Category: Daily Trust

Academic activities at Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), have been paralysed following an indefinite strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch in the institution.

The Chairman of ASUU NSUK, Comrade Zubairu Abdulmuminu II, announced the action in an interview, saying the strike took effect immediately after receiving approval from the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU.

According to him, the strike is ‘total, comprehensive, indefinite, and suffocating’ and will affect all academic activities, including lectures, postgraduate supervision and external defences, until their demands are met.

Comrade Abdulmuminu said the lecturers were being owed huge sums by both the university management and the Nasarawa State Government.

He listed the outstanding payments to include Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), estimated at over ?2 billion; arrears of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards for 25 months; ?35,000 wage award arrears; and ?70,000 minimum wage arrears for 11 months.

He added that the implementation of the new agreement signed with the Federal Government on December 22, 2025, which was expected to commence on January 1, 2026, had not been effected.

He said the July salary was paid without the new component, leaving an outstanding amount of about ?146 million monthly.

‘The amount will continue to accrue for as long as the implementation is not being put in place,’ he said.

The ASUU chairman said students had been asked to return to their parents’ houses as all academic activities on campus had been shut down.

On dialogue, he said the union had engaged government officials several times without results. These included the Commissioner for Education, whom they met more than five times; the Deputy Governor, whom they met three times on the directive of the Governor; the Speaker of the House of Assembly; the Secretary to the State Government (SSG); and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

‘The last meeting with the Deputy Governor was on July 26, and nothing positive came out of it,’ Abdulmuminu stated.

He said the union had exhausted all avenues for dialogue and resorted to the strike as ‘the only language the government will understand.’

ASUU NEC granted universities permission to embark on the action during its meeting in Abuja between August 8 and 9, 2026.

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command, in Collaboration with Military and Edo State Security Corps (ESSC), have neutralised a suspected kidnapper and rescued a victim in Edo State.

The security team also recovered N1.5 million ransom paid to regain the victim’s freedom during the operation

It was gathered that the suspect was rescued after a gun battle with the kidnappers at a forest in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government of the State.

The Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said the police received information that one Mr. Lucky Egbeki of Urueun Quarters, Ubiaja, was kidnapped on 5th August, 2026, in his farm and whisked him into the bush.

She said on August 6, 2026, the security team, acting on credible intelligence and technical surveillance, launched a coordinated rescue operation in the Onogolo/Oria Forest aimed at rescuing the victim

According to her, the joint security team positioned itself along the route identified for the ransom collection after painstaking intelligence gathering.

She said the kidnappers emerged from the bush to receive the ransom and immediately opened fire in a desperate attempt to evade arrest after noticing that they had been ambushed.

Ikoedem said the operatives responded, leading the death of one of the suspected kidnappers during a gun battle while two other members of the gang escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries.

She said a manhunt had since been launched to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.

Ikoedem said the operation led to the rescue of the captive unhurt while the ?1.5 million ransom brought to effect the victim’s release was recovered.

She assured residents that every available resource was being deployed to arrest the fleeing suspects.

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved the implementation of a new salary structure for academic and non-academic staff of the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology and Northwest University Kano.

The new remuneration package, adopted from the Federal Government’s salary review for workers in federal universities, will take effect from January 2026, while payment is expected to commence in September.

The approval was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

According to the statement, the decision followed the report and recommendations of a committee constituted by the State Executive Council to review requests by the two state-owned universities for the domestication of the new federal salary package.

The government said the salary review would cost the state N391.85 million monthly, translating to N4.70 billion annually for the two institutions.

For Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, the monthly cost stands at N228.20 million, comprising N141.08 million for academic staff under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement and N87.11 million for non-academic staff under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Similarly, Northwest University will require N163.65 million monthly, with N112.24 million allocated to academic staff and N51.41 million to non-academic workers.

The government has approved N1.57 billion in the 2026 Supplementary Budget to cover the payment from September to December this year.

It also said arrears amounting to N3.13 billion, covering January to August 2026, would be provided for in the 2027 Budget.

The state government said the salary review was aimed at ensuring industrial harmony and improving the welfare of workers in the two universities, in line with the new remuneration package being implemented in federal universities and other state-owned institutions.

