tn ($94.23bn) as of December 31, 2024, representing a 48.58 per cent increase compared to N97.34tn ($108.23bn) recorded at the end of December 2023.

The Debt Management Office disclosed this in its latest report on the country’s public debt profile, which was released on Friday.

The report also revealed a quarter-on-quarter rise of 1.65 per cent from the N142.32tn ($88.89bn) recorded at the end of September 2024, highlighting the continuous increase in the nation’s debt burden during the final quarter of the year.

An analysis of Nigeria’s public debt on a year-on-year basis showed an increase of N47.32tn, representing a 48.58 per cent rise from December 2023 to December 2024.

The surge in public debt was primarily driven by significant increases in both external and domestic borrowings.

Nigeria’s external debt increased by 83.89 per cent from N38.22tn ($42.50bn) in December 2023 to N70.29tn ($45.78bn) in December 2024.

The sharp rise was attributed to new external borrowings and the impact of naira depreciation, which raised the naira equivalent of dollar-denominated debt.

Domestic debt also rose by 25.77 per cent from N59.12tn ($65.73bn) at the end of December 2023 to N74.38tn ($48.44bn) in December 2024.

The Federal Government’s domestic debt component grew significantly from N53.26tn to N70.41tn, reflecting a 32.19 per cent increase.

This growth indicates the government’s continued reliance on local borrowing to finance budget deficits and infrastructure projects.

In contrast, the domestic debt owed by states and the Federal Capital Territory dropped from N5.86tn to N3.97tn, representing a decline of 32.27 per cent.

This reduction points to a more cautious approach by some subnational governments towards debt accumulation during the year.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Nigeria’s total public debt increased by N2.35tn, translating to a 1.65 per cent rise from N142.32tn as of September 30, 2024.

According to the DMO, the increase was driven by both external and domestic debt components. External debt rose by N1.4tn, moving from N68.89tn ($43.03bn) as of September 2024 to N70.29tn ($45.78bn) in December.

This was influenced by new foreign loans acquired in the last three months of the year, alongside the further weakening of the naira.

On the domestic front, debt rose slightly by 1.29 per cent from N73.43tn ($45.87bn) in September 2024 to N74.38tn ($48.44bn) by the end of December.

The Federal Government’s domestic debt increased from N69.22tn to N70.41tn within the quarter.

However, domestic debt attributed to states and the FCT decreased from N4.21tn to N3.97tn, reflecting a 5.69 per cent drop.

As of December 2024, external debt made up 48.59 per cent of Nigeria’s total public debt, while domestic debt accounted for 51.41 per cent, indicating a relatively balanced debt structure.

However, the rise in external borrowings points to a growing reliance on foreign debt to bridge budgetary gaps.

The breakdown of external debt shows that the Federal Government accounted for N62.92tn ($40.98bn), while states and the FCT held N7.37tn ($4.80bn).

In the domestic debt segment, the Federal Government held N70.41tn ($45.86bn), with states and the FCT accounting for N3.97tn ($2.58bn).

The rise in public debt has raised concerns among economic analysts regarding Nigeria’s fiscal stability.

The sharp increase, particularly in external debt, highlights the nation’s vulnerability to exchange rate fluctuations and changes in global economic conditions.

With the continued depreciation of the naira, the cost of servicing foreign debt could escalate, adding pressure on the country’s financial resources.

Nollywood actress Jemima Osunde has spoken out about recent factors influencing the casting of actors in the Nigerian movie industry.

The movie star claimed that filmmakers are now pressuring actors to become social media content creators before casting them in their films.

Osunde made this claim in a recent conversation with her colleague, Jammal Ibrahim.

She said: “Now, it’s as though they [filmmakers] are forcing every actor to be a social media content creator before casting them. It’s as if you must dance on the internet to get roles. Why?

“It’s like if you’re not an actor with a strong social media presence, we’re not casting you because we need you to sell our film. That shouldn’t be the actor’s job.”

