Category: PM News

The Federal Government says it is stepping up efforts to revive Nigeria’s struggling cotton, textile and garment industry after cotton production dropped sharply from about 200,000 metric tonnes in 2001 to nearly 10,000 metric tonnes in 2025.

Speaking at the National Cotton, Textile and Garment Value Chain Activation Pilot Milestone Event, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, said the renewed drive could create about 1.5 million jobs and strengthen local manufacturing.

Enoh said the sector, once a major employer of labour, had weakened over the years because of poor coordination, neglect and reliance on imported materials.

He noted that a pilot programme had shown that locally grown cotton could be processed into finished garments within six to seven months.

According to him, the initiative produced 10,000 made-in-Nigeria T-shirts from locally sourced cotton, demonstrating the country’s production potential.

“The initiative has proven that Nigeria can produce garments at better quality, better pricing and in larger quantities than imported alternatives,” he said.

The minister added that the government was now focused on implementation rather than discussions.

“What you have seen today is not a concept note or policy proposal. It is proof that these things are possible and are already happening,” Enoh stated.

He said plans were underway to expand support for cotton farmers, improve access to finance and strengthen market connections for local producers. He added that the Bank of Agriculture had expressed readiness to fund smallholder cotton farmers.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has defended the conduct of its primary elections, insisting that no political party in Nigeria can match its level of organisation, openness and internal democratic process.

APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, made the claim during an interview on Arise News, despite growing complaints from some aspirants and stakeholders over the conduct of the party’s primaries.

The ruling party’s primaries have triggered controversy in several states, with allegations of candidate imposition, exclusion of stakeholders, electoral manipulation, violence and dissatisfaction over the use of consensus arrangements.

Some aggrieved aspirants have also accused the party of shutting out popular candidates under the guise of consensus, describing the process as unfair and lacking transparency.

But Basiru dismissed suggestions that the APC primaries had fallen below democratic standards.

According to him, reports received from the House of Representatives and Senate primary exercises showed that the party performed creditably.

“Based on the reports received from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, I would assess our party very favourably in terms of organisation and the overall results of the exercise,” Basiru said.

He maintained that the APC had followed the provisions of the Electoral Act by adopting direct primaries, adding that the process reflected the party’s commitment to transparency and internal democracy.

“The APC has implemented the direct primary option as stipulated in the Electoral Act, and this process has showcased the party’s dedication to transparency and internal democracy,” he added.

Basiru further argued that by the end of the exercise, it would be difficult to find any political party in the country that had demonstrated the same level of coordination and participation as the APC.

“I can assert with confidence that by May 29 or 30, it will be rare to find any other political party exhibiting this degree of coordination, openness, and participation as the APC has done,” he said.

His comments come at a time when the ruling party is battling internal complaints from aspirants who lost out in the primaries.

In many cases, dissatisfied members have rejected the outcome of the exercises, claiming that the process was compromised before voting even began.

However, the APC leadership has insisted that the party provided a fair platform for all aspirants and that those who feel cheated should make use of the internal appeal mechanism.

Also speaking on Arise News, APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Dr Ben Nwoye, urged aggrieved aspirants to either accept the outcome of the primaries or formally challenge the results through the party’s appeal process.

“The reality is that the primaries have largely concluded, with winners declared, while those who are dissatisfied can either accept the results at the declaration stage or file an appeal, as the process does not conclude with the primaries,” Nwoye said.

He explained that aspirants who are unhappy with the results can submit petitions before appeal committees, adding that such matters may still be escalated to the National Working Committee where necessary.

“Dissatisfied aspirants can submit petitions to appeal committees for review, and if necessary, escalate further to the National Working Committee,” he stated.

Nwoye also described the exercise as satisfactory, saying the primaries showed strong grassroots participation among APC members across the country.

“So far, the process has been satisfactory, with democracy being actively witnessed across the country and strong grassroots participation from APC supporters,” he added.

The APC leadership’s defence is expected to draw mixed reactions from aggrieved members, particularly in states where aspirants have already alleged manipulation and exclusion.

The Osun State Government and the leadership of the Accord Party have raised the alarm over an alleged plan to deploy a special police squad to the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

They alleged that the squad would target prominent Accord Party members and some government officials for arrest before the election.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi.

According to the statement, information available to the government and the Accord Party leadership indicated that the squad, allegedly led by a Chief Superintendent of Police whose name was withheld, was expected to arrive in Osun State and begin operations against selected party members and officials of government.

