Northern Nigeria

On a day like this, three decades ago, Taraba State was created from the defunct Gongola State. Unarguably, one of the most promising states at the time of creation.  Being the third-largest state in Nigeria in terms of landmass, most of it being overly fertile. There is hardly a crop that grows in Nigeria that does not grow well in Taraba. In fact, many thrive best here.

While I cannot call myself an Agriculturist, I certainly know one or two things about farming being someone who is very proud of this profession and has had experiences that will forever remain green in my mind because of Agriculture. I am extremely passionate about Agriculture. I know the potentials that we have in Taraba. Unfortunately, states with far fewer potentials than Taraba have harnessed theirs and not Taraba for one reason or the other. 

Taraba state has tourist potentials that are unmatched in this country. It is aptly described as “Nature’s gift to the Nation”. As a result, we have some of the most beautiful places anyone can contemplate or dream of visiting in Nigeria. Travelling from: Sardauna to Zing, Ibi to Karim Lamido, Ussa to Yorro, Kurmi to Gassol. In fact, across the length and breadth of Taraba, all one sees is one of the most breathtaking scenery you can find in Nigeria.

The lush green countryside, amazing mountains, wonderful waterfalls, and sonorous birds give sounds that you may not be wrong to call music. Since my elementary music teacher taught me that music is the arrangement of sounds that are pleasant to the ears. On a serious note,  you have to fall in love with nature once in Taraba State; of course, I have done that. One has to. Taraba is that special: you can’t escape it.

Sadly, this has not translated to much development. I weep whenever I visit towns, villages, and hamlets in Taraba. I weep not only for the abundant natural resources being exploited but that should and would have been utilised for the benefit of all and the growing distrust and polarised nature of my dear state. Here are people who have refused to unite to defeat their common enemies: poverty, violence, unemployment, underdevelopment, drug abuse, kidnapping, etc. This shouldn’t be our reality.

Whoever fans the embers of disunity is not a good human being, to begin with, let alone being a good and responsible Taraban whether one is: a traditionalist, a Muslim, or a Christian. For God’s sake, we have all suffered for our failure to rise above prejudice, hate and do the needful for our dear state. We disappointedly all continue to play blame-games, while everything is ruined before our very eyes. Tarabans have to think and rethink whatever approach we have been using over the years have left a lot to be desired.

The truth is that we are all in this together. I know this for a fact because I get to mingle with Tarabans from all walks of life. My friend Jerry in Jalingo is no less a victim than my friend Ado in Yelwa, Sardauna local government. The old man I met in Dakka, Bali, local government struggling even at old age to feed his family is not different from the ones I meet in my hometown or any place I visit in Taraba.

The public primary schools in Jalingo, the state capital, don’t look much different from the ones in Borno Kurukuru, in Bali local government; the ones in Pantisawa In Yorro LGA and the ones in Kufai, Gassol local government, or anywhere in Taraba state. The difference is that some of our teachers do extraordinary things to nurture children that can become responsible citizens against all odds. So today, I pay tribute to our teachers and all those who defy all odds to develop our state. Thank you so much for your sacrifice and service to our dear State. 

The plain truth is that we are all victims in one or the other. Whether we agree or not, whatever faith we profess or the party we support. A selected few benefit in any state that constituted authorities have failed to live up to their responsibilities, and most of the time, even those that benefit the pleasure are ephemeral. 

We still have the opportunity to stem the tide and chart a new course for the only State we have and one that some of us love unconditionally. To change things for the better. But, we cannot do it alone. We must do it together: Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists. Until we unite, leaders or rulers will continue to exploit us and set us against one another. It is high time we commenced the building of a Taraba where merit matters and all Tarabans matter. A Taraba where things work and all that work hard within the ambit of the law can prosper without hindrance. A Taraba where the glass ceiling will be completely shattered. 

Happy 30th anniversary to my dear State, Taraba. You will be great despite all the apparent obstacles to stop that from coming to fruition no matter what happens. We will keep on trying until we get it right.

We today live in a state far more divided than ever. But I find solace that we still have good men and women from all parts of the state and of all religious beliefs who are sincerely ready to see a complete revamping of our dear State. These Tarabans give me hope. For just like me, most of them do not have a bean and have no political goals to pursue rather a whole state, and indeed, nation to build. 

I see hope boldly written on the face of my friend Jerry, a barber whose dream is to one day be a big employer of labour despite his financial constraints today. I  find strength in the words of my friend Abdulhamid who supports his family with the little that he has while working relentlessly with little dependence on the government.  

I know God willing things can and will change when Caleb, an ex-drug addict who has turned over a new leaf, advocates for peace and works towards our unity. Likewise, I believe we can change for the better when Zakiru freely works to better society and seeks success against all odds. Yes, Zakiru with even some hilarious jokes to it. 

