Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has backed the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), insisting that former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, should be the one to apologise to the people of Southern Kaduna.

National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Luka Binniyat, stated this at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday while reacting to demands by the El-Rufai family for the Defence Minister to apologise over his remarks concerning the former governor.

Binniyat said the forum was not speaking on behalf of Musa but as witnesses to events that occurred in Kaduna State during El-Rufai’s administration.

‘Gen Musa is not going to apologize; instead, Elrufai should be the one to apologize to the people of southern Kaduna,’ he said.

He added, ‘If the family insisted on taking the General to court, we have enough evidence to tender against El-Rufai.’

The MBF spokesman further maintained, ‘MBF is not a mouthpiece for Gen. Musa. We are speaking as witnesses to what happened in Kaduna State during that period since Southern Kaduna is part of the Middle Belt.’

The forum alleged that ‘what changed under El-Rufai was deliberate targeting of peaceful vulnerable rural communities for annihilation, which his actions and utterances encouraged.’

The MBF, therefore, expressed solidarity with Musa over his remarks concerning what it described as the painful history of El-Rufai’s ‘seeming complicity in the mass murder of our people of the Middle Belt part of Kaduna State and other parts of state.’

The forum also said, ‘It is of the opinion of the MBF that El-Rufai should be charged with crimes against humanity and be handed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for proper prosecution.’

It called for an independent and credible investigation into allegations of payments to bandits or other armed groups during the El-Rufai administration.

‘We want a review of unresolved cases of mass killings in Southern Kaduna during the period of El-Rufai’s tenure, including the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and murder of Agwom Adara, Dr. Raphael Maiwada.Galadima in October 2018.’

The forum also called for an investigation into deaths and injuries allegedly associated with controversial demolition exercises carried out under the former administration.

‘We call for a proper investigation into deaths and injuries associated with controversial demolition exercises under the former administration of Nasir el-Rufai.’

Concluding, the MBF said the people of Kaduna State deserved to know the truth about the issues raised by the Defence Minister.

‘Finally, the Middle Belt Forum believes that the people of Kaduna deserve the truth. Gen. Christopher Musa has raised a salient point. The appropriate response is not intimidation, insults, or political blackmail. The appropriate response is to investigate the issues and establish the truth.’

The NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL)/Seplat Energy Joint Venture (JV) has inaugurated two fully equipped state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) laboratories in Asagba Mixed Secondary School and Zappa Basic Secondary School, both in Asaba, to the Delta State government.

The Joint Venture also reemphasised commitment to improving quality education with sustained investment in teacher development, by empowering 500 teachers in the state with contemporary STEAM-based teaching skills.

Speaking, the Director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Seplat Energy Plc, Chioma Afe highlighted that the laboratories formed part of its strategic investment in the future generation through quality education for the purpose of building a better society.

The director, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Social Investment and Social Performance, Seplat Energy Plc, Esther Icha, said the initiatives formed part of the JV partners’ efforts to promote more creative, practical and student-centred learning in schools.

‘Through these laboratories, our students will not only learn theories, they will experiment, design, create, test-ideas and build real confidence to solve real life problems.

‘Today, the NEPL/Seplat JV is delighted to formally handover these STEAM Laboratories to the state Ministry of Education. This moment represents more than just the inauguration of a room filled with equipment; it represents a strong investment in the future of our students, our schools and our state,’ she said.

On the rationale and expected impact, Afe explained: ‘STEAM, is no longer an option in today’s world; it is the foundation for innovation, problem solving, creativity and sustainable development.’

She added that the laboratories brought the number of such interventions in the state to seven, expressing gratitude to the government, the JV partner and the various school authorities that made the project possible.

Afe expressed optimism that the laboratories will make the desired impacts on the relevant stakeholders, including the students, schools and the society at large.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibuogwu, commended Seplat Energy for its sustained investment in education and other areas in the state.

The commissioner urged the students to make judicious use of the STEAM Laboratories, while approaching the future with confidence.

He also charged them not to be afraid of failure, because ‘many great inventors failed many times before they succeeded.’

