• FG declares October 1 public holiday, cancels Independence parade
• ASUU gives FG two weeks to meet demands or face university shutdown
• FIRS says food, education, transport, and agriculture are now free from VAT
• Nigerian man extradited from Poland over alleged inheritance fraud targeting elderly Americans
• Trump imposes a 100% tariff on foreign films

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss. 

FG declares October 1 public holiday, cancels Independence parade

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1 October 2025, a public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary. The announcement was made by the Minister of the Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who congratulated Nigerians at home and abroad on this milestone.

However, the government has also cancelled the parade earlier planned for the celebrations. In a statement released on Monday by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the cancellation was described as having no reduction in the importance of the anniversary. The statement, signed by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations, explained that other activities will go ahead as planned.

These include the presidential broadcast, cultural programmes, and the grand finale of the National Campus Debate. The government expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and thanked Nigerians, the diplomatic community, and guests for their understanding while urging continued support for the Renewed Hope Agenda.

ASUU gives FG two weeks to meet demands or face university shutdown

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned it will shut down public universities nationwide if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands within two weeks. The ultimatum was issued on Monday after the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja.

ASUU President, Prof Christopher Piwuna, accused the government of neglecting the welfare of lecturers and abandoning critical issues affecting universities. He stated that if no changes are made, lecturers will embark on a two-week warning strike, which could escalate into a complete shutdown of academic activities.

The union’s demands include renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, improved funding for public universities, and an end to the alleged victimisation of its members at LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University in Kogi, and FUTO. ASUU also called for the payment of outstanding salary arrears, delayed promotion arrears, and the reversal of withheld third-party deductions.

FIRS says food, education, transport, and agriculture are now free from VAT

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that key sectors, including food, education, shared transportation, and agriculture, will be exempt from value-added tax under new government reforms.

FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji announced the development while reflecting on his two years in office. He credited President Bola Tinubu for fulfilling his campaign pledge to make tax compliance easier and to remove hurdles for businesses. Adedeji described the changes as “the best thing that has happened to Nigeria’s fiscal ecosystem since 1960.”

The reforms, which consolidate multiple tax laws into a single code, will take effect in January. They cut the number of tax types to single digits, simplified processes for individuals and companies, and gave relief to small businesses. Enterprises with an annual turnover below ₦50m will no longer pay tax, while personal income tax thresholds have been adjusted to protect low earners. The reforms follow Tinubu’s signing of four key bills into law on June 26, 2025.

Nigerian man extradited from Poland over alleged inheritance fraud targeting elderly Americans

A 43-year-old Nigerian, Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, has been extradited from Poland to the United States to face federal charges for allegedly running a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that swindled American seniors out of their savings. He appeared in a Miami federal court on Monday.

Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 following an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida and had remained in custody until his transfer. Court documents allege that he and his associates operated the scheme for more than five years, sending personalised letters to elderly Americans, falsely claiming that they were due multimillion-dollar inheritances from supposed relatives in Spain.

Victims were instructed to pay delivery fees, taxes, and other charges before accessing the inheritance. According to prosecutors, the money was channelled through a network of U.S.-based intermediaries, many of whom were former victims, before being passed on to Nnebocha and his associates. The indictment states that none of the victims ever received the promised funds.

Trump imposes a 100% tariff on foreign films

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would impose a 100% tariff on all films produced abroad and imported into the United States, a move that could reshape Hollywood’s global business model. The plan, reported by Reuters, extends his protectionist trade policies into the cultural sector.

Trump claimed that other countries had “stolen” America’s movie-making industry, comparing it to “stealing candy from a baby” in a post on Truth Social. However, the White House has not explained what legal authority would allow such tariffs, and major studios, including Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Skydance, Netflix, and Comcast, declined to comment.

Industry analysts warn that the proposal could increase production costs and ultimately impact audiences. Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said the policy created “too much uncertainty” and left “more questions than answers” for the film industry.