Category: Nigerian Tribune

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has urged Nigerians to renew their commitment to unity, love and the country’s future as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.

Akpabio, in a goodwill message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, described Nigeria as ‘our destiny, our duty, our future.’ He congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians, saying the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate ‘the gift of nationhood and the enduring promise of our beloved country.’

He said, ‘Sixty-six years ago, our national flag rose to proclaim the birth of an independent Nigeria. With it rose the hopes of millions: the hope of freedom, the dignity of self-government and the conviction that we could shape our own destiny. That flag still flies, and that promise still calls us forward.’

The Senate President honoured the country’s founding fathers and generations of Nigerians whose courage, labour and sacrifice contributed to nation-building.

He said Nigeria’s ‘journey has known triumphs and trials, seasons of confidence and moments of uncertainty,’ but added: ‘Yet through them all, Nigerians have continued to strive, create, serve and believe. We celebrate that resilience today: the strength of a people whose hopes have survived every storm.’

Akpabio said the Nigerian spirit was reflected in the contributions of citizens across different sectors, noting that ‘Nigeria lives in the farmer tending the soil, the teacher shaping a mind, the entrepreneur creating opportunity and the young person daring to dream.’ He added that the country’s music, enterprise, hospitality and achievements by Nigerians across the world were ‘daily expressions of the spirit we celebrate.’

The Senate President urged Nigerians to draw strength from the country’s diversity, saying, ‘Across languages, cultures and faiths, we belong to one national family. Let this anniversary renew our affection for one another and remind us that the green-white-green shelters us all. The peace we preserve together is the foundation of the future we seek.’

He also saluted the Armed Forces and security agencies, particularly those who lost their lives in service to the nation.

Akpabio assured Nigerians that ‘as President Tinubu leads our country through this chapter, the National Assembly remains committed to supporting efforts that strengthen our nation and improve our people’s lives.’ He prayed that the anniversary would renew Nigerians’ resolve to serve the country ‘with integrity, compassion and devotion.’

He added, ‘Fellow Nigerians, independence is an inheritance renewed by every generation. Let us celebrate with grateful hearts, extend hands of friendship and keep faith with the possibilities before us. Our past gives us perspective, our present gives us responsibility, and our future gives us purpose.

Akpabio’s message came just as the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, called on political parties and candidates to conduct peaceful campaigns in line with the Electoral Act, 2026 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Bamidele, who is also Chairman of the South-West Caucus in the National Assembly, said peaceful and orderly political campaigns were consistent with the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers to build a united, democratic and prosperous federation that would serve as a leading voice for Black people and the African continent.

According to his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the leader made the call on Thursday to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary, urging political actors to shun incendiary comments and hate speech capable of undermining the seamless conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Bamidele acknowledged the right of every political actor to exercise their political rights, but stressed that such rights must be exercised within the confines of extant laws.

He noted that the exercise of such rights did not extend to hate speech or inflammatory statements capable of triggering political unrest and ethno-religious violence before, during and after the electoral process.

He further noted that the exercise of political rights ‘at this defining moment should be guided by the rules of the electoral contest and not by the rules of the jungle. While every aspiration is legitimate in a democracy, it should be pursued with decorum, patriotism and utmost restraint.’

The Leader added, ‘No ambition is worth setting the nation ablaze. As we mark our 66th anniversary of political freedom and prepare for the 2027 elections, political parties and their candidates must conduct their activities within the ambit of the law.

‘This is consistent with the vision of our founding fathers to build a united, democratic and prosperous federation that would serve as a leading voice for Black people and the African continent globally. This vision must not be sacrificed on the altar of pedestrian politics.

‘Nigeria is our collective heritage. She is greater than the political ambition of any party or candidate. Our activities must be conducted to preserve our collective heritage and not destroy what we have sustainably built.

‘As political parties and their candidates campaign across the states of the federation and unveil their agenda for the future of our fatherland, such agenda must align with the wishes and aspirations of our founding fathers.’

