Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Concerned tanker drivers across the country have dissociated themselves from a self-styled ‘PTD Elders Forum,’ describing the group as faceless impostors bent on destabilising the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and National Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The drivers said that the group, which is not recognised by the PTD bylaws or NUPENG constitution, has been spreading falsehood to mislead the public.

They aligned with NUPENG president, Comrade Williams Akporeha and general secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, who earlier warned that the so-called Elders Forum consists of infiltrators with sinister motives.

The NUPENG leaders reaffirmed that Comrade Augustine Egbon remains the duly elected national chairman of PTD-NUPENG, having emerged at the branch Delegates Conference in Lagos on July 3, 2024.

At a press briefing in Lagos, tanker drivers from Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri zones denounced the PTD Elders, insisting that they are not genuine members.

Comrade Bashir Izalan of Kaduna zone said: ‘We don’t have anything like PTD Elders in our hierarchy. The only chairman we recognise is Comrade Egbon, whose leadership has been transparent and supportive of our welfare.’

Speaking for the Lagos zone, Comrade Itanola Abiodun urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute the impostors. He said, ‘Every member belongs to a unit and zone. These people cannot even state where they come from. They are hired to wreak havoc in our union.’

From Port Harcourt, Comrade Chukwudi Okafor dismissed claims that PTD leaders mismanage drivers’ dues.

He explained that check-off dues and loading fees paid by truck owners fund health insurance, welfare and emergency needs.

‘We are beneficiaries of these services; and we trust our leaders. The impostors have no business questioning how the funds are used,’ he said.

In Warri, Comrade Dennis Akore accused disgruntled ex-members of sponsoring the so-called PTD Elders after losing in last year’s election.

‘When they were in office, drivers benefitted nothing. Now, they are plotting to hijack the union through the backdoor. Some even attacked our national officers in Abuja and are still facing criminal charges,’ he alleged.

The tanker drivers urged the government and security agencies to support PTD-NUPENG’s legitimate leadership, stressing that the union has continued to provide welfare, protection and a sense of belonging to drivers nationwide.

When discussions around healthcare arise, the role of pharmacists is often viewed through the narrow lens of dispensing medication. Yet, the story of one Nigerian-born scholar, Muhammad Kabir Musa proves that pharmacists stand at the heart of transforming health systems, shaping global health policy, and pioneering reforms that save lives. His journey demonstrates how research, passion, and service can redefine what it means to be a pharmacist in the 21st century.

The turning point came at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, where Musa’s early work uncovered a startling truth: handwritten prescriptions carried a 38 per cent error rate. This revelation was more than a statistic; it represented thousands of patients vulnerable to preventable harm. Rather than treat it as an academic finding alone, he pushed for reform. His advocacy led to the adoption of an electronic prescribing system at ABUTH, cutting projected errors by 60, per cent iimproving communication between healthcare professionals, preventing adverse drug events, and saving significant costs. Today, that system stands as a model for other Nigerian health institutions and beyond. This pioneering work underscored a career-long commitment to prescription safety, patient welfare, and public health innovation.

The roots of this remarkable journey stretch back to Okuta (Senrukperu), in Kwara State’s Baruten Local Government Area, where he attended Baptist Grammar School. Motivated by a deep curiosity about health, medicine, and science, he pursued a degree in pharmacy at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, graduating in 2017. Following his internship at ABUTH (2018-2019) and successful completion of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria licensure exams, he served his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year at General Hospital Hunkuyi in Kaduna State. Alongside, he earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Management from the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), reflecting his interest in leadership and systems development.

His appointment as a pharmacist at ABUTH deepened his professional experience. It was here that his influence expanded from patient care to health system strengthening and public health research. This foundation propelled him onto the global stage, where his expertise would attract international recognition and opportunities for advanced research.

In 2022, his quest for deeper knowledge earned him the Abay Kunanbayev Scholarship to pursue a Master of Public Health at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Under the mentorship of Johns Hopkins alumnus, Prof. Byron Crape, he conducted a systematic review and linear regression analysis on global HPV vaccine coverage, bringing new clarity to international vaccination strategies. His success at Nazarbayev reinforced his reputation as a scholar committed to using evidence for impactful health policy.

Today, he is pursuing doctoral studies at the prestigious University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, in the Clinical Pharmacy Translational Sciences program. His research continues to garner attention, addressing complex issues that resonate on a global scale proof of his unwavering dedication to advancing pharmacy practice and improving healthcare delivery.

Beyond degrees and titles, his contributions are visible in the breadth of his scholarship. With over 25 international publications, he has tackled themes ranging from medication safety, vaccination uptake, and COVID-19’s hidden consequences to early marriage and teenage pregnancy, public health in conflict zones, and global neurosurgical challenges. He has also explored the intersections of climate change, food insecurity, and health policy reforms. Each paper not only expands academic knowledge but also informs practical decisions by policymakers and institutions.

What made his work at ABUTH particularly transformative was its real-world application. By showing the dangers of illegible handwritten prescriptions and quantifying the risks, he provided evidence that spurred concrete reform. His insistence on safety turned an ordinary teaching hospital into a national model of innovation. That research laid the foundation for broader advocacy in pharmaceutical practice, health systems reform, and patient-centered care.

His impact, however, extends beyond laboratories, hospitals, and lecture halls. With a passion for education and youth development, he founded the MK Musa Foundation, alongside young leaders committed to empowering communities through education and other tools of transformation. Since 2024, he has also volunteered on the Edufurther platform, offering free mentorship to aspiring scholars. These efforts earned him the Grassroots Educational Ambassador Award from the National Association of Kwara State Students, Usmanu Danfodiyo University chapter. His mentorship embodies a belief that knowledge is not complete until it is shared, and leadership is not meaningful unless it uplifts others.

