Category: Nigerian Tribune

THE Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Amendment Bill, arguing that provisions seeking to penalise preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles could infringe on citizens’ constitutional rights and heighten religious tension.

The appeal was made at the third-quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the fellowship, held at the PFN secretariat in Lagos on Thursday.

Speaking after the meeting, the PFN national secretary, Bishop David Bakare, said while the fellowship supports efforts to improve road safety, it believes the proposed legislation is misplaced and fails to address Nigeria’s more pressing challenges.

The bill, which has reportedly been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent, proposes a fine of N50,000, six months imprisonment, or both, for anyone found hawking or preaching in commercial vehicles as part of measures aimed at reducing distractions to drivers.

Bakare said the fellowship appreciates the intention of lawmakers and the FRSC to strengthen road safety enforcement but questioned the necessity of the provision prohibiting preaching in buses.

‘There are many existing laws in Nigeria that, if properly implemented, would bring sanity to the country. What Nigerians urgently need today are solutions to insecurity, hunger and economic hardship, not legislation that appears to target religious activities,’ he said.

According to him, the fellowship believes the provision on preaching disproportionately affects Christians, who are more commonly known to evangelise in commercial buses.

‘We do not understand why lawmakers believe preaching in commercial buses distracts drivers. We have never been presented with evidence showing that a road accident occurred because someone was preaching in a bus,’ Bakare stated.

He argued that the proposed law could infringe on constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and expression, adding that similar concerns over activities that obstruct traffic in other settings have not received equal legislative attention.

The PFN national secretary urged the president to return the bill to the National Assembly for wider consultations with critical stakeholders.

‘This is a sensitive matter capable of generating unnecessary tension. We appeal to Mr President not to assent to the bill but to send it back for further deliberation. Government should focus on addressing issues that directly affect the welfare and security of Nigerians,’ he said.

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Bakare stressed that the fellowship remains committed to peaceful engagement with government but warned that criminalising peaceful evangelism would be unacceptable to the Christian community.

‘If government insists on implementing such a law, then they should be prepared to arrest us. We will continue to practise our faith peacefully, and government should not create avoidable religious intolerance,’ he added.

Also speaking, the PFN national treasurer, Dr Samuel Aboyeji, commended the recent successes recorded by security agencies against criminal elements, describing the release of abducted victims in Oyo state as an answer to prayers.

He, however, urged the Federal Government not to relent in its fight against banditry and kidnapping.

‘The government should build on the recent successes and sustain pressure on bandits. They are becoming more sophisticated, and the fight against insecurity must remain a top priority,’ Aboyeji said.

On the proposed FRSC amendment bill, Aboyeji questioned the priorities of the National Assembly, arguing that street hawking is largely a consequence of Nigeria’s harsh economic conditions.

‘Hawking in commercial buses is not something people enjoy doing. It reflects the state of the economy. Rather than criminalising hawkers and preachers, lawmakers should make life better for Nigerians,’ he said.

He also maintained that the PFN had not changed its position on the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, insisting that the fact it succeeded in the 2023 elections did not alter the fellowship’s earlier reservations.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the Nigerian government to act on growing pressure from the United States Congress for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, following fresh demands by U.S. Congressman John James that the separatist leader be freed immediately or granted a fresh trial.

James, a Republican lawmaker representing Michigan, made the call on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, urging the Nigerian government to either conduct a fresh trial for Kanu in line with the country’s Constitution or release him immediately and unconditionally.

According to a video of his remarks circulating online, the congressman said any retrial should guarantee Kanu access to evidence, legal representation, medical care and humane detention conditions.

James also described Nigeria as ‘the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian,’ alleging that Christians have faced sustained religiously motivated violence since 2019 and claiming that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram have continued to operate without an adequate response from the Nigerian government.

He argued that Kanu’s conviction resulted from what he described as a flawed judicial process and urged fellow lawmakers to support efforts aimed at securing the IPOB leader’s release.

‘I implore my colleagues to support my bill for the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu immediately and unconditionally,’ James said.

The congressman further stated that the United States provides substantial financial assistance to Nigeria and should not continue to do so ‘to fund Christian genocide,’ saying Washington has a moral obligation to support persecuted Christians.

