The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Sustaining Unongo’s legacy with Fidelis Msughter

    Sustaining Unongo’s legacy with Fidelis Msughter

    By Toryila Peter

    In a time when Benue North East Senatorial District, Benue State and indeed Nigeria yearns for and requires transformative leadership, Hon. Fidelis Msughter Unongo emerges as a refined voice of integrity, innovation, and inclusive development. His life is a compelling story of purpose, preparation, and people-centered progress. A story that speaks directly to the hopes of Benue North East Senatorial District and the entire Benue State.

    He is the proud son of the late Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo, one of Nigeria’s most distinguished elder statesmen, former Minister of Power and Steel, Second Republic political icon, founding member of the political parties that brought Nigeria to her present political democratic maturity, and a towering voice in the Northern Elders Forum.

    Paul Unongo was more than a politician. He was a moral compass in turbulent times, a bridge between the old and the new, a relentless advocate for the unity of Nigeria, and a global ambassador of Tiv heritage. In the heat of national crises, his voice resonated with courage and clarity. He fought for Nigeria’s democracy during its most fragile moments, stood firmly for justice in the face of political pressure, and worked tirelessly to ensure that the North, and indeed Benue, had a respected seat at the national table.

    His unwavering support for the people of Benue cemented him as one of the greatest sons of the soil.

    Today, that rich legacy calls for continuity. Hon. Fidelis Unongo carries his father’s vision, discipline, and love for Nigeria in his veins. His own record of service spanning across governance, grassroots empowerment, and national policy influence proves he is not merely Paul Unongo’s son by blood, but by character and conviction.

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    Supporting him is not just about electing another senator; it is about preserving a national legacy and ensuring that the ideals Paul Unongo fought for: unity, equity, development, and the dignity of the Benue people; live on through a new generation of leadership.

    We call upon leaders of thought, elder statesmen, business icons, the political class, and patriotic Nigerians across party lines to rally behind Hon. Fidelis Unongo so that the flame of service, unity, and progress ignited by Wantaregh Paul Unongo will not be extinguished but will burn brighter for Benue, for the North, and for Nigeria.

    Born and raised with the values of service and excellence deeply rooted in his heart, Hon. Unongo has grown into one of the most distinguished public administrators of his generation. He currently serves as Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Benue State on Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, where he coordinates strategic engagements between the state and federal, international, and development-focused organizations.

    But his story does not begin at the corridors of power. It begins with the community, with people, and with a burning desire to uplift the ordinary citizen. Whether advocating for grassroots governance or championing job creation, Hon. Fidelis Unongo has always placed the people at the center of his work.

    Prepared For The Moment, Poised For Leadership

    Educated in the fields of International Relations (BSc) and Peace and Conflict Resolution (MSc), Hon. Unongo is not just well-read—he is well-rounded. He has undergone specialized executive trainings in project management, public policy, digital governance, and media communication, positioning him as a 21st-century leader with the tools and temperament to solve real-world problems.

    A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Administration in Nigeria (FCAI), his administrative excellence is not just recognized; it is certified. He is a man who blends intellectual rigor with street-level pragmatism, capable of understanding policy in the boardroom and people’s needs in the marketplace.

    Track Record Of Service And Results

    Hon. Fidelis Unongo’s record speaks volumes; measured not just in speeches, but in results:

    He was instrumental in organizing the National Agricultural and Mechanization Summit, the MSMEs Clinic, and the Transforming Nigerian Youth Program, which brought national focus and economic opportunity to Benue.

    He influenced the Mastercard Foundation Business Development Program, empowering over 2,000 women in enterprise and entrepreneurship.

    He pioneered the Benue Fashion Hub, a world-class youth empowerment initiative projected to create over 48,000 direct and indirect jobs annually.

    He serves on the Federal Government’s Yam Export Technical Committee, ensuring Benue’s famed agricultural potential contributes to Nigeria’s non-oil export revenue.

    As Chairman of the Advisers Forum, he harmonizes the efforts of political advisers, streamlining government operations for efficient service delivery across Benue State.

    These are not abstract accomplishments; they are proof that Hon. Unongo does not wait for the future to happen. He builds it.

    Rooted In The Gassroots, Refined In Statecraft

    In 2019, he offered himself to serve the people of Kwande East in the Benue State House of Assembly. Though he did not clinch the seat, his campaign set a new standard in community engagement, issue-based debate, and youth mobilization. That campaign remains a reference point for what modern, respectful, and development-driven politics should look like.

    What makes Hon. Unongo unique is his deep connection with the grassroots. He knows the roads of Adikpo, the farms of Ushongo, the marketplaces of Vandeikya, and the aspirations of young people from Jechira to Kwande, and the dream of Sankera. He listens, learns, and leads.

    A Candidate For The Future Of Benue North East Senatorial District

    As the people of Benue North East Senatorial District look forward to a future of better roads, stronger institutions, agricultural revival, job creation, quality education, and responsible representation, they deserve a leader who combines experience with energy, vision with values, and access with action.

