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The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called for the support of the Zazzau Emirate Council in the intensified campaign against drug abuse and domestic violence in Kaduna State. Issa-Onilu made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, as part of a week-long sensitisation campaign being conducted by the NOA in partnership with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas. The Director-General said traditional institutions have a critical role to play in addressing social vices at the grassroots, given their proximity…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated a 600-member Pharmacists Reserve Volunteer Programme aimed at strengthening medicine regulation and extending the Agency’s reach across Nigeria. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who presided over the inauguration, described the programme as a strategic investment in the country’s regulatory future. Professor Adeyeye said the initiative would expand NAFDAC’s capacity to monitor medicines and other regulated products in markets, community pharmacies and primary healthcare centres across the country. She explained that the volunteers were selected from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory through a…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted healthcare professionals and the public to the increased risk of drug poisoning associated with the concurrent use of gabapentinoids and certain other medicines. The warning is contained in NAFDAC Public Alert No. 039/2026, following emerging evidence on the risks associated with combining gabapentinoids, particularly gabapentin and pregabalin, with medicines such as opioids and benzodiazepines. According to the Agency, a study by researchers at University College London found that among patients taking gabapentinoids, concurrent use of benzodiazepines was associated with approximately a two-fold increase in the risk of…

A French court has sentenced a father to serve six months in jail after he threatened to “cut off the head” of a woman teacher at his son’s school last week. The man’s comments came after an 18-year-old radical Islamist of Chechen origin in 2020 beheaded history and geography teacher Samuel Paty, after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. The defendant confronted his son’s teacher in the school car park in the southwestern town of Le Fauga last week, after the nine-year-old was moved to another class because of his behaviour. The father threatened to decapitate the…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is strengthening international partnerships on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as part of efforts to enhance the security and resilience of Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 General Election. The INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, disclosed this during strategic partnership meetings with senior officials of Microsoft and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, Canada. Professor Amupitan was accompanied by the Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode. At the meeting with Microsoft, the INEC…

The Federal Government has commenced preparations for the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway, a six-month programme designed to equip serving teachers without professional teaching qualifications with recognised credentials. In a statement issued on Friday, the National Teachers’ Institute said it had been mandated to coordinate the initiative, which is expected to engage “250,000 Nigerian teachers, under the supervision of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.” The statement said the “sole aim of the ATPP is to drive the Federal Government’s intention to professionalise non-professional Nigerian teachers and bridge their qualification gaps.” The initiative is expected to address what the NTI…

A 53-year-old woman, Nelly Monday, has been sentenced to one month in prison for dumping refuse in a drainage channel in Lagos State. Monday was arrested in Meiran on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for allegedly dumping refuse in the drain during rainfall. The Lagos Waste Management Authority disclosed this in a Thursday statement, saying she was subsequently arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, where she pleaded guilty to the offence. The statement read, “Nelly Monday, 53, who was arrested in Meiran on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 for dumping in the drains during the rain has been convicted…

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, has called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that justice is seen to be done in the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai. In a statement signed by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Secretary-General of the Council, on behalf of the NSCIA, the Council said it had persistently refrained from commenting on the controversy surrounding the prosecution of El-Rufai and other political figures. Professor Oloyede explained that the Council initially considered the prosecution to be a standard judicial process and had confidence in the capacity of the…

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and help consolidate gains recorded in the economy, security, infrastructure, education and human capital development. The Minister made the call in Abuja when he received chairmen of the APC from the 25 Local Government Areas of Niger State, who paid him a solidarity visit. Mohammed Idris said Nigerians must join hands with President Tinubu to consolidate the gains of ongoing reforms and place the country on a sound economic footing.…

The Federal Government has welcomed the commencement of operations by Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a new local manufacturing facility producing next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The government described the development as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen malaria prevention and expand local manufacturing of essential health products. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the commencement of local production of dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets marked an important development in Nigeria’s health system and the fight against malaria. Professor Pate said the facility was established following a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and…