Governor Yusuf also approved the consideration of visitation panels for the two universities and other tertiary institutions in the state in accordance with relevant laws.

The panels, according to the government, are expected to strengthen accountability, administration and effective management of the institutions.

Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and strengthening the quality of higher education as part of its broader human capital development agenda.

Former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly and former South-East spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Okey Onoh, has disagreed with the South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, over the description of attacks against foreigners in South Africa as xenophobia.

Moroe had, during an interview, assured Nigerians that South Africa remained safe for tourists, business travellers and other visitors, while rejecting the characterisation of attacks against foreigners as xenophobia.

‘There’s no xenophobia in South Africa,’ Moroe said when asked about the attacks.

However, reacting in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh said the consul-general’s position did not reflect concerns raised by reports of attacks and discrimination against African migrants in South Africa.

Onoh, who is also chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, said South Africa had continued to face allegations of hostility towards migrants from other African countries.

He cited reports by advocacy groups and other organisations which, according to him, had documented incidents involving attacks on or discrimination against African migrants.

Onoh also referred to the activities of anti-immigrant groups in South Africa, including Operation Dudula, saying their campaigns had contributed to concerns about the safety and welfare of foreign nationals.

He further cited public opinion research which, he said, indicated growing anti-immigrant sentiments among sections of the South African population.

According to him, reports by international human rights organisations have also raised concerns over alleged attempts by vigilante groups to restrict migrants’ access to basic services, including healthcare and education.

Onoh argued that the challenges faced by South Africa, including crime and unemployment, should not be blamed on migrants from other African countries.

He said African migrants should not be made scapegoats for the country’s domestic socioeconomic challenges.

The former lawmaker also criticised what he described as the treatment of African migrants in South Africa, arguing that the country had an obligation to protect foreigners living, working or conducting legitimate business within its territory.

Onoh further called for greater protection of African migrants and urged African countries to reconsider their economic and diplomatic engagement with South Africa if attacks against foreigners continued.

He described the situation as a setback to the spirit of Pan-African solidarity, recalling the support provided by African countries during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

According to him, African countries provided resources, diplomatic support and safe havens to people involved in the anti-apartheid struggle.

Onoh said the continent should not remain silent when African nationals faced attacks or discrimination in another African country.

He therefore called for what he described as a coordinated continental boycott of South Africa, arguing that countries had a responsibility to protect their citizens abroad.

Onoh also urged Nigerian citizens to exercise caution when travelling to South Africa and called on the Nigerian government to continue engaging South African authorities on the safety and welfare of Nigerians in the country.

He concluded by telling Moroe: ‘Keep your South Africa, we keep our Nigeria.’

As Nigerians continue to grapple with inadequate supply of electricity from the national grid, activities of vandals are truncating efforts in expanding grid connections and ensuring stable supply, Daily Trust can report.

Analysis by Daily Trust indicated that at least 20 towers have been vandalized from January to August, with four suspects arrested and 1 death recorded.

While the number of towers vandalism has dropped due to intensified sensitization of communities situated along the transmission networks and collaboration with community vigilantes as well security personnel, vandalism of electricity towers continues to put pressure on the stability of the grid.

Already, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) stated the electricity market is losing N8 billion to transmission loss monthly and vandalism is contributing significantly to it.

The inability to end vandalism means the TCN is diverting funds for critical grid development into repairs of towers that are functioning but stopped by the greed of individuals seeking cheap money from destroying existing towers.

Cases of vandalism in 2026

According to the TCN, the latest act of vandalism is the collapse of a transmission tower along the 330kV Ughelli-Benin transmission line in Delta State on August 8, 2026.

It stated that the incident was discovered during a line patrol following the tripping of the line on earth fault on the line.

According to TCN, the patrol team traced the fault to Tower 101, which had collapsed. The body of the suspected vandal was found crushed between the tower members.

Also, a team of community vigilante at Ikhueniro arrested a suspected vandal attempting to vandalise a transmission tower along the Benin-Onitsha 330kV Transmission Line on 2nd August 2026.

