Author: Nouman Ali

The Edo state government has begun payment of N40,000 stipends to students attending the state-owned technical colleges.

This is in line with Governor Monday Okpebholo’s promise to key into the President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).

President Tinubu approved free accommodation, free tuition, free feeding, and payment of N22,500 stipends for students in Federal Technical Colleges across the country.

The initiative by President Tinubu saw a boost in enrolment figures in Technical Colleges

Edo Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, who spoke in an interview at the weekend, said Governor Okpebholo is building a new National College on TVET.

Dr. Iyamu said investment in education by the administration of Okpebholo led to increased enrolment in public schools from private schools.

Iyamu said investigations showed over 1,000 students migrated from private schools into four different public schools that were recently reconstructed or renovated.

He said over 68 schools have either been rebuilt or renovated across the three senatorial districts.

The Education Commissioner said 25 public schools were recovered from land grabbers, adding that a guest house built inside one of the schools would be demolished.

Iyamu said 1,000 teachers engaged by communities have been given full employment in the last one year, in addition to the 4000 casual teachers whose employment was regularised.

He said N3bn out of the N4.6 billion owed to workers of the state-owned College of Education, which was shut down for restructuring by the last administration, has been paid.

According to him, ‘The governor has made it clear that we must give the children of the poor a seat at the table of success, and in the last academic session we had over 1000 new students from the private sector, from the private schools enrolling into public schools.

‘For instance in Army Day Secondary School, we had about 502 students, in Evbareke, we have about 350, you can go there and verify in Uyiosa they call the school oti ku but today we have over 300 students so only these three schools, if I put them together, it is over 1,000 then when you not talk about the other areas, if we accumulate all the figures together it will be much but so that they don’t say we are giving ambiguous figures, I just try to be moderate in my figures. So it goes to show you the commitment of His Excellency.

‘It is the new schools that have attracted these numbers. It is the poor state of our schools that allows some of these private schools to exploit parents.

On technical education, Iyamu said the equipment bought has been installed in the technical colleges.

He said, ‘All schools are now free in line with the United Nations SDG for free education. Then, also free are the technical colleges. We came. It was in a sorry state. You have equipment that people procured. They have been showing on television since 2018. They didn’t install them. What’s the use? The essence is to make sure that the children of Edo State make use of that equipment. So that when you are building something like tiles, you cannot bring people from Togo or bring people from Cotonou.’

Crystal Palace powered into the Premier League’s top four as they condemned new Wolves boss Rob Edwards to defeat in his first game in charge.

Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino struck in the second half to move the Eagles up to fourth with a deserved victory at Molineux.

Oliver Glasner’s side were a class above the hosts with bottom club Wolves’ survival chances looking bleaker by the game, despite Edwards’ arrival from Middlesbrough this month.

Their former player replaced Vitor Pereira, but his side remain winless in the top flight after a poor start, with their last league victory back in April.

In failing to win any of the first 12 games – their first time since the 1983-84 campaign – Wolves also edged closer to Sheffield United’s record of 17 for the longest winless start to a Premier League season.

Kebbi State governor Nasir Idris has been livid over the abduction of some 25 schoolgirls from a government school in Maga community in Zuru Emirate. He was angry that despite being tipped off about the impending attack, the security agencies could still not prevent the crime. Worse, according to him, the manner of the abduction reeked of conspiracy. He said: ‘As a responsive government, when we received intelligence on a possible attack, we summoned a security meeting.The security agencies assured us that all was well and that personnel would be mobilised to the school.The military was deployed, but they later withdrew by 3 am, and by 3:45 am, the incident happened.Who authorised the military to withdraw? How did security personnel pull out at such a critical time? That is our concern. We have asked the military to investigate and identify who gave that order.Our duty as leaders is to ensure that our daughters return home safely, and we are doing everything possible to achieve that.What is happening in this country shows that enemies are working against this government.’

