The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • How to harness potential of Muslim students, by MSSN

    How to harness potential of Muslim students, by MSSN

    The Muslim Student Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, has held the 2025 edition of its annual conference.

    The conference, themed “Optimising Nation’s Potential for Sustainable Growth and Development,” was aimed at empowering Muslim students to contribute to national progress.

    MSSN Lagos Amir, Kamoldeen Abiona, stated that the choice of theme was driven by the need to harness the potential of Muslim students across the country, especially within the grassroots.

    “One of our priorities is to help members of our association identify and tap into their potentials. We realised that many members need some skills to become employable and we have taken steps to provide them with that,” he said.

    He added that while some members are thriving, others struggle with limited access to opportunities, which is why the platform is needed.

    “We have the manpower, the question is how to harness and train the manpower for national development,” he said.

    During Keynote Address, a professor of Law at the Lagos State University (LASU), Funminiyi Adeleke, emphasised that unity among Nigerians is crucial for sustainable development, noting that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals align with Qur’anic teachings.

    Read Also: Shettima inaugurates NCGC board, says new firm will unlock MSME financing

     “All 17 SDGs of the United Nations have corresponding Qur’anic teachings. Nigeria is blessed with a lot of potentials to be tapped into. We need to recognise the potentials that we have as Nigerians so that we can tap the resources that are inherent in us,” he said.

    Prof Adeleke urged the attendees to take practical steps in optimising the nation’s potentials while charging the government to prioritise more youth-driven initiatives.

    He cautioned against sectarian divisions within the Muslim community, stressing that collaboration must transcend affiliations.

    “None of all the potentials we are discussing can be accomplished without unity among everyone in the society, particularly Muslims. Islam preaches unity, and there should be no discrimination about which group you belong to when it comes to collaboration,” he said.

    Also speaking, a marital counselor, Dr Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa, highlighted the importance of grassroots sensitisation, warning that failure to engage youths early could result in rising social vices and missed development opportunities.

  • ‘Hadith, jurisprudence key to understanding Islam’

    ‘Hadith, jurisprudence key to understanding Islam’

    A recent National Symposium on the Foundation of Islamic Civilisation has highlighted the significance of Hadith and principles of jurisprudence in shaping Islamic law and practices.

    The symposium, which explored the interplay between Hadith and jurisprudence, featured keynote speakers who emphasized the importance of understanding and applying Hadith in everyday life.

    Director of Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue, Dr. Taufiq Abubakar Husseini, noted that the Hadith is crucial in Islam, providing guidance on various aspects of life and complementing the teachings of the Quran.

    He added that the Hadith is integral to the understanding and practice of Islam, enriching the spiritual and communal life.

    Read Also: Wike moves to end FCT Teachers’ strike, approves revenue deduction to meet demands

    Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK) Prof. Sagir Abbas, echoed similar sentiments, stating that Hadith is the practical manifestation of the Quran’s teachings, providing authentic sayings, actions and approvals of the Messenger of Allah.

    He emphasized that following authentic Hadith preserves the unity of Muslims and ensures adherence to the same Sunnah as the early generations.

    The symposium called for a careful examination of grey areas of contention and the domestication of Hadith and jurisprudence in accordance to the Sunnah.

    The speakers emphasized the importance of civility and constructive dialogue in addressing challenging issues and fostering mutual respect and sustainable solutions.

  • Burden of collective conscience

    Burden of collective conscience

    • By Bashir Bello

    Sir: Each time I walk through our streets, I am haunted, not just by what I see, but by what we have become. The number of destitute in our towns and cities is not just rising; it is exploding. They are no longer hidden in corners but are everywhere: at roundabouts, near markets, at bus stops, lying under bridges, or slumped against abandoned buildings.

    Among them are people with visible mental disorders, their minds shattered and abandoned like the rest of their lives. But even more heart-breaking are the sick and dying, young and old, clutching at life with no hope in sight. I have seen men and women with gaping wounds, untreated infections, and ravaging ailments lying in public view, deteriorating slowly while we pass by. These are not just images of poverty. They are signs of a deep rot.