On her part, Honourable Bridget Anyafulu, member representing Oshimili South constituency in the state house of assembly, commended oil giant for donating laboratories to schools in the area.

She recounted other strong investments of the JV partners in education, including the NNPC/Seplat JV PEARLs Quiz, which she noted encourages bright minds and has been consistently won by public schools, adding that the laboratories would encourage practical learning in public schools and improve learning outcomes.

Anyafulu noted that meaningful development requires private-sector participation, describing investment in education as a long-term investment in peace and prosperity.

Principal, Asagba Secondary School, Asaba, Mrs Stella Ajufo, expressed appreciation to the government and Seplat Energy for selecting the school as a beneficiary.

She assured that the laboratory would be put to effective use, noting that seven teachers from the school had participated in the JV’s STEP workshop and were trained on how to use the laboratory equipment.

The teachers, she added, would share their knowledge with other teachers in the school to promote wider utilisation of the facility.

Earlier, Afe, who was represented by the Senior Manager, Brands, Sponsorship and PR, Seplat Energy Plc, Emmanuel Otokhine, reassured of the JV’s commitment to continuous investment in the future generation through quality education for the purpose of building a better society.

She revealed that the initiatives formed part of the JV partners’ efforts to promote more creative, practical and student-centred learning in schools.

The Federal Government has approved the establishment of an inter-agency committee to harmonise the macroeconomic assumptions used for budgeting and economic planning, as it seeks to improve fiscal coordination and accelerate growth in key sectors.

The decision was taken on Monday, in Abuja, at a meeting of the Economic Management Team (EMT), the government’s principal platform for economic management and policy coordination.

The committee will harmonise key assumptions covering crude oil prices and production, exchange rates, inflation and non-oil revenue projections used by fiscal and monetary authorities.

The move followed a joint budget retreat and technical validation workshop which identified inconsistent assumptions among government agencies as one of the factors contributing to budget under-performance.

The committee will also address inconsistencies in the reporting of key economic indicators to government, external stakeholders and the public.

The EMT reviewed the state of the economy, noting that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rose to 4.43 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, the strongest quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The government added that the economy had also recorded improvements in external reserves and the foreign exchange market.

External reserves rose above $54 billion in early September, their highest level in nearly 18 years, according to Central Bank of Nigeria data, while the naira strengthened to the N1,300s per dollar.

The meeting noted Nigeria’s reclassification by FTSE Russell from ‘Unclassified’ to ‘Frontier Market’ status, effective from September 21, 2026.

The reclassification marks Nigeria’s return to the index after about three years and is expected to increase the visibility of Nigerian equities among international investors.

The EMT was further briefed that public debt remain below 40 per cent of GDP, while Nigeria’s sovereign credit outlook from Moody’s has improved from stable to positive.

The team noted that Nigeria’s economy, measured in purchasing-power-parity terms, was worth more than $2.2 trillion, highlighting its potential to reach the government’s target of a $1 trillion nominal GDP by 2030.

As part of efforts to strengthen economic governance, the EMT approved a revised Terms of Reference expanding its responsibilities to include macroeconomic performance reviews, stronger fiscal and monetary coordination, monitoring of Renewed Hope Agenda priorities and periodic reviews of Federal Government financing needs.

The team also agreed to meet monthly, with at least two strategic sector reviews included in each sitting.

The Ministry of Finance was designated as the coordinating custodian for national economic data, while relevant agencies will remain responsible for producing and supplying data within their respective mandates.

The EMT also reviewed measures to increase agriculture’s contribution to the $1 trillion economy target.

The strategy includes reducing post-harvest losses, expanding processing and mechanisation, improving export compliance and ensuring that capital releases are made early enough to support planting seasons.

The government is also planning the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture and a new credit window for smallholder farmers.

It is targeting an increase in agriculture’s share of private-sector credit to 10 per cent by 2030.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for Nigeria to host the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) in November 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in November 2027 in Lagos.

The events are expected to attract exhibitors, international buyers and, in the case of IATF, African heads of state, with significant trade and investment deals projected.