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday commenced preparations for the 2026 basic training programme for new recruits with a retreat for trainers drawn from various training disciplines.

The retreat, held in Lagos, brought together trainers responsible for areas including drill, medicals, security, sports and other aspects of the Service’s training programme.

Speaking at the event, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resource Development, Frank Onyeka, said the initiative was part of the innovations introduced by the Service to bring trainers together under one platform rather than having them operate in separate segments.

Adeniyi urged the trainers to work as a team and review the training modules with a view to producing officers the Service and the society would be proud of.

He said working in silos could undermine the desired results, stressing the need for collaboration and knowledge sharing among the trainers.

‘If you don’t work like a team, you will not get the desired results. Working in silos will not give us what we want, but if you come together as a team, it is a natural answer,’ he said.

The Customs boss also urged heads of the various training units to take full responsibility for their areas while remaining open to contributions from others.

He said nobody had a monopoly of knowledge and advised the trainers not to dismiss or condemn the views of their colleagues.

‘To deliver this process and to get the desired results, all of us must work as one,’ Adeniyi said.

He recalled his experience as a trainer in 2008 and 2009, saying the officers trained during that period had risen through the ranks, with some serving as Assistant Controllers.

According to him, the success recorded by those trainees was partly attributable to the collaborative efforts of the trainers at the time.

Explaining the rationale behind the retreat, Adeniyi said the Service had previously trained its trainers in segments, with different resource persons and instructors meeting them at different times.

He said the new approach was designed to bring all the trainers under one roof to promote a common understanding and ensure that everyone worked towards the same objective.

‘You bring a resource person, talk to them. You bring the drill instructors, talk to them. It was taking time. So, instead of breaking these segments, we brought everybody under one roof for the same purpose, to get the same results and drive towards the same purpose,’ he said.

He added that the approach would save time and promote greater coordination among the trainers ahead of the commencement of the basic training programme.

On what he expects from the new recruits, Adeniyi urged them to demonstrate discipline, perseverance, and calmness throughout their training.

‘They should be calm, they should be gentle, they should have perseverance, and they should exhibit a very high level of discipline,’ he said.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Commandant of the Ikeja Training College, Deputy Comptroller Precious Atah, described the retreat as the first of its kind.

Atah said the retreat was important to set the pace for the training programme and urged the trainers to approach the exercise with an open mind.

The Coordinator of the retreat, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs Greg Itotoh (rtd.), also addressed participants at he event.

He charged the trainers to be free to discuss anything without holding back, noting that in such a way, grey areas will be exposed and solutions will not be far-fetched.

Over the past few months, news of Nigerians dying from cancer has arrived with disturbing regularity. In May, Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo died at only 40. His family said the cause was complications from advanced metastatic kidney cancer. Then, in August, came the death of veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, at 66 after a battle with stage-four cancer.

These are prominent names, and prominence can distort perception. For every public figure whose diagnosis becomes news, there are countless Nigerians whose stories remain within families: the colleague who suddenly disappears from work, the relative for whom an urgent fundraising appeal begins to circulate, the friend diagnosed when there is already little that medicine can do.

Ogogo’s case was particularly sobering. His daughters said he had been diagnosed only about three weeks before they made an emotional public appeal for help on 17 August. His condition had initially been treated as an ulcer. By the time further examinations revealed the severity of his illness, the cancer was at stage four. His daughters were desperately searching for treatment options. Six days after the public appeal, their father was dead.

Nobody can say that an earlier diagnosis would necessarily have produced a different outcome. Cancer offers no such guarantees. But there is something deeply unsettling about discovering a disease at stage four and, within weeks, confronting death.

It is tempting, confronted with stories like these, to ask the obvious question: is cancer increasing in Nigeria?

The responsible answer is that we do not know nearly as well as we should.