    Hon. Fidelis Msughter Unongo is that leader.

    His public service so far has not been about self, but about service. It has not been about politics, but about purpose. And it has not been about titles, but about transformation. Every community he has touched, every program he has driven, and every policy he has influenced has one thing in common: people first.

    What Benue North East Senatorial District Can Expect

    A bridge-builder with national and international networks to attract development.

    A policy-maker who understands the legislative process and will advocate for laws that improve lives.

    A youth-driven leader who empowers, mentors, and includes the next generation.

    A patriot who will uphold the cultural dignity and economic potential of Zone A.

    A proven servant who delivers quietly, humbly, and efficiently.

    A Legacy In Motion

    Hon. Fidelis Msughter Unongo represents a rare blend of vision, humility, competence, and courage. He is not just ready to serve; he has been serving. Now, he seeks a broader platform to continue his life’s work: building a prosperous, peaceful, and progressive Benue where every citizen has a voice, a purpose, and a place.

    For Benue North East Senatorial District, this is not just another election. It is a defining moment to choose a path of dignity, innovation, and sustainable development. That path is clear. That name is known.

    Hon. Fidelis Msughter Unongo, FCAI is your son, your servant, your senator-in-waiting.

  • On Nafisah, the English champion

    On Nafisah, the English champion

    Sir: Miss Nafisah Abdullahi is only 17 years old, yet she has already taken Nigeria to places many nations only dream of reaching. From Yobe, a state too often mentioned only in the language of poverty and conflict, she stood before more than 25,000 contestants from 69 countries in the TeenEagle Global Final Competition and emerged as the champion. She carried Nigeria’s name to the intellectual stage and defeated children from nations where English is not just learned in classrooms but lived in homes. That was her priceless gift to Nigeria.

    Nafisah’s story is about values. It is about what we choose to honour as a people. In this country, when footballers return with medals, they are welcomed with parades and rewards. When entertainers make noise abroad, we turn them into national idols. But when a young girl conquers the world with her mind, we greet her with silence. That silence is not empty; it is a lesson.

    Think of where she comes from. Yobe is not a place filled with world-class schools or endless opportunities. It is a place battered by poverty, scarred by insecurity, and haunted by the highest figures of out-of-school children in the country. It is a place where girls are too often married off young, their dreams cut short before they can even begin. Nafisah could easily have been one of those forgotten numbers. Instead, she fought through the darkness, studied where others gave up, and rose to defeat students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada in their own language. That is not only radiant. That is defiance. That is resilience. That is Nigeria at its best.

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    Other nations know how to treat their treasures. Pakistan stood by Malala Yousafzai until she became a Nobel Prize winner and a global voice for education. India lifted Gitanjali Rao, a teenager named TIME Kid of the Year, and gave her platforms to inspire millions. Kenya celebrates its brightest minds with scholarships and presidential recognition. In the United States and the United Kingdom, children who win with their minds are given opportunities that change their lives forever. These countries understand that the true strength of a nation lies not only in athletes or entertainers but in the prowess of its children.

    Nafisah’s victory should not be another forgotten headline. It should be the spark of a national movement. She deserves a scholarship that secures her future. She deserves to be made an ambassador for girl-child education, carrying her story into classrooms and villages where girls are still told their only destiny is marriage. The First Lady should stand with her. The Yobe State government should lift her up publicly so her story becomes a source of pride and hope. Philanthropists, NGOs, and corporate leaders should support her not as charity but as an investment in the future of Nigeria.

    And if tomorrow Nafisah leaves Nigeria for a country that values her, who will we blame? If she becomes a professor abroad, a world-class innovator, or even a global leader, will we cry about brain drain? What moral right do we have to lament when we refused to keep her light burning here?

    Nigeria must stop dimming the dreams of its brightest children. We cannot keep clapping for dancers and athletes while ignoring the Nafisahs who show us that talent can rise from the roughest soil. If we want respect in the world, we must first respect knowledge at home.

    History will not remember the leaders who ignored genius. It will remember those who lifted it. Let it not be written that Nigeria built stadiums for athletes, celebrated singers with riches, and abandoned a 17-year-old girl from Yobe who conquered the world with English. Her triumph is Nigeria’s triumph. Our silence, however, is Nigeria’s shame.

    •Usman Abdullahi Koli,mernoukoli@gmail.com.

  • The menace of the mob

    The menace of the mob

    Sir: Another day in Nigeria, another dramatic lynching, and the list of those who have lost their lives to the mob grows even longer.

    As life has become gravely insecure, it has become easier than ever to die, specifically, to be killed. All it ever takes these days in Nigeria is a stray bullet, a false alarm, or an attack from any of Nigeria’s killer squads, and a country is left to again count its dead.

