Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Federal Government has released the final list of ranked and approved textbooks for use in Nigerian schools for the 2026-2028 academic session.

The Federal Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, following the completion of the first phase of the national textbook ranking exercise.

The approved list covers textbooks for Primary 1, Primary 4, Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1.

According to the ministry, each approved textbook has been assigned a unique Ranking/QR Tracking Code, containing key information such as the title, author(s), publisher and year of publication.

It said the codes were introduced to strengthen the identification, monitoring and accountability of approved instructional materials.

The exercise was conducted under the guidance of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, with the final list approved by Alausa.

The ministry explained that the introduction of the tracking codes contributed to the time required to complete and validate the final list.

It said the additional process was necessary to improve the monitoring and control of approved textbooks and enhance transparency in their selection, procurement and utilisation.

The ministry said the ranking exercise would be conducted in phases, with the second phase covering textbooks for Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2 and SSS 2.

‘The same identification and tracking measures will apply to the subsequent phase,’ it stated.

The ministry urged publishers, schools, education authorities, procurement agencies and other stakeholders to consult and adhere to the approved list when selecting and procuring textbooks for the affected classes.

It said the exercise was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to ensure that learners and teachers had access to quality, relevant and curriculum-aligned instructional materials, while improving transparency and accountability in textbook provision.

The complete 2026-2028 ranked and approved textbook list, including the Ranking/QR Tracking Code for each approved title, has been made available by the ministry through its designated platform.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate completion and equipping of the long-abandoned Utako General Hospital as part of a major overhaul of healthcare facilities across the territory.

The minister also approved the renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of all 14 existing general hospitals in the FCT, with the facilities to receive modern medical equipment and improved infrastructure.

The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists after the 19th FCT Executive Council meeting.

Fasawe said the Executive Council deliberated extensively on the state of healthcare delivery in the territory before approving the comprehensive intervention.

‘Today at the Executive Council, there were a lot of deliberations, and there was a particular deliberation on the health system. I am happy to say that the Minister has ordered the immediate award of renovation, rehabilitation, and upgrading of all the general hospitals in the FCT,’ she said.

According to her, the upgrade will involve a comprehensive overhaul of infrastructure and the provision of state-of-the-art medical equipment, including advanced diagnostic machines, X-ray machines and modern surgical equipment for operating theatres.

On the Utako General Hospital, Fasawe said Wike had directed the immediate resumption of work on the abandoned project, its full equipping and the deployment of medical personnel to enable the facility commence operations.

She added that the FCT Administration had also maintained consistent payment to Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) for premium and capitation under the territory’s health insurance scheme.

‘What then happens now is that when the hospitals are upgraded, the equipment are there, and the personnel are there, then quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare will be available for the people of the FCT,’ she said.

The planned intervention, which covers primary and secondary healthcare facilities across the six Area Councils, is expected to improve access to healthcare and reduce pressure on tertiary health institutions in the capital.

Wike approves police station for Wasa informal sector

In a related development, Wike has approved the construction of a new divisional police station at the Wasa Informal Sector as part of measures to strengthen security ahead of the planned relocation of mechanics and artisans from Apo.

The approval was given at the 19th FCT Executive Council meeting following a memo seeking the immediate provision of security infrastructure in the area.

The Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwari, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the meeting.

Gwari said the police station was a fresh contract with a six-month delivery timeline, adding that the facility would provide security for the informal sector and surrounding communities.

‘The Minister directed that there should be a police station that will provide security not only for the sector, but for the entire area.

‘This contract is a fresh contract which has been duly approved by the EXCO with a duration of a six-month delivery period,’ he said.

He explained that the project followed a directive issued by Wike during the commissioning of the site’s initial infrastructure in July, when concerns were raised about security ahead of the expected influx of artisans and business activities.

Gwari said the project was also part of the minister’s broader security initiative launched in December to bring policing closer to rural and developing communities across the FCT.

Under the initiative, the administration plans to construct two divisional police stations in each of the six Area Councils.

Giving an update on the programme, Gwari said construction was at an advanced stage at several locations, while the FCTA Department of Public Building had already taken delivery of two completed and furnished police stations.

‘At the moment, Public Building has taken delivery of two fully completed police divisions: the one at Ushafa and the other one at Saburi,’ he said.

