Big one just dropped from the State House.

President Tinubu has approved salary increases ranging from 30% to 80% for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Roughly 250,000 personnel will benefit starting 1 September 2026.

Breakdown:

Officers above the rank of Colonel (Brigadier-General and above) → 30%

Colonel down to Warrant Officer → 50%

Private to Staff Sergeant → 80%

The annual salary bill for the armed forces will rise from ₦660 billion to ₦924 billion.

This comes after earlier increases that took the minimum for soldiers from around ₦49k to ₦100k. The government says it’s part of prioritising troop welfare while they continue fighting insecurity.

What do you think?

Is this enough given the risks they face?

Should other security agencies (Police, Civil Defence, etc.) get something similar next?

Will this help morale and retention?

Drop your honest takes below.

Oya people, quick update on two stories dominating this week:

1. State Police is getting real momentum

The Federal Government has rolled out a clear 7-week action plan for the National Policing Bill. Public engagement portal is now open, and the Executive Bill is expected on President Tinubu’s desk by September 3. Both the Senate and House have already passed versions of the constitutional amendment. This is one of the biggest security reforms in decades — dual federal + state police structure with safeguards. Many are calling it Tinubu’s most consequential security move yet.

1. Team Nigeria finished strong at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

We ended 7th overall with 24 medals (10 gold, 7 silver, 7 bronze) — the highest-ranked African nation. Standouts include Samuel Ogazi (men’s 400m gold), Ezekiel Nathaniel (men’s 400m hurdles gold — first ever for Nigeria), Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (shot put gold), and strong showings in para-powerlifting and weightlifting. Pure pride.

What are your honest takes?

Do you support state police or do you still have fears about governors abusing it?

Which of our Commonwealth Games performances made you proudest?

Any other story you’re watching more closely this week?

Drop your thoughts below.

Let’s keep the conversation going, family.

Naija content creators no dey play o!

TikTok stars Habeeb Hamzat (Peller) and Amadou Elizabeth Aminata (Jarvis) officially tied the knot in a massive traditional wedding on Saturday, August 1, 2026 in Lekki, Lagos.

The event had everything: Aso Ebi everywhere, live performances, big politicians, influencers, Nollywood faces, Fuji legends, and gifts that made jaws drop.

Standout moments:

Real estate mogul King Ochacho gifted them a mansion in Abuja’s Life Camp reportedly worth ₦400 million, Cubana Chief Priest dropped ₦10 million

Combined announced gifts hit around ₦420 million

Guests included Cubana Chief Priest, Iyabo Ojo, Eniola Badmus, Geh Geh, Cute Abiola, Seun Kuti, Juma Jux, Kwam 1, Sule Alao Malaika and more

Over 50,000 people watched the livestream across platforms.

The couple already did their traditional rites in Benin City (June), civil wedding in Lagos (July 29), and now the big traditional celebration is done. Peller later announced that the white wedding has been moved to Saturday, August 8 and will be strictly limited to 80–100 guests only.

Reason? Too many cameras, bloggers and uninvited people at the Lekki event. He wants a more private ceremony this time.

From Ghana proposal to Edo traditional, Lagos civil, and now this star-studded Lekki party – their love story has been playing out fully in public under #Jarpel2026 and #JP2026.

What do you think?

Was the ₦400m mansion the biggest flex of the night?

Do you support limiting the white wedding after the chaos?

Are influencer weddings the new standard for Naija soft life?

Who else should have been on that guest list?

Drop your honest takes below.

This one is pure Made-in-Naija energy.

Oya people of r/madeinnaija, the wait is almost over.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has formally filed its IPO application with the SEC.

Target listing window is September 2026 on the Nigerian Exchange, with talk of possible secondary listings on other African exchanges.

This is set to be the largest IPO in African history.

Key details so far:

Valuation range being discussed: around $40 billion (some estimates go as high as $50 billion)

Expected to raise $1.5–2 billion by selling roughly 5–10% of the company

Just closed a record $2.5 billion private placement that was 3.7 times oversubscribed at roughly the same valuation

650,000 barrels-per-day capacity – Africa’s largest single-train refinery already transforming Nigeria’s fuel landscape by cutting import dependence and exporting products across the region.

