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The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced mobilisation of its members across all the universities in the country for an imminent nationwide strike action over the failure of the Federal Government to address the demands of the union.

ASUU had last week issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government to resolve all outstanding issues, including the conclusion of the renegotiation of the contentious 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.

Irked by the tepid responses ASUU gets from the Federal Government, especially the silence it has maintained after the union has served the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa and Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, the two-week ultimatum, the lecturers said they have no other option left than to mobilise their members to shut the universities on the expiration of the 14-day strike.

According to the union, the strike notice, starting from Sunday, September 28, 2025, would first herald a two-week warning strike before embarking on a total and indefinite strike action.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, in a latest memo to all branches of the union, said the union had no choice but to shut down universities through strike action in response to the government’s conduct.

Piwuna, in the memorandum dated October 5, 2025, and sighted by Tribune Online on Monday, expressed regret that there had been no meaningful progress toward resolving the issue.

He said, ‘The National Executive Council (NEC) of our Union, at its emergency meeting of 29th September, 2025, having evaluated the results of the referendum held across our branches, resolved to give the government a fourteen-day ultimatum to resolve the issues contained in the negotiated document which has been transmitted to the government since February, 2025.

‘It was further resolved that the union will proceed on a two-week warning strike at the expiration of the ultimatum if the government fails to take acceptable and satisfactory steps to address the lingering issues.

‘The resolutions were immediately communicated to the Honourable Minister of Labour, the Honourable Minister of Education and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

‘It is now one week since those resolutions were reached and communicated to the appropriate authorities. I regret to inform you that there is no meaningful development deserving of any consideration to be reported.

‘As we enter the second and final week of the ultimatum, | thank you on behalf of NEC for the patience and understanding which you demonstrated since the commencement of this torturous negotiation that has unjustifiably lasted over eight years.

‘The goal of our current action remains principally to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement document, amongst other demands.

‘The days ahead call for the mobilisation of every member of our union to ensure unity of purpose. No one should be left out of the struggle for our welfare, stem the Jupa syndrome and reposition the Nigerian University System (NUS) for global competitiveness.

‘We are strong when we organise, but weakened when we agonise! Our Union has always acted in solidarity as a collective; this action will not be different.

‘Members are to take instructions only from their chairpersons. When in doubt, members should consult their chairpersons, zonal coordinators and attend congress meetings regularly for updates on further developments.’

Some of the demands of ASUU over time include: renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, funding of universities, particularly, revitalisation fund, promotion arrears, and academic earned allowance, among others.

President of ASUU Piwuna had earlier called on all well-meaning Nigerian citizens, religious and traditional rulers, parents, students, and all other stakeholders in the education sector to press the Nigerian government to turn its attention to Nigerian public universities to address the challenges in the system.

The ASUU President accused the Federal Government of paying scant attention to the demands of the union,

recalling that in recent times, ASUU has been engaging the press very frequently.

Ogun State government has reiterated its commitment towards promoting and actualizing its vision of sustainable urban development through promotion of safe and enduring building practices, ensuring orderliness and good living environment as well as preparation of urban and rural development plans.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami disclosed this in his message to commemorate the 2025 World Habitat Day in Ogun State.

According him, the day, every first Monday of October has been set aside by the United Nations through the Un-Habitat to draw attention to the many challenges facing human settlements, especially the urban areas and find solutions to them.

Tpl. Odunlami stated that the yearly focus on human settlements was as a result of the projection that, by 2050, world population would reach 9.8 billion human beings, and nearly 70% of which would live in urban areas which according to him, could lead to inadequate and sub-standard housing, lack of jobs, high crime rate, inadequate waste management, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, facilities and services among others.

He said ‘This year’s theme, ‘Urban Crisis Response’, is a continuation of the dialogue, fact finding and solution-proffering efforts of the UN-Habitat which started in 1986. The general objective of this yearly celebration is to continue to remind us that we are individually and collectively responsible for the urban crisis and we are therefore also individually and collectively responsible for finding the solutions. Every one of us has a part to play in these efforts, leaving no one behind.’

He advised the general public not to build houses without getting planning permit and building approval, desist from building structures including shanties on road setback and drainage channels, stop dumping refuse on the roads and drainages while encouraging all to plant trees and flowers in their environment.