I have no reason to believe things will continue the manner they are today, forever because of the realities of the moment. I know we can change. Although, the time is entirely dependent on how ready we are for that to happen as Tarabans. 

Today, I urge us all to mull over our challenges as a state. I plead with you all to reflect sincerely and see how we can all join hands to build the state that should be the envy of every state in the country because of our resources, which I know, once we get it right, Taraba will be the perfect example of how to move Nigeria forward being a state that can correctly be described as a mini Nigeria, with all that is inherent therein Nigeria. We must not fail our dear state as Tarabans; we have to stop failing this beautiful State now. 

Happy 30th anniversary Taraba State. God bless Taraba State, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abdulrazak Iliyasu Sansani wrote from Turaki B, Jalingo, Taraba State.

Ibrahim Yahaya

A proverbial Hausa dictum states that ‘If you see your neighbour’s beard go in flames, you should wet yours’. For instance, this can be simplified to mean that if you notice the car in front of you crash because of high speed, you should apply the brakes. Emphasis is on being cautious and proactive at all times. But that was not the case with the people of Niger State, at least in terms of action as Kaduna went ablaze.

When news broke out about the hike in tuition fees in Kaduna State, the internet went agog, followed by public uproar and protests. And…. as you would expect, nothing more than grouses here and there as parents were forced to comply with the increment or keep their wards outside the walls of the varsity.

The decision stood, despite the opposition, protests, and ‘aluta gra-gra‘. But, like an infectious disease, it has now spread its tentacles to the neighbouring Niger State. So much for solidarity, eh?

In the cold hours of Wednesday, 4th August 2021, another shocker hit the public space. This time, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, followed suit in the tuition hike competition, with a staggering increment somewhat above 150%!

Where do we go from here?

The students are confused. The parents and guardians are even more so. There is fear that there would be a repeat of Kaduna State which appears to be the vanguard in the hiking tournament.

Agreed, education is expensive. But the same ought to be made affordable in the interest of social growth and development. No society prospers on gargantuan illiteracy, and none ever will. So, isn’t it ironical that a region (North) already struggling with many out of school persons and abject under-development is striving so hard to make education unaffordable? Does it make any sense?

For the umpteenth time, where do we go from here?

How can a state deem it fit to impose above 150% increment in tuition fee where the same state is struggling to meet the minimum wage mandate? For a while now, this same state has failed to pay 100% salary, for God’s sake. Look at Borno State, for instance; it is a region blighted by insecurity, yet they pay wages in full when due and equip their educational institutions with state of the art facilities without resorting to milk the lot on educational grounds. So what is wrong with Niger State, please?

It wouldn’t be long before conspiracy theories begin to fly here and there, justifiably. And, don’t be shocked to see the lot argue that an agenda is being pursued to deny the poor access to education despite it (education) being a fundamental human right. It is bad enough that graduates roam the streets without meaningful jobs. But, I hate to think of a scenario where those roaming the streets are aggrieved students compelled to drop out of school due to ill-advised policy/policies by those in the corridors of power.

Now that the fire has reached Niger State, our neighbours should better wet their “bear-bear” by supporting them to help persuade the government to reverse this increment.

This fire should be extinguished here and now!

Yahaya Ibrahim can be reached via yahayaibrahim006@gmail.com.

By Ahmadu Shehu, PhD.

It is generally considered an impossible hyperbole when the current trajectory of ethnic profiling against the Fulani people in Nigeria is linked with the road to Kigali. But, except something drastic is done, for most dispassionate observers, this is as sure as the sun rises from the east. Therefore, as Mbororo (i.e. a herdsman), I write from experience to call the attention of Nigeria and the world to the danger facing not only the Fulani but also millions of Nigerians who look like them. With this article, I hope to save the world from escapism and blame-game when our negligence eventually allows the deed.

Let me quickly disabuse the minds of my audience. I do not stand for any criminal, regardless of ethnic, religious or regional background. I do not also hold excuses, whatsoever, for any form of criminality. However, the world needs to understand that the unfolding events in Nigeria are beyond ordinary and are very alarming, even intimidating for every Fulani person of whatever background and socioeconomic status. We are all sinking into a dark hole, scared of what tomorrow may hold for our children or us for simply being Fulani and herders.    

The Rwandan, Bosnian and Burmese genocides, and indeed the worst human tragedies in history, such as the Holocaust in Europe, are all events no one anticipated as possible outcomes of “simple” stereotypes, ethnic and social profiling. For instance, when the Rwandan actors of genocide characterised the Tutsis as cockroaches, not even the victims of that profiling imagined that they were meant to be crushed and eliminated like cockroaches without a drop of human sympathy. But such is the power of language. Its control over our minds and worldviews means that our emotions and worldly experiences are conceptualised, i.e. conceived, and coded, i.e. expressed, based on metaphors that underlie our bodily experiences. This is the subject of Conceptual Metaphor theory[1]. 