He added that each facility comprised a furnished divisional police station and a furnished six-man staff quarters.

Gwari assured residents that the administration remained committed to bringing security infrastructure closer to communities, adding that the minister was expected to inspect some of the newly completed facilities in the coming days.

President Bola Tinubu has transitioned a bill seeking to establish National Research Development Fund to the House of Representatives for further legislative action.

The President’s request was contained in a cover letter with Reference No: PRES/134-1/HR/37/EB dated 24th September, 2026 addressed to Speaker Abbas Tajudeen which was read during Tuesday plenary.

According to the letter titled: ‘Transmission of National Research Development Fund (Establishment) bill, 2026 for passage into law’, President Tinubu solicited for expedite consideration and passage of the legislative framework.

He explained that the proposed Bill was ‘prepared in a bid to consolidate research financings, ensure more efficient utilization of resources, and to consolidate the fragmented research and development funds across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into the National Research Development Fund, to serve as the central mechanism through which research agencies and academic institution can access funding.

‘The establishment of the National Research Development Fund, will serve as a competitive central funding mechanism.

‘It seeks to foster strategic collaboration among research agencies, academia, and the private sector.

‘It will catalyze groundbreaking innovations, streamline resource allocation according to strategic national priorities, ensure strict transparency in funding decisions through evaluation criteria, and drive the commercialisation of homegrown technology to reduce foreign technological dependency.

‘Going further, the Bill establish National Research Development Fund as an agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology with direct funding from the Nigeria Content Development Fund (NCDF).’

Mr. President observed that, with the current proliferation of research institutes and agencies operating within the research and development and commercialisation landscape, each agency operates with separate mandate and budgetary allocations.

He however explained that the Bill ‘seeks to enable effective management of the limited financial resources available to these institutes and research agencies for the efficient development of science, technology and innovation in Nigeria.

‘The Bill has been thoroughly reviewed and vetted by relevant key stakeholders, including the Ministries of Education and Innovation, Science and Technology as well as the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the legislative structure aligns seamlessly with national education objectives, scientific innovation priorities while ensuring legal precision, institutional harmony and statutory clarity.

‘In consequence of the above, National Research Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 is hereby forwarded to the House of Representatives for legislative action by the National Assembly.

To this end, he solicited for the House support to consider the Bill and its passage into law.

Workers of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), under the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have protested against what they described as a ‘backdoor’ attempt to alter the regulations and guidelines governing the operations of free zones in Nigeria.

The workers, who staged a peaceful protest in Abuja, alleged that a committee constituted by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had reviewed the regulations for about six months without adequately involving NEPZA, the agency legally responsible for regulating the country’s free zones.

They consequently called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly intervene in the matter, insisting that any review of the regulatory framework should involve NEPZA, its unions, management, and other relevant stakeholders.

Speaking during the protest, chairperson of ASCSN, NEPZA chapter, Comrade Amaka Ugwu, said the workers were against what she described as an attempt to undermine the agency’s statutory mandate.

According to her, NEPZA was established under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act 63 of 1992 and is mandated to license, monitor and regulate free-zone activities in Nigeria.

‘We are here to speak against the injustice that has been happening to NEPZA. NEPZA is a government agency established by Act 63 of 1992. It is the agency mandated to license, monitor and regulate the activities of free zones in Nigeria,’ she said.

Ugwu alleged that the controversy arose from a proposed 28-page document containing changes to the regulations and guidelines governing the operation of free zones.

She said the document was allegedly produced after a committee set up by the minister had worked for six months without involving NEPZA in the process.

‘But what happened? The Honourable Minister constituted a committee that sat for six months without involving NEPZA. What an injustice!’ she said.

She claimed that NEPZA only became aware of the document after it had allegedly been completed and forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for gazetting.

She said the document was subsequently returned to NEPZA, following which the agency was given only two days to participate in what the ministry described as a consolidation exercise.

‘When the Honourable Minister realised that the document had been returned to NEPZA, NEPZA was given only two days – today and Monday – to come and meet with the people who had already concluded the document,’ Ugwu alleged.

She questioned the nature of the proposed consolidation, arguing that NEPZA was being brought into the process after major decisions had already been taken.

‘What they are doing is not asking for NEPZA’s opinion. They are merely asking NEPZA to append its signature to something that has already been concluded,’ she said.

