Category: Auto Guid

Two of the parents of some of the abducted children of St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in Agwara local government area have died.

One of the parents, identified as Anthony Musa, was said to have died from a heart attack while the cause of death for the second parent was yet to be ascertained.

Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed the parents’ demise yesterday.

Yohanna said: ‘The man, Anthony Musa died of heart attack but the female we don’t have the details yet because we couldn’t get the family.’

Over 300 people were kidnapped by armed terrorists who invaded the primary and secondary schools in Agwara. So far, 50 of the pupils have returned.

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora on Monday released the names of the abducted children and teachers.

In the conference hall of the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, as Nigeria marked this year’s World Children’s Day, the 71st globally, the air carried an unusual mix of hope and urgency. Editors in crisp suits and Ankara sat shoulder to shoulder with schoolchildren in bright uniforms. A visually impaired teenager who had taught himself to code prepared to take the microphone. A diplomat from the Netherlands struggled to steady his voice. The UNICEF Country Representative declared that the real bosses in the room were the children. For one morning, almost everyone present seemed to agree.

The symposium, themed ‘Equipping the Nigerian Child for the Future: How Prepared Are We?’, was jointly organised by UNICEF, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence. While the event celebrated World Children’s Day, it felt less like a festival and more like a national reckoning. Mr Eze Anaba, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, did not mince words. ‘Nigeria is in a state of emergency,’ he said. ‘At no other time in our history, except during the civil war, has the condition of our children been this uncertain.’ He cited school abductions, 10 to 20 million out-of-school children-the highest number in any country-millions of zero-dose children who have never received a single vaccine, persistent malnutrition, and the recruitment of minors by armed groups. ‘What happens to our children happens to Nigeria,’ he added, and the line resonated across the room.

Ms Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, presented the stark numbers. Under-five mortality, once near 200 per 1,000 live births in 1990, now sits around 100-still among the highest globally. Full immunization coverage has tripled in two decades, yet more than two million children remain unvaccinated annually. Birth registration has improved, but millions of children still do not legally exist. Three out of four children who reach age ten cannot read a simple text. Forty-eight million Nigerians still practice open defecation. ‘We have made progress,’ she said, measured but firm, ‘but if we continue at this pace, we will lose generations.’

The mood shifted when schoolchildren performed Unstoppable. As the last note faded, Tinafi Akawo, a seventeen-year-old visually impaired coder and child-rights activist, walked to the stage. ‘Thank you very much. Good to see you,’ he said, smiling at an audience he could only discern. Tinafi spoke of artificial intelligence and blockchain as the backbone of the child’s future. He outlined AI-based security systems capable of detecting anomalies and alerting authorities before school kidnappings occur. ‘Imagine a system that alerts authorities before any attempt happens,’ he said. ‘This could significantly reduce the number of kidnappings in our country.’

He also highlighted digital exclusion, urging policies that train young Nigerians in AI and machine learning to place the country on the global map. ‘I am visually impaired. I developed an app that lets blind people navigate using a smartphone camera. This is just me. There are thousands more children with ideas that never leave their rooms.’ He closed by urging the media to be the voice of children and push the government to nurture talent. As Cobhams Asuquo’s Unstoppable played again, Tinafi left the stage to sustained applause, crystallising the central theme: Nigerian children are unstoppable if given the opportunity.

A panel moderated by Dr Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor) pressed duty bearers to account for daily gaps. Ronak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative, explained that interventions follow data, not sentiment. About 90% of Lagos households have clean water access, compared with less than 10% in Kebbi. ‘No child chooses where they are born. A child in Maiduguri deserves the same chance as a child in Lagos,’ he said.

Mrs Mariam Fitumi Shaibu, Deputy Director of Child Development at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, highlighted initiatives with nationwide potential: the National Commission on Out-of-School Children, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in eighteen states, the Lumina Project linking maternal economic empowerment to girls’ education, and the forthcoming national policy on menstrual health and hygiene management.

Mr Henshaw Ogubuike, with editors Ehi Braimah and Ijeoma Popoola, reminded the room that political will and implementation, not policy, remain the biggest gaps. In 2025, some SS3 students still sit on bare floors. Laws alone cannot replace intentional parenting or combat poverty and cultural pressures pushing girls into early marriage. Michel Deelen, Consul General of the Netherlands, delivered a pointed message. ‘Macroeconomic numbers can look better,’ he said, ‘but as long as schools have no roofs, no water, no teachers, nothing goes better. That is a disgrace.’ He noted that part of the Netherlands’ UNICEF funding supports water, sanitation, hygiene, and adolescent entrepreneurship initiatives. ‘The future is bright. The future is you. But we must steer it in the right direction.’