The world looked on as the influential media of Nazi Germany propagated hateful stereotypes against the Jews, poisoning the minds of the majority, providing a fertile ground for the emergence of one of the most despicable men in history, Adolf Hitler, as the Chancellor of Germany. Coming to power under these circumstances, Hitler had all he needed to implement his long-desired goal of “cleansing Europe” from the Jews.

It began by implementing bigoted policies, such as boycotting Jewish businesses and isolating the Jewish population in segregated ghettos, followed by the policy of extermination fondly described as “the solution to the Jewish question” in Europe. The so-called “Jewish question” tells you that Jews were objectified, problematised and removed entirely from the human society of Europe. It went to the extent that most people saw them as a nuisance, a source of their problems, and therefore, unsympathetic to their course. Today, there is seemingly a sad “question of the Fulani problem” in Nigeria, on which the dubious media and politicians thrive.

Today’s Nigeria is to a Fulani what Rwanda of the 1990s was to a Tutsi. The prerequisites for the looming disaster have been met and are consistently, persistently and comprehensively being propagated, promoted and disseminated. Of this, the world must not claim ignorance. Despite their historical contributions to the Nigerian and African civilisations, the economic value chains they have helped sustain and subsidise for centuries, the scholarship they have institutionalised on the continent, and their passionate, patriotic contributions in the creation and growth of this entity called Nigeria, the Fulani are today being commodified and dehumanised in deliberate ethnic profiling.

Like the Jews in Europe, Fulani folks are the herders of Nigeria, holding the largest share in the country’s livestock sector. Unfortunately, this cultural means of livelihood has fallen under persistent attacks and other bigoted attempts to impoverish the herding population. Once the most prosperous, most self-reliant and wealthy in northern Nigeria, millions of the Fulani people have become destitute, impoverished by the twin evils of bad governance and climate change. The results of this are apparent: many have turned to criminality as means of survival. Instead of treating the root causes of this menace, the Nigerian governments at all levels have resorted to criminalising every Pullo and whoever that looks like “them”.  

At every checkpoint of the Nigerian security agencies, one demography is a primary target: The Fulani. The state that has deliberately refused to educate and enlighten them, despite being the highest tax-paying single ethnic group, has turned its security agencies into lions that hunt and extort these vulnerable citizens without discrimination. Police stations, prisons and other detention centres around this country are filled with innocent, young Fulanis without being charged or tried.

The results of this indiscriminate maltreatment are blanket distrust, anxiety and hopelessness that eventually provide the basis for these people to see no reason to abide by the law. Such people are hardened and no longer fear the law, for whatever the law was to do against them for being criminals have been meted against them as innocent citizens. They have lost their livelihood and now their dignity. They have nothing to lose for being a criminal or even a terrorist. This natural law of social injustice applies to all human beings, regardless of ethnic, religious or other backgrounds. 

Similar policies to those deployed to ensure the exclusion of Jews and their final settlement into ghettos designed for their final extermination have long been propagated in Nigeria. It is no coincidence that ethnic warlords who gained political power in Plateau and other middle-belt states in 1999 orchestrated the indigene–settler dichotomy deeply rooted in the hatred for peace-loving neighbouring ethnic groups, perceived as prosperous minorities.

False stories of dominance have been normalised and entrenched in the minds of unsuspecting innocent citizens for political purposes. This deliberate and dangerous xenophobia have plunged these areas into endless ethnoreligious crises, animosities and restlessness. The far more dangerous outcome from this is the reactionary tendencies that have continued to be the basis for the emergence of ethnic chauvinists and bigots as leaders, ala Jonah Jang and that buffoon called Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State.

The decades of cattle route blockades across the country has confided herders, who are mostly the disadvantaged category of the Fulani people, to the deserts. More than anyone else, livestock herders cannot do without water and green vegetation. Those are the only sources of livelihood for their stock and subsequently their only means of subsistence and culturally the essence of their lives. But, of course, a country such as Nigeria that cannot help cater for its human population may not be expected to care for its environment – forests, waterways, trees, vegetation have all disappeared, leaving us on drylands. These social and ecological factors have pushed millions of Nigerians whose livelihoods depend on the livestock to possible extinction. I will show you how.

My father had three herds of cattle and two of sheep. Each pack was around 70 to 80 heads of cattle. Each cattle would approximately sell for 80 – 100 thousand naira. Do the math. From the late ’80s to the early 2000s, less than ten cattle were left in my extended family. Add this to family growth and needs. Now you can imagine! Our family had moved thousands of kilometres through these years, from Maini in Niger to Dapci in Yobe, up to the Mambilla Plateau, down to Banyo, Doualayel in Cameroon, and finally Mamukan in Jada LGA, all in search of pastures to nurture the cattle.

