By Sabiu Abdullahi

Two workers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany have died after contracting malaria from a mosquito believed to have arrived on an incoming aircraft, according to health authorities in Frankfurt.

The number of deaths rose to two on Wednesday after airport officials initially confirmed that one of six infected employees had died.

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) identified an imported Anopheles mosquito, which was likely transported into the country on an aircraft, as the most probable source of the infections.

The four other affected airport workers are receiving treatment in hospital, an airport spokesman said. Authorities have also placed mosquito traps around the airport as part of efforts to identify the insects responsible for the outbreak.

Mosquitoes captured through the traps will be sent to the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, where genetic testing will be conducted to establish more information about their origin.

Malaria is uncommon in Germany, and the RKI said the country last recorded an airport-related malaria outbreak in 2023.

However, the institute warned that the rarity of the disease in Germany can make diagnosis more difficult because doctors may not immediately consider malaria when assessing patients. Delayed diagnosis can increase the risk of severe illness.

Malaria is a potentially serious infectious disease caused by microscopic parasites and transmitted through the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, fever and intense chills.

The disease remains a major public health concern worldwide and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, with sub-Saharan Africa carrying the greatest burden.

Medical treatment is available for malaria, and patients who receive appropriate care early can usually make a full recovery.

‎‎By Maji Bappa Maina
‎
‎
‎There are moments in a child’s education that do not appear on a school report.
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‎A child walks onto a stage.
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‎Hundreds of eyes turn towards them.
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‎A word is pronounced.
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‎For a few seconds, everything becomes quiet.
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‎Then the child speaks.
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‎That moment may last only seconds, but the confidence gained from it can last for years.
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‎This is one of the reasons the recently concluded 3rd Yobe Spelling Bee Competition deserves more attention than the applause surrounding the event.
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‎Students from across Yobe’s 17 Local Government Areas were brought together to learn, compete and test themselves in an environment beyond the ordinary classroom.
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‎They had to prepare.
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‎They had to listen.
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‎They had to think under pressure.
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‎And, most importantly, they had to stand up and believe that they could do it.
‎
‎That experience matters.
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‎A good education system should produce students who can remember what they have been taught. But it should also produce young people who are prepared to stand before others, express themselves and face challenges without fear.
‎
‎This is where programmes such as the Spelling Bee quietly contribute to educational development.
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‎They create healthy competition among schools.
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‎They encourage students to read beyond examinations.
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‎They give teachers another platform to identify talent.
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‎They expose young people to peers from different parts of the State.
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‎And they create memories that can shape how students see their own abilities.
‎
‎The wider significance is even more important for Yobe.
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‎A state cannot build its future entirely through physical infrastructure. It must also build the confidence, knowledge and capacity of the generation that will eventually inherit those structures.
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‎This is why the support of the Mai Mala Buni Administration for educational initiatives that bring young people forward deserves recognition.
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‎I also commend Dr. Mohammed Goje, Secretary to the State Government, and the organisers, teachers, schools and partners whose efforts helped bring the competition together.
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‎The real success of such a programme may not be measured only by the names of those who carried away prizes.
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‎It may be found in the student who discovered a new confidence.
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‎In the teacher who discovered a promising talent.
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‎In the child who returned home believing that perhaps the world is larger than he or she had imagined.
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‎Today, they are spelling words.
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‎Tomorrow, some of them may be spelling out new possibilities for Yobe.
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‎That is why supporting young minds is one of the quietest, and most consequential, ways of building a State.
‎
Maji Bappa Maina is a ‎Political Writer, PhD Researcher at ‎Voice of Development, Leadership & Public Insight.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The presidency has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of policy confusion and political gamesmanship following what it described as three contradictory statements on petrol subsidy within a single week.

In a strongly worded statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, questioned whether the 2023 presidential candidate is proposing a serious economic policy or merely exploiting the temporary economic discomfort facing Nigerians.

The controversy began when Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, announced that the former vice-president would restore petrol subsidy if elected president and later phase it out, describing it as a temporary intervention to give Nigerians and businesses room to recover.

However, another senior aide, Phrank Shaibu, quickly issued a clarification, describing Ibe’s statement as “unauthorised and misleading.” Shaibu insisted that Atiku would not set a predetermined date for ending the subsidy, but would maintain it until domestic refining expands and market conditions stabilise.