The governor’s allegation should be probed. In fact, every case of abduction should be probed to rule out conspiracies and collaborations. While it is true that security personnel are spread dangerously thin everywhere, an indication that the country’s security paradigm is unworkable, it does not necessarily preclude the possibility of conspiracy. On the heels of the tragic execution of a brigade commander in the Sambisa sector of the Northeast during counterinsurgency operations, incidents that smell of conspiracy need to be investigated in order to reassure Nigerians that the security agencies have not turned on themselves. Dealing with the enemy without is far better than dealing with the enemy within. The loss of a brigade commander, Musa Uba, and the Maga abduction should be investigated.

Former Katsina Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke, through the Lado Development Foundation, has written off the school fees of no fewer than 17,888 students across Katsina State as part of ongoing efforts to deepen community development.

The foundation’s coordinator, Muhammad Gali, disclosed this during a media chat at the Federal University Dutsinma, noting that the organisation has paid tuition fees for students in various tertiary institutions and secondary schools both within and outside the state.

He added that the examination fees for NECO, WAEC, and other examinations were also fully settled for numerous beneficiaries.

Gali revealed that the number of students supported this year alone has reached 17,880, a testament to the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to improving living standards and promoting inclusive growth across the state.

Speaking during the enlistment of more than 1,500 students of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), he explained that the Foundation was established to advance community development with a special focus on uplifting vulnerable groups.

According to him, its interventions focus on three core areas: education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment-each aimed at driving social and economic progress across Katsina State.

In the education sector, Gali said the Foundation has fully sponsored 5,487 students from secondary to tertiary levels, covering registration and other academic fees to ensure access to free and quality learning.

Regarding healthcare, he stated that the Foundation has supported 5,873 patients in 50 hospitals within the past six months, providing financial assistance, covering medical bills, and supplying essential medications.

It also conducts regular medical outreach programmes offering free treatment for eye conditions, dental issues, and other common illnesses, especially in rural and underserved communities.

The Nation reports that the Lado Development Foundation has also prioritised women’s empowerment through training in various vocational and income-generating skills.

Fresh tensions have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the North-Central APC Forum has called for a change in the party’s national leadership, urging President Bola Tinubu and party stakeholders to consider appointing a more experienced national chairman at the December 2025 convention.

In a statement on Sunday, the Forum’s Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said the group now regrets its earlier agitation that paved the way for the return of the national chairmanship position to the North-Central zone in July 2025.

The Forum apologised to President Tinubu, Ganduje, and other senior leaders for its role in advocating for the zoning arrangement, saying the outcome had not met its expectations.

According to the Forum, the party requires leadership that can foster unity, promote inclusiveness, and strengthen cohesion across the North-Central and the wider APC family.

It argued that competence and broad political experience should guide the selection of the next chairman, even if the position goes to another region.

The group also noted that the North-Central already occupies key roles in the current administration, including the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the head of the North-Central Development Commission.

In addition, the Forum said it remained committed to strengthening the APC in Plateau State and across the region, emphasising the need for cooperation among all stakeholders to boost the party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It encouraged the party leadership to ensure an open and inclusive process that supports unity, accommodates new members, and positions the APC for stronger electoral performance.

The Pan African Parliament (PAP) has commended Nigeria for its remarkable and historic turnaround in the petroleum sector, describing the country’s upstream reforms as a benchmark for the continent.

At the conclusion of a fourteen-day special syndicate meeting of West African parliamentarians held in Johannesburg to deliberate on African resource management and the urgent need for a continental model law, PAP members declared Nigeria’s faithful implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 the practical template that other African oil-producing nations should emulate.

The meeting resolved to fast-track the drafting of a Model Law on Natural Resource Governance, with Nigeria’s transparent, predictable, and investment-friendly licensing regime repeatedly cited as the central reference point.

Official figures confirm the country has repeatedly surpassed 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025, decisively ending a decade of stagnation caused by security challenges, operational setbacks, and chronic investor hesitation.