The Ministry of Finance was tasked with coordinating funding and customs facilitation for the events, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Commenting on the decisions, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele said the harmonisation of economic assumptions would improve the credibility of government planning.

‘Today’s decisions tighten the link between the numbers we plan with and the actual outturns,’ he said.

According to him, having a single set of assumptions across fiscal and monetary authorities would reduce surprises in the budget and strengthen planning for investors and Nigerians.

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the forthcoming 2027 general elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has declared that four years is enough for a determined government to transform Nigeria, urging voters to reject what he described as the country’s ‘politics of comedy and clowning.’

Adebayo made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling the SDP’s 2027-2031 policy document, titled ‘Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity.’

He described the document as a comprehensive blueprint for tackling Nigeria’s security, economic and infrastructure challenges.

Adebayo said many of the country’s problems were man-made and could be addressed through purposeful leadership, competent governance and policies that promote productivity rather than dependence.

According to him, ‘four years is enough for a determined leader to help his people,’ insisting that an SDP administration would use its first term to fundamentally alter the country’s economic and security fortunes.

He challenged Nigerians to scrutinise the party’s manifesto and hold it accountable to the promises contained in the document.

According to him, ‘We are trying to tell Nigerians that we are beyond sloganeering. We are saying to you: here is our farewell to poverty and insecurity.

‘We have submitted our thesis to Nigerians. Mark us. Evaluate us. Contradict us,’ he said.

The SDP candidate also challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a public debate, asking him to account for his administration’s performance since assuming office.

Adebayo questioned the utilisation of funds he said were saved from the removal of petrol subsidy and demanded explanations on government spending on security, compressed natural gas (CNG) and electricity.

According to him, ‘The first challenge is thrown to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: come out of hiding. Come and debate.

‘Anyone who wants to keep his job should be able to answer his bosses. Where have you been in the past four years? What have you been doing? Where is the money?

‘Where is the money you saved from subsidies that never existed? Where are the trillions for security? Where is the CNG? Where is the electricity?’

Adebayo also criticised the nation’s monetary management, accusing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of failing to adequately protect the naira, promote productivity and generate employment.

According to him, ‘the Central Bank of Nigeria is not protecting our currency. It is not creating productivity and employment. It has become a warehouse for thieves. We must kick the thieves out of the team,’ he alleged.

He further accused some officials of mismanaging revenues from petroleum, solid minerals and taxation, alleging that public resources were being ‘stolen in broad daylight.’

On insecurity, Adebayo said an SDP government would combine military action with political, economic and social interventions to address the root causes of crime and insurgency.

He argued that government failure had contributed significantly to insecurity and that changing the government through the ballot in 2027 would be a major step towards defeating banditry.

According to him, ‘since the majority of insecurity is caused by government failure, when you use your vote in 2027 to change the government, you have already gone 60 per cent of the way towards chasing away the bandits’.

Adebayo also promised to promote national unity and tackle what he described as ‘internal colonialism’, which he said had encouraged Nigerians to turn against one another along ethnic, religious and regional lines.

On the economy, he promised a major expansion of electricity generation, with a target of 75,000 megawatts using Nigeria’s available resources.

He also pledged to establish four functioning public refineries and 36 modular refineries, while creating an enabling environment for private investors to establish additional refineries and export petroleum products.

The SDP candidate said his administration would review petrol pricing, arguing that Nigerians should not be subjected to international fuel prices when their wages remained far below international standards.

According to him, ‘That is why we calculated it and concluded that ?200, at the current rate, is the price at which petrol can be sold without pushing the people further into poverty,’

He said the SDP manifesto would focus on human development, dignity of citizenship and affordable infrastructure financed from Nigeria’s resources.

Adebayo also lamented the decline in workers’ purchasing power, noting that previous generations were able to build houses and educate their children on incomes that were considerably lower than those required to survive in today’s economy.

‘We are 26 years late. We need to be in government now,’ he said.

Speaking earlier, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Umar Gombe, said the manifesto was built around three interconnected pillars: security, productivity and prosperity.

Gombe said the party would secure lives and property while simultaneously addressing the economic and social conditions that fuel crime, extremism and instability.

