Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has received the 2026 Quintessence Pan-African Top Leadership Award, dedicating the honour to the resilient people of Borno and to Nigerians working to restore dignity and opportunity to their communities.

The Quintessence Award is presented each year to one continental African leader and one African American leader for distinguished accomplishments in their field of endeavour and outstanding contributions to the history and heritage of African people.

This year’s edition was chaired by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, and attended by the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi II; Nigerian ambassador to Ethiopia; the Consul General of Nigeria in Atlanta; and former Nigerian Minister of Finance Dr Mansur Mukhtar.

Speaking at the award ceremony on Friday in New Jersey, Governor Babagana Zulum said the recognition was ‘not for me alone’ but for everyone who had worked to turn ideas into action and improve people’s lives.

‘This recognition is not for me alone, but for the resilient people of Borno, every Nigerian and African who has worked tirelessly to turn ideas into action, and to bring dignity to the lives of our people,’ Zulum said.

The governor said his upbringing in a farming community in Mafa Local Government Area shaped his belief that leadership should open doors for others, particularly children whose potential might otherwise go unnoticed.

‘Leadership is not about grand titles, but about building ladders of opportunity so everyone can climb,’ he said.

Reflecting on Borno’s recovery from the Boko Haram insurgency, Zulum said his administration had focused on rebuilding homes, schools, health facilities and other public infrastructure.

According to the Governor, his administration has reconstructed more than 30,000 homes, schools, clinics and other public facilities since he assumed office in 2019. He said that in the first year alone, 326 projects were completed, including more than 6,000 houses for families affected by the conflict, and that he has delivered more than 1,000 capital projects over the past six years.

Zulum described the projects as more than statistics, saying they represented shelter for displaced families, classrooms for children and health centres where mothers could receive care.

Zulum urged Nigerians and other Africans in the diaspora to invest not only their money but also their skills and ideas in businesses, education and healthcare back home. He described Africa’s greatest asset as its young people and called for greater investment in their education, health and creativity.

‘I call on you to invest back home – not just your capital, but your skills and ideas,’ he said. ‘Every factory you build, every school you help fund, is an investment in Africa’s greatest resource: our people.’

The Governor said remittances provide vital support to families but argued that channelling even a fraction of those funds into factories, schools and clinics could yield wider benefits. He encouraged the diaspora and international partners to support start-ups, technology hubs, teacher training and stronger institutions.

Describing leadership as service rather than status, Zulum urged teachers, healthcare workers, business owners and others to make a difference in their communities without waiting for an official title.

‘My message today is that leaders are enablers, not distant rulers,’ Zulum concluded.

The Governor was accompanied at the event by the First Lady of Borno State, Dr Falmata Babagana Zulum; Chief Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development, Partnership and Humanitarian Support, Dr Mairo Mandara; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Zuwaira Gambo; and Chairman of the Governing Board, Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo.

Others who accompanied His Excellency included Dr Thameer Kezamal and Mr Huber Shaiyen, who also chaired the Borno Investment Roundtable, among other dignitaries.

Barau FC take their unbeaten start to Lagos on Saturday as Matchday Six opens with a trip to Sporting Lagos. The other nine fixtures follow on Sunday, headlined by Kano Pillars against Enyimba, Ikorodu City against Rangers International, and the North Central derby in Lafia.

Barau lead the table with 11 points from five games and have conceded only twice, though both away matches finished goalless. Sporting Lagos have won on the road – including Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Enyimba in Aba – but lost their only home game 2-0 to Abia Warriors. One of those records breaks at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

In Kano, unbeaten Pillars host an Enyimba side still searching for its first point. Pillars have scored ten goals in four games – Rabiu Ali, Fabian Nworie and Ubong Friday with two apiece – and were held 1-1 by Inter Lagos on Wednesday after netting seven in two home wins. Enyimba’s defeat to Sporting Lagos was a fourth straight loss.

