Nigeria

By Muhammad Abubakar

The Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) held a Literacy Awareness Campaign on Monday at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Kalgo Local Government, Kebbi State, to mark the 2025 International Literacy Day. Tagged “FUBK Literacy Awareness Campaign,” the programme was part of the University’s corporate social responsibility to the host community.

The event showcased a colourful joint rally by staff and students from FUBK and GDSS, holding banners with literacy messages in English and Hausa to promote reading, writing, and digital inclusion. They marched through Kalgo town from Kalgo Junction to the Local Government Secretariat and GDSS, where a lecture on “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era” was given.

In his address, Vice Chancellor FUBK, Prof. Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, represented by his Deputy, Prof. Aliyu Abdullahi Turaki, said, “The campaign is part of the University’s commitment to promoting literacy and empowering the host community, especially young people, to thrive in the digital era.”

“This School has a proximity advantage of being the closest school to the University. We are committed to identifying areas of intervention for the benefit of our host community,” he revealed 

“We have seasoned academics in the Faculty of Education and other departments. We have been holding seminars and workshops for the capacity building of staff. I advise the school administrators and teachers to tap into these opportunities by identifying areas of need where we could key in,” he added

In his remarks, Registrar of FUBK Abdulkadir Abubakar, noted that “the fundamental objectives of establishing a university are teaching, research and community service. The University, in its modest effort, came up with this initiative with a view to giving back to society,” he said 

Meanwhile, the guest speaker, Prof. Bello Bala Usman of the Department of Nigerian Languages at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, highlighted that literacy is not just about reading and writing in today’s world. He said, “Literacy is also about acquiring digital skills that open doors to opportunities. FUBK is proud to champion this cause.”

“Digital literacy is now a survival skill. We must encourage our students to see technology not as a distraction, but as a tool for learning, creativity and problem-solving,” he added.

In a goodwill message, the District Head of Kalgo, represented by Dangaladiman Sarkin Gobir Mal. Abubakar Arzika Kalgo commended and urged the University to sustain the momentum.

The University also donated 12 collections of 120 literary books to GDSS Kalgo, which were handed over to the Principal.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Ministry of Education has unveiled the official list of approved subjects for Basic and Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria, cautioning schools and the public against unauthorized lists currently circulating.

In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Salisu Shehu, the ministry explained that the new curriculum reforms were introduced under the National Education Sector Reform Initiatives (NESRI) to reposition learning and reduce overload on pupils.

The reforms, according to NERDC, are designed to provide a balanced education while equipping learners with critical skills for national development. Prof. Shehu stressed that “different versions of fake and unauthentic subject listings and offerings are in circulation causing serious confusion and apprehension,” urging stakeholders to disregard such lists.

Under the revised curriculum, Primary 1–3 pupils are expected to offer between 9 and 10 subjects, including English Studies, Mathematics, one Nigerian Language, Basic Science, Physical & Health Education, Nigerian History, Social and Citizenship Studies, Cultural & Creative Arts, and either Christian Religious Studies (for Christian pupils) or Islamic Studies (for Muslim pupils). Arabic Language is optional.

For Primary 4–6, the minimum number of subjects is 11 and the maximum is 13. The subjects include English Studies, Mathematics, one Nigerian Language, Basic Science and Technology, Physical & Health Education, Basic Digital Literacy, Nigerian History, Social and Citizenship Studies, Cultural & Creative Arts, Pre-vocational Studies, CRS or IS depending on the pupil’s faith, and optional French and Arabic.

At the Junior Secondary level (JSS 1–3), students are required to offer a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 14 subjects. These include English, Mathematics, one Nigerian Language, Intermediate Science, Physical & Health Education, Digital Technologies, Nigerian History, Social and Citizenship Studies, Cultural & Creative Arts, Business Studies, as well as Religious Studies. Pupils are also required to select one trade subject from options such as Solar Photovoltaic Installation, Fashion Design, Livestock Farming, Beauty and Cosmetology, Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs, or Horticulture and Crop Production. French and Arabic remain optional.

