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By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps’ traditional khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a comprehensive reform initiative aimed at repositioning the scheme.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, revealed this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, stating that the move is designed to promote local manufacturing and ensure government spending supports the Nigerian economy.

“It’s Adire. So, Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, we have textile industry. Let’s put our money back into the country,” Olawande said.

The minister also outlined several other key reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, marking the first major overhaul of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.

Under the new framework, corps members will increasingly be posted according to their fields of study, with graduates holding education qualifications deployed to schools rather than being assigned without consideration for their professional backgrounds.

“After you are leaving the camp, you are not just posted to a school just because NYSC wants you to be in school but because of the process you followed when in camp,” Olawande explained.

Addressing security concerns, the minister revealed that the government is considering posting prospective corps members to regions where they studied and are already familiar with the environment, particularly in areas facing security challenges.

The arrangement would alleviate concerns among parents and prospective corps members while making the deployment process more practical, according to the minister.

“If you have interest that you want to go to the North-East why not, but if you don’t have interest, instead of redeploying you, paying people for camp, doing all those funny things, we said no, let us look at it and say who are those in that area, that can reside in those geographical areas and still give us the kind of number we are looking for since we are saying NYSC should be more impactful,” he stated.

The minister dismissed reports suggesting the military would be completely removed from the NYSC, describing such claims as a misconception.

Under the approved reforms, the Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to accommodate the changes.

The new framework provides that the scheme’s operational leadership will be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members nationwide.

By Uzair Adam

The Climate Resilience Action Group (CRAG), with support from the Kano Independent Research Centre Trust (KIRCT), has trained frontline health workers in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State on the prevention, detection and management of climate-related diseases.

The Daily Reality reports that the training, held at Tsakuwa Primary Health Care Centre on Tuesday, formed part of the group’s ongoing climate and health pilot project aimed at strengthening the capacity of health workers and communities to respond to the growing health impacts of climate change.

Speaking during the programme, the team lead of CRAG, Dr. Bashir Isa Waziri, said the initiative was designed to sensitise primary healthcare workers on climate-health risks, particularly climate-sensitive diseases associated with extreme heat and flooding.

He explained that the training focused on conditions such as heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as infectious diseases including cholera and malaria, which are often linked to climate-related events.

“Today we conducted climate and health awareness and training for frontline health workers. The aim is to sensitise primary healthcare workers on climate-health risks, especially climate-sensitive diseases that are common during extreme heat exposure and the rainy season,” he said.

Dr. Waziri noted that climate change continues to pose significant threats to public health and stressed the need for healthcare workers to educate communities on preventive measures and effective responses when such illnesses occur.

As part of the programme, CRAG also conducted a climate and health awareness session for students of Yusuf Bayero Government Secondary School, where participants were educated on the effects of climate change on human health, particularly the dangers associated with extreme heat and flooding.

The organisation further launched a tree-planting campaign at the school, planting 20 trees and appointing student climate-health ambassadors who will be responsible for nurturing them.

According to Dr. Waziri, the ambassadors will be monitored and rewarded based on their commitment to maintaining the trees as part of efforts to promote environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

A specialist physician with KIRCT and member of CRAG, Dr. Maryam Ahmad Sa’id, said flooding remains a major public health concern because of its potential to trigger outbreaks of infectious diseases.

She explained that floodwaters often contaminate water sources through the mixing of sewage and waste materials, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and malaria.

“Flooding is associated with many health risks, especially the spread of infectious diseases. When sewage and refuse contaminate water sources, diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever can spread rapidly within communities,” she said.

Dr. Sa’id urged residents to pay greater attention to water hygiene, advising them to ensure drinking water comes from safe sources, keep water storage containers clean and covered, and practise regular handwashing with soap and water.

She also identified pregnant women, children, elderly persons and individuals living with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and sickle cell disease as among those most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.

The physician called for sustained public awareness and early detection of climate-related illnesses to reduce complications and improve health outcomes.