The government said the alleged operation could put the safety and security of Accord Party leaders and state officials at risk.

It also warned that any selective or partisan security operation ahead of the election could heighten political tension in the state.

The statement said such a move, if carried out, could expose government officials and Accord Party leaders to harassment, intimidation and unlawful arrests before and during the governorship election.

The Accord Party leadership further alleged that the special squad may have held meetings with leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

It specifically alleged that discussions may have taken place with the APC governorship candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, over logistics and operational arrangements for the planned deployment.

The statement also claimed that the alleged operation was being planned outside the knowledge of the Osun State Commissioner of Police.

The government described this as troubling, especially given the tense political atmosphere in the state ahead of the election.

“The information available to us suggests that this operation is targeted at prominent members of the Accord Party and some government officials. Such selective action can only worsen tension and create fear among citizens,” the statement said.

The Osun State Government and the Accord Party called on President Bola Tinubu, security agencies, civil society organisations and the international community to closely monitor developments in the state before the election.

They urged security agencies to remain neutral and avoid actions capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

The government also appealed to residents of the state to remain calm, law-abiding and vigilant.

The Apapa Local Government on Tuesday disbursed another 30 million to 300 residents in the third phase of the Apapa Constituency Residents’ Palliative Economic Generic Data (ACREPEGED) initiative, as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising living costs.

The Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Hon. Idowu Adejumoke Senbanjo, disbursed the fund to the beneficiaries at the council’s premises, in Apapa.

She said 4,000 residents will benefit from the programme at its conclusion. The ACREPEGED is projected to gulp about 400 million when fully implemented.

Speaking during the third phase of the disbursement exercise, Senbanjo said the programme was deliberately structured in batches to ensure wider inclusion and transparent distribution of benefits among residents.

“So, today is the third round and third phase. As of today, we have given out to 900 people and all of them have received their money.”

The council boss explained that the decision to abandon food palliatives in favour of direct cash transfers followed feedback from residents who preferred financial support that could address their immediate personal needs.

According to her, beneficiaries are already deploying the funds toward rent, school fees, healthcare, small businesses and family responsibilities.

“Some of them are using it for business, some are using it for rent, some are using it to pay children’s school fees or meet different obligations,” she added.

Senbanjo disclosed that eligibility for the programme is based strictly on residency and voting status within Apapa, while a consultant was engaged to manage registration and verification processes to guarantee transparency.

She said the council had also introduced an identification-based database system to eliminate the recycling of beneficiaries often associated with previous welfare schemes.

Under the arrangement, she said registered residents are issued ID cards confirming their residency status, which will also serve as a database for future government intervention programmes.

“Because in the past, we noticed that we were just recycling the same people over and over again. But with this system we have now, we can spread out to more people at all times,” she stated.

Beyond cash support, the chairman revealed that the council had intensified efforts to expand healthcare access through partnerships with the Lagos State Health Management Agency, LASHMA, and federal health insurance programmes.

She said the council was targeting the enrolment of about 1,000 residents into health insurance schemes to reduce the burden of medical expenses on vulnerable households.

Medical Officer of Health for Apapa Local Government, According to her, beneficiaries under the health insurance programme would enjoy free healthcare services for one year, including access to medications and routine medical consultations.

She added that residents enrolled under the scheme would receive regular health reminders and be encouraged to undertake preventive medical check-ups even when not ill.

Poland captain and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has confirmed that he will be available for Poland’s upcoming friendly match against Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

According to reports from Polish media, Poland coach Jan Urban is expected to announce his squad for the friendly games against Ukraine and Nigeria on May 26, ahead of the team’s training camp.

Although Poland failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lewandowski said he is not planning to retire from international football anytime soon. The 37-year-old also assured the coaching staff that he would attend the training camp.

Speaking to Eleven Sports, Lewandowski said:

“Regarding the June training camp, I will certainly be there. This camp may be a little different because of the situation involving Jacek Magiera. It was important for me to show that I wanted to be there, play the matches, and say goodbye to him properly.”

Lewandowski previously faced Nigeria in a pre-World Cup friendly in 2018 at Tarczyski Arena in Wrocaw. The Super Eagles won the match 1-0 after former Chelsea winger Victor Moses scored the winning penalty.

Current Super Eagles stars Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Francis Uzoho and Moses Simon all featured in that victory over Poland.