    Too many people have been killed, unaccountably, by the mob, and each time it happens, the rituals from government officials and security agencies are rinsed and repeated as if by rote. Then, when the noise dies down, business resumes as usual to await the next murder by the mob.

    About two weeks ago, the mob went into overdrive at the Ipata Market Area of Ilorin, Kwara State. Their victim was a destitute woman who was accused of being a kidnapper. She was brutally beaten before later succumbing to her injuries.

    Her family immediately demanded justice.

    The odious dust was yet to settle when the mob again descended on a food seller in Mariga, Niger State. She was accused of blasphemy, and despite attempts to involve traditional rulers to settle the matter, she was quickly beaten to death.

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    In 2023, in broad daylight in Jos, the Plateau State capital, a mob descended on Fwimbe Gofwan and ended his life on unfounded accusations of stealing. A year before Fwimbe’s death, it was the turn of Deborah Samuel Yakubu who was killed and burnt on accusations of blasphemy within the precincts of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State.

    These murderous incidents, which occur in different parts of the country, perpetuate a rabid tradition of widespread extrajudicial killings and hold up a blinding mirror to the twisted image of a country where life is extremely fragile and justice notoriously elusive. It mercilessly indicts Nigeria as a country in which no one has been held accountable for these deaths. The fact that murderers find safety in the number of the mob mauls whatever claim Nigeria has to security and dignity. It makes mincemeat of whatever pretences Nigeria makes about the sanctity of human life.

    The threat the mob poses to Nigerians everywhere is understated and underrated by those in authority. But it is telling that every now and then; it rears its ugly head to subject some helpless and hapless Nigerians to the most painful of deaths. The lack of accountability when these things happen is the only thing more jarring than the gruesome acts themselves.

    Nigerians who need no encouragement to lynch their fellow Nigerians for any reason at all need to ask themselves some poignant questions. Are they citizens or criminals? Are they human beings or savages?

    These questions and many more may never be answered by those who form the cowardly mobs that require no second invitation to take life.

    But they can yet be answered by the authorities in Nigeria, who have all the instruments they need to dig out those who do these things and subject them to the scrutiny of the law. That nothing is often done is testament to failure, dereliction, and injustice.

    •Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • The silent force shaping 2027 politics

    The silent force shaping 2027 politics

    Sir: Money, machinery, and media dominate Nigeria’s political playbook. Yet in 2027, moral capital could re-emerge as a decisive force multiplier. Both 1993 and 2023 proved that empathy, dignity, and inclusion are not political luxuries; they are the silent power that determines whether a candidate’s message resonates across electoral blocs.

    A winning strategy must therefore anchor itself on three promises that ordinary Nigerians can touch and feel: food on the table, safety on the road, and proximity to governance. Increasingly, these are the everyday metrics by which households judge the state.

    Nigeria’s diversity defies one-size-fits-all messaging. Each region carries distinct anxieties shaped by history and economy, yet a unifying political vision must weave them into a shared fabric.

    In the North, security needs sustained attention; citizens want more than soldiers, they want safe farms and stable food supply. In the South-south, fairness in resource governance is paramount—empathy means turning oil wealth into tangible equity for neglected host communities. In the Southeast, small businesses crave credit access and relief from heavy-handed policing; protecting enterprise and dignity is non-negotiable. In the Southwest, cost-of-living and youth empowerment dominate, demanding real action on inflation and openings in tech and the creative economy. In the North-central, identity and land disputes test pluralism; here empathy means frameworks that transform diversity into strength, not strife.

    The task is not separate manifestos but tailored empathy, recognizing regional wounds while binding them into a national fulfilment.

    Citizens do not only want to be spoken for; they want to be spoken with. Micro-donations, for instance, have emerged globally as both fundraising tools and psychological ownership stakes. When citizens contribute, even in small amounts, they feel invested in the outcome.

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    But emotional ownership cannot rest on symbolic gestures alone. Ward-level operations where citizens encounter campaigns face-to-face must be professionalised. This is not about partisanship but about raising the standard of political engagement.

    The political energy of 2023 proved that Nigerians are hungry for moral imagination in politics. But imagination alone is insufficient. By 2027, the electorate will demand proof that empathy can be converted into structure, competent governance, professionalised field operations, and scalable relief plans.

    Here lies the paradox. Empathy must be married to competence. A campaign that connects emotionally but collapses structurally may inspire but not govern. Conversely, a campaign that builds machinery without empathy risks alienating the very citizens it seeks to govern.

    The winning formula, then, is a dual track: ruthlessly competent field operations aligned with an agenda of household relief that Nigerians can feel within weeks of governance.

    •Lekan Olayiwola, lekanolayiwola@gmail.com

  • Reckless injustice of mob justice

    Reckless injustice of mob justice

    Mobs play God whenever they visit jungle justice on suspected offenders. They level the accusation, confirm guilt and summarily execute punishment, all in one swoop without giving the suspect an opportunity to be heard out by a neutral party. The punishment for suspects is typically gruesome – lynching. What is worse is that most victims were later found innocent of alleged crimes they were killed for.