The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Mr. Humphry Anala, an indigene of Auchi, Edo State, residing in Benin City, was allegedly attempting to loosen the tower base bracing when he was apprehended.

On July 29, the Nigerian Police arrested a suspect over vandalism of six towers along Yola-Jalingo 330kV transmission line.

The towers affected include T995, T998, T999, T1002, T1003, and T1004, stripping them of critical bracing members and carting away an estimated 130 pieces of tower members.

On July 24, an attempted theft on 330/132kV Transmission Substation in Bauchi was foiled after security personnel at the substation intercepted suspected vandals attempting to remove critical tower members.

The suspects fled the scene on sighting the guards and 12 transmission tower angle irons, one heavy-duty metal measuring scale, and a white pickup truck believed to have been used for the operation were recovered.

Another six transmission towers, from T125 to T130, on Apir-Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II were also vandalized on May 30, fording both Apir-Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II remain out of service pending reconstruction of the affected towers.

Similarly, the company announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the vandalism of Towers T15, T16, and T17 along the Nkalagu-Abakaliki 132kV Single Circuit Transmission Line on May 9.

They were apprehended by local youths and members of a vigilante group acting on a tip-off. Preliminary investigations at the scene established that structural tower members were systematically removed from the affected towers and sold to illicit scrap metal dealers.

Tower T99 along the Ughelli/Benin 330kV Transmission Line collapsed on March 15 as a result of vandalism.

The fallen tower had some of its bracing members vandalised and carted away, which led to its collapse. The adjoining towers, T100 and T101, were also vandalized although they remain standing.

‘Vandalism increasing operational costs, delay infrastructure projects’

Meanwhile the Managing Director of TCN, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz described vandalism as one of the most persistent challenges facing the power sector.

He said the sabotage of critical transmission infrastructure, including transmission towers, conductors, insulators, and other equipment is disrupting electricity supply, increasing operational costs, delaying infrastructure projects, and undermining investments made by the Federal Government development partners, and the Nigerian people.

He stated that protecting the transmission network is a matter of national security and requires stronger collaboration among security agencies, host communities, government institutions, and other stakeholders.

‘There is a need for effective legal and regulatory frameworks that impose appropriate penalties on those who vandalize critical national infrastructure.

He added that another major challenge is the encroachment on transmission line Right-of-Way corridors, noting that such encroachments create safety risks, restrict maintenance activities, complicate emergency response efforts, and can hinder future network expansion.

The Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, was a special guest at the recent Nigeria Auto Industry Summit (NAISU) convened by the Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) with the theme, ‘Nigeria’s Clean Mobility Future: The EV and CNG Journey under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.’ In an interview after the programme, the Corps Marshal speaks on the Presidential Initiative on the compressed natural gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle (EV).

What is your impression of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EV?

Let me first of all appreciate President Bola Tinubu, one for allowing me to represent him at the recent United Nations Summit on Global Road Safety to address the General Assembly.

Also, I want to thank him for the Presidential initiative on the CNG and the Electric Vehicle. You can see that it has aligned with Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on green energy. Green energy is a motorized transport system, where pedestrians and cyclists are more encouraged for a healthier and cleaner environment.

This initiative has brought in so many investments. As we can see we have so many assemblies and manufacturing assemblies that are producing electric vehicles and CNG vehicles. You can also see companies that are manufacturing CNG cylinders, the conversion kits, and also the technology brought in to take greater part of our youths to be part of this technical initiative to create jobs for them.

Really, it’s a massive investment that is coming into Nigeria, and also producing massive jobs for our unemployed people. And I also want to appreciate Mr. President and his entire government machinery for also giving road safety all the support to be a part of this project and process. I believe that with this initiative going into this administration, we hope that with the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and many massive renovations on the entire midland roads, we are going to achieve what the United Nations really requires on Goal 11.2, which is to provide a safe, accessible, affordable, reliable and sustainable, efficient transport system for all Nigerians by Year 2030. I think we are moving towards that. We hope that every Nigerian should support this administration for this initiative to be achieved.

What about enlightenment of road users?