His story also mirrors the broader vision of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the global body advocating for the evolution of pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and education. This year’s World Pharmacist Day theme-‘Think Health, Think Pharmacist’-perfectly aligns with his career. By advancing research, reshaping policies, mentoring the next generation, and directly improving patient care, he exemplifies how pharmacists today extend far beyond the pill counter.

From humble beginnings in rural Kwara State to international lecture halls and globally cited research, his journey illustrates resilience, brilliance, and service. It reminds us that pharmacists are not simply dispensers of medicine but guardians of patient safety, architects of health systems, and advocates for policy reform.

The breakthrough at ABUTH marked the first chapter in a life dedicated to innovation. But it was only a beginning. Today, his work continues to resonate across continents, shaping healthcare conversations and practices in ways that will protect lives for generations to come.

Indeed, the path he has carved embodies the essence of going beyond the pill-toward safer, smarter, and more inclusive healthcare for all.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines the elderly as someone aged 60 years and above. However, definitions for ‘elderly’ can vary significantly, with the UN and other organisations using the cut off of 65 years. Therefore, Nigeria, by all definitions, is an elderly country.

We say, ‘a fool at forty is a fool forever’, but we are much older than forty, so I think the best term for us is the Yoruba term- ‘Agbaya’. Coincidentally, October 1, our Independence Day, is also celebrated as the international day of older persons worldwide.

Hitherto, Agbaya.

Another October 1 has come and gone, draped in the familiar green and white colours. At 65 years of age, a nation, like any person, should be enjoying the fruits of its labour, standing with the steady gait of maturity and the wisdom of experience. Its citizens should feel the robust pulse of its systems, the surety of its protection, and the warmth of its care. But as we celebrate another year of independence, we must ask: in the six and a half decades since that green and white flag was first hoisted, has our long walk been one of progress or a tragic, circular trek back to where we began? What have we done with our 65 years of Independence?

To answer, we must first remember the man who stood at the podium at Tafawa Balewa Square in 1960. Our first Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, spoke not just of freedom from Britain, but of a responsibility to a continent. ‘We are called upon immediately to show that our faith in ourselves is justified,’ he declared. Nigeria was a ‘trust,’ a ‘privilege,’ a nation poised to be a ‘great and powerful country.’

In those early years, the stride was hopeful. We were a federation of regions with competitive agriculture; groundnuts piled high in Kano, cocoa flowing from the West, palm oil from the East. We built universities, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1960), Ahmadu Bello University (1962), the University of Lagos (1962); cathedrals of learning intended to forge the African mind. Our healthcare system, though young, was functional and respected; teaching hospitals like University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, were beacons of medical excellence in West Africa. The trajectory, though not without its political tremors, pointed upwards.

Then came the coup of 1966 and the countercoup that plunged us into a 30-month civil war. The shadow of that war, and the millions of lives it consumed, has never truly left us. It was the first great fracture, the moment we learned that the Nigerian project was a fragile one, held together not by a common vision, but by a precarious and often violent balance.

The oil boom of the 1970s should have been our great leap. Petrol-dollars flooded the treasury, and the military government of Yakubu Gowon spoke of the problem not being money, but how to spend it. We embarked on ambitious projects, but in our frenzy, we committed two original sins: Firstly, we abandoned the farms with the share of GDP plummeting from over 60 per cent in the early 1960s to about 20 per cent by the 1980s and secondly, greed took over our senses. We became a mono-economy, hooked on crude oil, vulnerable to global price swings, and utterly reckless with our wealth.

The 1980s and 90s were the ‘lost decades,’ defined by a carousel of military dictatorships. The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the Babangida era devalued not just the Naira, but our collective dignity. It dismantled the nascent social safety net and introduced a harsh, survival-of-the-fittest capitalism that shattered the middle class. Our universities, once proud, became theatres of endless strikes as the intellectual foundation of the country was deliberately neglected. Brain drain, or ‘Japa’ before it had a name, began in earnest.

The return to democracy in 1999 brought a fragile hope. However, the 4th Republic has been a masterclass in the politics of patronage over progress. We have witnessed the entrenchment of a political class so detached from the realities of the people that their promises feel like a form of national gaslighting. They tell us, ‘Education is free’ while our lecturers sell tomatoes; they announce ‘free healthcare’ while our children die from a lack of diphtheria antitoxin.

So, are we moving forward or backwards? You tell me.

The Nigerian economy, once a diversified, agricultural exporter has now become a struggling mono-economy, the poverty capital of the world, with a currency in freefall. We now import what we once grew.

Once upon a time, we had a functioning railway system; the Lagos-Ibadan Road was a smooth passage. Now? We have dilapidated roads, a collapsed national carrier, and a national grid that functions like a bad joke. The last time I travelled the Kaduna-Abuja Road, my heart banged against my ribcage so many times so much that I thought I was going to have a stroke. In fact, we are currently celebrating the revival of a train service, a basic amenity we had at independence.

Healthcare. Where do I start from? In the sixties and seventies, UCH Ibadan was a regional centre of excellence. Now? Our best and brightest doctors are the backbone of the NHS and the American healthcare system. Our hospitals, as I have lamented many times, often lack gloves, oxygen and bed space while patients bleed to death from perforated ulcers caused by fake drugs sold by quacks and children die from preventable diseases like Diphtheria. Life expectancy has improved globally, but in Nigeria, the pace is a crawl compared to peers, and the outcomes are amongst the worst.

As for security, I have no words. In the eighties, we grew up hearing about dangerous countries like Colombia and Honduras where kidnapping was the order of the day. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine that that would be our reality. Yet here we are. Our Kidnapping is now on steroids.