He said the SDP would strengthen the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, border control and justice system while deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies against insecurity.

According to him, the party’s economic programme would promote self-reliance, productive employment, poverty reduction, balanced regional development and social inclusion.

‘We do not believe that poverty should be managed in Nigeria.

‘We believe poverty must be eliminated through production, employment, opportunity and responsible social protection,’ he said.

Gombe also stressed the need for accountability in public office, declaring that citizens must be able to demand answers from their leaders.

‘Accountability is not an inconvenience to governance. Accountability is governance itself,’ he said.

He said the SDP wanted to build a Nigeria where farmers could cultivate their land without fear, traders could transport their goods safely, businesses could invest with confidence and citizens could live, work, worship and travel without fear.

Also speaking, the SDP vice-presidential candidate, Dr Usman Bugaje, said the country’s fundamental problem was not a shortage of capable citizens but poor leadership.

Bugaje pointed to the achievements of Nigerians in the diaspora as evidence that Nigerians possessed the skills and capacity required to build a prosperous nation.

According to him, ‘If you look at Nigerians in the diaspora, they are doing very well. Go to any country and you will find Nigerian professionals performing at par with their counterparts. In many cases, they are excelling in their chosen fields.

‘That tells us something very important: the problem is not the Nigerian people. The problem is leadership,’ he said.

Bugaje described the manifesto as a commitment to Nigerians and a ‘living document’ that would be refined through continued engagement with citizens.

He said the document addressed the country’s major development challenges, particularly insecurity, productivity and prosperity.

He also identified low agricultural productivity and high energy costs as major constraints to national development, arguing that Nigeria could significantly improve food production by adopting proven agricultural methods and developing value chains.

Bugaje said expensive energy affected virtually every sector, including transportation, agriculture and manufacturing.

‘We know precisely where the problems are, and I think we will, with the support of Nigeria, address them,’ he said.

He, however, acknowledged that implementing the SDP agenda would face resistance from entrenched interests benefiting from the existing system.

‘They are going to fight. But we shall fight. And we shall win. And we shall deliver, God willing,’ Bugaje declared.

University of Benin (UNIBEN), chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Wednesday embarked on an indefinite strike action over what it termed ‘amputated’ salary paid to its members by the management of the university.

The academic association took the decision after its congress was held to specifically discuss the half salary paid to its members for the month of August 2026.

The UNIBEN ASSU, in a statement endorsed by its Chairman, Professor Enaruna Edosa and Dr. L. O. Aimiyekagbon, Secretary, stated that the action followed ‘the extant NEC resolution that granted Branches authority to withdraw their services when salaries are not fully paid by the 3rd of the new month, and the resolution of the Emergency NEC of 5th September, 2026 mandating Branches in Federal universities whose salaries were underpaid to take action, and consequently declared a total and indefinite withdrawal of services until the underpaid salaries are fully paid.’

According to the statement, ‘For the avoidance of doubt, members are directed to cease teaching, supervision, attendance at Departmental Board, Faculty Board, Senate or other statutory meetings, and engagement in any academic or administrative activity while this action lasts.

‘Where any extenuating circumstances arise that may require a review of this decision, the Branch Chairman shall convene an emergency meeting of Congress to formally take a resolution on it. Until such a Congress meeting is convened, this decision shall continue to subsist.’ The statement was reiterated.

It would be recalled that tension had risen in the university following the payment of half salary to the academic staff for the month of August.

The payment of the August half salary without the payment of other allowances, the union stated, came as a surprise, as lecturers who took loans from the University were said to be hard-hit by the development as they virtually had nothing to take home for the month.

This was just as it was further gathered that apart from the five months’ arrears released by the Federal Government as part of the implementation of the ASUU-FG agreement, the government had quietly shifted the implementation of the agreement to the Universities without funding.

Before the full-blown industrial action, UNIBEN ASUU Chairman, Professor Edosa, had expressed optimism that with the university management paying professorial allowances to deserving members of the Union, ‘I believe the Vice Chancellor that the outstanding half salary will be paid’.