Hours later, Atiku himself intervened, effectively overruling the clarification and insisting his position “has not changed.” He reiterated that he would restore what he called a “targeted subsidy” if elected president, stating: “I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.”

Presidency Questions Economic Understanding

Onanuga challenged the former vice-president’s understanding of petroleum market dynamics, pointing out that petrol prices are influenced by multiple factors including international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, and distribution.

“Petrol does not become cheap simply because government orders a subsidy or because competition is expected to emerge,” Onanuga stated.

The presidency also took issue with Atiku’s argument linking fuel prices to food inflation, noting that Nigerians experienced rising food prices even during years when petrol subsidy was in place.

“Agricultural productivity, insecurity, exchange rates, logistics, storage, flooding, input costs, money supply and supply constraints also matter,” the  statement read.

Technical Questions on Subsidy Proposal

The presidency raised specific technical questions about Atiku’s proposal, asking whether he is aware that refined petrol constitutes only 45 per cent of the by-products of a refined barrel of crude oil.

Other products include aviation fuel, kerosene, and diesel – the latter deregulated during the Obasanjo-Atiku administration in 2004. The statement questioned whether Atiku would subsidise all these by-products as well.

Onanuga urged Atiku to explain precisely what he means by “targeted subsidy,” including its cost, beneficiaries, funding mechanism, and the objective economic conditions that would determine its eventual termination.

“The economy is too serious for policy somersaults, incoherence, destructive populism and election gimmicks,” the statement concluded.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

At least 95 people have died after a flash flood swept through parts of Nepal near the border with Tibet, destroying homes, roads, bridges and power infrastructure, according to Nepalese authorities.

Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle said 28 police officers were among those reported missing. Authorities also said 384 tourists, including 291 foreigners from countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, India and Malaysia, were missing after the disaster.

“So far 95 deaths have been reported,” Kafle said.

The disaster also affected areas across the border in Tibet, where Chinese authorities reported at least three deaths and 265 missing people in Gyirong county. State broadcaster CCTV said the figures were still being verified.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah called for unity as rescue operations continued.

“Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together,” Shah said in a statement shared on social media.

Authorities said the floodwaters were too high for helicopters to land in Syapru Besi and Timure, in the mountainous Rasuwa district, which has a population of about 50,000.

District administrator Narendra Pariyar urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground after reports that villages and infrastructure project sites had been swept away.

“We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” said Sasmit Pokharel, a Nepali government spokesperson.

In Tibet, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported “major casualties” and missing people after a mudslide struck a border crossing between China and Nepal. The incident at Gyirong port disrupted roads, communications and electricity supplies in the Shigatse region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” efforts to locate missing people and called for stronger monitoring and early warning systems to reduce the risk of further disasters.

Prayash Adhikari, a climate justice activist in Nepal, described the flooding as “devastating” and said it had destroyed “whole villages”.

“Hundreds of people are missing,” Adhikari told Al Jazeera from Kathmandu, adding that buildings, schools, bridges and highways had also been destroyed.

The flooding also prompted authorities in India’s Bihar state to begin evacuations in six districts amid concerns that floodwaters could spread into the area.

Videos released by Nepal Police and other sources showed large volumes of muddy water rushing through mountain valleys. Kosh Raj Koirala, an editor of Republica Daily, said many residents were caught by surprise because there had been no heavy rainfall before the flash flood.

“[People] were at home … several houses have been washed away, swept away by the river,” Koirala told Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Shah also held an emergency meeting with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to assess the impact of the disaster.

“Work has started to take necessary steps in coordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross,” Shah said in a social media post.

The Nepal Army deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to affected locations as rescue and assessment efforts continued.

“The work of collecting details of the damage is under way,” the army said in a statement.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of electricity generation capacity from hydropower and solar facilities had been affected.

“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority … resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.

Eight South Korean workers employed at a hydropower project were also reported missing, while another 10 were stranded, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry said Nepal had sent a rescue team to the area. South Korea has also formed a task force led by its foreign minister and plans to send a rapid-response team made up of government officials, firefighters and police personnel.

Avalanche Suspected In Flood

The immediate cause of the flash flood remained unclear. Climate experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal said an avalanche from a glacier was likely responsible.

According to the experts, the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, experienced severe flooding on Wednesday.

“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice-rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.

Adhikari said stronger early warning systems could help reduce the impact of such disasters.