Lewandowski has represented Poland in six major tournaments, including four UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups.

Days after a deadly coordinated attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area, classrooms remain eerily empty, with abandoned school bags, lunch boxes, and scattered notebooks serving as haunting reminders of the violence.

On May 15, 2026, armed men stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Esin Ele, abducting 46 pupils and teachers, including a two-year-old girl, Christianah Akanbi, one of the youngest victims of school kidnappings in recent years.

Photos captured in the aftermath show desks left untouched, unfinished lessons and notes strewn across classrooms, and deserted communities where residents fled in fear for their safety.

Four motorcycles were reportedly stolen during the raid, compounding the terror in affected communities.

Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed that seven teachers were abducted, with at least one killed by the attackers. Security agencies have arrested six suspects within the communities, while three more persons of interest were apprehended by other security outfits.

The governor warned that mounting military pressure against terrorists in the North-West and North-East could be driving armed groups further south, underscoring the widening reach of terrorism into previously safe regions.

Local informants are suspected to have assisted the attackers, according to security operatives.

Human rights groups have also expressed alarm, noting that more than 80 children were abducted in separate attacks across Nigeria within one week, reflecting the escalating national school security crisis.

The Oyo attack has rekindled painful memories of mass kidnappings such as Chibok, Kagara, and Papiri, events that shocked the nation and drew international condemnation.

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Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has endorsed Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

AbdulRazaq announced the endorsement in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

The governor said the decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders and structures across the state.

“Following extensive consultations with party structures and leadership, I am pleased to endorse Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as my preferred successor under the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.

AbdulRazaq described Seriki as a youthful, pro-people and broad-minded politician with strong mobilisation capacity and goodwill across Kwara State.

“Young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded, Amb. Yahaya Seriki has been a great political mobiliser with profound investments in and extensive goodwill among the people of Kwara State.

“I have no doubt about his capacity and that his choice is appropriate for the people of our state at this time,” the governor added.

However, AbdulRazaq clarified that his endorsement of Seriki does not stop other governorship aspirants from contesting the APC primary.

The APC governorship primary in Kwara is scheduled to hold on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

The governor urged party members and leaders to support Seriki’s emergence in the interest of cohesion, unity and continued success of the ruling party in the state.

“While this does not in any way preclude all other aspirants from contesting in the primaries, I urge members and leaders to affirm the choice of Seriki as our candidate for cohesion, unity, and continuous success of the party as we hold our gubernatorial primaries on Thursday, May 21, 2026,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also said his endorsement should not be seen as a rejection of other aspirants seeking the APC ticket.

According to him, the party has many qualified aspirants, but only one person can emerge as candidate at a time.

“The choice of Amb. Yahaya Seriki is neither a disapproval of any of our eminently qualified aspirants nor a whimsical attempt to delegitimise the noble aspirations of our people.

“But in a race involving some 16 great minds for one office, only one person can take the shot at a time,” the governor stated.

He praised the conduct of the aspirants, saying they had shown maturity, discipline and commitment to building on the achievements of his administration.

“Finally, I acknowledge and commend the statesmanship of our aspirants, all of whom have shown discipline and impressive capacity to build on the undeniable achievements of our administration over the last seven years for the good of the people of Kwara State,” he added.

The endorsement is expected to shape the battle for the APC governorship ticket in Kwara, with Seriki now positioned as the governor’s preferred choice in the succession race.

AbdulRazaq, who is serving his second and final term as governor, is expected to leave office in 2027.

By Tolulope Oke

Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima on Tuesday recounted a bizarre warning given to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu barely three months after the administration was inaugurated, claiming some people from Borno State told the President to stop wearing traditional attire gifted by Shettima — alleging the clothes were used to “charm” him and would lead to his death.

Shettima spoke during the public presentation of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, where he represented the President.

He explained that Tinubu rejected the claim outright and deliberately wore the garments for an entire week to publicly debunk the rumor.

“Sit down. Your people came to me and said I should stop wearing those dresses you gave me. They said I must have been charmed, and that I am going to die and he will become the president,” Shettima recalled Tinubu telling him.

The Vice President used the incident to illustrate the dangerous spread of suspicion in Nigerian public life, contrasting it with former Head of State Gowon’s approach to trust and goodwill. Shettima cited how Gowon received gallons of fura weekly from the Sultan of Sokoto without suspicion, emphasizing that trust once formed the backbone of leadership.