It was further gathered that the university paid the academic staff half salary for August from the university’s internationally generated revenue following the failure of the Federal Government to send subvention to the university.

The university, in a hasty reaction to the development, described the report of the payment of the half salary as ‘fake’.

In an unsigned statement sent to journalists on Wednesday evening by Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, the university spokesperson, the university said that ‘it is not true that academic staff of the institution were paid half salary in August 2026; the Management declared that the Federal Government has paid the salaries of all categories of staff up to August 2026.

‘The Management disclosed that the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), which was confused for salary, has now been released by the federal government and promptly disbursed to staff who are entitled to the Allowance.’ The statement emphasised.

The university further assured that ‘whatever is due to staff of the University will be paid without hindrance and advised against undue sensationalisation of issues by all stakeholders in order to sustain the prevailing industrial harmony in the University, and the Nigerian University System as a whole.’

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has called for deliberate efforts to ensure Nigeria derives greater maritime, industrial and developmental value from its growing offshore oil and gas activities.

Commission’s Chief Executive (CCE), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made the call while delivering a lecture at the Lagos International Maritime Week 2026 and the 11th International Maritime Business-to-Business Conference and Exhibition, themed, ‘From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence in Africa.’

Represented by the Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Captain John Tonlagha, the NUPRC boss said offshore development must go beyond hydrocarbon production, stressing that it presents an opportunity to build a globally competitive ecosystem of maritime services, infrastructure, technology and skills.

‘The pathway before us is clear. Policy to practice must mean moving from petroleum acreage to investment; from investment to offshore projects; from projects to production; from production to maritime enterprise; and from maritime enterprise to Nigerian jobs, technology, industrial capability and sustainable economic prosperity,’ Eyesan stated.

According to her, investments alone do not automatically translate into national value but must also be connected to domestic capability, competitive suppliers, skills development, infrastructure and measurable performance.

While calling for greater investment in ports, ship-repair facilities, fabrication yards, logistics bases, storage systems, waste-management facilities and coastal transport infrastructure, Eyesan also called for stronger participation of Nigerian companies across the offshore value chain, including vessel ownership and operation, marine logistics, subsea engineering, fabrication, equipment maintenance, inspection, certification, environmental services and marine surveying.

On environmental protection, she stressed that offshore development must be undertaken responsibly.

‘The blue economy cannot be sustainable if the marine environment is treated as an afterthought,’ she said.

She noted that the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 provides an enabling framework for offshore development, including provisions for responsible decommissioning and abandonment of petroleum facilities.

Eyesan said Nigeria’s success should ultimately be measured by increased offshore investment, stronger production and energy security, greater Nigerian maritime value, improved marine environmental protection, and the emergence of Nigeria as a competitive offshore energy and maritime-services hub for Africa.

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other development and research institutions, has commenced a five-day national training workshop aimed at strengthening agricultural extension services and accelerating the adoption of improved technologies among Nigerian farmers.

The workshop, holding from September 7 to 11, 2026, in Dutse, Jigawa State, has brought together 100 extension master-trainers and subject-matter specialists from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Organised under the theme, ‘Empowering Extension to Scale Agricultural Innovations,’ the programme is supported by the CGIAR Scaling for Impact Programme, Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) Secretariat and research institutions.

The initiative is designed around a cascade training model, through which the 100 master-trainers will train frontline extension personnel and farmer organisations, with the ultimate target of reaching at least 500,000 farmers.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, JATA Director-General, Dr Saifullahi Umar, said Nigeria had numerous agricultural technologies but faced a major challenge in effectively transferring them from research institutions to farmers.

He said the country’s extension-to-farmer ratio was commonly estimated at between one extension worker to 5,000 and 10,000 farmers, adding that inadequate funding, logistics, technical capacity and digital platforms had further weakened service delivery.

According to him, the gaps contribute to late planting, inappropriate input use, crop losses, low productivity and reduced farmer incomes.

Umar said the training must go beyond classroom learning, stressing that its success would ultimately be measured by changes in farming practices, productivity, resilience and livelihoods.