Jammal Ibrahim added: “That’s where good management comes in. I’ll give you an example: I told my management that I don’t know how to dance. I’m a terrible dancer. So, a good manager would look at you and say, ‘Okay, this is your personality. How can we work with who you are to make you better?’ Not, ‘How can we push you to be everyone else?’

“If you’re doing a PR stunt for a film and you’re going to be dancing, seriously, I’m not going to be part of it, unless I feel like the dance is something I can actually do. I don’t want to look stupid on screen. It’s just not my personality.”

A 24-year-old, Miss Joy Mojisola Raimi, who represented Osun State, has won the 2025 Miss World Nigeria.

Miss Raimi was declared winner at the beauty pageant’s grand finale, held in Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The organizer of the Miss World Nigeria beauty pageant, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, announced this on his ? handle on Saturday.

A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, the beauty queen won the Miss World Nigeria after scoring top points over 36 other contestants.

Raimi will represent Nigeria at the 72nd Miss World Pageant in Hyderabad, India, from May 7 to 31, 2025.

Senator Murray-Bruce wrote: “Congratulations to Joy Mojisola Raimi, the 24-year-old representing Osun State, on being crowned Miss World Nigeria 2025! The grand finale took place at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, where 37 contestants from across Nigeria competed for the top spot.

“Raimi, a University of Port Harcourt graduate, is passionate about humanitarian services and founded ‘The Love for Humanity’ project, dedicated to spreading love and restoring faith in humanity.

“In the final round, Raimi faced off against Miss Imo, Miss Ebonyi, Miss Abuja, and Miss Abia. When asked about overcoming bullying, she shared her inspiring story of growing up without a mother and facing harassment from her caregiver. She emphasized that despite being told she would never amount to anything, she has proven otherwise by achieving this milestone.

“As Miss World Nigeria 2025, Raimi will represent Nigeria at the 72nd Miss World pageant in Hyderabad, India, from May 7 to 31, competing against contestants from 140 countries.”

Nigerian on-air personality (OAP) and actress, Omotunde Adebowale-David, better known as Lolo 1 has disclosed that she was raped by a colleague six years ago.

She disclosed that she still battles with the traumatic experience of the rape and goes into panic mode whenever she sees the person who raped her.

Naija News reports Lolo 1 made the revelation while speaking during a recent episode of the Say My Piece podcast.

She disclosed that the person who raped her is now a prominent figure in the broadcast industry and further spoke on how difficult it usually is for victims of rape to speak out.

The actress added that she is not ready to tell the full story of her experience.

“A woman like me, I hardly would say this and I am not ready to tell the story. I have been raped only once in my life and I was raped by our colleague. I see him every other day. Do you know how traumatised I am?

“When I see him, I just get into this momentary panic mode but if a woman of my caliber names him, he is an established person in the broadcast circle, would people not say how come Lolo did not speak about it for all these six years?

“It is now that he is taking a prominent TV position she is speaking. When sexual assault happens to women, the first thing that happens to a woman is denial ‘this did not happen’.

“The next thing is self crucifixtion, ‘I caused it for myself, how did I allow it happen? What could I have done?’. All these are happening as you are processing,” she narrated.

Oba Abimbola Owoade has ascended the throne as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo.

The coronation event was held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Oliveth Baptist High School in Oyo, where the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, led a host of dignitaries, including notable Nigerians.

Dignitaries present at the coronation included the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye; Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi; and Aare Oona Kankanfo of Yoruba, Iba Gani Adams, among others.

Owoade succeeded Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the 45th Alaafin of Oyo, who died on April 22, 2022, at the age of 83.

Recall that Oba Owoade was presented with the staff of office and instrument of office on Monday, January 13, 2025, at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, the state capital.

