Tinubu

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

In a heartfelt tribute, President Bola Tinubu has honored former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his 88th birthday, celebrating the elder statesman’s remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s development and his enduring role in the nation’s history.

President Tinubu reflected on Obasanjo’s pivotal moments in Nigeria’s journey, from receiving the instrument of surrender that ended the civil war in 1970 to leading the country as both a military head of state and a civilian president.

He praised Obasanjo’s selfless commitment to national unity, peace, and progress, as well as his critical reforms that shaped the lives of many Nigerians.

Beyond his time in office, Tinubu acknowledged Obasanjo’s continued influence as a global peace advocate and conflict resolution expert, highlighting his dedication to Pan-Africanism and good governance.

He also noted Obasanjo’s occasional controversial interventions, which have often served as a check on leadership and shaped public policies.President Tinubu expressed gratitude for Obasanjo’s immense contributions to Nigeria and Africa, praying for his continued strength and wisdom.

On behalf of the Nigerian government and its people, he extended warm congratulations to the former president, wishing him a happy 88th birthday.

“May the nation and Africa continue to benefit from your wisdom and knowledge,” He concluded.

By Anas Abbas

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially approved the establishment of two new federal universities in Osun and Ekiti State The newly created institutions are the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences located in Iyin Ekiti, and the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies situated in Iragbiji, Osun State.

The announcement was made by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele following the signing of the relevant legislation at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.

Both bills, sponsored by Bamidele in 2023 and 2024, had previously been passed by the Senate, received approval from the House of Representatives, and ultimately secured presidential assent.

In a statement released on Thursday titled “NASS Secures Presidential Assent to Federal Universities in Ekiti, Osun,” Bamidele highlighted the vital role these universities will play in fostering national development.

“These universities will help close the knowledge gap in science, technology, and innovation, promote environmental sustainability and climate action, and enhance agricultural innovation and food security in Nigeria,” he stated.

He referred to the presidential assent as a “defining and significant milestone” in the administration’s efforts to address food insecurity and climate change challenges.

Prior to the presidential approval, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had strongly advocated for the establishment of both universities in a letter to the presidency dated February 19.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The National Assembly has forwarded the Investments and Securities Bill, 2024, to President Bola Tinubu for approval.

Senator Osita Izunaso, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Market, made the announcement during the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) budget defense on Tuesday in Abuja.

He stated that the bill, which had already been signed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had been sent to the executive for final assent.

According to Izunaso, President Tinubu is expected to sign the bill into law within 30 days.

Izunaso also mentioned that the committee had issued a written directive to the Minister of Finance requesting the inclusion of a N10 billion special fund for investor education in the 2025 budget.

During the meeting, Senator Anthony Yaro (PDP-Gombe) commended the SEC for its efforts in 2024.

He expressed optimism about the agency’s improved performance.

By Uzair Adam

The federal government has announced plans to integrate 28,000 health workers into Nigeria’s healthcare system after their salaries were blocked by a policy under U.S. President Donald Trump.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television, noting Nigeria’s commitment to reducing reliance on foreign aid.

Pate acknowledged the significant support of the U.S. government in Nigeria’s health sector, particularly in combating HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

However, he stressed that Nigeria aims to take full ownership of its healthcare system. “There are health workers, 28,000 of them, who have been paid through U.S. government support.

While we appreciate this, these workers are Nigerians, and we must transition them into our system,” he said.

Trump had issued an executive order that paused funding for HIV treatment in developing countries, affecting the operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Despite the funding suspension, the U.S. government later approved a waiver allowing continued treatment for people living with HIV.

Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently allocated N4.5 billion for HIV treatment packs to support affected Nigerians.

By Anwar Usman

The president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has urged the Governor of Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to resolve the ongoing land dispute between Bayero University Kano and neighbouring communities.

Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaibu Ahmed made the call on Saturday in Kano during the 39th convocation ceremony of the university.

He called on the governor to take swift action by issuing the university’s title deed to resolve the matter.

He stressed the importance of securing the institution’s land.

Regarding infrastructure, Tinubu acknowledged the lack of perimeter fencing at the university’s new campus. He assured that the Federal Government had allocated funds for the project.

She stated that, “The Federal Government has already provided funding, and work is underway”.

The president reiterated the administration’s commitment to upgrading university infrastructure nationwide.

Tinubu stated that the government was supporting research and infrastructure improvements through the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities Intervention.

He called on Nigerian universities to include research into teaching and learning to build a knowledge-driven society.

The President further explained that the future of Nigeria depended on quality human capital.