What about education, you ask? Well, when a sitting JAMB Oga comes out to tell you that some students will have to rewrite JAMB because there was a ‘glitch’ in their system, then you know that, pardon my French, shit has really hit the fan. Graduates of universities can no longer write coherent sentences and talk more about reports. Every year, WAEC and NECO scores continue to plummet even lower. As for the states that boast of high scores- like we say ‘miracle’ no dey tire Jesus!

The evidence is overwhelming. By every metric that measures the health of a nation, the welfare of its citizens, the strength of its institutions, the quality of its public goods, we have moved backwards. We are a country that, in 2025, is struggling to achieve what it had a firm grip on in 1965.

And yet, to declare us a failed state is to ignore the irrepressible Nigerian spirit, the ‘siddon look’ resilience that is both our strength and our curse. Our survival is not a sign of success, but a testament to the sheer grit of ordinary people who, against all odds, continue to hustle, to hope, to build businesses in the face of epileptic power, and to save lives in hospitals without tools.

The diagnosis is clear. We suffer from a chronic and debilitating illness: a failure of leadership and a corrosive corrupt political culture. The treatment is not another policy paper or a sensationalist headline. It is a radical, surgical intervention into our national psyche and our political structures. It demands that we, the people, stop rewarding the bad behaviour of our rulers and begin to demand, with one unwavering voice, what we were promised 65 years ago; prosperity, justice and security for all.

The long walk is not over. But until we face the truth of how far we have strayed from the path, we will remain, 65 years on, Agbaya forever.

A country slowly and tragically bleeds to death when its citizens become easy targets for criminals of all shades and stripes.

Nigeria is once again haunted by profoundly depressing news involving two women professionals. First to haunt the airwaves was the case of Onyesom Peace, who was called to the Nigerian Bar between September 23rd and 25th, 2025. Still drenched in celebrations at what is not an easy feat in a country where dysfunction is an unnatural disaster, she was abducted alongside her sister by kidnappers on her way back to her base in the southeast. They spent about four days in the den of their kidnappers.

For 29-year-old Somtochukwu Maduagwu, death came agonizingly on Monday, 29th September 2025, during an armed robbery attack during which she is said to have gotten severely injured and passed away as she tried to escape. It was also said that life-saving medical attention did not arrive on time.

In the circumstances, there can be only one fitting description for a country where death is easier than life. Such a country can be fittingly described as being disastrously dysfunctional.

The boldest stamp a state can leave on its territory and on the consciousness of its citizens is security. When the citizens of a country know that they are safe within a country, trust wells within them in the capacity of the state to protect them. This in turn, transforms into patriotism and many other good qualities that every state cannot do without. Alas, in Nigeria, the opposite is true.

It is constitutional that the chief responsibility of the Nigerian state is the welfare of its citizens. Yet, every day in Nigeria, Nigerians are killed, and unaccountably too. The grim list of Nigerians killed with no one held to account continues to grow by the day to put Nigeria on the spot and firmly establish it as a country without justice.

A country boils more fiercely than a cauldron when elected government officials appear impotent and impassive before the scalding rage of ragtag criminals and ragged non-state actors.

For all the current administration assures Nigeria that it is irreversibly on the right track, for all that loquacious government officials howl to the rooftops that the peace and prosperity of old have made a resounding return to a thoroughly parched land, the gaps remain, stressing the gulf between Nigeria as it is today and the country it aspires to be.

Criminals operate, saunter away, and return only because measures are not in place to check them. For more than a decade now, Nigeria’s suspect security architecture has continued to disintegrate, worn down by government dereliction and the newfound audacity of criminals.

These criminals strike at will, cut lives short, and cart away valuables only to rest, rinse, and repeat their crimes, all the while unbothered by what a fairly toothless state can possibly conjure.

A country where citizens cannot sleep with both eyes closed is a country cooking its demise. Such a country can hardly ever make any meaningful progress.

Nigeria must do more. It is tragically shameful that Africa’s largest democracy cannot guarantee the basics of statehood, thus exposing its citizens to ruthless criminals.

As the race to raise chicken for Christmas and New Year begins, smallholder poultry farmers are struggling with rising prices due to shortage of day-old chick supply across the country.

From September every year, smallholder poultry farmers raise broilers, targeting the yuletide season (Christmas and New Year), when the demand for chicken meat is high.

However, this year, farmers are concerned that prices are very high compared to last year, raising concern that many families may not afford meat during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The Delta State chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria first raised the alarm in a WhatsApp post, where its leadership expressed concern that the scarcity of day-old pullets was hitting the roof ‘on a daily basis.’

‘Pullets just added money. Somebody will be asking: What’s the sudden scarcity in broilers and pullets? What’s actually the reason behind this despite availability of raw materials and downward review of prices by various feed companies,’ the post asked.

The poultry industry in Nigeria has suffered many setbacks since COVID-19, pushing many small and medium scale farmers out of business.

Sources said about 80 per cent of the total day-old hatched in Nigeria are supplied to other African countries widening demand gap domestically.

Weekend Trust gathered that these African countries pay upfront at a uniform price making them a preferred choice for most Nigerian hatcheries.

‘True, but.

The scarcity of day-old chicks and pullets has been blamed on supply to other African countries like Ghana, Cameroon, among others following the high demand for Nigerian birds in those countries.

A former ECWA Farm Manager in Jos, the Plateau State capital, Yilkes Zumunci Bitrus, who is now the chief executive officer of Holy-Right Agro Veterinary Services in Jos, acknowledged this fact.

He explained that the reason for this is that there is much outbreak of diseases in those countries and the quality of their birds is not as that of Nigeria.

