A professor of social history and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has revealed that scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate travelled to find and copy books, built private collections across the region and maintained libraries that supported a far-reaching intellectual culture. He made the revelation as a Guest Lecturer, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture, organised by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ilorin on Friday, October 8, 2026. Bunza, in his paper “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and the Future of Humanities in Nigeria”, argued that many public collections…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate argued that women should be able to pursue education and attend to necessary religious and worldly matters, a Professor of Social History and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has said. Bunza, who spoke as the Guest Lecturer, made the call on Friday, October 8, 2026, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture at the University of Ilorin. Organised by the Faculty of Arts and held in honour of Emeritus Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the lecture had the theme: “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and the Future of Humanities…
Nigerian universities should make greater use of indigenous scholarship, including writings produced during the Sokoto Caliphate, instead of relying heavily on foreign theories and intellectual traditions, a Professor of Social History and Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Sokoto (NWUS), Mukhtar Umar Bunza, has said. Bunza, who spoke as the Guest Lecturer, made the call on Friday, October 8, 2026, while delivering the Second Is-haq Oloyede Annual Humanities Lecture at the University of Ilorin. Organised by the Faculty of Arts and held in honour of Emeritus Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the lecture had the theme: “The Sokoto Caliphate Intellectual Legacy and…
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat capsized off Djibouti while heading to Yemen. Another 84 people remain missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which revised an earlier toll after 30 more bodies were recovered. The vessel was carrying 305 people when it overturned near Guhere, north of the port town of Obock, during the night of October 8–9. About 82 people survived, the IOM said. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations, while the IOM and local officials are providing emergency assistance to survivors. The agency has described the crossing from…
Global trust in science has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping below 2018 levels according to the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026. Released on Sunday at the World Health Organization (WHO) Summit in Berlin, the report represents the largest global study examining public attitudes toward science, surveying over 140,000 people across 140 countries. Key global trends Overall decline: Across countries tracked consistently through all three study waves (2018, 2020, and 2025), the proportion of people expressing at least some trust in science fell from 77% in 2018 to 72% in 2025. The pandemic peak: This downward trend follows a temporary surge…
The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has congratulated its Executive Director, Finance, Professor Muhammad Bashar Nuhu, on his election as National President of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), describing his emergence as a source of pride to the commission and Northern Nigeria. Nuhu, the first person from Northern Nigeria to occupy the position, was elected at the society’s 35th National Conference and 36th Annual General Meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, over the weekend. In a congratulatory statement issued by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications Department of the NCDC, Dr. Makut Simon Macham on Sunday, the NCDC…
The ancient palace of the Emir of Ilorin became a meeting point of history, brotherhood and Islamic heritage as Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, arrived in Ilorin, Kwara State, and paid a royal visit to the Emir, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. The visit formed part of activities marking the centenary of Zumratul Adabiya Kamaliya, also known as the Ansar-Ul-Islam Society of Nigeria, and brought renewed attention to the longstanding historical, religious and cultural ties between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Ilorin Emirate. In a gesture that underscored the significance of the occasion, the Emir vacated his royal seat to honour his distinguished guest,…
Nigeria has secured a strategic leadership position in the global oil palm industry following the election of Amb. Alphonsus Inyang, President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), as Chairman of the General Assembly of the World Coalition of Oil Palm Smallholders (WCOPS). Inyang emerged alongside other international industry leaders at the coalition’s General Meeting in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, held during the International Oil Palm Smallholders Forum, which attracted more than 400 delegates from across the world. His election places a Nigerian representative in a key decision-making position within the global organisation, which advocates for the interests of…
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has moved to address factors limiting the output of the 700-megawatt Zungeru Hydropower Plant, which currently supplies about 350 megawatts to Nigeria’s National Grid. The commission said it was stepping up regulatory monitoring of the $1.3 billion project to ensure that the facility delivers better value and contributes more effectively to the country’s electricity supply. ICRC Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Ifeanyi Nwoko, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. The Zungeru project is operated under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement involving the Federal Government and Penstock Limited, the concessionaire. Nwoko…
The General Assembly of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture and demanded full respect for the rights of Muslim women and girls to wear hijab in schools, workplaces and other public institutions. A communiqué issued at the end of the NSCIA General Assembly in Abuja and signed by the Sultan and President-General of the Council, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, also declared that there is no religious genocide in Nigeria. The Council supported decentralised policing but said any reform must be anchored on professionalism,…