He emphasized the government’s focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for national development.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian National Assembly has approved the 2025 budget of N54.99 trillion, the largest ever in February, contrary to the usual approval time between January and December in previous years.

The budget includes additional revenue that President Bola Ahmad Tinubu announced from various sectors following the presentation of the national budget in December.

On February 5, President Bola Tinubu increased the 2025 budget presented earlier from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion, justifying the increase with the additional revenue generated by key government agencies.

The President sent a message about the budget revision in various letters directed to the Senate and the House of Representatives, which were read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in the session today.

The additional budget is a result of increased revenues, including N1.4 trillion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), N1.2 trillion from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and N1.8 trillion from other government agencies.

By Anwar Usman

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, over his alleged failure to prosecute contractors who received over N167bn from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies for projects that were never executed.

The lawsuit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (suit number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025), also listed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as a respondent.

This was contained in a press release on Sunday titled, “SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Failure to Prosecute Contractors in N167bn Project Fraud in MDAs.”

The release, signed by Deputy Director, SERAP Kolawole Oluwadare, urges the court to compel Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to publicly name the contractors involved and ensure their prosecution.

The organisation is also seeking a court order that’ll force Edun to publish details of the projects, together with their locations, the amounts received by each contractor, and the identities of the shareholders.

SERAP further argued that “The allegations of corruption involving these contractors have continued to impair, obstruct, and undermine the access of poor Nigerians to essential public goods and services”.

According to SERAP, the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on November 13, 2024, revealed that 31 MDAs collectively paid over N167 billion for projects that were never carried out.

SERAP further reiterated that allowing companies and contractors to go away with public funds unpunished amounts to a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution, anti-corruption laws, and international obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

“Holding these contractors accountable would help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in public spending,” SERAP stated.

By Uzair Adam

The Federal Government has called on stakeholders in the National Council on Education (NCE) to approve the reversal of the mother tongue policy, which mandates teaching in indigenous languages from Primary One to Six.

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, made the appeal on Thursday during the 2025 Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting in Abuja.

Ahmad urged the council to review the national education policy, limiting the use of mother tongue to Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) and Primary One.

It was gathered that the NCE previously advocated for mother tongue instruction in the first three years of primary education to preserve Nigerian languages and strengthen foundational learning.

However, the Federal Executive Council approved full implementation in November 2022. Highlighting challenges affecting the policy’s execution, Ahmad pointed to inconsistencies in enforcement, particularly in urban areas where English is the dominant language.

She also cited Nigeria’s linguistic diversity—boasting over 500 languages—as a barrier to effective implementation.

Additionally, she noted the limited availability of instructional materials as a hindrance.

“In multilingual communities, selecting a dominant language is challenging,” she said. “Coupled with a shortage of instructional materials, the policy faces significant setbacks.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, proposed integrating secondary education into the basic education framework, extending compulsory schooling to 12 years.

He explained that this aligns with global best practices and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education.

“By making secondary education part of basic education, students will enjoy uninterrupted learning up to age 16, reducing dropout rates caused by financial and systemic barriers,” Alausa stated.

He further advocated for converting Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTCs) into Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) to equip young Nigerians with practical skills suited to a technologically evolving world.

The meeting, attended by education commissioners from all 36 states and the FCT, also discussed the integration of a 16-year minimum admission age policy for tertiary institutions to standardize entry requirements.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has revised the proposed 2025 national budget, increasing the total size from N49.7 trillion, initially presented to the National Assembly on December 18, 2024, to N54.2 trillion.

The President communicated the budget adjustment through separate letters addressed to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The letters, read during plenary in the Senate by Senator Godswill Akpabio, highlighted that the increase was due to additional revenues totaling N4.4 trillion.

These funds were generated by various government agencies, including N1.4 trillion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), N1.2 trillion from the Nigeria Customs Service, and N1.8 trillion from other Government-Owned Agencies.

In response, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, directed the Senate Committee on Appropriations to consider the proposed changes expeditiously.

Lawan further assured that the budget would be concluded and passed by the end of the month.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has left Abuja for Paris, France, on a private visit before heading to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the upcoming African Union (AU) summit.

During his stay in France, Tinubu is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

This was confirmed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.

The statement, titled “President Tinubu Departs for France Ahead of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa,” outlined Tinubu’s travel plans.

“In Addis Ababa, President Tinubu will join African leaders at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State, scheduled from February 12 to 16, 2025,” the statement read.

The president is expected to arrive in the Ethiopian capital early next week for the high-level summit.