James’ intervention follows the introduction of House Resolution 1321 in May 2026, which called on the Nigerian government to ensure Kanu’s legal proceedings comply with constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards.

Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2025 after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on terrorism-related charges. He is currently being held at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, while his legal team has filed an appeal challenging the conviction, which is yet to be heard.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful described James’ intervention as a historic development and urged the Nigerian government to heed the calls by U.S. lawmakers.

‘We commend Congressman John James for his courage and the United States Congress for providing the platform,’ Powerful said.

He said IPOB’s representatives in the United States had continued to engage lawmakers and other stakeholders on Kanu’s case, adding that the latest intervention reflected growing international concern over the detention of the IPOB leader.

Powerful also pointed to what he described as recent engagements with Israeli lawmakers in Jerusalem, saying they further demonstrated increasing international attention on the matter.

The IPOB spokesman maintained that Kanu was wrongly convicted and insisted that his trial failed to meet due process standards.

He expressed hope that the renewed international pressure would compel Nigerian authorities to review the case.

‘Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released immediately and unconditionally,’ Powerful said, adding that IPOB would continue to pursue what it described as its long-standing demand for a referendum on self-determination for the Biafra region.

Kanu’s conviction and detention remain the subject of ongoing legal proceedings before Nigeria’s appellate courts.

Oyo South senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) and House of Representatives member representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West federal constituency of Oyo State, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, has declared that he is setting an electoral target of 250,000 votes in the 2027 general election.

Olajide made the declaration while receiving members of the Odidiomo Movement, Ibadan North local government Teachers’ Forum who paid him a solidarity visit at his residence in Ibadan to reaffirm its support for his senatorial aspiration across the district ahead of the 2027 polls.

The two-term federal lawmaker expressed confidence in the growing popularity of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) across Oyo South senatorial district and Oyo State, declaring that his target of 250,000 votes would more than double the highest number of votes ever recorded in the electoral history of the district.

He maintained that the political equation ahead of the 2027 general election had shifted decisively in favour of the party.

‘I am looking for 250,000 votes. The highest votes ever recorded in Oyo South stand at about 115,000, but I intend to raise that bar. Once we deliver Oyo south, the victory of our governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, becomes a done deal. Our target is achievable because our structure is expanding and our message is solid with the people,’ he said.

Speaking on his political relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde, Olajide reaffirmed his loyalty to the governor, revealing that respected political leaders, including Chief Kola Daisi, Chief K.O Olatunji, and Baba Champion, among other notable Ibadan elders, encouraged him to align with Makinde in the interest of Oyo State.

‘My loyalty to Governor Seyi Makinde is undivided. I rose with him and I can never be part of anything that will undermine his political future. I stand by loyalty because it is one of the principles that define my life,’ he declared.

Earlier, the coordinator of the Odidiomo Movement, Ibadan North Teachers’ Forum, Mr. Olaide Samuel Olayinka, assured the federal lawmaker of the forum’s commitment to mobilizing teachers and other stakeholders in support of his senatorial ambition.

He expressed the readiness of members of the forum on intensifying grassroots mobilization across Oyo South, expressing confidence that the lawmaker’s experience, accessibility and record of service would earn him widespread support in the 2027 general election.

Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Tanimu, on Friday formally confirmed that the phantom Council entered the budget through official instrument, which has its institutional origins in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on 9 October 2019.

This is coming on the heels of interrogation of officials of relevant Standing Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The National Assembly personnel were invited to ascertain their oversight roles in scrutinising the budget process for the period under review.

Responding to the Ad-hoc Committee’s inquiry, Mr. Tanimu gave the insight during the resumed investigative hearing into the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of budgetary provisions for the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Council (PFIPC/PFIC), headed by the self-acclaimed Director General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.

He added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (oAGF) had assigned the administrative budget code that gave the Council its identity within the Federal Government’s budget architecture.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi who affirmed that the controversial Appropriation was passed by the National Assembly, however, disclosed that the Chairmen of relevant Standing Committees of the House of Representatives overseeing the Presidency budget will be invited for scrutiny.

While speaking, Mr. Yakubu disclosed that the sum of N3.8 billion requested for personnel cost was pruned to N802.98 million by the Budget Office in line with the approved establishment and applicable public service salary structure.