    And I ask myself: what has gone wrong with us as a people?

    We celebrate something every day; be it naming ceremonies, birthdays, weddings, inaugurations or retirements. There is always a canopy somewhere, always music playing, and always a politician handing out cash to sycophants. We have perfected the art of celebration, yet forgotten the art of compassion. While some of us spend millions on one night’s luxury, others die silently because they could not afford a bandage.

    Where is the government? Where is religion? Where is the humanity we claim to possess?

    It is no longer acceptable to blame everything on “hard times.” These people are not just poor. They are abandoned. They are the result of years of systemic neglect, corruption, and a refusal by leadership at all levels to prioritize the most basic responsibility of any civilised state: to care for the weak.

    Read Also: ADC coalition a desperate alliance of failed politicians – Tinubu Media Force

    We cannot continue like this. A society that looks away from its sick is not civilised. A society that leaves the mentally ill to roam naked and die slowly is not sane. A society that ignores children begging for drugs, food, or a kind word is not religious, no matter how many mosques or churches it builds.

    We must reclaim our moral compass. We need urgent, coordinated intervention: mental health shelters, mobile clinics for the indigent, social workers empowered to act, and local governments held responsible. If we can organise a campaign rally, we can organise street medical outreaches. If we can print billboards to praise leaders, we can print materials to educate people on how to help the vulnerable around them.

    Our silence is no longer neutral. And our indifference is no longer excusable. It is time we looked in the mirror and asked: What kind of people have we become?

    And more importantly: What kind of people do we want to be?

    •Bashir Bello,

    Kaduna.

  • On shifting civil-military relations

    On shifting civil-military relations

    • By Lekan Olayiwola

    Sir: In many democracies, speaking about military conduct feels like walking a tightrope. One wrong word and civic truth becomes mistaken for sedition. But in Nigeria, something rare unfolded. After publishing a piece on January 15 on the delicate lines between military presence and civil order titled “How Soldiers’ Involvement in Civilian Affairs Undermines Civil-Military Relations,” I received a message from a senior officer—not to rebuke, but to engage, from the Lagos Command of the Nigerian Army.

    The Brigadier General didn’t threaten. He offered thanks. Not with defensiveness, but with openness. He requested further information politely and professionally. And when I gave it, the response was even more revealing: acknowledgment and clarification that the uniformed men involved were from the Nigerian Army Engineer Corps, and assurance that internal mechanisms had been activated to address the reported misconduct.

    That would have been noteworthy enough. But what followed was quietly profound. In the following weeks and months, soldiers in the area became visibly more restrained. Even after one of their motorbikes was allegedly stolen by unknown civilians—an act of brazen provocation that might have triggered collective punishment in other places— surprisingly, there was no reprisal attack. No intimidation of the community. No retaliation cloaked in uniform. Just presence and a remarkable calm—an unbelievable restraint. And the community in Ikorodu area of Lagos was grateful for that.

    I dare say that the perception of the military changed from one of apprehension to respect from then on. It confirmed that the shift in attitude in the previous weeks was not a mere fluke or weakness, but dignified caution and focus on professionalism which must never be taken for granted.

    This is what civil-military healing looks like not in grand headlines, but in the pause between provocation and power under dignified control. It didn’t come through silence. It came through language. Through the willingness of a citizen to speak, and the humility of an institution to hear and initiate relational repair. 

    It is not about branding the Army as a villain all the time. We must commend them in their service to the nation, especially when their contact with the civic space is imbued with empathy, where critique is seen as care, where visibility doesn’t provoke but protects, and where citizenship meets command with mutual dignity.

