Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Former Special Duties Minister and Deputy Chairman of the National Convention Committee, Tanimu Turaki said the 2025 elective National Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be the best ever convention to be organised by any political party in the country.

Turaki spoke just as National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said the Ibadan convention was critical to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, which he said explains the enthusiasm and the interest being shown Nigerians across board.

Speaking at the inaugural of the Security sub-committee for the convention, the former Minister said the leadership of the party and the National Convention Planning Committee will leave any stone unturned in ensuring that whatever that can be done is done to make the convention worth the while.

He said ‘The success of the Convention is 85% contingent on what members of this committee will do in Ibadan. Security is key. Security is fundamental.

‘We are hopeful that at the end of the day, will come up with a convention that other political parties will see as a benchmark for holding their own conventions’.

Chairman of the Committee and Governor of Taraba state, Agbu Kefas said the job of the committee will be to ensure a hutch free convention by gathering intelligence and working hand in hand with the security agencies.

Speaking through Senator Austin Akobundu, he said the committee will ensure that the convention devoid of incursions from undesirable elements that will like to physically truncate the exercise.

Addressing journalists, Ologunagba said Nigerians were excited and are eager to know what the party is doing, adding that ‘we eager to ensure that we put ourselves together as a party, because that is the only way that we can guarantee the sustenance of democracy.

‘Since 1999, Nigerians can make a determination about where to stay. We had 16 years of unbroken governance by the PDP. Where we had what I always refer to and many Nigerians believed that to be the glorious era in development and hope in this country.

‘Before that time, before 1999. It was difficult for this country to have recognition worldwide. We were like a paral state when the PDP came on board and set the country back on the path of development. We paid off our debts. We had double-digit GDP growth. We had inflation contained. We have policies that are invested in people in their human capital development.

‘We had economy that was number one in Africa and by the time the PDP left government in 2015, we had over a $600 billion economy. Nigeria was then the number one destination for foreign capital investment and all of that has been rolled back in the last 10 years or so.’

Ferscoat School has again established its place as a leading institution of learning with the emergence of one of its learners, Miss Idowu Oluwadarasimi Elizabeth as winner of the 2025 National Mathematics Competition.

The event was held at Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto State, from August 31 to September 5, 2025. It featured representatives from the 36 states of the federation in the final.

Two of Ferscoat School students qualified for the national competition as representatives of Lagos State having won the state edition of the competition.

Idowu Oluwadarasimi Elizabeth competed in the Senior Category and won first position out of 22 participants. She defeated representatives of Benue State who came second while Oyo State placed third

Sunday Dominion also from the school competed in Junior Category but placed 9th at the Olympiad out of 23 participants – Ogun State claimed first and second position while Oyo State came third.

According to the coordinator of the Olympiad, Mr. N. T. A. Abdul ‘all the students that represented Lagos State gave a good account of themselves and gave the state a wonderful representation that saw the state winning highest number of awards in the competition, third position in the primary category, quiz; second position in the primary category, Olympiad; first position in the senior category, Olympiad; best female in the primary category; and best female in the senior category.

He said: ‘I salute the confidence and composure of Elizabeth, she is a First class material if managed and motivated properly.

‘Ferscoat has been consistent in performance in the state Olympiad. The teachers needed to be specially congratulated and appreciated for the passion to which they put in to ensure that the school was placed on the map.

‘For better performance in the future, I’ll suggest that the teachers encourage the students to do more critical thinking by giving them tasks that involve applications and thinking out of the box to solve problems with little or no guidance from the teachers, where possible.

‘Competitions do not have a syllabus nor a scheme of work that can be used as a guide for preparation.’ ””’This means that there’ll be a need for the teachers to prepare the students beyond their level.

While celebrating the school’s impressive performance at the national level, the principal, Mr. Fred Opata said: ‘It is to the glory of God and only shows the hard work put in place by the entire school community at ensuring excellence at all levels.

He explained that the school developed a strategy for competitions, we have a committee in place for all competitions. Last year we came third in the Awokoya Chemistry competition, 3rd in MAN Olympiad competition and this year it’s been much better. It falls back to the strategy put in place even though one cannot overrule the place of personal development of the learner.

On her feat, the 16-year-old Elizabeth said: ‘Honestly, my motivation was a mix of my own drive and the support I got from people around me. I wanted to prove to myself that with hard work and consistency, I could really achieve something big. At the same time, I thought about my parents’ sacrifices, my teachers who kept believing in me, and even my friends who challenged me to do better. I didn’t want to disappoint them, and that kept me going.’

