Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, has commended Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for approving, domesticating and commencing payment of the revised Professional and Specialist Allowances to its members, as earlier promised.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its president, Dr John Omotoso, the association noted that the development represented the fulfillment of commitments made by the state government following a series of engagements and meetings between the resident doctors and government representatives.

Omotoso, while expressing the association’s gratitude to the state government, said the gesture affirmed the responsiveness of the present administration to the welfare and professional concerns of doctors in the state.

‘The ARD, OOUTH, Sagamu particularly commended the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his political will and timely intervention in addressing the demands of doctors and improving their welfare.

‘The approval and implementation of the revised allowances will significantly improve the morale, motivation, and productivity of resident doctors at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.

‘This positive development will also further enhance the attractiveness of OOUTH as a centre for postgraduate medical training and practice, thereby helping to attract and retain doctors and address the shortage of resident doctors currently experienced in several departments of the hospital,’ the statement read in part.

The association also thanked the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, for his consistent and constructive engagement with the association in addressing issues affecting its members and the healthcare sector as a whole.

Omotoso stated that the association remained committed to constructive engagement with the government and other relevant stakeholders, with the collective goal of strengthening medical residency training in the state and making Ogun State a leading destination for postgraduate medical education in Nigeria.

The association also appreciated the immediate past state chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Ogunjimi Lukman; and the Head of Service of Ogun State, Mr Iskeel Saka, for their respective roles and contributions towards promoting industrial harmony, improving doctors’ welfare and ensuring the continued provision of quality healthcare services to the people of Ogun State.

Omotoso also expressed appreciation to members of the association for their continued trust in his leadership, unwavering support, commitment to the ideals of the association and dedication to unity throughout the various phases of his administration.

The association said significant interventions, such as the payment of professional allowances, would further strengthen the partnership between the government and healthcare professionals towards achieving a more efficient, motivated and resilient healthcare workforce for the benefit of the people of Ogun State

The country has an estimated 195,000 kilometres of roadway coverage. Only South Africa has more roads in Africa, with 750,000 kilometres.

Nigeria’s position puts it ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya, which rank 30th and 32nd globally respectively.

Ethiopia has 180,000 kilometres of roadway coverage, making it the third-largest road network in Africa. Kenya follows with 161,452 kilometres.

The Democratic Republic of Congo ranks fifth in Africa with 152,373 kilometres, while Tanzania is sixth with 145,203 kilometres.

Mali takes seventh place with 139,107 kilometres. Algeria ranks eighth with 112,696 kilometres.

Zimbabwe, with 97,267 kilometres, is ninth, while South Sudan rounds off the top 10 with 90,200 kilometres.

According to Global Firepower in its 2026 publication, the figures measure total usable or useful roadway coverage. They are included as part of the organisation’s 2026 logistics ranking.

The organisation said roadways reflect a country’s infrastructure maturity and provide access to industrial sectors, terminals and ports.

Outside Africa, the United States has the world’s largest road network, covering 6,586,610 kilometres.

India is second globally with 6,371,847 kilometres, followed by China with about 5.2 million kilometres.

Brazil ranks fourth with about 2 million kilometres, while Russia occupies fifth place with 1,283,387 kilometres.

South Africa is the only African country in the global top 20, ranking 11th worldwide.

Nigeria’s 195,000 kilometres place it at 28th globally, ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya.

The ranking is based on the total length of usable roadway coverage. It does not assess the quality or condition of roads, nor does it show the percentage of roads that are paved.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legal team in the United States, Wole Afolabi, has said Tinubu would have been indicted, arrested and prosecuted in the US if authorities had evidence linking him to drug trafficking.

Afolabi made the assertion while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he discussed the legal dispute surrounding records held by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration concerning Tinubu and previous investigations.

The lawyer argued that the absence of an indictment against the president was significant, particularly in light of the actions taken by US authorities in other cases involving alleged drug offences.

He cited former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega and former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie, as well as cases involving Venezuelan officials and Nigerians extradited over alleged drug trafficking, to support his argument.

‘So the question that should be asked reasonably is this: what’s so special about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he would be coming into America and leaving America without being arrested, detained or interviewed for anything?’ he asked.

Afolabi also maintained that the principle of presumption of innocence applied to Tinubu and said the available evidence did not establish the allegations being made against the president.

Asked directly whether he was saying Tinubu had never taken drugs, had never been caught with heroin and had never been involved in drug trafficking, Afolabi responded that he was relying on the evidence available.

‘What the evidence shows,’ he said.