    In many contexts, public critique of armed forces is either met with silence or escalation. But the Nigerian Army keep demonstrating that it is a respectable and responsive institution that doesn’t just default to defensiveness but open to civic engagement. They acknowledged. Clarified. Acted. The Army’s quiet restraint wasn’t weakness. It was moral strength of the highest order.

    Read Also: Senate moves to amend procurement law to support local contractors

    This was not a revolution. But it was a rebalancing. And in a country where relationships between citizens and security personnel are often shaped by fear or force, that shift matters.

    What we witnessed was a “dignity ripple effect”—when honest citizen observation leads not to shame or denial, but to quiet self-correction. No press release was issued. No medals handed out. But restraint is sometimes the most radical form of reform.

    To the Nigerian Army: thank you. For listening. For showing that adaptation is not weakness. For proving that when uniform meets humility, even hard histories can pivot toward trust. I appreciate the Brigadier-General for demonstrating that the military is not beyond civic feedback, and that honour lies not just in battle but in behaviour.

    Nigeria needs more of these moments—where civil-military trust is restored not just by law, but by empathy, respect, and courageous dialogue. When citizens speak up, and institutions respond with dignity, democracy deepens.

    And that is what peace, in its most grounded form, looks like.

    •Lekan Olayiwola,

    lekanolayiwola@gmail.com

  • Children’s right to education must outweigh political optics

    Children’s right to education must outweigh political optics

    • By Jacob O. Sule, Esq

    Sir: In Abuja, the seat of federal government, over 400 public primary schools remain closed, leaving tens of thousands of children out of school since March. While the city pulses with political activity and multi-billion-naira infrastructure projects, its most vulnerable citizens, primary school pupils, are paying the price for institutional neglect.

    The indefinite strike by primary school teachers, which has persisted for over 100 days, is rooted in unresolved issues around the national minimum wage and months of unpaid salaries. The Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has consistently raised the alarm, but what has been met with response from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has been political rhetoric and administrative detachment.

    This is not just a labour dispute; it is a full-blown education emergency. Children missing out on foundational learning suffer academic, emotional, and social setbacks that many never recover from. A functioning education system is the bedrock of development. Roads and buildings may beautify a city, but they do not educate a child or uplift a community. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The future depends on what you do today.” By keeping these children out of school, we are mortgaging the nation’s future for superficial gains in the present.

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), mandated to ensure equitable access to quality basic education, has been too quiet in this crisis. As the federal oversight body, UBEC must reassert its role, not only in funding but in enforcing accountability. It must demand that local education authorities meet their wage obligations, provide emergency support where needed, and ensure no child remains outside the classroom due to administrative lapses.

    The current crisis calls for a recalibration of policy priorities and the courage to confront hard truths. The ongoing shutdown of primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) must be treated as a national crisis. When children are denied access to foundational education for extended periods, the consequences are long-term and severe, academically, socially, and emotionally. The learning gaps created during this period may never be fully recovered, and the cost to the nation’s future cannot be overstated.

    At the core of this crisis is a failure to meet basic obligations to educators. The welfare of teachers must be recognized as central to the education system’s effectiveness. No learning can take place without motivated, supported professionals in the classroom. Governments must fulfil wage obligations promptly and fairly. By ensuring teachers are paid consistently and competitively, the system will be better positioned to attract and retain qualified educators who are critical to long-term reform.

    Read Also: ADC coalition a desperate alliance of failed politicians – Tinubu Media Force

    Public spending must reflect our national priorities. At a time when political infrastructure projects dominate the FCT’s headlines, the absence of basic investment in education is both glaring and indefensible. Funding should be reallocated from non-essential construction to urgently improve school infrastructure, recruit more teachers, and strengthen classroom learning. The FCT’s budget should make a clear and visible commitment to restoring and advancing education outcomes.

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) must actively intervene, both through emergency financial support and strengthened oversight. This includes enforcing transparency in fund disbursement and working closely with the FCT Administration to ensure accountability. A robust, collaborative framework is essential to avoid future shutdowns and restore confidence in public education.