Rangers return to Onikan, where a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City on the last day of last season – both goals from Chidiebere Nwobodo – sealed the title. The champions have ten points from four unbeaten games and beat Ranchers Bees 1-0 on Wednesday. Ikorodu, 12th on five points, are unbeaten at home this season but must answer a 2-1 defeat at Bendel Insurance.

Nasarawa United host Niger Tornadoes in Lafia with one point separating the sides. Tornadoes, 13th, were held 0-0 by Warri Wolves and have lost both away games; Nasarawa, 16th, lost 2-1 at Kwara United but hold a win over Bendel Insurance and a draw with Rivers United at home.

Ranchers Bees face second-placed Rivers United, unbeaten in two home games and led by top scorer Mohammed Rabiu Zulkifilu on five goals. Rivers arrive off a 5-0 win over Kun Khalifat, taking their tally to ten scored and one conceded in four games.

Fourth-placed Doma United visit Katsina United looking to tighten up after conceding six in their last two. Sadiq Ololade Rilwan, on four goals, remains their main threat against a Katsina side that has scored only twice all season.

Abia Warriors host Bendel Insurance – hosts still seeking a home win against visitors who have taken all nine of their points in Benin City, led by Alex Oweilayefa and Chinedu Nwosu on three goals each.

Kun Khalifat, still winless and with a league-high 13 conceded, face Kwara United, who beat Nasarawa 2-1 and are chasing a first away win.

Warri Wolves, with only two goals scored in four games, host a Shooting Stars side unbeaten in two, fresh off a 2-0 win over Katsina.

Plateau United, unbeaten in four since an opening defeat, close the programme against 17th-placed Inter Lagos.

The words were few, but they carried the weight of a life shattered. ‘He forced me. He took my virginity.’

Precious – not her real name – typed the words on her mobile phone because she could no longer speak. Moments later, the 17-year-old collapsed.

For more than two months now, the girl, who had only recently completed secondary school, has remained in a hospital in Abuja, battling a serious and unexplained deterioration in her health following an alleged rape.

Funds are unavailable for treatment because her poor parents live in the village and the older sister she has in Abuja barely has enough to feed both of them.

According to a concerned lady who works with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons with direct access to Precious’ condition, she is reportedly unable to speak and has at various times depended on oxygen to stay alive.

Her once ordinary life – that of a young girl only beginning to navigate adulthood – has been replaced by hospital beds, medical procedures, drugs, mounting bills and a family desperately searching for answers.

Her sister, who is taking care of her in Abuja, has been forced to shoulder much of the responsibility because their parents live in their village. The family says it has borrowed money, taken loans and obtained salary advances to keep the teenager alive. But the little money available has since run out.

And while doctors continue to battle to save her life, investigators are still trying to determine exactly what happened to her and whether any substance was administered to her around the time of the alleged sexual assault.

The case is being investigated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). According to the agency, preliminary findings indicate that the sexual encounter was not consensual. The circumstances surrounding the incident, however, remain the subject of investigation.

Young girl, dangerous encounter

For a young and rather naïve girl, what initially seemed non-threatening became a dangerous encounter that now leaves her and family members with lifelong trauma and psychological scars.

Before the incident, Precious had reportedly been communicating with the 36-year-old suspect through WhatsApp. Investigators said their conversations suggested that the man had been grooming the teenager before the encounter.

In one exchange cited by investigators, the girl reportedly asked whether the sexual experience would be painful. The response, according to the investigation, was ‘no, you will enjoy it.’ What happened afterwards is now at the centre of a criminal investigation.

In the face of deep concerns and suspicions, the suspect has continued to deny giving the girl any substance capable of causing her present condition. He told investigators that the girl had given an impression of being 19 years old and that he therefore believed she was old enough to engage in sexual activity.

Precious’ family, however, insists that she is 17. The distinction is crucial. Yet, beyond the question of age is the more fundamental issue of consent and the circumstances in which the sexual act occurred.