He maintained that the issue was never whether Parliament appropriated funds. It was whether the law permitted those funds to become expenditure. The law required financial clearance, lawful recruitment, payroll or enrolment, treasury warranting, cash backing, and procurement approvals. Those conditions never arose.

‘The appropriation, therefore, remained an appropriation. It never became expenditure. The public record should reflect the distinction. The public record should reflect that distinction, because if the distinction upon which the integrity of the expenditure control system rests.’

Mr. Yakubu, who affirmed that ‘the National Assembly appropriated funds for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council’ as a matter of record, however argued that ‘an appropriation is not expenditure; it is only the beginning of a legal process. Public money does not move because a figure appears in an Appropriation Act. It moves only when the law permits it to move, because the two lie a chain of controls between the two. Each link belongs to a different institution. Each must hold before the next can open.

‘The Budget Office is one part of that chain. The office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approves establishment and recruitment. The National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission regulates remuneration. The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation control warrants release cash backing and payment. The procurement authorities govern capital spending. No one institution can carry money from appropriation to expenditure. That is the safeguard. In the case of PEAC/PFIPC, the safeguard that safeguard actually held.

‘How the council entered the budget. The council did not enter the 2026 budget merely because it asked for funds. The Council had its origin in the presidential economic advisory council, inaugurated during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

‘By the time preparation of the 2026 budget began, official instruments had already been issued by the institutions charged with those functions, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation had assigned an administrative code. The office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had approved the authorized establishment and a recruitment waiver. The applicable public service salary structure also existed. Those instruments did not come from the Budget Office; they came to it.

‘The Budget Office did not create the Council; it did not assign its code; it did not approve its establishment; it did not grant its recruitment waiver. It received official instruments, and did what the law required of it. It measured their fiscal effect.

‘The Council later submitted a personnel estimate of N3.8 billion. That estimate did not form the basis of the Budget Office’s recommendation. The Budget Office disregarded it and made an independent calculation, only using the authorized establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable establishment, the applicable public service salary structure, and the extent costing methodology.

‘That calculation produced N802,978,783. This was not a concession to the Council; it was the Budget Office’s own fiscal proposal, a letter appropriated. Financial clearance was the closed gate. Financial clearance is the point at which a personnel provision may begin to acquire legal force as expenditure. It is not a routine letter. It is a confirmation that the fiscal and regulatory conditions for recruitment have been made. Until it is issued, the figure remains in the budget. It does not create staff, it does not open payroll, it does not produce salary.

‘The Budget Office did not issue financial clearance for the Council because the conditions were incomplete. The 2026 Appropriation bill did not become law until presidential assent on 31 March 2026. Before that date, the Budget Office could cost the proposal. It could not grant final financial clearance against a bill that had not yet become law.

‘After assent, a further condition remained outstanding: the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had not confirmed that the proposed staffing and remuneration arrangements complied with its prescribed template and the approved public service compensation framework.

‘The Budget Office could calculate the cost; it could not open the gate. There was therefore no financial clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll enrolment. There was no salary payment. The personnel provision was N802,978,783. It represented 61.63% of the total appropriation of N1,302,978 783.

‘It has sometimes been described as though the Council could have received the whole amount and spent it at will. The description is false. Personnel appropriations are not paid to agencies as lump sums. After every legal condition has been made, salaries are paid monthly, month by month. The money moves electronically into the designated bank accounts of verified employees enrolled on the federal government payroll.

‘The institution does not receive the annual personnel provision as cash under its control. Even in a lawful process, the Council would not have received N802,978,783 in one payment. The money would have gone over 12 months to individual employees. The process never began. No financial clearance was issued. No recruitment took place. No payroll record was created. No salary became due.

‘Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn. Not one kobo was drawn. There is no personnel expenditure to recover because there was no personnel expenditure. The overhead provision never became a right to cash. And only when the Treasury issues the required warrant and provide cash backing, the annual figure translated to N16.7 million a month during the period under review.

‘The treasury generally released between 25% and 50% of monthly provision, the amount that might have become available therefore ranged between N4.2 million and N8.3 million a month. Even that depended on the cash position of government.

‘Then the legal question changed the course of events. In June 2026, doubt arose about the status of the Council. The Budget Office formally notified the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to withhold every instrument that could support payment. That instruction closed the route to release. The N200 million remained a provision in law. It did not become money in the hands of the council. The capital provision never reached procurement. The capital provision was N300 million, representing 23.02 percent of the total appropriation.