The new monarch completed the compulsory 21-day traditional rites known as Oro Ipebi last Saturday, March 29.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Press Secretary, in Kogi State, Isaiah Davies, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did well by canceling the recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Naija News reported that INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, stated that Senator Natasha’s recall petition was canceled because the signatures in the petition did not reach the 50 percent plus one required by the Constitution.

Speaking with News Central on Friday, Davis expressed worry that INEC can change its current stand on the recall petition.

The SDP spokesman noted that during the 2023 general election, INEC and its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, failed to live up to their promises to Nigerians.

His words: “It’s easier for INEC’s spokesperson to come and speak nicely, explain the rule of law, explain all the procedures and all the steps that are needed to be taken according to our guidance, according to the 2022 Electoral Act as amended, and INEC guidance.

“But my issue is, we will hear them, they will come out and be saying one thing today, tomorrow, another thing. During the 2023 gubernatorial election, there were reports of about five local governments that the results sheets were filled before even the commencement of vote early in the morning. And there were protests everywhere.

“INEC came up and said, no, we’re going to cancel the local governments that were affected. We’re going to bring to book all the perpetrators and all these. At the end of the day, my brother, nothing. The following day, while that was going on, the professors were inside the coalition center calling the results.

“Now, as he’s talking, you will be surprised that he will be speaking according to the rule of law. Tomorrow you wake up, those in charge of the execution will be doing a different thing. That is the problem. That is the problem. It is not that we don’t have good laws in Nigeria. Trust me, any time I speak, I always talk about laws and order. I remember Professor Mahmood in Chatham House told Nigerians and told the whole world that only by BVAS that we will have elections. That one man, one vote, only through accreditation. But at the end of the day, trust me…

“That is why we issued a statement this morning, that yes, INEC has done the right thing at this stage. But we don’t trust them. We don’t trust what matters. You can wake up tomorrow and they’ll tell you that the signatures have been completed. Let’s proceed to the next stage. And before you know it..”

A chieftain of the Labour Party, Patrick Utomi, has urged stakeholders of the party to work towards producing leadership that would promote the party’s ideals.

Professor Utomi stated this while reacting to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the party’s leadership crisis, on Friday.

Naija News reported that the apex court, in its ruling, struck out an Appeal Court’s ruling that recognized Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.

The court dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal for lacking merit and upheld Nenadi Usman‘s appeal on the leadership crisis.

Reacting to the ruling, on Saturday, Utomi told the party’s stakeholders that the efforts of the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Waba, Wale Okuniyi and himself produced the surge that powered the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He emphasized the need for them to uphold the social democratic ideology of the party.

It read: “As the leadership of the Labour Party looks to reconstruct its house and reconcile all, let me remind stakeholders of the motives that brought then NLC President, Ayuba Waba and I, with Wale Okuniyi as ground engineer, together, to work a process that produced the Labour surge which powered Peter Obi and the Obidients in 2023.

“It was an expression of a desperate need to save Nigeria through rejecting machine politics that just seeks to capture power. We learnt in 2015 that just capturing power is without any use unless shared values and a collective accountability frame was firmly established ab initio.

“As Ayuba Waba firmly expressed in his speech at an event marking my birthday on February 6th 2022, we desired to change the course of electoral democracy in Nigeria by building political parties as platforms for setting a clear path for national advance.

“The party we wanted to build should then recruit people of character, competence, compassion, and commitment, who are champions of service to the people; and then form, prune, and align their disposition to entrepreneurial social democratic principles that put people first. while seeking rapid economic growth to reduce poverty by creating jobs in a competitive economy with social harmony.

“In the many hours of meetings in Ayuba Waba’s office at the NLC offices in Abuja which I chaired, I never hid my admiration for Scandinavian free enterprise models in which education and health care were radically socialized, universal and geared to production.

“Finding people whose ways align to these foundational principles of that third force we set out to build is critical for impact.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied rumours suggesting he has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called the claims false, malicious, and a “political hatchet job.”

