Index to Nigerian Newspapers

In his autobiography, A Journey of Service, former military president Ibrahim Babangida argued that Nigeria failed to maximize its oil boom years due to nationwide profligacy, conspicuous consumption, and poor economic planning that deepened the country's import dependency and ruined agriculture. Babangida defended his administration's controversial spending of the twelve point four billion dollars oil windfall from the Gulf War, maintaining that the funds were monetized and directed toward critical national infrastructure and legacy projects like Ajaokuta rather than stolen. Furthermore, he blamed previous regimes for fostering an environment of public corruption and economic imbalance through state-dominated enterprises, asserting that his government's homegrown Structural Adjustment Programme and painful reforms were necessary steps to correct an overvalued currency and rescue a perilous economy.

Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary Olise Ifeajirika, has strongly denied rumors that he secretly refunded over five hundred billion naira to the state government or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to avoid prosecution. Rumors of the massive refund spread after Okowa and his political mentee, current Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwor, alongside other top state officials, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress. While Ifeajirika clarified that Okowa honored an invitation from the anti-graft agency to review documents and respond appropriately, he maintained that the investigation is still ongoing and no such money has been returned. Meanwhile, Governor Oborevwori recently held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja following the historic political realignment in the state.

The Nigerian Presidency has introduced new conditions for quarterly Stakeholder and Citizens Engagement Meetings, stressing the Federal Government's commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and citizen participation in governance. The guidelines, issued through the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, mandate stricter requirements for ministries to ensure these meetings serve as genuine platforms for public engagement. The engagement meetings aim to bridge the gap between the government and citizens, promote inclusivity, and ensure active citizen participation. Each ministry must hold at least one stakeholder or citizen engagement meeting every quarter, with the minister personally leading the session alongside the Permanent Secretary and other top officials. The engagement must be a high-level interaction, involving civil society organizations, professional groups, the media, and ordinary citizens. The Ministry of Information and National Orientation is also required to play a key role in coordinating media participation.