NFM Weekly Digest: The Stories Shaping Conversations About Women This Week
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This week, we reported on femicide and the growing calls for action against male violence, a mother demanding justice after her son was shot in the US, and the public scrutiny facing women in the entertainment industry. We also covered questions of colonial history, the burden placed on widows, and efforts to improve girls’ access to menstrual health education. Alongside these stories, Nigerian women continued to make their mark in football, film and women’s health advocacy, while a fact-check challenged false claims circulated about an actress.
- Toyin Abraham Issues Cease-and-Desist Notice Over Alleged Defamatory Statements
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi has formally warned the public, particularly bloggers, influencers, content creators and social media users, against circulating what her lawyers describe as false, misleading and defamatory publications about her.
- X User Falsely Attributes Nerve Injury Appeal to Actress Uche Ogbodo
Claim: An X user, @Yabgmi_, shared a video clip with a caption that reads as a first-person medical appeal and credited it to Nollywood actress Uche Ogbodo. The caption says she has battled a severe nerve injury since February, had surgery on her buttocks at a hospital in Ogun State in August, and that the wound has not healed because of her diabetes. It ends with an appeal for help, including being flown abroad for treatment.
- “I Want Justice for My Son”: Ghanaian Mother Speaks Out as Black Child Shot in US
Doris Adu Gyamfi, mother of 15-year-old Ghanaian Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong, has spoken publicly for the first time, calling for justice as she departed Ghana for the United States (US) to attend her son’s funeral.
- Femicide: 26-Year-Old Ifeanyi Joseph Suspected Pushing Girlfriend from Storey Building, Faces Murder Charge
Ifeanyi Chukwu Joseph, a 26-year-old man, is now facing a murder allegation in Imo State after police suspected that he pushed 17-year-old Chiamaka Chukwuokore from a two-storey building.
- African Rights Envoy Calls on Nigeria to Take Action Against Femicide, Male Violence Against Women
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has pledged to mobilise civil society organisations and other stakeholders to push for the country’s ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, following concerns over femicide and other forms of violence targeting women.
- Chimamanda Adichie Criticising Europe for Erasing Colonial Past Sparks New Online Discourse
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has criticised European countries for presenting colonial history in ways that minimise or erase its most brutal aspects, particularly Belgium’s record in the Congo.
- Nigeria Flamingos Stand One Win from First U-17 Women’s World Cup Final
Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Brazil in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Wednesday, 4 November, with a place in the final at stake for the first time in the team’s history.
- ‘The Four Premiere:’ Nollywood Powerhouse Funke Akindele Storms London with Historic First
Nollywood powerhouse Funke Akindele has claimed another landmark for Nigerian cinema, announcing that her upcoming film The Four: No One Fights Alone will become the first Nollywood title to premiere at London’s prestigious ODEON Luxe Leicester Square.
- Building Acystant: Esohe Obaseki’s Vision for More Accessible Women’s Health Information
Esohe Obaseki is the founder of Acystant, a women’s wellness platform dedicated to helping African women better understand and navigate their health. Her journey towards building Acystant was shaped by her personal experience navigating hormonal health and the difficulty of finding reliable, relevant information that reflected her body and healthcare experiences as an African woman.
- Olayemi ‘Toluwanisings’ Bolaji’s Death and Burden of Being Widowed in Nigeria
Akanbi Elizabeth Irawomitan, the spouse of late Nigerian gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, has become the subject of fresh allegations following the circulation of a voice note in which an unidentified man accuses her and her husband’s manager of questionable conduct surrounding the singer’s death.
- The Pink Compass Takes Leadership, Menstrual Health Education to Girls in Benin
Twenty girls at Ifueko Education Centre in Benin City, Edo State, have participated in a leadership and menstrual hygiene outreach organised by the Pink Compass Initiative to promote early leadership development, build confidence and improve girls’ understanding of menstrual health.
- Femicide: Police Launch Manhunt for Killers of Akwa Ibom Woman
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched an intensive manhunt and investigation into the killing of Unwana Okon, a woman from Ndot Village in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
