Category: Nigerian Tribune

A Professor of Development Economics and former Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, University of Ibadan, Professor Abiodun Bankole, has described the perception that Nigerian graduates are unemployable as a product of the failings of employers.

Professor Bankole said the abdication of responsibility by employers in contemporary society had made many employers think less of Nigerian graduates.

Speaking in Ibadan at the graduation and send-off event organised for the 2025 cohort of the Next Gen Ideate (NGI) programme of the Forerunners Welfare Foundation (FWF), the former Head of the Department of Economics questioned why employers were trying to shy away from their hitherto responsibilities of training fresh graduates, only to declare them unfit for job placement.

‘The onus is on businesses to train fresh graduates before you give them assignments in your companies.

‘Maybe what they are saying now is that those graduates don’t have that level of training for specific job status despite their certification. But they should say it if that is their problem because ‘no employability’ means you can’t be employed at all,’ Professor Bankole said.

He noted that ‘the condemned Nigerian-trained graduates do excel when they travel overseas.’

‘That is where I see their (companies’) failure, trying to cover their failings,’ he said.

While charging the students to be industry-ready so that they could quickly adapt to the new life that post-university life has for them, Professor Bankole emphasised the need for students to ‘have an internship even before graduating and stop the idea of wanting to start from the top.’

The event was attended by the General Secretary of the Muslim Community of Oyo State, Professor Taofeeq Yekinni, and the National President of the University of Ibadan Muslim Graduates’ Association, Alhajj Imran Abulmojeed.

In his welcome address, the chairman of FWF, Dr Ibrahim Hammed, said the second cohort of the programme graduated 22 exceptional young individuals who completed the training.

‘They did not just pass; they survived a true trial by fire; they satisfied the unyielding criteria of resilience, accountability, and diligence against all odds,’ he added.

In their separate keynote lectures, a legal practitioner, Mr Abdurrahman Abiola Ahmad, and an engineer, Ibrahim Ande, charged the youths to explore the pervasive opportunities that present themselves in the contemporary world.

Ahmad emphasised the need to build a career through cordial relationships with family, friends and colleagues, encouraging the graduates to explore opportunities even when challenging.

Ande enumerated some soft skills needed in the industry, including the ability to manage pressure and crises, and good communication.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Moderator of the Forerunners Welfare Foundation, Mr Muyiwa Tijani, said the organisation was established by some Muslim graduates of the University of Ibadan, primarily to help less-privileged and younger generations of UI students and alumni.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has assured Nigerians that its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, will provide a physically present and responsive presidency when he is elected and sworn into office on May 29, 2027.

The council emphasized that Atiku will not be an absentee president, but rather one who is available when challenges arise that require presidential attention.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the Director of Media and Publicity for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, made this statement on Monday in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Atiku Unity Movement (AUM), led by Hon. Francis Eburuwe.

Ologbondiyan noted that Atiku has consistently demonstrated an understanding of Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, proposing policy interventions to address them.

He recalled how, during the 2023 presidential campaign, Atiku advocated for a phased approach to the withdrawal of fuel subsidies, arguing that the process should not place excessive pressure on Nigerians.

According to Ologbondiyan, the experiences of the past three years have reinforced the need for a presidency that is accessible, responsive, and capable of making timely decisions in the national interest.

‘The country needs a President who understands challenges confronting Nigerians and is physically available to respond to demands of governance. Nigeria cannot afford situation in which there is uncertainty over who is effectively directing affairs of government at critical moments. The country requires firm and focused leadership,’ he said.

Ologbondiyan stated that Atiku’s commitment to governance will focus on addressing the nation’s economic challenges, enhancing the welfare of citizens, and restoring trust in public institutions.

He noted that the ADC presidential candidate’s recent economic proposals aim to alleviate the burden of rising energy and living costs.

Atiku has publicly proposed a production-based intervention for petroleum products refined in Nigeria. This plan involves a fixed spending limit, requires National Assembly approval, and includes independent audits.

Earlier, the leader of the Atiku Unity Movement delegation, Hon. Francis Eburuwe, expressed the group’s full commitment to the Atiku project and their determination to mobilize Nigerians around the need for a change in the country’s political direction.