The officer in charge of Tsakuwa Primary Health Care Centre, Ibrahim Yusuf Kura, described the training as enlightening, saying it exposed health workers to important information that would improve healthcare delivery in the community.

“There are many things we did not know before this training. The knowledge we gained will help us provide better healthcare services to members of our community,” he said.

Kura urged participants to make effective use of the knowledge acquired and apply it in their daily duties.

Similarly, the second officer in charge of the facility, Amina Hamisu Abdullahi, said the programme broadened her understanding of climate-related health challenges and would help her perform her responsibilities more effectively.

She added that the lessons learned would be shared with colleagues who were unable to attend the training.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has announced the death of Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar following an incident involving Israeli forces in Gaza earlier this week.

In a statement, the association said Al-Ashqar died after “fire opened by occupation forces.”

The PFA described the late footballer as one of many Palestinian sports figures who have lost their lives since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

According to the association, more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes have been killed during the conflict.

Reports said Al-Ashqar got married five months ago, while his wife is currently expecting their first child.

His death has drawn reactions from relatives, teammates and members of the international sporting community, many of whom expressed sadness over the development.

Chilean football club Deportivo Palestino also reacted to the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“We deeply mourn the tragic death of 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper Salim Al-Ashqar. He was killed by the Israeli army. We are deeply saddened by the continuation of such events. We call for justice and peace,” the club said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A Nigerian man by the name of Prince Adeniyi Mathew is currently under investigation over allegations that he fraudulently established a phantom federal agency which he named the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), falsely claiming it was an official body of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to sources, Mathew went a step further by appointing himself as the council’s director-general, securing a physical office for the agency within the Federal Secretariat complex in Abuja, and even opening a dedicated account for it at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Most shockingly, he is accused of successfully inserting a budgetary provision of approximately ₦1.3 billion for the agency into Nigeria’s 2026 fiscal proposal.

Insiders reveal that, emboldened by the apparent success of his deception, Mathew allegedly convened high-level meetings with serving ministers and Nigerian ambassadors, issuing directives to them on the execution of government programmes. He is also said to have represented Nigeria at several international summits on multiple occasions, all under the guise of his bogus office.

However, the elaborate ruse has now collapsed. Security agencies have been alerted and are said to have commenced appropriate legal and administrative actions against the suspect, as investigations into the full extent of the fraud continue.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Presidency has defended the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, against allegations of bribery levelled against him by Adeniyi Adeyemi, whom it described as the convener of a non-existent government agency.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.

Onanuga said Adeyemi presented himself as the director-general of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. He added that the agency had no legal backing and was not recognised by the federal government.

The presidential aide said the matter came to the attention of security agencies after complaints emerged in 2025 that the group was operating alongside the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.

According to him, Gbajabiamila petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 over the activities of the group.

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition reads.

Onanuga stated that the Chief of Staff could not have appointed Adeyemi into office because the agency in question did not exist. He also explained that appointments into federal government offices are handled through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not through the office of the Chief of Staff.

He further disclosed that police operatives arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025. Security operatives reportedly recovered forged documents from his office and residence during the investigation.

The Presidency alleged that investigators discovered that Adeyemi forged documents to present himself as a government official. It also accused him of attempting to obtain a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure United States visas for himself and members of the council he allegedly created.

Onanuga also claimed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine accounts allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies.

He alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria after misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. However, he added that investigators did not find evidence showing that public funds were paid into the account.

The presidential spokesman said the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other persons before a Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.

He said the matter is expected to come up in court on July 27.

Onanuga also said Adeyemi’s recent claim that Gbajabiamila appointed him contradicted the statement he earlier made to investigators during interrogation.

“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker,” he said.

“They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are subjudice.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the federal government to make public the identities of beneficiaries of the N501 billion bond issued to offset debts owed to electricity generation companies, also known as GenCos.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the demand after the Association of Power Generation Companies claimed that the funds had not been fully released despite several assurances from the government.