According to investigators, the teenager told them through her phone that she had been forced. Her physical condition has since become the family’s most immediate concern.

What really happened after the alleged rape? The suspect reportedly told investigators that the girl complained of pain after the sexual encounter and that he only gave her two tablets of a painkiller.

But the senior NAPTIP official handling the case said investigators became concerned when the girl’s health deteriorated severely.

‘We asked the suspect what he administered on the girl that has affected her health, and he claimed he did not give her anything,’ the official said.

‘He later admitted that he gave her two tablets of a brand of painkiller because she complained of pain after the act.’

According to the official, the suspect maintained that the drug was an ordinary painkiller and even claimed that he had some remaining at home. Investigators searched his residence but could not find the medication. He was also reportedly unable to identify where he normally purchased the drug.

The precise cause of the girl’s deteriorating medical condition remains unclear; an uncertainty that has compounded the family’s anguish. From an Intensive Care Unit of a government-owned tertiary hospital in Abuja where she was initially admitted, Precious has now been moved to a regular ward despite her condition showing little improvement.

Even at that, she is only receiving care on the basis of scanty but crucial humanitarian support that is fast running out. As the bills mounted and the family struggled to pay amounts they could not afford even after raising small loans, moving her to a regular ward became inevitable even though what she needs is close observation at the ICU.

A restricted video seen by our correspondent showed the teenager looking extremely weak and pale, with saliva drooling uncontrollably from her mouth. She has also reportedly developed a back sore during her prolonged illness.

At one point, the family tried to raise more than N300,000 to purchase alternative medication after doctors reportedly determined that the drugs she had been receiving were no longer effective. For a family already struggling to meet daily expenses, the amount was enormous.

Her sister had reportedly borrowed money, taken loans and collected a salary advance from her workplace. Still, the bills continue.

According to the NAPTIP investigator, members of the suspect’s family initially contributed towards the girl’s medical expenses. Some belongings in the suspect’s home were reportedly sold to raise money.

On one occasion, the suspect allegedly transferred N50,000 to the victim’s family. But even that amount was far short of what was required for the teenager’s continuing treatment.

Now, the family is appealing for help.

While Precious fights for her health, the family faces another painful reality – pursuing justice while trying to keep her alive. The suspect, who was initially detained during the investigation, has since been released on bail and reportedly reports to NAPTIP once a week.

For the family, the situation is difficult to comprehend. They are trying to pay hospital bills, care for a seriously ill teenager and simultaneously navigate a criminal justice process they hardly understand.

The case therefore raises a question that goes beyond this particular family: What happens to a child who survives sexual violence but whose family does not have the financial means to sustain her treatment or pursue justice?

The answer cannot be left entirely to a struggling family. The responsibility must necessarily involve the state, law-enforcement agencies, health institutions, civil-society organisations and the wider community.

NAPTIP enforces the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act 2015 to investigate rape, rescue victims, and prosecute offenders in Nigeria. The Director of NAPTIP’s VAPP Department, Mrs Rebecca Aderonke Enwusoyele, and other relevant authorities have continued to handle significant responsibilities towards ensuring that survivors of sexual violence in the FCT receive the protection and institutional support required under Nigeria’s legal and policy framework.

For Precious, however, such institutional response is not an abstract policy question; it is a matter of life.

‘Rape is almost a daily issue in Abuja’

NAPTIP says the teenager’s ordeal is part of a much larger and deeply disturbing pattern. According to an official involved in handling cases of sexual violence in the Federal Capital Territory, reports involving children are encountered with alarming frequency.

‘If it is rape, it is like a daily issue in Abuja,’ the official said. The cases, the agency said, include children between two and 15 years old.

In one case, an underage girl allegedly told investigators that a man invited other people to a location where she was restrained while he sexually assaulted her.

In another, a 16-year-old girl reported that she had allegedly been raped by her in-law. The man was arrested and detained, but the case subsequently ran into a familiar obstacle.

