The weekend was filled with largely positive news for Nigerians, from a historical performance at the NFL, to snagging pageantry titles, the continued Visa crackdowns were the only negatives in the media this weekend.
- Tunde Onakoya launches chess festival
- Ayra Starr makes history as she headlines NFL halftime
- Pope Leo XIV set to have lung surgery after lump was found
- UK universities withdraw 22.7% admissions to Nigerians
- Nigerian model bags ‘Best Model’ title in international competition
Tunde Onakoya Launches Chess Festival
Chess in Slums founder, Tunde Onakoya has launched an international chess festival in Lagos. During a birthday celebration and at a Mikano Motors showroom in Lagos, Tunde announced the creation of the festival, along with a scheduled timeline for its inauguration.
The festival inauguration edition is set for October 2027 and Tunde Onakoya, a Guinness World Record chess champion has received support from chess enthusiasts. According to him, the festival will feature a combination of chess, cultural experiences and art in a move to position Lagos as a major spot for chess players and enthusiasts.
Ayra Starrs Makes History As She Headlines NFL Halftime
Ayra Starr has made history as the first African artiste to headline an international NFL halftime. The singer who headlined the NFL halftime at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on the 11th of October.
She began her performance with her beloved song from her album, and regaled the audience with tracks from her new album, and her beloved track “Rush.” This monumental performance comes just shy of two months after she released her third studio album, “StarrGirl” and highlights the continuous global expansion and mainstream integration of Afrobeats on major American sports and entertainment stages.
Pope Leo XIV Set To Have Lung Surgery After Lump Was Found
The current Pope Leo XIV has announced a scheduled operation on his lung after a lump was found on his lung during a medical-check up.
During his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter’s square in Rome, he shared the news with the public and encouraged the masses not to worry, as it was well-contained and found at an early-stage.
The news comes just a year and half after he took over the position after the late Pope Francis, who also experienced issues with his lungs that required hospital treatment. Leo concluded his Angelus prayer by thanking everyone for their “spiritual closeness” and said he entrusted himself to their prayers.
Holy See Press Office spokesman Matteo Bruni told the media that “the operation is scheduled for the first days of next week”.
He added that the Pope is expected to take about a week to recover.
UK Universities Withdraw 22.7% Admissions To Nigerians
Universities in the United Kingdom have withdrawn admissions from Nigerian students following ongoing efforts by the British government to crack down on visa applications and abuse of asylum claims by students.
According to news reports, the revoking of admissions were mostly admissions given to Nigerian and Pakistani students who received their agreements in the first half of 2026. In an explanation put out, the reasoning for the revoking is driven by the government’s suspicion of students using the route of asylum claims to go into the United Kingdom with no validity to their claims.
Nigerian Model Bags Best Model in International Competition
Nigerian model, Bethel Mbamara has won the 12th edition of the Mister Global competition in Thailand, and marked one of Nigeria’s highest achievements in the competition on the 10th of October.
The win came a year after Bethel finished as the 3rd runner-up in 2025, in the same competition. He was also crowned ‘Mr Mister International Africa’ in 2025.
This win also comes a day after Nigerian model Oma Osele took home the title of the Miss Continental World 2026 pageant at the event held in Thailand. She also won the ‘Queen of Africa’ title, awarded to the highest-placed African contestant, and ‘Best National Costume’ for her cultural presentation outfit.