The manager said there was high demand for Nigerian birds in those countries, so farms and hatcheries in those places endeavour to meet their demands and supply them, to the detriment of local farmers.

According to the chief executive officer, the farms sell at a higher price to those who come from the neighbouring countries, but they won’t tell local farmers, who they deny the birds.

‘Again, those neighbouring countries come to Nigeria to get birds because they see the country as their own abroad, just as there is always cravings for goods and services from abroad.

‘I liken this to Nigerians having preferences for goods and services from other countries. For example, we have good locally made shoes and automobiles, but we go to other countries to purchase those products, with the mistaken thought that the products outside are always superior to those locally made at home,’ he said.

Zumunci explained that in addition to the supply of birds to neighbouring countries is also the forthcoming yuletide, which is also another reason there is scarcity of day-old chicks and pullets.

According to him, many farms are now saving and nurturing the birds ahead of yuletide in December (Christmas) to sell at a higher price because as at then, the price will be high and the sellers will make more profit.

Another issue, according him, is that in January and February, prices of birds crashed and farms made losses; so people will make much gain in December so that they can make up for the loss in January and February. He stressed that it is for that reason that they are not selling day-old chicks and pullets now; they are keeping them to mature for sale in December.

He revealed that the crash in prices of birds in January and February was so severe that farms even burned the birds since there was less patronage.

Asked why the farms won’t distribute to farmers who are their customers, he explained that if that was done, the farmers would take advantage of it and make it a habit to lessen their patronage and wait for the period when they would be given free chicks.

The public relations officer of the Plateau State Poultry Association, Solomon John, also agreed with Zumunci on hoarding day-old chicks and pullets ahead of the yuletide, adding that the hatcheries too have issues as some complain about parent stock not laying many eggs.

On her part, Madam Grace, a poultry owner around Yelwa Club junction in Jos South, said she booked for day-old chicks and pullets in a hatchery farm but they told her that she could not get it until next year.

She said she was looking for how to get day-old chicks and pullets from alternative sources.

She said the prices of pullets and day-old chicks were between N1,800 and N1,820, while that of broilers is N1,750.

Farmers speak

In Kano, Hajara Sani, a housewife, was disappointed when, on enquiry about the availability of day-old broilers, she was told that booking was required and it would take two or three months to get supply.

Hajara was told that N1,700 is the price for a day-old broiler, while a day-old layer is N1,300, with a local breed known as merger costing N600.

Women are usually seen in clusters waiting for their turns to take delivery of day- old chicks at different poultry outlets in Kano, suggesting that such chicks, especially broilers, are not readily available for would-be buyers.

The chairman of the Kano State Poultry Farmers Association, Dr Usman Gwarzo, explained that certain factors were responsible for the scarcity, which invariably affects the price.

He said the problem was traceable to production challenges in which the major hatcheries in the country like Olam are struggling with foreign exchange to procure the parent stocks that usually lay the eggs.

‘The parent stock is the one that usually lays the eggs that can be hatched; and you need foreign exchange to buy. And everybody knows the volatility of the forex market.

‘Lack of government support to poultry farmers is another factor for the scarcity. Farmers do not get any kind of support to thrive in this kind of business, unlike other aspects of agriculture.

‘Again, no bank supports poultry farmers with any kind of loan. The profit margin of a poultry farmer is between 19 per cent and 20 per cent, but the least interest bank offers is 30 per cent,’ Dr Gwarzo said.

He said a day-old broiler from the hatchery was N1,700, but it would arrive in Kano at approximately N1,900, noting that a parent stock is N8,500 for a day-old.

According to him, farmers like him wait for three months after placing an order for day-old broilers because the hatching period takes about three weeks with demand from different farmers.

Dr Ismail Abdulsalam, another poultry farmer, corroborated what the chairman said. He, however, added that farmers were struggling to replace the aging birds with limited lifespan, creating increased demand on the hatcheries all over the country.

Abdulsalam said the process of hatching broilers and layers was the same, but the broilers give the hatcheries a bit more profit; and therefore, an incentive to hatch more to meet increasing demands.

He said, ‘The process of hatching broilers and layers is the same. But because broilers are a bit more expensive than layers and the hatcheries profit higher, they tend to hatch more broilers, especially as the festive period of Christmas approaches.

‘In the past, just for Christmas sales alone, a farmer could place an order of 100,000 chicks, but that has dropped to maybe 50,000. From now, until Christmas, the price of broilers will remain high because of the likelihood of increasing demands for chicken during the celebration of the festive season.’

According to Abdulsalam, the price of a day-old broiler is between N1,800 and N2,000, while a day-old layer is about N1,500-600, linking the scarcity to the growing population in the country.

Similarly, Abba Abdu, who sells poultry feeds and live birds at Ahmad Chicks, told Weekend Trust that a day-old chick cost at least N1,700 but after a long wait.

‘I have just sold mine, and it will take another month before I get the next supply. You cannot get a day-old chick without waiting for some time after booking. That is how the market is working,’ he said.

Abdu attributed the scarcity to the activities of some poultry farmers who tend to make huge profits supplying nearby Arab countries.

He gave the name of one Saheed, whom he said was given a contract to supply chicks to Arab countries in Africa. Abdul, however, could provide any detail on how farmers supply foreign markets with live birds, leaving customers at home waiting.

Nigeria had in the past experienced significant scarcity and price hike of day-old broilers driven by a combination of factors like the impact of COVID-19 pandemic forex crisis, which limited importation of fertilised eggs, as well as logical challenges in supplying the hatcheries to the farms.

Other dynamics

Ms Nanji Gambo-Oke, the immediate past public relations officer of the Poultry Farmers Association in Plateau State, said farmers often overlooked the dynamics of demand and supply.