With everything lost to the criminal state actors, ethnic discords, climate change and economic instability, an ever-growing family of four is now over twenty and can no longer sustain its only means of livelihood. Sad as this may sound, my story is humane and less tragic than what the herders go through today. The rate at which herders lose their means of subsistence is alarming. By a stroke of a police pen or at gunpoint by cattle rustlers or kidnappers, a Fulani may lose everything he ever worked for to escape detention or rescue himself or his loved ones. Why are we surprised at the natural consequences of this cruelty?       

What has been discussed so far may seem to be based on the unintended consequences of a dysfunctional state, corruption, population explosion, climate change, and the failure of the Nigerian state to implement developmental and social programs for its citizens, which arguably affect all citizens, albeit disproportionately. However, the resulting crises have provided fertile ground and ample opportunity for bigoted politicians to seize power and deliberately formulate and implement desperate, dangerous, racist, chauvinistic policies aimed at ethnic cleansing of the herders’ population. Mind you, herders, not Fulani population, for now, because the road to Kigali is systematic. This is the subject of the second part of this essay.        

Dr Ahmadu Shehu is a nomad cum herdsman, an Assistant Professor at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and is passionate about the Nigerian project. You can reach him at ahmadsheehu@yahoo.com.

[1] If you are interested in the details of this theory, read Lakoff & Johnson, 1980.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Hausa-speaking community on social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, is today celebrating World Hausa Day for the seventh time.

However, Nigeria’s Twitter ban early this year has reduced much of the day’s celebration on the microblogging site.

The day was first introduced and celebrated in 2015, courtesy of concerned social media users such as Jamila Kabiru Fagge, Abdulbaki Jari, Bashir Ahmad, Salihu Tanko Yakasai, Faisal Abdullahi, Ila Bappa, Maryam Ado, others. The objective was to promote the Hausa language, its development and the challenges it faces as one of the major languages in West Africa.

The day allows Hausa users to come up and post witty Hausa sayings and make corrections as to how the language is used in conformity with its orthographical rules.

Hausa is one of the most spoken languages in Africa. It is spoken in about 30 African countries, with over 100 million speakers.

The language gathers momentum each day as several renowned media organisations broadcast in it. For example, media houses like the BBC, VOA, DW, Radio France International and the like broadcast in the Hausa language.

However, some social media users lament some challenges that the Hausa language and its people face today.

For example, Nurudeen Dauda wrote the following in his article: “Our people almost regarded begging as [a] profession. All well-meaning Hausas should and or must make [a] serious effort towards discouraging our people from begging. After all, we are not the only people suffering from poverty in Nigeria. It is among all!”

By Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada

In an ironic twist one of the most charismatic Ministers in Buhari’s administration, Dr Isa Ali Pantami has been receiving massive accolades for his outstanding performances from sincere citizens, as well as blind criticisms from blackmailing traducers for ulterior motives.

A few months ago, the traducers mounted aggressive media campaigns against him over a claim of alleged support of ideologies of insurgents over a decade ago. Even though, the Minister had defended himself and explained further that he was one of the Islamic scholars that have consistently attacked the ideologies of Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, videos and audios of Boko Haram leaders threatening the life of Dr Pantami emerged but that too could not persuade the critics from their reckless insinuations and criticism. In fact, some of the videos included those where Pantami challenged slain Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in a hot debate and another was the threat by terrorist leader, Abubakar Shekau to eliminate the Minister.

It is, therefore, not surprising that when Pantami is about to clock his second year in office, the sponsored critics thought they could distract him and teeming Nigerians by reinventing another campaign of calumny.

Though their intention is mischief, they could not stop the Minister from reeling out concrete achievements of his Ministry and its agencies in the last two years when they collectively generated a total of N1.05 trillion.

Dr Pantami disclosed the huge revenue during the 12th batch of virtual commissioning of eight projects by his Ministry and agencies.

He said that “The Ministry and its parastatals have generated over N1 trillion for the Federal Government in less than two years, this translates to an average of about N44 billion every month, or over N1.4 billion every day.

“The IT Projects Clearance Programme also saved over N5billion for the Federal Government.”

“I also urge them to redouble their efforts in ensuring that we keep up the good work of developing Nigeria’s digital economy,” he said.

The Minister also revealed that a total of 1,667 ICT projects have been completed while 455 others are ongoing across the country. In line with the general approach for locating projects, they are situated in all the six geopolitical zones of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

Some of the projects he commissioned virtually included Emergency Communications Centre (ECC), Makurdi, Benue State (North Central); Virtual Examination Centre, College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State (North West); E-Accessibility Centre, Alderstown Schools for the Deaf, Warri, Delta State (South-South).