“This can’t be completely turned around because we are on the verge of climate catastrophe, but still we can protect our communities,” he said.

The Bhote Koshi River begins in Tibet before flowing into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which later enters India as the Gandak River.

A similar flood in the Bhote Koshi River last year killed nine people and left 24 missing. It also destroyed the Friendship Bridge between Nepal and China, disrupting transportation and trade for several months.

The earlier flood was linked to the sudden release of water from a supraglacial lake in Tibet, according to a regional climate monitoring organisation.

Floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season. Scientists have warned that climate change is contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events in the region.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

US President Donald Trump has said Washington is not under pressure to reach an immediate agreement with Tehran as efforts continue to end the US-Israel war on Iran.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump said both economic and military pressure remained effective, adding that he was “not in a hurry” to conclude negotiations with Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran says it has made considerable progress in restoring infrastructure damaged during the conflict and has strengthened its military capabilities.

Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the country had rebuilt significant parts of the infrastructure destroyed during the war. He also said Iran had received new military equipment as part of efforts to reinforce its defence capacity.

On the diplomatic front, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed despite a temporary transit arrangement reached with Oman.

Gharibabadi said the waterway would not be fully reopened until the United States returned to its obligations under a June 17 memorandum of understanding.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major international shipping route through which a substantial portion of the world’s oil supplies passes, making its continued closure a major concern for global energy markets.

The US State Department, meanwhile, told Al Jazeera that Washington was taking “concrete action to end” what it described as a long-standing threat from Iran.

According to the department, the US is targeting Tehran’s remaining sources of funding and preparing additional measures after imposing recent sanctions.

The developments come as tensions remain high across the region, with Israel also accused of continuing attacks in Gaza despite a ceasefire that was implemented last October.

At least seven Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Tuesday, according to reports, raising fresh concerns over the durability of the ceasefire and the humanitarian situation in the territory.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, has come under criticism after a video surfaced in which he allegedly told residents who would not support the All Progressives Congress (APC) to leave the area council.

The remarks have drawn condemnation from civil society organisations and political analysts, who described them as a threat to residents’ constitutional rights and freedom of political choice.

In the video circulating on social media, Shekwolo was heard saying: “I have said in my area council, it’s either you’re doing APC or leave the area council. I am not arguing with you.”

He linked his position to development projects undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The council chairman said residents should support the APC in return for the interventions attributed to the Federal Government and the FCT administration.

“I cannot have the minister and president doing for us what they are doing. Then, on the day of election, you now come and say you want to match me. I will not do it,” he said.

The comments have generated concern ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly over whether political affiliation could become a condition for residents to remain in a community.

Amnesty International, through its country director, Isa Sanusi, condemned the reported remarks and called on security agencies to investigate the matter.

The organisation said no Nigerian should be compelled to link the right to reside in a community with support for a political party.

“Authoritatively saying that those who will not vote APC must leave Kuje area council is a direct threat to lives and an attack on freedom of association and liberty of persons,” the organisation said in a statement.

Amnesty International also urged the police and other security agencies to prevent violence against residents because of their political choices.

“Security agencies must not look the other way, and must ensure that Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo face justice for these reckless and irresponsible threats to the people,” Sanusi said.

The organisation called for accountability if the remarks were established to have been made by the council chairman.

A political and public affairs analyst, Associate Professor Babayo Sule of the University of Namibia, also described the reported statement as a serious matter with implications for citizens’ constitutional rights.

Sule said the warning attributed to Shekwolo, that residents who would not support or vote for the APC and President Bola Tinubu in 2027 should leave Kuje, was “unfortunate” and “disastrous”.

“The recent video clip that is circulating in which the chairman of Kuje local government in the FCT council in Nigeria is busy around issuing a very serious existential threat to any Nigerian citizen that is not ready to support or vote for APC and Tinubu government in 2027 is unfortunate, is disastrous,” he said.

He said the statement raised legal and constitutional concerns, particularly with regard to freedom of movement and political participation.

Sule cited Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees Nigerians the right to move freely and reside in any part of the country.

He also noted that citizens aged 18 and above have the right to participate in political activities and vote for candidates of their choice.

“What this man did is an expression of extreme ignorance, arrogance, lack of understanding of the diversity and complexity of Nigeria’s political environment and socio-cultural context,” Sule said.

