Today's Paper Roundup: Sun 13-09-2026
From political jostling in Rivers and Bauchi to the grim reality of Nigeria's crumbling highways and fresh pain at the pump, Sunday's papers paint a familiar but urgent picture of a nation navigating turbulence on multiple fronts.
Politics & Power Plays
The rivalry between the ADC and APC camps in Rivers State continues to simmer, with a diaspora group insisting on the independence of their preferred candidate. Meanwhile in Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed has moved to reshuffle religious welfare leadership by naming a new pilgrims chairman and Amirul Hajj, and in Osun the state government has pushed back against ASUU's characterisation of the 2025 agreement. Elsewhere, Zamfara's governor has moved to boost education infrastructure with a fresh vehicle distribution to higher institutions.
“Pidomson will not beg any man for guber ticket, Ogoni not violent”
“Bauchi Gov Appoints Santuraki, Emir As Pilgrims Chairman, Amirul Hajj”
“Gov Lawal Distributes Vehicles To Higher Institutions”
Roads From Hell
Nigeria's infrastructure crisis took center stage as reports emerged of gridlock so severe it left commuters stranded for days. In Edo State, the deplorable condition of federal and state roads reportedly left a corpse stranded amid the chaos, while on the Lokoja-Abuja highway, travellers have been stuck for days following a mix of poor road conditions, repair works, and an accident. BusinessDay notes that the situation in Edo is "no longer news," underscoring how routine such disasters have become for road users nationwide.
“Three days in gridlock, stranded corpse exposes road disaster”
“Travellers Stranded On Lokoja-Abuja Highway”
Economic Pressures Mount
Nigerians are bracing for another squeeze as fuel prices climb once more, threatening to ripple through the wider economy. Vanguard warns that the increase in petrol and diesel prices could trigger "another wave of higher costs across the economy," adding to the burden already weighing on households nationwide.
“More hardship for Nigerians as petrol, diesel prices rise again”
Skills, Scholarships & Youth Development
On a more hopeful note, government agencies continue investing in youth capacity. NASENI has trained 220 youths in Benue State on entrepreneurial and technical skills for self-reliance, while a fresh batch of 54 Presidential Amnesty Programme scholarship beneficiaries has departed Nigeria for postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom.
“NASENI Trains Benue Youths On Enterpreneurship, Technical Skills”
“More Amnesty Scholarship Beneficiaries Depart For UK”
Sports Roundup
On the pitch, the Super Eagles' upcoming friendly against Russia has drawn attention abroad, with a Russian expert cautioning that his own team could struggle against Nigeria. Domestically, the Nigeria Premier Football League sees struggling Abia Warriors host free-scoring Ikorodu City as they chase their first win of the season.
“Russian expert predicts tough Eagles friendly”
“Struggling Pride of Abia host free-scoring Bees”
Global Watch
On the world stage, BRICS leaders have issued the New Delhi Declaration, calling for sweeping reforms to United Nations governing institutions, particularly the Security Council, to better reflect global realities. Meanwhile, in the tech sphere, Anthropic's chief executive Dario Amodei has sounded an alarm on the pace of artificial intelligence development, urging a global speed limit to keep advancement in check.
“BRICS Leaders Demand Reforms In UN”
“CEO Urges Global Speed Limit On AI Development”