Others are the E-Health/Data Sharing Project, Leko Abdulrahman Hospital, Daura, Katsina state (North West); Digital Economy Centre & E-Learning Facilities, Ogba Grammar School, Lagos state (South West); Digital Economy Centre & E-Learning Facilities, St Paul Secondary School, Eke, Enugu state (South East); Digital Economy Centre & E-Learning Facilities, Federal Character Commission, Abuja (North Central); and E-Accessibility Centre, Bauchi state; Orphans and Vulnerable Children School, Bauchi state (North East) among others.

These were apart from others that were commissioned last year.

My advice to Pantami on the antics of his traducers and blackmailers is to just ignore them.

As an IT guru and scholar of repute, he should realise that their antics expose their dispositions as sectional and religious irredentists and their hatred for his faith and the section of the country he comes from. Just recently some of them have the gut to mock the great prophet of Islam in their attempt to ridicule, Dr Pantami.

Though the bigoted and eccentric traducers seem to be faceless, they are not unknown going by digital footprints and the patrons of their platforms of blackmail and propaganda.

If their media platforms were used to scandalise former Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’adua, Jonathan and even Buhari, why should Pantami feel offended? They are better ignored.

It is obvious that they are over-pampered ethnic jingoists and over-tolerated fake activists who are overtly ignored because of their questionable integrity and dubious pedigrees.

Once again, I appeal to Sheikh Pantami to ignore them and focus on his national assignment which has enormous presidential endorsements and the support of Nigerian citizens who are beneficiaries of the digital economy.

Adnan Mukhtar is a Staff Writer with Politics Digest and writes from Kofar Famfo, Kano City.

By Ahmadu Shehu, PhD.

The current situation in northern Nigeria is very discouraging, even depressing. But it is not hopeless. Daunting as the current challenges seem, they are far from insurmountable. Before sounding over-optimistic, let me admit that things can head south and that the danger ahead is by no means to be underestimated. The problems bedevilling this country have been dissected, analysed, revised and reviewed regularly. They are well-known to the extent that a curious baby could make a list of them; insecurity, poverty, joblessness, poor education, healthcare, lack of power, water, and all other social amenities. That is how obvious our problems are.

Unfortunately, although various solutions to the above problems have been proposed over time, few improvements are being recorded. On the contrary, things have become worse by the day. What this means is that either the proposed solutions are wrong, inadequate or that these solutions are not well-implemented. Regardless, we shall acknowledge that these problems have been with us throughout our recent history; they have been acerbating all through the decades of our independence, and that they are not going away on their own. Though, it is not as if nothing is being done to ameliorate this sorry situation; it is just not enough.

For instance, as people of faith and conscience, we have been encouraged to pray hard, submit to the true spiritual powers that create and sustain the universe. Luckily, Nigeria is reportedly the most religious country globally, and our attitude to religiosity attests to this claim. As a nation of faith, we have benefitted from our dedication to prayers and spirituality in many ways. However, the deteriorating state of our affairs shows that something is definitely wrong with this approach. We can see that as hard and as much as we pray, these problems are not going away – they have refused to disappear after the night vigils. The home truth is that they will not disappear because they are man-made and, therefore, require human solutions. Consequently, we have to undo them by matching our spirituality with the necessary practical actions.

As concerned and enlightened citizens, we have cried out as loudly as possible, written treatises, provided all the analyses in this world. Still, that is undoubtedly not going to do much in salvaging this precarious situation. This decay is beyond words. As individuals, each of us has a responsibility to this country. Therefore, some pundits claim that we shall quickly solve these problems if we do our parts as individuals. Well, yes and no. Resorting to self-help is itself a measure of failure in a cooperative society. We can only do so much as individuals, but not enough to correct the ills of this society. That is why human society is politically structured since time immemorial. We have never heard of a country, an entity – not even a family system – without a workable structure. As Femi Falana says, “there is indeed no republic of non-governmental organisations”. 

As citizens and subjects of a political structure, we have always pushed all the blame to the region’s political leadership. Indeed, the responsibility of a people is absolutely on the political leaders who have all the instruments of power, administrative and constitutional resources, privileges and responsibilities. But, this too is very much debatable. One undeniable truth is that while political leaders are responsible for the development of a society, the quality of followership has a significant stake in the success of public policy and programs.  Is leadership not the product of followership? Or is it the other way round? This is the case with chicken and egg. Your guess is as good as mine.

As a government, various laws, policies and programs have been formulated, enacted, assented, proposed, implemented, or use any vocabulary that suits your purpose. The bottom line is that we are sinking deeper, moving in reverse order, and things are getting worse. Governments at all levels adopt often conflicting policies and programs on various challenges facing the region. For instance, on insecurity, the Zamfara state government embraces negotiations and amnesty for criminals, while Katsina state adopts the often faulty stick and carrot approach. On the contrary, the Kaduna state government insists on non-negotiation with criminals, without any alternatives for the victims. The governments apply the same conflicting methods to other critical issues such as education, employment, poverty eradication, healthcare, etc. If results are to judge actions, we can loudly, albeit sadly, say that successive governments at all levels have failed in basically everything.