The comments came amid an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking access to documents concerning Tinubu and past investigations from US government agencies.

According to Afolabi, thousands of pages of records have already been released, while some portions remain redacted because the US government says disclosure could expose law enforcement methods, sources and agents.

He explained that Tinubu’s legal team was challenging the release of the redacted material because US law provides grounds for such legal action, rather than because the team was attempting to suppress incriminating evidence.

‘This matter has been going on for quite some time, as you rightly said, and the DEA and other government agencies have produced documents and made available to Mr Greenspan.

‘Now Mr Greenspan is asking that documents should be unredacted before they are handed over to him. The way the system works is this: it’s not what you want, it’s what the law stipulates.

‘So precisely what we are doing is going under the coverage of the law. It’s what the law gives us the right to do. It would amount to professional malpractice on our part if we don’t take advantage of what the law offers,’ he said.

Afolabi further rejected the suggestion that the US government was withholding the documents to shield Tinubu.

He pointed to a recent Department of Justice filing, saying the stated concern was the protection of investigative techniques and the identities of sources and agents.

‘In one of the recent filings that was made recently by the Department of Justice, it was stated in the footnote at page 24 that their concern is about the methodology by which information is gathered.

‘No mention was made of any protection being offered to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ he said.

The discussion also touched on the $460,000 forfeited to US authorities in the 1990s and the civil forfeiture proceedings connected to the funds.

Afolabi argued that the civil nature of the forfeiture did not establish criminal culpability against Tinubu, stressing that a finding of criminal wrongdoing would have resulted in an indictment.

‘If he was culpable, he simply would have been indicted. There’s no shortcut around it. He would have been indicted,’ he said.

However, the lawyer declined to provide further details about Tinubu’s account of the matter, citing attorney-client confidentiality and the professional obligations attached to his role.

‘I’m acting as his lawyer, and as a lawyer, there is what you call attorney-client privilege, and it’s taken very seriously over here. One can lose one’s licence very easily.

‘Unfortunately, I can’t divulge any information that my client had disclosed to me confidentially. I’m sorry,’ he said.

The Federal Government will begin blacklisting schools, authors, and publishing houses that use or distribute unapproved instructional materials starting this September.

This harsh sanction coincides with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session in two weeks, marking the official enforcement of an aggressive new national textbook ranking policy.

Under the new directive, standard licensing from the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) no longer guarantees a textbook’s entry into classrooms.

Every instructional resource from primary to senior secondary school must now pass a rigorous national evaluation, securing a minimum score of 70% to qualify for the official national ranking.

Speaking recently with education stakeholders-including state commissioners, private school owners, and administrators-the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, emphasized that the policy is central to making Nigeria’s education sector globally competitive.

According to the policy statement obtained by Nigerian Tribune, the government is capping the final approved list to a maximum of six to 10 titles per subject to prevent an overcrowded market.

Once a textbook makes this elite list, it will remain standard for a minimum lifespan of three years to ensure educational stability.

While unranked textbooks are strictly banned in all public primary and secondary schools nationwide, the Federal Government strongly recommends that private institutions adopt these exact standards to maintain uniform educational quality.

This policy aims to transform Nigerian education by standardising textbook quality across all states, eliminating substandard schoolbooks, and giving students access to top-tier learning resources to drastically improve academic performance.

To ensure total compliance, the Federal Ministry of Education and the NERDC will deploy nationwide monitoring teams to track down violators. Any educational institution, author, or publisher caught using unapproved materials will face immediate blacklisting.

Despite the introduction of this new quality control tier, the NERDC will continue its statutory responsibility of basic textbook licensing alongside the new ranking framework.

Katsina State Government has intensified efforts to contain a fresh outbreak of diphtheria, with 67,670 eligible persons vaccinated within the first three days of a reactive immunisation campaign.

The government has also secured an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines to strengthen the emergency response and protect residents in communities considered to be at high risk.

The Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Shemau Abba Kabir, disclosed this on Sunday at a press briefing on the diphtheria situation in the state.

Kabir said the state had recorded more than 1,000 suspected cases of diphtheria between January and August 2026, with preliminary figures indicating that about five per cent of the suspected cases may have resulted in deaths.

‘The state has recorded over 1,000 suspected cases of diphtheria between January and August this year, and preliminary indications suggest that about five per cent of the affected persons may have died,’ Kabir said.

She explained that the figure was based on suspected cases and would require further verification.

According to her, diphtheria has spread to 29 of the state’s 34 local government areas, with Funtua, Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura recording the highest number of suspected cases.