Meanwhile, Tpl. Bamidele Badejo, a Professor of Geography and Regional Planning, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, who featured on OGTV new dawn program in commemoration of the World habitat day, called on government to incorporate town planning professionals into Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to help in planning as it’s relates to the environment.

Also speaking on the program, Mr. Fatai Adefala, Director, Fire Service maintained that safety of lives and properties as well as promotion of healthy community sanitation.

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, on Monday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies to thoroughly scrutinise the academic credentials of candidates ahead of the 2027 polls to prevent the embarrassment of letting certificate forgers into public offices in the country.

He noted that, for example, some political office holders today came into office in 2023, using questionable certificates or swore to affidavits defending the certificates they possess

According to the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), the former governor of Anambra State, gave his views on his X handle on Monday.

Writing on ‘The danger of making crime a norm’, he stated, ‘Whenever I talk about Nigeria being a crime scene, those who are part of the criminality and their hirelings will quickly start their noise-making, attacking and blackmailing me.

‘But how do you tell people that those whose integrity, character and behaviour are supposed to be exemplary and emulated in society have become the very source of the nation’s decay? How do you tell young Nigerians to be honest and upright when those they are supposed to emulate are the least to be emulated because they are criminals and dishonest?

‘Certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in all countries of the world. It is one of the most corrupt practices heavily punished.

‘In one of my knowledge-seeking visits to Indonesia early this year, after interacting with several ministers responsible for Health, Villages, SMEs, Planning, and Education, as well as the Vice President and President Joko Widodo on development, I met with the Chairman of the General Elections Commission of Indonesia. I asked him about the educational qualifications required to participate in elections from local government to the state legislature, governorship, and up to the presidential level. He openly stated these qualifications to me.

‘My team and I then asked a simple question: What happens if someone contests for public office with a forged certificate or did not attend the school he claimed he attended? He looked at me, surprised and shocked, and said, ‘That attracts immediate disqualification and prosecution. It is a criminal offence. He added, ‘If someone can forge a certificate, how can that person be trusted to lead others?’

Obi, in the tweets shared by the Spokesman of POMR, Mr Ibrahim Umar, wrote further, ‘But in my country Nigeria, though the laws are same as in other countries, that forgery is punished by immediate disqualification, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) makes no effort to scrutinize certificates before the elections, overlooks complaints of forgery and when you challenged after the elections, court will dismiss the serious criminal issues as ‘pre-election matters’ without giving this criminal act appropriate punishment.

‘INEC, even after the elections, does not bother to revisit or investigate these serious offences before the next election.

‘The other concerning issue from all these is how criminals and dishonest people scale through all the scrutiny layers -security, parliament and government apparatus set to handle such.

‘Even more disturbing, amounting to double tragedy, is that most of these dishonest people swore to an affidavit before a law court attesting to the authenticity of the documents they presented.

‘We are now preparing for the 2027 general elections. INEC has enough time to investigate past complaints about various forms of forgery and false claims.

‘Our Electoral amendments must include that anyone intending to contest for any public office, whether an incumbent or a new candidate, must submit all academic certificates to the electoral body immediately after party primaries, at least six months before the election. These certificates, alongside details of schools attended, what was studied and years of study, should be made public for verification within 90 days. This process must also apply to appointed officials, ministers and even aides, because when dishonesty starts from the top, it spreads to every level of governance, just like it’s happening now.

‘We must deal with certificate forgery holistically with the seriousness and level of criminality it deserves. Criminal offences should not be dismissed as a mere procedural matter. We must end the era where forgery and deceit are rewarded with power. True leadership must begin with truth.’

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved a total of $308.63 million to finance strategic projects in clean energy, industrial development, and sustainable growth across the region.

The approvals were made during the Bank’s 93rd Ordinary Session, held at its Lomé headquarters under the chairmanship of Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, EBID’s President and Board Chair.

Dr. Donkor said the funding decisions align with the Bank’s mandate to drive regional integration and economic diversification while promoting sustainable development in West Africa.

Among the projects approved is a $40 million line of credit for Vista Bank Guinea to support trade-related activities such as import-export operations and commercial value chains. The initiative is expected to benefit about 105 enterprises, create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and reduce unemployment.