When FRSC started, one of the cardinal mandates was public education and sensitisation. And you can agree with me that the FRSC has been doing that for the past three decades, but we are not there yet.

The issue of road safety agenda, road safety principle, we keep on saying, has to be a shared and collective responsibility. It shouldn’t just lie on FRSC. FRSC is just an organ, an agency of government that can drive it, but the entire citizens of Nigeria are supposed to drive this. You have shown me that most of the mixed loading, where loads packed in trailers and trucks – load and passengers normally come from the North, where the literacy level is still low.

So, the government, citizens, community leaders, traditional leaders are supposed to be involved in sensitisation, not just the FRSC. We are only creating the platform for everyone to be involved. That’s why we designed our campaign. Instead of going just to the motor parks and garages, we now went back to the grassroots by creating what we call town hall engagements, bringing everyone on board – the driver, the passenger, community leader, entire citizens and potential passengers so that we can tell them what we require, sensitisation on good culture of driving. It shouldn’t just lie on FRSC. It should come across all citizens of this country.

I think we are getting a bit of progress on it, but we need to do more. Society, citizens, everyone must come on board to support the FRSC. When you see a bad driving culture, stop the person, tell him, let him be embarrassed, that is shared responsibility.

What about the bad driving culture in Abuja as observed by one of the speakers?

That’s also the thing that will require every citizen to support us. What is going on in Abuja, as you mentioned earlier, this bad driving culture, everyone wants to create lanes. Before you know it, 10 lanes have been produced in one road. Before you know it, everybody is speeding. Before you know it, everybody is taking overloading, both in load and in passengers.

We need to come together to talk to ourselves. Wherever we find ourselves, let’s talk. And that’s why we tell passengers, when you see a driver over-speeding, speak out.

Also, the Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), you have provided a platform for us to meet with a lot of Nigerian citizens, bringing in the journalists because you have been supporting us right from the day FRSC started. This shows that you have that conviction and dedication to move this Nigeria forward by putting in whatever you have to support FRSC to reduce road traffic crashes by half by the year 2030. And I hope that we achieve that. We are almost more than halfway.

Today, we are in 2026, and we have just four years to be able to achieve that half reduction in both the crashes, the fatalities and also the injuries. As of today, we need your support because if I tell you the medical bills we spend on a monthly basis for knocked down FRSC personnel, while on duty, paid to orthopedic hospitals, and not to even mention the number of deaths we record on our personnel who are knocked down and die daily on Nigeria roads by motorists. So, we need your support. I will continue to say this, we need the support of journalists to say the facts and for the clarity of what is going on in the country.

Road Safety Agenda, Road Safety Principle shouldn’t be left to the FRSC alone. It should be a collective responsibility, a holistic responsibility for all Nigerians to come on board. The literacy level we are talking about, our government needs to be on board at the sub-national level, the local governments. The state governments are supposed to continue to enlighten their citizens, to make sure that they have that literacy level, to know that they are not animals. Why are they combining passengers and animals in one truck or in one vehicle? That’s supposed to be separate. There are different trucks or vehicles that are for carrying passengers, loads and animals. We shouldn’t combine all. Something needs to be done.

What legacy do you like to leave as the corps marshal of the FRSC?

One thing I believe in life is consistency and sustainability. The principles and strategies we adopted at the FRSC – technology-driven organisation, highly trained personnel and commitment to projecting the image of the country. These are the key things, which I will continue to build and to improve upon.

Where there is the need for me to also review and reorganise and reframe to achieve, that is really exactly what I’m doing. I’m not changing anything from the principles that we have of reducing road traffic crashes and injuries. Those are the mandates of FRSC. Whatever we are doing is about life.

That is why we continue to partner and collaborate with agencies. I think this is the legacy I want to leave – partnership, collaboration and bringing out the best of FRSC staff to serve Nigerians and to also project the image of the corps.

Nigeria’s $92 billion virtual asset market, built overwhelmingly by young Nigerians and now the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, risks being driven offshore by the new guidelines on the taxation of virtual assets, a pressure group, the Digital Assets Coalition, has warned.

In its formal position paper on the framework of the new guidelines, which came into force on 3 August 2026, the Coalition, at the weekend, objected to the charges on the gross movement of money rather than on any profit earned.

