Author: Nouman Ali

The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has announced the postponement of the 2025 edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival billed to be hosted by Enugu State was scheduled to commence on November 22.

However, the postponement announcement was made in statement by Nneka Anibeze, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister, in Abuja yesterday.

He said the decision for the postponement was made after a careful assessment of the national mood and the recent problem of insecurity in different parts of the country.

‘In solidarity with the affected families and communities, and out of deep respect for the lives lost, the Minister, Hannatu Musawa, in consultation with stakeholders, has approved the postponement of the festival to a later date.

‘NAFEST has always played a powerful role in nation-building as it brings Nigerians together, strengthens social cohesion, and offers a platform for cultural diplomacy and soft power.

‘NAFEST remains one of the rare national events capable of projecting a different and more accurate picture of Nigeria-a picture of unity, inclusiveness, hospitality, and national confidence.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the military is fully engaged in ongoing operations to ensure the safe rescue of the students abducted in Kebbi and Niger States, and the arrest of the perpetrators.

The military high command gave the assurance in a statement by the Director Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen Michael Onoja, on Sunday.

At least 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and 303 students of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State, were abducted by gunmen last week. In a separate incident, three worshippers were killed and a pastor, along with several others, was abducted at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community of Kwara State.

The incidents drew concerns and condemnation from the government, influential individuals, and the international community, with many calling for increased efforts to address the growing insecurity in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned trips to attend the G20 Summit in South Africa and Angola for the AU-EU Summit, following the incidents.

The DHQ condemned the ‘heinous act in the strongest terms,’ assuring the safe rescue of all abductees and arrest of the perpetrators.

‘Our thoughts remain with the students, their families, and the community affected by this incident,’ it said.

The military high command said it had commenced an investigation into the alleged withdrawal of troops stationed at the school in Kebbi 30 minutes before the attack.

‘Regarding the allegation made by the Executive Governor of Kebbi State-that the terrorists struck 30 minutes after troops were withdrawn from the school, the Defence Headquarters is aware of this claim.

‘In line with our standard procedure, a thorough review is currently underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding troop deployment and movements in the area at the time of the incident,’ the DHQ said

The military high command acknowledged the concerns of Nigerians regarding the recent increase in insecurity in parts of the North, but assured that the Nigerian military remains committed to working closely with state authorities, community leaders, and other security agencies to strengthen protection around schools and vulnerable communities.

‘We assure Nigerians that the rescue effort is a top priority, and our troops are actively on the ground pursuing all actionable intelligence to ensure the safe return of the abducted students,’ the DHQ said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that they be redeployed to perform core policing functions in communities nationwide.

The directive was issued during a high-level security meeting held on Sunday at the State House, Abuja, with senior security chiefs in attendance.

Those present included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that VIPs requiring protective services would henceforth obtain such support from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which will provide the armed personnel needed for their security.

The move is part of a broader effort to boost police presence in underserved communities, particularly in remote areas where police stations are thinly staffed, hampering effective protection of lives and property.

‘In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,’ the statement noted.

To support this shift, the President has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel and is working with state governments to upgrade training facilities nationwide.

The new deployment strategy is expected to strengthen frontline policing as the government intensifies efforts to address rising security threats across the country.

Eberechi Eze delivered a sensational performance in his Premier League North London Derby debut, scoring a stunning hat-trick to lead Arsenal to a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Eze’s treble makes him the first Arsenal player since 1978 to score a hat-trick against Spurs. He also becomes the first Englishman to score in his first league North London Derby for Arsenal since Ian Wright and Kevin Campbell in 1991.

Arsenal began brightly and took the lead in the 36th minute when Leandro Trossard latched onto a clever lob from Mikel Merino before his low strike deflected off a Spurs defender and rolled into the net.

Eze doubled the advantage five minutes later, receiving a pass from Declan Rice, weaving through two challenges, and firing a shot that beat the goalkeeper despite a strong hand.

Just one minute into the second half, Eze struck again-this time meeting a pass from Jurrien Timber and finishing with a clinical low effort to make it 3-0.

Tottenham momentarily fought back in the 55th minute as Richarlison scored with a superb long-range lob over David Raya following a midfield turnover by Martin Zubimendi.

But Arsenal restored their three-goal cushion in the 76th minute when Trossard broke forward from a long ball and found Eze, who danced past his marker and curled a precise finish into the far corner to complete his hat-trick.

The win sends Arsenal six points clear of second-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.

