Nigeria’s Low-Key Celebration At 65: Reality Of A Besieged Nation

The declaration of a low-key celebration should not be for Independence Day alone. This has been the style in recent years, as the nation comes to terms with its realities. However, scaling down on celebrations should not be merely symbolic. It should be part of a national strategy to confront the tragedy that has happened to the country so that the time to celebrate can come.

This is a hard fact that Nigerians have come to accept because the mood of the nation at the moment does not agree with any form of flamboyant or elaborate festivities.

This is why many young Nigerians, especially the Gen Z generation and younger, have lost or missed the joy of nationhood. Every year, the citizens look forward to a celebration of the beauty of being born in Nigeria. However, for several years now, this expectation has turned out to be a mirage.

Nigeria’s conditions at the moment make celebrations of any sort irrelevant or impractical. Nigeria is besieged on virtually all fronts. The country is facing financial difficulties, making grand celebrations impractical.

Nigeria is facing perhaps the worst national turbulence. On the economic front, times are hard for many citizens. On the social front, there is evidence of discontent. On the physical plane, Nigerians have not been so unsafe and vulnerable. Indeed, the nation is besieged on every side, grappling with crises, conflicts, health, and security emergencies. These warrant a more subdued tone of any form of merrymaking.

Nigeria’s crisis state is not sectional or regional. What we have is a nationwide conflagration that requires deep thinking and reflection, and then strategies to confront it. It is not a short-term phenomenon either. It has lingered for years now and has since widened. It is also evident that without concrete efforts being deployed to arrest it, the crisis portends wider and deeper social, economic, and physical dislocations.

There are a million reasons why Nigeria must suspend all forms of celebrations. Celebrations cost money, to start with, and whatever the government can do now to cut expenses must be done from now on. A time when the government is experiencing an economic crunch, the emphasis must be on cutting off all forms of extravagant expenditures, and the national independence celebration at a time such as this is one of such events. After all, the value of everything must be viewed contextually.

Often, these celebrations merely reflect the notions of national greatness that countries or governments confer on themselves. Sometimes, these notions of national greatness are misplaced, especially at times when the overall well-being of the citizens is at stake. The truth now, however, is that any such notions that we carry of ourselves and the country have been greatly impacted. Nigeria’s notion of greatness has been seriously dented, and the government must focus on the restoration of the greatness of the country first. Based on the above facts, celebrations should wait.

Besides, who indeed will be celebrating in Nigeria now? Celebrations are done within physical and social milieus. Which of these is fit for elaborate or even moderate celebrations, if we are not out to deceive ourselves? Celebrations are not held in environments of fear and intimidation, which is what Nigerians are going through currently. We are harvesting the deaths of citizens on different fronts. Nigerians are being plucked off their vehicles – whether cars or buses – and marched into the forests by bandits. At home, they are not safe because death – whether from armed robbers or kidnappers – also comes calling with so much ease.

The above realities have left deep cuts or disruptions on our economy, the very foundation of our national life. The economy is feeling the impact of insecurity on different fronts. Farmers are running away from their farms because of bandits who now see them as easy prey. So, farming communities are getting deserted as those who are expected to produce the food for the nation run for their lives. Any wonder then that the country suffers or will suffer from a food crisis? If it is not evident now, it will soon be, should the trend continue. Who would be holding lavish celebrations at such a time?

What is happening to farmers in the rural areas is also confronting some in the cities. The roads are not safe for them as they travel in their luxury vehicles or by public transport. Therefore, the economy faces constraints because goods can no longer be transported easily from where they are produced to where the consumers are. This is a redefinition of economics because being produced and not getting to those who need them means that there is a break in the cycle of economic activities.

What Nigeria needs now, more than any other thing, is a cap on irrelevancies and a focus on the matter of the moment. That matter is the restoration of the nation’s sense of dignity- the dignity of the country and the dignity of each citizen, big or small. We need a return to the stage where each citizen counts.

Customs Hands Over Seized Donkey Bones, Skins, Warns Traffickers

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna, has handed over a massive seizure of donkey bones and skins to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), describing the move as a critical step in protecting Nigeria’s biodiversity.