‘When egg demand drops, feed prices remain high. They lament, but now that feed prices have dropped and egg prices are rising, you meet silence. It is clear that demand drives the market. Citizens have more disposable income at the moment due to harvest, so they are prioritising protein in their diet.

‘Some hatcheries have faced challenges like scarcity due to lack of parent stock or disease outbreaks, forcing them to cull parent stock.

‘Setting eggs for pullets is more demanding; and there are periods hatchery owners tend to focus on broilers, which are easier and more profitable for hatcheries. And sometimes when poultry production seems more profitable, others are tempted to join, unaware that this influx can flood the market, leading to surplus supply and crashing prices,’ she said.

She added that many factors were causing the hike in the price of day-old pullets and broilers, noting the high demand to meet up with seasonal demand for end products.

‘For broilers, it is Christmas festivities; and for pullets, it is the fasting of March,’ she added.

Power is also the number one factor affecting the price of chicks, according to Gambo-Oke, who said that many hatcheries were operating on diesel 75 per cent of the time.

‘Many hatcheries have downsized, operating at 25-50 per cent capacity due to poor demand off season, causing huge financial losses. Take for instance, doc broilers are sold at N50 and N100 during off season like December to early January when no one is picking birds.

‘The list goes on. Even if the price of feed is relatively cheaper, there are other intricate inputs and decisions to be made when producing day-old chicks,’ the farmer said.

Kamilu Ibrahim is an artist, a script writer, a director and a producer known in the Kannywood as Dan Hausa. In this interview with Weekend Trust, the producer talks about his mission in the industry among other things.

Who is Dan Hausa?

My name is Kamilu Ibrahim born 31 years ago, and people in the filmmaking industry know me as Dan Hausa. I was born in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano state. After my formal education, I got trained at the High Definition Film Academy in Abuja, SAE Institute, and also took part in the U.S. Embassy’s Filmmaking for Impact program. After completion of several trainings, I joined the kannywood filmmaking industry and started directing in 2017. That was how I ventured into the industry and it has been one good story or the other ever since I joined the industry.

Why film directing, when you can be an actor?

My journey into the entertainment sector began with my love for storytelling; I started as a scriptwriter, then worked closely with experienced filmmakers in the industry before directing my first film. Over the years, I have learned that directing isn’t just about cameras and lights, but it is about understanding people, culture, and the power of narrative ability.

However, while growing up, I came to learn how films could educate and inspire people. In Arewa, to explore our talents, cinema is more than entertainment; it’s a mirror of the larger society. I want to use that mirror to reflect our values, challenges, and hopes. That desire to make meaningful films kept me moving and finally succeeded in pushing me into directing.

What is your motivation in today’s Kannywood?

For me, it’s merging modern cinematic techniques with our Hausa cultural identity. I love bold visuals and tight storytelling, but I never want to lose that traditional heartbeat of my origin, I am a Hausa personality and I will not fail to show that in my films. My goal has always been to raise our production quality to international standards while staying true to our roots’, you can see the proof of that in my current and biggest project, ‘Wata Shida’.

How would you describe your directing style?

I like to call my style ‘realism with purpose.’ I focus on authenticity in every scene, every performance; every frame must feel true to life. But I also ensure that there’s always a message, something the audience can take home and reflect on.

What are some of your notable works?

Some of my notable works include, Wata Shida which is currently airing and the feedback we are receiving shows that the film has an overwhelming response from the public and there are others like Lulu Da Andalu a myth-inspired adventure series showing on AREWA24 and YouTube.

It will interest you to note that YouTube is what pushed us to think bigger in terms of story and production. My film Mijin Hajiya earned me Best Director at the 2024 Kano Entertainment Awards, while Tataburza made waves at film festivals. Earlier films like Bakon Yanayi (2019) and my debut Kulba Na Barna (2017) helped me define my style. However, my latest project, Amaryar Lalle which starred actress Rahama Sadau, it is good to understand that each project is a step forward in showing what Kannywood can achieve.

What awards and recognitions have you earned?

I have also been recognised by the Arewa5050 Awards and Kaduna International Film Festival (KIFF) for Lulu Da Andalu, which even won Best Indigenous Hausa Film. There is also an AMVCA nomination for best African indigenous language, which is exciting because it means Hausa stories are getting wider attention.’

Who are your key collaborators?

Filmmaking is teamwork and single individuals can’t succeed in the sector without effective collaboration. Prominent actor and singer TY Shaba have been a creative partner on several projects that I have executed, especially on Lulu Da Andalu. I have also worked with Rahama Sadau on Amaryar Lalle.

What themes do you usually explore in your films?

I like telling stories where modern life clashes with traditional values, family conflict, cultural identity, gender roles among others. These are real issues in our society, and I try to explore them honestly but cinematically. I believe film should make people feel and also think right.

What is your next project?

I am working on Wata Shida Season 2, it is a story about a woman who enters a six-month sham marriage to protect her inheritance. It’s a socially meaningful but also very entertaining film. I am currently working on the continuation of season 2 of ‘Amaryar Lalle.’

Can you tell us a little about your latest project?

This latest project of mine is very close to my heart. It follows a story of a young girl fighting to get educated in a society full of obstacles that ranges from socio-religious huddles. However, through her character we see how family, tradition, and resilience collide, and how hope can survive even in the harshest situations.

What inspired you to make this story?

Growing up, I saw so many bright young girls whose dreams were cut short just because they were girls. I felt a sense of responsibility to tell this story as a fiction, but as a mirror of what is happening around us.

How do you balance tradition and modernity in your work?