The ASCSN chairperson therefore called for the process to be suspended and restarted through a broader committee involving the agency and other stakeholders.

‘What we want as an agency is very simple. The Honourable Minister should go back to the drawing board and constitute a proper committee,’ she said.

‘That committee must include NEPZA, the NEPZA unions, NEPZA management and other relevant stakeholders, because there are many stakeholders benefiting from the free-zone scheme.’

Ugwu warned that proceeding with the proposed changes without adequately considering the concerns of NEPZA and other stakeholders could affect the attractiveness and viability of free zones, particularly if incentives available to enterprises operating in the zones were altered.

‘There are incentives attached to enterprises operating in these zones. What this proposed change is capable of doing is taking away those incentives and driving enterprises away from the free zones,’ she said.

She argued that if the incentives and benefits associated with operating in a free zone were weakened, investors could choose to operate outside the zones, with implications for employment and investment.

‘If the incentives and benefits that are supposed to come with operating in a free zone are removed, what is the sense of coming into the free zone? You might as well operate in the customs territory,’ Ugwu said.

She further linked the workers’ concerns to Nigeria’s broader economic diversification objectives, noting that free zones were established to attract investment, generate employment and support non-oil economic activities.

‘If these enterprises leave, where will we work? Where will our children’s school fees come from?’ she asked.

‘This is not just about NEPZA as an agency. It is about workers, businesses, investment and the future of the free-zone scheme in Nigeria.’

The NEPZA workers also warned against what they described as a process that could ultimately weaken the agency’s mandate and affect workers’ job security.

Ugwu appealed directly to the President to intervene, saying, ‘We are calling on the Federal Government, particularly Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene.’

She maintained that political appointees might change, but NEPZA and its statutory responsibilities would remain.

‘Ministers and political appointees will come and go. By next year, the Minister may be changed. Whoever is holding an appointment today may leave tomorrow.

‘But NEPZA will remain. The people working there will remain, and the mandate of the agency will remain,’ she said.

The workers said they would continue with the protest until their concerns were addressed, insisting that the action was aimed at protecting NEPZA’s statutory mandate and the interests of its workforce.

‘Until we achieve our objective. Until we get the desired result,’ Ugwu said when asked how long the protest would continue.

She added: ‘We must protect our mandate. The staff must protect our mandate because why should we watch while our agency is being weakened?’

Ugwu warned that the workers were prepared to sustain their resistance if their concerns were not addressed.

‘By the special grace of God, the staff are ready. We must protect our mandate,’ she said.

She concluded: ‘Anybody that wants to kill NEPZA, we say no. We will not allow it.’

The Federal Government has separately said its current review of the economic free-zone framework is intended to restore the export orientation of the zones, address concerns around domestic sales and provide greater certainty for investors. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said the reform process began in February 2026 with the inauguration of a Special Economic Zones Legislative and Regulatory Reform Committee, which included NEPZA and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority and their respective teams.

The government’s stated position is that the reforms are aimed at bringing greater clarity to the legal and fiscal framework without undermining the incentives that attract investors to the zones.

The Eleso of Iwaa in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, Obafemi Abel Alade, has condemned the growing menace of illegal human organ harvesting in Nigeria, describing the practice as a serious assault on human dignity and the sanctity of life.

The traditional ruler, who spoke with journalists in Lokoja, urged relevant authorities to adopt stronger measures to combat the activities of criminal syndicates involved in organ harvesting and protect vulnerable members of society.

Oba Alade, a former private secretary to the state’s former deputy governor, Chief Edward David Onoja, said the disturbing reports surrounding illegal organ harvesting required urgent and coordinated action by the government, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders.

He said traditional institutions had joined professionals across various sectors in raising awareness about the dangers of the practice, which, according to him, could damage the image of the country and create fear among citizens.

The monarch urged medical practitioners to uphold the ethics of their profession and refrain from any activity capable of undermining the value and sanctity of human life.

He expressed concern over alleged tactics used by criminal networks to lure vulnerable people, particularly children, including promises of free transportation, fake relationships, employment opportunities and other deceptive offers.

According to him, the seriousness of the crime demands stronger punishment for perpetrators, stressing that existing sanctions should be reviewed to reflect the gravity of the offence and the suffering inflicted on victims and their families.