The seized items – 700 bags of donkey bones and 2,500 pieces of donkey skins – were intercepted in separate anti-smuggling operations and formally handed over to NESREA’s Kaduna State Coordinator, Mr. Hene Emmanuel, during a brief ceremony on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Comptroller Aminu Sule said the illegal slaughter and trade of donkey parts posed severe ecological and socioeconomic risks.

‘The Nigeria Customs Service is committed to enforcing environmental laws, protecting endangered species, and preventing Nigeria from being used as a transit point for illegal wildlife trade,’ he declared.

According to him, donkeys remain an essential means of transportation and livelihood for rural communities, making their illegal exploitation a direct threat to local economies.

Atiku: Tinubu’s Independence Speech Riddled With Falsehood

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to the 65th independence speech delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, saying ‘the pot is not only empty but cracked – and the people remain hungry.’

Tinubu had earlier in the day spoke of ‘turning the corner,’ laying foundations ‘in concrete and not on quicksand,’ and of supposed victories in education, healthcare, the economy, and national security in his nationwide broadcast.

But responding, Atiku, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shuaibu, said, ‘The yam may be plentiful, but if the pot is empty, the stomach still rumbles.’

According to Shuaibu, the president cited the multiplication of schools since 1960, but in many places, pupils still sit on bare floors and write in dust, while teachers abandon classrooms because their salaries cannot buy food.

FULL SPEECH: Tinubu’s independence Day broadcast

I started community service at 17 – Idris Lau

‘He boasted of more hospitals, but our mothers and fathers still carry candles, syringes, and drugs into wards before treatment can begin. A man who builds many huts without roofs has only built shade for goats,’ he said.

On the economy, Atiku said, ‘We were told of bold reforms. But Nigerians know the pain in their pockets. Food prices are higher than the rooftops, transport has swallowed incomes, and many families now eat less than one meal a day. If these are the ‘seeds’ of reform, then the fruit is still bitter. When the roof is on fire, it is folly to declare the rain has quenched it.’

On security, Atiku remarked that Tinubu saluted the courage of armed forces and declared victories over terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, but ‘Nigerians still sleep with one eye open, and families still pay ransom as if it were the daily price of gari.’

Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said, ‘Villages continue to bury their dead. Most tragically, just this week, we lost Somtochukwu, a young female news anchor with Arise TV, killed in a robbery attack in the early hours of Monday.

‘Her death is a painful reminder that no one – not even the voices that bring us the news – is safe in today’s Nigeria. A farmer cannot boast the bush is cleared while weeds still choke his yam.

‘We were told that billions have been disbursed to poor households. Nigerians ask simply: where? ‘if the yam was truly cooked, neighbours would perceive the aroma.’ Across the land, poverty still walks naked and hunger knocks daily, yet the government sings of generosity that citizens cannot see or feel.

‘Our young people, the supposed ‘future,’ are promised wings to fly. But many graduates hawk sachet water or ride okada to survive. You cannot tell a child to dream big while you steal the mat he sleeps on. Nigerian youths need real opportunities, not more applause lines.

‘Yes, 65 years is a long time. We have endured civil war, dictatorships, and crises. Nigerians are resilient – that much is true. But resilience must not be mistaken for endorsement. Our founding fathers dreamed of a land flowing with justice and opportunity. Today, the riverbed is dry for many, and only a privileged few fetch from the little water left.

Nigeria At 65: Time For A New Vision

As Nigeria today marks its Sapphire Jubilee (65 years of existence) as an independent nation, after gaining independence on October 1st, 1960, the dispensation calls for deep reflection over the journey so far and a new vision, having undergone significant rites of passage over time.

Firstly, there is the need to congratulate this great nation and its people for having weathered the challenges of nation-building and remaining as one political entity for this long. It needs to be recalled that several nations, both in Africa and other parts of the world, which not only started before and after Nigeria’s formation but also shared the same dream of nationhood, are no more due to a multiplicity of both endogenous and exogenous factors.