‘The disease has so far been identified in 29 out of the 34 local government areas of Katsina State, with some local governments recording significantly higher numbers of suspected cases,’ she said.

Kabir said the concentration of cases in the affected areas had prompted the government to intensify disease surveillance and deploy targeted interventions to prevent further transmission.

She said reactive vaccination had commenced in 15 high-risk wards across Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia local government areas.

She explained that the exercise was targeted at communities considered particularly vulnerable to the spread of the disease, especially children.

‘Our immediate priority is to interrupt transmission in the high-risk communities through reactive vaccination, intensified surveillance and prompt case management,’ Kabir said.

The agency has also established three isolation centres in Daura, Katsina and Funtua to improve the state’s capacity to manage suspected and confirmed cases and reduce the risk of further transmission.

Kabir said the government had provided essential medicines, medical consumables and infection prevention and control materials to support health workers responding to the outbreak.

‘Government has provided essential drugs and medical consumables, as well as infection prevention and control materials, to strengthen the response in affected areas,’ she said.

She added that case-management drugs were being pre-positioned in affected communities to ensure that health facilities could respond promptly whenever suspected cases were identified.

The Executive Secretary further disclosed that health workers were being trained on diphtheria surveillance and case management to improve early detection, reporting and treatment.

She said strengthening the capacity of frontline health workers was critical because early identification and appropriate management could significantly reduce complications and deaths associated with the disease.

‘Case-management drugs are being pre-positioned in affected areas, while health workers are receiving training on diphtheria surveillance and the management of suspected cases,’ Kabir said.

Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection that can cause severe breathing difficulties and other serious complications, particularly among children who are not adequately vaccinated.

Kabir therefore appealed to parents, caregivers and community leaders to ensure that children receive all recommended routine vaccines, describing immunisation as one of the most effective ways of preventing the disease.

‘Vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective ways of preventing diphtheria, and parents and caregivers must ensure that their children receive all recommended vaccines,’ she said.

She urged parents and caregivers to seek immediate medical attention if children develop symptoms associated with diphtheria, including sore throat, fever and difficulty in breathing.

‘Parents and caregivers should immediately report to the nearest health facility if their children develop symptoms such as sore throat, fever or difficulty in breathing,’ she said.

She also called on community leaders to support health authorities by encouraging families to participate in the vaccination exercise and promptly report suspected cases.

The Executive Secretary stressed that community cooperation would be essential to containing the spread of the disease, particularly in areas where the highest number of cases had been recorded.

A Tribune Correspondent in Katsina reports that the development comes as the state continues to strengthen disease surveillance and emergency response measures amid concerns over the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases across parts of Northern Nigeria.

However, the competition on global freelance marketplaces is intense. Thousands of skilled professionals across the world bid for the exact same high-paying jobs every single day.

Many freelancers send dozens of proposals daily without receiving a single interview invitation. The main reason for this struggle is often not a lack of talent, but a weak and unconvincing portfolio display.

High-paying clients do not have the time to read lengthy cover letters or guess what you can do. When they open your profile, they make a hiring judgment within seconds based on visual proof and past performance.

If your portfolio looks disorganised or treats your past jobs like basic homework submissions, premium clients will scroll past your proposal and hire someone else.

Building a high-converting portfolio requires a strategic approach where every sample clearly communicates value, problem-solving ability, and measurable return on investment.

In this article, Tribune Online examines the essential step-by-step strategies needed to structure a winning portfolio that commands high rates and wins global USD contracts.

Choose single profitable niche

A major mistake many freelancers make is trying to showcase every skill they have all at once. Presenting yourself as a graphic designer, content writer, and virtual assistant on one profile confuses serious clients.

Premium international clients rarely hire generalists for high-budget projects because they want dedicated specialists. When a business owner has a critical problem, they search for an expert who understands their specific industry inside out.

Specialised profiles with niche-relevant work samples consistently achieve higher proposal view-to-hire conversion rates than generic accounts.

Focusing your portfolio on a clear niche positions you as an authority. It assures prospective clients that you have handled similar projects successfully in the past and can deliver top-tier results without hand-holding.

Frame past work as problem-solving case studies

Uploading raw images, uncontextualised screenshots, or plain text links without explanation does not convince high-paying clients. Premium buyers want to understand your thought process and how you navigate business challenges.

Structure every portfolio entry as a mini case study by clearly defining the client’s initial problem, the specific strategy you executed, and the final impact achieved.