    Mob justice claimed another victim last week with the lynching of a lady in Kasuwan Garba community, Mariga council area of Niger State. The victim, a local food seller identified simply as Ammaye, was lynched and her body burnt by angry youths for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. Eyewitnesses said trouble began when the lady, a Muslim faithful and well-known food vendor in the area, engaged in a verbal exchange with a young man said to be her nephew. The young man was reported to have jokingly told Ammaye he wanted to marry her to “fulfil the Sunnah,” to which the lady responded with comments considered blasphemous, sparking outrage among the locals. The matter was taken to the palace of the district head of Kasuwan Garba where Ammaye was interrogated, and she allegedly repeated her earlier comments. The district head then handed her over to security personnel for further interrogation. But a crowd of irate youths confronted the security agents, insisting on immediate ‘justice’. Attempts by the security agents to protect her were unsuccessful, as the mob overpowered them and stoned her to death.

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    Niger State Police Command confirmed that the incident occurred on 30th August, at about 2:00p.m. A statement by command spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, said a reinforcement team of security operatives was mobilised to the scene, but the woman was already set ablaze before the team arrived. The statement noted that normalcy had been restored, adding that efforts were underway to identify, arrest, and prosecute those involved in the crime. Mariga council chairman, Abbas Adamu, also confirmed the incident and assured that calm had been restored to the area.

    The Kasuwan Garba lynching occurred barely one Ammaye week after a woman mistaken for a kidnapper was killed by an irate mob at the popular Ipata market in Ilorin East council area of Kwara State. “Information received was that a woman, suspected to be destitute, was sighted wandering around the community. Misinformed members of the public wrongly suspected her to be a kidnapper. In the ensuing confusion, an irate mob descended on the woman, inflicting serious bodily harm,” a statement by the police in Niger State said. A police patrol team that raced to the scene rushed the victim to the General Hospital, Ilorin, for urgent medical attention where medics confirmed her dead because of injuries she sustained.

    Incidents of jungle justice recur perhaps because perpetrators are scarcely brought to book. Authorities usually talk tough, saying they would hunt down the culprits but rarely do. And so, the reckless injustice of mob justice continues…

  • Assessing governance in Enugu

    Assessing governance in Enugu

    By Chief Basil Ani

    When a trader in Ogbete Main Market is slapped with a daily levy by an agent flanked by armed police, or when a mother at a Primary Health Centre in Uwani waits hours for a drug that never comes, they aren’t debating the merits of the APC versus the PDP.

    Their calculus is far more basic: where is the governance? Where are the essentials? Contrary to much-touted ojectives, there is no functioning health center available to the community at present.

    No branding echo, no glossy billboard, and certainly no change of political party allegiance can replace the tangible presence of functioning clinics, equipped classrooms, or paved roads.

    Yet, as swirling rumours suggest Governor Peter Mbah is poised to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move seen by many as a pre-2027 survival strategy, it is imperative to spotlight Enugu state’s structural headaches. Performance, as the people’s lived reality attests, does not pivot on party colours but on palpable delivery.

    Through debt and extraction, a vice-like grip now appears to have been exerted on the state’s struggling economy.

    Governor Mbah’s ambition is grand: to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031.

    However, the strategy to get there appears less about creating wealth and more about extracting it aggressively from an already strained populace.

    According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), Enugu’s domestic debt stands at a staggering ₦188.42 billion as of March 2025. While the state’s 2024 Debt Sustainability Analysis revealed over ₦51 billion in federal-guaranteed loans were written off to ease the books, the debt burden continues to pinch capital spending.

    The question echoing across the state is: where are the payoff projects? 

    The borrowed billions haven’t materialised into the promised factories or agro-clusters. Instead, the government’s answer has been an unprecedented drive for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). IGR shot from ₦37.4 billion in 2023 to over ₦200 billion in 2024, with projections aiming for an audacious ₦500 billion in 2025.

    For the government, this is a cause for celebration. For ordinary residents and SMEs, it feels like a vice-like grip. 

    The revenue is not flowing from new thriving industries but from the pockets of petty traders, transporters, and small business owners.

    In Enugu state, it has been a labyrinth of levies that feel like death by a thousand cuts

    The promise was a streamlined tax system through the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS). The reality is a proliferation of agencies – ESIRS, ENGIS, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ESWAMA, Ministry of Health officials, VIOs, and local councils – all acting as overlapping revenue points, each with its own set of levies and sanctions.

    For transporters, it’s a daily ticket system for keke, okada, minibuses, and trucks, which must be paid before noon or face penalties.

    For shop vendors, it’s ₦30,000 annually; for market traders, ₦36,000, plus sanitation, signage, and other myriad charges. 