Speaking after the game, Eze said, ‘That was the prayer today. God gave it to me and that is faith, man. All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me.

It is special. Words can’t explain this one today.’

Scientists are working tirelessly to restructure Nigeria’s local drinks and beverages to meet global standards and gain international recognition.

According to Professor Abiodun Adebayo, extensive research into popular Nigerian beverages such as Zobo, Kunu, palm wine, and tiger nut drinks has shown they can be optimized to enhance wellness, strengthen immunity, and energize the body.

He added that global recognition of these beverages could drive business growth for millions of local producers and contribute positively to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Prof. Adebayo, a former Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, and an internationally awarded Professor of Biochemistry, revealed that a journal detailing the outcomes of the studies on these beverages would be published soon.

He shared insights on the components and properties of the drinks, noting that subsequent publications would provide more comprehensive findings.

Speaking to journalists at Myra Event Centre, Guzape, Abuja, during a weekend presentation of wellness products by QNET Africa, Prof. Adebayo highlighted the potential health benefits of the beverages.

The event was attended by notable personalities, including QNET Nigeria’s General Manager, Mr. Ayokunmi Solesi, and QNET Africa’s Regional Strategy Manager, Mr. Bernie Gaksch.

However, Prof. Adebayo cautioned that these products are not cures for diseases or medical conditions, urging individuals with underlying health issues to seek professional medical care.

He explained that the beverages are intended to boost immunity, promote a healthy lifestyle, prevent exhaustion, fatigue, and depression, and help reduce cholesterol levels.

Some of the natural plant ingredients have been transformed into teas and other drinks designed to energize the body and support overall wellness.

He said the products, which range from Air Filter gadgets to branded wristwatches, pendants, and natural plants, among others, have been certified and approved by Nigerian regulatory bodies such as the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Prof. Adebayo, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board and Council of QNET, an international and leading wellness and lifestyle company, said Nigerians would, in a short while, appreciate the benefits of the products for their wellness and the significant inroads they are making on the world stage.

Speaking at the presentation, Mr Gaksch also cautioned against the misuse of the products, saying that they are strictly for individual wellness and healthy lifestyles.

He said for telephone users, the pendants reduce the impacts of radiation, noise, and radio waves, stressing that instead of exposure to the harmful effects, the pendants, when worn by individuals, energise them.

For his simple unassuming look, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi, the spiritual director of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach could walk through any gathering unnoticed. But behind that simple mien lies a man behind great deeds of charity and philanthropy.

Just recently, April, 2025 precisely, Evangelist Obi, through his Seraphic Homes Foundation (SHF), opened its first ever Old People’s Home and Orphanage, commissioned by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma.

That facility, located in Mgbichiri, Imo State, was built to provide care – shelter, food, clothing, education and healthcare, for orphans and the elderly, especially those without any support. An impressed Governor Uzodinma described the state-of-the-art facility as ‘a watershed in the provision of care for the elderly, needy and less privileged.’

However that was just the beginning, as the foundation on September 19, 2025, opened yet another such facility, this time free Psychiatric Hospital in Aguleri, commissioned by the governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

According to Evangelist Obi, the facility was conceived and designed ‘to provide completely free psychiatric care to individuals battling mental illnesses. It offers comprehensive care including diagnosis, treatment, medication, rehabilitation, accommodation, and welfare to patients all at no cost to them or their families.’

Speaking to select journalists recently at his Okota, Lagos office, Obi who described himself as an ‘unworthy spiritual director of Zion Prayer Movement outreach and founder of Seraphic Home Family’ said he has carried the selfless trait of giving and caring for others since he was a child.

‘When I was growing up, I had this passion that I cannot explain, where I would always share. My parents are still alive and they can testify to this. If I got served food, I would always look for who to share with. I had this passion for the less-privileged, and I was ready to lay down my life for others. So growing up and seeing the mentally challenged brothers and sisters abandoned all over the place did not go down well with me. Having travelled all over the world, I also realised that this is the only part of the world where you see a mentally challenged person roaming and left to wander on the streets, markets; abandoned by the relatives, abandoned by the government. So I said to myself, ‘No this is not acceptable; I’m going to build a hospital for them; and I am not just going to stop at building a hospital, I’m going to go around rescuing them and giving them a better life.

‘My vision is that none of them will pay one naira. That hospital will be free till Jesus comes. And we’re not stopping in Anambra; we hope to do the same in all the states of Nigeria,’ he added.