For Senior Secondary School, five core subjects—English Language, General Mathematics, Citizenship and Heritage Studies, Digital Technologies, and one Trade Subject—are compulsory. Students may then specialize in Science, Humanities, or Business fields, with subject offerings such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Government, Literature in English, Accounting, Economics, among others.

Prof. Shehu emphasized that nationwide sensitization and teacher training will begin immediately to ensure smooth implementation. He noted that the new structure will be rolled out from the beginning of each three-year education cycle, covering Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS 1, and SS 1.

By Oladoja M.O

“A dive into the political paralysis killing public health”

In the long and winding corridors of Nigeria’s national challenges, the health sector stands as one of the most visibly bruised, chronically neglected, and systemically under-prioritised. Yet, beyond the crumbling hospitals and overworked health workers lies a more insidious diagnosis: politics. Not politics in its ideal form, the noble art of governance, but the brand that manifests in distraction, dereliction, and dead ends. It is this politicisation, or rather, the wrong kind of political influence, that has become the biggest ailment afflicting Nigeria’s health system today. And until it is addressed, no number of policies, international partnerships, or ministerial press briefings will revive the sector to its full potential.

Let’s begin with a case study, a hopeful one that has slowly started to mirror the very problem it tried to solve.

When Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate was appointed Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare in August 2023, many saw a breath of fresh air. He came armed with credentials, experience, and, perhaps most importantly, energy. Within months, the sector began to stir with renewed ambition.

Under his leadership, Nigeria launched its first Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, signed a landmark Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) compact with states and partners, and injected ₦50 billion into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), which was double the amount released in the previous year. Over 2,400 health workers were recruited and deployed across underserved areas. Primary healthcare facilities that had long been mere consulting rooms began to see improvements in personnel and reach. Vaccination efforts soared. 

A nationwide HPV rollout vaccinated nearly 5 million girls, and the long-awaited Oxford R21 malaria vaccine arrived on Nigerian soil. The government pursued a policy to unlock the healthcare value chain, drafting executive orders to encourage local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce import dependency. Even the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was repositioned, expanding coverage through the Vulnerable Group Fund, while a national patient safety strategy was launched to bring quality and accountability into focus. All signs pointed to a government that was, finally, taking health seriously. But then, as quickly as the fire had been lit, it began to dim.

But from early 2025, a silence began to creep over the very desk that once signed reforms with urgency. Policy announcements grew fewer. Major rollouts dried up. The energy that had defined Pate’s first year slowly receded into a void of political undertones. And then came the whispers, and then confirmations of a new ambition: governorship in Bauchi State. Pate, by his own words in March 2025, declared himself “ready to serve” in his home state come 2027. From that moment on, what had been a robust health sector agenda began to take a back seat to the shifting winds of political alignment.

The problem isn’t ambition. It’s a distraction. A Coordinating Minister of Health in a country where maternal mortality is one of the highest in the world, where millions still pay out-of-pocket for even the most basic care, and where health infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of neglect, simply cannot afford to be half-present. This is the heart of the issue: politics has become both the gatekeeper and the grave-digger of Nigeria’s health potential.

For decades, well-meaning reforms have died at the altar of “lack of political will.” Budgets are approved, but rarely fully released. Policies are launched, but implementation fizzles out under new administrations. Health is often treated as a social service, rather than a critical pillar of economic development. Politicians are quicker to commission a white elephant hospital in a state capital than to strengthen the rural primary health centres where lives are quietly and daily lost.

And when leadership does finally begin to show some will, as Pate briefly did, the ever-thirsty machinery of Nigerian politics lures it away. This, perhaps, is the cruellest irony: politics that should drive public health, instead devours it.

The Nigerian public, meanwhile, remains largely unaware of how deeply entangled their health is with political decisions. Health issues are often viewed as isolated, with a bad hospital here and an unavailable drug there, rather than as symptoms of a larger systemic failure driven by poor governance, poor prioritisation, and a lack of sustained leadership.