Senator Shehu Buba has commended security agencies for the arrest of the individuals behind a coordinated defamatory campaign that targeted him and others.

Buba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, urged Nigerians to remain peaceful, verify information before sharing, and focus on issues affecting society.

‘I have always stood for peace and the welfare of our people. I deny these baseless allegations and will continue to work in favour of Bauchi South,’ the lawmaker assured.

Security agents recently apprehended some social media influencers allegedly behind a smear campaign against political office holders, including Senator Buba.

The arrests followed an intensive investigation involving the monitoring of social media posts and accounts linked to the spread of manipulated content and hate speech.

Buba, in particular, was accused of links with banditry. Despite his repeated denials, the attackers continued to malign him across various platforms before the authorities intervened.

The perpetrators used doctored video clips to produce and distribute fake news aimed at damaging the lawmaker’s reputation both in the legislature and ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Following their arrest in northern states, some of the influencers admitted to being misled by persons they had trusted. Those granted bail have issued apologies through videos and written statements on their social media pages.

In a video, one of the influencers, Nasiru Ontop, said: ‘We made a grave mistake by trusting Kibanna, someone we barely knew. His documents were fake. It wasn’t until our arrest that we began to question his authenticity.

‘His TikTok account has now been deleted. We acted on misinformation and forged documents, and for that, we apologise to Senator Shehu Umar Buba and everyone affected,’ he added.

Abdulrashid Abdullahi Kano, who operated under a Facebook page ‘Vanguard Hausa,’ also issued a statement: ‘We have confirmed that the video accusing Senator Shehu Buba Umar is false and malicious.

‘It was fabricated by enemies of peace to tarnish his image. Senator Buba has consistently promoted peace and reconciliation, working with clerics and community leaders to resolve conflicts in Bauchi South.’

Despite two decades of global decline in tobacco use, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm over a fresh wave of nicotine addiction, this time driven by e-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products targeting the youth. A new WHO global report reveals that while the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024, a significant 27 per cent reduction, one in every five adults worldwide remains addicted.

Even more worrying, over 100 million people are now using e-cigarettes, including 15 million adolescents aged 13-15, who are, on average, nine times more likely to vape than adults. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as a ‘fightback’ by the tobacco industry, which is deploying sleek marketing tactics and new nicotine products, from e-cigarettes to heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, to recruit the next generation of users. ‘Millions are quitting thanks to tobacco control efforts,’ he said. ‘But the tobacco industry is fighting back with new products aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies.’

For the WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention, Dr Etienne Krug, ‘E-cigarettes are fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction. They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.’ The report shows that women are leading the global quit revolution. Between 2010 and 2024, the number of female tobacco users fell sharply from 277 million to 206 million, reducing global prevalence among women from 11 per cent to 6.6per cent. Women met the global 30 per cent reduction target for 2025 five years early, in 2020.

Men, however, lag behind. With nearly one billion still using tobacco, men account for over 80 per cent of global users. Their prevalence dropped from 41.4per cent in 2010 to 32.5per cent in 2024, but at a pace too slow to meet global targets before 2031. WHO’s analysis presents a mixed picture of global tobacco use. South-East Asia recorded the most progress, with male tobacco use nearly halved, from 70 per cent in 2000 to 37 per cent in 2024, accounting for over half of the global decline. The Americas followed with a 36 per cent relative reduction, bringing prevalence down to 14 per cent.

In contrast, Africa recorded the lowest prevalence globally at 9.5 per cent, but population growth continues to push up the absolute number of users. Europe now stands out as the world’s highest-prevalence region, with 24.1 per cent of adults still using tobacco. European women also have the highest female tobacco use globally, at 17.4 per cent. The Eastern Mediterranean region reported a prevalence rate of 18 per cent, with some countries showing rising trends, while the Western Pacific region showed the slowest progress, 22.9 per cent of adults still use tobacco, with men in the region recording the world’s highest prevalence at 43.3 per cent.

WHO is calling for urgent action from governments to step up the fight against tobacco and nicotine products. The global health organisation recommends countries adopt and enforce the MPOWER package, a set of proven tobacco control measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Key actions include raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising and sponsorships, closing regulatory loopholes for emerging products like e-cigarettes, and expanding cessation services to help millions quit. ‘Nearly 20 per cent of adults still use tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot let up now,’ warned Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. ‘The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.’