Eburuwe stated that the movement would spread the message of Atiku’s candidacy throughout the country, conveying confidence that an Atiku administration would tackle the challenges facing the nation and improve citizens’ welfare.

He pledged the movement’s support for the ADC presidential campaign and urged members to stay dedicated to grassroots mobilization in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has said the outcome of the 2027 presidential election will be determined by Nigerians and not by the financial strength of political parties or their candidates.

Makinde spoke in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, on Monday during the North-Central leg of his zonal town hall engagements ahead of the 2027 polls. The North-Central meeting was part of a series of engagements scheduled across the six geopolitical zones.

His speech appeared directed at President Bola Tinubu, who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor said neither opinion polls, political calculations, nor the number of wealthy individuals backing a party would determine who wins the election, stressing that voters would have the final say.

He stated, ‘This 2027 election will not be determined by politics, by pollsters, or by the number of multimillionaires in your party. This election is not going to be determined by the number of millionaires you have in your corner, or how many billions you have to spend.

‘This election will be determined by the people of Nigeria.’

Makinde said he had travelled from Ibadan to Abuja before proceeding by road to Lafia, where he met with APM candidates from the North-Central zone until the early hours of Monday. He said the demands of effective governance required even greater commitment and energy than campaigning.

According to him, his experience in Oyo State demonstrated the importance of engaging citizens in the process of governance, citing the ongoing preparations for the state’s 2027 budget.

Makinde said the Oyo State Government had, over the past seven years, consulted residents across its geopolitical zones to determine their priorities for inclusion in the annual budget.

He, however, questioned the Federal Government’s planning for the expansion of army divisions to tackle insecurity, saying he could not find a corresponding budgetary provision for the initiative in the 2026 budget.

‘If they have it in the budget that they prepared for 2026, let them bring it out. You cannot just wake up and say, without any plan, I am setting up or expanding army divisions to tackle insecurity.

‘There has to be a lot of planning that will go into this,’ he argued.

The APM candidate also argued that increased revenue accruing to state governments had not translated into an improvement in living conditions, particularly in addressing hunger.

He said Oyo State’s dependence on federal allocation had fallen from more than 80 per cent when he assumed office in 2019 to 65 per cent by 2022, but had risen again to almost 80 per cent since 2023, which he attributed to what he described as the Federal Government’s ‘voodoo economy’.

Makinde said his ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda could be implemented within four years, with priorities including a new security architecture, improved education, an economy driven by data, science and logic, and a reset of the country’s socio-political environment.

‘I am a reseter. Are you a reseter? Yes, together we shall reset this country,’ he told the gathering, adding that, if elected president on 29 May 2027, he would run a transitional government of national unity aimed at producing ‘new players and a new agenda for Nigeria’s sustainable development.’

His running mate, Alhaji Lawal Daura, praised the turnout at the engagement, noting that it reflected Nigerians’ desire for positive change, adding that the APM’s approach was based on sincerity, honesty, commitment and a focus on results.

Daura pointed out that Nigerians had endured poverty, insecurity and other social problems for too long, stressing that the party would seek to deliver measurable improvements rather than merely repeat previous approaches.

Also speaking, APM’s National Chairman, Mr Yusuf Dantalle, described the North-Central as strategic to Nigeria’s unity and development and called for a different approach to governance.

Dantalle cited poor roads, insecurity and rising energy costs as challenges facing the region and urged Nigerians to examine Makinde’s record in Oyo State as a basis for assessing his claims about governance.

He appealed to supporters to spread the party’s message and mobilise voters around what he described as the APM’s ‘Nigeria First Project’, urging Nigerians to participate in what he called ‘Operation Talk to Somebody’ ahead of the 2027 election.

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly found in possession of a gun concealed in a loaf of bread.

This was disclosed on Monday by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Fatai Tijani, while speaking with newsmen on the recent operations of the command.

The Lagos police boss also added that 32 other suspects were arrested for armed robbery, cultism, unlawful possession of firearms and other violent crimes.

‘These operations also led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, stolen items and other incriminating exhibits,’ the police boss said.