The story of Nigeria could also have been otherwise, given its leadership circumstances. Assembled from a collection of disparate ethnic nation-states by the British colonialists in 1914, and subjected to different leadership scenarios comprising colonial and serial rule alternation between democratically elected civil administration and the frequent truncation of same by military incursions into governance through coup d’états in 1966, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1985, and 1993, the country’s retention as a single entity today remains one of the most successful exercises in unity in diversity, as far as nation-building is concerned. Of even more significance is that Nigeria has, since 1999, enjoyed an unbroken run of democratic rule for all these 26 years. This political positive accentuates the merit of celebrating Nigeria at 65, for holding on to the vision and sustaining the mission of its founding fathers, even in the face of vicissitudes.

Yet, the fact remains incontrovertible that Nigeria could have achieved much more at 65, given its innate, humongous potentials and resources. With a population of 45 million at independence in 1960 and 220 million at present, the country has always been a giant on the African continent, as well as a voice to be reckoned with across the world. In terms of economy, Nigeria is endowed with a rich variety of strategic resources, ranging from large expanses of arable land for agriculture, lush flora and variety of fauna, as well as humongous oil and gas deposits and other minerals, which guarantee its position as a rich nation.

However, against the backdrop of its endowments and potentials, Nigeria has, for this long period, been a victim of arrested development, courtesy of multiple leadership failures. While it was hailed as the giant of Africa in the light of its status and promise at independence, the current state of Nigeria leaves much to be desired, due to generations of leadership whose failures denied it a better course of progress. Hence, Nigeria is currently reeling from the ravages of insecurity, with insurgency and other tendencies that have negatively conditioned daily life across the entire country. For instance, on a daily basis, insurgents attack one community or the other with fatal consequences. To further accentuate the ravages of insurgency in today’s Nigeria is the fact that several communities, and even local government areas, are at the mercy of insurgents, with residents paying ransom to the occupying insurgents.

The crime of kidnapping human beings for ransom has become a growing business venture in today’s Nigeria. So bad is the situation that senior government officials at various levels are discreetly and openly negotiating peace deals with insurgents.

Beyond the scourge of insurgency lies the more pervasive syndrome of endemic corruption in literally all aspects of government business. Courtesy of the deep-seated malaise of corruption, public largesse has been largely privatized by the political leadership community, leaving the masses to their wits. As a result of the widespread syndrome of corruption, Nigeria loses the bulk of the public largesse to private interests, as public interest-oriented projects suffer. Also, courtesy of the syndrome of corruption, even the political space remains compromised, as the country serially fails to elect the right calibre of leaders to take charge of its affairs. In the final analysis is the concern over the prospect of redeeming the country from its largely self-inflicted challenges.

That is why the need for a new vision that will propel the country along a new course remains mandatory. This new vision needs to be anchored on the premises of a united Nigeria, as well as the rule of law. With respect to the fostering of unity, the leadership needs to work assiduously along the course of integrating the disparate ethnic nation-states that make up the country, as the amalgamation process that spawned Nigeria under the colonial rule of Britain in 1914 is not yet completed.

The goal of unity will hardly be realized unless there is a deliberate attack on the freedom of impunity. This is where the rule of law needs to be actualized to ensure that the constitution and the laws of the country are obeyed by all and sundry.

We at Daily Trust believe that this task is for all Nigerians to key in, put in their best, be more patriotic, and have a strong belief in Nigeria. Once we can do this, our journey to the Promised Land can be realized.

Daily Trust wishes every Nigerian a happy 65th Independence Anniversary.

South African Ambassador Found Dead At Paris Hotel

South Africa’s ambassador to France, formerly a long-serving cabinet minister, was found dead on Tuesday at a Paris hotel in what is being treated as a possible suicide, the Paris prosecutor said.

The body of Nkosinathi Emmanuel Nathi Mthethwa, 58, a close associate of South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma, was found in the interior courtyard of the upscale Hyatt hotel.

The ambassador, usually known as Nathi Mthethwa, had reserved a room on the 22nd floor, and its secured window had been forced open with a pair of scissors that were found at the scene.