The industry alliance representing digital-asset participants and operators in Nigeria, opens the paper, titled: ‘Tax the Profit, Not the Movement of Money’, with an unambiguous statement of support for taxation.

However, it said it backs taxing real gains, registering platforms, verifying customers, and requiring full transaction reporting, in line with the standards of the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil.

It said it is objecting to the charges on the gross movement of money rather than on any profit earned.

The first, it said, is a 1.5% stamp duty on every conversion between naira and digital assets, never refunded and charged whether a person gains or loses. The second is a 1% withholding deducted from the entire value of every sale, even where the seller made a loss.

A third concern is the requirement to remit taxes in tokens, which is inconsistent with the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, whose Section 39 mandates payment in currency.

‘We support the taxation of virtual assets without qualification,’ said Obinna Iwuno, spokesperson of the Digital Assets Coalition.

‘Our concern is with a design choice that taxes the movement of money itself. This charge falls on a remittance to a student abroad, on a freelancer converting earnings already taxed as income, and on a trader in a year they lost money. That is not a tax on profit. It is a toll on participation.’

Daily Trust reports that the burden falls hardest on the young Nigerians who built the market as working infrastructure for global earnings, family remittances, and savings that survive Naira volatility.

Because young users transact small and often, the levies compound fastest against their pattern of use.

They bite even below the N10 million threshold the Nigeria Tax Act itself exempts and within the N800,000 income band taxed at zero, while filing burdens can exceed a student’s entire earnings.

‘The framework is anti-youth in effect, even if not in intent,’ Iwuno said, adding, ‘You cannot tax your way into the future by taxing the people building it.’

Every comparable country has reversed course. India’s 1% transaction withholding saw regulated exchanges lose 81% of volume within four months, with over 90% of trading moving offshore within a year, according to the Esya Centre.

Kenya repealed its 3% transaction tax in 2025, and Turkey withdrew a similar levy in 2026.

Benue residents have lamented rising rslents in the state despite government’s urban renewal and housing projects which is currently reshaping the real estate landscape.

Our correspondent reports that across the state’s capital of Makurdi, new road projects have opened previously inaccessible communities, attracting developers, businesses and private investors.

But despite the growing development, soaring rents and rising property costs continue to keep decent housing beyond the reach of many residents.

Rresidents have expressed excitement over the massive road construction projects currently being executed by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration across the state, but complained that rents are going overboard.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, disclosed that no fewer than 390 kilometres of rural and urban roads are under construction across the state, adding that at least 25 road projects within Makurdi metropolis alone have been completed and are already in use.

Residents speak

The residents in Makurdi metropolis around High Level, Logo 1, Wurukum, North Bank and Wadata have heaved a sigh of relief as their areas are being transformed and making accessibility easier.

Veronica Ucha, who lives behind Zone 4 Police headquarters in Makurdi, said their vicinity received a facelift with petty businesses now thriving following the construction of new roads in the area.

‘This area was inaccessible even by foot in the past but as you can see, cars are driving anywhere now. Besides, small businesses are opening here and there with traders thriving in commercial activities,’ she said.

For Jack Edwin, the roads construction within Wurukum has helped opened up hitherto inaccessible areas and making living more conducive for residents.

‘People are now coming to live in this area unlike before. The construction of the roads and opening up of gutters have also controlled flooding in the area so we are very happy,’ Edwin added.

The residents are also optimistic that the state capital, Makurdi will soon become the cynosure of all eyes even as they commended the government for stepping up housing development.

According to them, the public housing initiatives are beginning to reshape Benue State’s property market, boosting real estate investment in some locations even as high rents, housing deficits and affordability continue to shut out many low-income residents.

Alfred Asongo, a resident, however worried that the development has skyrocketed cost of renting houses which now goes for between N800,000 and N1.5million for a two-bedroom; N400,000 to N750,000 for a one-bedroom and N300,000 to N600,000 for a single room self-contain, against the previous lower prices at half of the current rents of the various apartments.