    Enforcement is often militarised, with ESWAMA officials and others accompanied by police, creating an environment of fear rather than voluntary compliance.

    A petty trader at Ogbete, who pleaded anonymity for fear of reprisal, captures the mood: “They come often with police. I pay rent, utility charges, and now these endless levies. They claim it’s for development, but I see no change. I only see more padlocks on other shops that couldn’t cope.”

    This aggressive extraction has a direct, inflationary impact on households. Landlords are passing the costs of government levies to tenants, with rents in some areas jumping from ₦350,000 to ₦600,000 in a single year. 

    It is little wonder the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently listed Enugu as one of Nigeria’s most expensive states to live in.

    The grand illusion in the state is in the so-called flagship projects that appear pitted against genuine populist needs,

    The government points to its flagship projects to justify the revenue drive: the renovated Hotel Presidential, plans for an International Conference Centre, and the NigerGas revival.

    Yet, these elite-focused projects have little direct impact on the daily struggles of the average citizen. To make matters worse, the Presidential Hotel project is also incomplete; the third and fourth floors still remain unfinished. Despite this, the hotel was officially commissioned, leaving critical work outstanding

    Smart Schools? More Like Smart Talk! Sadly, Governor Mbah’s Smart School project remains largely incomplete; although 260 schools were promised, less than ten have been completed to date and some of the already built structures have even collapsed.

    The administration’s flag off of its 260 smart schools project claims to have trained over 18,000 teachers but this is only slightly more impactful than a mirage. 

    Out of the 260 schools target meant to be sited across various wards, only fifteen have been constructed as at the beginning of September, 2025.

    School heads in Nsukka and Udi still report no ICT equipment, unreliable solar panels, and no meaningful training follow-through. 

    “They showed us devices during launch. But we’re back to slates, cramped rooms, and unpaid teaching assistants,” a head teacher confessed.

    There are also terminals that terminally don’t exist: the much-trumpeted ultra-modern bus terminals in Emene and Abakpa remain largely empty and dusty.

    There are no ticket booths, no schedules, and no functional shelters. Commuters still pay cash to drivers on the street, under the watchful eyes of taskforce squads collecting their own levies.

    Sadly too, health and agriculture reflect promises without pulse: the pledge of 260 Type-2, 24-hour PHCs and a new 300-bed hospital rings hollow when a midnight visit to a centre reveals no doctor, no drugs, and no staff.

    Meanwhile, farmers in Nsukka say the promised “one million hectare agro-industrial” scheme is yet to translate into road access, tractors, or improved security.

    On-going purported moves towards defection can hardly serve as anything more than mere distraction: a change of clothes won’t heal the wound.

    In the face of glaring governance inadequacies in Enugu state, a defection to the APC would be the cheapest form of political theatre. It can only be a manoeuvre designed for survival, not service.

    As an Abuja-based political analyst bluntly put it, “Changing parties is cheap theatre. Without delivery of democracy dividends, it’s just political cosmetics.”

    Such a move would not reduce the state’s crippling debt burden, rein in the multitude of agencies extorting residents, power a single smart school or stock a single PHC with drugs. Neither can it reverse Enugu’s damning ranking as 36th out of 36 states on the ease-of-doing-business index.

    Governance is not an identity parade! As Enugu inches toward 2027, the subtext is clear: party change or political restructuring won’t fix broken pipelines or classrooms.

    The voters demand substance over spin, results over rhetoric. Soiling new party labels with old, unmet promises won’t erase what Ndi Enugu truly ask for: real schools, functional health centres, open roads, fair taxation, and thriving jobs.

    Many feel concerned about what they see as Peter Mbah’s pretentious governance. Of what essence is branding without bread? Governor Peter Mbah promised Ndi Enugu “a new dawn.”

    Instead, what we see today is a government heavy on cosmetics and light on content; a government obsessed with photo shoots and billboards, yet indifferent to the gnawing hunger of its people.

    Surely phantom industrialisation cannot be an answer to yearnings for true economic development. 

    Mbah’s industrialisation dream is nothing but smoke.

    Two years down the line, not one new factory has sprung up, not a single investor has pitched a tent, and not one Enugu youth has found work in the so-called “industrial revolution.”

    Instead, borrowed billions are wasted on phantom “smart schools” that exist more in glossy presentations than in the broken classrooms where our children still sit under leaking roofs.

    Can citizens live with luxury on empty stomachs? 

    When a government pours billions into renovating Hotel Presidential while its people scavenge for food, priorities are upside down.

    What ordinary trader or keke rider can afford to step foot into that hotel? 

    The project, concessioned to friends and financiers, reeks of self-enrichment in a state where hunger stalks the streets.

    The rampant daily complaints about taxation without mercy deserves attention. 

    Ask the average Enugu trader or driver what Mbah’s “ease of doing business” means, and they will laugh bitterly. 

    It means multiple taxes, endless levies, harassment, and extortion. It means shuttered shops and crippled small businesses. 