The evidence of the failure of these approaches lies in the fact that there is no sector – one aspect of life – that is better than it was years ago. But at the same time, this evidence is the same reason we should do more because our problems are bigger and more today than yesterday. It means, therefore, that the people of this region must continue brainstorming and inventing new, dynamic solutions in tandem with the current challenges facing it. Northern Nigeria is full of potentials and opportunities to get out of this mess and attain its developmental goals.

The best way to do this, in my opinion, is by focusing on the human capital of the region. The problems mainly result from neglecting the wealth of human resources, both in quality and quantity, by undermining critical social development issues, especially education and skills acquisition. Yes, this region might be rich in natural resources, such as gold, ore, iron, and other geological elements. Still, the truth of the matter is that no society has ever mined itself to greatness. In recent years, the federal government has been fond of oil exploration in the north to counter the southern narrative of “oil-producing states”. But, the essential truth is that the so-called oil-producing states are as underdeveloped as any other state of the federation, except that they alone have the environmental degradation of that magnitude. This tells us that our society cannot drill itself to development.

Likewise, we may argue that agriculture has sustained us for millennia, but the population explosion, waning natural resources, desert encroachment and other global factors mean that the current scale of subsistence farming does not feed us, let alone sustaining our economy. Thus, we cannot farm ourselves out of these troubles.  

I believe we can think and invent ourselves out of these problems. The surest way to development is education – education that develops the minds of the citizens to think, organise and prosper. Fundamentally, this is what only education (in its real sense[1]) can do. Many countries and societies have done this in recent decades. Nations are not born or produced by the roads, farms, bridges, mines, oil fields or industrial estates. They are born by the minds of citizens. The growth of societies is not measured and cannot be attained or sustained by the physical attributes, items and objects on the ground but by the enlightened minds of their citizens. Thus, learning from both our history and the history of nations worldwide, the north can and will be developed, but only through quality education and nothing else. If we can get this right, we will be able to think ourselves out of these problems.

Dr Ahmadu Shehu is an Assistant Professor at the American University of Nigeria, Yola. He writes from Yola, the capital of Adamawa state.

[1] My definition of education and the model that I believe can do this is explained in my article entitled Towards a Community-Based Model of Basic Education in Nigeria published in Chido Onuma’s Remaking Nigeria: Sixty years, sixty voices.

By Muhammad Sabiu

In a report released by a Lagos-based research firm, SB Morgen, Bauchi is the state with the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, with figures rising to 1,239,759.

Figures in the report have indicated that Katsina State is second to Bauchi, with about 873,633 out-of-school children, who might have been prevented from going to school due to so many reasons.

Bringing the above figures, SB Morgen discussed recent occurrences in Kaduna State, which came fifth on the list and where schools remain closed until further notice due to the rising rate of kidnappings and other security challenges in the state.

“The Kaduna State Government has said that all primary and secondary schools will remain closed until the security situation improves across the state,” SB Morgen wrote.

It’s now apparent that one of the major factors that hinder the progress of education in northern Nigeria is kidnapping, which is not quotidian in only Kaduna. Most northwestern states have been witnessing kidnap of students in their hundreds, which usually forces authorities to order the suspension of school activities “until further notice.”

Not only northwestern states, recently, Niger State in the north-central part of Nigeria saw students in their hundreds kidnapped from their school, with many still being held by their abductors.

Officials also lament the general backwardness of education in Nigeria as there are approximately over 10 million out-of-school kids.

The Minister of State, Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, was in June 2021 quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as saying, “The current challenges affecting the Nigerian education system has left much to be desired, the system is characterised by high illiteracy level, infrastructural decay and deficits.”

“We have inadequate number of qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructural facilities/resources and poor funding,” he added.

The figures, which are said to have been sourced from the Federal Ministry of Education, are presented as follows in order of the size of the number of out-of-school kids:

BAUCHI: 1,239,759

KATSINA: 873,633

KANO: 837,479

KADUNA: 652,990

GOMBE: 567,852

KEBBI: 484,702

ADAMAWA: 483,702

NIGER: 478,412

OYO: 463,280

SOKOTO: 462,164

YOBE: 405,100

ZAMFARA: 383,952

BENUE: 383,022

TARABA: 338,975

BORNO: 266,178

OSUN: 260,222

PLATEAU: 258,256

LAGOS: 229,264

NASARAWA: 204,771

RIVERS: 196,581

A’ IBOM: 194,018

DELTA: 181,995

KOGI: 169,316

OGUN: 158,797

EBONYI: 151,000

KWARA: 141,325

CROSS RIVER: 140,944

IMO: 125,414

FCT: 121,587

ENUGU: 117,091

ONDO: 113,746

EKITI: 99,778

ANAMBRA: 92,332

BAYELSA: 86,778

ABIA: 86,124

EDO: 79,446

Looking at the above statistics, out of the first 15 states on the list, only one is in the southern part of the country: Oyo.

