***NACCIMA Youth Launch Pan-African Investment Forum to Lead Africa’s Next Economic Boom The National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Engineer Jani Ibrahim, has issued a clarion call to Nigerian youth: the time for excuses is over. Speaking during a strategic planning session for the upcoming Youth Investment Forum, Ibrahim said the country’s youth must rise beyond rhetoric and step into structured, results-driven leadership. “You’ve come of age,” Ibrahim declared, drawing applause. “We can’t keep you under our wings forever. Like the Women’s Chamber, which has grown into a recognized national structure,…
Author: National Update
By: Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Jigawa State Government has called on the state’s five First Class Emirs to lend their support to a major new education reform initiative — the Jigawa Unified New Improvement of Teaching and Education (JigawaUNITE) project — aimed at transforming the quality of basic education across the state. This appeal was made during a courtesy visit to the traditional rulers by the Acting Managing Director of JigawaUNITE, Mr. Olusanya Omojola. A press statement signed and issued by Omojola in Dutse and made available to National Update described the visit as a step toward securing royal blessings…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Kogi Non-Governmental Organizations Network (KONGONET) has strongly condemned recent attacks on media personnel and infrastructure in the state, calling for urgent steps to bolster security around media establishments. In a statement signed by its Chairperson, Mr. Hamza Aliyu, and made available to journalists in Lokoja, KONGONET expressed concern over the worsening security threats facing the media, particularly the recent attack on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Prime FM 101.5 Station in Jimgbe and the fatal assault on photojournalist Ayo Aiyepekun of InsideStory. Aliyu described the July 26th attack on the FRCN station as…
Veteran political strategist and founding Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, has taken a direct swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former PDP member Bolaji Abdullahi, cautioning them to steer clear of unprovoked attacks on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a strongly worded statement issued to the media, Onaiwu dismissed recent criticisms of the PDP by the ADC as a “needless distraction from a party still trying to find its identity,” insisting the PDP remains the most structured and nationally rooted political platform in Nigeria. “We are not nomadic politicians. The PDP is not…
***As Senate Demands Answers Over ₦210trn Gap in NNPC Books After weeks of silence and mounting public speculation, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, finally faced the Senate — and the figures in question could not be more staggering. ₦210 trillion is the size of the discrepancy uncovered in NNPC’s audited financial statements between 2017 and 2023 — ₦107 trillion in receivables, and ₦103 trillion in liabilities. Now, the Senate Public Accounts Committee wants answers, and fast. At Tuesday’s high-stakes hearing, Ojulari appealed for understanding, saying his previous silence was…
Medical experts in Abuja have raised the alarm over the dangers of untreated hepatitis, describing it as a “silent killer” that often shows no symptoms until serious liver damage has occurred. The warning came during an outreach organised by the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (FCT Chapter) to mark World Hepatitis Day in Dutse, Abuja, where free Hepatitis B and C tests were offered to residents. Speaking at the event, Emmanuel Chijoke, Medical Director of Lyon Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, stressed the importance of early detection. “Hepatitis is a deadly viral infection. Most people who have it don’t know until it’s…
***Vandalized equipment, GM, staff in turmoil. By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers on Saturday in Jimgbe, a suburb of Lokoja metropolis, invaded the premises of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Prime FM 101.5 station, vandalized and carted away transmission equipment worth millions of Naira. According to information gathered from the area, the robbery operation was carried out in the early hours of Saturday and lasted hours unhindered or interception from security operatives in the area. Narrating his ordeal, the security guard on duty, Mr Daniel Haruna, a casual staff, said that the robbers who were…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has signed into law seven landmark bills, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to people-focused governance and institutional transformation. The bills, signed on Friday at the Government House in Lokoja, include legislation on climate change, land reforms, electoral transparency, disaster response, agriculture, and restrictions on heavy-duty truck movements in Lokoja metropolis. Addressing the press after the signing ceremony, Governor Ododo commended Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf and members of the State Assembly for their “deep sense of responsibility and unwavering commitment to good governance.” The Governor, apparently enthused by the development, described the…
***Blames falling education standards on lack of qualified teachers A retired university lecturer and education consultant, Professor Mustapha Ibrahim Lemu, has called on the Federal Government to reintroduce Teachers’ Training Colleges, describing their abolition as a major factor in the decline of education standards across Nigeria. Delivering a keynote address in Minna on Monday during a farewell colloquium in honour of the outgoing Provost of Niger State College of Education, Professor Mohammed Yakubu Auna, Professor Lemu said the quality of teacher education must be urgently addressed to reverse the downward trend in the country’s education sector. “Teachers’ education in Nigeria…
In a move set to transform Nigeria’s fashion landscape, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy has joined forces with The Fashion Academy Abuja to launch a designer training programme like no other. The initiative, part of the Creative Leap Acceleration Program (CLAP), is not just a training—it’s a movement. Aimed at young designers, tailors, and aspiring fashion entrepreneurs, the program is crafted to unlock creativity, sharpen skills, and build the next generation of industry trailblazers. From the rhythmic hum of sewing machines to the bold strokes of branding strategies, participants will dive deep into: Pattern…