His wife saw him a final time on Monday afternoon when he was supposed to go to a cocktail event, and then received a message in the evening ‘in which he apologised to her and expressed his intention to end his life’, prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. ‘Initial investigations suggest that this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party,’ she said, while emphasising the investigation would seek to collect all the details.

Mthethwa had been an ambassador since December 2023.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called his death ‘untimely’ and ‘a moment of deep grief in which government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family’.

‘Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically,’ he said.

The circumstances of ‘his untimely death’ are under investigation by the French authorities, a South African ministerial statement confirmed.

Mthethwa served as South Africa’s culture minister from 2014 to 2019, and then minister for sports, arts and culture until 2023, according to his embassy website.

He was also the police minister from 2009 to 2014 and the security minister from 2008 to 2009.

Mthethwa also served on the board of directors of the 2010 Football World Cup local organising committee.

Between 2007 and 2022, he was a senior official in the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party since the first post-apartheid democratic elections in 1994. He worked underground within the ANC’s military wing during apartheid and was notably arrested during the state of emergency in 1989.

Foundation Partners With FG To Revolutionise Agricultural Insurance

The PULA Foundation, in collaboration with the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) and Bayer Foundation, has launched a groundbreaking agricultural insurance initiative to enhance the resilience of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The partnership aims to provide climate-resilient agricultural risk mitigation methodologies to approximately 248,000 smallholder farmers across eight states – Ekiti, Plateau, Kaduna, Enugu, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, and Taraba.

This innovative initiative is part of the National Agribusiness Planning Mechanism (NAPM) program, which was co-created by PFSCU, PULA, and Bayer Foundations.

The program’s primary objective is to ensure that Nigerian farmers engage in climate-resilient agriculture risk mitigation methodologies, thereby improving crop yields and reducing losses due to climate-related risks. The partnership has received strong support from state governments, with eight states already onboarded as part of a pilot program.

State governors have demonstrated their commitment to indemnifying their farmers with promptly paid premiums, which will be matched by a commitment from PULA and Bayer Foundations for four seasons.

Leadway Insurance will act as the preferred insurance agency to harmonise and assure the program’s insurance cover for each farmer.

According to Marion Moon, Executive Secretary of PFSCU, ‘By engaging directly with those who implement policies and systems, we gain valuable insights into the specific challenges they face. Understanding these pain points is crucial for developing effective solutions.’

Rose Goslinga, Executive Director of PULA Foundation, noted that ‘across sub-Saharan Africa, small farmers are the bedrock of national and regional economies-unless the weather proves unpredictable and their crops fail. The solution is insurance, at a vast, continental scale, and at a very low, affordable cost.

‘This visionary approach underscores PULA’s commitment to supporting the Nigerian government and state governors in their quest for food security, sustainable agricultural practices, and climate resilience.’

Dr Michael Enahoro, PULA Nigeria Country Director, emphasised that ‘enshrining the responsibility of risk mitigation with the individual farmer allows for productivity improvements, ensures that the agronomic efforts of the farmer are not wasted, and ultimately benefits both government and consumers.’

The partnership is expected to upscale and cover more value chains, integrate more farmers, and support Nigeria’s quest to eradicate climate change-related disasters and drive sustainable food systems. PULA Foundation and its partners are currently focused on ensuring the expansion of the NAPM into the second phase, which is the 2025 Dry Season, and encouraging all state governments to partner with the PFSCU to ensure all Nigerian farmers participate in the 2025 Dry Season farming exercise wherever possible.

The initiative is a significant step towards enhancing the resilience of Nigeria’s agricultural sector and promoting sustainable food systems. With the support of state governments, PULA Foundation, and its partners, the program is poised to make a lasting impact on the lives of Nigerian farmers.

Akpabio To Tinubu: Get Ready To Receive More Opposition Govs

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be ready to receive more governors of the opposition into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akpabio said more governors were putting finishing touches in preparation to join the APC, noting that Nigerians were already seeing the positive outcomes of the Tinubu-led administration.

Akpabio spoke at the launch of a book, ‘Ten Years of impactful leadership of the APC administration in Nigeria’, written by Governor Hope Uzodimma and commissioning of projects by President Bola Tinubu in Owerri, according to a statement by his special assistant on media, Jackson Udom.