That is not the same thing as saying there is no problem. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates, Nigeria recorded 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 cancer deaths that year. Breast cancer accounted for the largest number of new cases, followed by prostate and cervical cancers.

These figures are sobering, but they are estimates. Therein lies part of the story.

For a country of more than 200 million people, Nigeria’s capacity to count cancer remains inadequate. Cancer registries are indispensable because they tell us not simply how many patients arrive at particular hospitals, but how disease is distributed across populations and how that distribution changes over time.

Before asking whether cancer is increasing, therefore, perhaps we should ask something even more basic: would we know if it were?

There are reasons to take the question seriously. On 31 August, *Nigerian Tribune* reported the concerns of clinical oncologist Dr Omolola Salako, who said oncologists were seeing increasing numbers of cancers among Nigerians aged between 18 and 39. Younger patients present a particular difficulty because they often fall below the age at which routine cancer screening would normally be recommended.

Clinical experience is not population-level evidence. But when doctors begin noticing something, a functioning surveillance system should be capable of telling us whether they are seeing an aberration or the beginning of a trend.

Then comes another question. What are Nigerians being exposed to?

I returned to the UK in the first week of September after spending about three weeks in Nigeria in August. Food was, as always, one of the pleasures of the visit: eating in restaurants, enjoying familiar dishes and occasionally buying something by the roadside. One particular favourite of mine is roasted corn. I ate it while I was there. Boiled corn too.

Until recently, I cannot remember looking at a cob of corn and thinking about a risk register.

Perhaps nobody should.

Food is sustenance, culture, memory and pleasure. Nigerians should not approach every meal with suspicion. But a 2025 systematic review published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis examined 1,627 Nigerian maize samples drawn from 25 studies across different agroecological zones. Aflatoxins and fumonisins were among the most prevalent mycotoxins identified, with contamination varying considerably by season and location.

That does not mean roadside corn causes cancer. It would be irresponsible to make that leap. Aflatoxin exposure is associated with increased liver cancer risk, but whether any particular cob of corn presents a hazard depends on circumstances extending from cultivation through harvesting, drying and storage.

And therein lies the problem. The person buying roasted corn beside a Nigerian road cannot possibly know its history.

The same applies to much of what we eat.

In March, a systematic review published in Food Science and Nutrition brought together 41 Nigerian food-contamination studies conducted between 2015 and 2025. Across those studies, researchers found microbial hazards, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins and other pollutants. More than four-fifths of the studies examining heavy metals reported concentrations above international regulatory limits, while some assessments produced estimated cancer risks above conventional safety thresholds.

The point is not to frighten Nigerians away from markets, street food or home cooking. It is precisely the opposite. Consumers cannot laboratory-test everything they eat. Food safety is therefore not primarily an exercise in individual vigilance. It is a function of systems.

And the concern does not end at the dinner table.

Recent Nigerian research has raised questions about contaminants in drinking water and food chains in pollution-prone communities. These are local studies and cannot simply be converted into a national diagnosis. But they add to a question that becomes increasingly difficult to avoid.

Who is measuring the cumulative environment in which Nigerians eat, drink, breathe and work?

Think about how much Nigeria has changed in 30 or 40 years. The population has expanded dramatically. Cities have sprawled. Traffic has multiplied. Millions of generators have filled gaps in electricity supply. Plastic consumption and waste have increased. Mining, industrial activity, pesticide use and complex food-distribution networks have expanded. Open burning remains commonplace.

The Nigeria of 2026 is not the physical environment of 1986.

The question is whether our capacity to monitor the health consequences of that transformation has advanced at anything approaching the same speed.

I hasten to say that Nigeria is not starting from zero. The Federal Government’s National Cancer Control Plan 2026-2030 addresses prevention, screening, early detection, treatment, research and cancer surveillance. Eight preventive oncology clinics are now operational in federal tertiary institutions. These are important steps.

But cancer policy cannot begin and end at the hospital door.