By morning’s end, editors made public commitments. Mr Anaba vowed to keep child rights on the front burner. Mr Braimah pledged dedicated columns and investigative reporting. Beneath the pledges lay a sober truth: by 2050, Nigeria will have the third-largest child population globally. If today’s out-of-school children become tomorrow’s unemployed, traumatized, or radicalized adults, the consequences will extend far beyond Nigeria. The children have demonstrated talent and determination. The challenge now falls on adults to provide the policies, resources, and guidance that will ensure Nigerian children remain truly unstoppable. This version keeps the narrative, the voices of participants, and the statistics intact, while smoothing sentence structure, adding transitions, and keeping it around 800 words, making it suitable for publication. If you want, I can also create a more feature-style, emotionally compelling version that emphasizes the children’s voices and the sense of urgency even more, perfect for a newspaper or magazine audience. Do you want me to do that?

Quietly and without fanfare, the Nigerian Railway Corporation under Kayode Opeifa is showing early signs of renewal. Yet in a system long weighed down by bureaucracy, rust, and broken promises, the real challenge lies in keeping the wheels turning after the applause fades.

When Opeifa was appointed managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) early this year, the announcement barely stirred headlines. But among transport watchers, it drew attention. Here was a man once associated with Lagos traffic, an arena of daily chaos now handed the task of reviving a system meant to connect the whole country.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation once symbolised unity and progress, linking far-flung hamlets, communities, towns and feeding their local economies. Over time, it slipped into decay and nostalgia, a monument to what Nigeria once had and lost. Every new management promised revival; each left behind more rust and regret. Opeifa’s arrival came into that atmosphere of fatigue, one more technocrat stepping into a place heavy with expectations and history.

What has stood out so far is his visible, unceremonious style of engagement. Instead of remaining behind desks and memos, Opeifa has been out on the tracks inspecting stations, talking to workers, and listening to passengers. At the Lagos’ Iddo Terminal, he was reported to have seen the gap between reports and reality: dim platforms, faulty toilets, flickering lights, and weary coaches. His immediate instruction was to fix what could be fixed. Toilets were cleaned, lights repaired, and platforms tidied. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was symbolic a reminder that leadership sometimes begins with simple attention.

In other parts of the country, quiet attempts are underway to reconnect dormant lines and stir local economies back to life. The long silent Jos-Kuru corridor in Plateau State is reportedly being reconsidered for reopening. The Eastern line from Enugu to Port Harcourt has re-entered national conversation, with cautious optimism about renewed work. Freight services, too, are being repositioned as a growth engine. The Lagos-Ibadan cargo line, still evolving, could eventually ease the unbearable pressure on highways and cut logistics costs for manufacturers and traders.

That shift in focus is significant. For decades, discussions about Nigeria’s railways have revolved around passengers and comfort, often ignoring that rail systems across the world survive mainly on cargo. If the NRC succeeds in moving more goods efficiently, it will do far more for Nigeria’s economy than endless speeches about ‘modernisation.’

Inside the corporation, there’s a noticeable calm. Staff unions, once quick to challenge management, are reported to have pledged cooperation. That may not sound like much, but for an organisation long plagued by distrust and internal friction, it’s a big deal. Industrial peace doesn’t fix tracks or coaches, but it creates space for real work to happen.

Still, optimism must be measured. Nigeria’s railway story is littered with bright beginnings that fade into frustration. Chronic underfunding, sluggish procurement, weak maintenance, and a culture of secrecy remain major threats. There’s talk of acquiring new coaches and wagons a welcome plan, if executed transparently. But details are still hazy: no firm timelines, no public cost breakdowns, no delivery schedule. Nigerians deserve more than reports in newspapers; they deserve information. Transparency builds trust faster than announcements.

Beyond new equipment, the bigger challenge lies in maintenance. New coaches will not survive old habits. The NRC’s history is full of once proud assets left to rot after minor faults. Opeifa has warned against vandalism and theft, but punishment alone won’t change much. What’s needed is a working repair system, spares, workshops, and community ownership. Rail stations should not become scrapyards by neglect.

Another obstacle is the railway’s isolation from the rest of the transport ecosystem. Rail must connect meaningfully to ports, highways, and industrial clusters to make sense. The NRC has started engaging state governments and private players, but success will depend on how far these partnerships go beyond paper. A line that ends in the middle of nowhere serves no one.

In the months ahead, public judgment will rest not on rhetoric but on experience. Are trains cleaner? Are they more punctual? Are fares affordable? Has cargo movement between Lagos and Kano improved? These questions will tell Nigerians more about progress than any ribbon-cutting.

The truth is, the NRC doesn’t need miracles. It needs order, discipline, and continuity. Too often, its leadership has been caught between vision and bureaucracy: grand dreams swallowed by red tape. The real transformation lies not in mega projects but in the ordinary details: working lights, clean toilets, honest ticketing, and trains that simply leave and arrive on time.