In Nigeria, the Bank approved $98.18 million for the development of a 50 MW solar power plant in Taraba State. The project is expected to provide clean and reliable electricity to about 390,000 people and at least 200 public institutions. It will also generate 400 construction jobs, 50 permanent roles, and up to 1,500 indirect jobs through supply chain and maintenance services.

Another $79.22 million will go towards the establishment of a modern rice processing complex and a 10,000-hectare irrigated farm in Taraba State. The project aims to boost Nigeria’s food security, strengthen agricultural output, and support economic growth in the state. In addition, EBID has approved $91.23 million for the development of an industrial park in Taraba, designed to accelerate local industrialisation and foster economic diversification through the creation of a modern industrial ecosystem.

EBID said the projects reflect its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly on hunger reduction, clean energy, decent work, industrialisation, and climate action.

‘With these new commitments, EBID is strengthening developmental footprint and reinforcing its role as a driver of sustainable economic growth across the ECOWAS region,’ Dr. Donkor stated.

A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Olusola Fatoba, has said the approval of the Nigeria Forest Security Services by President Bola Tinubu would restore confidence in the agricultural sector, enhance security and also empower farmers towards enhancing food security.

The initiative became imperative and was signed into law by the president following incessant attacks on farmers, agrarian areas and rampant kidnapping cases with criminals using the forests as hideouts from which they strike to carry out their heinous activities.

Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Monday, Fatoba appealed to all the 36 state governors to support the president’s initiative in their respective states for the prompt implementation of the project.

The Chairman House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values expressed optimism that the forest security services would address the disturbing challenges in the forests across the country.

He advised the state governments to complement the federal government’s efforts in stamping out illegal occupation of the country’s forests and farming areas by providing all the necessary support and encouraging the local people to embrace the development by participating and engaging in the proposed exercise.

The lawmaker representing Ekiti central constituency II said, ‘I wish to sincerely appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his visionary leadership and approval for the establishment of the Nigeria Forest Security Services.

‘This bold and timely initiative is a significant step towards addressing the pressing challenges of insecurity, especially in our rural and agrarian communities.

‘At a time when insecurity has deterred many from engaging in farming and discourages foreign investment, this move will not only boost food security but also strengthen our economy through agriculture and non-oil financial inflows.

‘It sends a strong signal to both citizens and the international community that Nigeria is committed to creating a safe and enabling environment for investment and growth.’

The Ogun State Local Government Special Advisers’ Forum has commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for his investment in Gateway International Airport, which is set to begin operations on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Iperu.

The forum made the statement in Abeokuta, highlighting the economic, employment, and developmental benefits of the project to the state and its people.

In a statement signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Comrade Otubanjo Ayodele Olalekan, the group said the airport’s commencement will support the state’s economy and create job opportunities for residents.

He praised the governor’s consistent efforts in making the airport project a reality, stating that the state had been repositioned for greater development.

‘Indeed, the Forum really appreciates Governor Dapo Abiodun for transforming the state into one of Nigeria’s best state, in fact, your leadership has yielded remarkable progress, particularly with the upcoming international airport in Iperu, slated to commence operations on Tuesday, October, 7th, 2025,’ Olalekan said.

Olalekan also noted that the governor’s recent move to engage investors from China would benefit other key projects like the Olokola Seaport and further strengthen the state’s economy.

He said, ‘It is a thing of joy to see Governor Abiodun running the affairs of the state without being vindictive. All these projects will boost productivity, create over 20,000 jobs for the teeming youths and drive economic growth.

‘This is quite evident in the decision of the governor to complete many abandoned projects of the immediate-past government, despite stiff opposition to Abiodun’s emergence as the governor of the state.’

He described the Abiodun-led administration as one that has brought real progress to Ogun State, adding that members of the Forum are proud to be part of the present government’s story.

‘We are excited about the bold steps taken by Governor Abiodun to kick-start the long-abandoned multibillion naira agro-cargo airport project.

It’s a project with huge potential to redefine positively the socio-economic dynamics of the state. It will create jobs, open up the state for more investment, increase revenue generation for the state, boosts the agricultural sector and ultimately enhance the economic prosperity of the residents of the state.

