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The Eko Tourism Foundation (ETF) has reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Lagos as a leading global cultural tourism destination by harnessing the state’s rich artistic, historical and creative heritage to attract visitors, investments and international recognition.

Chairman of the Foundation’s Governing Council and former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this during a visit by the Foundation to the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) at Pan-Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, on Monday.

Speaking during the visit, Mohammed described culture and heritage as the bedrock of successful destination marketing, noting that Lagos possesses all the qualities needed to emerge as one of the world’s foremost cultural tourism capitals.

He described the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art as “a sanctuary of memory, identity and civilisation,” adding that it represents the kind of cultural infrastructure capable of driving sustainable tourism, strengthening national pride and enhancing global visibility.

“This visit is not a courtesy call. It is a statement of intent,” Mohammed said. “The Eko Tourism Foundation is declaring, in the clearest possible terms, that culture is the soul of tourism. No destination can successfully market itself to the world without first understanding, preserving and celebrating what makes it unique.”

The former minister praised the vision and contributions of renowned art collector and philanthropist, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, describing the museum as a world-class institution dedicated to preserving Nigerian art and heritage while using culture as a tool for education, historical consciousness and social transformation.

According to him, Lagos enjoys unique advantages in history, visual arts, music, fashion, cuisine, film, architecture and the broader creative economy, all of which should be strategically packaged for global promotion.

“Our mission is bold and unapologetic: we exist to bring the world to Lagos,” he said.

“Not just for our beaches or business districts, not just for the energy and spectacle of Detty December, but for our history, our heritage sites, our food, our music, our film industry, our arts, our fashion and our architecture.”

Drawing comparisons with major global tourism destinations, Mohammed noted that millions of tourists visit Paris for the Louvre Museum, New York for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Cairo for the pyramids, stressing that Lagos must build similar international recognition around its own cultural landmarks and creative institutions.

He further revealed that the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art has increasingly become a destination of choice for international visitors to Nigeria, reflecting growing global interest in Nigerian culture and creativity.

Mohammed also called for stronger partnerships among museums, universities, galleries, creative hubs and tourism stakeholders, noting that thriving tourism destinations are built on authentic and diverse cultural experiences.

“The mission of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum aligns naturally with ours,” he said. “Together, institutions like this can help place Lagos firmly on the global cultural tourism map and redefine how the world experiences Nigeria.”

He thanked the leadership of Pan-Atlantic University and the management of the museum for hosting the Foundation, adding that the visit had further strengthened ETF’s determination to promote Lagos as a world-class tourism and cultural destination.

“We leave here not just inspired, but even more determined to bring the world to Lagos,” he added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the YSMA Advisory Council expressed readiness to collaborate with the Board of Trustees and Governing Council of the Eko Tourism Foundation in achieving the objective of “bringing the world to Lagos.”

Other members of the Eko Tourism Foundation present at the event included Chief Gabriel Idahosa, immediate past President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Karl Hala, Group General Manager of Lagos and Abuja Continental Hotels; and Erelu Abimbola Dosunmu.

Also present were the Vice Chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University, Enase Okonedo; Museum Director, Jess Castellote; Chairman of the YSMA Advisory Board, Adedotun Sulaiman; Grand Donor and Chairman of YSMA, Prince Yemisi Shyllon; alongside other distinguished guests.

Eko Tourism Foundation Pushes To Position Lagos As Global Hub is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

According to CNN, a photo of the incident circulated on social media, with one of the soldiers holding a cigarette to the statue’s mouth.

The post Israel jails soldiers over Virgin Mary statue desecration in Lebanon appeared first on Tribune Online.

Members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Monday, staged a peaceful protest over the alleged refusal of party leaders to issue them membership cards despite completing their registration.

The aggrieved party faithful also accused some leaders of the party of plotting to impose candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to them, the delay in issuing membership cards was part of efforts to disenfranchise them during the party’s primary elections.

The protesters, who converged on the APC secretariat in Ijaye, Abeokuta, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Give Us Our Membership Cards,” “We Don’t Want Imposition,” and “Let Us Vote for Our Candidates”.

Speaking during the protest, one of the demonstrators, Adesanya Akinbode, demanded immediate access to the membership cards, stressing that members who had remained loyal to the party deserved to participate fully in its internal democratic processes.

Akinbode said, “Give us our membership cards. We want to vote. We have been loyal APC members from the beginning. We are loyal supporters and political children of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun. Give us our membership cards so that we can have access to vote.”

Another protester, Idowu Rodiat, decried what she described as attempts to force candidates on party members against their wishes, calling for transparency and fairness in the party’s electoral process.

She said, “We don’t want imposition in our local government. We want our primary election, and we really need security in that primary election. We want to vote for our own leader. We don’t want any leader to choose for us.

“We, the members of APC, want to vote for our true leader, our House of Representatives candidate, our Senate candidate, and our House of Assembly candidate by ourselves. We don’t want any leader to impose candidates on us.”

Reacting to the allegations, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Nuerudeen  Olufemi, denied claims that members were being denied access to their cards.

Olufemi explained that registered members could print their membership cards directly online, adding that ward officials had been assigned to assist members with the process.

The publicity secretary said, “What we expect is for registered members to be able to access and print their membership cards directly. The arrangement is that each ward has a contact person responsible for handling registrations. These individuals were selected from the wards to carry out the registration process.

“Members are encouraged to meet with their ward contact persons, while they can also log into the website and print their membership cards themselves. So, I don’t see how anyone can claim they are being denied access. Nobody is denying anybody.”

