Liverpool beat Arsenal 1-0 in a tense Premier League clash on Sunday, August 31. Reds fans erupted in wild celebration at MTN’s Watch Party at Bay Lounge, Lekki.

The game lived up to expectations as one of the weekend’s biggest fixtures. Arsenal enjoyed more possession but couldn’t make it count, while Liverpool’s persistence finally paid off. Dominik Szoboszlai struck a superb free-kick in the 83rd minute to hand the Reds victory. Despite Arsenal’s late push, Liverpool held firm to secure the win and send fans at the MTN watch party into celebration.

MTN,  as the official broadcast sponsor of the Premier League on SuperSport, staged the event as part of its commitment to football in Nigeria. The company also serves as the official communications partner of the Nigeria Football Federation for national teams and a co-sponsor of the Nationwide League One. 

Ekundayo Fatoki, Senior Manager, Sales and Distribution, MTN Nigeria, said football is central to how the company connects with its customers. “Football is a key passion point for every Nigerian, no matter their background. Football unites all of us. MTN is tapping into the passion points of Nigerians, to show our love to our customers and our commitment to them,” he said.

He noted that the company invests at every level of the game. “We’re heavily involved in a lot of Nigerian leagues, like NLO, and we heavily sponsored and supported even the under-15 NPFL that happened in Remo. So, we’ve done a lot, trying to support local football, going to the fringes to sponsor football-related events and see how we can empower and build up football talent and bring them to life.”

The watch party featured dance and singing from fans. The energy tied neatly with MTN’s ongoing Next Afrobeats Star talent show, which is aimed at discovering Nigeria’s next global Afrobeats sensation, with prizes worth over $100,000. Winners of games and challenges at the event also walked away with MTN products, adding to the excitement of the night.

For Liverpool fans, Szoboszlai’s late strike was the perfect ending. For MTN, the night reinforced how the beautiful game continues to bring Nigerians together, while underscoring the brand’s broader commitment to creating experiences that engage, delight, and connect with its customers.

Enugu city is one of the cleanest and safest cities in Nigeria, many lawyers, who participated in the just concluded Annual General Conference, AGC, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Enugu have declared.

They made this known during a tour of some tourist sites in the state, saying they were thrilled by the Art Gallery, National Museum, Milliken Hill, Ngwo Pine Forest, and their several days of experiencing Enugu State.

Many of the lawyers said that their impressions about the South East had changed dramatically by spending time in Enugu, noting that the state “runs an organised system.”

Stephen Medaiyedu from the FCT Bar, Abuja, expressed his satisfaction with the level of infrastructure put in place by the state governor, Peter Mbah, in just two years and his ability to pull the event through within four months of moving the conference from Port  Harcourt to Enugu.

According to Madeiyedu, hardly any lawyer would say that he or she did not have a good time in Enugu or that he or she did not feel adequately safe throughout the conference that lasted from 22nd to 29th August.

“The infrastructure is fantastic, the transport system is very well organised, the security is very assuring, as we have no reason to be afraid of anything. I commend the governor and the people for the hospitality they afforded us. The sightseeing also was part of the package,” Medaiyedu said.

Samir Mohammed Adamu, Bauchi State, acknowledged the unity, peace and serenity found in the state throughout the conference.

He described the state as one of the most beautiful and peaceful cities in the country where hospitality and serenity were at their peak.

Recounting his experience, Samir said, “We thank the governor for giving us the opportunity to visit the tourist sites and the things he has been doing for us since we came into this beautiful city. It is a beautiful city with peace and hospitable people. It is green and its environment is quite serene. The way and manner the people received us here is quite wonderful.”

Ozor Nnadume Awforkansi, Ezeagu Branch of Enugu State,  said that with what the lawyers had seen in Enugu, the NBA had discovered the state as one of the places that would now be hosting various events of the umbrella body of the legal practitioners.

“I want to tell you sincerely that lawyers are recounting their good experiences in Enugu. They said if they knew this was how beautiful and safe Enugu was, they would have been coming to the state for their vacations and weekends.

“But some of us from Enugu were sincere to have told them that this was not the look of Enugu prior to this moment, as this was made possible by the present governor, Mbah. We told them there was nothing like International Conference Center in Enugu before Mbah came because it was abandoned, but was completed by Mbah.

“We have gone to a lot of places and we have eaten a lot of local delicacies. We enjoyed ourselves. It is quite a memorable outing,” he said.

Wilson Uche Ugwe, a tour guide, said there was no better way to sell a state’s tourism attractions than what they had done by showcasing the natural beauty of the state’s environment, noting that the visitors would then go home and spread the good news.

“The governor has also mapped out over N13bn to invest in the state’s tourism sector, which we have seen so far. As you can testify, the governor is doing well in terms of security and infrastructure and the state will keep improving.

“I am the Vice President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) and I know that infrastructure is key to tourism. In Enugu, everyone can testify that the governor is doing a lot. We have transport terminals, CNG buses, Enugu Air and others. Our visitors are happy and we are calling on investors to come and invest in our tourism,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, said she and her team not only took the lawyers around, but also made sure that they savoured the rich cultural delicacies in the state, ranging from okpa to abacha, achicha, palm wine, among others.

Maduake maintained that the Mbah Administration was  determined to revive all the tourist sites in the state, stressing that tourism the world over constituted a major chunk of revenue to  government.

“By the time the lawyers will come back to Enugu, we must have been done with our zipline, which is going to be the first in Nigeria and would equally have steps called 600 Steps to Tranquility from where we can go to the waterfall for ease of movement. We will equally have big rotunda here. So, I thank the governor for believing in tourism,” the Commissioner said.

As preparations intensify for the 2025 edition of Carnival Calabar, Africa’s biggest street party and one of the top five carnivals globally, Okhma Global, the official marketing and brand management agency appointed by the Cross-River State Government, convened a high-impact investment workshop for leading corporate organizations.

The event, held at the prestigious Lagos Oriental Hotel, brought together representatives from over 70 top-tier brands spanning banking, FMCG, telecommunications, oil and gas, aviation, hospitality, and entertainment sectors, all seeking strategic partnership and brand visibility opportunities within the globally celebrated festival.

Speaking during the session, Mary Ephraim-Egbas, Managing Director of Okhma, delivered a data-backed, sector-specific pitch showcasing how brands can leverage Carnival Calabar’s expansive footprint, projected to attract nearly two million physical attendees and reach over 200 million viewers across Africa and the diaspora through extensive media coverage and digital streaming.

“It has been a deeply rewarding engagement,” Ephraim-Egbas stated. “Over the years, we’ve received numerous inquiries from organizations seeking to understand how best to participate in and benefit from Carnival Calabar. This session provided the platform to not only answer those questions but also correct misconceptions about the carnival’s strategic value to brands.”

She emphasized that the 20th edition of Carnival Calabar, set to run throughout December 2025, will be a milestone celebration. Under the leadership of Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the carnival has undergone a major revitalization, receiving unprecedented executive support to restore its stature as a premier destination for culture, tourism, and brand engagement.

“Governor Otu’s commitment has repositioned the carnival for growth, innovation, and renewed global interest,” she added. “The level of interest we’ve seen at this workshop from both legacy and first-time brands is proof that the market recognizes this renewed potential.”

The interactive session concluded with brand executives expressing their excitement about the carnival’s evolution and sharing expectations around programming, innovation, and activation opportunities. Many participants also filled out formal expressions of interest, signaling their readiness to engage further with Okhma and the Cross River State Government on customized brand activations for December.