‘We are grateful for your dedications and visions, you have done more than enough as the governor of the state, your name is etched in gold in the annals of the state’s history, and we are thrilled to be part of this success story. We are happy to affiliate with you and express our utmost pride in your achievements,’ Comrade Olalekan said.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has called on newly qualified nurses across the country to uphold their patriotic duty by contributing their knowledge and compassion to the growth of Nigeria’s healthcare system, rather than seeking opportunities abroad.

The Registrar of the Council, Dr. Ndagi Alhassan, made the call during the induction and oath-taking ceremony for graduating professional nurses of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, held on the institution’s campus over the weekend.

Alhassan, while inducting the 69 nursing graduates of the institution, charged the new professionals to see themselves as ‘ambassadors of hope and healing’ whose calling goes beyond personal ambition to national service.

Alhassan , who was represented by a director in the Council , Dr Olukemi Awe, emphasised that the nation depends on their expertise and dedication to bridge the gap in healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities where medical care remains scarce.

According to him, while global mobility is a right, patriotism demands that professionals first invest their knowledge and energy in developing their homeland before looking outward.

The Registrar, however, cautioned those who may still wish to work abroad to be mindful of their destinations, warning them to avoid migrating to war-prone countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and Israel, where safety and stability cannot be guaranteed.

‘Every nurse trained in Nigeria carries a piece of the nation’s future. When you serve here, you heal not just patients but the soul of a country in need of care.Your choice to enter this noble profession is not just a career path, but a calling.

‘I would like to inform you that your success at the Council Examination has qualified you for a one-year internship program, but you cannot proceed for this without being inducted.

‘You are here today to accompany and perform the induction ceremony, which will allow you to proceed for this one-year mandatory internship program, at the end of which you will obtain your registration number, you will obtain your license, you will obtain your certificates, and you will obtain your certificates from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

‘ By this, your degree will be recognized, and you will enforce your address as a professional nurse, a registered nurse, with the title registered nurse, after your name.

‘This is the beginning of your professional career as a nurse will be privileged for you to serve anywhere in the world, but please don’t leave the country (japa) . Let’s all take care of Nigeria. We still need you in Nigeria. Do not ‘japa’ for now.

‘But you see, if you still want to japa don’t go to Russia, don’t go to Ukraine, don’t go to Israel. Please, I’m just begging you. But we need you here. We want you to come and serve us here’

The Registrar also admonished the inductees to uphold the ethics of the nursing profession and continue to learn from senior colleagues in the clinics and hospitals where they would practice.

He said: ‘Do not allow what you have achieved today to be the end of the road for you. I encourage you to continue learning and explore all the available opportunities to advance further in nursing.’

He also commended Elizade University for maintaining high academic and professional standards in nursing education, describing the institution as a model in the training of competent, disciplined, and service-driven health professionals.

He reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to promoting professional excellence and working with governments at all levels to create conditions that will encourage healthcare workers to remain and serve within the country, saying the future of the nation’s health system rests on their shoulders.

In his remarks, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof. Babatunde Adeyemo, congratulated the new nurses, noting that all the graduates successfully passed their professional examinations, a feat he attributed to the university’s unwavering commitment to providing quality education and rigorous training.

He urged the graduates to use the skills acquired during their studies to uphold the dignity of human life and render care selflessly wherever they find themselves.

Prof. Adeyemo said ‘Nursing is not just a profession; it is a calling. It is a vocation rooted in compassion, service, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to humanity.

‘The oath you will take today is not a mere formality, but a solemn pledge to uphold the dignity of human life, to render care selflessly, and to maintain the highest standards of professional ethics.’

Adeyemo commended the NMCN for its guidance and partnership, assuring that Elizade University will continue to produce competent and ethically sound graduates capable of competing globally while remaining committed to national development.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has strongly condemned the recent comments made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole on national television, describing them as a ‘reprehensible assault on the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers’ and ‘a gross distortion of established labour laws.’

In a hard-hitting statement jointly signed by NUPENG’s National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, the union expressed ‘profound dismay’ that a former labour leader could now be ‘a vocal advocate for corporate oppression,’ campaigning against the very rights he once fought to protect.

‘We witness with utter disappointment a former labour leader now transformed into a vocal advocate for corporate oppression, actively campaigning against the very rights he once championed,’ the statement read. ‘His attempts to rationalize the victimization of workers for exercising their fundamental rights of association and peaceful action are not only nauseating but represent a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian Labour Law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions.’