It’s about understanding and respect for traditions. I respect our traditions, but I also embrace new technology and ideas. In my films, I make sure traditional values are represented truthfully, while using modern techniques to improve production quality.

What challenges do you face as a director in Kannywood?

Budgets are often limited, and resources can be scarce. But the biggest challenge is sometimes societal misunderstanding of what we do as filmmakers. People forget that film is also an art form and a tool for change, not just entertainment.

What advice would you give to aspiring directors?

Learn the craft and don’t rush. Watch other people’s films, study scripts, spend time on set even if it’s just to observe. Most importantly, stay humble and focused. Filmmaking is about patience, teamwork, and vision.

How would you want to be remembered?

I would want to be remembered as someone who had tried to blend two conflicting concepts in making one single and meaningful piece. That is how I would want to be remembered.

‘Amalgamation a continua!’ This coinage could as well have been the befitting mantra for Nigeria’s march to nationhood, right from the amalgamation exercise in 1914 under the auspices of Frederick Lugard, who moulded hitherto disparate, autonomous, ethnic nation states into one political entity, to the present. In its basic meaning, the word amalgamation is the action of uniting or combining two or more factors, substances or even entities to create a new form or dispensation. Hence by referring to the convergence of the disparate ethnic entities as amalgamation, the context ostensibly was that a new political creation would emerge that is different from any of its constituents. In that case it would be the uniqueness of the new entity, that offers assurance of safe berthing with it, by any of its legacy constituents.

As Nigeria celebrates its 65th independence anniversary considerations are rife over contemporary developments and whatever linkages they have with history especially in the context of the amalgamation exercise which birthed the nation in 1914. Against the backdrop of contemporary realities in the country it is clear that the country as it stands today is a far cry from what the amalgamation is and laid the foundation for. Nigerians question tendencies like the cleavages in the country’s social fabric and linkages of such with foundations of the nation and invariably the amalgamation.

One of such areas is the raging contention over the unity question. It is of wide spread concern that even after living together for so long, several sections of the country find the present political system suffocating and want out. While the immediate attention on those who want out may rest on the protagonists in the South East, South West and other areas of restiveness, the deepening insurgency in the northern parts of the country amplify the crisis most graphically.

Such tendencies also invariably raise questions on the amalgamation terms and processes. Put succinctly some of the questions include how successive governments have managed the amalgamation dispensation to lead the country to the present state of affairs where unity is severely threatened. Did the amalgamation end in 1914? And if not what has been happening since then as the country moved from one level to another? Has the country attained optimally from the enterprise of generations of leaders courtesy of the amalgamation?

The straight forward answer is that while a major challenge of the country in 2025 remains the question of unity, it points to a failure in driving the vision and mission of the amalgamation, which apparently did not end in 1914, but has been mismanaged along the years. Put in proper context what the British did in the amalgamation was simply to launch a process of nation building, which has largely been construed by many Nigerians including those who should know better, more as an event than the commencement of a process.

Hence the fact that the context of the 1914 amalgamation of the country is seen from different perspectives today – 111 years after its execution, 65 years after the resultant political entity gained independence from its colonial master and 62 years after it became a formal Federal Republic of Nigeria, accentuates the playout of an ontological miasma – a disconnect of leadership from the expectations of the followership which demands deeper interrogation of same.

From the perspective of the colonialist, the amalgamation made great political and business sense as it provided administrative convenience with respect to effective exploitation of the territorial expanse of the new country Nigeria. However, for many Nigerian nationalists, the parochial, colonial context of the amalgamation had served as a basis for them to strip it of whatever merit it offered to the emergent country Nigeria. It is also in that context that some observers still refer to the amalgamation as Frederick Lugard’s ‘1914 mistake’, on the grounds that no input was made by the people of the country Nigeria, as it was purely a colonial government affair.

Yet, like any typical political dispensation, seeing the amalgamation from only one perspective to the exclusion of others, remains a poor reading of the script. Hence while seeing the amalgamation from the parochial interests of the colonialist gives depth to the sense of nostalgia for the country, another perspective also provides consideration for what the erstwhile, disparate constituent ethnic entities have gained with the emergence of a country as Nigeria and its inherent capacity as well as global ranking.

For instance, but for the amalgamation, hardly would any of the constituent, ethnic constituent nationalities have individually achieved as much dividends as they are doing by belonging to a Nigerian nation. According to the imperative of common humanity, once the opportunity of close contact with each other under friendly terms comes up, people naturally blend for mutual benefits, through social interactions, inter-ethnic marriages and even business partnerships. Hence even as successive leadership dispensations may not be toeing the course the vision and mission of the amalgamation, Nigerians in their respective corners are doing so. And the amalgamation was notionally conceived to build a new nation on that premise. This was also why most of the early nationalists saw the amalgamation from the positive side and embraced the vision driving it.

In the context of the foregoing lie a legion of lessons for the current Bola Tinubu administration, especially as it concerns the national unity question. With an ear to the ground, the administration will invariably appreciate that Nigerians are questioning several tendencies that border on the failure of his administration to see beyond the deepening cracks in the country’s fabric and hence its unity. Already the activities of insurgents have redrawn Nigeria’s map by their control of sections of the country as established at amalgamation. Let him pray and work so that during his tenure, Nigeria does not end up formally balkanised. That will be it.

Since gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria has demonstrated a sustained commitment to sports, achieving notable successes on the global stage. In football, athletics, basketball, boxing, table tennis, and women’s sports, Nigerian athletes have secured significant victories, set world records, and established a distinct national sporting identity.

Football occupies a central position in Nigerian society, serving as a unifying force and a source of national identity, particularly during periods of social or economic difficulty. This unity set the stage for Nigeria’s earliest football triumphs.