Recall that Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, and Delta State governor, Sheriff, had dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling APC.

PENGASSAN Has Agreed To Call Off Strike, Says FG

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, announced that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has agreed to call off its strike following two days of conciliation meetings with the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

The meetings, which held on September 29 and 30, 2025, were convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and attended by senior government officials, security agencies, and representatives of organised labour.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meetings, Dingyadi said PENGASSAN’s strike action followed the disengagement of over 800 workers at the Dangote Refinery.

‘The leadership of PENGASSAN explained that the directives given to stop the supply of gas to Dangote Petroleum and the withdrawal of services were in response to the termination of appointment of over 800 members,’ the Minister said.

On its part, management of the refinery maintained that the job cuts were due to ‘ongoing reorganization in the company.’

After hours of deliberation, both parties reached a compromise.

According to the Minister, ‘the management of Dangote Group shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.’

The communiqué also emphasized that no worker would be victimised for their role in the industrial dispute.

On union rights, Dingyadi reaffirmed that ‘unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and that this right should be respected.’

He further disclosed that PENGASSAN had agreed to begin the process of calling off the strike in good faith.

Kano Gov Fumes As Police Withdraw From Independence Day Parade

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has accused the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, of partisanship after the police command withdrew from the Independence Day anniversary parade held in Kano.

Speaking during the event on Wednesday, the governor described the action as an affront to the people of Kano and to the spirit of national unity.

‘In conclusion of my speech, I would like to call for all the security agencies to continue committing themselves in the tribes of this country, including Kano State and all other states.

‘But security agencies, in Kano in particular, they shouldn’t be involving themselves in partisan politics, which will do no good to all of us in Kano State and in Nigeria of course. Let me say in particular that I would like to seize this opportunity as a Nigerian, as Kano citizen, and as the Chief Security Officer of Kano State, to condemn the unethical and partisan attitude of the current Commissioner of Police in Kano State,’ the governor said.

He noted that the police commissioner’s absence from the parade, along with his personnel, was a deliberate decision that embarrassed the state on a historic day.

‘As you can see, on this historic and independent anniversary of Nigeria, he decided to put out of the parade along with his own personnel. This is for reasons pertinent to him and pertinent to his people. Let me say that Kano State’s Chief Security Officer, on behalf of the government, are not happy with this attitude of the Commissioner of Police,’ he stated.

The governor stressed that Kano remained peaceful and that the people had been eager to celebrate the country’s independence together.

‘Today, every Nigerian is happy to celebrate the independence of this country. And we insist it, because we know Kano is peaceful. The good people of Kano are peace-loving people.

‘They have been looking for this day, when we all gather here, to celebrate the independence of our country. And here is one of the security personnel, a special Chief Security of the Police Force here in Kano. This is a point to the Kano people,’ he said.

Governor Yusuf further criticized the withdrawal as last-minute and politically motivated.

‘In the last minutes, when all the police are dread, in fact, are just their own wish. Because along with Kano, we are looking for this opportunity to show the happiness and celebration to be in the history of Nigeria. When our rights is written today in court, yet the Commissioner of Police decided to withdraw at the last minute.

‘It is not because of our boldness. It is not because of our insistence that we must come and celebrate. We all need to be happy here. And that will happen to the good people of Kano today,’ he added.

He insisted that such actions contravened the Nigerian Constitution, emphasizing his role as the Chief Security Officer of the state.

The governor described the commissioner’s conduct as ‘unethical,’ adding, ‘You can see I used my own pilot car to go around. This is unethical. This is disloyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ he said.

While thanking other security agencies for their participation in the parade, Yusuf assured of his government’s continued support to sustain peace and unity in.

When our correspondent reached out to the Police Commissioner, he simply said, ‘I am on a condolence visit, I will call you back later.’

Nigeria At 65: Together, We Are Overcoming, Together We Are Rising – Uba Sani

Today, Nigeria marks 65 years of independence; a significant milestone in the journey of a nation that has weathered many storms, yet continues to stand tall, proud, and unbroken. This anniversary is both a celebration and a call to reflection: a celebration of our collective resilience, and a moment to honour the sacrifices and vision of our founding fathers, who won for us the freedom we now enjoy.