    Instead of empowering his people, Mbah has become a tax collector-in-chief.

    Every visitor is greeted with billboards of shiny transport terminals. Ndi Enugu know better. 

    They see no terminals, no order, only harassment by taskforces who collect government levies with intimidation. It is deception in its purest form.

    Debt and deceit cannot be a recipe for the pursuit of greatness. 

    Mbah is alleged to have mortgaged the future of Enugu’s children with reckless borrowing running into hundreds of billions. 

    Yet the loans vanish into contracts without jobs, without industries, without infrastructure. 

    The people are left with debt, while cronies laugh all the way to the bank.

    Even the farmers feel betrayed. The much-hyped “1 million hectare” agriculture revolution? Now appears to be pure propaganda. 

    Our farmers still trek to insecure farms on dangerous roads, with no tractors, no support, no policy framework. Hunger deepens, but the governor keeps boasting at conferences.

    Of greater concern to some of his critics is the perceived suppression of democracy. When a government that claims to uphold rule of law brazenly denies Hon. Bright Ngene his mandate, it is clear: this is no democracy, it is a fiefdom. 

    Dissent is gagged, opposition trampled, yet Mbah preaches about justice abroad while practicing injustice at home.

    Too much of healthcare and education appear to be in ruins Public hospitals rot. Schools decay. Teachers are demoralized. But the governor seems to spend more on branding exercises than on human lives, giving rise to perceptions that he governs for headlines, not for humanity.

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    This gives rise to being seen as a mercantilist government Everything under Mbah is concessioned, outsourced, or sold to cronies. Governance has been reduced to trading public resources among private allies. The people are spectators, not beneficiaries.

    The verdict of the streets appears unforgiving; the people of Enugu easily see through deception. They know Mbah is not people-focused but profit-focused, not a reformer but a brand manager. His government is a glossy cover with empty pages inside.

    Ndi Enugu did not elect a PR firm; they elected a governor. And until he descends from the billboard to the streets where his people groan, branding-heavy his legacy will remain one of betrayal and branding without bread.

    If Governor Mbah or any political actor truly wants to reclaim the hearts of the people, they must pivot from extraction to empowerment, from elite projects to populist needs. Because when the electorate steps into the voting booth, they won’t be voting for banners or party logos—they’ll be voting on their lived experience: the boarded-up shops, the inflated rent, the empty health centres, and the fear of armed tax collectors. No defection can erase that record.

    • Chief Ani is APC chieftain based in Enugu

  • Building AI literacy for every Nigerian

    Building AI literacy for every Nigerian

    Sir: Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant promise. It is here, reshaping how we live, work, and learn. From chatbots in banking to AI-driven tools in health care and agriculture, Nigerians already interact with this technology every day. Our students and teachers are no exception; many are experimenting with generative AI to draft essays, lesson plans, or job applications. The real question is not whether they will use AI, but whether they will be prepared to use it wisely, critically, and inclusively.

    Around the world, governments are moving fast. China has mandated AI instruction in all schools by 2025. Singapore is training every teacher in AI by 2026. The UK is heavily investing in AI-powered teaching resources. Even the United States, which has often moved slowly on education reform, recently launched a national strategy on AI literacy, with federal agencies funding teacher training, curriculum development, and public-private partnerships.

    These countries understand that AI literacy is foundational for future competitiveness. Nigeria must recognize this too.

    With more than 60 percent of our population under 25, Nigeria holds one of the largest pools of young talent in the world. Properly prepared, our youth could lead globally in AI innovation and entrepreneurship. But without deliberate investment, they risk being left as passive consumers of imported tools, vulnerable to misinformation, surveillance, and bias.

    Despite our reputation as Africa’s tech hub, Nigeria’s education system is not ready for this new reality. Too many schools still lack electricity and internet access, leaving rural students at risk of exclusion. Teachers have received little to no training in digital or AI tools, making it difficult for them to guide students responsibly. Policy remains fragmented, with the recently launched National Artificial Intelligence Strategy yet to shape curricula or practice in schools; worse, existing inequities especially those faced by girls and low-income families risk being amplified if AI access remains uneven.

    The economic stakes are high. AI is reshaping industries from banking to entertainment, creating new winners and losers in the labour market. Workers who understand AI will thrive; those who do not risk being displaced. Nigeria needs to integrate AI literacy into vocational schools, apprenticeships, and adult training, ensuring that workers in all sectors; from agriculture to fintech can adapt. One promising idea, borrowed from U.S. initiatives, is to establish regional “AI learning hubs” where schools, universities, and industries collaborate to provide skills relevant to local economies. A hub in Benue could focus on smart agriculture, while one in Lagos could emphasize fintech and creative industries.