The police in Lagos State also recovered 43 vehicles, two vehicle keys, vandalised electrical wires, ?2.5 million in cash, five pump-action guns, five locally made pistols, 20 live rounds of ammunition/cartridges, 15 expended rounds of ammunition, two cutlasses, assorted suspected criminal charms, one television set, one vehicle radiator, one car jack and a bag containing different vehicle spare parts and tools.

The 15-year-old suspect, Taiye Majekodunmi, was reportedly arrested in the Cappa area of Oshodi while on his way to deliver a pistol to a yet-to-be-identified person.

CP Tijani said, ‘Following intelligence-led operations, police operatives arrested Taiye Majekodunmi, male, 15 years, at the Cappa area of Oshodi, while allegedly transporting concealed firearms and ammunition inside a loaf of bread for delivery to a receiver on the instruction of one Samuel.

‘Recovered from him were one locally made fabricated Beretta pistol, four rounds of unexpended 9mm ammunition and one locally made single-barrel cut-to-size gun.’

The Lagos police boss also added that ‘further investigation led to the recovery of an additional cut-to-size gun and 11 unexpended cartridges allegedly linked to the suspect. The suspect has made useful statements.’

CP Tijani also added that, ‘Today, 28/09/2026, at about 0400hrs, while on routine patrol along Oko Oba Road, police operatives intercepted some hoodlums who immediately took to their heels on sighting the police.

‘One Ojo Azeez, male, 32 years, was arrested after a hot chase. A search conducted on him led to the recovery of one locally made cut-to-size pistol, one radiator, one jack, one engine block and a bag containing different vehicle spare parts and tools.

‘Investigation is ongoing to establish the source of the recovered items and the suspect’s involvement in other criminal activities,’ the police boss also stated.

The police boss also stated that ‘information was received that a group of boys had moved from Idi-Oro, Mushin, to the Chevron area of Lekki-Ajah, where they allegedly entered residential apartments and dispossessed occupants of their valuables.

‘Anti-Crime Patrol operatives were mobilised to Idi-Oro, where Ogunbayo Abdulwahib, male, was arrested. He led the operatives to Muritical Hotel and Suites, Anu Oluwapo Street, Idi-Oro, where ?2.5 million and three mobile phones were recovered from the room he lodged in with other gang members, who had fled before the arrival of the police. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.’

One of the suspects, who over the last weekend allegedly invaded a lounge and nightclub in the Abule Egba area of the state, has also been arrested by the police.

CP Tijani also disclosed that ‘information was received that some armed men, reportedly armed with an AK-47 rifle, drove into Ghost and Spirit Lounge, Ekoro Road, Abule Egba, in a grey Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV and robbed a male individual of his gold wrist chain and rings.

‘Investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Ezekiel Sunday Obi, male, 29 years, at about 0100hrs on 27/09/2026 at the Toll Gate, Lagos-Ogun boundary. Efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang and recover the exhibits.’

He also stated that, ‘Acting on credible intelligence, VCRU operatives arrested Lekan Jimoh, 32 years; Oyepeju Olanrewaju, 33 years; and Olurebi Suleiman, 30 years, in the Idi-Oro area of Mushin. Information obtained during interrogation led to the recovery of a black pump-action gun and 11 live cartridges at Igbogbo, Ikorodu, from Banjo Taiwo, male, 47 years.’

The Lagos police boss appealed to members of the public to cooperate with police officers carrying out routine patrols in their areas.

THE scenes that greeted the resumption of academic activities at the King’s College, Lagos, on Tuesday, August 15, were as distressing as they were avoidable. Staff and parents of one of Nigeria’s most storied secondary schools reportedly blocked executives of the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) from entering the premises, turning a disagreement over the future of the institution into a shameful spectacle of shoving and injury at the school gate. Some staff members were reportedly hurt in the fracas.