NUPENG equivocally labelled Senator Oshiomhole a betrayer of labour movement ideas, describing his latest remarks as ‘the prattle of an apostate, intoxicated by the opium of power and dollarized into betraying the cause of the downtrodden Nigerian workers.’

The union said it was ironic that the man once regarded as the voice of Nigerian workers had now become an advocate for the ‘unconscionable capitalists’ opposed to unionization in their enterprises.

Citing sections of the 1999 Constitution and relevant labour laws, NUPENG reaffirmed that ‘every person in Nigeria: citizens and foreigners alike has the right to freedom of association and assembly,’ and that ‘no employer has the right to interfere with an employee’s freedom to join or form a union.’

The union recalled that Section 9(6) of the Labour Act expressly forbids any contract that attempts to exclude a worker from trade union membership, while ILO Conventions 87 and 98, both ratified by Nigeria, guarantee workers’ rights to form and join unions without interference.

The oil and gas workers’ body dismissed as ‘absurd and archaic’ Oshiomhole’s suggestion of a ‘moratorium on unionization,’ calling it ‘a regression to an unknown phase in human history that has no place in a modern democratic society.’ The union challenged him to ‘state to the whole world the section of the Labour Act or Trade Unions Act where such a slavish provision exists.’

Reacting to Oshiomhole’s criticism of the ongoing Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) strike, NUPENG described his position as ‘an act of profound historical revisionism and political amnesia.’ The union emphasized that PENGASSAN’s solidarity action with its members at the Dangote Refinery, where over 800 engineers were reportedly sacked for unionizing, ‘is a protected legal action under Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act.’

‘The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ is the foundational ethic of trade unionism globally,’ NUPENG asserted. ‘For some Undistinguished Senators to now find this principle inconvenient only reveals a trading of once avowed class consciousness for a place among the oppressors.’

The union further expressed dismay that Oshiomhole, who once served several times in the Governing Council of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and in the Committee on Application of Standards that reviews global violations of workers’ rights, could ‘demonstrate such monumental ignorance of trade unionism.’

Referring to a past comment allegedly made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, NUPENG recalled the description of Oshiomhole as ‘a comrade in the morning and a politician by night,’ suggesting that the statement now rings truer than ever. The union accused the former labour leader of ‘rewriting history to suit his current reactionary advocacy’ and questioned his moral standing to lecture anyone on integrity or strategy.

In a dramatic conclusion, NUPENG declared Senator Oshiomhole persona non grata among Nigerian oil and gas workers for what it described as ‘the Undistinguished denunciation of the PENGASSAN strike against the unjustifiable sack of 800 engineers.’ The statement said the declaration means that ‘henceforth, we will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring Senator Oshiomhole,’ while urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and ‘conscionable civil society organisations’ to take note.

‘Oshiomhole’s denunciation and insensitivity to the plight of 800 engineers and his resistance to unionism in the petroleum and gas sector is a dangerous toxin designed to weaken the resolve of the working class and strengthen the class enemy,’ NUPENG warned. ‘We will continue to deploy every legal and industrial instrument available to us, in full compliance with Nigerian law and global labour standards, to secure justice.’

Declaring that Oshiomhole’s position on the PENGASSAN strike ‘qualifies him as the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism,’ the union concluded with its enduring slogan: ‘Solidarity Forever! Our solidarity remains constant, for the union makes us strong.’

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has declared that the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery, is of critical importance to Nigeria and must be supported at all costs to ucceed.

Reacting to the recent skirmish between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and management of refinery, Shettima said it was unnecessary for members of PENGASSAN to hold the nation to ransom over what he described as ‘a minor labour dispute’.

Shettima spoke on Monday at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) held in Abuja.

Recall that on September 28, PENGASSAN commenced a nationwide strike over the dismissal of Nigerian workers by Dangote refinery.

The strike was however suspended after Dangote Group, the parent company of the refinery, agreed to redeploy the sacked workers.

Faulting the association’s move, the vice-president said Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, is not an individual but an institution.

He added Dangote is ‘a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament’.

‘And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, in Google, probably he might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now. But he opted to invest in his country and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve, and project the interests of this great Nigeria,’ Shettima said.

‘I wish to call for caution, retrospection and a deeper sense of patriotism from both the labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving the relationship between labour and industry in the interest of maintaining our steadily improving economic fortunes.