    Every week, these children are locked out of classrooms, and the learning gap widens. Families unable to afford private schools are pushed further into cycles of poverty and inequality. A 9-year-old in Kuje or Bwari council areas who has been out of school for three months is not just behind in math and reading, he is increasingly disengaged from society.

    In the race to develop Abuja, we must not forget who we are building it for. Let that legacy be one of restored classrooms, empowered teachers, and children whose futures were protected, not postponed. Education is not just another line item; it is the cornerstone of peace, prosperity, and progress.

    •Jacob O. Sule, Esq.,

    United States.

  • Gombe lethal surge

    Gombe lethal surge

    There was a lethal power surge in Tudun-Wada Pantami area of Gombe metropolis recently that caused the death of five persons and severely injured 13 others. Among the dead was the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties and Regional Coordination in Gombe State government, Mohammed Yusuf Kulani.

    Reports said the electricity surge occurred in a major transformer in the community, leading to electric wires snapping, sparking wildly and electrocuting victims. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 14th June, when power was restored after a period of blackout. Eyewitnesses said there was initially very low voltage of restored power, then a surge, resulting in unhinged voltage that burnt out domestic appliances and electrocuted whoever came near electricity wire. Emergency responders rushed persons affected to hospital, but five persons died instantly. The incident sparked outrage and grief in Riyel community in the state capital.

    Read Also: Senate moves to amend procurement law to support local contractors

    The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) blamed the Jos Electricity Distribution Company that covers the area for the mishap. In a statement, agency spokesperson Ama Umoren, said investigation uncovered several systemic and infrastructure-related lapses like use of aged, untreated/deteriorated wooden cross arms in the distribution network, absence of standard protective devices such as circuit breakers in consumer installations, aged low-tension conductors, poorly maintained substations, and inadequate clearances between high-tension lines and residential structures. “From the report of preliminary investigations, it can be said this is an unfortunate but preventable incident the Jos DisCo heeded previous warnings from NEMSA to rectify and correct observed faults on the network,” the statement said inter alia.

    The mishap that reportedly occurred at about 12:45a.m. on the fateful day was linked to a high-tension power line that snapped and made contact with low-tension wires, leading to a wild surge of electricity sparks across the local distribution network. “Eyewitness accounts and technical evaluations revealed that the incident was triggered by structural failure of a high-tension (11kV) wooden cross-arm support, which led to the detachment of the red phase high-tension conductor. This conductor made direct contact with a low-voltage (400V) line below, causing a dangerous voltage surge into residential houses. The impact resulted in widespread electrical sparks, severe electric shocks, and the electrocution of five individuals,” NEMSA said, adding: “Several residents sustained varying degrees of injuries while trying to disconnect power supply to their homes and electrical appliances, including televisions, refrigerators and meters, which were extensively damaged.”

    Jos DisCo, in its statement, said it was “deeply saddened” and was “closely monitoring the situation, particularly in light of palpable tension within the affected community.” But how does that mitigate the loss of lives, injuries and extensive damage to property? Whoever was directly responsible for the lapses should pay a heavy price, so also should the DisCo.

  • Awaiting trial inmates

    Awaiting trial inmates

    It’s an old issue that has refused to go away. “Overcrowding, no doubt, stands out as the most pressing challenge of the NCoS,” the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, noted during an interactive session with field officers on January 13.  He said 48,932 inmates in the country’s correctional facilities were Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs), many of them “on non-bailable offences.”

    He unveiled his plans to tackle the problem, saying, “I intend to interface with the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, the inspector-general of police, and other prosecuting-agencies and critical stakeholders to fast track the trial of these inmates. This is necessary, especially those on non-bailable offences like armed robbery, murder, and others that constitute over 60 percent of awaiting trial persons (ATPs).”

    He added: “While engaging state chief executives to expedite the trial of the over 90 percent state offenders in custody, the use of non-custodial measures and early release mechanisms will be taken up with the judiciary. We will also fast-track the construction of proposed 3,000-capacity ultramodern custodial facilities and other centres across the country.”