According to NAPTIP, the girl’s mother returned to say that members of the family had pleaded with her to withdraw the complaint. The girl was allegedly expected to forget what had happened and move on.

The numbers or statistics of rape victims, where they exist, offer only a partial glimpse of the problem. A four-year retrospective study of sexual-assault cases at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, found that 58 cases were available for analysis between 2015 and 2018. Nearly eight in 10 victims were below 20, with a mean age of just 14.1 years, while 75.9 per cent were pupils or students. More than six in 10 of the alleged assailants were known to the victims.

The study also found that only 60.3 per cent of the victims reported to the police and just 32.8 per cent completed the three-month medical follow-up. The researchers cautioned that the available data could not establish the true prevalence of sexual assault because stigma and other factors discourage reporting.

That finding gives an unsettling dimension to the experience of Precious. Sexual violence does not always come from the stranger lurking in the shadows. In the Abuja study, the alleged assailant was someone known to the victim in 63.8 per cent of cases. Most of the assaults occurred during the daytime and more than 60 per cent took place at home or in an office.

For children and adolescents, therefore, the familiar places and familiar faces around them cannot automatically be equated with safety. The danger can sometimes be concealed within relationships built on trust, familiarity or perceived affection.

Nor is the problem confined to individual cases. The National Human Rights Commission’s May 2025 dashboard recorded 1,152 complaints of sexual violence and 3,361 complaints of domestic violence nationwide in that month alone, alongside continuing concerns about sexual abuse and other violations of children’s rights.

By June, the Commission said sexual and gender-based violence remained prominent among the complaints it received, while its subsequent 2026 outlook identified the expansion of support for survivors of gender-based violence and child protection as areas requiring sustained attention.

Such figures do not represent the total number of incidents-indeed, the Abuja research points to substantial underreporting-but they underline the scale of a problem that cannot be left to victims and their families to confront on their own.

Sadly, families often silence survivors

For investigators, family intervention remains one of the most difficult obstacles in cases of sexual violence involving children. The problem is often rooted in fear, shame, financial dependence, family pressure or a desire to protect the reputation of the alleged perpetrator. NAPTIP officials said families sometimes ask that cases be withdrawn after arrests have been made.

‘Most of these people are family members and relatives sometimes persuade families to abandon cases after an arrest has been made,’ an official said. The consequence is that investigations painstakingly undertaken by law-enforcement agencies can collapse. More importantly, the survivor is left to carry the psychological and physical consequences.

For children, the consequences can be particularly devastating. Sexual violence can disrupt education, relationships, family life and a young person’s sense of safety and trust. And when the perpetrator is known to the victim, as happens in many cases, the emotional burden can become even more complicated.

Today, Precious is more than a statistic; she is a teenager who had only recently completed secondary school. Like many young people her age, she was only beginning to understand relationships and the complicated boundaries between friendship, affection, trust and sexual consent.

Her naivety should not become another weapon against her. Neither should the circumstances of her interaction with the suspect be used to shift responsibility for an alleged assault onto her.

What matters now is that she survives, receives appropriate medical care and is protected while the facts of the case are established through due process. And if the investigation establishes criminal responsibility, the law should take its course. Her family should not have to choose between buying medicine and pursuing justice.

The teenager’s case represents a call for urgent intervention. It should therefore trigger an urgent response from the relevant authorities and compassionate members of the public.

The immediate priority is medical. She needs sustained specialist care, appropriate medication, close monitoring and whatever treatment qualified medical professionals determine is necessary to stabilise her condition. Her family also needs financial support.

But the responsibility does not end there. Law-enforcement authorities must ensure that the investigation is thorough, evidence is properly preserved and the case receives the attention required by law.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged sexual assault and the subsequent deterioration in the girl’s health require careful investigation rather than speculation.