It begins much further upstream: with the water people drink, the integrity of food supply chains, the chemicals applied to crops, industrial emissions, mining contamination, petroleum pollution, occupational exposure and the air entering people’s lungs. It requires laboratories that test routinely, regulators that enforce standards, cancer registries capable of detecting changes and researchers able to follow environmental exposure and health outcomes over time.

There is danger at both extremes of this conversation. One is complacency: cancer is complicated, so no connection should be investigated until perfect evidence arrives. The other is alarmism: somebody ate this food, lived in this city or drank this water and later developed cancer, therefore one caused the other.

Neither serves the public interest.

A cluster of heartbreaking deaths is not, by itself, an epidemic. Finding contaminants in particular foods or communities does not establish the cause of an individual’s cancer.

But uncertainty is not ignorance either.

Nigeria already knows enough to know that it needs to know much more.

Perhaps that is the question raised by the recent procession of sad news. Not simply whether more Nigerians are dying from cancer, but whether the country sufficiently understands the changing risks among which its citizens are living.

There is an old management maxim that what gets measured gets managed. The reverse deserves greater attention. What a country fails to measure can quietly accumulate until the consequences become impossible to ignore.

Cancer is too complex for easy explanations. Complexity, however, must never become an excuse for incuriosity.

Before Nigeria can answer the frightening question, ‘What is killing us?’, it must become much better at knowing what is happening to us, what surrounds us, and what is entering our bodies every day.

The 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has condemned the destruction of banners bearing the images of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and directed their immediate replacement.

However, the Emir appealed to the Emir’s supporters and well-wishers to refrain from bringing partisan political activities into the affairs of the traditional institution.

The Emir’s Chief Councillor, Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi, Sarkin Dawaki Babba, disclosed this while addressing journalists, saying the monarch had expressed displeasure over the incident and ordered that the damaged banners be repaired.

According to him, the 15th Emir emphasised that the traditional institution must remain above partisan politics and should not be used for political activities.

‘We are fathers of the people, not politicians,’ Dan’agundi quoted the Emir as saying.

He therefore appealed to the Emir’s supporters and well-wishers to refrain from bringing partisan political activities into the affairs of the traditional institution.

The Sarkin Dawaki Babba also conveyed the Emir’s appreciation to thousands of supporters, including men, women, youths and elders, who demonstrated their loyalty by accompanying him on foot to his residence at the Nassarawa Palace despite heavy rainfall and strong winds.

He said the Emir was deeply grateful for the show of love, patience and solidarity by the people, adding that His Highness prayed that Almighty Allah would reward them abundantly.

The Emir further urged his supporters to continue praying for peace, stability and progress in Kano State and Nigeria.

He also called for prayers for abundant blessings and prosperity for the people of the state and the country.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has again justified his firm resolve to continue with his bold economic reforms, which he acknowledged are tough on Nigerians, but necessary.

Tinubu made the remarks in his 66th Independence Anniversary nationwide broadcast titled ‘From Reform to Prosperity’.

On the inception of his administration on May 29,2023, President Tinubu had scrapped the fuel subsidy regime and equally removed the multiple foreign exchange rates.

Tinubu declared that previous administrations before him deliberately avoided tough economic decisions, necessary to retrieve the nation from the path of economic regression to enduring growth.

He likened the nation’s economic predicament to an individual suffering from cancer but administered with morphine to mitigate the pains while the cancer spreads.

He said: ‘For too long, the promise of Nigeria was undermined by choices that postponed difficult decisions and allowed deep economic distortions to grow.

‘By 2023, poverty was rising, and hope was nearly gone. The country’s situation was darker than ever. We had no choice but to act.

‘Nigeria was like a sick patient who receives the terrible news that he has cancer. His doctor explains that the treatment will be difficult and painful, but that it offers a strong prospect of recovery. The patient has a choice. He can begin treatment, endure its discomfort and fight the disease. Or he can ask only for morphine, dull the pain and leave the cancer to spread.

