Tuesday 20 October

Send us your video Advertise
Sign in Join free

News

What happened, and what it means for you.

  1. GTCO made a pre-tax profit of ₦603.03bn in January–June 2026, up 0.4% from ₦600.9bn a year earlier.
  2. The board approved a ₦1 interim dividend per share, matching last year's half-year payout; it will be paid on 20 October to shareholders on the register on 12 October.
  3. Profit after tax fell about 7.8% to ₦414.19bn as income tax rose 24%, Nairametrics reported from the filing.
Gist Reel

Economy · 4 min read

GTCO declares ₦1 interim dividend as half-year pre-tax profit hits ₦603bn

GTCO's H1 2026 results show flat pre-tax profit, strong deposit growth and a heavier tax bill that cut net profit. Here is what the numbers mean for shareholders as trading resumes on Tuesday.

Updated 17:53 WAT, 29 Sep 2026: GTCO has set 12 October as the qualification date and 20 October as the payment date for its ₦1 interim dividend. The GTCO interim dividend is back at ₦1 a share after Guaranty Trust Holding Company posted a pre-tax profit of ₦603.03bn for January to June 2026, in results released late on Monday. GTCO…

Story page
  1. Abbas Araghchi received Washington's feedback on Iran's seven-day plan through Qatar on Tuesday night and presented it to Iran's cabinet on Wednesday; its contents have not been disclosed.
  2. US officials say Marco Rubio ordered Araghchi's delegation out of New York on Monday after the talks stalled; Iran says it left on schedule.
  3. Trump said on Wednesday the US would either "blow them up" or make a deal, while the order of steps remains the main sticking point.
Gist Reel

World · 5 min read

Iran gets US feedback on Hormuz plan as talks snag on who moves first

Abbas Araghchi received Washington's feedback on Iran's seven-day Hormuz plan through Qatar on Tuesday night, but the two sides still disagree on the order of steps. Oil eased as Gulf exports recovered, good news at the pump but a smaller windfall for Nigeria's budget.

Updated 10:01 WAT, 1 Oct 2026: Iran's cabinet has reviewed the US response without disclosing it, and US officials say Marco Rubio ordered Abbas Araghchi's delegation out of New York on Monday. Updated 08:57 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: Iran has received the US feedback through Qatar, and oil prices eased on Tuesday. This story has been updated. Iran US talks…

Story page
  1. Three Nigerians died in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Ekurhuleni between 18 and 21 September, Nigeria's consulate in Johannesburg said on Monday.
  2. One victim allegedly died after an assault by Xolani Khumalo's Sizok'thola team; another was shot at a Pretoria nightclub.
  3. The Foreign Ministry condemned the deaths on Wednesday, demanded swift investigations and said Nigeria was considering further measures.
Gist Reel

Nigeria · 5 min read

Nigeria demands justice after three citizens die in South Africa in four days

The Johannesburg consulate says the deaths, one allegedly at the hands of politician Xolani Khumalo's Sizok'thola crew, point to a pattern, deepening a xenophobia crisis that has already driven more than 1,800 Nigerians home this year.

Updated 18:02 WAT, 1 Oct 2026: Nigeria's Foreign Ministry has condemned the deaths and says it is considering further measures, and Nigeria's envoy says 12 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa this year. This story has also been corrected. Nigeria has demanded justice for three citizens who died in separate incidents between 18 and 21 September, with its Johannesburg…

Story page
  1. Tinubu landed in Lagos on Tuesday evening after 30 days in Europe; his Independence Day broadcast on 1 October did not mention the trip.
  2. Sowore's AAC sued Tinubu, the Attorney-General and National Assembly leaders at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday over his Europe trip.
  3. The party says Tinubu sent no written handover notice and lawmakers failed to make Shettima acting president after 21 days.
Gist Reel

Politics · 5 min read

Tinubu back in Lagos after 30 days in Europe as Sowore’s AAC sues over his absence

President Bola Tinubu landed in Lagos on Tuesday evening after 30 days in Europe. His return does not end the row: Omoyele Sowore's party wants a judge to rule that he breached Section 145 of the constitution by not handing power to his deputy.

Updated 10:03 WAT, 1 Oct 2026: Tinubu's Independence Day broadcast made no reference to his 30 days abroad or the handover dispute. Updated 22:30 WAT, 29 Sep 2026: Tinubu landed in Lagos at about 6.20pm on Tuesday. This story has been updated throughout. Updated 16:06 WAT, 29 Sep 2026: Tinubu has left Paris and is expected in Lagos this evening,…

Story page
  1. BBNaija: Keivo and Tram Clash Over Shirt, Fight Breaks Out in Biggie's House
Gist Reel

Celebrity · 2 min read

BBNaija: Finalists Keivo and Tram Come to Blows Over Shirt

 A disagreement over a shirt escalated into a physical altercation between Big Brother Naija Season 11 finalists Keivo and Tram on Monday night, forcing other housemates to step in and separate the pair. How it started The trouble began when Tram noticed Keivo wearing a shirt he insisted belonged to him. Tram said he had come into the house with…