Nigeria now stands firmly on course to achieve its long-standing target of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2026. A near-70 rig count recorded this year-the highest in almost a decade-with more than forty rigs still active, reflects the strongest upstream drilling activity in years and unmistakable evidence that global investor sentiment has turned decisively in Nigeria’s favour.

This transformation has been powered by multi-billion-dollar Final Investment Decisions, the approval of Field Development Plans worth approximately twenty billion dollars in the past ten months, and rigorous enforcement of the PIA’s ‘drill or drop’ provisions, which have seen idle and fallow discoveries systematically recovered and prepared for immediate reallocation to serious developers.

Nigeria has also replaced irregular and opaque bid rounds with annual licensing cycles, delivering the regulatory predictability investors have long demanded.

The 2025 licensing round, opening on 1 December, is already regarded as one of the most strategically important since the PIA was enacted in 2021.

Built on the fully digital, transparent, and livestreamed platform that won universal acclaim in 2024, the exercise will offer around twenty-four blocks across onshore, shallow-water, and deep-offshore terrains, with a deliberate emphasis on natural gas alongside crude oil in line with Nigeria’s energy-transition commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Massamba Dieng of Senegal told journalists at the close of the meeting: ‘What Nigeria has achieved in less than five years is nothing short of revolutionary for Africa.

‘The disciplined enforcement of ‘drill or drop’, the return to annual licensing rounds conducted on a fully digital and transparent platform, and the recovery of billions of barrels in stranded assets have turned Nigeria into the continent’s most attractive upstream destination.

‘We in Senegal and across West Africa intend to borrow heavily from this model as we craft our own reforms.’

Hon. Salifu Jawo, Gambian member of the Pan African Parliament, added: ‘Nigeria’s leadership extends beyond its borders through its chairmanship of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum under Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.

‘The practical knowledge being shared through AFRIPERF is already helping smaller producers design better regulatory frameworks. The combination of political will, legislative clarity in the PIA, and courageous regulatory execution has given Africa a success story we can all replicate.

‘This is why the Model Law we are drafting will be built largely on Nigeria’s experience.’

Adding further weight to Nigeria’s continental influence is its current presidency of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), held by Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.

Parliamentarians noted that Nigeria’s bold reforms are being actively disseminated across the continent through AFRIPERF platforms, offering practical guidance to regulators seeking to attract investment and maximise resource value.

As the Pan African Parliament prepares to adopt a continent-wide Model Law on Resource Management, members unanimously agreed that Nigeria’s journey-from near-collapse to renewed vigour under the transformative framework of the Petroleum Industry Act and its exemplary leadership of AFRIPERF-will serve as the cornerstone of that historic legislation.

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has issued a strong appeal for accelerated action on economic reforms and domestic resource mobilization across Africa to finance development and job creation.

Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 Investment Breakfast Dialogue in Johannesburg, the Minister stated unequivocally that, ‘we must accelerate bold economic reforms and strengthen domestic resource mobilisation to finance investments, jobs, and long-term development.’

Delivering the keynote address at a forum convened by MTN, which included CEOs from South Africa, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and various development partners, Edun noted that the continent is meeting at a moment of ‘profound global economic change’ demanding coordinated action, deeper regional collaboration, and an investment climate built on stability and reform.

The Minister outlined four major disruptions currently reshaping the prospects of developing regions. First, global trade dynamics are being rewritten, with the established rules that supported the rise of economies like China, India, and Brazil changing rapidly.

Second, capital flows to emerging markets have tightened dramatically. Citing African Development Bank estimates, he pointed out that many developing economies now pay more in debt service than they receive in development assistance. Africa alone is projected to pay about $163 billion in debt servicing in 2024, while total foreign direct investment is less than $100 billion.

At the same time, technology is disrupting labour markets and reshaping the future of work, a worrisome trend for a continent where the median age is just 20, and millions of young Africans require jobs, skills, and opportunities.

Finally, he said the world faces a paradox of ‘insufficient resources to fight poverty, yet abundant resources to fight climate change’ – resources that often bypass Africa despite its disproportionate vulnerability to climate shocks.