Equally important is the need to protect the teenager from further trauma. She should not be repeatedly exposed to unnecessary questioning or public scrutiny. Her identity must remain protected.

The wider public also has a role. Communities must stop treating rape and child sexual abuse as family matters to be quietly settled. Parents and guardians must be encouraged to listen to children, take disclosures seriously and seek professional and legal help where necessary. And where survivors need medical, psychological or legal assistance, they should not be left alone to navigate the system.

NAPTIP’s experience demonstrates that awareness and reporting remain critical weapons against sexual and gender-based violence. But awareness without effective intervention can leave survivors stranded.

For now, Precious remains in hospital; her life hanging in the balance. Her parents are far away in the village. Her sister remains by her side in Abuja, trying to raise money and hoping that the next medical intervention will bring improvement.

There is no certainty about when the teenager will speak again. There is no certainty about how long her recovery will take. But there is an urgent certainty about one thing: she needs help. The young girl whose voice was reduced to a few words typed on a mobile phone should not disappear into the statistics of sexual violence.

Her story is a reminder that behind every rape case is a human being – a child with dreams, a family with hopes and a future that can be permanently altered by one act of violence.

For Precious, the immediate battle is to stay alive. For her family, it is to find the resources to keep her alive. For investigators, it is to establish the truth and ensure that due process takes its course. And for society, the challenge is much bigger: to create an environment in which no child has to face sexual violence, its trauma and its aftermath alone.

Precious needs treatment. Her family needs support. And the case needs justice.

The Niger State Police Command explained that tear gas fired by its operatives during a confrontation with suspected hoodlums along Ogbomosho Street, Minna, on Thursday inadvertently drifted into a nearby mosque, causing temporary discomfort to worshippers.

In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, reacting to a viral video circulating on social media alleging that police personnel deliberately fired tear gas at worshippers in the mosque, the command said the incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m. on Friday, after police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division, Minna, received information that a wanted suspected miscreant identified as ‘El-Hussain’ had been sighted along Ogbomosho Street.

According to the statement, the police patrol team proceeded to the area and arrested the suspect, but other suspected hoodlums in the vicinity allegedly mobilised, overpowered the officers and facilitated the suspect’s escape.

The command said the situation subsequently became tense when the suspected hoodlums attacked the police team, forcing the operatives to deploy tear gas canisters to disperse the attackers and enable the officers to withdraw from the area.

It said the direction of the wind caused the tear gas smoke to drift towards a nearby mosque, resulting in temporary discomfort for worshippers.

The Police Public Relations Officer, however, denied the allegation, saying the tear gas was neither deliberately fired nor directed at the mosque or worshippers.

‘The incident occurred as an unintended consequence of the deployment of tear gas in response to the attack on the police personnel,’ the command said.

The Niger State Police Command expressed regret over the incident and apologised to the affected worshippers for the inconvenience and discomfort caused, reiterating its commitment to protecting lives and property, respecting human rights and carrying out its constitutional responsibilities while maintaining public safety and security.

The Delta State Government has directed the Obi of Ubulu-Uku, His Royal Majesty Obi Chukwuka Noah Akaeze, to return from abroad and resume physical administration of his kingdom.

The directive was issued during a conflict-resolution meeting with members of the Ubulu-Uku Council of Chiefs, convened by the Special Adviser to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor.

Uzor said the monarch’s physical presence was necessary for the effective administration of the kingdom and urged him to return promptly and discharge his traditional responsibilities.

He also cautioned the monarch’s uncles, relatives and other persons close to the palace against interfering in the administration of the kingdom.

The Special Adviser advised them to channel their concerns and advice through the appropriate traditional structures to avoid actions that could worsen tensions in the community.

The government also declared null and void the recently conducted online election of the Ubulu-Uku Development Council (UDC).

Uzor said the election contravened the Delta State Regulation of Community Development Associations Law 2021 and relevant guidelines issued by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development.

He directed that a fresh, inclusive election be organised in consultation with the community and under the ministry’s supervision.

