- Tyla removes Lagos from her A-Pop tour on her website after backlash
- NNPC confirms permanent roles for over 1,000 young professionals
- Enekwechi makes history with Commonwealth Games shot put gold
- Marvel cancels ‘Wonder Man’ despite Season 2 renewal
- ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ breaks preview box office records
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Tyla removes Lagos from her A-Pop tour on her website after backlash
South African pop artist Tyla has allegedly cancelled her concert in Lagos, set for December 22, 2026, a date on her A-Pop tour, due to the backlash she received from Nigerians over the xenophobia Nigerians and Africans faced in South Africa a few weeks ago.
Many Nigerians clamoured for the cancellation of Tyla’s tour because they believed that the artist, though not complicit in the xenophobic attacks that occurred in SA, was benefiting from Nigeria’s kindness to embrace all Africans, while Ayra Starr had earlier been denied a visa into South Africa.
Among the Nigerians who spoke out against Tyla’s performance in Lagos, there were also influencers and government officials like Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who requested that the NIS also reciprocate the same visa denial treatment on Tyla, which Ayra Starr had allegedly experienced in South Africa.
NNPC confirms permanent roles for over 1,000 young professionals
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has deployed more than 1,000 young professionals into permanent roles after completing a one-year internship, intensive training and performance evaluation programme.
NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari described the exercise as a major milestone, saying the recruits earned their positions through merit rather than personal connections or background. He noted that the process included internships, training and rigorous assessments.
According to Ojulari, while offer letters gave the candidates an opportunity to join the company, their performance throughout the programme secured their permanent deployment, reflecting NNPC’s commitment to merit-based recruitment.
Enekwechi makes history with Commonwealth Games shot put gold
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi has become the first Nigerian to win gold in the men’s shot put at the Commonwealth Games after producing a winning throw of 21.07 metres in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 33-year-old improved on the silver medal he won in 2018 and bounced back from a fourth-place finish in 2022. His penultimate throw saw him overtake New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, the two-time defending champion, while England’s Scott Lincoln claimed bronze.
Enekwechi’s victory increases Nigeria’s medal tally at the 2026 Commonwealth Games to 15, comprising eight gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Marvel cancels ‘Wonder Man’ despite Season 2 renewal
Marvel Studios has cancelled Wonder Man, going back on its earlier decision to renew the Disney+ series for a second season. The move comes despite the show earning praise and lead star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II receiving an Emmy nomination.
Reacting to the news, Abdul-Mateen thanked fans for their support, saying he was grateful to have been part of the project. He described the cancellation as part of life and thanked everyone who watched and enjoyed the series.
Although the show will not return, the cancellation does not rule out future appearances by Simon Williams, played by Abdul-Mateen, or Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery in other Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ breaks preview box office records
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has set a new preview-day record in Nigeria, earning ₦51.2 million on Wednesday and surpassing the ₦24.4 million record set by Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
The superhero film is now projected to make between ₦450 million and ₦500 million during its five-day opening weekend, potentially smashing the current record of ₦247.4 million held by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Globally, Brand New Day has also crossed $50 million in Thursday previews, overtaking Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film has now secured Sony’s biggest preview night ever, the largest post-pandemic preview haul, and the third-highest preview total in box office history.