    Read Also: 74% of inmates in Correctional facilities now on NIMC database

    Notably, Segun Olowookere, who controversially spent 14 years on death row before he was recently pardoned by Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, drew attention to prison conditions in the country in an interview published after his release.

    He was sentenced to death and life imprisonment for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and robbery with firearms, and to three years imprisonment for stealing. But the popular narrative that he was given a death sentence for stealing fowls ultimately led to pardon by the governor. 

    He was in Ilesa prison, Osun State, “throughout the trial of the case.” After the judgment, he was moved to Ibara Prison, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was later moved to Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos, in 2016.

     According to him, “The major challenge was congestion. There were too many people inside a limited space. Because of the population, 50 inmates would occupy a room that should naturally contain a maximum of 10 people. We sleep like fishes packed in a carton because everywhere is measured for us. As an inmate, a space is measured for you to sleep because of congestion.”

    • First published January 29, 2025
  • From Tehran to Kano: When distant war feels personal

    From Tehran to Kano: When distant war feels personal

    SIR: On the dusty streets of Kano and Katsina, something unusual stirred recently. Young Nigerians took to the streets with placards and flags, not in protest of local injustice, but in solidarity with a country thousands of kilometres away. The recent Israel–Iran conflict may appear distant from our national realities, but its emotional gravity has settled with surprising intensity in northern Nigeria. If we are not paying attention, we may miss how foreign wars are beginning to reshape the psyche of our youth.

    Beneath the slogans, however, a deeper drama is unfolding. These demonstrations speak more to frustration, identity, and dignity than to Middle Eastern geopolitics. On northern social media feeds, Iran is no longer just a nation; it has become a symbol of audacity against Western dominance. For young Nigerians raised on broken promises and economic hardship, that audacity feels intoxicating, while Israel appears through popular reels as the unrestrained aggressor, making the moral equation seem simple and irresistible.

    The danger is not the sympathy itself but the way it is manufactured. Protesters are not studying the history of Zionism or Persian nationalism. Their information arrives in 30-second clips, forwarded voice notes, and swipe-friendly graphics. Emotion outruns fact, half-truths harden into conviction, and misinformation settles in like cement. This is digital allegiance—global causes adopted with little capacity for weighing them.

    Solidarity can be noble, but solidarity born in ignorance distorts priorities and leaves young minds open to anyone who can package a narrative with stirring music and simple villains.

    Read Also: NSCDC intercepts four Kano-Lagos bound truck with stolen cables, transformers

    From Tehran to Kano, the war is not ours, yet its embers glow on every phone screen, shaping emotions in real time. That is not a failure of curiosity; it is a failure of leadership, education, and storytelling. If this drift continues, we will nurture citizens fluent in performative activism, yet helpless against the crises burning at home—citizens ready to chant for distant fires while the ones next door consume their future.

    What, then, is the remedy? The government must speak plainly, act decisively, and, above all, deliver visible results that prove change is possible. Media houses should trade glamour for depth, adding context to headlines and puncturing viral fiction before it spreads.

    Schools, clerics, and parents need to teach digital literacy with the same urgency once reserved for reading and writing, so that young people learn to question sources rather than accept them at face value. Civil-society groups, artists, and entrepreneurs can craft narratives that make fixing local problems feel as heroic as cheering foreign skirmishes. Only then will righteous anger turn back to the issues imperilling everyday Nigerian life.

    • Bunmi Apata, bunmiisaac.apata@gmail.com
  • Fubara’s cross

    Fubara’s cross

    His words had an unmistakable ring of pathetic defeat.  As Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, appealed to his supporters to embrace his latest peace deal with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, it was clear that “the hurlyburly’s done” and “the battle’s lost and won.” Those lines from Shakespeare were inevitable in the context. 