He called on the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and said the chairman should be held accountable if it was established that he made the statement.

Sule further warned the APC against ignoring the controversy, saying the remarks could have consequences for the party’s relationship with voters.

Council Clarifies Chairman’s Remarks

The Kuje Area Council administration later moved to explain the chairman’s comments, saying they had been misunderstood and should not be regarded as an instruction for residents to leave the council.

In a statement issued by the Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Musa Samson Adayilo, the council said it remained committed to serving residents regardless of their political affiliations.

“We wish to clarify that the administration of Kuje Area Council remains committed to serving all residents without discrimination on the basis of political affiliation,” Adayilo said.

According to him, the chairman’s comments were intended to encourage residents to support President Tinubu because of development projects carried out in the FCT under the leadership of Wike.

Adayilo appealed to residents and supporters of different political parties not to interpret the comments in a way that could create division.

“Political differences are natural in a democratic society, but they should never become a barrier to peaceful coexistence, development and good governance,” he said.

The council maintained that Kuje belongs to all its residents and urged them to work together despite political differences.

Similar Political Threats In Previous Elections

The controversy has also brought renewed attention to previous statements by political figures and traditional authorities that were perceived as threats against voters because of their political choices.

In the build-up to the 2019 election, Oluremi Tinubu was reported to have criticised Igbos in Lagos and said they were ungrateful after being “accommodated” in the state.

She said: “We will entreat all the deities of Lagos to chase Igbo people out. Igbo who didn’t marry Yoruba, we will inherit them. Given how much we love Igbo, you now want to spoil everything.

“You are not the only tribe in this place, Hausa are here, we accommodate them, Calabar are here, we accommodate them. But Igbos are proving difficult. We will inherit you. Despite the love, we have for you… others are here and we accommodated them.”

In 2015, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, also made controversial remarks while addressing Igbo leaders ahead of the Lagos governorship election.

He warned those who failed to support the APC candidate at the time, Akinwunmi Ambode, of consequences.

“On Saturday, if anyone of you goes against Ambode who I picked, that is your end. If it doesn’t happen within seven days, just know that I am a bastard and it is not my father who gave birth to me.

“On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos state, the person is going to die inside this water.

“I’m not ready to beg you. Nobody knew how I picked Ambode. Jimi is my blood relation and I told him that he cannot be governor in Lagos for now. The future belongs to God. I am not begging anybody, but what you people cannot do in Onitsha, Aba or anywhere, don’t do it here.”

He later assured Ndigbo that they would prosper in Lagos if they supported Ambode at the polls.

“If you do what I want, Lagos will continue to be prosperous for you. If you go against my wish, you will perish in the water.

“I am for the progress, growth and development of Lagos. Ambode is highly cerebral, he’s a symbol and he is going to deliver the message which I, the Oba of Lagos, have said. And he will govern the state for another eight years.

“He is going on a mission and God will give him the wisdom and knowledge to fulfill that mission. Almost a year ago, I declared that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos and it will not change.”

MC Oluomo’s 2023 Remarks

In 2023, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, who was then Chairman of the State Parks Management Committee in Lagos, was also reported to have warned Igbo voters against going to polling units if they would not vote for the APC.

In a video circulated on social media, Akinsanya addressed a gathering and urged Igbo voters who would not support the party to remain at home.

He said, “It is not a fight. It is not a problem. What do we want to correct? Our PVC. And we will stand there. Yoruba should get there first and should vote first. When we finish voting, we will be watching because we have begged you and you said you have heard. If you make a mistake, you will understand. Please tell them, we have begged them.

“If they don’t vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them that, Chukwudi’s mother, if you don’t (vote) for us, sit down at home. Do you understand? Sit down at home.”

Osun Senator’s Warning

More recently, two weeks before the August 15 Osun State governorship election, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, was reported to have issued a death threat against members of the Accord Party found in Ilesa.

“It is animal that kills. Have you ever heard that APC killed anyone? Are those being killed not your people?” Mr Fadahunsi said.

“So, we have come to tell you, up till the day of the election, if we see them, it is killing.”

The statement came a day after three people were killed in a shooting in the Imo area of Ilesa amid heightened political tension.

The latest controversy over the Kuje council chairman’s remarks has therefore renewed concerns over the use of political rhetoric that could intimidate voters or undermine citizens’ freedom to choose political parties and candidates during elections.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nigeria and Thailand have agreed to strengthen economic relations and expand bilateral trade and investment as both countries seek greater opportunities for mutual development.