Presidential Community Engagement Office (Southwest) has continued its BAT-STEM education initiative, reaching pupils and teachers in Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun States with learning materials.

In Ondo State, pupils of St. James CAC Caring Heart Mega School and Iloro Community Primary School, Akure, got materials to make learning easier and engaging. The team moved to Ekiti State, where Methodist Primary School, Ilisa Quarters, St. Andrew’s Primary School, both in Omuo-Ekiti, and Ado Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti, witnessed similar gestures. Pupils got scholarship support, bags, sandals, exercise books, pens, pencils, and math sets, while teachers got tools to enhance classroom delivery; boards, markers, and dusters.

In Osun State, the initiative reached Modakeke High School, Modakeke, and Moremi High School, Ile-Ife, where the vision of Renewed Hope was strengthened. Pupils, teachers, and the community participated in an exercise that provided educational materials and empowerment, reflecting values of compassion, equity, and opportunity that define the programme.

‘This gesture will encourage pupils to take their studies seriously. We are grateful to President Bola Tinubu for making education a priority,’ Mrs. Mary Akinyemi, headteacher of Ado Grammar School, said.

To boost innovation and sustainability in Nigeria’s energy industry, FOSL Upstream Limited, a subsidiary of Ailes Group, has entered into a strategic partnership with Knox Western – Didwania Group, a global leader in compressor systems and engineered energy solutions.

The partnership is focused on the manufacturing, supply, sales, and maintenance of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and cryogenic compressor pumps, combining world-class engineering expertise with local capacity to deliver efficient and sustainable energy solutions.

According to the partners, the collaboration brings together Knox Western – Didwania Group’s global technical excellence and FOSL Upstream’s operational strength and strategic market presence across Africa. And it’s to deliver end-to-end solutions that enhance energy accessibility and support the transition to cleaner energy sources.

On the partnership, Dr. Michael Onuoha, Chairman and CEO of Ailes Group and FOSL Upstream Limited, said the alliance marks a milestone in the company’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.

‘This partnership is a significant step in our mission to champion innovation within the energy landscape. By aligning FOSL Upstream’s operational strengths with Knox Western – Didwania Group’s engineering heritage, we are set to redefine compressor technology, reliability, and service delivery,’ Dr. Onuoha said.

‘Beyond technology, we are also committed to developing local capacity through training, technology transfer, and creating job opportunities that will strengthen indigenous participation in the energy value chain.’

The partnership, he added, reflects both companies’ shared vision for a sustainable energy future built on innovation, operational excellence, and strategic collaboration.

FOSL Upstream Limited, part of the Ailes Group, is a Nigerian energy services company known for delivering advanced technical solutions in upstream oil and gas operations. The firm has built a reputation for innovation, local content development, and strategic partnerships that promote sustainable growth in the sector.

Knox Western – Didwania Group, on its part, boasts decades of global experience in CNG and cryogenic technologies, providing reliable and efficient products for industrial and energy applications worldwide.

Both companies say their collaboration will set new standards for energy efficiency and sustainability, positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global drive for cleaner energy solutions.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Wale Edun, on Thursday, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is working to sustain growth in the 46 sectors of the economy towards lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

Edun spoke when he led some members of the economic team of the present administration to an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Finance.

The Senate also gave Edun two weeks to make available to it, performance reports on the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.

In his opening remarks before the session resolved into a closed door session, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sanni Musa (APC – Niger East), noted that the

fiscal pressures confronting the country presently called for ‘frank discussion, coordinated responses, and above all, renewed discipline in public financial management.’

Over the years, according to him, the country made commendable progress in strengthening its budget frameworks.

‘But recent realities – declining revenues, rising debt service costs, and unpredictable oil receipts – demand a fundamental rethink of how we plan, allocate, manage, and communicate transparently, so that we can all understand where we are.

‘Our focus must now shift from an envelope-based budget to a performance and priority-based system, where every Naira is linked to a measurable outcome.

‘Fiscal sustainability can no longer be a slogan. It must be the guiding principle of our budget processes and decisions.

‘We must also address revenue leakages, improve expenditure efficiency, and strengthen coordination between the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office. Greater transparency and accountability will restore public confidence and ensure that monetary allocations translate into tangible developmental impacts.’

He reiterated the commitment of the Committee, to support the ongoing fiscal reforms; to working collaboratively with the Ministry and the Budget Office; and to ensuring that what happened in 2024 and 2025 will not happen in 2026.

