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Old students of Imade College, Owo, Ondo State, have invested more than ?200 million in infrastructure projects at the school, but lamented a shortage of teaching staff and other challenges affecting its operations.

The projects, executed as part of activities marking the institution’s 80th anniversary, included classrooms, laboratories, accommodation facilities, three-bedroom flats and public toilets.

Chairman of the anniversary planning committee, Yinka Akinola, said individuals and different sets of alumni undertook about 10 projects to improve the learning environment.

Akinola, who left the school in 1971, when it had about 300 students, said the growing student population, had increased pressure on existing facilities, despite improvements, including the provision of computer laboratories.

He identified inadequate teaching staff as the college’s major challenge, saying the alumni had been forced to divert funds meant for infrastructure development to employing temporary teachers. According to him, the association spent about ?11 million this year to engage ad hoc teachers and pay the salaries of more than 20 staff members.

Akinola named the worldwide president of the Imade College Owo Old Students Association (IMACOSA), Ambassador Godson Echegile, as a major contributor, disclosing that he had spent over ?100 million on projects at the school this year.

He appealed to the government to recruit more teachers to ease the alumni’s financial burden.

Also, IMACOSA worldwide vice president, Felix Ajibade, said the association had employed 29 ad-hoc teachers at ?70,000 salary each monthly to prevent the shortage from affecting students’ academic performance.

Ajibade urged the government to provide more teachers, drivers and security personnel, noting that the school had three vehicles, but no drivers.

He added that teachers had been burdened with additional responsibilities, while the size of the premises required adequate security during the day and at night.

He appealed to financially capable alumni to support the institution, stressing that even modest contributions could make a difference.

Responding, Chairman, Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Dr Oluwadayisi Oke, acknowledged the need for more teachers in public schools but said the government was addressing the shortage through recruitment.

She said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had prioritised education through improved teachers’ welfare, timely salary payments, training and retraining programmes, and attention to pensioners, expressing optimism that better working conditions would attract more young people to the profession.

Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected kidnappers over the abduction of a 24-year-old woman along the Igwirita-Etche Road in Rivers.

The victim, identified as Chinyere, was reportedly abducted on October 3, 2026, while travelling from Delta State to Port Harcourt to visit a friend.

The police said they received a complaint about the abduction at about 9 a.m. on October 4, prompting operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Diobu, to launch an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspects.

The suspects were identified as Gift Okeregwu, 23; Okeregwu Onyekachi, 27; Bright Augustine, 27; Chijoke Nwalozie, 35; and Obinachi Rita, 26.

According to the police, Gift Okeregwu, a native of Okehi community in Etche Local Government Area, was arrested at his hideout along Omuoda Pipeline, Aluu, Port Harcourt. The other suspects were also identified as indigenes of communities in Etche and Rivers State.

The command said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping and provided information about other abduction incidents in Igwirita and Etche.

It added that the suspects allegedly lured victims from within and outside Port Harcourt through online dating platforms before abducting them.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that those involved in kidnapping and other violent crimes were brought to justice.

The police also urged members of the public to exercise caution when interacting with strangers met through online dating platforms, verify their identities before arranging physical meetings, and report suspicious activities to the authorities.

The Nigerian naira depreciated against the United States (US) dollar, trading at N1,367.6057 at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official foreign exchange (FX) window on Monday.

The data shared on the CBN’s official platform shows that the naira traded at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) rate of N1,367.6057 per dollar and closed at N1,365.0000 per dollar.

The currency, which traded at an NFEM rate of N1,361.8394 on October 23rd, 2026, depreciated by at least N5.77, after trading activities on Monday.

At the parallel market, the buying rate increased by N10, while the selling rate increased by N13, when compared to the previous trading rate on Friday, October 23rd, 2026.

According to Aboki FX , the Naira-to-dollar exchange rate at the black market on Monday, October 26th, 2026, was N1,382 and N1,390 per dollar for buying and selling rates, respectively.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said Nigerians in some households spend as much as 120 per cent of their income on food and are forced to borrow or rely on relatives to survive.

Oyedele disclosed this while speaking at Chatham House in London, where he highlighted the growing financial pressure on households and the challenges facing workers whose earnings are insufficient to meet their basic needs.

He said a government survey showed that food expenses exceeded the total income of some households, leaving them struggling to provide for themselves and their families.

‘In fact, there was a survey we did that shows that up to 120 per cent of household income is spent on food. Like, how do you spend 120 per cent of your income? You borrow food before the end of the month,’ he said.

The minister noted that Nigeria’s poverty rate remained above 50 per cent despite an unemployment rate of about five per cent, arguing that employment figures alone did not reflect the economic realities of many citizens.

According to him, a significant challenge is the growing number of people who have jobs but still cannot earn enough to afford basic necessities.

‘That tells you something. As a policymaker, you don’t sit back and say we don’t have unemployment. You have working poor,’ he stated.

Oyedele attributed the high cost of food to several structural problems affecting agriculture, including low yields, seasonal production, post-harvest losses, inadequate storage facilities, expensive transportation and insecurity in farming communities.

He said post-harvest losses remained a major concern, citing instances where as much as 60 per cent of tomatoes were lost after harvesting.

On inflation, Oyedele said food inflation stood at 19.6 per cent in September, adding that food prices were easing more slowly than the overall inflation rate.

‘Macroeconomic stability means little to a mother who still cannot afford food,’ he added.

To address the challenges, the minister said the Federal Government was investing in agricultural technology, irrigation and storage infrastructure, while expanding access to financing for smallholder farmers.

He also disclosed that the administration’s cash transfer programme had reached more than 10 million households.

According to him, digital payments and verification through the National Identification Number were being used to reduce leakages in the distribution of financial assistance.

Oyedele said the government was also prioritising agriculture and non-tradable services, which account for 81.4 per cent of working Nigerians, as part of efforts to improve incomes and reduce poverty.

He added that strengthening these sectors would help more Nigerians earn sustainable incomes and reduce their dependence on government cash transfers.

The Nigerian Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists (NAAHHT), South-West Zone, has called for greater professional recognition, improved working conditions, continuous training and effective utilisation of veterinary technicians and technologists to strengthen animal health, public health and food security in Nigeria.

The call was made during the maiden celebration of World Veterinary Technician and Technologist Week 2026, held at the Dr. K. J. Nwufoh Auditorium, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, under the theme: Empowering an Essential Workforce for One Health Future’.

In his keynote address, NAAHHT national president, Mr. Kazeem Ayobami Akingboye, described the celebration as an opportunity to recognise the vital contributions of animal health personnel to veterinary healthcare delivery, livestock production and national development. He commended the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for recognising the importance of middle- and junior-level animal health personnel.

He recalled professional disagreements over the use of the prefix ‘Vet’ in these designations and NAAHHT’s recourse to the Industrial Arbitration Panel in 1989, which contributed to the adoption of the present designations of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists for HND holders and Animal Health Assistants/Technicians for ND holders, with provisions for career progression.

Emphasising mutual respect and professional cooperation, he stated: ‘Collaboration without subjugation remains the primary focus.’ He urged members to uphold professional competence, ethical conduct and animal welfare, while encouraging students to identify with NAAHHT and participate in its activities.

Prince Oyewumi Oyedele Oyetunde, NAAHHT national vice president, South-West Zone, prescribed a paper titled: ‘The Role of Veterinary Technicians and Technologists in Advancing Animal Health, Public Health and Food Security.’