About the Elderly People’s Home and Orphanage, he said: ‘So many elderly people are abandoned in the villages; you know there are so many old people in the villages who do not have children to take care of them; we’re bringing them there. And if you go to our orphanage, it is the best. The police have confirmed it; women of faith have confirmed it. In fact the children there are behaving like children of rich men; if you switch off the AC for one minute, they’ll start complaining. I don’t want to talk about a whole lot of people in the university in Nigeria that we’re paying their school fees. There are so many we have built houses for. I don’t want to keep anything for myself. I have promised God that anything he gives me, I am going to give out to the community before I die. All my life, whether I am sleeping or I’m awake, I am thinking about how I can do more.’

Already, he said the psychiatric hospital has commenced operation and taken in two mentally challenged people – a man and a woman, rescued from the streets of Anambra by the Seraphic foundation rescue team.

‘The man was picked up from Nteje community while the woman used to roam the streets of Onitsha Main Market from where she was rescued. The two were immediately assessed by psychiatric doctors and other health professionals who started treatment thereafter. They are now being looked after and provided with all the care they need completely free of charge,’ Evangelist Obi disclosed, adding that the rescue team would bring in more mentally challenged people in the days ahead.

On whether there are plans to empower them once they regain full health, Obi said the foundation’s priority at the moment is to stabilise them, after which ‘we will assist them to start up something. We will make sure the person is empowered before they are allowed to go back to their family, because an idle person is the devil’s workshop.’

In the case of drug-induced illness, he said ‘We have psychologist ad psychiatrists on ground. We’ll make such a patient goes through therapy and hope that they don’t go back to the habit.’

Asked how he raises funds for such huge endeavors, and if the staff members are volunteers, he said: ‘They are all being paid. Actually the requirement from the Anambra State government is that we have four, five doctors to start. So they are all employed – doctors, nurses, psychologists.’

Regarding the funding, he said: ‘So many of our people are supporting in cash and kind. We have partners who send in donations monthly. However, we don’t task and we force anyone. It is the work of God.’

On the reception so far, he said: ‘The communities are happy and are even celebrating what he is doing. This is something nobody has ever done, so we are celebrated everywhere we go. Recently, our team went to rescue a woman. She had a child and was heavily pregnant, impregnated by some unknown persons. When our team got there, the community celebrated. We, however, reject people brought by their relatives, even when they are willing to pay. The home was conceived strictly for abandoned persons.

On how he hopes to cope with suspicion of cynical people, he said: ‘There is nothing you’re doing that people will not read negative meaning to. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, they said he was healing through Beelzebub. But that won’t stop me from doing what I want to do.’

‘If people don’t talk about you, that means you’re not doing anything commendable.’

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday departed Johannesburg, South Africa, for Luanda, Angola, where he is expected to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 7th African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Summit.

His trip follows the conclusion of his engagements at the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, where he stood in for the President at high-level sessions on global economic reforms, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence governance.

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, the AU-EU Summit is scheduled to hold in the Angolan capital from November 24 to 25, 2025.

The meeting will bring together Heads of State and Government from both blocs, alongside young leaders, innovators, and civil society organisations, to deliberate on shared challenges and opportunities.

Key issues on the agenda include climate change, inclusive development, modern infrastructure, digital economy growth, the creative industries, manufacturing, and agribusiness advancement.

The summit is expected to produce actionable recommendations aimed at deepening AU-EU cooperation and accelerating sustainable development across both continents.

Vice President Shettima is expected back in Nigeria at the end of the summit.

Harvey Barnes fired Newcastle United to a memorable victory against Manchester City in a rip-roaring Premier League contest.

Barnes, who also opened the scoring, prodded home from inside the box to secure all three points at a raucous St James’ Park.

Ruben Dias earlier equalised for the visitors when his effort took a deflection off Fabian Schar after Newcastle failed to clear their lines from a corner.

But Newcastle showed their own powers of recovery to retake the lead a few minutes later.

Jacob Murphy swung the ball into the box and, although Bruno Guimaraes’ header cannoned off the bar, Barnes was in the right place to hook the ball into the net.