Apart from Asongo, some estate surveyors and residents said that the improved road networks have increased the value of land in several emerging neighbourhoods, while landlords continue to review rents upward amid growing demand for decent accommodation.

This development however propelled the Benue State Government to recently take over the 116 housing units built by the Federal Government in a Makurdi suburb through the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), with plans to make them more accessible through a rent-to-own arrangement.

Sequel to the acquisition of the federal estate, BIPC had commenced construction of a 1,080-unit Eco City Estate in Makurdi, one of the state’s biggest housing projects of the state in recent years.

The project, which is being developed in phases, is expected to provide residential accommodation for civil servants and other residents while easing pressure on the rental market.

The company has also unveiled plans to develop additional low-income housing estates as well as a proposed Diaspora City, signalling a broader strategy to address the state’s growing housing deficit.

Property experts such as Estate surveyor, ESV Joe Nelson, thinks these initiatives, combined with ongoing road construction across Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo and other urban centres, are gradually changing the real estate landscape.

Prior to the infrastructure push, access to affordable housing was a major challenge because Benue has relatively few government-owned housing estates, but the problem was not vacant buildings.

Rather, it was the shortage of completed housing units, slow allocation processes and the inability of many workers to afford available homes.

One of the most prominent examples was the 116-unit National Housing Programme Estate at Tse Ukpahar, behind Welfare Quarters in Makurdi which was built under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The estate had remained largely unoccupied for years due to financing constraints, insecurity, administrative bottlenecks and delays in allocation.

Stakeholders, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (Benue Chapter), had described the estate as the state’s only major completed government housing project awaiting full occupation.

The houses were initially priced at N8.5 million for a one-bedroom bungalow, N11.5 million for a two-bedroom unit and N12.5 million for a three-bedroom bungalow, prices many workers considered beyond their financial reach at the time.

‘Government houses are meant for ordinary workers, but they are often priced beyond what we can afford,’ a civil servant, who requested anonymity had said.

Mrs. Rose Egbo who expressed similar concerns, recalled that expectations were high when construction began.

‘We were told the estate was meant for civil servants and low-income earners, but when they announced the prices, many people simply gave up. Most workers could not raise that kind of money,’ she said.

She also cited insecurity around the estate as another factor discouraging prospective occupants.

‘People stopped going there because that area became notorious for kidnappings,’ she added.

However, in what analysts describe as a major shift in housing policy, the Benue State government recently taken over the 116 housing units through the BIPC has set the tone for occupancy.

BIPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, while speaking at the recent handover ceremony of the estate, noted that the decision followed Governor Alia’s directive to provide affordable homes after complaints over rising rents and the cost of housing in the ongoing Eco City Estate.

‘When we started the Eco City Estate, civil servants complained that the houses were expensive, so His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia directed that we should have homes for low-income earners, and that is why we have done this investment,’ Asemakaha said.

He explained that, under the new arrangement, 40 percent of the houses will be allocated to civil servants, another 40 percent to members of the public, while the remaining 20 percent will be distributed through other approved categories.

Asemakaha said that beneficiaries will acquire the houses through mortgage-backed instalment payments rather than outright purchase, just as he directed the conversion of a unit for an outpost station of the Nigerian Police Force while stressing that the initiative was designed to reduce high rental in Benue and close gaps of housing deficits.

On his part, Governor Hyacinth Alia, represented by the Acting Head of Civil Service, Dr. Eunice Ogbenyi Ihu, said the housing estate would significantly ease the accommodation challenges confronting civil servants in the state.

However, many residents have applauded these development, saying that with rents continuing to climb across Makurdi despite the ongoing construction of new estates, the state’s infrastructure drive will ultimately be measured not only by the number of roads constructed but by whether ordinary workers can finally afford a decent place to call home.

For ESV Nelson, improved infrastructure has made several previously neglected areas attractive for residential and commercial development, increasing land values and stimulating private investment.

However, he warned that infrastructure development alone will not solve Benue’s housing challenges.

Nelson and other estate developers as well as prospective homeowners argue that access to affordable mortgage financing, lower construction costs and transparent allocation systems remain critical to ensuring that housing projects benefit the intended low-income population.