Oba Alade called on residents of Iwaa community and Nigerians in general to remain vigilant and exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited offers of assistance, transportation, employment or relationships that appear suspicious or too good to be true.

He further encouraged communities to revive traditional values of communal responsibility and collective vigilance by promptly reporting suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.

The traditional ruler charged parents and guardians to maintain open communication with their children, particularly regarding their movements, relationships and transactions, to reduce their vulnerability to criminal networks.

He appealed to government at all levels and security agencies to intensify investigations aimed at identifying and dismantling syndicates involved in illegal organ harvesting.

Oba Alade called for thorough investigations into allegations involving any medical personnel who may have compromised professional standards or facilitated the activities of criminal networks.

He urged religious organisations and community leaders to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on the dangers of illegal organ harvesting and consistently emphasise the sacredness and inviolability of human life.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, shocked his colleagues on Tuesday as he openly denied ever being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Describing himself as a ‘progressive’, he gleefully declared that he had always played progressive politics in his life.

‘I was never in PDP, my spirit might be there but my heart was never there.

‘I have always been a progressive’, he told the Red Chamber.

Akpabio served as the governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015. He was also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum before he later won an election to the Senate in 2015.

Akpabio was the Minority Leader of the Senate from 2015 to 2018 while serving as PDP senator.

He held the position after leaving office as Akwa Ibom governor in May 2015, and served until his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in August 2018.

But, on Tuesday, the Senate President denied ever being part of the PDP.

What led to the denial was a motion of urgent public importance raised by Kogi-East Senator, Jibrin Isah, seeking to honour the memory of the late Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.

Idris, a former governor of Kogi State, passed away on September 20, 2026.

While seeking to move the motion, Senator Isah tried to remind Akpabio that they (Akpabio, Idris and himself) used to be members of the PDP.

‘The late Ibrahim Idris was a member of the PDP; I was there while you were there too, all of us were there’, Isah added.

He further stated that the late Idris was the governor of Kogi State from May 29, 2003 to January 27, 2012, ‘the longest in the history of the state.’

However, Akpabio interrupted him and insisted that he was never a member of the PDP.

The Senate eventually passed Isah’s motion and observed a minute’s silence in honour of the late governor.

THE recent reports of children allegedly brutalised, s3xually abused, exploited or sold by those who should be their first guardians are truly shocking and barbaric. Such reports should make Nigerians recoil in shame and concern. They force upon the nation a painful and terrifying question: who are Nigerian children now supposed to be safe with?

The reported case in Anambra State is particularly harrowing. A 32-year-old woman, Ogechi Ofoma, was arrested after she allegedly used a hot knife to inflict bodily injuries on her seven-year-old daughter, Oluebube, for allegedly taking meat from a cooking pot. The child was reportedly rescued after the intervention of residents and community security personnel, while officials of the police and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare subsequently became involved. The allegation is almost too cruel for ordinary comprehension. A child takes meat from a pot and the response of the person entrusted with her care, her mother who should correct her in love, is allegedly to injure her with a hot knife. What kind of moral universe produces such a response? And this is not an isolated horror. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development also recently condemned other reported cases in Abia and Anambra, including the alleged brutal beating of a 12-year-old boy by his father and the alleged sale of children, including a mother’s own twins, by the mother. Then comes the deeply disturbing allegation of a mother s3xually abusing her own daughters and circulating the recorded material online, reportedly in pursuit of attention and financial gain. If established, such conduct would represent not merely a violation of childhood innocence but a terrible inversion of the very meaning of motherhood.

The ancient wisdom that ‘the child is father of the man’, from William Wordsworth, should remind the nation that the treatment of children today becomes the architecture of Nigeria’s tomorrow. Children are not merely small citizens waiting to become adults. They are the raw material of the nation. To brutalise them is to vandalise the future. Traditionally, the home is regarded as the first school of humanity. Before a child encounters the teacher, the peer, the friend, the priest, the imam, the police officer or the judge, the child encounters the parent or caregiver first. The family is supposed to be the citadel in which the vulnerable find shelter from the storms of the world. But what happens when the citadel becomes the battlefield? What happens when the hand meant to caress becomes horrific and demonic, when the voice meant to console becomes the voice that terrorises, and when the parent who should be the child’s shield against predators becomes the predator?