He disclosed that Jigawa State had recruited and trained 1,700 extension personnel and equipped them with motorcycles to improve their mobility and reach farming communities.

The state, he added, was also establishing Agricultural Development and Farm Service Centres, while its farm mechanisation company had a fleet of 400 tractors, alongside harvesters, sprayers and other equipment.

He further said Jigawa was rehabilitating dams and deploying 6,000 solar-powered irrigation systems to expand dry-season farming.

Representing the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the National Coordinator of NAGS-AP, Mr Ishaku Buba, said Nigeria received a $134 million loan under the African Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF), implemented through NAGS-AP.

He said NAGS-AP uses ICT to distribute subsidised agricultural inputs to registered smallholder farmers cultivating crops including wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, millet, soybean and cassava.

Buba disclosed that 647,500 farmers had been registered on the NAGS-AP platform across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory since the 2023/2024 dry season, while 622,818 farmers had received subsidised input packages.

He added that 1,269 redemption centres and 641 agro-dealers had been engaged nationwide.

The workshop will cover climate-smart agriculture, soil health, improved seed systems, pest and disease management, digital agriculture, market linkages, agricultural finance and farmer-centred extension approaches.

TAAT Head of the Clearinghouse, Dr Solomon Gizaw, said investing in extension professionals was essential to translating agricultural research and technologies into practical benefits for farming communities.

He described the Dutse training as the first step in a broader capacity-building process designed to create a multiplier effect across Nigeria’s extension system.

The organisers said the programme would culminate in action plans, institutional commitments and mechanisms for monitoring the impact of the training on farmers.

The seven governorship candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Nigeria’s Northwest have signed a regional development compact aimed at tackling insecurity, poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and weak human development through coordinated action across the seven states.

The Northwest ADC Governorship Candidates’ Compact 2027-2031 was adopted and signed on Wednesday by the party’s governorship candidates, including Sabo Mohammed Nakudu (Jigawa), Isa Mohammed Ashiru (Kaduna), Ibrahim Ali Amin (Kano), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Abubakar Malami SAN (Kebbi), Manir Muhammad Dan’iya (Sokoto) and Bilyaminu Shinkafi (Zamfara).

As a commitment to the pursuit of these ideals, the governorship candidates announced the establishment of a Central Coordination Committee chaired by Rt Hon Abdussamad Dasuki;

Technical Committee chaired by Maj Gen Aminu Bande (rtd) and co-chaired by Prof. Sadiq Abubakar; and Media and Strategic Communications Committee co-chaired by Salihu Tanko Yakasai.

The document sets out a common governance framework for the candidates if elected in the 2027 elections, with commitments covering security, agriculture, education, healthcare, youth employment, infrastructure, trade, industrialisation and public accountability.

The candidates said the initiative was based on the recognition that many of the region’s most serious problems do not stop at state boundaries and therefore require coordinated solutions.

‘Seven states. One regional purpose. Governing together where together works better,’ the candidates said in the Compact.

The proposed arrangement would not replace the constitutional responsibilities of individual states. Rather, each state would retain responsibility for its budgets, procurement, civil service, education, healthcare, agriculture, land administration, internally generated revenue and infrastructure within its boundaries, while the governors would collaborate on issues where joint action could produce better results.

The Compact comes against the backdrop of a prolonged security and humanitarian crisis affecting communities across the Northwest.

The document cites more than 16,000 fatalities recorded between June 2023 and August 2026 and 1,583 kidnapping events across the region since January 2023, involving more than 10,000 reported abductees.

It also points to widespread displacement and the abandonment of productive agricultural land in parts of the region, including about 533,000 hectares reported abandoned in Zamfara and Katsina.

The candidates argue that insecurity has become closely linked to other economic and social problems, creating a cycle in which unsafe communities lead to abandoned farms, reduced food production, higher food prices, school disruption and increased vulnerability among young people.

The Compact summarises the cycle as: insecurity, empty farms, hunger, children out of school, recruitable youth and insecurity.

‘One crisis deepens every other. A regional problem demands a regional response,’ the candidates said.

The document also raises questions about the relationship between public spending and citizens’ living conditions.