Therefore, this calls for more effort and attention of stakeholders to put their shoulder to the wheel to curb this problem of the rising number of out-of-school children.

By Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani

Let me give due credit to a deserving personality. In contemporary Africa, it’s rare to find a man like Dr Jamilu Gwamna, who works behind the curtain to upgrade the living condition of other people. 

Jamilu Gwamna is a household name in Gombe State for obvious reasons. However, personalities are remembered for two reasons, either good or bad. For this particular person, the former is the case, not just for anything, but his vision and sacrifices on his people.

One of the gratifying achievements one can ever be proud of is investing in the life of others, knowing fully well that a bright future awaits his community and his state. You bring honour and dignity to them. Indeed, you’re an invaluable asset to the people by investing your wealth in the youths, who are the nation’s backbone.

Someone that uses his wealth to develop the minds and inculcate the spirit of youths deserves to be praised and encouraged by all and sundry. This extraordinary gentleman uses everything at his disposal to develop, direct and move Nigerian youth forward. Jamilu’s fashion for educating youth irrespective of their religion and tribe was borne out of the idea to prepare experienced young minds, retrain them, and upscale their skills to become the desired human capital for the greater good of their country.

Jamilu Gwamna is a kind-hearted, altruist and chummy gentleman that everyone wants to associate with. His gesture cannot be easily forgotten, especially in the eyes and minds of the less privileged. Indeed, he has given hope where it’s needed most. He belongs to the minority class who believes this temporary world isn’t where to lay your hands and stay, a believer of the rewards of the hereafter and leaving a legacy that benefits yet unborn generation.

This amiable patriotic Nigerian has paid his dues as a true son of Gombe soil; he deserves a standing ovation by his philanthropist work. Every human being is at liberty to spend his wealth on himself and immediate relatives, but, Jamilu chooses to give free scholarships to children in every nooks and crannies of his state, and the most beautiful aspect of it is that he doesn’t discriminate, both Muslim and Christian are beneficiaries of his gesture. The majority of sons and daughters of Gombe State are happy and delighted with his tireless effort. Contributing his quoter to the development of the people.

He shows his compassion towards uplifting the people to attend their full potentials; if not for a kind hearted gentleman who has the wherewithal to send young folks abroad, with his own money to study in different fields? He belongs to a school of thought that believes the best you can do to the youth is invest positively in their lives to stand on their feats.

I was highly impressed by his careful selection and intelligence in handling people, a sound understanding of ideas and facts. But, it’s only a tenacious, dogged somebody who has the ability of positive thinking for future generations, with the expectation of nothing in return.

Sir! You gave shoulder to cry for those that needed it. Not only that, being in contact with those people while making sure they lack nothing that would stabilise their psyche is the highest form of generosity. 

History will certainly be kind to you, as you endeared yourself to the people and won their respect. Indeed, you will be remembered for many years as someone who builds the future for yet unborn generation and one of the most honourable philanthropists who has made a difference in standing up for positive virtues.

Never in the history of Gombe had anyone done the kind of work that this extraordinary gentleman is doing. Therefore, may God, who knows the wishes and aspirations of his servants, fulfil all your heart desires, both in this world and hereafter, amin.

Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani writes from Galadima Mahmoud Street, Kasuwar Kaji, Azare, Bauchi State. He can be reached via sen.taju@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday meet with the security service chiefs.

Femi Adesina, a presidential spokesperson, announced the meeting today in a statement via his Facebook account.

According to Mr Adesina, the meeting, which will be held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will focus on the recent security achievements across the country.

He said, “The security forces have in the past few weeks taken the battle more robustly to insurgents, bandits, and all other criminals troubling the country, and they are now surrendering in droves.

“The President will be brought up to speed on developments at the Thursday meeting, while plans to bring a decisive end to the challenges will be formulated.”

Recall that recently Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters in their hundreds have surrendered to the Nigerian troops in the northeastern part of the country, thereby marking a tremendous development in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.

This is coming a few days after the president returned from the United Kingdom, where he spent 18 days during which he attended an education summit and had some check-ups.

By Misbahu el-Hamza

What is the major setback for peace efforts in Jos? Is it negligence from the governments? Or the ineffective or unsustainable strategies of the security forces on the ground? Could it be that God has forsaken the city for the crime of spilling innocent blood for decades? What have we done wrong, and how can we make amends?