We cannot continue to treat the health sector as an afterthought or a public relations prop. Health is not a photo opportunity. It is not a campaign gift or a once-in-a-quarter press release. It is a right, and more than that, it is the foundation for national development. No country has risen out of poverty, no economy has truly grown, without first investing heavily in the health of its people.

So, here’s the truth we must face: until Nigerian politics stops viewing health as just another item on a manifesto’s checklist and starts seeing it as a cornerstone of national survival, we will continue to spin our wheels. Ministers will come and go. Budgets will be announced and unspent. And the average Nigerian will continue to suffer preventable deaths, unaffordable care, and unattended illness.

The solution lies not only in leadership, but also in the voice of citizens, civil society, professionals, the media, and everyday people, who demand more than shallow commitments. We must demand that health be taken seriously, institutionally. That it be enshrined not just in words but in political action, protected from the cycles of campaign season, ego projects, and elective distractions. In this moment, we are witnessing a perfect case study of how even a promising leader can be lost to the lure of political pursuits. 

If Dr. Ali Pate, arguably one of Nigeria’s most qualified health minds, could be drawn away from a national assignment to a regional ambition, it speaks volumes about the fragility of reform when politics remains unchecked.

This article, then, is not just a critique. It is a call to consciousness. A call for the government to return to the trenches of national responsibility. A call for health to be declared not just a service, but a strategic national priority. A call for the public to realise that the decaying hospital they see is not just a facility issue, but a political problem. And it demands a political solution.

Let us stop treating the symptoms. Let us diagnose the root. And let us finally begin to treat politics as the virus silently killing Nigeria’s health system.

Oladoja M.O writes from Abuja and can be reached at mayokunmark@gmail.com.

By Anwar Usman

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria has announced a three-day forewarning of suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products commencing from the early hours of Tuesday.

The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the forewarning on suspension of dispensing petroleum products was in advocacy for healthy competition as against any form of monopoly in the sector.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers had announced that its members would commence a nationwide strike from Monday, September 8.

The strike is in protest against what it described as anti-union labour practices, linked to the deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas trucks by the Dangote Refinery, for direct distribution of petroleum products.

Dangote’s programme on direct distribution of petroleum products to end users aimed at eliminating logistics costs, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting sustainability, and supporting Nigeria’s economic development.

The president reiterated that the action of NUPENG would be both lawful and peaceful, highlighting the association’s commitment to promoting workers’ rights and benefits through constructive engagement.

He added that, “PETROAN underscores its commitment to advancing the interests of Nigerian citizens in the pricing stability of the petroleum sector and promoting a stable and productive industry”.

He called on President Bola Tinubu, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), and the Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to intervene in the proposed actions of NUPENG and PETROAN.

He also urged the Group CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Director-General of DSS, and the Inspector General of Police to intervene urgently in the actions.

The intervention, he said, would avert potential hardship and pain on citizens arising from the suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products.He appealed to the president to find a solution to the crisis and ensure the smooth operation of the oil and gas sector to minimise disruptions to the nation’s economy.

Gillis-Harry further said that pump attendants at PETROAN-member filling stations were equally registered members of NUPENG, hence, the strike by NUPENG would mean these attendants would be absent from duty.

He warned filling station owners not to discipline or sack any pump attendant who would be absent from duty until the end of the strike.

By Ibrahim Aisha

In the Chiranci ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area in Kano, the term “sore throat” has taken on a chilling significance. For Iya Yani, a mother of eight, it was the phrase that cost her daughter her life.

“She only said her throat was hurting,” Iya Yani recalled with tears. “Neighbours told me it was nothing, just harmattan. By the time I took her to the hospital, she could no longer breathe. She died before they could help her, and the doctor blamed my ignorance “.

Iya Yani’s heartbreaking loss is part of a broader tragedy unfolding far and wide in the Kumbotso Local Government Area, a tragedy that statistics and government reports can hardly mitigate. 