‘It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN and Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us.’

Speaking further, the vice-president emphasised that he was not acting out of partisanship, but as a ‘patriot in search of solutions to our national challenges’.

He emphasised that in the interest of improving the nation’s fortunes, the government was tasking the NESG with taking more than a passing interest in the matter.

‘The government will expect priority recommendations from the NESG in addressing this issue even as the government is also taking steps to protect big industry and ensuring industrial harmony for the good of the nation. This is a refinery, Your Excellencies, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,’ Shettima said.

The vice-president reiterated that the refinery project was financed through a mix of equity investments, debt financing, and loans obtained from both local and foreign banks.

Consequently, he said the refinery has to function to salvage the debt and ‘we cannot hold the whole nation to ransom for some issues that we can amicably settle across the table’.

Shettima said his stance ‘reflects the true position of President Bola Tinubu’ and ‘the Nigerian people’.

On October 2, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, on projected revenue losses due to the suspended strike by the PENGASSAN, resulting from deferred production, missed liftings, and reduced gas sale.

Earlier on Monday, Bayo Ojulari, group chief executive officer (GCEO), NNPC, said the recent rise in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), popularly known as cooking gas, was also linked to the recent strike by PENGASSAN.

The Federal Government has inaugurated Africa’s largest integrated vaccination campaign, targeting over 16 million children in a bold step towards ending vaccine-preventable diseases threatening millions of children.

Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, flagged off the National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign, which she described as ‘a bold step towards protecting the lives and future of our children.’

In her remarks at the event, the First Lady highlighted the devastating consequences of measles, including blindness, disability and death, and warned that rubella, though often silent, can cause severe birth defects if contracted during pregnancy.

She urged parents, community leaders, and religious and traditional rulers to work together to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.

‘We are here today to flag off a solution, a pathway to hope, and a promise of progress.

‘With this vaccine, our children will be protected against two deadly diseases and enjoy a lifetime of safety and protection.

‘These vaccines are safe, effective and free. They are one of the greatest gifts of modern medicine. They save lives, prevent disease, and give our children the chance to grow, learn and thrive,’ she stated.

She pledged to sustain advocacy through the wives of state governors, women’s groups, and community leaders.

Remi Tinubu commended the Ministry of Health under Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Gavi and the Gates Foundation, for their support.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the event, rallied state governors and First Ladies to drive the campaign at the grassroots.

Recalling Nigeria’s polio eradication success, he said: ‘When we defeated polio, it wasn’t by coercion. It was by convincing people to do the right thing.’

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, described the campaign as the largest integrated immunisation initiative in Africa, pledging $103 million in support.

Tarcile Mballa, Gavi’s Senior Programme Manager for Nigeria, hailed it as ‘a historic milestone and a demonstration of Nigeria’s leadership in public health,’ noting the alliance’s investment of over $2.6 billion in Nigeria’s immunisation efforts over two decades.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s vaccination goals.

The Deputy Director for Immunisation and Disease Control, Yusuf Yusufari, commended Nigeria’s resilience, citing the rise in routine immunisation coverage from 33 per cent in 2016 to over 60 per cent today and the country’s 2020 wild poliovirus-free certification.

He, however, warned that over two million Nigerian children remain ‘zero-dose’, completely unvaccinated, the second-highest figure globally, fuelling measles outbreaks and circulating variant poliovirus type 2.

He urged urgent action to close this gap through innovation and community outreach.

The 2025 campaign targets 16 million children aged 0-14 across the 36 states and the FCT.

In 21 states, children will receive both measles-rubella and polio vaccines in a single visit, while four states will also benefit from mosquito nets, deworming tablets, and treatment for neglected tropical diseases.

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, described the drive as both a health and education investment.

Represented by Deputy Director Peter Ojonuba, he said, ‘A healthy child is a teachable child.’

He pledged that schools would be mobilised as hubs for vaccine awareness and delivery, warning administrators against obstructing vaccinators.

Earlier, NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Muyi Aina, called the initiative ‘the mother of all campaigns,’ noting over 10,000 measles cases and 76 related deaths recorded this year.

He urged parents to present their children at health centres for free vaccination from October 6 and called on the media to amplify health messages.

The launch was attended by traditional and religious leaders, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; development partners; and senior government officials.