That it took a government directive to reopen federal unity colleges after disruptions by organised labour only deepened the impression of a crisis that had been allowed to grow beyond the capacity of the authorities to contain it. What should have been a conversation about improving one of Nigeria’s premier schools has become an acrimonious contest over ownership, management, access and trust. At the centre of the controversy is the Federal Government’s reported determination to transfer the management of King’s College to its alumni association. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has declared that there is ‘no going back’ on the concession. Such language, however, does little to resolve a dispute that fundamentally requires consultation and consensus. Indeed, it risks making compromise more difficult. The opposition of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and affiliated unions, which disrupted resumption across federal unity colleges before a seven-man committee was constituted to seek a resolution, reflects the depth of the concerns involved. Even after the TUC directed its affiliates to suspend the industrial action and the minister ordered the colleges to reopen, King’s College remained a flashpoint.

Yet, it would be unfair to cast the old boys as villains. The association has demonstrated both capacity and affection for its alma mater, as have alumni associations of many public schools across the country. At a time when public education has suffered years of inadequate funding and neglect, alumni intervention has become an important source of infrastructure, equipment, scholarships and institutional support. Government College, Ibadan, is frequently cited as an example of what organised alumni intervention can achieve. The lesson is not that government should abandon its responsibilities, but that the state can benefit enormously from the expertise, resources and commitment of former students. The notion that government alone can provide and manage every aspect of quality education in its public schools is no longer sustainable. However, good intentions cannot, by themselves, answer legitimate concerns. Parents at King’s College have witnessed too many government promises fail to materialise to accept assurances without seeing the details. Their fears are straightforward: that concession could eventually mean higher fees and that children from less affluent families could be pushed out of an institution that has historically provided quality education at relatively low cost.

There is also anxiety that the King’s College may be a test case for a wider transfer of federal unity colleges to alumni organisations or other private interests. Whether or not that fear is justified, the government has a responsibility to address it directly rather than dismiss it. The most troubling feature of the controversy is therefore the apparent absence of a publicly available and properly negotiated Memorandum of Understanding. The experience of Government College, Ibadan, suggests the importance of a clear framework setting out the respective responsibilities of government, alumni, parents and school authorities. Such an agreement can define issues such as fees, admissions, staff welfare, infrastructure, governance and accountability. King’s College needs precisely such a framework. Parents should not be expected to entrust the future of their children’s education to verbal assurances. Neither should the alumni be expected to invest substantial resources without safeguards against mismanagement. The answer is not to choose one side over the other, but to create enforceable rules that protect legitimate interests on all sides. There is, moreover, an important question for KCOBA itself. Why should alumni support necessarily require control of the institution? If the objective is genuinely to restore the King’s College to its former glory, alumni can make substantial contributions without displacing the government’s ownership and constitutional responsibility for a federal institution.

Indeed, a partnership in which government retains ownership and core public responsibility while the alumni provide substantial funding, expertise and institutional support may offer a more durable solution. Such an arrangement would preserve the public character of the school while allowing private philanthropy and professional expertise to complement public resources. What is required now, therefore, is not a war of attrition but serious negotiation. The seven-man committee should not become another bureaucratic device for postponing the problem. It should produce a transparent and enforceable agreement addressing fees, admissions, staff welfare, infrastructure, governance and the precise limits of alumni authority. A representative governing structure could also be established, bringing together the Federal Government, school management and staff, parents and alumni. Such an arrangement would ensure that no single stakeholder exercises unchecked authority over an institution that belongs, in the first instance, to the Nigerian public. The Federal Government must equally reconsider the language of finality. ‘No going back’ may sound decisive, but it is hardly the language of constructive public policy. A government confronting legitimate disagreement should seek to persuade, negotiate and build confidence, not suggest that consultation has already ended.

The government should make clear what safeguards will prevent the exclusion of children from less privileged backgrounds, how fees will be regulated, and whether the King’s College arrangement is an isolated partnership or part of a broader policy for federal unity colleges. Parents, teachers and the public deserve clear answers. King’s College is too important to become a casualty of institutional pride. It has produced generations of Nigerians who have contributed to national life in diverse fields. Its future should therefore be determined not by confrontation at the school gate, but by a transparent process that puts the educational interests of its students first.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday adjourned the substantive suit filed by a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, challenging the leadership of the party led by Sen. David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, to October 5 for hearing.