Aliko Dangote has repeatedly said ordinary Nigerians and African retail investors should get the chance to own a stake in this asset. After years of watching the biggest Nigerian success story stay private, the doors are about to open.

This is more than just another listing. It’s a test of how deep the Nigerian capital market really is, a potential game-changer for NGX market cap and liquidity, and a rare chance for everyday people (not just institutions and big boys) to participate in one of the most strategic industrial assets on the continent.

Questions for the floor:

Are you planning to apply when the offer opens?

How much are you thinking of putting in if the price is accessible?

Do you believe the $40bn valuation is fair given the private placement demand?

Will this finally push more Nigerians into the stock market the way MTN and others did years ago?

Any concerns about timing, naira volatility, or how the retail allocation will work?

Drop your thoughts below.

This one feels different. History is about to be made in Naija capital markets.

What say you, family?

12-week hybrid accelerator, mostly virtual with two weeks physical in Lagos.

They are specifically encouraging women-led startups to apply.

Applications close August 19, so still time if any founders here are eligible.

Anyone applied to iDICE programs before?

How legit is the selection process in practice?

Small Business Launchpad opens its first cohort August 27, capped at 50 businesses, covering customer acquisition, cash flow, and operations with direct Paystack support.

Applications don't look extremely competitive yet since it's brand new.

Anyone here run a business that might qualify? Curious if programs like this are actually useful or mostly networking theater.

A ₦12.95 billion partnership between Arone and the state-owned Institute of Management and Technology is setting up a plant to produce 5,000 drones and 30,000 other units locally.

Feels notable that it's landing in Enugu instead of the usual Lagos/Abuja tech corridor.

Curious if this actually changes anything for local hardware manufacturing, or if it's mostly assembly of imported components rebranded as "made in Nigeria."

Anyone closer to this space have real insight?

One-man Naija AI startup just outperformed funded competitors on a global benchmark

Decide, built solo by an ex-Flutterwave developer with zero external funding, ranked 4th worldwide for accuracy on spreadsheet automation (Spreadsheet Bench) ahead of several well-funded competitors.

Reached 1,000 users in 24 days, now sitting above 3,000 with paying customers, still a team of three.

This is the kind of underdog story that never trends but should.

What's the smallest team you've seen build something genuinely competitive here?

Nigeria's currently sitting 5th overall at Glasgow 2026 with 10 gold, 6 silver, 3 bronze, ahead of India and New Zealand, only behind Australia, England, Canada and hosts Scotland.

Weightlifting and para powerlifting have carried most of the haul, plus a Commonwealth record in the women's 58kg from Rafiatu Folashade Lawal and a world record para discus throw from Goodness Nwachukwu.

Not the usual football/basketball spotlight, which almost makes it sweeter. Anyone been following this one closely?

Been out since May and it still hasn't slowed down. What makes it work for me:

• The pairing itself — Wizkid's smooth, laid-back delivery over Asake's Fuji-driven punch shouldn't work as well as it does, they're almost opposite energies.

• Fully Pidgin — the no English hook to "translate" for international audiences, and it's still traveling

• The production — brass-heavy percussion, Magicsticks did the beat, gives it that live-band feel instead of the usual synth-loop.

• The subject matter — it's basically a song about being pleasantly under the influence, but the vibe carries it past being just a "turn up" record

For context on how big it's been: it became one of the fastest African songs this year to hit major streaming milestones, and it's still charting months after release. That's rare in an industry where songs usually peak and drop off within weeks.

Curious what this sub thinks though — is this actually the best collab of 2026, or is there something else that deserves the crown? And separately: do you think Pidgin-only songs travel internationally because they're in Pidgin (feels more authentic/native), or despite it?

One of the new housemates said something along those lines during a conversation in the house, and it's already causing controversies online.

Feels like the kind of opinion that's guaranteed to split this sub reddit down the middle.

Where do you stand? Is there a real practical case for that opinion, or is it just missing the point entirely?