Diphtheria, a disease preventable by vaccine, continues to claim the lives of children in this community, some due to financial constraints, misleading rumours and even Ignorance.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by the exotoxin-producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. While the disease can affect individuals of all age groups, Unimmunised children are particularly at risk. There is no World Health Organisation (WHO) region that is completely free of diphtheria globally.

The Facts Behind the Grief

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s (CDC) situation report from May 2025, Nigeria recorded 30 confirmed cases and three deaths in the first few months of the year. By July 2025, Premium Times reported that Kano State alone had logged 18,284 confirmed infections and 860 deaths, making it the most affected state in Nigeria. 

According to the World Health Organisation, from 9th May 2022 to 25 October 2023, 15,569 suspected diphtheria cases have been reported across Nigeria, 547 of whom have died. 

As of October 2023, the World Health Organisation disbursed US$1.3 million for the response to enhance key outbreak control measures, including disease surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing, case investigation and treatment, training, as well as collaborating with communities to support the response efforts. 

With support from the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, Kano State carried out three phases of reactive routine immunisation campaigns in February, April, and August 2023, using the combination tetanus-diphtheria and pentavalent vaccines.

Almost 75,000 zero-dose children under the age of two received the first dose of the pentavalent vaccine, while around 670,000 eligible children (4‒14 years) were vaccinated with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine in 18 high-burden local government areas in Kano state.

 Health Reporters revealed in July 2025 that Chiranci of Kumbotso local government is one of the wards with the highest number of “zero-dose” children – those who have never received a single vaccine. In such a setting, diphtheria spreads rapidly, and misinformation intensifies the situation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Patients who were not vaccinated had more than double the likelihood of death compared to fully vaccinated individuals.

When rumours mislead and ignorance lies 

Many parents from different areas of Kumbotso Local Government Area admit they delayed immunisation due to prevalent rumours. 

When his seven-year-old brother, Jubrin, was diagnosed with diphtheria in July 2023, Aminu had never heard of the disease, the outbreak of which had claimed more than 500 lives in Nigeria.

Safiya Mohammed, a mother of two, residing in the Kumbotso Local Government Area, a hotspot for diphtheria in Kano State, ensured her children were vaccinated.

“I had never heard of diphtheria,” Safiya said. “I don’t want my children or those in the neighbourhood to fall sick or die from the disease. To protect my children, I also need to make sure the children they play with are protected.”

 Fatima Umar, a resident of Dan Maliki and a nursing mother, confessed, “I heard the injection would make my baby sick, so I waited. Then he fell ill. The hospital told us it was diphtheria. He died before I even understood what that word meant.”

Usman Sani, a husband and resident of Taku Mashi, shared a similar regret: “My wife complained of her throat and her not being able to swallow food properly. I thought it was just a sore throat”.He added that by the time his wife was taken to the hospital, it was already too late.

For Zainab Ibrahim, a mother at Chiranci Primary, the battle against diphtheria has been both long and personal. In early 2025, her daughter, Halima, nearly lost her life to the disease. “She could not breathe,” Zainab recalled. 

My daughter said she finds it difficult to yawn properly, and her throat hurts a lot when she swallows saliva. My neighbours kept saying I should use garlic to make tea for her. I started, but noticed there was no progress, as my daughter could not breathe one night. My husband was away, so I called him in the morning and told him I was going to the hospital. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, she was diagnosed and a file was opened for her. The doctor administered drugs and told us to return after two weeks for an operation.

Zainab further mentioned that her daughter survived. “But the scar on her neck serves as a constant reminder of how close I came to burying her.”

At a local Islamic school at Dorayi Chiranci primary, the head of the school, Malam Andullahi Abubakar Jabbi,informed that many of his students died during the outbreak of diphtheria. It started small, then it became alarming when 3 siblings died within the interval of not less than a week.

” Many students stopped coming, and parents phoned to know what was happening. We had to close down the school for some period of time to avoid the spread of the disease,” said Malam Abdullahi.

Bala Dahiru, a resident of Dorayi Yan Lalle, narrated that it was due to financial constraints that he almost lost his only daughter’s life to diphtheria.