The government also overturned Obi’s suspension of the Onishe of Ubulu-Uku, Chief James Asika Onwordi.

Uzor said the suspension did not comply with the statutory procedure for suspending traditional chiefs in Delta State.

The government’s position aligns with its earlier statement that the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Chiefs Law regulates the power to suspend a traditional chief and that the power cannot be exercised outside the prescribed procedure.

Uzor said the interventions aimed to restore order, uphold established traditional structures, and promote peace and stability in Ubulu-Uku.

The decisions followed petitions and counter-petitions regarding the kingdom’s administration and the disputed status of the Onishe and the UDC leadership.

Six people have been killed and several others injured in an attack on Tashan-Rimi, near Godoro in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident, which occurred around 1a.m. on Wednesday, formed part of continuing clashes between Fulani and Kamuku groups in the area, according to local sources.

The village head, Alhaji Garba Mohammed Bissalla, confirmed that Fulani herders attacked residents including Musa Bahago and his son Hamisu Musa, adding that the violence claimed six lives.

Bissalla linked the incident to earlier disputes that have already left many families bereaved, expressing concern that previous efforts by state, local government and traditional authorities had failed to stop the bloodshed.

He added that while Kamuku leaders had urged peaceful coexistence in line with calls from the state governor, attacks and livestock theft had continued.

The Niger State Police later confirmed that suspected armed men invaded Godoro and Angwan-Bisala communities under Katako District at about 1:30 a.m. the same day.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, a report received from Kagara stated that four people lost their lives and two others sustained serious injuries, adding that officers had visited the scene, taking the injured to hospital.

He also stated that investigation was ongoing.

Katsina State Governor and Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, Malam Dikko Radda, has urged investors and development partners to inject more private capital into the Northwest, saying economic opportunities are critical to defeating insecurity in the region.

Radda said the Northwest could not achieve lasting peace through military operations alone, stressing that security must be matched with jobs, investment and improved livelihoods.

The governor spoke at high-level events on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he presented Katsina State’s experience in development financing and the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula, Radda said the challenge was no longer the availability of development financing but the difficulty of attracting private capital into public development projects.

He said Katsina had benefited from 11 World Bank projects worth about $430 million, covering education, water, agriculture, rural roads and environmental development.

The African Development Bank, he added, was financing the state’s Agro-Industrial Processing Zone with $30 million, while the Islamic Development Bank was providing $60 million for the first phase of the Integrated Agricultural Development Hubs.

Radda identified stronger public-private partnership frameworks, de-risking mechanisms, reliable counterpart funding and transparent monitoring as key measures required to unlock more private investment.

At a separate high-level event on the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework, the governor urged the seven states in the region to work collectively to address insecurity, poverty, displacement and economic challenges.

‘Security must be accompanied by opportunity,’ he said, stressing that military operations alone could not deliver lasting peace.

He urged investors to look beyond the security challenges and tap into opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, logistics, skills development and enterprise.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, commended the Northwest governors for presenting a common regional plan and pledged the UN’s support for the initiative.

Mohammed highlighted the Northwest’s strategic importance to food production and called for coordinated financing, stronger institutions, job creation and community-focused investments.

She disclosed that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was developing a proposal for a Northwest-led Stabilisation-to-Transformation Programme and Financing Platform.

Radda said the governors were ready to move from planning to implementation, urging development partners and private investors to partner with the region in building a more secure, productive and economically vibrant Northwest.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Special Marshals Zone RS2 comprises Lagos and Ogun, has been ranked the Best Performing Zone in Nigeria, securing the 1st position with an outstanding score of 96% in the recently concluded national evaluation of Special Marshals activities across the country.

The evaluation placed RS7 (FCT and Niger) in 2nd Position with 94%, while RS6 (Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa) emerged in 3rd Position with 90%. Other positions were occupied by RS5 (4th Position), RS12 (5th Position), RS11 (6th Position), RS4 (7th Position), and RS3 (8th Position).

