- Nigeria seeks new $1.5bn World Bank loans despite record debt
- APC chapters push back against Wike’s Rainbow Coalition
- Resident doctors give FG two weeks to address welfare concerns
- Black Market sets Guinness World Record with 51,000 viewers
- Nigeria set to host new Global Black Diaspora Festival
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Nigeria seeks new $1.5bn World Bank loans despite record debt
Nigeria is negotiating three new World Bank loans worth $1.5bn as public debt reached ₦166.79tn by June 2026. The proposed facilities include $500m each for climate resilience, social protection and early childhood development.
The first proposed loan would provide additional funding for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project. The World Bank is expected to consider the facility on October 29, 2026, increasing ACReSAL’s financing from $700m to $1.2bn.
The additional funding would support landscape restoration, flood and erosion control, irrigation, water storage, reforestation and community climate resilience, with $310m earmarked for dryland management.
APC chapters push back against Wike’s Rainbow Coalition
Several APC state chapters have rejected Nyesom Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, with some party leaders asking the FCT minister to formally join the party if he wants to support President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The dispute centres on Wike’s support for Tinubu while remaining a PDP member and allowing the party to field candidates in governorship and legislative contests. APC governors have said they will support only the party’s candidates.
Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal also urged Wike to choose between joining the APC and continuing with the coalition, saying he could not support two sides.
Resident doctors give FG two weeks to address welfare concerns
Resident doctors have given the federal government two weeks to resolve outstanding welfare and professional issues, warning that failure to do so could lead to industrial action. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) issued the ultimatum after its annual general meeting in Calabar.
The association cited delays in implementing agreements on remuneration, career progression, professional allowances and improved working conditions. It also raised concerns over excessive workloads and staff shortages affecting hospitals.
NARD called for compensation for doctors who handled additional duties due to manpower gaps. It also demanded standardised compensation guidelines and reliable data to support payments for excess workloads.
Black Market sets Guinness World Record with 51,000 viewers
Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in one location, drawing 51,000 viewers to Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The screening took place on Saturday.
Thousands arrived in the afternoon, with long queues reported around the venue before the event began. Although Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced an attendance of 64,000, Guinness World Records confirmed 51,000 as the qualifying figure.
The record surpasses the previous attendance record of 43,624 set by Felix Manalo in the Philippines in 2015. Nollywood stars, including Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, and Kunle Afolayan, attended.
Nigeria set to host new Global Black Diaspora Festival
Nigeria is set to host the African Global Festival Nigeria (AGLOFEST) in October 2026, following presidential approval for the programme, which aims to promote cultural diplomacy, economic cooperation, and stronger ties with the African Diaspora.
The public-private initiative will bring together government officials, investors, businesses, cultural institutions and creative professionals. It will showcase Nigeria’s heritage, tourism, creative industries and investment opportunities.
AGLOFEST will feature the Black Diaspora Economic Forum, a cultural presentation and the Renewed Global Hope and Peace Concert. Convener Tunde MacAlabi thanked President Bola Tinubu and participating government agencies for supporting the initiative.