For now, in the estimation of residents, the combination of road expansion, urban renewal and housing development suggested that Benue’s property market is entering a new phase.

Yet, until affordability catches up with infrastructure, to them, the dream of home ownership will remain out of reach despite the cranes, bulldozers and new estates dotting the state’s landscape.

CropLife Nigeria (CLN) has called for stronger enforcement of regulations against the importation, distribution and sale of pesticides prohibited by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The organisation, which represents manufacturers, formulators, importers, consultants, distributors, farmers and users of pest control products, said it was concerned about what it described as the continued circulation of paraquat, diquat, atrazine and chlorpyrifos despite their prohibition by NAFDAC in 2023.

According to CLN, NAFDAC prohibited the manufacture, importation, distribution and use of the affected products, including formulations containing them.

The organisation said the alleged continued circulation of the pesticides could undermine regulatory efforts, expose farmers and consumers to potential health risks, affect food safety and create challenges for the acceptance of Nigerian agricultural produce in international markets.

CLN said its members, in collaboration with NAFDAC, had developed and introduced alternative products to replace the prohibited pesticides.

In a statement, the organisation called on NAFDAC, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Farm Inputs Support Services (FISS) Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), law-enforcement agencies, state governments and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen enforcement of regulations governing pesticides.

It urged the authorities to improve surveillance and intelligence-led inspections at land borders, ports and other entry points to prevent the illegal importation of prohibited pesticides.

The organisation also called for increased market surveillance and routine inspections of agrochemical markets to identify and remove prohibited products from circulation.

CLN further urged the relevant authorities to investigate suspected cases of illegal importation, distribution and sale of the pesticides and prosecute offenders where appropriate.

It called for greater collaboration among NAFDAC, NESREA, FISS, the Nigeria Customs Service, security agencies and neighbouring countries to strengthen efforts to prevent the illegal movement of prohibited pesticides across borders.

The organisation also advocated sustained public awareness campaigns to educate farmers on the risks associated with the use of prohibited pesticides and encourage them to obtain agricultural chemicals only from authorised distributors.

It recommended effective product traceability systems and stronger enforcement mechanisms to help prevent prohibited pesticides from re-entering the Nigerian market.

CLN reiterated its commitment to working with NAFDAC, NESREA, FISS and other stakeholders to strengthen pesticide regulation and promote food safety and national food security.

The organisation said effective enforcement of pesticide regulations would help protect farmers and consumers while supporting the reputation and international acceptance of Nigerian agricultural produce.

The Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc (NMRC) has reaffirmed its financial resilience despite Nigeria’s challenging macroeconomic environment, as well as expansion of its madante on housing financing.

The reassurance was given at the company’s 12th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held virtually as shareholders approved an 80 kobo dividend per share.

The meeting, chaired by Dr. Olabanjo Obaleye, attracted representatives of the company’s corporate shareholders, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and other key stakeholders.

Presenting the Company’s 2025 Annual Report and Accounts, Dr. Obaleye stated that although the operating environment remained difficult, NMRC recorded a modest performance driven by prudent management, disciplined execution and a steadfast commitment to long-term sustainability.

Speaking at the AGM, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, explained that the unusually high interest rate environment prompted the company to adopt a proactive strategy aimed at strengthening its balance sheet.

According to him, NMRC took a deliberate, non-distress-driven decision to prudently manage its liabilities and repayments by contracting its balance sheet, demonstrating sound financial discipline in a period of elevated borrowing costs.

He disclosed that ‘the company recorded a Net Interest Income of N6.462 billion in 2025, representing a 2.45 per cent increase over the previous year. Profit Before Tax stood at N3.489 billion, reflecting a 7.5 per cent decline compared to 2024, largely due to prevailing economic conditions,’

The AGM also ratified the appointments of Mr. Adeyemi Odubiyi and Mr. Arinze Adigwe as Non-Executive Directors, while Ms. Funke Aboyade, SAN, and Dr. Markie Idowu were re-elected to the Board.

In addition, shareholders approved the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as the company’s External Auditors to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Obaleye said ‘NMRC is commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s housing finance system and expanding access to affordable mortgage financing,’