The commitment was made in Abuja on Tuesday when Nigeria and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Technical Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria, while Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, signed for his country.

According to a statement by Dr Magnus Eze, the minister’s media aide, Odumegwu-Ojukwu welcomed Thailand’s Thailand-Africa Initiative and called for closer cooperation between the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA).

She said stronger collaboration between the two agencies would support skills development, technology transfer and sustainable development.

The minister also commended the ongoing Thailand-Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Technology Development Project. She called for its expansion to more parts of Nigeria, as well as increased cooperation in agricultural research, technology and innovation.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s intention to elevate its relationship with Thailand to a strategic partnership, with economic cooperation as one of its major pillars.

She urged both countries to broaden bilateral trade beyond crude oil, rice and agricultural machinery. She also called for greater Thai investment and joint ventures in agro-processing, manufacturing, energy, information and communications technology, mining, renewable energy and other value-added sectors.

The minister pointed to Nigeria’s large consumer market and investment opportunities, urging Thai companies to utilise the incentives available to investors and take advantage of the country’s expanding economic potential.

She also proposed the establishment of a Joint or Bi-National Commission to provide a formal structure for bilateral economic discussions, track the implementation of agreements and speed up the conclusion of pending agreements.

Among the instruments awaiting conclusion are the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, Trade Agreement, and Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation.

Nigeria also advocated closer relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The country said stronger cooperation between the two regional blocs could create additional opportunities for trade, investment and development.

For his part, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said a strategic economic partnership between Nigeria and Thailand would strengthen investment and trade while producing positive benefits for citizens of both countries.

The latest agreement is expected to provide a framework for increased technical cooperation and further strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and Thailand.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

About more than 30 state governments spent at least N512.10bn on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices, travel and transport in the first six months of 2026, according to an analysis of state budget implementation reports.

The amount was about 4,713 times the combined six-month basic salaries of Nigeria’s 36 governors.

A governor’s official monthly salary of N503,000 amounts to N3.018m over six months. For all 36 governors, the combined salary would be N108.65m.

However, available records showed that N420.01bn was spent under Government House, Governor’s Office and related executive administration heads, while N92.09bn went to travel and transport.

The combined expenditure represented a sharp contrast with the salaries of the governors. Their total six-month basic pay accounted for only about 0.02 per cent of the identified spending on executive offices and official travel.

The figures have renewed attention on the broader cost of maintaining state executive offices, particularly amid recent comments by Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, about the remuneration of governors.

Oborevwori had said his monthly salary was N503,000 and noted that some senior civil servants, including permanent secretaries, earned N900,000 monthly.

However, the analysis indicates that the basic salary of a governor constitutes only a small part of the public expenditure associated with the office.

The Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure covers several official costs, including administration, personnel, maintenance, utilities, official residences, protocol, security-related activities and state functions.

The travel and transport category also includes official domestic and foreign trips as well as transportation-related expenses across the state public service.

The figures therefore do not represent the personal income of the governors. Rather, they indicate the wider public resources required to operate the executive structures attached to their offices.

The analysis was based on available first- and second-quarter 2026 Budget Implementation Reports. It used the largest identifiable Government House, Governor’s Office or executive administration expenditure line in each state, alongside the general travel and transport budget head.

Comparable data were available for Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara. Data for Edo, Osun and Rivers were unavailable.

For the corresponding period in 2025, available records showed N465.07bn under Government House, Governor’s Office and similar executive administration heads, while N92.73bn was recorded for travel and transport.

The combined 2025 figure was N557.80bn, which means the comparable first-half 2026 expenditure declined by about N45.70bn, or 8.19 per cent.

Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure accounted for most of the reduction. It fell from N465.07bn in the first half of 2025 to N420.01bn in 2026, a decrease of N45.05bn, or 9.69 per cent.

Travel and transport expenditure remained relatively stable. States recorded N92.09bn under the category in the first six months of 2026, compared with N92.73bn in the same period of 2025. That represents a decline of about N643.66m, or 0.69 per cent.

A development economist, Aliyu Ilias, said the scale of expenditure showed why focusing only on governors’ basic salaries could give an incomplete picture of the cost of political office.

He said executive offices in Nigeria had become expensive to maintain because political office holders exert considerable influence over the structures and funding of institutions under their control.