‘Our budgets must truly reflect national priorities and deliver measurable results for the Nigerian people,’ he said.

He said the meeting became necessary for the Minister of Finance to brief the Committee on the 2024 national budget – ‘which is an Appropriation Act and therefore, the law of the land.’

‘Where are we in its implementation? We are in October, the last quarter of the year. We should already be preparing for the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which by law ought to have been presented by now.

‘The reason for convening this meeting, therefore, is to know the status of the 2024 and 2025 budgets and to understand progress toward the 2026 MTEF and national budget. We will soon begin planning for the 2026 budget.’

In his response, Edun said that major distortions in the economy are being corrected and with declining inflation.

He said the economy witnessed a 4.23% growth in the second quarter, noting that the focus of the present administration is to sustain present economic growth with the aim of lifting millions of Nigeria out of poverty.

Edun said: ‘At this point in time, we all agree that we have an economy where major distortions are being corrected – an economy that is stabilising, with inflation beginning to decline and growth accelerating across sectors.

‘In the second quarter of 2025, the economy grew at 4.23%. However, when you disaggregate that growth, you’ll see that the job-creating industrial sector grew by over 7%, specifically 7.45%. That is significant because it doubles the population growth rate and helps generate income to lift people out of poverty.

‘Against that backdrop, our focus remains on sustaining broad-based growth across all 46 sectors of the economy to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

‘With regard to the 2024 and 2025 budgets, we have maintained relatively high levels of performance, particularly under the capital component, which runs until the end of this year. We are committed to ensuring full implementation of the 2025 capital budget as well.

‘As the Chairman rightly noted, we must put an end to the culture of budget overruns and repeated extensions of capital implementation. That is a collective commitment.’

The Federal Government has directed all tertiary institutions to submit reconciled reports of unutilised funds received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) within 30 days.

According to the government, the reconciled reports will undergo joint verification after submission to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of the intervention funds.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the directive during a meeting with heads of federal tertiary institutions, bursars, and procurement directors on unutilised TETFund allocations, held in Abuja on Thursday.

Alausa stated that following the meeting, the Federal Ministry of Education will issue new directives to ensure more effective use of TETFund resources across the nation’s tertiary institutions.

He emphasized the central role of education in national development, saying, ‘Education remains the bedrock of national development. As a nation, we commit substantial resources to strengthening infrastructure, human capital, research, and the learning environment across our tertiary institutions. TETFund plays a pivotal role as the vehicle through which the Federal Government channels support to our universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.’

‘However, one recurring challenge that has continued to undermine this investment is the existence of unutilised balances – funds released for specific projects or interventions that are either not deployed on time or not fully expended before new allocations are made. Over time, these idle funds represent lost opportunities – resources that could have improved laboratories, classrooms, ICT facilities, research centres, faculty development, and more, but did not, due to process delays, weak absorptive capacity, or compliance and accountability gaps.

‘Institutions must submit reconciled reports of all unutilised funds within 30 days, which will be jointly verified. Unused funds may be redirected to priority projects, and carrying them over without strong justification will no longer be allowed.

‘Procurement plans must align with approved interventions, and approvals should be fast-tracked to prevent delays.’

The minister noted that capacity-building programmes will be introduced to strengthen project management, compliance, and reporting, alongside mentorship initiatives.

He also hinted of quarterly reviews that will track progress and compliance, with sanctions for institutions that fail to utilise funds effectively.

According to the minister, heads of institutions, bursars, and procurement directors will be held responsible for slippages.

Alausa said, ‘Finally, transparency will be enhanced through a public dashboard showing disbursement and utilisation data, and institutions will be required to publish project progress reports.

‘The success of this initiative depends on strong collaboration. TETFund must lead with professionalism, enforce compliance, and ensure transparency.

‘Institutional heads should drive urgency and accountability, while bursars, procurement officers, and project coordinators must plan and report diligently. Auditors and oversight bodies are expected to monitor activities and flag irregularities. All stakeholders must uphold a sense of stewardship, recognising that every TETFund naira represents public trust.

‘Let us seize this moment to turn the narrative around. Let unutilised balances no longer be a recurring embarrassment, but rather the catalyst for improved governance, greater productivity, and transformative impact in our tertiary education system.

‘Our students, faculty, and the future of our nation depend on it. With your cooperation, sincerity, and commitment, I am confident that every fund allocated will translate into tangible outcomes – classrooms built, laboratories equipped, research enhanced, faculty developed, and students empowered.’