Using Nigeria as a case study, the Minister described a disciplined programme of reforms that the country has embarked upon since May 2023, aimed at building a modern and competitive economy.

Nigeria’s strategy, he explained, rests on two key pillars: establishing macroeconomic stability so private investment can thrive, and increasing government savings to expand investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

To this end, the government implemented several difficult but necessary decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidies, the liberalization of the foreign exchange market, landmark tax reforms, and structural adjustments across key sectors such as energy, power, logistics, education, and industrialization.

‘All these reforms have one purpose,’ Edun said, ‘to build a competitive economy where private capital is rewarded, innovation is encouraged, and businesses have the confidence to invest.’

Edun told investors that Nigeria is beginning to see clear signs of economic recovery and stabilization. He reported that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.23 percent in Q2 2025, significantly up from 3.1 percent in Q2 2024 and 2.51 percent in Q2 2023. Inflation, though still elevated, has been consistently moderating since March 2025, reaching 16.05 percent by October. External reserves have also risen to $46.3 billion.

‘These indicators carry a simple message,’ the Minister proclaimed. ‘Nigeria is more stable, more predictable, and more investable than it has been in many years.’

He acknowledged, however, that the reforms have posed challenges for vulnerable populations. To cushion the impact, the government has expanded direct benefit transfers to 15 million households, with approximately nine million already receiving cash support.

The forum received positive feedback from the business community. MTN Group CEO, Ralph Mupita, described Nigeria as a ‘true African success story,’ noting that the country accounts for 35-40 percent of MTN’s business and serves 85 million customers. He further encouraged South African investors to leverage Nigeria’s reform momentum.

Similarly, the NIPC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Rimi, credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms for establishing the foundation for accelerated growth.

She stated that many of the long-standing issues affecting South Africa-Nigeria investment relations are now being addressed through the bi-national commission. Representatives from South Africa’s Department of Trade and Investment mirrored this view.

Governors from Nasarawa, Gombe, Kaduna, and Plateau States also made presentations, showcasing opportunities in agriculture, mining, transportation, and tourism. They noted that the federal reforms have expanded fiscal space for state-level investment, enabling a pivot toward value-added industries rather than raw material exports.

In his closing remarks, Minister Edun concluded that Nigeria has ‘laid the foundation for a modern, resilient, private-sector-led economy,’ with a medium-term ambition of achieving at least 7 percent growth driven by private investment.

Senator Sunday Marshal Katung (Kaduna South) said his loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu runs deeper than party lines, declaring that he would have vigorously campaigned for the president’s re-election even if he had remained in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Katung, who recently defected to the ruling party, said gratitude, not political calculation, drove his decision, noting that Tinubu’s interventions in Southern Kaduna within 18 months surpassed anything previous administrations had delivered.

The Senator, in a chat with journalists at the weekend, said, ‘Even if I stayed in PDP, I would have still worked 100 per cent for President Tinubu. No President, living or dead, has done for my people what he has done.’

He listed the establishment of a Federal University in his district, its College of Medicine, and a Federal Medical Centre as unprecedented legacy projects that will ‘outlive everyone.’

According to him, after consulting widely with stakeholders back home, the consensus was that supporting Tinubu fully was the right and honourable thing to do.

‘Remaining in PDP while working for him would have amounted to antipathy. My people said when someone does this much for you, you don’t stand aside,’ he said.

Beyond politics, Katung said one of his strongest motivations in the Senate is his revived sickle cell bill, which he described as a deeply personal mission dating back more than three decades.

He recounted a 1991 encounter with a child battling a sickle cell crisis who pleaded with his parents to ‘allow him to die so they could rest,’ a moment he said has haunted and driven him ever since.

Katung first attempted to sponsor the bill in 2016 while in the House of Representatives, but it stalled. Now, he insists, the legislation must be completed because ‘too many people have died needlessly.’

He also recalled the case of the late Kaduna Military Administrator, General Mukhtar, whose children died one after the other from sickle cell crises-an experience he described as painfully unforgettable.