    The intense conflict between the two political actors had resulted in the controversial declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, on March 18. He also suspended the governor, his deputy and members of the House of Assembly for an initial six months. The move followed the continued deadlock despite the president’s efforts. He appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd) as the sole administrator of the state. 

    On June 28, Fubara told members of his Simplified Family in Port Harcourt that he was ready for peace following further intervention by the president. Speaking about the new agreement with Wike to bring about peace in the state, he said: “It’s heavy; it’s bitter, but we must accept the situation and move on with it.”

    He added: “The sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy, and I want everybody to prepare for it. Without a total reconciliation, which, by the grace of God, the both of us have gotten to, there’s no way we can make progress in this state…

    “So, I want to appeal to everyone, I have accepted that we must accept this peace no matter how it looks, no matter how you feel, we must accept it.”

    Read Also: Tinubu proposes formal Nigeria-OECS pact to deepen bilateral ties

    He did not elaborate on the terms of the peace deal. But his words suggested that they were unfavourable to him and his group. In other words, the peace deal was more or less a surrender to the other side.  He gave the ultimate hint of conquest when he said of Wike, “If he feels that for the pains he has gone through, these are things he wants, in as much it is not my life, I will give it to him and let us have that peace.”

    There are unavoidable questions: Was this humiliating defeat avoidable? Would he have arrived at this point if he had taken another path?  These questions may well haunt him as he ponders the path not taken.

  • Nigerians and the increasing heatwaves

    Nigerians and the increasing heatwaves

    By Abiodun Salako

    Nigeria is increasingly grappling with severe heat waves due to climate change, urbanization, and environmental degradation. In 2025, NiMet had forecast ongoing heatwaves nationwide, with certain areas reaching temperatures up to 42 degrees Celsius.

    Extreme heat increases health risks, especially for vulnerable groups such as older adults and those living in substandard housing. To safeguard Nigeria’s healthcare system, the government should adopt a Heat Action Plan (HAP), upgrade facilities, and integrate climate change considerations into the medical curriculum.

    One key measure is for the government to develop a national heat action plan (HAP). Despite being one of the countries most disproportionately affected by climate change, Nigeria does not have such a plan. Incorporating HAP into the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) would greatly reduce the rising health and infrastructure risks posed by heat waves.

    The HAP should include awareness campaigns, sector coordination, and training for healthcare workers. The plan should also support urban planning, cooling centres, and heat risk reduction. Together, these measures will reduce heat exposure, illness and deaths. The HAP should be implemented locally by the state ministries of health, particularly in states vulnerable to heat-related health issues, such as central and northern regions.

    Read Also: E-visa system processes over 14,000 applications in six weeks, says minister

    Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure requires a structural shift. Only about twenty percent of the approximately 34,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) are functional. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare needs to upgrade the existing PHCs urgently.

    The upgrade should involve incorporating heat-mitigating designs and renewable energy sources to ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery during extreme heat events. PHCs, as frontline responders, are essential in addressing climate-induced health challenges. Adequate and well-trained healthcare professionals are also key to increasing capacity and handling emergencies effectively.

    Moreover, integrating climate change into medical education is crucial. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the National Universities Commission should collaborate to include climate change in the medical education curriculum.

    Nigeria’s medical education curriculum does not adequately address climate change issues for resilience in preventing and responding to climate-related health risks. Ensuring healthcare workers are better equipped to recognize, prevent, and manage climate-related health issues enhances overall system resilience.

    Around the world, top medical institutions now have courses on climate change in their curricula. A growing number of institutions are following suit because they recognize climate change’s increasing impact on public health. Common methods include stand-alone modules, electives, workshops, and modifying existing core curricula to include climate change and health components.

    Nigeria must uphold health rights by developing a HAP, enhancing healthcare infrastructure, and integrating climate change into medical education. These measures are indispensable towards building a healthcare system resilient to climate-induced stresses.

    • Abiodun Salako, asalako@studentsforliberty.org