When you explain the background of a project, the client sees that you are a strategic partner who cares about their business goals, rather than just a task-doer waiting for instructions.

Highlight measurable data and real results

International clients invest in freelancers to save time, increase revenue, streamline operations, or build brand reputation. Demonstrating real numbers is the fastest way to prove your worth.

Whenever you showcase a completed project, include specific metrics that reflect the project’s success. Numbers cut through skepticism and provide undeniable evidence of your competence.

Instead of writing that you wrote blog posts for a brand, specify that your articles increased organic website search traffic by 45 percent over three months.

If you are a web developer or designer, state how your redesign reduced page load time by two seconds or boosted checkout conversions. Measurable outcomes instantly justify higher hourly rates and project fees.

Use clean high-resolution visual previews

First impressions happen visually in a fraction of a second. When a client scrolls through your Upwork profile, your portfolio thumbnail images determine whether they will click to see more details.

Poorly cropped screenshots, blurry graphics, or cluttered mockups make even outstanding work look amateurish. High-budget clients associate visual polish with overall work quality and professionalism.

Utilise free graphic design platforms like Canva or Figma to place your work into clean device mockups, modern slide templates, or well-aligned grid presentations.

A visually appealing gallery shows clients that you take pride in your craft and maintain high presentation standards across all client deliverables.

Add client testimonials and social proof

Nothing builds trust faster with a prospective client than the positive words of other business owners who have hired you. Social proof removes the perceived risk of hiring a new contractor online.

Whenever you upload a project sample, embed a short, impactful quote from that client within the project description or directly onto the preview image.

Even if you are new to Upwork, you can legitimately include screenshots of positive feedback, recommendation letters, or LinkedIn endorsements received from previous off-platform jobs to establish instant credibility.

Keep your best work at the top

Quality always outperforms quantity when presenting your portfolio to high-value prospects. Having four thoroughly explained, high-impact project samples is far more effective than cluttering your profile with fifteen mediocre tasks.

Review your portfolio regularly and eliminate outdated work that no longer reflects your current skill level or target pricing. Keep your most impressive and relevant projects positioned right at the top where they are seen first.

By consistently updating your profile with relevant case studies, clean visuals, and verifiable results, you transform your Upwork portfolio into an automated sales tool that attracts premium USD clients on demand.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Gombe State, over the weekend, received a political boost following the resignation of Honourable Usman Sule Dauda (popularly known as Kalala) as the state chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and his subsequent return to the PDP.

He joined the party alongside Hon. Shehu Abubakar Durbi and their numerous supporters.

Shehu Abubakar Durbi is a respected political leader, who served twice as Commissioner for Lands and Survey in Gombe State, just as he also previously represented Gombe North Constituency in the Gombe State House of Assembly.

Usman is also an experienced grassroots politician who served two terms as a member, representing Kaltungo West Constituency in the Gombe State House of Assembly.

He also previously served as PDP Chairman of Kaltungo Local Government Area. Until his recent resignation and return to the PDP, he was the Gombe State Chairman of the Labour Party.

Speaking during their formal reception into the PDP, the two political leaders attributed their decision to the outstanding credentials, proven competence, and extensive leadership experience of the party’s governorship candidate, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

They expressed confidence in Professor Pantami’s capacity to provide purposeful leadership, promote inclusive governance, and deliver sustainable development across Gombe State.

Hon. Durbi and Hon. Kalala also declared their full support for the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and pledged to mobilise extensively for the victory of all PDP candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Their return to the PDP, together with their numerous supporters, further demonstrates the party’s growing appeal, expanding grassroots strength, and renewed unity across Gombe State.

The PDP family warmly welcomed Hon. Shehu Durbi, Hon. Usman Kalala, and their supporters and assured them of fairness, as contained in a statement signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed, made available to journalists on in Gombe.

Veteran Nollywood actor Yemi Solade has explained why he stopped attending church 13 years ago, saying he no longer agreed with the idea of limiting worship to a particular day.

The 66-year-old actor disclosed this during a recent interview on Curiosity Made Me Ask, where he spoke about his faith, relationships and how he views public perception.

Solade said his decision to stop attending church does not mean he has abandoned his faith, maintaining that his relationship with God remains important to him.

‘God created me in His image. I stopped going to church 13 years ago because I was not finding it funny any longer. Though I am a child of God,’ he said.

‘My life is not orchestrated towards a particular day. There is no Sunday in the Bible. Without God, I will not be alive.’

The actor said he believes worship should not be restricted to a specific day, adding that his faith goes beyond attending a formal place of worship.