This remarkable achievement is a testament to the exemplary leadership of the RS2 Zonal Coordinator, SM (Pastor) Olusegun Akintan, whose dedication, vision, and commitment have transformed Zone RS2 into one of the most vibrant and outstanding zones in the country. His leadership continues to inspire excellence, foster unity, and strengthen operational effectiveness across the zone.

Special commendation also goes to the State Coordinator of RS2.1 Lagos Special Marshals, SM (Dr.) Olabisi O. Dennis, whose outstanding leadership has consistently positioned Lagos State at the forefront of Special Marshal activities nationwide. Through his commitment to service, accountability, innovation, and teamwork, RS2.1 Lagos has continued to set the pace in operational activities, public enlightenment programmes, training, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure development.

The evaluation report described RS2.1 Lagos as having one of the most extensive and diversified portfolios of activities among all submissions nationwide. The report highlighted numerous infrastructure projects, patrol vehicle rehabilitation initiatives, equipment donations, public enlightenment campaigns, Road Safety Club initiatives, church and school advocacy programmes, training activities, and community-based road safety interventions.

The report further recognised the exceptional level of participation by Lagos Special Marshals, strong unit mobilisation, significant infrastructure investments, intensive advocacy programmes, and comprehensive documentation of activities.

This achievement reinforces the position of Zone RS2 as a centre of excellence within the Special Marshals arm of the Federal Road Safety Corps. It also reflects the collective efforts of the zonal leadership, state executives, unit coordinators, and dedicated Special Marshals who continue to volunteer their time, expertise, and resources in support of safer roads across Nigeria.

The Chief Executive Officer of World Energy Council Nigeria, Bala Wunti, has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the country’s 44 critical minerals are developed into factories, jobs and sustainable economic opportunities for Nigerians.

Wunti warned that Nigeria must not repeat the crude oil model of exporting raw materials and importing finished products at significantly higher prices.

He spoke at the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit, held at the Sheraton New York Times Square alongside the United Nations General Assembly.

Wunti participated in a panel titled, ‘Rare Currency: Critical Minerals in a Shifting Global Economy,’ which examined America’s growing dependence on imported minerals and China’s dominance of global mineral processing.

The former Chief Upstream Investment Officer at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said Nigeria must move beyond exporting mineral tonnage and develop domestic processing and manufacturing capacity.

‘For half a century, Nigeria exported crude oil and imported refined petroleum products. That created poverty, not prosperity. We will not repeat that mistake with lithium and rare earth elements,’ he said.

Explaining why Nigeria had not fully developed its mineral resources despite its vast potential, Wunti identified the absence of reliable geological data and commercially structured projects as major obstacles.

‘The central issue is the difference between mineral potential and an investable project,’ he said.

‘We had geological indications, but not proven reserves supported by JORC compliant data. We also had good policies, but not clearly defined projects. Investors invest in projects, not potential.’

According to him, attracting private capital into the mining sector requires reliable geological data, clearly defined projects, enabling infrastructure, predictable regulation, credible developers and viable routes to market.

Wunti described the Nigerian Solid Minerals Company as the country’s flagship investment platform, established to transform mineral resources into bankable projects.

‘The company is moving Nigeria from saying, ‘We have minerals,’ to presenting investors with defined projects and clear commercial propositions,’ he said.

‘Rare earth elements are not necessarily rare in the ground. They are rare in the market. Bringing them to the market requires capital and technology.’

Wunti said Nigeria must present commercially viable transactions to investors rather than rely on policy documents and promotional presentations.

‘We must move from potential to bankability. Investors need actual transactions, not presentations. Give me a credible price, and I will give you private capital,’ he added.

He said private capital would be required to finance most critical mineral projects, while the government must create an environment that reduces investment risks.

‘Government must address geological uncertainty, unpredictable regulation, inadequate infrastructure and inefficient permitting,’ he said.