“Ordinarily, anything that has to do with executive office in Nigeria appears to be much more expensive because they actually direct how it works there. And with the docile state assemblies we have, who always concur, it is clear that our democracy is very expensive because of the way we maintain their offices, and that is why it is very juicy.

“Some even want to go as far as borrowing money to win an election and, when they enter office, they believe they are going to repay the money. So, it is not correct to say that a Permanent Secretary is earning better than a governor when you isolate the governor’s salary without adding the other travel perks and expenses attached to the office.

“The governor just wanted to be sensational. But with the addition you have done, it shows that they are taking the bigger cheque from the spending arising from the high income that the state is generating,” Ilias said.

Kogi Tops Government House Spending

A state-by-state breakdown showed that Kogi recorded the highest identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure at N65.34bn during the first six months of 2026.

Ogun followed with N45.26bn, while Lagos recorded N45.04bn.

Kano spent N25.87bn, Ekiti N25.22bn and Cross River N23.92bn. Bayelsa recorded N22.99bn, Imo N19.43bn and Enugu N16.20bn.

At the lower end of the available figures, Oyo recorded about N1.95bn, followed by Sokoto with N2.20bn, Kwara with N2.59bn and Abia with N2.78bn.

Kogi’s N65.34bn accounted for more than 15 per cent of the identifiable Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure in the 2026 dataset.

For travel and transport, Plateau recorded the highest identifiable expenditure at N10.11bn.

Lagos followed with N8.23bn, while Taraba recorded N5.16bn. Niger spent N4.45bn, Ekiti N4.41bn, Bauchi N3.75bn and Yobe N3.68bn.

Oyo recorded about N667.52m under the category, while Kano recorded N626.95m.

The records also showed significant differences in spending patterns between states and between the two years.

Kogi’s Government House and Governor’s Office expenditure rose from N51.99bn in the first half of 2025 to N65.34bn in 2026. That represented an increase of about N13.34bn, or 25.66 per cent.

Bayelsa’s spending increased from N14.48bn to N22.99bn, a rise of N8.51bn, or 58.75 per cent.

Cross River recorded an even larger increase, from N9.91bn in 2025 to N23.92bn in 2026. The difference was about N14.01bn, representing 141.37 per cent.

Ekiti, which had no comparable 2025 figure in the dataset, recorded N25.22bn during the first six months of 2026.

Ogun, however, recorded a decline from N49.83bn in the first half of 2025 to N45.26bn in 2026. The reduction was N4.57bn, or 9.17 per cent.

Kano’s expenditure also fell from N28.84bn to N25.87bn, representing a decrease of about N2.98bn, or 10.32 per cent.

Niger’s figure rose from N13.13bn to N14.15bn, an increase of about N1.02bn, or 7.74 per cent.

Lagos recorded one of the largest increases, with its identifiable spending rising from N25.86bn in 2025 to N45.04bn in 2026. The increase amounted to about N19.18bn, or 74.16 per cent.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission is responsible under the Constitution for determining the remuneration of governors and other political office holders.

The existing remuneration framework remains in force, while a broader review is being processed by the relevant authorities.

RMAFC recently said its review of the remuneration of executive and legislative office holders had reached an advanced stage, with proposed legislation expected to be presented to the National Assembly.

The expenditure has also come amid increased allocations to state governments from the Federation Account following the Federal Government’s economic reforms.

Previous Ministry of Finance data showed that N47.25tn was shared through the Federation Account between 2023 and 2025. The amount represented more than half of the N93.13tn distributed over the nine years from 2017 to 2025.

The increase in revenues has intensified scrutiny of how states utilise their additional resources, particularly whether higher allocations are producing improvements in infrastructure and public services.

By Usman Mujtaba Shehu

Out of Nigeria’s roughly 250 million people, more than 50 million are young people aged 16–35. This demographic fact is obvious, yet its implications remain insufficiently grasped—not only by policymakers, but by democracy itself.

Nigerian democracy now stands at a crossroads. On one side are the political actors who systematically extract from the system for private gain; on the other is the steadily eroding trust of citizens in the institutions meant to serve them. Free and fair elections have become as unreliable as the national power supply—intermittent at best, absent at worst. In one state a governor publicly praises INEC; in the neighbouring state the same institution is denounced after the next poll. The inconsistency is no longer surprising; it is structural.