Their legacy was not forged in ease, but in unity, faith, and an unwavering belief in the greatness of Nigeria. It is a legacy that inspires us to continue building a nation where peace, justice, and opportunity prevail. We must not merely commemorate independence: we must make it meaningful for every Nigerian.

Our path as a nation has been defined by resilience. Through challenges; political, economic, and social. Nigerians have demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to endure and hope. The strength of our people, especially here in Kaduna State, continues to be the bedrock of our shared progress.

This is why, on this historic day, I extend a sincere call to all of us: let us work together, across our communities, faiths, and backgrounds; to confront our challenges and unlock our collective potential. It is in unity that we will continue to give life to the dream of a peaceful, just, and prosperous Nigeria.

Here in Kaduna State, we are translating vision into action. Our administration is pursuing inclusive development and renewal through strategic and people-centred investmentsespecially in the following areas:

1. Infrastructure and Economic Connectivity

We have prioritised infrastructure as the engine of development. To date, we have launched 85 urban and rural road projects, covering 785 kilometres across the state. Nearly half of these are completed, facilitating trade, reducing travel time, and improving access to markets for farmers and entrepreneurs alike. We are rebuilding urban roads, bridges, and essential public utilities to stimulate investment and elevate living conditions.

2. Rural Transformation and Agricultural Revival: Our Rural Revitalisation Agenda is reawakening the economic potential of previously marginalised communities. With the reopening of key markets such as the Birnin Gwari Livestock Market and the Kidandan Market in Giwa, we are seeing a resurgence of local commerce and a renewed sense of community confidence. More than 500,000 hectares of abandoned farmland have been reclaimed, equipping our farmers to produce more while enhancing food security across the state.

3. Human Capital Development: Education and health are not luxuries – they are the pillars of our future. We are executing a comprehensive reform of our educational system to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality learning. This includes infrastructure upgrades, teacher training, and the integration of digital tools. Through the Reaching Out-of-School Children Project, we have successfully returned over 10,728 children to the classroom. Moreover, we have reopened 535 schools previously shut due to insecurity, reaffirming our belief that education is a right, not a privilege.

In healthcare, we have turned promises into action. We have upgraded 255 Primary Health Care Centres across the state, bringing vital services closer to rural communities. These efforts are supported by our investments in three world-class vocational institutes, which are empowering our youth and women with marketable skills to thrive in an evolving economy.

4. Agriculture and Food Security: Recognising the strategic importance of agriculture, we have allocated over 10% of the 2025 budget to the sector – the highest in recent years. This demonstrates our commitment to empowering smallholder farmers, promoting climate-smart practices, and strengthening the agricultural value chain to ensure long-term food security and economic growth.

5. Peacebuilding and Social Inclusion: We understand that meaningful development is impossible without peace. This is why we have deepened our investment in community security, reconciliation, and dialogue. We are expanding community policing initiatives, strengthening collaboration with security agencies, and supporting victims of conflict. Through these efforts, we are rebuilding trust across diverse communities and reaffirming our collective commitment to peaceful coexistence.

Justice, equity, and inclusion are the cornerstones of our governance approach. We are building a Kaduna State where policy is driven by fairness, leadership is guided by empathy, and every community, no matter how remote, has a voice in shaping our shared future.

These achievements reflect our determination to build a Kaduna that is safe, strong, and inclusive. Yet, the path ahead requires even greater cooperation between government and the people. Development is a shared responsibility. I urge every citizen to contribute, through acts of peace, through civic participation, and through unwavering belief in the promise of our state and nation.

Nigeria’s future remains bright, and Kaduna’s role in that future is significant. Under His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the nation is undergoing bold reforms to secure peace, restore prosperity, and strengthen democratic governance. Kaduna stands fully in support of this vision.

As we celebrate today, let us renew our commitment to building a nation where hope thrives and unity endures. With God’s guidance and our collective resolve, we will overcome our challenges and realise the full potential of our state and country.

Happy Independence Day.

May God bless Kaduna State.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.