These reports transcend individual criminality. They raise troubling questions about the moral health of the Nigerian society. Parenthood is not ownership. A child is not a parent’s property. A child is human, endowed with dignity and rights, and entrusted to parental care. Discipline cannot be a licence for cruelty; poverty cannot excuse exploitation; marital frustration cannot justify abuse; and the desperate pursuit of money, relevance or ‘clout’ can never sanctify the violation of a child’s innocence. There is, moreover, a particularly poisonous dimension to the recording and circulation of child abuse. Technology seems to have given wickedness a camera, an audience and, in some cases, a marketplace. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development was therefore right to warn Nigerians against downloading, reposting or forwarding videos depicting abused children. Every click can become a fresh wound. Every share can become another violation.

The tragedy is also that the cases that reach Nigerian law enforcement agencies and the media may represent only a few instances of cruelty. Behind many compound walls, Nigerian children may be suffering in silence. Some are afraid to speak. Some do not know that what is happening to them is wrong. Others speak but are disbelieved because the abuser is a parent, relative, guardian or respected member of the community. This is where the Nigerian society must recover its moral courage. Churches, mosques and indigenous faiths must intensify their teaching on the sanctity of human life, responsible parenthood, sexual morality, compassion and the protection of children. Moral instruction must not remain ornamental rhetoric delivered from pulpits, temples and minbars; it must penetrate homes and shape conduct. Schools, traditional institutions, the media, community leaders and civil society organisations must likewise become more vigilant.

The Nigerian state, for its part, must ensure that child protection laws are not merely impressive words in official documents. Reported abuse must be investigated promptly, victims must receive medical and psychological care, and perpetrators, if found guilty by competent courts, must face the consequences prescribed by law. Chinua Achebe once wrote that ‘a man who brings home ant-infested faggots should not complain if lizards visit.’ Nigeria must not wait until the consequences of today’s moral failures overwhelm the country’s tomorrow. The question before the nation is therefore larger than the fate of one seven-year-old girl, one abused boy or one traumatised family. It is whether Nigeria still knows what it means to be a parent. A nation that cannot protect its children cannot convincingly claim to be protecting its future. The beasts among parents must not be allowed to define parenthood generally. The Nigerian society should not pretend that these horrors are merely aberrations with no connection to a wider erosion of values. The family is the first institution of civilisation. When its moral foundations crack, the tremors are eventually felt everywhere.

Nigeria must return to the right foundations: love without cruelty, discipline without brutality, authority without oppression, faith without hypocrisy, and parenthood without the abuse of power. Nigerian children deserve nothing less, and Nigeria’s future depends upon it.

Businessman Femi Otedola has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying their results are becoming increasingly evident in Nigeria’s economy.

Otedola made the remarks after a private dinner with Tinubu in Paris on Monday, expressing his continued support for the President’s economic policies.

According to Otedola, the reforms have placed the Nigerian economy on what he described as a path of sustainable growth.

He cited the inclusion of Nigerian companies in the FTSE Russell Frontier 50 Index, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) reaching historic highs, increased foreign direct investment and renewed investor confidence as signs of progress.

Otedola also pointed to what he described as a more unified and stable foreign exchange market and foreign reserves of about $55 billion.

He said the developments and other economic indicators showed that the impact of the administration’s reforms was becoming increasingly visible.

‘I remain proud of you, Mr. President!’ Otedola said in a message accompanying a photograph from the dinner.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned what it describes as the horrific and ongoing attacks on citizens in Plateau State, which occur daily. It warns that these continuous assaults could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order.

The association highlighted recent sustained attacks in the Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos Local Government Areas, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens and injuries to many more.

During a press briefing in Jos, the association expressed its discontent with the apparent lack of responsiveness from government officials at all levels regarding their responsibility to protect lives and property.

The statement, signed by Morgan I. Dung, Chairman of the Jos Branch; Selven D. Zingman, Chairman of the Pankshin Branch; Lucy Pam-Fom Bot, Chairwoman of the Bukuru Branch; and Sylvia Kumtong, Chairwoman of the Shendam Branch, emphasised that the ongoing cycle of violence against law-abiding citizens devalues the social contract and undermines public trust in the government.