Nigeria’s first moments with history came in 1980, when the Super Eagles, powered by Segun Odegbami’s brilliance and Muda Lawal’s midfield command, lifted the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on home soil in Lagos. A 3-0 triumph over Algeria set off nationwide celebrations, announcing Nigeria’s arrival as a continental giant.

In 1994, Nigeria secured its second AFCON title in Tunisia, led by players such as Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Emmanuel Amuneke. This victory represented a significant development in Nigerian and African football.

In 1994, the Super Eagles made their debut at the FIFA World Cup in the United States, defeating Argentina and finishing first in their group. Although eliminated by Italy in the Round of 16, Nigeria achieved a FIFA ranking of fifth, the highest for any African nation at that time.

But perhaps the pinnacle came in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, when Nigeria’s U-23 ‘Dream Team’ stunned the entire world. They came from behind to beat Brazil 4-3 in the semi-final and then defeated Argentina 3-2 in a pulsating final. The gold medal was more than an Olympic triumph; it was Africa’s declaration that it could compete with, and conquer, the very best.

After years of near-misses, the Eagles reclaimed continental glory in 2013, lifting their third AFCON title in South Africa under coach Stephen Keshi. It was a poignant victory, Keshi became one of only two men to win the AFCON both as player and coach, etching his name in African football folklore.

While football brought glory, Nigeria’s athletics story has been one of grit, resilience, and breakthroughs. The defining moment arrived in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, when Chioma Ajunwa soared 7.12m to win the women’s long jump. She became Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist, a trailblazer for women in sport. That same Games, Falilat Ogunkoya won bronze in the 400m, the first Nigerian woman to earn an individual Olympic track medal.

Four years later at the Sydney Olympics, the women’s 4x400m relay team initially won silver, but more than a decade later, doping disqualifications upgraded Nigeria to gold, a belated but deserved recognition of their excellence.

The 2000s and 2010s saw the rise of Blessing Okagbare, who won Olympic silver in Beijing 2008, dominating African sprints, and achieving the rare double of 100m and 200m gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Then in 2022, the world stood still as Tobi Amusan shattered the 100m hurdles world record (12.12s) at the World Championships in Oregon. She not only became Nigeria’s first World Athletics Champion, but also turned the global spotlight on Nigerian talents once more. Her tears on the podium symbolised decades of hard work, and her triumph remains one of the greatest moments in African track history.

As Nigerians celebrated football and athletics, basketball emerged, turning Nigeria into a basketball powerhouse. The turning point came in 2015, when D’Tigers defeated Angola to win their first AfroBasket title in Tunisia. It was a statement victory against Africa’s traditional giants.

D’Tigress in jubilant mood after clinching their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in August 2025

Then in 2021, in a Tokyo Olympic warm-up game, Nigeria shocked the world by beating the USA 90-87 against all odds and bookmakers. For a country long considered outsiders in global basketball, this was a watershed moment. It showed that African teams could no longer be underestimated.

Even more dominant on the continental stage have been D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team. They stamped their authority as the queens of African basketball by winning five consecutive AfroBasket titles (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025), a run unmatched in the competition’s history.

Their dominance extended to the global stage at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, where they finally ended a two-decade wait for victory. Nigeria stunned Australia 75-62 to record their first Olympic win in 20 years, before scripting another historic chapter with a 79-70 triumph over Canada. That result made D’Tigress the first African basketball team-male or female-to reach the Olympic quarter-finals.

The milestone outing was crowned when head coach Rena Wakama was named Best Coach of the Tournament by FIBA, a fitting recognition for her leadership of a team that continues to inspire and break barriers.

In the same vein, Nigeria’s boxing heritage predates independence, with Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey becoming the country’s first world champion in 1957. But the true symbol of the 1960s was Dick Tiger, who held world titles in two weight classes and became one of the most respected fighters of his era.

In 2008, Samuel Peter won the WBC Heavyweight title when he defeated Oleg Maskaev by TKO in Mexico. Though Peter’s reign lasted only seven months, as a returning Vitali Klitschko eventually defeated him. As the years went by, the spotlight shifted to Anthony Joshua, the Nigerian-British heavyweight. Between 2016 and 2017, Joshua unified multiple world titles, carrying the Nigerian flag proudly alongside the British one. His triumphs rekindled memories of Nigeria’s rich boxing tradition, proving that the nation’s fighting spirit still burns brightly.

Few Nigerian athletes have been as consistent as Segun Toriola, who represented the country in seven consecutive Olympic Games (1992-2016), a record for African athletes. His longevity and resilience made him a role model across the continent.

The torch has since been carried by Aruna Quadri, who became the first African to break into the ITTF world top 10. His runs at the 2014 and 2016 World Cup, where he stunned higher-ranked opponents, established Nigeria as a force in world table tennis.

No story of Nigerian sports is complete without the Super Falcons, Africa’s most successful women’s football team. With 11 AFCON titles, they have been untouchable on the continent. Their finest moment came in 1999, when they reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, becoming the first African team to do so.

Beyond football, Nigerian women have excelled in the Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games, racking up medals in athletics, boxing, wrestling, and weightlifting. These triumphs have made Nigerian women symbols of resilience and excellence in sport.

From Dick Tiger’s fists in the 1960s, to the Super Eagles’ magical nights in 1994 and 1996, from Ajunwa’s historic leap to Amusan’s world record, Nigeria’s sporting history is a rich tapestry of triumphs. Basketball dominance, boxing legends, table tennis pioneers, and women’s football queens have all added to this heritage.

For a nation often tested by challenges, sport has always provided moments of unity, joy, and belief. These achievements remind Nigerians that no dream is too high, no goal too distant. As the story continues beyond 2025, the world watches, knowing that when Nigeria takes the stage, history is always within reach.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State in 2014 as a permanent scar on his administration, declaring that it is a wound that will remain with him till he dies.