The judge, while adjourning the matter, said the court will also, on the next adjourned date, rule on an application for stay of proceedings pending the outcome of an interlocutory appeal at the Court of Appeal.

He also ordered that all processes in the matter be filed within 48 hours from 11am on September 28, 2026, when the order was made and that hearing notice be served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the fourth defendant in the matter.

Having heard the arguments and submissions of counsel in the matter, Justice Lifu adjourned till October 5 for ruling or hearing of the main suit.

Gombe, Nafiu Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Mark, Aregbesola and members of their interim National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as the leaders of the party.

He had argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other interim NWC members as leaders of the party breached the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

Gombe, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Ralph Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively in the suit

Nwosu was the former ADC National Chairman who stepped down for David Mark leadership of the party.

In 2016, after our counter-insurgency communication campaign through the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA)-a project of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) executed with PRNigeria and Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR)-we submitted our first serious entries for international professional awards.

That year, we earned recognition at the African Excellence Awards in South Africa and the IPRA Golden World Awards in Qatar. For a modest Nigerian PR outfit, it felt like stepping onto a global stage we had never imagined.

Since then, entering our most significant campaigns for competitive international awards has become an annual professional discipline. So, 2026-our tenth year on that circuit-was always destined to carry special meaning.

For the 2026 season, IMPR submitted campaigns executed for several Nigerian institutions across two of the world’s most respected PR competitions. Our work for the NDLEA on drug abuse communication, the CBN on corporate communication, and the Nigeria Customs Service on institutional reputation were shortlisted for the SABRE Africa Awards in South Africa. We also entered separate campaigns for the IPRA Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece.

Yet the campaign that ultimately defined our tenth anniversary did not come from a conventional client brief. It emerged from an institutional disruption. During my participation in Senior Executive Course 47 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, I conceived a research project on the intersection of artificial intelligence and crisis communication in Nigeria. The project was formally approved.

But when I was later withdrawn from the programme-under circumstances I have documented elsewhere-the research suddenly became institutionally homeless. I had two choices: abandon the project along with the programme, or separate the intellectual work from the disagreement surrounding it. I chose the latter.

The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) endorsed the research and provided the intellectual framework for its completion. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) offered logistical support. Two distinguished academics-Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu of Bayero University Kano and Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, Vice Chancellor of Baze University-reviewed and validated the work.

Within three months, what could easily have become another abandoned proposal was completed outside the institution where it originated. The study, AI in Crisis Communication in Nigeria, examined emerging threats posed by AI-driven misinformation, deepfakes and the wider digital information disorder. More importantly, it attempted to move beyond diagnosis by proposing a strategic communication framework for strengthening Nigeria’s crisis response capabilities.

Its recommendations informed the inaugural National Symposium on Digital Innovations in Crisis Communication, which brought together security agencies, government institutions, media organisations, civil society groups and technology experts. It provided the conceptual foundation for the proposed Crisis Communication Hub (CCHub)-a 24-hour, AI-enabled platform for social listening, deepfake detection, misinformation monitoring and coordinated crisis messaging across Nigeria’s public sector.

What began as academic research gradually transformed into an institutional reform proposition. Then came another thought: why not submit the entire journey-not just the publication, but the transformation of research into strategy-for international professional assessment?

At the eleventh hour, I entered the IPRA Golden World Awards with the campaign titled ‘AI in Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy.’ It was shortlisted in two categories: AI in Crisis Management and Publications. We were equally delighted that the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was shortlisted for a Special Recognition Award for his leadership in institutional communication.

With September 25, 2026, fixed for the awards ceremony in Athens, preparations began. Then we encountered the familiar Nigerian passport dilemma. The Greek Embassy in Abuja announced it would not issue Schengen visas to Nigerian applicants until the following year.

We explored alternatives. Some team members held other valid visas, while our Schengen visas had only recently expired. We attempted renewals through diplomatic channels, including embassies outside Nigeria. Considerable resources went into the process-insurance, flights, and hotel reservations. Everything failed.

This was not new. Over the years, IPRA has intervened repeatedly on behalf of Nigerian nominees seeking visas to attend ceremonies in Qatar, Bulgaria, Armenia, Japan, Belgrade, Spain and elsewhere. An IPRA official once asked me, with genuine bewilderment, why Nigerians faced such persistent difficulties even when travelling for recognised professional engagements. I had no comfortable answer.

