- Sultan declares July 16 as the first day of Safar 1448AH
- Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon align to end raw-cocoa exports
- NYSC threatens to blacklist employers over corps members’ welfare
- Tyler Perry rejects settlement pressure in $77 million lawsuit
- Ghanaian authority targets TV stations airing Nollywood films without permission
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Sultan declares July 16 as the first day of Safar 1448AH
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has announced that Thursday, July 16, 2026, will mark the beginning of Safar 1448AH after the new crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in Nigeria.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs and signed by its chairman, Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu.
According to the statement, the National Moonsighting Committee and other committees across the country did not receive any verified report confirming the sighting of the Safar crescent on Tuesday, July 14, which corresponded to the 29th day of Muharram 1448AH.
Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon align to end raw-cocoa exports
Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon have signed the Abuja Declaration, creating an alliance to end the export of raw cocoa beans. Together, the four countries account for about 75% of global cocoa production and plan to negotiate with international buyers as a single bloc.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the 2026 Cocoa Value Addition Summit in Abuja. Leaders outlined plans to boost local cocoa processing and to produce finished products rather than export raw beans.
President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria would process and brand cocoa products locally, while Ghana urged Africa to unite and secure a fairer share of the global chocolate industry.
NYSC threatens to blacklist employers over corps members’ welfare
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Olakunle Nafiu, has warned that organisations which fail to provide accommodation and transport for corps members risk being blacklisted. He spoke during a welfare workshop in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Nafiu said the federal government remains committed to the safety and welfare of corps members and urged state governments and other stakeholders to provide greater support for the scheme.
He also advised corps members to stay security-conscious, remain disciplined, and take their post-camp entrepreneurship training seriously. Nafiu encouraged them to identify business opportunities in their host communities and manage their finances wisely.
Tyler Perry rejects settlement pressure in $77 million lawsuit
Tyler Perry has filed new court documents accusing actor Mario Rodriguez Jr. of trying to pressure him into a financial settlement during their ongoing legal dispute. Perry’s lawyers argued that questions about his sexual orientation are irrelevant to the sexual assault lawsuit.
According to the filing, Perry denied that he avoided the questions out of embarrassment and said the request was intended to increase pressure after he rejected a multi-million-dollar settlement proposal.
Perry also asked the court to sanction Rodriguez by $7,300, arguing the discovery process was misused. Rodriguez is suing Perry for $77 million, alleging he was sexually assaulted after meeting the filmmaker in 2015.
Ghanaian authority targets TV stations airing Nollywood films without permission
Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) says it will take action against television stations broadcasting Nigerian films without authorisation. The announcement followed complaints from Nollywood producer Uchenna Mbunabo, who accused some stations of downloading movies from YouTube and showing them for free.
James Gardiner, the NFA’s deputy executive secretary, admitted that copyright infringement remains a major challenge but said that efforts are underway to improve enforcement in collaboration with relevant government agencies.
He added that digital broadcasters operating from outside Ghana have made enforcement more difficult. The NFA is also considering stricter licensing rules, including requiring all broadcasters to apply for new licences.