He stressed that the issue may have stemmed from inadequate orientation at the ward level, adding that the state has nothing to do with denying anyone access.

“What we need to do is reach out to the ward chairmen to properly orientate them and provide the right information on how members in their wards can print their slips. It is very easy. The state has absolutely nothing to do with denying anyone access, as far as I am concerned,” he added.

2027: APC members protest ‘imposition’, withheld cards in Abeokuta

The Ebonyi State Government has officially launched the long-lasting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, Lenacapavir (Len-PrEP), for HIV prevention….

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South Korea is set to roll out a second batch of cash assistance for the bottom 70 per cent of income earners in an effort to ease financial strain….

The post South Korea to give 36 million people cash to ease rising fuel prices appeared first on Tribune Online.

A former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Muhammad Musa Bagana, has insisted that there is no faction in the party.

Bagana was reacting to defection of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and their supporters to the party.

He described the governors’ defection to APM as a giant step forward in the quest for sustainable democracy and development in Nigeria.

There were reports at the weekend that the founding leaders of APM are leaving no stone unturned to reclaim what they describe as the rightful ownership of the party, which they said was established by the pioneer Board of Trustees chairman, Bagana.

The report, which described Bagana as the chairman of the party, went further to describe the national Chairman of the party Yusuf Mamman Dantalle as a factional chairman, adding that there were moves to institute a legal battle to stop Dantalle, who doubles as the Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, from parading himself as the national chairman of the party.

The report said that Dantalle was being challenged at the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal set aside the Federal High Court judgment which had recognized Bagana’s faction as the authentic executive  committee.

However, reacting in a statement on Monday, Bagana rejected the report, saying that the movement of the governors to the party has attracted the envy of anti-democratic and reactionary forces who want to destabilise the party with fake news of a faction.

Bagana said, “Although l once had a political disagreement with the APM National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Dantalle, that misunderstanding had long been amicably resolved, settled and reconciled. There is no leadership case in any court in Nigeria between Mohammed Bagana and Yusuf Dantalle.

“I was shocked to read about the Bagana faction of the party dismissing the defection of Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde to APM in a statement purportedly signed by one Muhammed Bello who claimed to be the spokesman for the so-called faction. It is fake news emanating from mischief makers and figments of their fertile imaginations.

“I don’t know anything about the statement, I did not authorise it and don’t have any spokesman.

“The public should ignore these peddlers of fake news and agents of political destabilization in this crucial electoral season. Their mission is well known to all discerning citizens – create imaginary faction and litigation to discourage new members and scare away intending ones from joining the party. Their antics are well known to Nigerians.

“APM is united and strong under the leadership of Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle. The INEC website is there to verify the authentic leadership of any political party.

“I therefore disclaim the statement aligning me to a faction APM. It is not true.”

No faction in APM – Bagana clears air on Makinde, Bala Mohammed’s defection

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that it has compensated more than 2,000 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) along the 330kV Double Circuit QUAD Conductor Mando–Rimin Zakara transmission line linking Kaduna and Kano.

According to the TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the second phase of the compensation exercise began on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Shika, Zaria, as part of ongoing efforts to clear the Right of Way (RoW) for the project.

Mbah explained that TCN prioritises full RoW clearance before construction to ensure safety, protect infrastructure, and allow smooth project execution.

She added that the exercise is being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank.

The project manager, Omobola Odusoga Sobo, noted that about 5,500 people were identified as affected along the corridor, with the current phase covering roughly 2,000 beneficiaries in communities within Kaduna State.

TCN Managing Director and CEO, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, was also commended for supporting the process, alongside cooperation from traditional leaders and community stakeholders.

The District Head of Rigasa, Arc. Muhammed Aminu Idris, said the engagement between TCN and communities had been largely transparent, noting that while full satisfaction is difficult in such projects, the process remained inclusive and consultative.

He expressed optimism that the transmission line would significantly improve electricity supply and stimulate economic activity across Kaduna, Zaria, and Kano industrial corridors.

The compensation exercise included screening and verification of beneficiaries, during which affected persons were required to present original documents before payment was made, ensuring only legitimate claimants were covered.

Beneficiaries, including Mallam Lawal Abubakar and Shehu Muhammad, commended TCN for what they described as a fair and transparent process, pledging continued community support for the project.

The Mando–Rimin Zakara transmission line, which includes a Turn-In Turn-Out (TITO) connection at the new 2x150MVA 330/132/33kV substation in Jaja, Zaria, is part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s power transmission capacity and improve grid reliability nationwide.

TCN Compensates Over 2,000 Residents Along Kaduna–Kano Power Corridor is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has formally notified all registered political parties and their candidates that campaigns for the October 17, 2026, Local Government Elections will officially commence on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The announcement was contained in a public notice signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Mamman Nda Eri, who stated that […]

The post Kogi LG polls: KOSIEC announces official date for campaigns appeared first on Tribune Online.

Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Monday commissioned the newly constructed Onyearugbulem–Shagari/Irese Road Flyover and Junction Improvement Project in Akure, describing the project as a strategic infrastructure intervention aimed at reducing persistent traffic congestion and boosting industrial and commercial activities along the corridor. Speaking at the ceremony held along the Ilesha–Akure–Owo Expressway, Shettima said the first […]

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Sending money home has become a monthly responsibility for millions of Nigerians living abroad. Whether it is helping families with school fees, rent,

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