‘For too long, Nigeria’s leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came.

‘They focused on symptoms while allowing the disease to take hold deep within the fabric of our society. We spent enormous sums sustaining inefficient arrangements that were never intended to last. We hid from difficult truths and passed the consequences from one generation to the next.

‘When this administration assumed office, we resolved to do things differently. We chose to excise the cancer. The reforms that followed were difficult. The side effects were real. Yet, we must never confuse the medicine with the disease.’

Listing the gains of his reforms three years after, President Tinubu cautioned Nigerians, particularly those who will cast the ballots in the forthcoming general elections, not to be swayed by the rhetoric of certain presidential candidates who have vowed to tamper with his ongoing policy reforms.

He enumerated the gains to include growth in oil and non-oil sectors, soaring external reserves, reduction in inflation and a surge in Foreign Direct Investments.

An excited Tinubu noted that the appreciable growth in the economy had earned the acclamation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multilateral financial institutions.

He said: ‘Our reforms did not create the weaknesses in our economy. They confronted them. Now, as certain influential but regressive voices would have us abandon the treatment and return ourselves to the abuse of addictive subsidies, we must resist their siren song. We must remember why we began this journey and how far we have already come.

‘Three and a half years later, the evidence that Nigeria’s economic outlook has improved is undeniable. Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year. Both oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to the renewed period of stable growth.

‘Oil theft is down. Inflation has fallen substantially from its peak. Our foreign reserves have been rebuilt, our foreign exchange market has stabilised, and in 2025 this country recorded its highest revenue from non-oil exports in its history, exceeding $6 billion. This is real money being made by real Nigerian businesses.

‘These are not idle claims. International observers, journalists, NGOs and multilateral institutions can see the change. Each has concluded that our reforms have strengthened Nigeria’s economic stability and resilience. The private sector has long since delivered its verdict, and foreign direct investment continues to rise each year.’

While stressing the success story of the economy under his watch which he attributed to needed structural reforms, President Tinubu declared that Nigerian economy has ‘reached a turning point’ on the course to what he later described as the phase of ‘shared and widespread prosperity’.

He declared that under his leadership the peasant would be guaranteed access to land and earn a decent living; factories will have seamless access to stable electricity; transportation will be affordable while education will be within the reach of the indigent.

Aside from the cost of living, President Tinubu acknowledged the need to engage multitudes of Nigerian youths, whom he described as the engine of production.

This, he noted, can be achieved through placing jobs, enterprise, and industrial growth at the heart of our government’s policies.

Giving a list of his initiatives, such as NELFUND, CREDICORP, amongst others, to sustain the vulnerable, he admitted that ‘these programmes are not substitutes for prosperity. They are a bridge to aid our nation’s citizens on their path towards it. Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently.’

President Tinubu vowed that the phase of shared prosperity would not be derailed.

‘The age of reform has done its work. Now begins the age of prosperity. An age in which the promise of this great nation must finally become the lived experience of Nigerians from all walks of life.

‘We have travelled through difficult years together. We have made hard decisions together. And now, still together, we must build the country those decisions have made possible.

‘I believe deeply in what lies ahead. I believe in the millions of ordinary men and women whose work, courage and determination have always been the true strength of our country.

‘The road ahead will still demand much from us. But we travel it now with firm footing, a clear direction and renewed hope in our collective future.

‘Nigeria has corrected its course. We have passed through our own Red Sea. This is not the time to look back. Let us go forward together, with faith in ourselves, faith in our country, and faith that the sacrifices we have made will yield their reward.

‘The Promised Land before us is a Nigeria of abundance and opportunity; a nation where prosperity is broadly shared, where every child can dream beyond the circumstances of his birth, and where our country’s immense promise is finally reflected in the lives of our people.

‘Our destination is in sight. Our foundations are strong. Our direction is clear. So let us go forward. No looking back.’

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has urged Nigerians to strengthen national unity, promote inclusivity, and remain committed to nation-building as the country marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.