‘It was a standard start-up provision for new, reinstated or reactivated public bodies. It was meant for basic operational assets. It was not a cash award. Capital expenditure follows another chain. There must be a procurement plan. The appropriate ministerial tenders board must act. The Public Procurement Act must be obeyed. Where the threshold requests it, the Bureau of Public Procurement must issue a Certificate of No Objection.

‘After that, the expenditure must still be warranted, released, and cash backed. None of these stages was completed. No procurement reached the point at which expenditure could arise. No ministerial tenders board approved a transaction. No Certificate of No Objection was issued. No warrant followed. No treasury cash backing followed. The capital provision remained where Parliament had placed it in the Appropriation Act. Subject to law, it never became capital expenditure.

‘The system did not chase a loss; it prevented one. The three provisions tell one story. The personnel provision stopped a financial clearance. The overhead provision stopped being warranting and cash backing. The capital provision stopped before procurement approved and released. Each met a different control. Each control held. The Budget Office rejected an unsupported estimate and made its own calculation. It withheld financial clearance when the conditions were incomplete.

‘When doubts arose about the legal status of the Council, it asked the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to stop all payment instruments. The wider system then did what it was designed to do. Payroll was never activated. Overhead was never converted into an annual cash release, procurement did not commence. Treasury instruments did not mature into payment.

‘The result was measurable. The 802,978,783 personnel provision never became payroll expenditure. The N200 million overhead prohibition never became a cash entitlement. The N300 million cash provision never became procurement or capital expenditure. The law did not recover money after it had gone. It prevented the money from going.

‘The broader lesson for all of us: this matter is larger than one Council and one appropriation. It shows why appropriation and expenditure must be kept apart in law and public understanding. Appropriation gives authority subject to conditions. Expenditure arises when those conditions have been met. The system divides power between public finance. The system divides power because public finance cannot rest on one office, one letter, or one decision. It rests on sequence, proof, and restraint. If the counts in the council’s case, the sequence did not fail; it stopped the expenditure before it began.

‘What has been called weakness is better understood as resilience. The controls did not identify a loss after the event, they prevented the event. They did not pursue money after it had left the treasury. They kept it from moving. The conclusion is firm: not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn, and not one kobo was drawn. The overhead provision never matured into lawful release. The capital provision never matured into procurement or expenditure. The conditions for spending were not met, and were not close to being met.

‘There is therefore no personnel expenditure to recover. The money never moved because the controls held. The Budget Office of the Federation will continue to cooperate with every lawful inquiry and will provide the records, computations, correspondences, and system evidence required to establish the facts,’ he assured.

In his intervention, a member of the Committee, Hon. Abubakar Fulata, noted that the document submitted by the Budget Office did not bear a gazette number, the signature of the Clerk to the National Assembly and evidence of presidential assent, insistes it was not a genuine Act of Parliament.

‘The purported Act is very clear. It is not genuine because it did not carry the gazette number, it did not have the signature of the Clerk of the National Assembly and it did not carry the signature of Mr. President.’

The lawmaker also faulted government agencies for failing to verify the authenticity of the document before acting on it.

While responding to the inquiry, Mr. Yakubu, insisted that the Agency acted strictly on official establishment approvals, recruitment waivers and salary structures issued by the appropriate statutory authorities.

He explained that although the phantom Council submitted a request seeking personnel funding, but stressed that such correspondence did not influence the Budget Office’s computations.

‘We do not rely on any instrument to calculate personnel costs other than the establishment authorisation and the directives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.’

While ruling, Hon. Gagdi disclosed that the Accountant-General of the Federation would appear before the committee on Monday to explain how the council obtained its budget code, while other agencies would also be questioned as the panel moves toward concluding its investigation.

‘By the special grace of God, we will conclude our findings and finish by next week,’ he assured.

The Osun State Government has declared the purported appointment of Kazeem Oyewale, also known as Asiri Eniba, as Chairman of the Osun State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), ‘null and void and of no effect.’

The government said Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle and his executive remain the only recognised leadership of the union in the state.

In a statement issued on Friday in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government said the move by the APC Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to suspend NURTW officers and inaugurate a caretaker committee was illegal and unconstitutional.

