Education and development experts have expressed concern over the worsening plight of Nigerian children, citing insecurity, poverty, climate risks, and poor educational policies as major threats to their future. The experts spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday to commemorate the 2026 Children’s Day. Prof. Adams Onuka, an education evaluation expert at the University of Ibadan, said education remains the most critical tool for making Nigerian children globally competitive. He emphasised that a conducive learning environment, adequate infrastructure, and good character formation are essential to securing children’s future. “If you are not…
Author: John Asishana
The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its commitment to the successful implementation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for the environmental restoration of Ogoniland. Zissimos Vergos, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, made this statement on Tuesday in Abuja at the Conference on Donor Facilitation and Diplomatic Support for HYPREP. Vergos described the 2011 Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the most comprehensive environmental assessments ever carried out in Africa. He said the report revealed decades of hydrocarbon contamination in the soil, groundwater, and mangrove ecosystems…
Prof. Amina Salihi-Bayero, Vice-Chancellor of Northwest University Kano, has announced that the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted full accreditation to five academic programmes. This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the university’s Head of Public Relations Unit, Abubakar Ibrahim. Salihi-Bayero said the approval was conveyed in a letter dated April 7, signed by NUC Director of Accreditation, Mr. Abraham Chundusu, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the commission. According to the Vice-Chancellor, the accredited programmes are valid for five years following the commission’s assessment. READ ALSO: Students decry delayed scholarship payments, warn of eroding trust in…
The Sokoto State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has adopted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election. Muktar Magori, a party chieftain, announced this on behalf of other stakeholders during a press conference on Sunday in Sokoto. Magori, a former Chief of Staff to ex-Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said the consensus was reached by ADC loyalists and other stakeholders in Sokoto State. “This decision is in preparation for the party’s forthcoming presidential primaries and the 2027 general elections,” he said. READ ALSO: Tinubu sweeps Sokoto APC primary with 301,000 votes The press…
President Bola Tinubu secured all 301,000 votes cast during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election in Sokoto State on Saturday. His opponent, Mr Stanley Osifo, scored zero votes. Gov. Ahmed Aliyu, who served as the Chief Collation Officer, announced the results after receiving reports from collation officers across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas. According to Aliyu, the election was conducted peacefully across 3,991 polling units, and the results were thoroughly verified before the final declaration. He explained that the APC has 329,320 registered members in Sokoto State, out of which 301,000 were accredited and participated in the…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Northwest Zone, has called on the Federal Government to fully implement the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement. The union cited unresolved welfare issues, controversial education policies, administrative irregularities, and insecurity in universities as major obstacles. Prof. Abubakar Sabo, Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Northwest, which includes 10 public universities, made the appeal at a press conference on Thursday in Sokoto. Sabo said the call was based on resolutions from the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, from May 9 to 10. Despite the agreement’s public presentation in January this year,…
The European Union (EU) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) have launched an 18-month project aimed at combating disinformation and bolstering democratic resilience in five states across northwestern Nigeria. The initiative, titled Countering Disinformation and Empowering Democracy in Northwestern Nigeria, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday in Sokoto. The project targets Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger states, regions identified as particularly vulnerable due to a combination of insecurity, poverty, low literacy levels, and the rapid dissemination of false information online. During the launch, Xenia Stoll, Political Officer at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, emphasized the…
The Community Awareness and Development Initiative (CADI), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has trained 87 district heads in Sokoto State on addressing harmful social norms. It was reported that the traditional leaders were selected from across the state to strengthen their capacity to promote public health and combat gender-based violence (GBV). Speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday in Sokoto, CADI Board of Trustees Chairman and Sarkin Yakin Gagi, Sani Umar-Jabbi, said the participants were chosen because of their influence and standing in their communities. He explained that the initiative aims to break down social norms that…
Sen. Aliyu Wamakko on Monday secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Sokoto North. This paves the way for him to seek a fourth term in the Senate in the 2027 general elections. Wamakko, a former governor of Sokoto State, emerged unopposed through an affirmation process conducted by APC members from the eight local government areas in the senatorial district. Speaking after the affirmation, he expressed gratitude to party members for the confidence reposed in him. He described the exercise as a major milestone in the political history of Sokoto State and Nigeria. Wamakko expressed satisfaction with the…
The European Union, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Economic Community of West African States have pledged support for Nigeria’s 2026–2030 drug control plan aimed at tackling substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking. The organisations gave the assurance during the opening session of a two-day National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) Consultative Forum organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Monday in Abuja. The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, said the EU was ready to support Nigeria in its ongoing efforts to combat drug-related challenges. “Our presence here today…