Sulaiman made the call in a goodwill message issued on Thursday to commemorate Nigeria’s independence anniversary, reflecting on the country’s journey since October 1, 1960.

He described Nigeria’s 66 years of independence as a testament to the resilience of its people and the efforts of successive administrations to advance the vision of the nation’s founding fathers.

Aligning with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity,’ the NILDS director-general said the country’s diversity should be harnessed for national development rather than allowed to fuel division.

‘Our diversity across gender, ethnicity, region, and religion should remain a source of strength rather than division,’ he said.

Sulaiman called for greater public participation in nation-building, urging citizens to contribute to efforts to address the country’s security and developmental challenges.

He said national cohesion, gender inclusivity, unity, economic development, and legislative governance remained central to NILDS’ mandate of strengthening democratic institutions, promoting good governance, and advancing sustainable national development.

The former Minister of National Planning also congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on the occasion.

While acknowledging that Nigeria had yet to achieve all its aspirations, Sulaiman noted that the country had continued to evolve and strengthen its democratic institutions.

He urged Nigerians to maintain their faith in the country and uphold the values of patriotism and collective responsibility.

‘Let us remain actively engaged in building a peaceful, inclusive, prosperous and united Nigeria,’ he urged.

Sulaiman further called on citizens to uphold national unity and contribute to overcoming the challenges confronting the nation, stressing the importance of collective action in consolidating Nigeria’s democratic and developmental gains.

He wished Nigerians a peaceful Independence Day celebration and prayed for continued peace, stability, and progress in the country.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the economic struggles facing some Nigerian families did not begin with his administration, arguing that the hardship was the result of problems that accumulated over several decades.

Tinubu made the assertion in his Independence Day address to Nigerians, where he acknowledged that millions of citizens still struggle to afford food, school fees, medical bills and transportation.

The president said these difficulties were rooted in years of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, limited opportunities and institutional weaknesses, rather than being created by the economic reforms introduced by his administration.

According to him, the government could not reverse in four years problems that had accumulated over generations, but it could change the country’s economic direction and create conditions capable of lifting more Nigerians out of poverty.

Tinubu said his administration was therefore combining economic reforms with measures designed to support vulnerable citizens, including strengthening direct assistance to poorer households and improving the National Social Register to ensure support reaches people who need it.

He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying it was intended to help students from low-income families pursue higher education despite their parents’ inability to pay tuition.

The president pointed to CREDICORP’s consumer credit scheme as another measure aimed at helping working Nigerians acquire essential assets, including vehicles, solar systems and digital devices without having to save for years before making such purchases.

Tinubu said the government was also working with state and local governments to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education and other essential public services relied upon by poorer Nigerians.

He maintained that the economic reforms introduced since he assumed office in 2023 had been necessary to address longstanding weaknesses in the economy.

By 2023, he said, poverty was rising and the country faced severe economic challenges, leaving the government with little choice but to implement difficult reforms.

Tinubu said the reforms had since produced what he described as measurable improvements, including economic growth of more than four per cent in 2026, lower inflation from its peak, rebuilt foreign reserves and greater stability in the foreign exchange market.

He also said Nigeria recorded more than $6 billion in non-oil export revenue in 2025, describing it as the highest in the country’s history.

The president said the government had now moved beyond the initial phase of economic correction and was focusing on translating the reforms into broader prosperity.

He identified lowering the cost of living as a major priority, with the government seeking to reduce production and transportation costs through agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, improved access to seeds and fertiliser, storage facilities and better transport infrastructure.

Tinubu also said the administration would focus on job creation and industrial expansion by using Nigeria’s gas resources to power industries, reviving factories, expanding digital connectivity and developing skills demanded by employers.

He said Nigeria’s large youth population should become a source of economic production and opportunity rather than despair.

