Nigerian

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Italian authorities rejected 2,220 Nigerian asylum applications in first-instance decisions in 2025, while 1,175 Nigerians received different forms of international or national protection, according to a new report on the country’s asylum system.

The figures are contained in the 2025 Country Report on Italy by the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), a project of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. The report was produced by the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration using data from Italy’s Asylum Service and the European Union Agency for Asylum.

According to the report, 3,385 Nigerians applied for asylum in Italy during the year, making Nigeria the only sub-Saharan African country among the top 10 nationalities seeking asylum in the European country.

Of the 3,390 decisions recorded on Nigerian cases, 660 applicants, representing 19.47 per cent, were granted full refugee status. The report identified this as the highest refugee recognition rate among the 10 leading nationalities and nearly three and a half times Italy’s national average of 5.7 per cent.

Another 55 Nigerians, representing 1.62 per cent, received subsidiary protection, which applies to people facing serious harm who do not qualify for refugee status. Meanwhile, 460 applicants, or 13.57 per cent, received Italy’s national or special protection, known as protezione speciale.

Overall, 1,175 Nigerians obtained some form of protection, representing 34.66 per cent of decisions on their cases. This was above Italy’s national protection rate of 30 per cent in 2025.

However, the report stated that 4,120 Nigerian cases were still pending before Italian authorities as of December 31, 2025.

Among other African countries, Egypt recorded the highest number of asylum applications, with 11,790. Of the 10,685 decisions made on Egyptian cases, 8,900, or 83.30 per cent, were rejected.

Morocco recorded 9,485 applications, while 5,695 of the 6,315 decisions on Moroccan cases resulted in rejection, representing 90.18 per cent. Tunisia recorded 6,290 applications, with 5,035 of the 5,895 decisions, or 85.41 per cent, rejected.

The report also documented asylum applications by unaccompanied minors from several African countries. These included 61 children from The Gambia, 44 from Mali, 42 from Guinea, 34 from Burkina Faso, 30 from Somalia, 27 from Ivory Coast, nine from Senegal and 16 from Nigeria.

Italy registered 126,635 first-time asylum applications in 2025, down from 151,120 in 2024. However, the figure remained considerably higher than the 77,200 applications recorded in 2022.

“In 2025, 126,635 first asylum requests were registered in Italy, representing a decrease compared to 2024 (when 151,120 applications were registered), but still almost double the number of applications registered in 2022 (77,200).”

Italian authorities issued 104,560 first-instance decisions during the year. The overall protection rate, including special protection, declined to 30 per cent from 35 per cent in 2024 and 47 per cent in 2022.

The report recorded 5,965 decisions granting refugee status, representing 5.7 per cent of the total. A further 11,455 decisions, or 10.96 per cent, granted subsidiary protection, while 13,945, or 13.34 per cent, resulted in national protection.

By the end of December 2025, 234,165 asylum applications remained pending in Italy.

The country processes asylum claims through 20 Territorial Commissions and 23 sub-commissions under a three-tier protection system. Applicants whose claims are rejected can appeal to civil courts and subsequently seek recourse through the Council of State.

Italy’s asylum framework has also faced legal challenges over its designation of safe countries of origin. In October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union struck down Italy’s mechanism for designating such countries, resulting in Nigeria’s removal from the list. The designation had subjected applications from Nigerians to accelerated procedures.

Further legal disputes emerged in 2025 over the Italy-Albania Agreement, which provides for migrants intercepted at sea to be transferred to Albanian territory for processing under Italian jurisdiction.

On accommodation, the report stated that 101,106 asylum seekers were housed in emergency reception centres as of December 31, 2025. Another 3,342 were accommodated in government centres, while 3,652 were housed in hotspots.

Sea arrivals in Italy totalled 66,296 in 2025, slightly below the 66,617 recorded in 2024 and considerably lower than the 157,651 arrivals reported in 2023.

Bangladesh accounted for the largest number of sea arrivals, with 20,164 people, followed by Egypt with 9,091, Eritrea with 7,579, Pakistan with 4,383 and Sudan with 4,183.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A long-time associate of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Kabiru Abdullahi, has left the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdullahi announced his resignation from the NDC in a letter addressed to the chairman of the party in Kofar Ruwa Ward, Dala Local Government Area of Kano State.