Speaking on Friday at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja during the public presentation of a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, titled ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,’ Jonathan said no event defined his presidency more painfully than the tragedy of the Chibok girls.

He said, ‘One of the major scars on my government – and it will remain on my face, as Bishop Kukah said, no plastic or cosmetic surgeon can remove it – is the issue of the Chibok girls.

‘It is a scar I will die with. But perhaps later, more details may become known, and that too has to do with Boko Haram.

‘What did they really want? Our chairman once raised the issue when he interviewed some of them, and they gave him certain perspectives. But I pray that one day, some of the Boko Haram leaders may be literate enough to document what they have done, so that people will truly understand what they wanted. It is similar to the story of the Nigerian civil war.’

Reflecting on the insurgency that shadowed his presidency, Jonathan disclosed that his government had established several committees to explore peace options. According to him, during one of such efforts, the insurgents nominated then General Muhammadu Buhari to negotiate on their behalf with the federal government.

‘One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government. So, I was feeling that oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and have a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it is still there till today,’ Jonathan recalled.

He admitted that his initial belief that Buhari would wipe out Boko Haram after assuming office proved wrong, underscoring the complexity of the crisis.

‘I thought that after I left, within a reasonable time, General Buhari would wipe them out. But even today, Boko Haram is still there. The issue of Boko Haram is far more complex than it is often presented,’ he said.

Jonathan further noted that Boko Haram’s operations went beyond hunger or poverty, pointing to the sophisticated weaponry the group deploy.

He urged the present government to adopt a carrot-and-stick approach while working with fresh strategies to overcome the menace.

Meanwhile, an aide to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Garba Shehu has refuted Jonathan’s claim that Buhari was nominated by Boko Haram as a negotiator.

Shehu while responding in a statement last night, said, ‘Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role. In fact, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened Buhari, and their ideologies were in direct opposition.

‘In 2014, Muhammadu Buhari escaped a bomb attack on his life by Boko Haram in Kaduna, in which his personal staff suffered various degrees of injury.

Buhari’s campaigns focused on fighting Boko Haram and restoring security to Nigeria whenever he became president, putting him in direct opposition to the terrorist group’s leader.

He said, ‘The President, Dr, Good-luck Jonathan, had once alerted the nation of the ubiquitous presence of Boko Haram in his government, a fact aptly amplified by his erstwhile National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi.’

Shehu, while linking Jonathan’s comment to his 2027 presidential ambition said, ‘To win in 2027, Dr. Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.

On his part, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who reviewed Irabor’s book, stressed that only a whole-of-society approach could tackle the intertwined threats of Boko Haram and banditry.

‘Those who have things to say about Boko Haram do not even know when Boko Haram stops and banditry starts. They are all mixed together. We must begin to do something about it; and we must do it collectively,’ Obasanjo said.

He recalled visiting Boko Haram members in 2011 after the UN House bombing in Abuja and discovered that they were not pursuing clear political or religious goals but simply seeking a better life.

‘The life of any nation has the good, the bad and the ugly. What is important is for us to confront our challenges honestly. Look at our past and present, and when it is time to proffer solutions, we must look beyond the ordinary,’ he said.

The event attracted dignitaries, including Defence Minister Muhammad Badaru, service chiefs, members of the National Assembly, senior military officers, royal fathers, diplomats and others.

Bandits have abducted a woman and her two children in Kogi State and have imposed multi-million-naira levies on farming communities in Niger State as conditions for peace.

In Kogi State, bandits invaded the house of one Tokpe Gody at Bareke-Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area around 2am on Friday, abducting his wife and two children after heavy gunfire. Gody, a farmer narrowly escaped being taken but sustained gunshot wounds in the process.

He is currently receiving treatment at Egbe hospital, where locals described his condition as critical.

‘Tokpe Gody escaped by whiskers from the invading bandits who struck his residence around 2am today Friday. But his wife and two of his children were not so lucky as the invading bandits forcibly carried them away to their hideout in the community.

‘He received gun wound in his body and legs in the process of trying to escape from his assailants. His condition is not stable as at this morning. He is ordinary farmer that struggle to keep his family afloat in daring mounting challenges of today’s Nigeria,’ said Samuel Adeyemi, a resident of Egbe.

The abduction came just a day after a commercial motorcyclist was killed at Ejiba, a neighbouring town, when he rode into a bandit ambush on his way to Isanlu.

Meanwhile, in Niger State, bandits have rolled out levies and taxes on several communities in Mashegu Local Government Area, demanding payments ranging from N500,000 to N10 million within one or two weeks as a condition for ceasefire.

Residents listed Babban Rami and Kaboji communities as each tasked to pay N2 million, Sabon Rijiya and Sabon Rami N500,000 each, while villages around Keji forest were ordered to jointly contribute N10 million. Khizi community was taxed N6 million with a deadline of Friday, October 3, 2025.

A resident told Weekend Trust that villagers are unable to harvest crops due to sustained attacks.

‘There have series of killings and brutal attacks on the communities. And now, the bandits have imposed taxes on the villages surrounding the Ibbi and Kanji National Park forest.

‘We are appealing to authorities act quickly to address this situation, because majority of the people in these areas are farmers and more than 90 percent of what we planted has not been harvested yet. The problem is beyond the local government. State and Federal governments need to come as quick as possible,’ he said.

Another source noted that many farmers had been killed or kidnapped on their farmlands, travellers ambushed on highways, and villages burnt down during attacks.

Police authorities in both Kogi and Niger states are yet to respond to the latest incidents.