Shettima also reflected on his role in sourcing traditional Borno attire for Tinubu during the 2023 campaign, designed to help the then-candidate connect with northern audiences. While the clothes were positively received during the campaign, a group of individuals later claimed they posed a threat — a claim Tinubu dismissed as “not adding up,” since the attire had been gifted when he was a candidate, not the President.

“For one week, to prove to them that he is not fetish, he wore those dresses. These are some of the gimmicks that are taking place in power circles in Nigeria nowadays,” Shettima said.

In his address, Shettima lauded Gowon’s legacy, highlighting his NYSC initiative, ECOWAS contributions, and national reconciliation efforts, urging Nigerians to confront divisive forces undermining unity. Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., he concluded:

“Let us learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

The event drew prominent figures, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Sultan of Sokoto, and senior retired military officers, reflecting the wide resonance of Shettima’s remarks and the historical significance of Gowon’s autobiography.

By Isa Isawade

The Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, has described emergence of Mrs Victoria Adunola Samson as the new Chancellor of the institution as a round peg in a round hole.

Professor Adebooye said this on Monday while acknowledging the acceptance message of Mrs Samson to the institution.

He described it as a demonstration of visionary leadership, commitment and genuine passion for educational advancement.

Adebooye stated that the university community was delighted by the Chancellor’s response to the congratulatory message earlier sent to her by the institution following her appointment by the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that Mrs Samson’s wealth of experience, philanthropic disposition, humility and commitment to human development make her eminently qualified for the position.

According to him, “The response of our highly revered Chancellor clearly reflects her deep passion for education, excellence and humanity. Her words are inspiring and reassuring. We are convinced beyond doubt that she is a round peg in a round hole.

“She has demonstrated uncommon grace, competence and commitment in both business and humanitarian service over the years. The entire university community is excited to work with a personality of her calibre as we continue to move the institution to greater heights.”

Professor Adebooye added that the acceptance message further reinforced the confidence of the Governing Council, management, staff, students and alumni in the university’s future under the new Chancellor.

In her response letter to the university authorities, Mrs Samson expressed heartfelt appreciation for the warm reception accorded her by the institution and pledged to work closely with the Vice-Chancellor, Governing Council and all stakeholders to advance the university’s vision.

She stated that she was humbled by the confidence reposed in her and assured the university community of her readiness to serve with dedication, accessibility and purpose.

“I commit to being a Chancellor who is accessible, supportive, and purposeful; one who works in concert with the Vice-Chancellor, the Governing Council, and all University stakeholders to advance Osun State University’s standing as a centre of academic excellence, innovation, and societal transformation,” she stated.

The Chancellor also pledged to deploy her experience, networks and resources towards supporting the institution’s aspiration of becoming a university of national distinction and global relevance.

Professor Adebooye noted that the appointment of Mrs Samson has further strengthened the growing profile of the university, adding that the institution has continued to record remarkable achievements in academic development, infrastructural expansion, research advancement and strategic partnerships under the present administration.

He expressed optimism that the collaboration between the university management and the Chancellor would usher in a new era of progress and excellence for the institution.

In a stunning twist that has upended the local political landscape, actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has officially withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Surulere 1 constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Elliot, a prominent lawmaker who has represented the constituency for multiple terms, announced his dramatic exit on Wednesday at the Paddington Mini Stadium on Western Avenue, where the party’s primary was actively underway.

The lawmaker stated that his decision was forced by widespread structural intimidation and the deliberate exclusion of his loyalists from the voting centre.

According to Elliot, electoral officials repeatedly ignored his formal appeals to grant his supporters access to the polling venue.

“And of course, in all zones, they’ve been intimidating and stopping us,” Elliot said, addressing the crowd at the stadium.

“I want to officially announce my withdrawal from this particular race. This is my ward. If you go outside, those are my people outside.”

He emphasized that despite numerous interventions, his camp was systematically shut out of the process, rendering a fair contest impossible.

“They’ve not been allowed,” he added shortly before stepping down.

Following the announcement, a tense but controlled scene unfolded at the venue. Elliot’s supporters staged a peaceful protest before gradually exiting the stadium alongside the lawmaker.

Explaining his immediate departure from the premises, Elliot noted that his exit was a strategic choice to defuse mounting tensions and prevent potential violence, stating firmly that no political office is worth the loss of human lives.

“Good luck. Thank you, and God bless you,” Elliot told the remaining party members and officials as he exited the race.