A former governor of Bayelsa State is among writers and literary enthusiasts that are expected at the October 27 Guest Writer Session of the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF). The session according to a release by Edith Yassin, spokesperson for AWF will also feature two writers - Jide Badmus and Winnie…

Akin Olowokere is a retired naval lieutenant and real estate developer who also sees himself as a philosopher, counselor, and entertainer. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Unity Museum and Trade Tourism Village, Panda, Nasarawa State. In this interview, Mr Olowokere spoke about how the village was…

The inaugural edition of the Minna Book and Art Festival (MinnaBAF) held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna between September 18 and 20. The literary and cultural event themed, “Northern Nigeria Creative Development: The Valley and the Boundary” is the first of its kind in Minna…

Graham Weeks, a Septuagenarian Englishman in this interview with PREMIUM TIMES reveals why his passion is seeing an end to the traumatising insurgency ravaging the North-east. The pharmacist turned activist has continued to push for the return of the abducted Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls in far away Britain. In this…

The Presidency on Monday said it hopes the certificate forgery scandal involving the finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, would soon be proven as false, claiming that investigations are still on after more than 60 days since PREMIUM TIMES broke the story. It however said the government would take the appropriate action…

The Actors Guild of Nigeria, Abuja chapter, on Thursday evening opened a new office at the Hiltop Resort in the Gwarimpa District which it says will now serve as the nexus of all its activities in the capital city. The guild's new executive said before now accommodation for their official…

A few days after he said the rule of law must be subjected to national interest and security, President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will always uphold the sanctity of the rule of law in governing the country. Mr Buhari said this while assuring German Chancellor, Angel Merkel, who visited…

President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken on the need for Nigerians to take part in the national youth service, NYSC, but continued to maintain silence over the revelation that his minister skipped the mandatory programme and obtained a fake exemption certificate. A PREMIUM TIMES investigation showed that finance minister, Kemi Adeosun,…

For every journalist, the cardinal rule of success is the ability to protect one's sources despite pressure from the public particularly the state actors who more than often form the object of investigations by the reporter. Every successful journalist knows that what separates him/her and others in the daily rigours…

The Nigerian Police have made a first public statement on the arrest and detention of PREMIUM TIMES journalist, Samuel Ogundipe. Rather than explain the unjust detention of the journalist amidst global calls for his release, however, the police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, said he is not aware of the details of…

An operative of the police Special Anti-robbery Squad, (SARS) on Tuesday physically assaulted PREMIUM TIMES editor-in-chief, Musikilu Mojeed, as he tried to defend a reporter from being harassed at the SARS headquarters, Abuja. The police, through SARS, had on Saturday verbally requested that a reporter, Azeezat Adedigba, who covers the education beat appear before it…

On the day the Nigerian presidency was complaining about the excesses of a unit in the police, the same unit was forcing a PREMIUM TIMES journalist to disclose his source. The Nigerian police, through the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Tuesday arrested and detained Samuel Ogundipe, who covers the security sector. Apart from…

Two analysts attached to the Africa Programme of the Chatham House say President Muhammadu Buhari's performance in the last six months of his tenure will determine if he gets reelected in 2019. The duo also said the ability of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to cushion the effects of…

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah on Friday identified lack of requisite information and pessismism as core reasons why most medium and small scale enterprises (MSMEs) and entrepreneurs in Nigeria do not access government financing to grow their businesses. He said the numerous sources of financing provided by…

The Nigerian Police on Monday offered to pay N5 million to anyone with credible information that would lead to the arrest of those involved in the recent killings of policemen in Abuja and Edo State. Seven policemen were shot dead on Monday night, July 2 after suspected gunmen opened fire…

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has urged the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, to rectify the cases of non-payment and short-payment of salaries of hundreds of police personnel across the nation. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how hundreds of police personnel lamented the reduction in their salaries for…

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has endorsed the Abuja Literary Festival, an initiative of the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF), slated for June 28-30, 2018 in the nation’s capital. The endorsement was signed by Funebi Otu-Umondak on behalf of the Director-General, Mr Folorunsho Coker. The endorsement states: “The Corporation believes…

Short Story Day Africa (SSDA) has announced the shortlist for its $800 2017/18 Prize with three Nigerian writers listed as possible recipients. The Nigerians are Emmanuel Agugom, Innocent Chizaram Ilo and Tochukwu Emmanuel Okafor. The Prize’s theme, according to brittlepaper.com, is 'ID'—meaning both “identity” and the psychoanalytic concept of the…

Some police personnel have lamented the reduction in their salaries for the past few months saying the situation has worsened their economic plight. The police officcers, cutting across states, said they have had portions from their salaries deducted especially for the months of February, March and April. The officers who…

The Bring Back our Girls Group, (BBOG) has given the Nigerian government and the police 72 hours (three days) to unseal the Unity Fountain, venue of its daily sit-outs, that was sealed by the police a few days ago. The group, while condemning the action of the police reminded them…

A British-Nigerian author, Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s second novel, Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, and Zinzi Clemmons’ debut novel, What We Lose, have been shortlisted for the 2018 California Book Awards, in the Fiction and First Fiction categories, respectively. Founded in 1931, the California Book Awards, in…

The Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, Henry Purwanto, thrilled a gathering of writers and literary enthusiasts Saturday in Abuja when he gave a talk of contemporary Indonesian literature and lessons for Nigerian literature. An initiative of the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF), the event held at the Aso Hall of Nanet Suites,…

About 92 persons have finally been given letters of awards under the 2017/2018 Postgraduate Scholarship programme of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations Unit of the agency, Hadiza Umar, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. PREMIUM TIMES had late…

A former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has said President Muhammadu Buhari's claims in Damaturu, Yobe, that he handled the recent abduction of 110 Dapchi schoolgirls 'much better' than Mr. Jonathan treated a similar incident in Chibok in 2014 is false. Reno Omokri in a statement on Thursday rather defended…

The Bring Back our Girls Group, BBOG, has urged the federal government to give accurate details of the number of school-girls recently declared missing in Yobe State after their school was invaded by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. The group which has been, through daily sit-ins and protests, championing the return…