Political tension is rising in Kogi West following allegations that the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Council and Kogi State ALGON Chairman, Hon. Tosin Olokun, threatened to frustrate Senator Sunday Karimi’s campaign and order the arrest of some of his supporters. The alleged threats reportedly followed Karimi’s comments on increased local government allocations and the need to ensure that the funds improve the lives of residents. Olokun was alleged to have declared “total war” against the senator during a meeting with APC supporters at his residence in Egbe, Karimi’s hometown. According to accounts attributed to participants, the council chairman…
Author: National Update
Nearly five decades after leaving the classroom, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has returned to honour a teacher whose lessons remained part of his life long after his school days ended. The governor’s visit to Mr M. O. Moore, his former French teacher at St Francis Secondary School, Ikot Ataku, Eket, was more than a reunion. It was a public expression of gratitude to an educator whose influence had endured despite the passage of time and the demands of high office. On Friday, October 16, 2026, Eno visited the veteran teacher at Okon Clan in Eket Local Government Area,…
ActionAid Nigeria has challenged the government to account for public spending and give vulnerable citizens a stronger voice in policymaking, warning that millions of Nigerians remain trapped in extreme poverty despite interventions aimed at improving their living conditions. The organisation said tackling poverty required more than relief programmes, insisting that transparency, accountable institutions and inclusive decision-making must become central to the management of public resources. Its Country Director, Dr Andrew Mamedu, made the call on Saturday in Abuja while delivering a goodwill message at the 2026 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Mamedu cited World Bank figures estimating that…
***Shrinking Business Market Nigeria’s poverty crisis is not only deepening household hardship but also shutting millions of people out of the consumer market, limiting business growth and weakening the country’s economic potential, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, has warned. Doro said widespread poverty was denying businesses access to millions of potential customers while depriving the economy of productive workers whose talents could drive growth. He challenged the private sector to see poverty reduction not merely as charity but as an investment in expanding Nigeria’s market, improving productivity and creating sustainable economic opportunities. The minister spoke…
The European Union has committed nearly €45 million in humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, warning that emergency relief alone cannot break the cycle of poverty without sustained investment in social protection, security and economic opportunities. EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Gautier Mignot, said millions of Nigerians facing deprivation, displacement and insecurity needed more than temporary assistance to rebuild their lives. Speaking on Saturday in Abuja at the 2026 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Mignot stressed that humanitarian aid must be linked to long-term recovery, economic resilience and sustainable pathways out of poverty.…
What if Almajiri schools could pay their bills through farming, manufacturing and recycling instead of depending largely on donations and government support? An Indonesian Islamic scholar and philanthropist, Dr Umi Waheedah Bint Abdul Rahman, believes the answer lies in Waqf, an Islamic system of charitable endowment that can turn community assets into sustainable sources of income for education and social development. She wants Nigeria, particularly the North, to explore the model as a way of tackling educational disadvantage, poverty and youth unemployment while preserving the religious foundation of Almajiri education. Speaking at Bayero University, Kano, on Friday, Dr Waheedah shared…
,***Coordinator Assures Corps Members of Security Corps members serving in Niger State have celebrated Nigeria’s cultural diversity at the 2026 Cultural Carnival, with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) State Coordinator, Martina Shuaibu Ibrahim, assuring them of adequate security. The event, held on Saturday at the NYSC orientation camp, brought together corps members from different parts of the country to showcase their cultural heritage through traditional dances, colourful costumes and artistic performances. The carnival offered the 2026 Batch C Stream One corps members a break from the regimented routine of the two-week orientation exercise. From the North to the South…
By Yinka Adaranijo President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Kogi State is facing allegations of internal obstruction, with supporters of a pro-Tinubu mobilisation accusing some party actors of undermining grassroots efforts while publicly professing loyalty to the President. At the centre of the controversy is the Win With Tinubu/Shettima (WWTS) campaign, led by Senator Sunday Steve Karimi of Kogi West and Senator Isah Jibrin, popularly known as Echocho, of Kogi East. The movement says its town hall meetings have reached six federal constituencies and 16 local government areas across the two senatorial districts. However, allegations that party members have faced…
The battle to build a united opposition against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 is approaching a critical stage, with key political figures expected to publicly clarify their positions as negotiations shift from general calls for unity to the difficult question of how to work together. A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Lukman, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo and other opposition leaders are expected to make public statements indicating the direction of the coalition talks. Lukman disclosed this in a recent interview with Channels…
By Lamara Garba, Kano For 16 years, Zuladaini Attahir’s life was marked by pain, poverty and dependence after a spinal cord injury left him unable to continue the physical work that once sustained him. His two wives eventually left, his home deteriorated, and his ageing mother, Rakiya Ibrahim, became his only caregiver. Struggling to feed herself and her son, she sometimes travelled to neighbouring villages to beg for food. But after years of hardship, help has arrived for the family through the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), which has rebuilt Zuladaini’s home and provided him with an opportunity to earn…