**Panel to draft Nigeria’s official position paper, engage U.S. Congress The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday constituted a 12-member ad-hoc committee to craft a comprehensive position paper in response to mounting international concerns over alleged state-backed persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The move followed recent claims by the United States government suggesting possible acts of genocide targeting Christians in parts of the country — a report that has triggered diplomatic unease and renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s human rights record. During a closed-door session, lawmakers deliberated extensively on the allegations and their potential impact on Nigeria’s global image and interfaith harmony. The…
Author: National Update
***Affirms that the reforms will shape 2027 polls The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Tuesday disclosed that the National Assembly aims to conclude the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 by December 2025 — well ahead of the 2027 general elections — to avoid the last-minute delays that hindered previous reforms. Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central, made this known shortly after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s letter seeking the confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said the legislature was determined to…
***Says internal divisions crippled his effectiveness as lawmaker A fresh wave of political realignment hit the National Assembly on Tuesday as the Senator representing Bauchi North, Dr. Samaila Dahuwa Kaila, formally announced his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a letter dated October 11th, addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary, Kaila said his decision was driven by “prolonged internal divisions, recurring factionalization, and loss of strategic direction within the PDP,” which he said had “gravely constrained his ability to discharge his constitutional responsibilities effectively and in good…
***Moves to Protect Citizens from Trafficking, Slavery, and Human Rights Abuses The Nigerian Senate has asked the Federal Government to initiate urgent diplomatic and humanitarian action to repatriate Nigerian women and children currently languishing in Libyan prisons. The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Aniekan Etim Bassey (APC–Akwa Ibom South) on the urgent need to protect Nigerians from trafficking, slavery, and human rights abuses in Libya. During deliberations, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) moved an additional prayer urging the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Correctional Service to collaborate with their Libyan counterparts to facilitate the safe return of Nigerian…
Commonwealth countries are uniting to harness their shared strengths and unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, and sustainable development in the face of mounting global economic challenges. At the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington D.C., Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, joined Finance Ministers from across the Commonwealth to chart strategies for deepening economic cooperation and strengthening resilience among member nations. The ministers explored innovative approaches to expanding intra-Commonwealth trade, improving access to finance, and promoting infrastructure development that supports inclusive growth. According to the Commonwealth Secretariat, trade among member countries…
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has called for sustained and strategic funding to increase rice yield and close Nigeria’s food production gaps. Abdullahi made the call on Monday at a public hearing on three agriculture-related bills organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production and Services in Abuja. The bills under consideration include: A Bill to Amend the National Agricultural Development Fund (Establishment) Act, 2025 (HB 2036) — aimed at strengthening financial support for the agricultural sector; A Bill to Establish the National Farm Settlements Agency (HB 1347) — to promote agricultural development,…
The House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education has reaffirmed its commitment to building a credible framework for vocational and technical learning as a key driver of job creation and national development. The committee made the pledge on Monday during a one-day public hearing in Abuja on four bills seeking to establish vocational and skills acquisition centres across different parts of the country. In his opening remarks, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha, said the initiative reflects the House’s resolve to make alternative education a viable path for lifelong learning and employment generation. He noted that the hearing was convened…
The deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) played out dramatically in public on Tuesday, as National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, openly disagreed in court over who holds the authority to appoint lawyers for the party. The spectacle unfolded before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, during the hearing of a suit filed by three aggrieved PDP members seeking to halt the party’s planned National Convention slated for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State. When the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, was called, Joseph Daudu, SAN, appeared for the…
Former APC spokesman and United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Comrade Timi Frank, has called on former U.S. President Donald Trump and other global leaders to recognise Issa Tchiroma Bakary as the rightful winner of Cameroon’s presidential election. Frank made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, amid mounting allegations that President Paul Biya, Africa’s longest-serving ruler, is attempting to manipulate election results to prolong his 42-year hold on power. According to Frank, verified polling unit data and regional tallies clearly show that Tchiroma Bakary emerged victorious, but…
In a major step toward bridging Nigeria’s rural connectivity gap, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TSAT Telecommunication Company Limited, a leading satellite communications provider, to deploy advanced satellite infrastructure that will power off-grid communities with both electricity and broadband access. The MoU, signed in Abuja, marks a strategic partnership between the Federal Government’s electrification agency and TSAT aimed at integrating satellite technology into rural electrification projects — ensuring that even the most remote Nigerian communities gain access to both sustainable power and digital connectivity. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of…