As the Athens ceremony approached, IPRA and its Greek partners intensified diplomatic efforts. Then I received information that changed everything: our entry was being considered for the Grand Prix-the highest honour at the IPRA Golden World Awards.

Suddenly, our inability to travel was no longer merely disappointing. Improvisation became necessary. I reached out to two individuals with valid Schengen visas whose professional standing made them fitting representatives: Professor Sule Yau Sule, Chairman of the IMPR Board, and Dr. Abdulaziz Arowona, CEO of Emirate Radio. Both agreed to travel.

A few days before the event, IPRA Secretary General Philip Sheppard requested a fifty-second appreciation video-just in case. I recorded it without knowing what awaited us. On the evening of September 25, 2026, Dr. Arowona streamed the ceremony live from Athens. From my room in Abuja, thousands of kilometres away, I watched representatives from more than fifty countries gather as IPRA President Esther Cobbah presented trophies to winning campaigns.

Then came the final announcement. Philip Sheppard mounted the podium to announce the Grand Prix. He revealed that the winning campaign centred on artificial intelligence and crisis communication. For a moment, I remained uncertain. Then a video presentation about our project appeared on the screen. Immediately afterwards, the message I had recorded in Abuja played before the international audience. I will not pretend I remained composed. Shock is an understatement.

This project began as research at Kuru, became homeless after my withdrawal from NIPSS, was rescued by CCC and NITDA, underwent academic scrutiny, evolved into a national symposium, and matured into a proposal for an AI-enabled Crisis Communication Hub. Now, it has been adjudged worthy of the Grand Prix on a global professional stage.

Competing against campaigns from more than fifty countries – many backed by institutions with far deeper pockets and global reach – was already an intimidating prospect. Simply making the shortlist would have been gratifying. Winning our categories would have been memorable enough to celebrate for years. But receiving the Grand Prix took several minutes to sink in. I actually had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Another symbolism marked the evening. Nigeria’s delegation leader, Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi-a former Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations-received the Grand Prix on behalf of IMPR, Nigeria and Africa. Earlier that evening, he had received a Special Recognition Award for his leadership in institutional communication.

It was a fitting symmetry: a Nigerian communication professional receiving international recognition for his own work, and then standing again to accept the industry’s highest honour for another Nigerian campaign. I could not travel to Greece to receive the award. Yet, somehow, the idea travelled. And in the end, that was enough.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has trained 200 staff members, community engagers, and volunteers of the ASATTAHIR International Foundation (AIF) on the prevention, early detection, and referral of Noma cases in Sokoto State.

The two-day training, held from September 22 to 23, 2026, in Sokoto, was organized by the Health Promotion Unit of MSF for AIF personnel working across Sokoto North, Sokoto South, and Wamakko Local Government Areas.

Speaking during the training, MSF Medical Team Lead in Sokoto, Florencia Maghanga, commended AIF for supporting the identification and referral of suspected Noma cases to the Noma Children Hospital, Sokoto.

Maghanga said early detection was important in preventing the disease from progressing, adding that delays in identifying and referring suspected cases could have serious consequences.

‘Early identification and timely referral are critical. Prevention remains the best approach, and this requires community awareness, early recognition, and prompt referral,’ she said.

She said the training was designed to equip frontline workers with practical knowledge to identify possible Noma cases and guide affected individuals to appropriate health facilities for further assessment and treatment.

Speaking on behalf of AIF, the foundation’s Head of Programmes and Research, Rufus Yagkong, appreciated MSF for strengthening the capacity of its staff and community volunteers.

Yagkong said the training would improve the ability of AIF personnel to contribute to Noma prevention and ensure suspected cases receive timely attention.

‘The knowledge gained from this training will strengthen the capacity of our staff, community engagers, and volunteers to contribute more effectively to Noma prevention, early detection, and referral,’ he said.

He added that AIF would integrate Noma prevention and awareness into its existing programs across the state.