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    We must avoid a generation of “AI copy-pasters.” Around the world, educators warn of “cognitive offloading,” where students rely on AI to complete tasks instead of engaging in critical thinking. This is already happening in Nigeria, where students use AI tools to generate assignments or CVs. Without guidance, we risk raising young people who can use AI but cannot question, innovate, or lead with it. True AI literacy must encourage active, critical engagement, not passive consumption.

    Nigeria is at a crossroads. Globally, more than two-thirds of students and educators already use generative AI, but only a minority of schools provide structured guidance. Our youth are eager and experimenting, but they lack national support. If we act now, we can turn this into a national advantage. That means embedding AI into curricula, training teachers, investing in infrastructure, and ensuring communities; from urban centres to rural villages are included. It means partnerships between government, telecoms, EdTech startups, and NGOs to expand access. It means seeing AI literacy not just as a technical skill, but as a public good; essential for democracy, equity, and economic resilience.

    AI will define the future of work, learning, and governance. The real question is whether Nigeria will define that future for itself, or allow it to be defined for us. The world is moving quickly. With bold leadership, Nigeria can prepare every learner not only to thrive, but also to shape and own solutions in the age of AI. The time to act is now.

    •Olasupo Abideen, abideenolasupo@gmail.com.

  • NYSC: Redefining national service

    NYSC: Redefining national service

    Sir: When the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in 1973, it was hailed as a bold initiative to heal a divided nation. The scars of the Nigerian Civil War were still fresh, and the scheme was designed to foster unity, cultural integration, and patriotism among the country’s young graduates. For decades, it served as a rite of passage, bringing together youths from different ethnic and religious backgrounds under one national banner.

    Today, however, the NYSC is battling for survival. What was once a noble institution has become the subject of heated debate. With insecurity, poor welfare, and questions about relevance dominating discussions, many are asking: has the scheme outlived its purpose, or does it simply need urgent reform?

    The biggest concern facing corps members is insecurity. In recent years, young graduates deployed to volatile areas have fallen victim to kidnapping, insurgency, and communal clashes. Parents often express fear when their children are posted to certain regions, while some graduates resort to desperate measures to secure redeployment to safer states. The question many Nigerians are now asking is whether national service should come at the risk of young lives.

    Another major challenge is welfare. The monthly allowance of N33,000, though increased a few years ago, has been swallowed by inflation and the rising cost of living. Corps members often complain that their stipends barely cover feeding, transport and accommodation. Many end up depending on their families for survival, defeating the very essence of an independent national service year.

    Orientation camps, which are meant to be the foundation of the service year, also reflect the cracks in the system. While some camps boast of modern facilities, others are overcrowded and poorly maintained. Reports of inadequate toilets, shortage of water, and poor medical services have become common. For many corps members, the three-week camp is not just an orientation but a struggle to endure discomfort.

    Beyond infrastructure, the relevance of the NYSC in today’s economy is also under scrutiny. The Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme was introduced to empower corps members with vocational skills, but its impact has been limited. Many graduates complain of lack of materials, poorly trained instructors, and no follow-up support after training. As a result, the programme, though promising on paper, has failed to live up to its potential.

    Critics argue that the scheme is not aligned with Nigeria’s current developmental needs. In a world driven by digital technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, NYSC still focuses heavily on routine postings and ceremonial community projects. For many graduates, the service year becomes a compulsory ritual rather than an opportunity to acquire skills that could transform their futures.

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    Because of these challenges, calls for reform—or even outright scrapping—have grown louder. Some Nigerians insist that the scheme has outlived its usefulness and now endangers the lives of young people. Others, however, maintain that NYSC remains one of the few institutions that bring Nigerians together, and that rather than scrapping it, the government should reform it to meet modern realities.

    Among the reforms being suggested are increasing corps members’ allowances, redeploying them only to safe areas, and upgrading camp facilities nationwide. Others believe the postings should be tied more closely to national needs in education, healthcare, agriculture, and digital innovation, so that corps members contribute directly to sectors that matter most.

    Despite its flaws, NYSC still carries a symbolic weight. It remains one of the few experiences that unite Nigerian youths, exposing them to cultures beyond their own. In villages and towns across the country, many corps members have touched lives through teaching, healthcare, and community development. The scheme’s potential for good is undeniable—if only it can be reformed to reflect the realities of the 21st century.

    As Nigeria looks to the future, the choice is clear. The NYSC must either be transformed into a dynamic institution that truly empowers youths and strengthens national unity, or risk fading into irrelevance as another once-great idea that failed to evolve with time.

    Ladi Maxwell, University of Maiduguri.

  • Education: From degree factories to skill incubators

    Education: From degree factories to skill incubators

    Sir: Education, at its core, is not the acquisition of certificates. It is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that make us functional human beings. Yet, too often, our curricula stops at theory. Students memorise content without understanding how it matters in their lives or future aspirations. What if curriculum developers took a deeper dive and refined the curriculum for relevance?