It estimates that the seven Northwest states and their 186 local government areas received approximately N8.33 trillion in FAAC allocations between June 2023 and August 2026, excluding other Federal Government interventions and special transfers.

The candidates sharply criticised the performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administrations currently governing the seven Northwest states.

They accused the administrations of presiding over what they described as massive and unprecedented looting of public resources, alleging that the region had little to show for the funds entrusted to its governments.

The candidates said the alleged failure was visible in the condition of public infrastructure, the security situation and the living standards of ordinary citizens.

‘The level of looting witnessed across the Northwest under the current administrations is massive and unprecedented in the region,’ the candidates said.

They further alleged that the APC-led governments had ‘little or nothing to show for their stewardship, neither in the lives of our people, physical infrastructure nor the security of lives and property.’

According to the candidates, the region’s worsening economic conditions stood in sharp contrast to what they described as the conspicuous affluence of some serving governors.

They accused current governors of spending public resources on new government houses, exotic vehicles and private-jet travel while large sections of the population struggle with poverty.

The ADC candidates said their Compact was intended to establish a different standard of public leadership.

The candidates said public resources must translate into measurable improvements in household welfare.

‘The question is no longer simply what government receives. The question is what citizens can see, access and afford as a result,’ they said.

Security is the first major pillar of the Compact, with the candidates proposing the establishment of 21 command-and-control centres, one in every senatorial district across the seven states, linked to state security structures and a proposed Northwest Regional Security Coordination Centre.

The proposed architecture would combine lawful aerial surveillance, drone-enabled vigilance, community intelligence, emergency reporting and geospatial information to improve early warning and response.

The candidates have also proposed a three-minute rapid-response activation standard for verified security alerts.

Under the plan, security information would move through a sequence of surveillance, early warning, verification, command and control and rapid response.

The candidates also propose protected agricultural corridors, where security arrangements would be coordinated with the return of farmers to high-risk production areas.

They said the ultimate objective was to restore normal economic activity rather than treat security as an isolated issue.

Security must mean more than military operations. It must mean that a farmer can reach his field, a trader can travel safely, a child can get to school and a family can live without fear, the candidates said.

Under its household protection, another element of the proposed programme, the candidates pledged to implement a N110,000 minimum wage for government workers across the seven states and said economic reforms would be accompanied by measures aimed at cushioning vulnerable households.

Under their five systems that guarantee prosperity, they listed Agriculture and Food, Education and Human Capital, Health Security, infrastructure and Integration, Youth, Enterprise and Jobs.

On infrastructure and integration, the candidates pledged to prioritise regional infrastructure (roads, rail network), independent power generation, solar power for public facilities, water systems, digital backbone and the border and logistics infrastructure which trade depends on. In the area of health security, they promised to ensure full access to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), revitalize primary health care centers, expand midwives, telemedicine and community health insurance deployment, and establish one specialist hospital in each senatorial district (21 region wide)

On Youth, Enterprise and Jobs, the candidates pledged to coordinate access to a Regional Youth Fund, prioritize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), establish digital hubs, formalize MSME and facilitate access to development finance. The seven governorship candidates also promised to declare emergency on education, secure full UBEC access, integrate Almajiri and Tsangaya children into formal schools, support girls’ school attendance, and build a credible system for teacher recruitment, continuous training and mopping up out-of-school children.

For Agriculture and Food, they promised to ensure more land is safely farmed, strengthening of food security through protected agricultural corridors, formalised livestock production, agro-processing, a regional grain reserve and irrigation rehabilitation.

The candidates also called for the release of formernKadina State Governor, am Mallam Nasiru El Rufai.

Poor adherence to blood pressure medication may significantly reduce its ability to prevent heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications, a major analysis of clinical trial data has found.

The study, involving 91,339 patients across nine randomised trials, found that people who consistently took their antihypertensive drugs had greater reductions in blood pressure and cardiovascular events than those who missed doses.

The findings are particularly important as an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30 to 79 worldwide live with hypertension, while about half of patients do not take their medication as prescribed.