Earlier in the year, the federal government announced the successful issuance of the N501 billion inaugural bond under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme.

In February, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, disclosed that the federal government owed GenCos about N6.5 trillion.

President Bola Tinubu later approved a payment arrangement in April to clear debts in the sector through the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reform Programme.

Reacting in a statement released on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the comments made by Ogaji had raised questions about how the government was handling debts in the power sector.

He said the call by the APGC chief for details of the disbursement to be made public had exposed concerns about accountability and transparency.

“Dr. Ogaji’s vivid description of the government’s token payment as ‘like rubbing oil on a crying child’s mouth to imply that he had eaten’ perfectly captures the Tinubu administration’s approach to governance: grand announcements, impressive figures, glossy headlines, and very little substance,” the statement reads.

The former vice-president said repeated announcements by the government on settling electricity sector debts had failed to end the crisis.

“This is no longer a policy failure. It is a crisis of credibility,” he said.

“The question is no longer whether the government is borrowing. The question is why Nigerians are repeatedly being asked to applaud fresh borrowing to solve a problem that government insists it solved only yesterday.”

Atiku also challenged the federal government to publish the names of the power generation companies that benefited from the bond, the amounts paid to each company, the dates the payments were made and the balances yet to be settled.

“Public money cannot disappear into official press statements. Every naira borrowed in the name of Nigerians must be traceable to its destination,” he said.

He accused the Tinubu administration of depending on fresh borrowing instead of tackling the root causes of the problems in the electricity sector.

“Every challenge is met with another ceremony. Every crisis is greeted with another headline. Every unresolved debt is answered with another borrowing plan,” he said.

“Yet electricity generation remains constrained, investors remain uncertain, businesses continue to spend fortunes powering themselves, and ordinary Nigerians still pay exorbitantly for darkness.”

Atiku further called on the National Assembly, the Auditor-General of the Federation and other oversight agencies to conduct a public audit of intervention funds released to the power sector under the current administration.

“Nigerians deserve to know precisely how much has been borrowed, how much has been disbursed, who received the money, and why the debts continue to rise despite repeated claims of settlement,” he said.

The former vice-president added that “darkness has become one of the most expensive commodities in Nigeria” and urged the government to explain how previous loans were spent before seeking additional borrowing.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Authorities in Côte d’Ivoire have confirmed that the number of people killed by recent flooding has risen to 59 after days of heavy rainfall in the country.

Government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly announced the updated figure after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. He described the casualty figure as “particularly high” compared to previous years.

Coulibaly said rescue teams were still searching affected areas and warned that the number of victims could increase.

He also appealed to residents to obey safety directives and move away from locations identified by the government as high-risk zones.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials had reported that 12 people died in the disaster.

The Minister of Social Cohesion, Belmonde Dogo, said the flooding and landslides began after persistent rainfall started on the night of June 27 in the commercial capital, Abidjan.

According to Dogo, the floods caused severe damage in several parts of Abidjan and nearby communities.

Images and videos shared online showed roads covered by floodwater, vehicles trapped in submerged streets and homes surrounded by rising water levels.

Several countries in coastal West Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana, have also experienced flooding in recent weeks due to heavy rainfall.

The World Meteorological Organisation has repeatedly warned that African countries remain among the most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The organisation noted that flooding disasters continue to claim lives across many parts of the continent each year.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has withdrawn the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks with immediate effect, citing serious regulatory breaches that threatened depositors’ funds and financial stability.

In a sweeping enforcement action approved by CBN Governor Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the apex bank wielded its powers under Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020, to shut down the affected institutions from July 1, 2026.

According to a statement by the bank’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, the revocation followed the failure of the microfinance banks to meet one or more statutory requirements, including insufficient assets to cover liabilities, unauthorised closure of operations, prolonged inactivity, failure to commence business within 12 months of licence approval, and inability to maintain minimum capital funds unimpaired by losses.