If Opeifa can keep attention on those practical, almost boring things, he might quietly restore confidence in a system that once defined national unity. Each commuter who sits in a clean coach, each trader who moves goods safely, each town that hears the train whistle again that’s the measure of renewal.

Nigeria has seen this story before: a burst of reform energy followed by decline. Whether this chapter becomes another cycle or the start of something lasting will depend on management’s consistency after the noise dies down. Opeifa may not be seeking headlines, but his actions are being watched. And perhaps that’s for the best a railway system improving quietly, tested daily by a public that has learned to doubt promises but never quite stopped hoping for proof.

A United States-based environmental health professional, Omotolani Deborah Oyelade, has uncovered alarming levels of soil and groundwater contamination in Owode-Arepo, a fast-growing settlement located along the disputed border between Lagos and Ogun states.

According to her study, the community-largely dependent on untreated groundwater-shows the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of toxic chemicals associated with cancer, endocrine disruption and developmental complications.

The finding represents the first documented case of PFAS contamination in any Nigerian border community, drawing attention to an environmental health crisis that has remained invisible for years.

Oyelade’s assessment warns that the contamination poses significant public health risks to residents, especially given the absence of environmental monitoring and the region’s long-standing governance dispute, which has contributed to regulatory neglect.

According to her, the research seeks to determine what contaminants are present in the soil and groundwater, what are the associated public health risks and how does the governmental jurisdictional conflict contributes to the persistence of contamination.

‘This work fills a significant gap in Nigerian environmental health literature, where PFAS monitoring and regulatory frameworks are underdeveloped. It provides the first comprehensive case study integrating field sampling, laboratory chemical analysis, community interviews, and regulatory framework assessment.

‘Preliminary findings indicate the presence of PFAS compounds and other chemical pollutants in both soil and groundwater used by residents, suggesting chronic exposure risks. The jurisdictional dispute between Lagos and Ogun States is shown to have created a void in coordinated environmental oversight, exacerbating contamination and leaving residents without support,’ she said.

She pointed out that findings underscore the urgent need for strengthened regulatory systems, targeted monitoring, and coordinated governmental intervention to protect vulnerable populations, stressing that research provides evidence that environmental contamination in underserved border communities is a national public health concern and offers a model for broader environmental health reforms in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has identified a strong public-private partnership, backed by reforms that reduce import dependence, ease pressure on the Naira, and support backward integration as vital to the full realisation of the Nigeria First Policy.

Its Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, who spoke when NECA convened a high-level virtual Knowledge Sharing Session (KSS) for employers nationwide, with ‘Nigeria First Policy: Unlocking Opportunities for Businesses and the Economy’ as theme, reaffirmed the commitment of NECA to advancing enterprise competitiveness and national economic development through proactive policy advocacy.

He emphasized the need for a more competitive and business-friendly environment, while urging employers to proactively patronize Nigerian products and services.

The virtual engagement was designed to deepen understanding of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy and explore its implications for private-sector growth.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi who was represented by the Director, Industrial Development Department, Mrs. OlumuyiwaAjayiade, made a detailed presentation on the policy’s objectives and strategic priorities. She explained that the Nigeria First Policy prioritizes local goods and services in public procurement, enhances local content participation, and promotes economic growth through targeted government expenditure. She further stated that the initiative aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focused on industrialization, strengthening local production, and shielding the economy from global disruptions.

Also addressing the session, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, highlighted procurement and local content requirements under the policy. He assured stakeholders that the Nigeria First Policy aims to empower local enterprises, promote quality standards, and improve global competitiveness of Nigerian products. He disclosed that implementation guidelines are currently being finalized and will be shared with NECA for further stakeholder engagement.

Representing the business community, the Chairperson of NECA’s Committee on Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Experts, Ms. Victoria Uwadoka, stressed the importance of sustainable enterprise growth and outlined the strategic opportunities the policy presents for Nigerian companies.

The Knowledge Sharing Session recorded strong participation across sectors, with robust interaction and positive feedback from employers. Participants acknowledged the session as timely and expressed confidence in the policy’s potential to drive business expansion and national economic transformation.

NECA remains fully committed to working with government and the private sector to ensure successful implementation of the Nigeria First Policy and to champion initiatives that strengthen the Nigerian economy.

HIS GRUESOME KILLING shook the nation. Brigadier-General Musa Uba died in line of duty. An officer and a gentleman, he was leading his men and some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) on a mission to hunt down the terrorists, bandits and insurgents troubling the nation when they were ambushed along the Damboa-Biu Road in Borno State.

The attack, which was carried out by the Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists happened on November 14. It was a black Friday, which presaged a week in which these elements went on the rampage in some states. They hit Borno, Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states, killing, kidnapping and looting in their characterisric style. Infants were not spared, as they abducted hundreds of nursery school kids in Niger, among others.