The Federal Ministry of Education says all Federal Unity Colleges across the country will resume academic activities on Monday, September 14, 2026, as scheduled. The Ministry, in a statement by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said necessary arrangements had been put in place to ensure a safe, smooth and seamless commencement of the new academic session. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance, stressing that the safety and wellbeing of students and staff remain central to the Federal Government’s commitment to providing a secure and conducive learning environment. Dr. Alausa said relevant…

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has commenced a four-day sensitisation campaign against drug abuse and domestic violence in Kaduna State. The campaign, organised under the 2024 North-West Constituency Project of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, began on Wednesday, September 9, with a road show across major parts of Kaduna metropolis. The Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, led the campaign alongside the Director of the Agency’s Abuse, Rights and Narcotics Department, Mrs Acharu Opaluwa, other management officials and staff from the NOA headquarters and…

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has designated the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of Nigeria (REDIN) as a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme for Nigeria’s Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly Sector. The designation is aimed at strengthening the management of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) and other associated waste streams through a structured, accountable and environmentally sustainable system. Presenting the PRO certificate to REDIN on Thursday in Abuja, the Director-General of NESREA, Professor Innocent Barikor, described the development as a significant milestone in the implementation of EPR in Nigeria’s automotive sector. Prof.…

The Registrar of the Nigeria Environmental Health Council EHCON, Dr Yakubu Mohammed Baba, has urged Nigerians to prioritise environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and other preventive measures to curb the spread of transmissible diseases across the country. Dr Baba made the call during an interview on the BBC Hausa radio magazine programme, Ra’ayi Riga, where he spoke on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of children and families. He stressed the need for Nigerians to focus more on preventing diseases before they occur, noting that poor sanitary conditions, unsafe water and unhygienic environments expose communities, particularly children, to preventable illnesses. The…

Gates Foundation has expressed interest in partnering with the Zazzau Emirate Council to promote economic prosperity, financial inclusion and livelihood opportunities for households across Kaduna State. The Foundation’s Economic Opportunity Programme representative, Ms. Sybil Chidiac, disclosed this when she paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, at his Palace in Zaria. Ms. Chidiac commended the Emir’s leadership and said the Foundation was interested in supporting grassroots initiatives that promote financial inclusion, skills development and sustainable economic growth. She stressed the importance of working with traditional institutions to ensure that economic empowerment programmes effectively…

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to use their influence to promote peace, national unity and responsible citizenship as the country approaches the 2027 general elections. Idris made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles, ICCABA, held at the National Christian Centre. The Minister said Nigeria’s diversity in religion, ethnicity, language and political interests required responsible leadership from all sectors of…

The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, calling on religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, national unity and responsible democratic participation. Idris made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of the CBCN and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA), held at the National Christian Centre. The Minister said Nigeria’s diversity required responsible leadership from all sectors of society, stressing…

Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has appealed to the Governing Board Chairman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to support the speedy rehabilitation and upgrade of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar. The Governor made the appeal on Wednesday in Calabar when Dr. Ganduje led members of the FAAN Governing Board and management on a courtesy visit to the state. The visit was also aimed at inspecting ongoing rehabilitation and upgrade works at the airport ahead of the sixth African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference, AfSNET 2026, scheduled to hold…

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, has commended the ongoing reforms at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, particularly the improvements recorded in the airlift of pilgrims to the Holy Land and their safe return to Nigeria. Governor Idris made the commendation when he received a delegation from NAHCON, led by the National Commissioner in charge of the North-West and Board Member, Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthman, who paid a courtesy visit to him in Birnin Kebbi as part of preparations for the 2027 Hajj operation. The Governor said the reforms introduced by the Commission demonstrated that knowledgeable and committed individuals…

Musa Abdullahi Sufi Who decides what the people need? It is a question at the heart of democratic governance. For decades, public budgets in many developing societies have largely been conceived within government offices, where policymakers, technical experts and public officials determine how available resources should be allocated. Technical expertise is indispensable. But government officials, however experienced, cannot always possess the same intimate understanding of local realities as the people who live with them every day. One community may need clean water most urgently; another may prioritise a road, a healthcare facility, a school, agricultural support or improved security. That…