The statement noted that the dispute escalated after the State Security Council suspended all NURTW activities in motor parks across the state over alleged violent activities by hoodlums. The government said the suspension was misinterpreted as the dissolution of the Alowonle-led executive.

‘Declaring that Governor Ademola Adeleke did not at any point remove the NURTW leadership, the government submitted that the tenure of the Alowonle executive is yet to lapse and that attempting to impose a suspect in violent crimes as state chairman is an affront to the law,’ the statement said.

The government affirmed that Alowonle and his executive were appointed by the national leadership of the NURTW under Comrade MC Oluomo in line with the union’s regulations, adding that ‘there is no vacuum in the leadership of the union.’

‘At no time did the state government dissolve the executives of the NURTW at all levels. What the Security Council’s directive is all about is the suspension of all activities of the union in all our parks pending the restoration of peace in all the parks,’ the statement clarified.

According to the statement, Governor Adeleke also directed that the parks should remain open and not be closed.

The government urged security agencies to ensure peace in all motor parks while the Alowonle-led executive continues to operate in line with the union’s national guidelines.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the life sentence given to the two terrorists jailed last week, insisting that terrorists must receive capital punishment in order to deter others.

In a statement by the Executive Director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC averred that it is dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody because of their deadly networks which they use to organise jailbreaks.

ýThe group added: ‘Two notorious terrorists were given life sentence on Monday, 20th July, 2026. Justice Emeka Nwite, handed down the sentence after convicting Abubakar Abba, popularly known as Abu Baraa, and Mahmud Usman, also known as Mahmuda for terrorist activities.

‘We reject this judgement for being too lenient, too dangerous and too disproportionate. These are hardened and merciless criminals who should be eliminated with the speed of light. A good surgeon will not hesitate to amputate a rotten limb from the anatomy.

‘We are of the opinion that terrorists who execute their captives, traumatise families as well as whole nations and subject their victims to inhuman treatments deserve capital punishment. It is dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody temporarily or ad infinitum because of their deadly networks which they use to organise jailbreaks.

‘They are no longer human beings. It is dangerous to keep them with other inmates if we don’t want them to convert ordinary prisoners into terrorists like them.’

According to MURIC, ‘It appears the Nigerian authorities are yet to learn their lessons. The terrorists who staged the kidnap of school children and teachers at Oriire, Oyo State recently had demanded the release of the same two terrorists who were sentenced two days ago as a condition for releasing their innocent victims.

‘That should have sent a red alert to the authorities that terrorists are taking advantage of the democratic environment to abuse our values. Those who rob others of the dividends of democracy do not deserve to enjoy same. Terrorists have no right to claims of fundamental human rights.

‘We, therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks.

‘In view of several audacious attacks on prison facilities and the tendency of terrorists to plan attacks from prison, we also demand that terrorists sentenced to death must be executed within seven days of the judgement.

‘The Federal Government should put all necessary legal niceties in place to ensure that due process is followed in this regard.’

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has unveiled plans to establish a state-owned commercial airline as part of efforts to create employment opportunities for Kano indigenes who have completed professional pilot training.

The governor disclosed the plan during the 40th Executive Council Meeting held at the Government House, Kano, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

Yusuf said the proposed Kano Airline was expected to commence operations within the next year, adding that the project was designed to provide direct employment for state-sponsored pilots and strengthen the state’s presence in the aviation sector.

He assured members of the Kano State Pilot Association that his administration would provide all the necessary support to ensure the successful establishment and operation of the airline.

The governor made the announcement after receiving several awards, including an honour from the Kano State Pilot Association in recognition of his administration’s support for members of the association to complete their aviation training.

Yusuf also expressed satisfaction with the academic performance of Kano-sponsored pilots who underwent training in Jordan under a programme initiated by a previous administration.

He pledged to build on the achievements of the programme by creating opportunities that would enable the trained pilots to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Kano State Pilot Association, Naziru Ibrahim, commended the governor for his continued support for members, particularly his intervention in facilitating the revalidation of their flying licences.

Ibrahim appealed to the governor to further assist the pilots in obtaining their final certifications, which would qualify them to operate commercial flights within Nigeria and on international routes.