The president further said the government would continue investing in roads, railways and ports to connect farms and factories with markets, arguing that lower production and distribution costs would eventually reduce prices for consumers.

Tinubu said the ultimate goal was to create an economy in which farmers could earn better incomes, businesses could access reliable power and credit, young people could find productive employment, and Nigerian companies could compete in global markets.

He acknowledged that poverty reduction would take time and require sustained economic growth and the creation of millions of productive opportunities.

Tinubu declared that Nigeria had moved beyond the reform phase and entered what he described as an era of prosperity, urging Nigerians to look ahead rather than return to the economic practices he said had contributed to the country’s longstanding challenges.

The statement partly reads, ‘I am also conscious that millions of our fellow citizens cannot wait for tomorrow. Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work. Their circumstances did not begin with the reforms of the last three years. Their struggle is the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunity and institutions that too often failed those who needed them most.

‘We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations. But we can change its course. We can build an economy that steadily lifts people out of poverty while ensuring that those who remain vulnerable are not abandoned along the way.

‘That is why we are strengthening direct support for the poorest households and improving the National Social Register so that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.’

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has vowed to personally meet the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, and ask him to step down from the 2027 governorship race for Governor Francis Nwifuru.

Umahi, a former governor of the state, also insisted that the governorship slot has not yet returned to Ebonyi South Senatorial District, which produced him as governor between 2015 and 2023.

The minister stated this on Tuesday while addressing prominent stakeholders from Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal Constituency at Osborne Hotel, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area.

Umahi said he would personally engage Odii at the appropriate time, stressing that the existing political arrangement in the state should be respected.

‘I will be the one to go and talk to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ifeanyi Odii,’ Umahi said.

He maintained that his position on the governorship contest was connected to the principle of political rotation in the state, arguing that Ebonyi South should wait for its turn after the completion of the current political cycle.

‘When I say it is not the turn of the South-East to produce the President, I am likewise saying that it is not yet the turn of the people of Ebonyi South to govern the state,’ he stated.

The former governor said he would discuss the matter directly with Odii, whom he described as a fellow Ebonyian, rather than allowing political differences to divide the people.

His comments come amid intensifying political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with Governor Nwifuru expected to seek a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Odii is set to challenge the incumbent on the PDP platform.

Umahi has in recent days intensified mobilisation for Nwifuru and the APC ahead of the 2027 elections. He recently declared that the PDP would not return to power in Ebonyi, while calling on residents to support Nwifuru’s re-election.

The minister also used the stakeholders’ meeting to emphasise the need for unity, fairness and collective interest in political decisions affecting the state.

He urged political leaders and stakeholders to put the interest of the state above personal ambitions, while stressing that Ebonyi people should remain united despite political differences.

Umahi further described Ebonyi as a state with a strong tradition of integrity, honesty and commitment, urging its people to protect the state’s interests and support projects and policies that would promote its development.

The Kano State governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has urged Nigerians to use the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary to renew their commitment to national unity, democratic values, and good governance.

Gwarzo, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, congratulated Nigerians, particularly residents of Kano State, on the anniversary.

He said the occasion should provide an opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s progress and challenges while renewing efforts towards economic development and improved living conditions.

According to him, Independence Day should go beyond ceremonies and speeches and serve as a reminder of the responsibility of leaders and citizens to build a country where Nigerians can live with dignity, security, and hope.

Gwarzo said Nigeria’s 66 years of independence had demonstrated the resilience and determination of its people despite the challenges facing the country.

He urged political leaders at all levels to place the interests of citizens above personal and partisan considerations, saying the impact of leadership should be measured by its effect on the lives of the people.

The former Kano Deputy Governor said Nigeria needed leadership that listened to citizens, protected their interests, and created opportunities for young people to contribute to national development.

He also called for increased investment in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, security, and job creation, describing the sectors as important to national development.

Gwarzo said the economic difficulties faced by many families required urgent and practical interventions to reduce hardship and restore confidence in the country’s future.