His defection comes ahead of the 2027 general elections and adds to the political realignments within Kano State as major parties position themselves for the next electoral contest.

Abdullahi, who has been associated with Kwankwaso for several years, did not state in the report the reasons for his decision to quit the NDC and join the APC.

The development is expected to attract attention within political circles in Kano, given Abdullahi’s previous relationship with the NDC’s vice-presidential candidate.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over an unauthorised payment made into one of his private bank accounts by an unidentified person.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the transaction was described as a “Contribution Electioneering Campaign” but was neither requested nor approved by him or his campaign organisation.

His Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.

The statement described the circumstances surrounding the transaction as “deeply troubling” and questioned how an unknown person obtained details of an account whose information is not publicly available.

“The transfer originated from a person totally unknown to His Excellency,” the statement reads.

“Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment.”

Atiku questioned the source of the information used to make the payment, particularly because the affected account is a private one.

“The account is a strictly private one whose details are not in the public domain. This raises a fundamental question: How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?” he asked.

‘NO NIGERIAN’S FINANCIAL PRIVACY IS SAFE’

The former vice-president said the incident raised concerns that could extend beyond his personal circumstances.

He argued that unauthorised access to the banking information of a former vice-president and presidential candidate could indicate a broader threat to the financial privacy of Nigerians.

“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe,” he said.

Atiku also warned about the potential consequences if the information had been obtained through people with privileged access to banking records.

“If established, this would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements,” the statement added.

The ADC presidential candidate linked the development to what he described as a series of “suspicious activities” ahead of the 2027 general election.

Despite the incident, Atiku said he would remain focused on his political objectives and would not allow the development to distract him.

“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination,” he added.

“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again. The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges.”

By Uzair Adam

A PhD student from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), Hidaya Lawal, has called for greater recognition of the role played by Islamic scholars (ulama) in shaping Kano’s traditional healthcare system, saying their influence remains central to public health and community well-being.

The call was made on Wednesday during the second day of a two-day conference organized by the Faculty of History and Development Studies, Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

The conference, themed “Ulama and Politics in Nigeria: Historical Perspectives,” brought together scholars, clerics, and political leaders from across the country.

Presenting her paper titled “The Influence of the Ulama on the Traditional Healthcare System in Kano Metropolis,” Lawal said her study seeks to rediscover the contributions of Islamic scholars to healthcare in Kano, particularly in the post-colonial period.

She explained that traditional medicine in Kano is often misunderstood, noting that it combines Islamic medicine with refined local Hausa practices aligned with the Qur’an and Hadith.

“When we talk about traditional healthcare, people usually think of pre-jihad practices. But in Kano, traditional medicine is an integration of Islamic and Hausa medical practices that have been tested and confirmed to be in line with Islamic teachings,” she said.

Lawal added that while early scholars such as Uthman Dan Fodio and others influenced the health system in the past, modern-day ulama have not received adequate academic attention.

She said the traditional medical system in Kano is holistic and covers mental, social, and moral well-being, not just physical health.

“Unlike Western medicine, which focuses mainly on curing diseases, our traditional medicine emphasizes total well-being—what we call lafiya,” she explained.

Lawal also noted that preventive health practices found in Islam align with modern medical guidelines.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, practices like handwashing and avoiding overcrowding were already part of Islamic public health principles,” she said.

According to her, collaboration between the ulama, the government, and research institutions has strengthened public trust in traditional medicine.

“Some herbal medicines have been tested by Bayero University Kano’s Department of Pharmacognosy and found to be up to 80 percent safe,” she said.

She added that the ulama also play a key role in addressing harmful superstitions and beliefs that affect mental health.

“Their sermons have helped reduce anxiety and discrimination, especially against women, by correcting false beliefs rooted in tradition,” she said.

Lawal said her research aims to promote greater understanding of the ulama’s influence on public health and encourage the integration of traditional and modern healthcare systems in Kano.