Presenting the findings, Qianqian Yang of the University of Oxford, UK, said the analysis provided stronger evidence of the consequences of poor adherence than previous observational studies.

Researchers classified patients who took at least 80 per cent of their prescribed treatment as having high adherence, while those taking less than 80 per cent were considered to have low adherence.

Among patients with high adherence, systolic blood pressure fell by 5.2 mmHg in those receiving the antihypertensive intervention, compared with the comparator group.

For patients with low adherence, the reduction was just 3.0 mmHg.

Adherence also declined with time, even under the controlled conditions of clinical trials. The proportion of patients with high adherence dropped from 88 per cent in the first year to 79 per cent by the fifth year.

The researchers also examined major cardiovascular disease, including stroke, myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure resulting in death or hospitalisation.

They found an 11 per cent reduction in major cardiovascular disease among patients with high adherence who received the intervention.

However, no significant cardiovascular benefit was seen among those with low adherence.

Yang said the findings reinforced a basic principle of treatment: medicines cannot provide their full benefits when patients do not take them as prescribed.

The researchers urged healthcare providers to make medication adherence a routine part of hypertension care and to identify barriers that prevent patients from taking their drugs regularly.

They recommended simplifying treatment regimens, using single-pill combinations to reduce medication burden and considering longer-acting medicines where appropriate.

Professor Felix Mahfoud, Chair of the European Society of Cardiology Communication Committee, said non-adherence had long been overlooked as a cause of uncontrolled hypertension.

He urged healthcare professionals to have open, non-judgemental conversations with patients about difficulties they may face in taking their medication, stressing that better adherence could help patients benefit fully from life-saving treatment.

Running an online brand requires fast responses. The digital space has definitely come to stay, prospects expect instant answers the moment they reach out to your social media pages. If you keep potential buyers waiting for hours, they simply scroll past to your competitor.

Businesses using automated messaging flows see direct response rates that can reach up to 80 percent, far outpacing traditional email marketing. Setting up an instant direct message system ensures you welcome new followers and capture fresh leads immediately without sitting glued to your phone.

In this article, Tribune Online examines the essential, step-by-step methods you need to set up automated instant DMs and convert regular followers into active customers worldwide.

Switch your profile to a professional business account

The native personal profile on platforms like Instagram does not support third-party software integration or automated greeting systems.

You must open your app settings, navigate to the account options, and switch your page to a professional business or creator account.

This switch is entirely free and unlocks Meta’s advanced business tools. It allows external customer service tools to read incoming trigger words and initiate instant responses legally without violating platform safety policies.

Connect your account to Meta Business Suite

Meta controls both Facebook and Instagram messaging ecosystems from a single desktop dashboard called Meta Business Suite. You need to log into the suite on your computer browser and link your Facebook Page with your Instagram handle.

Once linked, open the inbox tab and click on the automations menu.Here, you can toggle on instant replies that welcome any user the very first time they drop a direct message in your inbox, ensuring immediate lead capture even when your team is offline.

Integrate an approved third-party automation platform

While native tools handle basic welcome notes, advanced automation requires a Meta-approved marketing tool such as ManyChat.

Create an account on the platform and grant it permission to access your connected business profiles.Using verified software ensures your account remains safe from automated bot penalties.

These platforms let you build smart conversational trees that ask for phone numbers, deliver downloadable files, or qualify potential buyers automatically.

Set your message triggers and build conversational flows

Decide what action should trigger an automated reply. You can configure your tool to fire an instant message whenever a follower leaves a specific keyword under your post comments, sends a direct message, or replies to your live story.

Draft a friendly, conversational message that provides direct value. Keep the language natural by greeting the user by name, answering their primary inquiry, and offering a clear next step, such as visiting your website catalog or providing an email address for a discount code.

Test your automation and monitor inbox performance

Before announcing your new automated campaign to the public, use a secondary personal account to test your triggers. Send the target keyword directly to your business page and confirm that the automated response arrives within five seconds.

Review your messaging performance metrics weekly inside your dashboard. Adjust the wording whenever you notice drop-offs, ensuring your automated messages remain warm, helpful, and focused on driving sales conversions.