The Senator disclosed that a public hearing on the bill is scheduled for Monday, after which the National Assembly will conclude work and forward it to the President for assent.

The bill proposes treatment centres in every local government area, centres of excellence across the six geopolitical zones, and policies to boost local production of critical sickle cell medication currently sourced from London.

Katung praised religious institutions for insisting on premarital genotype screening but said mandatory testing should emerge from stakeholder submissions to avoid unnecessary sensitivities.

He revealed that his NGO currently supports about 55 sickle cell patients under the care of a public-health physician, adding that he does it as a personal sacrifice, not for publicity.

Speaking on constituency challenges, Katung lamented that Kauru and Sanga Local Government Areas remain among the most neglected parts of the country, with communities lacking motorable roads.

He narrated how a 15-minute journey in the area often becomes a four-hour ordeal, and how he was moved to tears last year when he crossed the same river that previously claimed the lives of students trying to reach school.

The senator emphasised that his priorities include roads, healthcare facilities, and electrification, stressing that bottom-up planning and genuine community engagement are key to curbing insecurity and youth restiveness in the region.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez delivered a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley to lift Chelsea to second in the Premier League.

The opener came when Neto met Jamie Gittens’ cross at the far post, while Fernandez sealed victory with a late run into the box after a counter-attack involving Neto and substitute Marc Guiu.

The Blues rarely moved out of second gear during the 90 minutes and were able to rest unused substitute Moises Caicedo, with matches against Barcelona and Arsenal to come.

However, resting players looked a gamble early on as Burnley started brightly, with Jaidon Anthony having two early shots blocked and Loum Tchaouna forcing a save from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with a strike from the edge of the box.

Chelsea started slowly and tested Burnley keeper Martin Dubvravka with a tame long-range effort from Trevoh Chalobah.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, has reaffirmed the importance of deeper collaboration between Nigeria and the United States, saying such a partnership remains crucial to addressing insecurity and other strategic challenges facing the country.

Benson stated this while reflecting on his recent engagements with senior U.S. officials, which he attended alongside other relevant committee chairmen with reporters in Abuja.

According to him, the series of meetings reinforced a consistent message: that Nigeria and the United States are stronger when they work together.

He said, ‘On 19 November 2025, I led a team of relevant committee chairmen to meet a United States delegation led by Ms. Cassandra Carraway and Mr. Mark Handloff. This followed the 13 August 2025 consultations with the military-political adviser at the U.S. Embassy, also involving Mr. Handloff, and the earlier 15 December 2024 dialogue with the U.S. congressional delegation led by Rep. John James, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, alongside Reps. Young Kim, Sara Jacobs, Jonathan Jackson, and officials of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, led by Amb. Richard Mills Jr.’

Benson noted that each engagement reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between both countries and their shared commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in Nigeria.

‘Rep. John James has consistently reiterated the U.S. government’s dedication to supporting Nigeria through both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches,’ he said.

He explained that the latest round of talks concluded with both sides agreeing on the need to deepen trust, expand U.S. support for Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts, strengthen human-rights protections, and enhance legislative diplomacy.

Benson added that Nigeria seeks a relationship with the United States that reflects not only the nation’s challenges but also the strength, creativity, and resilience of its youth, as well as the ongoing reforms aimed at restoring Nigeria to its rightful place as the giant of Africa.

He noted that Nigeria does not benefit from ‘condemnation or confrontation,’ especially at this delicate phase of its democratic evolution.

‘Our engagements with U.S. officials have consistently affirmed that cooperation, collaboration, and constructive partnership are the most effective tools for addressing our security concerns, deepening our democracy, and protecting human rights,’ he said.

Benson stressed that Nigeria remains open to honest dialogue, fair criticism, and mutual accountability-provided they occur within a framework of respect and shared strategic interests.

‘These,’ he said, ‘are the surest pathways to a more peaceful, more stable, and more prosperous Nigeria, in a manner that advances the long-term interests, values, and security of both Nigeria and the United States.’