It is against this backdrop that we approach the 2027 general elections. My particular concern with the youth is not abstract: I am one of them, and we constitute the single largest bloc of the population. Yet sheer numbers do not automatically translate into power. The Pareto principle still holds: although young people form the majority, only a committed minority among us will drive meaningful change on the issues that the most affect our generation.

Nigerian youth are entering another election cycle inside a political system deliberately structured to reward sycophancy over accountability. Beyond any single election, democracy itself remains under threat for as long as the integrity of the voters stays in doubt. How can a democracy endure—let alone thrive—when citizens lose the practical ability to decide who governs them?

How did we arrive here? The answer is as painful as it is multi-layered. Governance has been reduced to a competition to empty the public treasury. That treasury is funded by taxpayers and was meant to finance the infrastructure and services that improve ordinary lives. The predictable result is that more than half the country now lives in extreme poverty, including an entire generation of young people who feel they have nothing left to lose except their marginalisation and their poverty. A generation with almost no stake in the society they inhabit is a dangerous political reality.

Yet political apathy is not the answer. Young people must move from the sidelines onto the field—active participants rather than passive spectators. First, we must reaffirm our belief in democratic processes. This election cycle should command our attention and our planning. We must be prepared to rewrite the script; otherwise we cannot confront a political class that is corrupt, self-serving and skilled at manipulation. Until we confront what stands before us with conviction and sustained effort, electoral outcomes will continue to reflect the interests of the powerful rather than the choices of the people.

We should refuse to remain permanent victims of an imperfect democracy. Those among us who are educated and organised carry a particular responsibility to reach those who are not. A significant number of young Nigerians never attended school, dropped out early, or could not afford to continue. The out-of-school crisis is not confined to children; many young adults are also effectively unschooled. The roughly 20 percent of us with the resources, networks and education to act must treat this as a collective task. The issues are too urgent for half-measures, laziness or aloofness.

The task before us requires all hands on deck—including Musa in the North, who may sell sugarcane for a living, and Blessing in the South, who may be struggling to survive in an informal economy. Their economic circumstances should not make their political voices less important. If anything, those who bear the greatest burden of bad governance have the greatest stake in changing it.

Election Day should not simply be another day of political theatre. It should be a day when Nigerian youths exercise the power that democracy gives them: the power to choose who will govern them.

The 2027 election is a golden opportunity for young Nigerians to look beyond political class and elites and ask harder.  As Dr Usman Bugaje has put it, “2027 is a chance for the youths to take back their country”. We must come back to our senses and stop imitating the worst habits of the current political class and begin the harder work of replacing them. We must refuse to be manipulated.

The script can be changed—not through violence, thuggery or disorder, but through the quiet, decisive power of our votes. We have no reason to be afraid. With our numbers, they already know: we can.

Usman Mujtaba Shehu writes from Kano and can be reached via usmanmujtabashehu@gmail.com

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has directed security and intelligence agencies to intensify efforts to rescue Muslim worshippers abducted in Niger State.

The directive followed the abduction of an unspecified number of worshippers in communities across Borgu Local Government Area shortly after Friday’s Juma’at prayer at the central mosque in Dekara.

Tinubu ordered the armed forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to locate and rescue the victims.

The president also instructed the service chiefs to keep him regularly informed about the operation until all the abducted worshippers are accounted for.

Tinubu condemned the attack and described the perpetrators as “enemies of peace and enemies of humanity”, while promising that those behind the incident would face justice.

“Those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free,” he said.

The president expressed sympathy to the families of those killed in the attack and assured them of the federal government’s determination to secure the safe return of their relatives.

“You are not alone. The entire nation shares your anguish. We will not rest until your sons, daughters, mothers and fathers are brought back safely to you,” he said.

Tinubu further assured the people and government of Niger State of federal support, including additional security measures and other assistance to address the situation.

“The Federal Government stands firmly with the State Government and will provide all necessary support to aid recovery, relief, and security reinforcement,” he said.

He said the incident would not deter his administration from its efforts to tackle terrorism and other forms of criminality across the country.

“Terror will not cow Nigeria. We will defend our people, protect our communities, and uphold the sanctity of human life,” Tinubu said.

The president also sympathised with the people of Niger State and offered prayers for the families affected by the attack.

“My prayers are with the people of Niger State at this difficult time,” the president added.