According to him, the foundation would use its community structures and field presence to increase awareness, promote early recognition of the disease, and encourage timely referral of suspected cases.

Yagkong said the collaboration with MSF demonstrated AIF’s commitment to working with relevant organisations and stakeholders to improve humanitarian and development interventions and health outcomes among vulnerable communities in Sokoto State.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commenced urgent rehabilitation works on Towers J4 and N9 to N12 along the Ikot Abasi-Eket 132 kV double-circuit transmission line, following recent acts of vandalism.

Speaking during the site inspection, the Regional Manager, Engineer Nasir Bello, represented by the Assistant General Manager (AGM), Transmission, Port Harcourt Region, said the inspection aimed to ensure strict adherence to engineering specifications and enable immediate adjustments where necessary.

According to the Regional Manager, who gave a progress report on the rehabilitation works, the vandalised towers had been completely dismantled, while the tower bases had been solidly recast. He urged residents of Ikot Abasi to remain vigilant and actively involved in protecting critical power infrastructure within their communities from criminal elements.

The Head of Lines, Port Harcourt Transmission Region, Engineer Azuh Lucky, highlighted the importance of rigorous monitoring to ensure compliance with engineering standards and guarantee the quality of the rehabilitation works.

The Principal Manager, Uyo Work Centre, Engineer Eguaikhide Clement, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the rehabilitation works and commended the contractors for their commitment and understanding of the urgency of completing the project.

Residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, and communities in parts of Ijesaland have raised the alarm over the devastating impact of Monday’s heavy downpour, which flooded homes and streets in the state capital and washed away a section of the Ilesa-Ijaregbe link bridge

The rain lasted for hours, causing gutters to overflow and flood homes, while residents feared more rain could worsen the situation.

At Oke-Arugbo Estate, around the Governor’s Office and other communities near the Osun River, residents watched anxiously as the river rose, fearing it could overflow into nearby homes.

Residents said the situation was becoming more worrying as blocked drainage channels left floodwater with nowhere to go, while the swollen Osun River had little room for more water.

A resident of Oke-Arugbo Estate, who asked not to be named, said the rising water level was causing fear, especially among those living close to the riverbank.

‘We are seriously worried because the river is already filled up. If the rain continues, where will the water from our drainage go? We are only praying that the rain stops before the water gets into our houses,’ the resident said.

The residents appealed to the Osun State Government and relevant agencies to inspect the affected areas, clear blocked drainage channels and take preventive measures to protect flood-prone communities.

However, the flooding also revealed the vulnerability of some road infrastructure in other parts of the state, with the Ilesa-Ijaregbe link bridge in Obokun Local Government Area suffering major damage following the heavy rainfall.

The road, which provides a shorter connection between Ilesa and Ijebu-Jesa and serves residents of Ijaregbe, Alatise and neighbouring communities, was reportedly washed away, leaving a large crater and muddy water across the affected section.

Investigations revealed that the damaged section of the road was covered by floodwater, with the collapsed culvert making movement difficult for motorists and motorcycle riders.

Residents said the development had disrupted their daily activities, particularly for workers, traders and students who regularly travel between the affected communities and Ilesa.

A resident, Adewale Alatise, said the collapse had created serious hardship for the people, forcing commuters to consider longer alternative routes.

‘Now, we cannot go to Ilesa the way we used to. Some of us work there, our children go to school there, and many people trade there. We now have to use the longer route through Ijebu-Jesa, which means more time and higher transport fares,’ he added.

Another resident, Mrs Funke Adepoju, appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke and other elected representatives, including the senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, the House of Representatives member representing Ijesa North/South and members of the state House of Assembly, to urgently visit the area, assess the damaged culvert and intervene before it causes further problems.

‘We are appealing to the government to come to our aid. The culvert has broken down, and flooding has taken over the road. If another heavy rain falls, we are afraid of what may happen. The government should act before it becomes a bigger disaster,’ she said.

The residents called for immediate measures to control the floodwater and prevent further damage, followed by the reconstruction of the failed culvert and affected section of the road. They also urged the state government to strengthen flood-control efforts across Osun, particularly in riverine communities and areas with poor drainage.