I think the worst thing that ever happened to Jos from September 2001 to date is the systematic and deliberate disappearance of the once cherished plural community settings into a more homogeneous cultural make-up. Even though this is a product of various influences over the historical line, the major one, inarguably, is the episodes of collective violence for two-decade now in the city.

If you’ve ever been there, the communities in the city of “Home of Peace and Tourism” are now separated based on ethno-religious identity. When a particular group began to dominate another in a place, the minority will sell or evacuate and abandon their houses to move further away to avoid being surprised during crises. Everyone now has their schools. There are few to no Muslim students in the famous schools of St. Murumba College Jos and Demonstration School Jos. There are no longer Christian students in GSS Gangare Jos (save those who come to register and sit for WAEC). Some government secondary schools, which used to house students from different cultural and religious backgrounds, are now left to no use or serve their neighbouring communities. The state authorities have (in)directly invigorated this problem: it has for long forsaken the structures;  allegedly, a Christian staff is only sent to a Muslim community as ‘punishment’ and vice versa.

The most frightening thing about this systematic separation of communities is anyone who deliberately, or by mistake, finds themselves in a neighbourhood other than theirs in times of unrest might likely not make it alive. This is happening in almost all the communities in Jos. I, for instance, escaped death in 2010 when I took a passenger from Terminus Market in the heart of Jos to Satellite Market in Rukuba Road. There wasn’t any crisis going on at the time; it was the ‘usual’ ambush on anyone who enters the ‘other’ territory. Okada/Achaba men like me and travellers who do not know the city well are the usual victims of such ambushes.

Ours isn’t like the Kaduna-Abuja highway disappearance where, if you don’t hear from your relative again, you will be praying and expecting a call from his abductees. No, in Jos, as a Muslim or Christian, you spray mats and begin to welcome people as you mourn the lost person in absentia. It’s this terrible.

The actors in all this? Mostly the youth. The youths who we always sing to be the “leaders” of tomorrow. The tomorrow that’s yet to come in Nigeria. Could one be right to ask how Jos could ever find peace if this is the path it has chosen for itself?

Despite all this sad reality, we all meet up in the marketplaces (basically the ones at the borderlines, which are easy to escape should the devil blow the horn) during the day. We enter the same busses to and from Bukuru. We meet and interact in the banks. Surprisingly, our boys and girls meet up during the weekends to party. In some instances, boys take girls home for further profligacy after partying. Somehow, we all agree to live like this. We only disagree with sleeping with our eyes closed as neighbours, devoid of any quarrel.

Posing the question of whether we truly need one another in Jos, earlier this morning, a school principal, Abubakar Nasiru, made the following point on his Facebook page:

“The mai ruwa, mai nama, mai gwanjo, etc., are hawking in areas like Gada Biyu, the Jentas, Rukuba Road, Apata, Busabuji, rendering their services to those communities every day – non-Hausa, non-Muslim communities. [On the other hand] The mai doya, mai atile, mai masara, mai tumatur, etc., carry out their petty businesses in places like Bauchi Road, Dilimi, Gangare. Rikkos, Nassarawa, and Anguwar Rogo – Muslim communities.” These people spend the whole day in those communities and cannot hesitate, if guaranteed safety, to spend their nights there.

In 2006 when I was in SS3, my community leaders recruited able youths, including myself, as Ƴan Sintiri (watchmen), to serve under the Banga (a mispronunciation of “Vanguard”) group, which has its history from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Our task then was to defend our four borders against any intruder during the night and to prevent the harassment of non-community members during the day. So we worked in batches to substitute other groups. This significantly helped, and in no time, other communities adopted the strategy. This gave birth to today’s form VGN in most districts of Jos. (VGN has been a registered semi-official citizen policing organisation with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission since 1999, though.)

But does the VGN give us the peace and courage to live under the same roof or as neighbours? Certainly no. The separation of communities based on ethno-religious identity will continue to hinder any peacebuilding effort in the tin city.

We cannot have peace until we tolerate each other. We cannot tolerate one another until we accept to live as neighbours. We need to respect our identities and use our diversity as strength just as we used to be 3 – 4 decades ago, to sleep with our eyes closed without an iota of fear that my neighbour will set my house on fire.

For years now, we’ve been deceiving ourselves with so-called programmes for peace, only to gather, quench our thirst for partying and separate back into the borderlines. This, too, must stop.

Plateau state government must be sincere in its dealings. It must engage honest stakeholders from all communities to drive its mission of restoring peace on the Plateau. Schools must be treated equally, so much as every perpetrator must face the consequences of their actions without consideration whatsoever. There must be sincere and rigorous campaigns to rebuild Jos to its past glories; Jos people must co-exist as neighbours irrespective of ethnicity or religion. Otherwise, Plateau is, in general, no doubt a failed state!

Misbahu el-Hamza is a freelance journalist based in Kano and can be reached via misbahulhamza@gmail.com.