What Kumbotso teaches Nigeria 

Diphtheria is preventable. The World Health Organisation affirms that vaccination offers nearly complete protection against the disease. Yet in many areas of Kumbotso, many mothers continue to rely on neighbours’ advice rather than the guidance of health officials. Health workers, such as Lawan Ibrahim Ahmad, the Primary Health Care Coordinator for Chiranchi Primary Health Care, have repeatedly stated that without a steady supply and consistent funding, “it is impossible to reach every child in every home.”

The tragedy of Kumbotso illustrates that diphtheria is not merely a medical issue; it reflects broken trust, inadequate systems, and misinformation that can kill as swiftly as the bacteria themselves.

A Call to Protect Children

The stories emerging serve as a dire warning. Unless vaccination coverage improves, more families will mourn children lost to a disease that the world already knows how to prevent.

Iya Yani’s daughter should not have died from what she thought was a mere sore throat. Halima should not bear the scar on her neck just to breathe. Fatima should not have lost her son to a disease that belongs in the past.

This grief mirrors our collective failure. Until we take action, every cough in this community will reverberate with fear: Could this be the next case of diphtheria?

By Ibrahim Mustapha

I read a story entitled “Fraud, Job racketeering scandal rocks Nigeria’s Technical Education Board,” carried out by Sahara Reporters, an online media outlet, on August 14, 2025, with great shock. Ordinarily, one should not have bothered to reply to the tissues of lies, misrepresentation of facts, and poor grasp of public service rules by Sahara Reporters and its co-sponsors. However, considering the weight of allegations and how gullible minds can be negatively influenced, it has become pertinent to set the record straight. 

Though one had expected Sahara Reporters to produce a balanced story by contacting the executive secretary of the board, Professor Idris Bugaje, who remains accessible to share his side, this has never happened. The online media is so desperate to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. The online media has discarded professional ethics and turned into a willing tool to smear the good image of Professor Bugaje and NBTE through fictitious allegations.

To accuse Professor Idris Bugaje of fraud and so-called jobs racketeering is nothing but lies, vendetta, and a deliberate campaign of calumny aimed at tarnishing his reputation, which he has built over many years. Government organisations carry out recruitment to fill vacancies created by staff death, retirement, and other circumstances.

Those organisations also recruit to meet their workforce demand. NBTE, like any other government organisation, is not exceptional. It carried out its recruitment exercise after vacancies had been identified, a waiver had been granted, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had approved. There has never been any recruitment conducted without due process and the extant laws duly followed. 

Another lie concocted by the Sahara Reporters and their sponsors is that Professor Idris Bugaje is bypassing the Minister of Education in all the recruitment he carried out. There is no iota of truth, as the executive secretary ensures that he consults widely with the Minister of Education for seamless policy implementation and recruitment exercises. Therefore, their allegations are nothing but a figment of their imagination.

The sponsors of the publication have spent considerable energy on “wild goose chase” allegations that Professor Idris Bugaje has made staff redundant and opted for a few to work with them. I think these people are rushing to blackmail Professor Idris Bugaje and cannot even stop to see some of his reforms that have transformed the board. For instance, upon assumption of office, Professor Idris Bugaje unbundled the NBTE by opening regional offices across the country. The “raison d’être” was to simplify work and assign more responsibilities to staff. If Bugaje wanted to make staff redundant, he would not have opened new offices across the country. 

Regarding the allegation of rapid promotion for transferred staff, Sahara Reporters and its co-travellers have also gotten it wrong. Professor Idris Bugaje will never approve of illegality. He ensured the proper placement of staff. You cannot expect a staff member on level 14 to be demoted to level 13 because they have transferred their service to NBTE. That is why those who have been promoted to directors are eminently qualified.

Professor Idris Bugaje has been transforming NBTE in various aspects of human development. He is poised to achieve sound and qualitative technical and vocational education in line with Mr President’s renewed Agenda. Under his watch, NBTE has achieved great success through the monitoring and evaluation of vocational and technical institutions. It is sad to note that some unscrupulous people are bent on tarnishing his hard-earned integrity through spurious and blatant lies. 