The clarification was made in a statement released Friday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, following fresh reports circulated on social media alleging Atiku’s exit from the opposition party.

“We ordinarily would not waste words on faceless social media platforms like the so-called ‘Adamawa Happenings,’” the statement began.

“However, in light of inquiries from concerned Nigerians and credible members of the press, we are compelled to set the record straight: His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria (1999–2007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has not — we repeat, has not — resigned from the PDP. He remains a steadfast, bonafide, and loyal member of the party.”Nigerian cultural tours

According to the statement, the rumour originated from a Facebook page accused of spreading falsehoods and allegedly operated by political actors intent on creating confusion.Political candidate merchandise

“The source of this baseless rumour is a Facebook page peddling falsehoods, evidently orchestrated by desperate political operatives with nothing but mischief and confusion on their agenda,” Ibe said.

He described the publication as deliberate disinformation designed to mislead the public and stir tension among Atiku’s supporters. “This is not just fake news — it is a crude, shameless political hatchet job,” he said.

The statement called on the public, especially Atiku’s followers, to ignore the rumour. “We urge Nigerians, especially supporters of the Waziri Adamawa, to disregard this malicious fabrication. It is a vile, vexatious ploy that deserves nothing but contempt,” it added.Political candidate merchandise

Atiku, the statement concluded, remains committed to the PDP and the democratic hopes of Nigerians. “Atiku Abubakar remains committed to the ideals of the PDP and to the democratic aspirations of the Nigerian people.”

This marks the second time in recent weeks that Atiku’s camp has refuted similar claims, including a previous rumour linking him to a defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In a first major global seizure of its kind in 2025, the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 3,765kg pangolin scales in the Lekki area of Lagos.

Speaking to journalists, the Customs Area Controller, MMA command, Micheal Awe, said the operation, which was with the support of the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), led to the arrest of five suspects involved in the illegal wildlife trade.

According to the Customs boss, the 3,765kg pangolin scale seizures mark the first major global seizure of its kind in 2025.

He argued that the seizure highlighted both the persistent threat to pangolin species and the heightened vigilance of the NCS in dismantling these criminal networks.

He also disclosed that the current seizure raised the total amount of pangolin scales seized through the joint efforts of the NCS and WJC to over 25 tons since the start of the collaboration in 2021.

“On the 2nd of April 2025, the NCS MMA Command under the leadership of Comptroller Micheal AWE, with the support of the WJC, conducted 2 major operations that resulted in the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of 3,765kg of pangolin scales in the Lekki area of Lagos.

“NCS has been continuing investigations into organized criminal networks trafficking in endangered wildlife and exporting wildlife products to Asia.

This operation followed a recent bust of a major trafficking network in Nigeria that resulted in the arrest of a Chinese national Zheng Chao Hong, also known as Zheng Gao Peng, in February 2025 by the joint efforts of the Customs Police Unit and WJC.

“This seizure of 3,765kg of pangolin scales marks the first major global seizure of its kind in 2025, highlighting both the persistent threat to pangolin species and the heightened vigilance of the NCS in dismantling these criminal networks. Additionally, it raises the total amount of pangolin scales seized through the joint efforts of the NCS and WJC to over 25 tons since the start of the collaboration in 2021.”

Additionally, the Customs boss expressed his appreciation for the partnership with WJC, saying the service will not relent in its efforts in fighting wildlife crime to a standstill.

He stated that the service won’t tolerate wildlife trafficking anywhere either through the Airports, Seaports, Land borders or even within the community.

“Comptroller Awe reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi and the management team as he continues to encourage and give maximum support in facilitating legitimate trade whilst sending a strong signal that the service will equally not relent in its efforts in fighting wildlife crime to a standstill.

“We won’t tolerate it anywhere, not through our Airports, Seaports, Land borders or even within the community. Investigations are ongoing, and NCS does not rule out making further arrests.”