The proposed airline, if realised, is expected to enhance employment opportunities for trained aviation professionals from Kano while expanding the state’s investment in the transport sector.

Nigerian students are passionately hunting for scholarships in Rwanda due to its reputation for high-quality, uninterrupted education, and accessible premier institutions like the CMU-Africa and ALU. Also, Rwanda offers visa-free entry, a secure environment, and attractive funding options for African youths

Over the past few years, Rwanda has transformed itself into one of Africa’s fastest-growing technology and innovation hubs. While destinations like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States remain popular among Nigerian students, an increasing number are now looking closer to home.

Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, has become an attractive destination for students seeking affordable, high-quality education in technology, engineering, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship.

For anyone considering studying tech in Rwanda universities Kigali, the appeal goes beyond lower tuition fees. Rwanda’s strong investment in digital infrastructure, innovation-friendly policies, expanding startup ecosystem, and growing number of international scholarships are making it one of Africa’s most promising education destinations.

Kigali emerging as Africa’s technology capital

Rwanda has spent the last decade investing heavily in digital transformation. The government prioritised broadband connectivity, e-government services, digital payments, innovation centres, and technology education as part of its long-term national development strategy.

So, the country’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and digital economy initiatives continue to encourage investment in innovation, digital skills, and entrepreneurship. Rwanda is also home to Kigali Innovation City, an ambitious project designed to bring together universities, technology companies, research institutions, and startup incubators in one ecosystem.

These investments have positioned Kigali as an increasingly attractive destination for students who want to combine academic learning with practical exposure to Africa’s growing tech industry.

How Scholarships are now opening new doors

Affordability is another major reason Nigerian students are looking toward Rwanda.

Several universities and development partners offer scholarships covering tuition, accommodation, research opportunities, or partial financial support for international students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programmes.

Institutions such as the African Leadership University (ALU), the University of Rwanda, and the Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) campus have attracted students from across the continent through competitive academic programmes and scholarship opportunities.

Many scholarships also place strong emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation alongside technical education.

Growing tech ecosystem creates practical opportunities

Undoubtedly, studying technology is valuable, but practical experience often determines career success.

Kigali’s startup ecosystem provides students with opportunities to participate in hackathons, incubator programmes, startup accelerators, internships, and research collaborations while completing their degrees.

According to Partech Africa’s annual venture capital report, investment into African technology startups has continued to support innovation across sectors such as fintech, health technology, education technology, logistics, and artificial intelligence.

Rwanda has positioned itself to benefit from this broader continental growth through policies that encourage entrepreneurship and foreign investment.

Change in International student’s mobility

Global student mobility patterns have evolved significantly in recent years.

UNESCO data shows that more students are choosing regional education destinations that combine affordability with internationally recognised qualifications. Rather than automatically pursuing degrees outside Africa, many students are now considering universities within the continent that offer strong academic standards and growing employment opportunities.

UNESCO’s Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students database highlights increasing cross-border education within Africa as governments expand higher education partnerships and regional mobility initiatives.

For Nigerian students, Rwanda offers geographical proximity, lower living costs compared with many Western countries, and easier integration into an English-speaking academic environment.

What students should consider before applying

Although Rwanda offers exciting opportunities, as a student, you should research programmes carefully before making decisions.

Important considerations include accreditation, curriculum quality, internship opportunities, scholarship conditions, visa requirements, accommodation costs, graduate employment outcomes, and industry partnerships.

Applicants should also confirm admission requirements directly with each university rather than relying solely on third-party websites.

Why employers value international African experience

Employers appreciate graduates who understand Africa’s diverse digital economy.

Students who complete degrees in Rwanda often graduate with experience collaborating across multiple African countries, participating in multinational innovation programmes, and working within startup ecosystems that emphasise problem-solving and entrepreneurship.

These experiences can strengthen employability in technology consulting, software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech, and digital product development.

Interest in studying tech in Rwanda universities Kigali reflects a broader shift in African higher education. Nigerian students are no longer looking only to Europe or North America for world-class technology education. They recognise that Rwanda offers competitive universities, expanding scholarship opportunities, practical industry exposure, and access to one of Africa’s fastest-growing innovation ecosystems.

As investment in technology and digital education continues across the continent, Kigali is well positioned to remain one of the leading destinations for ambitious students seeking internationally relevant skills without leaving Africa.

Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has intensified efforts to educate taxpayers on the state’s new tax laws, launching a comprehensive sensitisation campaign in Kogi Central Senatorial District to enhance compliance and promote better understanding of the reforms.

The town hall meeting, held in Okene on Thursday, marked the beginning of a statewide awareness exercise that will subsequently cover the remaining two senatorial districts.

The interactive session provided an opportunity for taxpayers, business owners, and other stakeholders to engage directly with officials of the revenue service, seek clarification on the new tax regime, and raise issues affecting their businesses and economic activities.

Addressing participants, the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Dr. Sule Salihu Enehe, represented by the Director of Legal Services, Barrister Abubakar-Aliyu Bala, described taxation as a vital instrument of national development that has sustained societies throughout history.

He said the revenue service has fully aligned with the provisions of the new tax laws, particularly those aimed at eliminating multiple taxation, protecting small businesses, and ensuring that low-income earners are not unfairly burdened.

According to him, the agency remains committed to implementing a fair, transparent, and inclusive tax system anchored on the principle of ‘taxing prosperity, not poverty,’ while creating an enabling environment for economic growth.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue, Dr. Rahman Nasir Ichanyi, explained that the reforms were introduced to end illegal revenue collection at roadblocks, curb multiple taxation, and establish a transparent relationship between government and taxpayers.

He assured participants that the concerns raised during the meeting would be conveyed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for prompt consideration and necessary action.

In a detailed presentation, the Director of MDAs at KGIRS, Hajiya Hassanat Enehezei Salawu, highlighted the key provisions of the new tax laws and responded to questions from participants during an interactive session.

The meeting attracted taxpayers and representatives of several associations from different ethnic groups, including the Ebira, Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa communities.

During the discussions, stakeholders from the informal sector identified unreliable electricity supply and poor infrastructure as major obstacles to business growth. They argued that the challenges have reduced productivity and limited the capacity of many businesses to generate income and meet their tax obligations.

The participants appealed to the state government to improve power supply and infrastructure, noting that such investments would stimulate business expansion, boost productivity, and ultimately increase the state’s internally generated revenue.

KGIRS said the sensitisation campaign will continue across Kogi State as part of its commitment to promoting awareness, strengthening taxpayer engagement, and ensuring widespread compliance with the new tax laws.

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian medical professionals practising outside the country to return home and contribute their quota to national development.

Tinubu made the appeal at the State House on Friday when he received members of the Nigerian Diaspora Medical Associations.

The Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, led the health workers to the meeting with President Tinubu.

The visit coincides with the National Diaspora Day Celebration 2026, scheduled for July 24-25 at the State House Conference Centre.

Tinubu told the team they should take a cue from his personal experience after deciding to return to Nigeria following his studies and work in the United States.

He said:

‘I’ve been through that journey. I’m home, and I can tell you, there’s nowhere like home. I’ve experienced being in America. I’ve taken the best of America in my chosen profession, accountancy and finance.

‘I can’t forget the Standard Oil Building in Chicago and my first week there. But since I came back from Mobil to now, it has been a very good challenge to commit and endure the possibility of turning Nigeria around.

‘So many of you have seen the hazards of the other side of the world. You’ve experienced the tribulation and challenges, and you’ve come back home to feel it and seal it.’

Tinubu further advised the medical professionals to convince their colleagues to return home, assuring them that his administration would continue to create an enabling environment for them to practise and thrive.

He said:

‘My friends who are still there, try to attract them home. But the best way to demonstrate to you is for me to commit myself to my agenda, the Renewed Hope, so that the hope of Nigerians of having a better environment, better education, better development and prosperity can be realised.

‘Your children will see the foundation of this country as belonging to them, and the future belonging to them is what we are working hard for. Your coming to help is immeasurable.’

Tinubu restated his determination to fight poverty and improve the living standards of Nigerians.

‘Poverty is not acceptable. We won’t accept it. We will fight it. We will bring prosperity. We will bring care to our people.’

President Tinubu, who directed the Director-General of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, to prepare personalised letters of appreciation for members of the delegation, also commended the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, for advancing his administration’s healthcare agenda.

‘I see Salako and the other members of the team are really working hard to actualise the dream. Please be ready to move on.’