The CBN described the mass revocation as a necessary step to protect the integrity of the financial system, safeguard depositors, and ensure that all licensed institutions operate within the bounds of the law. “The Central Bank of Nigeria remains committed to promoting a safe, sound and resilient financial system,” the statement said, adding that further regulatory actions would be taken where necessary to sustain public confidence.

In a rare move, the CBN also released the full list of affected banks, naming them as:

1. Minji-Se Churchill MFB

2. Merchant MFB

3. Janmaa MFB

4. Busu MFB

5. Gold MFB

6. Zain MFB (formerly Dawakin Tofa MFB)

7. Bompai MFB

8. Ajwa MFB (formerly Gezawa MFB)

9. NOW NOW DIGITAL MFB

10. Crystabel Microfinance Bank

11. Chanelle MFB

12. Abia SME MFB

13. Kamba MFB

14. Iwade MFB

15. Winview MFB

16. Zuru MFB

17. Minjibir MFB

18. Shanono MFB

19. Sumaila MFB

20. Rimin Gado MFB

21. Mwaghavul MFB

22. Sycamore MFB

23. TOFA MFB

24. Safegate MFB

25. Creekline MFB

26. Bestar MFB

27. Livingspring MFB

28. Apple MFB

29. Stanford MFB

30. Frontline MFB

31. Zafec MFB

32. Supreme MFB

33. Bejin-Doko MFB

34. Kanopoly MFB

35. Bellbank MFB (formerly Tsanyawa MFB)

36. Yeneng MFB

37. Creditville MFB

38. MBAG MFB

39. STRAIGHT SAHARA MFB

40. OURPASS MFB

41. VERDANT MFB

42. BASAWA MFB

43. CASHA MFB

44. ESTEEM MFB

45. ENTREPRENEUR MFB

46. AVANTUS MFB

Financial analysts view the unprecedented publication of the defaulter list as a signal of the CBN’s tougher posture under Governor Cardoso, particularly in the microfinance subsector, where weak governance and capital erosion have been persistent concerns. The affected banks are now expected to commence winding-down procedures and settle outstanding obligations to depositors in line with existing resolution frameworks.

By Uzair Adam

The Permanent Commissioner of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Barrister Ahmed Mohammed, is still being held by bandits nine months after his abduction, despite reports that his family paid N40 million ransom in an effort to secure his freedom.

Barrister Ahmed was kidnapped on September 29, 2025, along the Mokwa–Ibbi Road in Borgu Local Government Area while travelling to Minna on an official assignment.

His abduction occurred about a month before the state’s local government elections held on November 1, 2025.

A member of his family, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the kidnappers have now demanded an additional N300 million for his release.

The source said the abductors contacted the family again on Monday to inquire whether they were prepared to meet the latest demand.

However, the family informed them that it could not raise such an amount.

“The bandits call almost every day. It was only on Tuesday that they did not call. We are appealing to the Niger State Government to intervene and help secure his release.

“He was abducted while carrying out an official assignment for the state government,” the source said.

Speaking on the development, a close friend of the victim, Ayuba Abubakar, said the family had exhausted all available options in its efforts to regain his freedom.

He expressed concern over reports indicating that Barrister Ahmed’s health condition has worsened during captivity.

“On behalf of his family, colleagues and well-wishers, I appeal to the Niger State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently step in and ensure his safe and unconditional release,” Abubakar said.

The continued captivity of the electoral commissioner has heightened concerns among his family members, friends and associates, who are calling for swift action to secure his freedom.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has confirmed that it has submitted the names and personal details of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general election.

The development was disclosed on Tuesday night by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement shared on X.

According to the party, the nomination details of both candidates have already been uploaded to INEC’s nomination portal.

The announcement signals a major step in the ADC’s preparations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Amaechi, a former minister of transportation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are expected to lead the party’s campaign in the next general election.

Further details regarding the nomination process and the party’s plans are still being awaited.