It took about 10 riveting years and incompetent legal defence to earn the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu a life sentence. A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho handed down the sentence last week, ending years of legal rigmarole begun since his arrest in October 2015. IPOB itself was founded in 2012. While delivering his judgement, the judge said of Mr Kanu that ‘He remained arrogant, cocky, and full of himself without realising the magnitude of his crime and the effect of what he has done against his people in the south-east.’ But moments after the sentencing, many notable members of the Southeast elite groaned that they were disappointed and had expected his crimes to be expiated by his freedom fight justifications. A day or so before the sentence was handed down, some 44 members of the House of Representatives acting under the aegis of Concerned Federal Lawmakers, mostly south-easterners, incomprehensibly asked the federal government to discontinue the case in favour of a political solution.

Former senate president Adolphus Wabara decried the life sentence as unjust and tantamount to jailing the whole Igbo race, especially when some Boko Haram commanders had in contrast received lenient sentences. Foreign Affairs minister of state Bianca Ojukwu surprisingly groaned that the judgement was not the outcome they expected, indicating that she was saddened by how the whole affair ended. A political solution would be found, she whined. Some other south-eastern political elites and commentators have threatened electoral backlash should Mr Kanu remain in jail by the next elections. Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi ignored the juridical part of the Kanu affair and adopted sophistry suggesting that the arrest and trial should not have happened in the first instance. In sum, the dominant and vocal Southeast elite are behind Mr Kanu to a man and are unalterably opposed to his jailing. Those in favour of the outcome of the case, including the thousands of victims who suffered untold losses, are not only in the minority, their voices are muted. Given the prevalent mood in the Southeast, their voices will likely not be heard, going forward. Worse, they may even suffer some backlash.

The resentment manifesting in the Southeast is a reflection of the curious logic expounded by their elite. They ignore the deaths and destructions, the economic losses, the trauma suffered by the region, and the dislocations. Instead, they focus on Mr Kanu himself, his charisma, his apparently disarming imperiousness, his legal and radio histrionics, and his boldness and claims of being a freedom fighter. Does the region really believe his story, especially his cartographic fantasies of including parts of Kogi, Benue and the entire South-South in Biafra? Having spread all over Nigeria transacting businesses of all kinds, thus transcending their spatial limitation, do the Igbo political and business elites really support self determination? The truth may never be known. But what is known at the moment is that Mr Kanu’s supporters compare the jailing of their freedom fighter, particularly what they describe as the harshness of his jail term, to how the so-called repentant and captured Boko Haram fighters have been treated. Sen. Wabara even persuaded himself to believe that Mr Kanu never projected violence. Indeed, those who have taken umbrage at his jailing appear to think that the collateral damage suffered by thousands of Igbo in the heat of IPOB campaigns makes the victims expendable and their blood desirable to be shed ‘to water the tree of liberty’.

It is unclear why those who have bawled at alleged serial miscarriage of justice expected the judgement to favour Mr Kanu. In the strictest consideration of the law, and in every material particular, there was no way, even with the best defence, the IPOB leader would have been exculpated. But never one to let bad enough alone, he worsened his own case by repeatedly sacking his legal teams, and finally taking over his defence and botching it. Secondly, despite his personal failings, the weakness of his political cause, his promotion of indiscriminate violence, and his megalomaniacal inclination, it is shocking that someone as abusive and narcissistic like US president Donald Trump could be the darling of the Southeast elite. Has the region not suffered enough? Or do they think the cause of Biafra Mr Kanu claimed to be fighting could be divorced from his personality? Looking at the Southeast, the tragedy is not just the foibles of Mr Kanu but the irresponsibility of the regional elite. Had they sensibly read through Mr Kanu’s motives, and had they courageously defied him and his methods, the Southeast would have escaped the atavism he promoted and the tragic losses many Igbo families endured while Igbo-on-Igbo violence bled the region.

While nothing could exculpate Mr Kanu, given the weight of evidence before the court, the Southeast elite were justified to compare the treatment meted out to Mr Kanu with the mild treatment meted out to terrorists and bandits in the North. Since the outbreak of Boko Haram and later banditry, a powerful section of the northern elite has been supportive and even protective of their terrorists. They inspired an ill-conceived and ill-advised programme of deradicalisation and rehabilitation of so-called repentant Boko Haram fighters, while victims of insurgency enjoy incommensurate attention. And ultimately, they have seemed reluctant to promote or back measures that would lead to the extermination of the insurgents and bandits. Without saying so openly, the ham-handed manner the insurgents and bandits have been treated has given rise to the suspicion that the region sees the militants as a potential standing army for political purposes or projection of power in the event of a fight ensuing between warring ethnic groups for the soul and body of Nigeria. It is not unlikely that the Southeast reasons the same way. If there is any question or confusion about the ineffectiveness of the fight against banditry, insurgency and IPOB, the answer may be located in the special relationships the regional elites have formed with their militant groups.

