Daily Trust’s most impactful stories of 2025

In 2025, Daily Trust produced a number of investigative and public-interest stories that sparked national discourse and prompted official pronouncements, helping to shape policies and responses in impactful ways across Nigeria. Here are some of the stories:

Nentawe tipped to chair APC

At the height of the rumours over the next national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to replace Abdullahi Ganduje, Daily Trust, on Thursday, July 24, exclusively reported that the barring any last-minute changes, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, would emerge in the capacity.

On Friday, July 25, Nentawe was announced as the national chairman of the APC and Daily Trust reported on July 25: “Why we selected Nentawe as party chair”. A party official informed Daily Trust that the choice reflected a deliberate shift from the tradition of appointing former governors as party chairmen.

In 2 years, Lagos gets N3.9trn projects

On August 30, Daily Trust published a report detailing the share of projects accorded Lagos State under the Bola Tinubu-led administration amounting to N3.9trn, which was higher than the combined sum of N3.56trn approved for the South East, North West and North East, with 18 states altogether, in two years.

Following the report, the federal government stated that it had been fair in the distribution of projects. Daily Trust quoted the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, in a statement reported on August 31, and September 1, explaining that projects were fairly spread.

Journalist secures 2 jobs with Oluwole certificates

The investigative report, which was published on September 27, explored the activities of the fake certificate syndicate known as Oluwole in Lagos. The forged documents were used to obtain teaching jobs in Lagos private schools shortly after the undercover reporter obtained them.

The report was recognised with the “Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Reporting Award” and was reported on December 11. The awards are the most prestigious investigative journalism award in Nigeria.

Addicts rot as drug business thrives in Abuja

The investigation exposes the devastating human cost and alarming scale of drug abuse in Abuja, revealing how youths have become the backbone of a lucrative illicit drug industry that continues to thrive despite its destructive impact on lives and livelihoods.

Beyond individual stories, the report uncovers an extensive and brazen drug network operating across Abuja. Dealers openly sell substances ranging from marijuana and codeine to crack cocaine, often operating close to security agencies and police stations. The findings detail how drugs are hawked day and night, delivered to homes, and sustained by organised networks, while also raising concerns about alleged corruption and weak enforcement.

A few days after the story was published, a motion was sponsored in the Senate calling on the legislature to address the growing problem of the thriving illegal drug trade in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country.

The multiplatform report won the TV category of the 2025 Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism Awards.

Residents kick as FCT council resuscitates TV, radio tax

The report was published on October 9, covering complaints by FCT residents about the television and radio tax reintroduced by the authorities, which they described as insensitive to the plight of the people.

Following the report, the authorities reversed the policy, and it was captured in the report: “AMAC chairman directs immediate withdrawal of radio, tv levy”, on October 10.

Outcry over refuse pileup in FCT

On October 13, Daily Trust highlighted the mounting refuse concerns in the FCT, especially on the Abaji-Lokoja expressway. People said the garbage heap had become an eyesore and constituted a health risk to residents of the area.

After the report, on October 13, Daily Trust reported that: “Refuse evacuation begins at FCT council”, which was published on October 15. New sets of labourers were immediately found working on the site.

How gold-for-arms is fuelling terror in N/West

On October 25, Daily Trust investigated how mining for gold in the North West was fuelling terrorism in the region. The report detailed the cross-border smuggling of the minerals and the illegal financial and arms flow funnelled into terrorism and the insecurity bedevilling the region.

As a result of the report, other media platforms carried the same report or replicas on the menace. For instance, the report was featured on The Cable as a syndicated form, while Al Jazeera News conducted a similar report as a documentary.

Tax laws altered?

Daily Trust used a unique headline to question concerns over the existence of two Tax Reform Act laws in the country, one approved by the National Assembly and an altered gazetted copy, which allegedly introduced new clauses. This was published on December 18, 2025, and generated serious controversies.

On December 20, Daily Trust reported with the caption: “Pushback as more lawmakers reject gazetted tax laws”, showing intense objection to the new tax laws’ alleged clauses. Members of parliament took turns to speak on the alleged discrepancies in the laws.

On December 22, the federal government, through the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said the government was only aware of one tax law and did not alter any. In addition, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, defended the alleged alterations and the opposition to the laws as stemming from misinformation.

However, on December 23, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) called for the suspension of the laws to enable thorough investigation into the controversies.

Questions over Tinubu’s 2027 campaign posters

The story was published on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, highlighting the campaign posters and billboards promoting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, which the report noted might be in violation of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) timetable and regulations for political campaigns.

Following the report, on August 6, INEC issued a statement warning political actors to desist from early campaigns. The report was captured as: “2027: INEC warns political parties against premature campaigns”.

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