After six years of rigorous research, scientists at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) have revealed that although most herbal medicines circulating in Nigeria are safe for consumption, their effectiveness in treating diseases remains largely unproven. The findings, unveiled last week during a media briefing by the Centre for Research in Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIMR, Yaba, highlight a growing gap between the popularity of herbal products and the scientific evidence supporting their therapeutic claims.

According to Dr. Oluwagbemiga Olanrewaju Aina, Deputy Director of Research in the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition at NIMR, the conclusion emerged from a comprehensive safety and efficacy evaluation of 46 herbal formulations conducted since 2019. ‘All the 46 herbal products evaluated over the last six years were found to be safe in toxicity studies using animal models. However, none of them passed efficacy tests,’ Aina disclosed.

The tested formulations-ranging from painkillers and anti-malarials to anti-COVID and cancer remedies-were subjected to acute and sub-acute toxicity studies, confirming that they posed no harm at standard dosages. Some of the products examined included Kampe Bitters, Divine Herbal Eye Medicine, Yusram Colon Cleanser, COVID Organics Herbal Tea from Madagascar, and Vernonia Antiviral Herb. While none of the products demonstrated harmful effects, Aina cautioned that safety alone does not equate to effectiveness. ‘Just because a product doesn’t harm you doesn’t mean it works,’ he warned. ‘There is a growing trend of herbalists making unverified claims-and, in some cases, adulterating their preparations with conventional drugs.’

Aina, who is also an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences, noted that the Centre played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating several herbal and pharmaceutical formulations, including Virucidine, Ivermectin, and protein-based immune therapies. However, none of the trials demonstrated statistically significant clinical benefits over standard treatments.

He urged herbal medicine producers to go beyond anecdotal evidence by conducting efficacy studies and identifying the active ingredients in their formulations. ‘We advise producers of herbal medicines to isolate and characterise active ingredients in their preparations. More importantly, they must demonstrate that these ingredients work-not just that they don’t kill,’ he said. Aina also called for greater investment in research infrastructure, better access to laboratory equipment, and the establishment of standardis ed animal facilities to support preclinical studies. Beyond its herbal research, the Centre has in the past six years evaluated 46 herbal medicinal products, conducted multiple preclinical and clinical trials, and trained over 500 industrial trainees, 150 project students, 50 interns, and 80 PhD students. It also played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s COVID-19 response and maintains collaborations with several universities locally and abroad.

Despite these achievements, Aina noted ongoing challenges, including limited funding, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, which remains an active focus of his broader research. He concluded by reaffirming the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with modern science. ‘Traditional medicine remains a vital part of African healthcare culture,’ he said. ‘But science must validate tradition-not replace it. Herbal therapy has its place, but it must be backed by evidence. That is the only way forward.’

Sir: It was only a matter of time. Everyone paying close attention knew that Uche Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, could not survive the certificate forgery storm. The handwriting was on the wall, and yesterday, it finally happened. Nnaji bowed out.

The truth is simple and damning: Nnaji himself admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him a degree certificate. So the million-naira question is, where did the one he brandished come from?

UNN has washed its hands off the matter. The institution categorically stated that Nnaji never completed his studies and was never awarded a degree. In short, the certificate he paraded is fake.

And that’s not all. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also distanced itself from Nnaji’s so-called NYSC certificate, describing it as ‘strange.’ A Premium Times investigation revealed yet another oddity, Nnaji’s NYSC record shows that he supposedly served for 13 months. Thirteen months! Even the NYSC found that hard to explain.

Of course, Nnaji claims that political enemies are behind his ordeal. But even he knows the truth; no opponent can forge a certificate on your behalf. He laid the trap himself and walked right into it.

Let’s remember the facts. Nnaji was admitted into UNN in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and was expected to graduate in 1985. But he reportedly failed some courses and never graduated. That means for over 40 years, Uche Nnaji neither regularized his academic records nor obtained a valid certificate , yet he rose through political ranks, occupying sensitive positions and waving fake credentials. Nnaji was careless, so to speak

Forty years of deception finally caught up with him. And this time, not even political connections could save him.

But beyond Nnaji’s personal fall lies a bigger question, how many more ‘Nnajis’ are out there, quietly occupying sensitive positions in government, hiding behind forged papers and political influence? Some commentators are beginning to say that Nnaji’s case might just be the tip of a very large iceberg.