No amount of blackmail can distract Professor Idris Bugaje from initiating and implementing policies in line with the NBTE mandate.

 Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State, via imustapha650@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old woman, Maryam Atiku, for allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby girl by burying her alive in a bush in Dandi Local Government Area of the state.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, Bello M. Sani.

According to the statement, the incident happened on June 25, 2025, around 8:00 p.m., when Maryam, a resident of the Nasarawa area of Kamba, gave birth and allegedly tied three wrappers around the baby’s neck, covered her mouth, and buried her in a shallow grave at Malam Yaro bush.

The statement explained that on June 26, at about 12:30 p.m., a farmer, Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad, discovered a disturbed patch of soil resembling a fresh grave while working on his farm near Mallam Yaro village.

He raised an alarm, and with the help of nearby residents, the baby was exhumed alive.

The statement further noted that the baby was immediately rushed to General Hospital, Kamba, where she received medical attention and was certified to be in stable condition.

On receiving the report, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Birnin Kebbi, swiftly arrested the suspect.

According to the statement, she confessed to the crime during preliminary investigation. The Commissioner of Police, as quoted in the statement, condemned the act and described it as barbaric.

He reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for child abuse, exploitation, and all forms of gender-based violence in the state.

The statement added that CP Bello urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to fear Allah in safeguarding children under their care and to resist compromising their future because of poverty or other factors.

It also acknowledged the support of the wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Hajia Zainab Nasare Nasir Idris, for her intervention in ensuring the rescued child’s welfare, as well as the efforts of Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad, whose quick action saved the baby’s life.

The statement concluded that upon completion of investigation, the suspect was arraigned in court for prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others.

By Lawal Dahiru Mamman

There are times when the stars seem to be aligning. All trouble appears to be disappearing, awaiting only what happens when those stars fall into line. But then, unexpectedly, things take a different turn, and the trouble assumes a different shape, sometimes with an additional burden. Such is the irony of Nigeria.

Governance was generally out of reach for the common man, especially those at the grassroots level who lacked the basic necessities required to live a decent life. To address this, there has been a clamour for local government autonomy. Successive governments have attempted to do so, but it was only the current administration that secured this victory in July 2024.

Since then, bureaucracies and political “manoeuvring have clogged up full implementation. Enforcement faced a delay in August when the federal and state governments negotiated a three-month moratorium, due to concerns about council workers’ salary payments and the need to conduct LG elections in certain states, alongside other pressing matters.

Just as progress seemed imminent, another hurdle emerged. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed LGs to submit at least two years’ worth of audited financial reports as a prerequisite for receiving direct allocation. Key stakeholders, including the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), condemned the directive as perceived delay tactics. 

While we are at it, the long-standing call for the creation of more states has resurfaced. In February, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitution Review threw a spanner in the works by proposing the creation of 31 additional states across Nigeria. If this comes to fruition, it would swell the number of states to 67, with some quipping that this would leave Nigeria with more states than “the Almighty United States”.

The proposed distribution of the new states is as follows: six to the North Central, four to the North-East, five to the North-West, five to the South-East, four to the South-South, and seven to the South-West. 

The proposed new states are New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State, FCT State, Tiga and Ari from Kano, Kainji from Kebbi State, and Etiti, Orashi, Adada, and Orlu from the South-East.

Others are Okun, Okura, and Confluence states from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa states from Benue; Amana state from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi state; Savannah state from Borno; and Muri State from Taraba.

Also included are Lagoon from Lagos, Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun State, as well as Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States, Ogoja from Cross River State, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, and Ibadan from Oyo State.

Some proponents interestingly argue that these new states possess abundant mineral and natural resources, which would be harnessed post-creation for the benefit of their people. One is forced to question the logic behind such reasoning and then wonder, are these not already entities within existing states, or would these new states be conjured out of thin air to perform this economic magic?