‘I know God too well. If you get close to me, you will know that God lives in me,’ he said.

Solade also discussed his relationship with other people, revealing that he prefers to avoid close friendships and intimacy.

‘I do not have a friend. I do not roll with anybody, but I move with the world because God has instructed me to do that for myself,’ he said.

‘I am loved by a lot of people, and I love a lot of people. But I do not have intimacy with people. It is good for me.’

Speaking about how people perceive him, Solade said public discussions about him show that he remains relevant.

‘You will only speculate. You have heard things about me; most of them are not true. If I am not important, people will not talk about me,’ he added.

The Lagos State Government has stressed the importance of stronger parental cooperation and support in raising well-rounded children who will grow into responsible adults.

The Permanent Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, made this observation on a sideline at the maiden seminar organised recently by the Lagos Parents’ Forum.

The event, themed ‘Strengthening Synergy for Quality Education in Lagos State Public Schools,’ brought together parents across the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 34 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state.

Also in attendance were the Tutors-General/Permanent Secretaries of the six educational districts, school administrators, teachers, and community leaders.

The seminar, held in Oshodi, was organised in conjunction with Ashoka Africa, a non-profit organisation that promotes systemic social change.

Addressing the gathering, the Permanent Secretary underscored the importance of the forum and commended the six district Tutors-General for their full support and cooperation.

She expressed hope that the knowledge shared at the forum would be effectively utilised at home and cascaded to other parents across various communities.

She added that strengthening the existing synergy across all levels-from the ministry and districts to parents and students-is crucial to transforming the education sector of the state.

Delivering separate keynote speeches, the Director-General of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Dr Sulaiman Ogunmuyiwa, and the co-President of Ashoka Africa, Angelou Ezeilo, also urged parents to take their roles in their children’s education seriously.

According to them, active parental involvement is vital to raising well-rounded individuals.

They also noted that a student’s background should not determine their future success.

Dr Ogunmuyiwa, who was represented by Mr Fajobi Abiodun, the Director of the School Standards Evaluation Department, urged parents not to neglect their duties or leave them solely to teachers.

He stated that every parent must partner with the government, visit their children’s schools, know the teachers, attend open days, and closely monitor their children’s studies at home to achieve great learning outcomes.

Ogunmuyiwa thanked the Parents’ Forum for organising the seminar, stating that the initiative demonstrates their commitment to the well-being of their children, and urged them to sustain the effort.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Lagos State Parents’ Forum, Mr Olatunbosun Akanbi, described the seminar as a wake-up call for parents and guardians to be alive to their responsibilities.

He noted that while parents expect the government to provide basic needs and an enabling environment for learning, they must also complement these efforts.

He reminded the audience that children spend most of their time at home, including weekends, and therefore develop a significant part of their behavioural traits from the home.

While urging the government not to relent in its efforts to bring out the best in the students, he promised that parents would scale up their responsibilities.

A major highlight of the event was the presentation of excellence awards to eight school administrators and teachers across the state’s education districts. They were honoured for their strong support of the Parents’ Forum and their contributions to student development.

The event also featured the inauguration of the forum’s new executive committee members.

The Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, has arrested one, Mrs Iyabo Sowunmi, over an alleged attempt to smuggle suspected illicit drugs into the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Ibara, Abeokuta.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the NCS,

Odukoya Owolola Olayinka, and obtained by Tribune Online, on Monday.

The PRO explained that the incident happened on Friday afternoon, during routine screening procedures at the facility’s main entry point.

Odukoya said the illicit substance believed to be a psychoactive synthetic drug commonly known as ‘Colos,’ was concealed within a sachet of a popular beverage powder.

The suspect, according to the statement, was attempting to deliver the package to an inmate, Dare Sowunmi, who is currently on death row.

The statement said, ‘Following the interception, officers immediately detained Mrs. Sowunmi, and in accordance with inter-agency operational protocols, she has been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for comprehensive investigation and prosecution.’

The Controller of the Corrections, Ogun State Command, Abioye Kamoru Adesina, while reacting to the development, commended the security personnel for their vigilance and adherence to security protocols.

‘Our custodial facilities exist to ensure public safety, reformation, and rehabilitation. We maintain an absolute zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking or any illegal acts designed to compromise security,’ Controller Adesina stated. ‘Attempts to introduce contraband into our facilities will be met with swift legal action,’ the NSC boss said.

The Nigerian Correctional Service urged the general public to respect the integrity of custodial institutions, warning that any individual seeking to undermine security would face the full weight of the law.