President Bola Tinubu has the unenviable job of presiding over a government whose members are still torn between the nation’s interest and ethnic, religious and primordial affinities. The case is so bad that some cabinet members’ loyalties cannot be assumed at a time the country is at war with itself. There are some powerful interests in the North sponsoring terrorism, sometimes due to economic/mineral resources interests. And there are also now clearly many powerful interests supporting Mr Kanu and what he represents, and who resent and defy the special treatment they believe the northern militants have received from powerful interests in and out of the federal government. These influential regional interests have given indications that their militants can be deployed during national elections for social, religious, political and territorial objectives. The Southwest remains a comparatively peaceful region today partly because its elite, after some initial hesitations, finally ensured that their incubating militants did not hatch. Time will tell whether they did right, or whether they have not become too complacent and liberal for their own existential good.

Whether other regions outside the Southeast show outrage or not, the campaign to free Mr Kanu will acquire impetus in the coming weeks and months, especially as conjured stories of his treatment in jail get disseminated. Expect passions to be inflamed, as disgruntled regions synergise their efforts to render the Tinubu administration impotent. Abductions will become rife, rescue efforts will be stymied by sabotage, and great national distress will be fomented. But the Kanu affair will be nothing more than a symptom of a great underlying disease gnawing at the body politic. The main will thus disease require brilliant and radical measures to extirpate, assuming that the powerful and embedded interests in the country can be neutralised first.

The Nation Newspaper journalist, Juliana Agbo, has clinched the Best Print Category prize at the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Africa Media Awards held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Agbo received the continental honour on Friday during the climax of OFAB Africa’s Annual Review and Planning Meeting, which brought together journalists and biotechnology stakeholders from across the continent.

The win added to her growing list of achievements. On November 4, 2025, she had swept the OFAB Nigeria Media Awards, emerging both Best Print and Overall Winner, where she won a HP laptop, Samsung Galaxy Tablet and a cash prize.

Her latest recognition also came with a cash prize, an iPhone 15 Pro, and a certificate.

Representing Nigeria among 38 contestants from 10 African countries, Agbo distinguished herself with a compelling and deeply reported story on agricultural biotechnology, an area increasingly vital to Africa’s food security and climate resilience.

OFAB, a collaborative initiative of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter, operates in 10 countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Mozambique and Malawi.

Agbo’s win not only celebrates her professional excellence but also reinforces Nigeria’s rising profile in science and agriculture journalism on the African stage.

After receiving her award, Agbo dedicated the honour to Nigerian journalists committed to impactful development reporting. She expressed optimism that her recognition would ‘inspire more media professionals to engage deeply with science reporting.’

The ceremony drew policymakers, researchers, media leaders, and development partners from across Africa, all united in their call for stronger science communication.

Director of ISAAA AfriCenter, Margaret Karembu, stressed that innovation must be supported by public trust and effective communication to create real impact.

‘We can adopt innovations, we can regulate them but innovation alone is not enough for research to impact people. Communities must trust it. Policymakers must support it. Farmers must feel empowered when they adopt these innovations,’ she said.

According to her, journalists remain at the heart of this process as interpreters of scientific innovations, bridging the gap between laboratories and communities.

By simplifying complex research for public understanding, she said, the media ensures that ‘innovations are not only discovered but effectively applied to improve lives.’

Welcoming guests to the event, Executive Director of AATF, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, described journalists as essential partners in making science accessible to farmers, policymakers, and the public.

Accurate, engaging, and evidence-based reporting, he noted, helps communities embrace agricultural innovations while holding leaders accountable.

Dr. Kanangire emphasised that ‘a well-informed public is crucial for building trust in new technologies and fostering sustainable agricultural development across the continent.’

He added, ‘In an era of remarkable scientific progress, innovation alone is insufficient. It must be matched by effective communication, public trust, and inclusive dialogue.’

He encouraged journalists to keep probing emerging trends, challenging narratives, and ensuring that the benefits of biotechnology reach people equitably. He also praised media organizations for their dedication to integrity, accuracy, and impactful storytelling.

Dr. Kanangire explained that the OFAB program draws from global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063, using biotechnology and strategic communication to empower smallholder farmers, reduce poverty, and strengthen food security.

The initiative, he said, is vital in raising awareness, fostering stakeholder dialogue, and promoting evidence-based policymaking.