Story page
  1. AI Meets Nigerian Mythology: JustBarny Hosts Live Podcast Session on The God Weaver in Abuja
Gist Reel

News · 2 min read

AI and Nigerian Storytelling

 Nigerian Mythology: JustBarny Hosts Live Podcast Session on The God Weaver in Abuja Artificial intelligence is reshaping how stories are told, and Nigerian literature is part of that conversation. This Friday, JustBarny hosts a live special podcast session in Abuja on "A.I. in Nigerian Literature: Exploring Mythical Narratives Through a Contemporary Lens." The session will look at where AI intersects…

Story page
VideoPresident Tinubu's Independence Day broadcast: TVC News on YouTube

NigeriaLive · Video

Nigeria at 66: live updates from Independence week

Prayers, a world press conference and a public lecture lead up to President Tinubu's nationwide broadcast on Thursday, 1 October.

Updated 18:24 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: The Federal Government has declared Thursday, 1 October, a public holiday. Updated 10:06 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: President Tinubu returned to Lagos on Tuesday evening after a month in London and Paris, and will mark the anniversary in the city. Nigeria marks 66 years of independence on Thursday, 1 October. The Federal Government has…

Story page
  1. NARD issued the ultimatum at the close of its 46th AGM in Calabar on Sunday
  2. Demands include a pay review, workload compensation and protection from assault
  3. The two-week window runs out around 11 October
Gist Reel

Nigeria · 2 min read

Resident doctors give FG two weeks to meet demands or face a strike

Meeting in Calabar, the National Association of Resident Doctors says unfulfilled agreements on pay and welfare could trigger nationwide action.

Nigeria’s resident doctors have put the Federal Government on notice. At the close of its 46th Annual General Meeting in Calabar, Cross River State, on Sunday, 27 September, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) gave the government two weeks to act on a list of long-standing demands or face industrial action. Resident doctors are qualified doctors training as specialists,…

Story page
  1. Iran's foreign minister unveiled the roadmap at the UN General Assembly on Friday
  2. Trump rejected it on Saturday but on Sunday said he expected more talks this week
  3. Brent crude settled at $104.32 a barrel on Friday
Gist Reel

World · 3 min read

Trump rejects Iran’s seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Iran offered to reopen the vital oil route in return for sanctions relief and an end to the US naval blockade. Washington said no, for now.

Updated 10:03 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: Iran has received a US response to its seven-day plan through Qatari mediators, and President Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet discussed it on Wednesday. Hopes of an early end to the nearly seven-month stand-off over the Strait of Hormuz dimmed at the weekend after US President Donald Trump rejected a peace roadmap put forward by Iran.…

Story page
  1. Ruto and Dangote broke ground on the Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, on Wednesday 30 September
  2. Dangote promised to commission the $16bn, 700,000-barrel-a-day plant within 40 months; up to 60,000 jobs are expected
  3. A Malindi court has ordered the status quo on disputed land at the site until a hearing on 14 October
Gist Reel

Economy · 3 min read

Ruto and Dangote break ground on $16bn Lamu refinery

Kenya's President William Ruto and Aliko Dangote broke ground on the Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu on Wednesday, with Dangote promising to commission it within 40 months.

Updated 15:33 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: Ruto and Dangote have broken ground on the Lamu refinery. This story now includes what they said at the ceremony. Kenya's President William Ruto and Aliko Dangote broke ground on the Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu, on Kenya's coast, on Wednesday 30 September, Capital FM and Citizen Digital reported. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni…

Story page
  1. States and FCT raised N5.15trn in 2025, up 40.93% from N3.65trn in 2024
  2. Lagos led with N1.77trn, followed by Rivers (N428.42bn) and Enugu (N406.77bn)
  3. PAYE taxes on salaries made up 69.51% of all state tax revenue
Gist Reel

Nigeria · 2 min read

Lagos, Rivers and Enugu lead as states’ own revenue hits N5.15trn

NBS data shows the 36 states and the FCT raised N5.15 trillion themselves in 2025, up 40.93%, with Lagos alone collecting N1.77 trillion.

Before the monthly allocation from Abuja lands, how much do Nigeria's states actually raise for themselves? New figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) give the answer: a lot more than they used to. According to the NBS report on internally generated revenue (IGR), published on 24 September, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory collected N5.15 trillion…

Story page
  1. VP Shettima delivered Nigeria's statement at UNGA 81 on 24 September
  2. Africa wants two permanent seats with the veto and five more elected seats
  3. Any change needs two-thirds of UN members, including all five permanent members
Gist Reel

Explainers · 2 min read

Explainer: why Nigeria wants permanent Security Council seats for Africa

At the UN General Assembly, Nigeria again demanded two permanent seats with veto power for Africa. Here is what that means and why it is so hard.

Every September, world leaders take turns at the podium of the UN General Assembly in New York. This year Nigeria used its slot to repeat a demand it has made for years: Africa must have permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Vice President Kashim Shettima delivered the national statement on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the 81st session…

Story page

The newsletter

Get the gist before everyone else.

A five-minute read on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7am. Free, and you can leave any time.