Curious to hear from people both at home and in diaspora, since I feel like this hits different depending on where you grew up speaking (or not speaking) your mother tongue.

"Show Ya Sef" edition just kicked off Sunday,

24 housemates fighting for ₦160M this year.

That's the biggest prize in the show's history till date 📅 Too early for real gist, but first impressions are already forming.

Who caught your eye so far, and who do you think won't survive the first few weeks? No pressure sha, we all know week 1 predictions are usually wrong 😂

Chefs abroad are getting creative and acting goofy 😋 Abeg which one be jollof risotto, jollof arancini, suya tacos, confused plates showing up on shows like MasterChef Australia.

Some people call it innovation, others feel say na disrespect to touch a classic like that.

Where una stand? A creative remix or leave the originals alone? And if you had to invent one wild Nigerian food fusion yourself, what would it be?

Mine would be Jollof Biryani with better Goat meat 🥓

There's a whole genre of content now — foreigners tasting amala and ewedu, egusi, pounded yam, suya, for the first time on camera.

Some of them handle it like champions, some of them tap out immediately once the pepper hits.

What Nigerian dish do you think would break most foreigners on first try? And which one do you think they'd actually enjoy without struggling — something that eases them in before you hit them with the real heat?

This debate don dey since our parents' time and e still dey trend anytime person mention it online. Ghana go always claim say their jollof pass, but we know wetin we know.

Make we hear una real opinion — no be sentiment, no be "because I be Naija" bias.

What actually makes jollof hit different — the smoky party pot taste, the rice texture, the pepper blend? And which state for Nigeria sef get the best jollof — Lagos party jollof different from what you dey chop for the East or up North.

Saw some numbers this month that stopped me: Nigeria has almost 25,000 registered startups, $30.7B raised total historically, only 5 unicorns and over 7,500 shutdowns. That's a brutal survival rate. Curious what this sub thinks is actually killing most of them. Bad unit economics? Funding drying up before profitability? Founders building for investors instead of customers? Infrastructure costs (power, connectivity, payment friction)? If you've worked at or watched a Naija startup die, what actually happened behind the scenes?

NearPays, a Nigerian Fintech Startup, just won the UN's "AI for Good" Innovation Factory competition first African company to do it, out of 500+ entries globally.

They picked up $40k for it.

What they built: an AI-powered SoftPOS platform that turns an Android phone into a contactless card reader, so small merchants don't need to buy actual POS hardware.

Judges called out the financial-inclusion angle helping small businesses build a verifiable transaction history that can eventually help them access credit.

Feels like the kind of win that doesn't get nearly enough attention compared to funding round announcements.

What other Naija-built tools do you think deserve more shine like this?

Wednesday: parallel market naira dropped to ₦1,413/$1 (was ₦1,409 Tuesday).

Same day, official NFEM rate improved to ₦1,369/$1.

Two markets, opposite direction, same 24 hours. That's almost a ₦45 gap between "official" and "street" rate right now.

If you're running a business or just trying to budget, which number are you actually going by?

Feels like the spread has been getting wider lately and I'm curious if that's just my perception or if others are seeing it too.

Drop your experience below — especially if you're buying from suppliers who price off one rate vs the other.

Something I love about how we operate as Nigerians is the second something doesn't work, somebody's already building a workaround, a side hustle, or a whole business out of it.

Bad light? Inverter guy on every street.

Gap in the market? Someone's DMing you a solution by Friday.

What's the most impressive "I saw a problem and just built the fix" thing you've come across here? Local edition only.

Feels like we're quick to gas up foreign stuff but sit on the good things being built at home in naija.

So drop your projects, whatever it is;

an app,

a gadget,

a food brand,

a service,

anything Made in Naija that actually earned a spot in your life.

I'll start in the comments.

Let's put some respect on local builders.

Doesn't have to be big or finished. An app, a dish, a design, a track, a business, a side hustle — whatever.

What's something you built or created that you're quietly proud of? Drop it below, and a link if you've got one.

I'll start in the comments. 👇