    Imagine if teachers made it a practice to highlight, perhaps briefly, why each lesson matters in the real world. Mastery of English, for instance, could be presented not just as a course requirement but as a tool to succeed in IELTS for a dream travel opportunity, to perform better across all other subjects, since English is the medium of writing, or to communicate effectively in a multilingual nation of over 500 languages. Relevance fuels motivation and motivation is what drives real learning.

    However, our current system restricts functionality. Internships and practical placements are mostly reserved for engineering, medical, technical, or education students. Why should that be so? Why shouldn’t every department give students the chance to apply their learning outside the classroom? Take English language departments as an example. Imagine graduates who had completed internships in media houses, publishing firms, advertising and PR agencies, embassies, NGOs, corporate organisations, schools, and language institutes. They would leave with tangible skills in editing, proofreading, translation, speech writing, voice-over, script writing, online tutoring, language consulting, and communication training. These are not abstract theories; they are marketable, life-shaping skills. And the same principle applies across every field of study.

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    Universities must design pathways where theory meets practice, so that graduates do not leave frustrated, holding degrees that cannot serve them in real life.

    Our universities must not remain degree factories. They must evolve into skill incubators; places where knowledge is consistently tied to application. Relevance and functionality must be the twin pillars guiding curriculum planners and educators. But while we wait for policy reform, students themselves must take the initiative: pursue internships, volunteer, freelance, and apply classroom knowledge in real situations. Education must not be passive; it must be activated.

    Just recently, I shared this advocacy with primary and secondary school educators. It was refreshing to see them already weaving relevance and functionality into their curriculum. My hope is that this vision spreads across all our institutions until relevance becomes as central to education as knowledge itself. Because in the end, education is not about knowing for its own sake; it is about knowing why it matters, and using that knowledge to live and function meaningfully.

    •Adebola Karamah Shogbuyi, PhD. <karamahshogbuyi1@gmail.com>

  • Lagos-phobia

    Lagos-phobia

    Lagos-phobia, from panicky Lagos-phobics, has come with own grim humour — even among Lagos-philes trying to fend off the toxic attacks.

    Lagos-phobia comes from emotive warriors, pitching nothing but crude sentiments, because they are fast running out of credible facts.  Yet, the next polls are some two years away!  Long may their despair last!

    The latest Lagos-phile, caught in that web is Daniel Bwala.

    Now, Bwala’s is a peculiar story.  He, it was, that scrammed from the winning camp, on account of the so-called “Muslim-Muslim” ticket.  Well, Bwala — poor Danny! — would later make a brusque u-turn.  Now, he admirably defends the policies of this same “Muslim-Muslim” ticket, a living proof it was all empty gas, to win or lose elections.

    But in fending off the charge that President Bola Tinubu focuses “all” infrastructural projects and investments in Lagos, Bwala made the points (and brilliantly a too):  New York (in the United States), London (United Kingdom), and Paris (France) gross more investments than any other parts of their respective countries. 

    Why?  Because they make money — more than any other —  for their nation’s till.  So, the investments are theirs by right.  That excellent parallel makes the Lagos case. Case closed?

    Not quite!  In the ardour of the moment — it was a TV programme — he lapsed into that verbal howler: “Lagos is a no man’s land …”!  But as he clambered back to the Tinubu camp from the losing Atiku’s, he also made a quick u-turn to declare Lagos belonged to the Yoruba!  It’s all in the course of a day’s work!

    Still, slip or no slip, Bwala was, as they say with that popular cliche, “on point”.  This latest bout of Lagos-phobia (just because it’s the president’s home base, suggesting  “nepotism”, is hare-brained.  It comes mainly from northern lobbies, at their wit’s end, trying to bad-mouth legacy projects.  But to be fair, southern lobbies too blackmailed the late PMB with such cynical charges.  It shows how toxic Nigerian politics is.

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    It’s all a verbal equivalent of shutting your eyes just because you hate what you’re seeing.  But that hardly makes it all go away!

    That blackmail of Lagos just won’t wash, coming  mainly from ex-PDPs (the Atiku faction of PDP that just moved to ADC and are making all the racket) who very early from 1999 sat glum when then President Olusegun Obasanjo declared Lagos was a jungle, and said he had no apologies!

    But guess who started the furious race to “de-jungle” Lagos and retool its economy, while the Abuja of Obasanjo and Atiku sneered?  It was a certain Governor Bola Tinubu, whose Lagos truly came into its own under his first successor, Governor Raji Fashola!

    If these guys think such cheap blackmail would stop any sane government — not the least Tinubu’s — from making Lagos to go back to Obasanjo’s dream “jungle”, they had better start thinking again!

    After Blue and Red rail lines, which Lagos cobbled together despite PDP’s Abuja, the Green Line, with the first section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, is Lagos getting its due, as the nation’s money-spinner.  So, Lagos-phobics labour in vain with their desperation.

    Eko o ni baje!  That’s the spirit — and the logical path to tread too!