Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 27th August, 2025
1. Tinubu Orders Ban On Raw Shea Nut Export With Immediate Effect
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts, with immediate effect.
Naija News reports that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Vice President Kashim Shettima presided over the implementation meeting with critical stakeholders on the Presidential directive.
Confirming the directives, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, explained that the decision aims to encourage value addition through local processing, strengthen the agro-industrial sector, and ensure Nigeria benefits more from its agricultural resources.
He further noted that the policy aligns with regional trends across West Africa, where countries such as Ghana and Burkina Faso have adopted similar restrictions to stimulate domestic industries, create jobs, and maximize foreign exchange earnings from processed shea products.
2. Top Senator Hints That PDP May Bring Back Peter Obi And Jonathan For 2027 Presidential Race
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has dropped a fresh hint that former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi and former President Goodluck Jonathan may contest the 2027 presidential race.
Moro hinted that Obi may return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contest the 2027 presidency, while talks are also ongoing to bring back Jonathan to run on the party’s platform.
Naija News reports that the PDP chieftain dropped the hint on Tuesday while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He confirmed that certain individuals are speaking to the duo to encourage them to return to the party.
3. NRC Indefinitely Suspends Train Operations On Abuja-Kaduna Route After Accident
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the suspension of train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route till further notice.
Naija News reports that NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja.
He stated that technical staff of the corporation, alongside the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and other relevant agencies, are currently on the ground at the train derailment site carrying out an investigation.
NRC MD dismissed claims that the trains are not in good condition.
He also revealed that refund of the ticket fees has been initiated for all passengers on board.
Opeifa, who received some passengers on board the train at the Asham station, Idu train station, Abuja, said six passengers sustained minor injuries and have since been treated.
He, however, said the exact number of passengers onboard has not been ascertained yet.
4. ‘This Embarrassment Has To Stop’ – ADC Slams Tinubu Govt As Japan Denies Special Visa Creation For Nigerians
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has reacted to Japan’s denial of claims made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration regarding the creation of a special visa category for Nigerians.
The spokesperson for the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed frustration with the ruling administration’s attempts to garner positive headlines.
Naija News recalls that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced the launch of the ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ during the 9th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, aiming to strengthen exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments.
ICA designated four cities in four African countries.
A statement dated August 22 and signed by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, stated that the Japanese government would create special visas for skilled Nigerians and the development was widely reported both locally and internationally.
However, the Japanese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that there are no plans to issue special visas for Nigerians, as initially stated by the Nigerian government.
Reacting to Japan’s recent clarification, Abdullahi slammed the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government’s narrative, accusing them of fabricating information to bolster their image.
5. ‘It Was An Error To Field Atiku In 2023’ – Abba Moro Reveals Why PDP Zoned Its 2027 Presidential Ticket To The South
Senate Minority Leader and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Abba Moro, has stated that the party made a costly mistake by presenting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
He said the PDP wanted to put its best candidate forward, hence the decision to jettison zoning arrangements and throw the party’s ticket open for the 2023 polls.
Moro, however, said the strategy backfired as Nigerians rejected the idea of a northerner returning to the presidency immediately after another northerner had just concluded an eight-year tenure.
Naija News reports the PDP chieftain made the submission on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The lawmaker said that, based on the 2023 experience, the PDP has decided to swallow its pride and zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South in compliance with what Nigerians want.
He said the PDP has since realized that fielding a northern candidate in 2023 was an error, and the party has chosen to correct its mistake with the 2027 polls.
6. This Is Sending The Wrong Signal – Tonye Cole Slams Rivers LG Polls Amid State Of Emergency
Former gubernatorial candidate, Tonye Cole, has condemned the planned conduct of local government elections in Rivers State scheduled for August 30.
He argued that conducting a local government election during a state of emergency reflects the democracy practised in Nigeria.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Cole said that the elections should be suspended since democratic structures in the state have already been suspended.
Cole further alleged that the planned local government elections appear to be a political plot to capture the local government structures.
He warned that Rivers State is setting a very dangerous precedent for democracy in Nigeria.
7. I Would Have Won BBNaija Season 4 If I Wasn’t Disqualified – Tacha
Former Big Brother Naija Season 4 housemate, Natasha Anita Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has said she could have been the winner of the reality show if not for her disqualification.
Naija News reports that she shared this view during a recent episode of the Hot Takes podcast.
The Tiger’s Tail actress explained that her confidence came from surviving multiple evictions throughout her time in the house.
According to the beautician, she faced possible eviction eleven times, making her the most-nominated contestant in the show’s history, yet she continued to remain in the game.
Tacha said that surviving those challenges gave her strong assurance that she had a solid fan base supporting her outside the house.
Her time on the show came to an end after she was disqualified following a clash with fellow housemates.
Mercy Eke, who was her closest rival during the competition, later emerged as the winner of the season.
8. I’ll Break Up With Peller If He Ever Beats Me – Jarvis
Content creator Jadrolita, also known as Jarvis, has broken silence on the controversy surrounding a recent live session with her partner, Peller.
In the video seen by Naija News, Peller was captured raising his voice at Jadrolita as the two engaged in a heated exchange.
Both were seen arguing and trading words in the middle of their live broadcast, which later sparked reactions that Peller was abusive towards her.
However, Jadrolita explained in a follow-up session that the public misread the situation and insisted there was no case of violence.
She stated that she would never remain in an abusive relationship and stressed that her safety and mental health are priorities.
According to her, if there had been any physical harm, she would have left the relationship immediately.
Jarvis added that the incident was only a misunderstanding and assured her followers that Peller had learned from the experience.
She maintained that no abuse took place and encouraged the public to avoid pushing false narratives about her relationship.
9. “Arsenal Can’t Win 2025-2026 Premier League Title”
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has cast doubt on the Gunners’ chances of ending their long Premier League title drought this season, despite the club’s high-profile summer reinforcements.
Petit, who played a key role in Arsenal’s double-winning campaign of 1997/98, believes Mikel Arteta’s side still lacks the quality and depth required to outlast rivals in the title race.
Speaking to AS, the Frenchman said: “New signings, like Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi, still have to adapt to Arteta’s style. It will be very difficult, and I’m not convinced anyway.”
Arsenal have finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons under Arteta, fueling optimism among supporters that this could finally be their year. But Petit insists that unless the club makes further moves in the transfer market, particularly out wide, the Gunners will fall short once again.
He added: “Saka is too isolated on the right, and Ødegaard is the only real playmaker. They’ve replaced those who left, but they still lack real depth.”
Petit, who also had a spell at Chelsea, urged Arteta to strengthen before the window closes, warning that Arsenal’s attacking options remain too thin to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool across a gruelling campaign.
10. Ikpeba Backs Super Eagles To Revive World Cup Hopes Against Rwanda, South Africa
Former Nigerian international, Victor Ikpeba, said he is confident that the Super Eagles can reignite their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with crucial wins against Rwanda and South Africa in September.
Nigeria’s qualification hopes have been hanging by a thread after recording just one victory in six matches. The three-time African champions currently sit fourth in their group with seven points, trailing leaders South Africa, who have 13 points from the same number of games.
The Super Eagles face Rwanda’s Amavubi in Uyo on Saturday, September 6, before heading to Bloemfontein four days later for a decisive showdown with Bafana Bafana. Both fixtures are seen as must-win encounters if Nigeria are to keep their qualification dream alive.
Despite the shaky start under head coach Eric Chelle, Ikpeba believes the team has the quality and determination to turn things around.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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