‘However, government can only make a project bankable. It cannot permanently make an uneconomic project profitable.’

Wunti identified four conditions necessary for attracting sustainable investment into the sector. These are JORC compliant geological data, commercially viable prices, a stable and competitive fiscal system, and credible buyers.

‘The lesson is price, not pitch,’ he said. ‘A price floor of $110 per kilogram gives investors commercial certainty. That is how Nigeria can attract processing facilities, create jobs and retain greater value from its mineral resources.’

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, citing his belief in the President’s vision and reforms, while dismissing speculation of a political ‘rainbow coalition’ involving former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike in Ebonyi State.

Umahi spoke while inspecting Phase Two of the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway at Ado, Benue State, where he reviewed progress on the project and directed contractors to accelerate construction.

On his support for Tinubu, Umahi said continuity matters for major infrastructure projects that take years to complete, warning that a change of administration could stall ongoing work.

‘What gave rise to this is because I believe in President Bola Tinubu. I believe that he’s the one called by God. I believe in his vision. I believe in his reforms. I believe he’s the best person that I have worked with and for, and I’m very proud of working for him and working with him.

‘If, God forbid, another person says he’s President, all these projects will be stalled. And I don’t think Ebonyi wants their projects to be stalled,’ he said.

Responding to questions about his relationship with Wike and claims that they were forming a ‘rainbow coalition’ in Ebonyi, Umahi said any candidates backed by the former governor would not be part of his political structure.

‘If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship,’ he said.

Umahi reaffirmed his alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC), while criticising the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he left after what he described as its failure to adequately serve the interests of the Southeast.

‘We supported PDP. We voted for presidents in PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,’ he said.

He, however, said political opponents were free to campaign in Ebonyi provided they avoided hate speech.

‘Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speech and you want to take those speeches, and you want that we should lay a red carpet for you. We will not do that,’ he said.

The Minister also rejected claims that he had concentrated Federal Government projects in the Southeast, saying the infrastructure programme was a national initiative under Tinubu.

‘I saw on social media where they say I cornered all projects to the Southeast. That is very wonderful. But we have the publication of all projects ongoing by President Bola Tinubu, so they dare counsel without knowledge.

‘I’m not on my own. The President is my boss. So where will he be when I corner all projects to the Southeast?’ he asked.

According to Umahi, the Southeast was receiving infrastructure attention as part of the national distribution of projects, although it might not rank first, second or third under the administration.

‘But definitely they will not be the last,’ he said.

He said the administration’s performance should be assessed through projects already under execution rather than promises.

‘We tell our story. It’s not a question of saying, ‘I will do this, I’ll do this.’ What about the one that the person is doing? Let us compare the past with the present,’ he said.

On the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, Umahi directed contractors handling the 173-kilometre Phase Two, valued at ?683 billion, not to demolish or touch any building along the current alignment pending the Federal Government’s review and any necessary realignment.

‘My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it. So you just have to continue your work and go around those buildings until we come to look at it,’ he said.

He also directed contractors to strengthen sharp curves where necessary and open at least three sections of the first element of Phase Two at the same time to speed up construction.

Umahi said the contractor had opened the first element of the first eight kilometres, while engineers were working to resolve the challenge around the Ado Bridge.

‘I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible,’ he said, directing the contractor to open another section from the Ado River while engineers worked on the bridge solution.

The Minister also highlighted additional works under Section One, including dualisation at Onueke and Chainage 0 around Ndibe Beach, which he said were outside the initial scope.

He said the project was being executed under an EPC Plus Finance arrangement without provision for variations, requiring careful management of quantities and resources.

Umahi said four legacy infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration were being financed through 30 per cent naira funding by the Federal Government and 70 per cent foreign financing.

He also rejected suggestions that the administration had abandoned existing roads for new projects, saying several legacy projects involved expanding and reconstructing existing road corridors.