He also urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions, saying the country’s diversity should be harnessed for national development.

‘Independence is not simply about the freedom we got in 1960; it is about the responsibility we have today to protect our democracy, strengthen our institutions, promote freedom of speech, and build a country that works for all,’ Gwarzo said.

He further called on Nigerians, especially young people, to participate actively in the democratic process and demand accountability from public officials.

Gwarzo reaffirmed his commitment to democratic governance and a political system that prioritizes the welfare of ordinary citizens.

He said Nigeria’s future would depend largely on the quality of its leadership and the collective determination of its people.

The NDC governorship candidate prayed for peace, security, and prosperity in the country and wished Nigerians a happy 66th Independence Anniversary.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day address, saying Nigerians need to see tangible improvements in their living conditions rather than more promises of economic prosperity.

The party said the president’s speech highlighted economic reforms and improved macroeconomic indicators but did not adequately address the immediate challenges facing millions of Nigerians, including rising living costs, insecurity, unemployment, and declining household purchasing power.

Speaking on Thursday, the party’s spokesman, Prince Christopher Odianarewo, said the key question after the president’s address was when Nigerians would begin to experience the benefits of the government’s economic reforms in their homes and communities.

In his Independence Day address, Tinubu said Nigeria had moved from an ‘age of reform’ into an ‘age of prosperity,’ maintaining that his administration had corrected the country’s economic direction and laid the foundation for broad-based prosperity.

The President, however, acknowledged that millions of Nigerians continued to struggle with food costs, school fees, medical bills and transportation expenses.

Reacting to the address, the Lagos PDP said the acknowledgement highlighted the gap between improvements in macroeconomic indicators and the daily experiences of Nigerians.

The party referred to World Bank data showing that Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.2 percent in the first half of 2026, but argued that the growth had yet to translate sufficiently into productive employment or significant poverty reduction.

The World Bank estimated that 69.6 per cent of Nigerians were living below the $4.20-a-day lower-middle-income poverty line in 2025, while 50.8 per cent were living in extreme poverty. It also identified job creation, insecurity, and weak real-income growth among the challenges facing the country.

The PDP said the administration’s claim that Nigeria was entering an era of prosperity should be assessed against measurable improvements in citizens’ living conditions.

It called on the Federal Government to provide clear timelines and targets for reducing food and transportation costs, creating jobs and ensuring that the benefits of economic reforms reached ordinary households.

The party said, ‘Prosperity cannot remain a speech. It must become measurable improvement in the lives of citizens.’

The PDP also criticised what it described as the administration’s continued reference to the economic challenges inherited in 2023.

According to the party, after more than three years in office, the Tinubu administration should take responsibility for the outcomes of its policies while Nigerians assess what the government inherited, what it promised, what it implemented and what citizens can see and feel.

On insecurity, the opposition party said the President’s address did not provide adequate details on measures to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence.

It said economic prosperity could not be considered broad-based when farmers were afraid to access their farms, businesses remained exposed to insecurity and families continued to live in fear.

The PDP also called for stronger accountability and institutions capable of earning public confidence.

It said the President’s assertion that Nigeria had ‘corrected its course’ and that the country’s ‘foundations are strong’ should be assessed against measurable outcomes.

The World Bank, while reporting improvements in Nigeria’s macroeconomic stability, has also noted that poverty remains widespread and that growth needs to become faster and more broad-based to accelerate poverty reduction.

The Lagos PDP said its concern was not with economic reform itself but with whether the reforms were delivering inclusive and sustainable prosperity.

‘Nigerians do not need another four years defined primarily by promises of what will eventually happen,’ the party said, insisting that citizens deserved transparent evidence of how government policies were improving their quality of life.

As the 2027 general elections approach, the party said Nigerians would have the opportunity to assess the administration’s record, compare competing programmes and decide through their votes the direction they want the country to take.

‘The Nigerian people, not political rhetoric, must have the final word,’ the party said.