It further declared: ‘More disturbing to the association was the fact that the killings had continued despite the declaration of a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the three local government areas.

‘The Nigerian Bar Association condemns in the strongest terms the gruesome and sustained attacks carried out on citizens on daily basis across Plateau State, with the most recent occurring in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos Local Government Areas of the State which has left in its trail undesirable results. This painfully confirms the fact that there is an insufficient commitment to constitutional responsibility.

It is equally disturbing that in the wake of recent attacks and an imposition of curfew in the areas mentioned above, terrorists disrespected the curfew and freely attacked communities obeying the order.

The lawyers also expressed dismay that while locals were encouraged to defend themselves, they have, themselves become targeted of killings and indiscriminate attacks.

NBA recalled that some community vigilantes of Kikyau village in Mangu Local Government were killed at their duty post by terrorists during the said curfew hours.

‘Similar ugly developments have been reported in Kantoma and Bin-Per villages in Mangu Local Government Area, as well as Kassa village, Wereh village, Ropp, Fan, and Marit Districts in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

‘This is an invitation to total anarchy and complete breakdown of law and order. The circle of bloodletting perpetrated by these non-State actors paint a troubling picture of impunity on one part, and a seeming complicity or helplessness of the State on the other.

When perpetrators of violence transact their stock in trade unabated and sometimes evade justice, it sends a dangerous message that human life is expendable in Nigeria and consequently, citizens are fast losing faith in the ability of the State to protect them.

‘It is also a notorious fact that some communities in Plateau State have been completely sacked over some decades and their lands forcefully grabbed, occupied, and even renamed by their invaders while their survivors remain displaced aborigines.

While appreciating the efforts of the federal government for visiting Plateau and condoling with the people, the NBA urged the government at all levels to make the protection of lives and property their priority.

Bauchi State Governor Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has urged broadcasters across the country to promote credible broadcasting as a means of strengthening democracy amid the spread of misinformation and fake news.

Mohammed also stressed the need for traditional media broadcasters to intensify credible reporting following the emergence of social media.

He urged Nigerian broadcasters to prioritize verification, accuracy and responsible reporting in the face of rising misinformation and disinformation.

The governor made the call on Monday in Bauchi at the 3rd Annual Conference and Induction of New Members of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB), held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre.

Represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Muhammad Auwal Jatau, Mohammed said credible broadcasting had become more important in an era where manipulated content could travel around the world within seconds.

He spoke at the conference, themed ‘Responsible Broadcasting in an Election Year: Countering Misinformation, Promoting Peace and Strengthening Democracy,’ which was attended by media professionals and broadcasters.

The governor said his administration had invested over N3 billion in modernizing state-owned media outfits to promote digital broadcasting and credible information dissemination.

He said the investment included the installation of digital broadcasting facilities at Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) and Bauchi State Television (BATV) to reposition the stations for global competitiveness.

Mohammed noted that credible broadcasting remained critical to combating misinformation, strengthening public trust and promoting constructive dialogue, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

According to him, responsible broadcasting is a panacea for peace, national unity and democratic consolidation, hence the need for governments at all levels to support the media industry.

Mohammed commended the SNB for choosing Bauchi to host the conference, describing the theme as timely and apt.

‘I urge practitioners to continue placing premium on verification, accuracy and responsible reporting, and to maintain a clear distinction between facts, analysis, commentary and opinion,’ Bala Mohammed said.

The governor also commended the SNB for sustaining a democratic process through which its members renew their leadership, noting that the conference would feature the election of a new Executive Council.

According to him, leadership transition is one of the clearest tests of the strength and maturity of any institution.

‘I therefore commend the society for sustaining a democratic process through which its members can renew their leadership,’ he said.

Mohammed urged members to use the conference to review their achievements, address emerging challenges, strengthen professional relationships and chart a responsible course for broadcasting in Nigeria.

On his part, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, said the Federal Government had invested significantly in public and private broadcasting because of its contributions to national development.

Earlier, the National President of the SNB, Professor Umar Pate, called for greater integration of technology into digital broadcasting to enhance credible, accurate and timely reporting ahead of the election.

The conference featured the induction of new members and was attended by government officials, media executives, veteran broadcasters and Mass Communication students.

Among those present were Prof. Umaru Pate, President of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, and Mrs. Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director and CEO of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).