One would also need to educate Nigerians on a little bit of history and the processes required to achieve state creation in the country. The last time Nigeria created new states was in 1996, under the late General Sani Abacha. The only time a civilian government created a federating unit in the form of a state, rather than a local government area, was in 1963, and it was reportedly done without good faith. 

The Northern People’s Congress (NPC) was the ruling party at the centre, and it was in alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), which was the ruling party in the Eastern Region. The ruling party in the Western Region was the Action Group (AG), while the opposition party was at the centre. There were other smaller parties, but only the NPC, NCNC, and AG were well-known. The alliance at the centre wanted to counter the growing influence of the Action Group, so a region was created from it. 

That region was named the Midwest Region, which later became Bendel state (derived from Benin and Delta). Bendel later became the Edo and Delta states.

Since then, only military regimes have created states in Nigeria. The Gowon administration, on May 27, 1967, abolished the regional system and created 12 states – North-Western, North-Central, North-Eastern, Kano, Benue-Plateau, Kwara, Western, Lagos, Mid-Western, East-Central, South-Eastern, and Rivers States – as part of the strategies to weaken Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu and prevent the civil war. 

Creation of states continued under subsequent military regimes. General Murtala Mohammed created an additional seven states (Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo) in 1976, bringing the total to 19. 

General Babangida created Akwa Ibom and Katsina states in 1987, and nine more states (Abia, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Taraba, and Yobe) in 1991, bringing the total to 30. General Sani Abacha sealed it in 1996 by creating six more states – Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Zamfara.

Conditions for state creation in a democratic setting are stringent and cumbersome, making it unlikely to happen. Military governments created states by decree, but in a democracy, it is a different ball game.

Before anyone advocates for the creation of a new state, they should study the provisions required to do so. Two-thirds of the National Assembly, as well as endorsements from State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils,must be achieved. This requirement makes it challenging to create new states in Nigeria. 

In accordance with Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution, any new state creation must be preceded by the approval of citizens from the area in question through a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). For the referendum to be successful, a two-thirds majority of the people in question must consent to the creation of the new state.

Then comes resubmission of proposals in line with the prescribed guidelines, which includes submitting hard copies and electronic copies of memoranda to the committee’s secretariat, among other things. 

At a time we all advocate for a cut in governance costs, what would creating new states mean for the economy? What about the scarce resources consumed in holding meetings to contest whether or not to create new states? And what about the cost required to set up additional administrative units, the elections to be conducted, or the SUVs that would need to be purchased for 31 new brand governors and deputies, as well as principal officers in the House of Assembly? 

The stars seem to be aligning in favour of local government autonomy, and hope is on the horizon for meaningful governance at the grassroots level, which will lead to national development. The movement towards state creation,therefore, appears to be an unnecessary and costly distraction.

Lawal Dahiru Mamman writes from Abuja and can be reached via: dahirulawal90@gmail.com.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing…. ” – Thomas Carlyle 

Around 7:00 am, I was awakened by a call from one of my friends, who wanted me to inquire on his behalf about admission into one of the colleges of Health Sciences I attended about a decade ago.

As our conversation progressed, he shared with me another contact he had made at another school, stating that, considering the security situation in that state, he could gain admission into the final year to take the final professional exams and be awarded a certified healthcare practitioner.

When I inquired further about how possible that was, considering his lack of knowledge in that field, I knew him to have studied another related healthcare course and was now looking to switch over. His answer was, “You know the ‘Nigeria factor.'”

I was taken aback, unprepared for this update. I was so naive, not expecting this level of decadence. How does it come about that a person could obtain a certificate in any health-related course without the required rigorous training and hands-on skills?

I thought this could happen somewhere, but not in my beloved profession. Our love for shortcuts is going to ruin us. This ‘Nigeria factor,’ if it continues, definitely would consume us. 

It wouldn’t come as a surprise when some of our elites do not believe in being treated at our local facilities. How certain are you that such a quack isn’t in the teaching hospitals or the National Hospital in Abuja?