The General’s bludgeoning stinks. It rankles because of how it happened. He had managed to escape the ISWAP ambush in which some of his men were killed. He was in the forest trying to find his way back to base. He relayed his position to his colleagues through WhatsApp. Somehow, his message leaked and started trending in social media. The military did all it could to salvage the situation, to no avail.

The harm had been done. The terror group cashed in on that momentary lapse caused by the leaked message to comb the forest for Uba. They found and killed him, and in their typical way celebrated their bestial act in a video. Uba died a hero, as President Bola Tinubu said in a tribute. There is no gainsaying the fact that laying down one’s life for one’s country is the primary duty of a soldier, but the circumstances of Uba’s death are quite disturbing. Who did he send his message for help to?

What did the receiver do with it? Was it treated with the utmost secrecy and urgency it deserved in order to evacuate him out of danger? How did the message get to the social media many of whose practitioners are not professional journalists? Uba did not deserve to die the way he did? If those he messaged had done their jobs well, he might have been saved with the terrorists suffering a heavy loss.

What has happened to the area where he was gruesomely killed? Has it been levelled to send a message to ISWAP and others that no beast in human skin kills a soldier, a General for that matter, and lives to celebrate it? Uba’s death should not be in vain. One of the ways to memorialise him will be the routing of ISWAP, Boko Haram, ISIS, Lakurawa, Ansaru and other terror groups by whatever name called, to restore law and order in the north, where the past week was hell. Their renewed offensive on schools and a church was shattering and it affected the national psyche.

It came on the heels of the global efforts to change the narratives about our national image being pushed by American President Donald Trump. Trump had described the insecurity in Nigeria as ‘Christian genocide’, and vowed to come ‘guns-a-blazing’ to save ‘our beloved Christians’. It is thus difficult to dismiss the claim of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, that this ‘targeted killings’ statement might have emboldened the terrorists to unleash these fresh attacks.

Truly, such attacks had gone down until Trump spoke some weeks ago. The renewed attacks began 10 days ago, after they apparently took a cue from that remark. Their first target on November 17 was a girls school in Maga, Kebbi State, where they abducted 24 pupils after shooting dead the vice principal and injuring the principal. The 24 girls were freed on Tuesday.

Barely 24 hours later, they hit the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), in Eruku, Kwara State, taking away 38 worshippers, among them an elderly woman. The abductees regained their freedom on Sunday. Their story is intriguing. The worshippers were in church to thank God for the release of tbeir brethren who were earlier abducted when they too fell victims of the abductors. In the midst of these incidents, the government is waging war on the global front to change the Trump narrative about Nigeria.

The United States (U.S.) Congress which he is armtwisting to impose sanctions on Nigeria and back his plan to send troops to take out the terrorists beamed a searchlight on our country on Thursday. Nigeria was on trial of sorts before the world as the proceedings of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa were aired globally. Some members of the Congress led by two women, Sara Jacobs and Pamela Jayapal, argued against the classification of Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’, while their counterparts, Riley Moore and Bill Huizenga, led those who insisted that there were ‘targeted killings’ in Nigeria.

Huizenga, who became emotional as he recalled going to ‘school with kids from Nigeria’ pointedly accused the Tinubu administration of doing nothing to stop the killings. In its defence, Nigeria admitted that it has security challenges, explaining that all it required was collaboration with the U.S. to address the issue. Although, it is painful that Nigeria has not overcome the problem, which reared its ugly head in 2009, with the killing of Boko Haram leader Muhammed Yusuf in police custody, it is wrong to say that the country has not done anything about it.

Past administrations fought it. The Tinubu administration intensified the campaign after assuming office over two years ago. Its efforts might have resulted in scorching the snake and not in killing it, though. Therefore, it will be insincere to accuse the government of folding its hands and doing nothing. More needs to be done, no doubt. So, the government must reawaken to the reality of the situation and do everything possible to kill this snake now, or continue to be the butt of cynical remarks by Trump, Moore, Huizenga and their local ilk.

It is in this frame that the Niger school abductions which followed the congressional hearing beggar belief. After the Kebbi and Eruku attacks, the security agencies should have been more alive to their responsibilities to nip in the bud any other fresh incidents. That the Catholic (Private) Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Niger State, was hit just four days after the Kebbi attack, and in the wake of the congressional hearing, speaks volume about how prepared and serious we are to fight this scourge.

The government has given its die-hard critics the ammunition to fight it and say ‘see those who say they are fighting terrorism’. Papiri should not have happened at all, at least not at a time like this, or at any other time for that matter. The attack should be a challenge to the government to go all out and tame this scourge. There is no better time than now to break this yoke. It has festered for too long. Those nursery kids (just imagine their ages) are waiting (only God knows where they are being held) to be reunited with their parents and guardians. I can hear their cries in my ears as I type this.