The system that allows them to obtain a certificate without the required training is the same system that could lead to their employment ahead of more competent and well-grounded individuals.

Given the current state of affairs, I couldn’t entirely blame those who can afford the best private hospitals or overseas clinics. Eight years, and one man was incapable of rectifying this mess. It was a systematic and complex problem that required collective efforts.

President Muhammadu Buhari wasn’t present when the candidate paid the highest sum to the school director or head of department to get admission. Buhari or Tinubu wasn’t present when the National Board of Examinations failed to conduct the necessary checks before approving those candidates, or to verify whether they had attained the required training. 

President Goodluck Jonathan, or President Olusegun Obasanjo, wasn’t present when the agency responsible for recruitment employed such reckless individuals without conducting a thorough investigation into their accredited institution or level of expertise.

Our universities are well-regulated and produce individuals who are competent enough, but they primarily focus on producing senior nursing officers, medical doctors, senior pharmacists, and radiographers or medical laboratory scientists. What of those responsible for taking your blood sample or those who gave your child the vaccine doses?

I am not questioning the entire workforce. Indeed, there were many hard-working and competent personnel, but with the way things were moving, there was also a lot more quackery. If things like this can occur in the most regulated sector, such as healthcare, how confident are you in other professions? 

What guarantee do you have over the NAFDAC recommendation on specific products? How assured are we of the technicians managing our airline services and the local engineers constructing our bridges?

The system that you seem smart enough to outmanoeuvre, driving a car without the necessary papers and licenses, might be the very system that produces some of your teachers, your drivers, and your law enforcement, whom you entrust your very life to. This creates a form of distrust in Nigeria. 

I was interested in a documentary aired by the BBC about Heathrow Airport in the UK. Although it’s an international airport and one of the best globally, comparing the standardised system there could be absurd, but still, it’s obvious the British have a culture of meticulous attention to detail and ensuring everything is done correctly with due process.

 It’s not surprising that there are the fewest number of automobile accidents, maternal mortalities, electricity power grid collapses, and flood disasters.

In a system where everyone took responsibility as if the success or failure of a task depended on him/her, life could have been nicer. However, in our society, we enjoy the blame game too much. Every failure is attributed to the leaders at the top, sometimes ridiculously, upon a single soul, the president.

In the movie Titanic, it’s evident that the fateful accident of the mega ship was attributed to some technical errors made by the crew assistants, not just the captain alone.

 Imagine a minor negligence that led to such a catastrophe, and compare that to the thousands of such mistakes, even greater, that we commit daily in our various walks of life.

The deliberate 15 minutes you were late could have been the cause of someone’s death. The intentional habit of switching your phone off on duty could have been the source of losing someone’s life.

The lack of a proper checklist could have led to a conflagration, a dam break, a bridge collapse, or a building collapse.

Trying to do the right thing doesn’t cost more than doing otherwise. It only builds your character, gives satisfaction, and pays in the long run.

How sustainable was this, the  ‘Nigeria factor’?

Saifullahi Attahir wrote from Federal University Dutse. He can be reached via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.

By Anwar Usman

The Federal Government has declared Friday, 5th September, 2025, a public holiday to mark Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, extended warm greetings to Muslims in Nigeria and across the world.

He urged the Muslim Ummah to emulate the Prophet’s virtues of peace, love, humility, tolerance and compassion, emphasizing that these values are crucial to building a united and progressive nation.

The minister also called on Nigerians of all faiths to use the occasion to pray for the peace, security, and stability of the country while supporting government efforts toward national harmony and sustainable development.

The statement read in part “The celebration of Eid-ul-Mawlid offers us yet another opportunity to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, promote peaceful coexistence, and imbibe the Prophet’s teaching’s of mutual respect and selfless service to humanity”.

He further urged citizens to remain law-abiding, security-conscious, and supportive of government policies aimed at enhancing the well-being of all Nigerians, while wishing Muslims a joyous and peaceful Eid-ul-Mawlid celebration.