The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly has applauded the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Shaibu Waid, for what it described as decisive leadership and reforms that have boosted troop morale and strengthened ongoing counter-banditry operations across the North.
In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Mallam Dan Musa, the coalition said the Army’s recent breakthroughs in rescue missions and clearance operations were clear indicators of a renewed operational direction.
NEYGA noted that security responses, particularly in the North-West and North-Central, had improved visibly since General Waid assumed office.
The group said the Army Chief’s nationwide tour of military formations—where he met directly with officers and soldiers—had restored confidence within the ranks and reassured communities affected by banditry and terrorism.
It described the Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly as a coalition of youth leaders drawn from diverse ethnic communities dedicated to peace, security, and development in the region.
The assembly also commended frontline commanders, including Major General Ameh, whose tactical operations recently led to the rescue of dozens of abducted citizens, among them women and children.
According to the group, such successes reflect “a revived sense of professionalism and effectiveness” within the Nigerian Army.
NEYGA urged the Federal Government to sustain its support for the Army under General Waid’s command, stressing the need for increased resources to maintain momentum and secure vulnerable communities.
The group further appealed to civilians to cooperate with security agencies through the provision of credible and timely intelligence.
Expressing optimism, NEYGA said the current tempo of operations, backed by improved leadership and morale, places the Army in a strong position to restore peace and stability across conflict-prone areas.
Kaduna State has reinforced its position as one of Nigeria’s most reform-driven subnational governments, emerging as the second-best performing state in the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report released by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
According to the report, Kaduna achieved a score of 65.1%, reflecting significant progress in areas such as infrastructure quality, digital connectivity, land administration, power reliability, skilled labour readiness, taxation, trade logistics, and commercial justice.
The report assessed states across 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics, highlighting best practices and areas for immediate improvement.
Among the top five, Lagos State led with 85.6%, followed by Kaduna, with Oyo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Ogun completing the ranking with 62.7%, 61.0%, and 59.9% respectively.
Speaking on the ranking, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, quoted Governor Uba Sani as describing the achievement as a “testament to Kaduna State’s commitment to creating a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly environment.”
The Governor reportedly commended the state’s agencies for their dedication to implementing reforms that have positioned Kaduna as a leading destination for business and economic growth.
PEBEC also identified five priority reforms for states, including establishing investor aftercare systems, enhancing MSME credit access, harmonizing interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice systems, and improving electricity reliability in industrial clusters—reforms that align closely with Kaduna’s ongoing business-enabling initiatives.
The Council described the 2025 reports as vital tools for guiding policy decisions, attracting investments, and boosting long-term economic competitiveness, particularly through the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme.
Established in July 2016 and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, PEBEC continues to drive reforms aimed at removing bureaucratic barriers and strengthening Nigeria’s business climate.
Kaduna’s ranking underscores the state’s commitment to sustained reform, economic growth, and the creation of an enabling environment for investors.
A human rights advocate and President of One Nation One Law, Benson Sunday, has called for the removal of Sharia provisions from Nigeria’s Constitution, warning that religious politics and conflicting legal frameworks are weakening the country’s fight against terrorism and insecurity.
Sunday said Nigeria’s greatest danger was not only terrorism, but the contradictions, mixed messages and political compromises that have eroded national resolve in confronting violent threats.
He urged the federal government to adopt a modern, unified security doctrine and abolish parallel legal systems, which he said threaten national cohesion and effective law enforcement.
The activist challenged traditional and religious leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, to demonstrate moral clarity in times of national crisis.
“With great authority comes great responsibility. When insecurity rages, no leader — religious or traditional — can afford ambiguity. The nation is watching every voice that shapes our moral landscape,” he said.
Reiterating his demand for a secular and unified legal framework, Sunday said Nigeria could not build a strong, united country on divided laws.
“Religion belongs in the soul. Law belongs to the nation. A united, thriving country cannot have divided laws,” he said.
He criticised religious groups that opposed Nigeria’s proposed security cooperation with Israel, an initiative earlier advanced by Deputy Foreign Minister Bianca Ojukwu, describing the resistance as a setback to efforts to modernise the country’s security architecture.
According to him, Israel’s global reputation in intelligence, counter-terrorism, hostage rescue and advanced security technology made the proposed partnership a strategic opportunity Nigeria failed to fully harness due to internal resistance.
“This proposal represented a chance for Nigeria to modernise its security architecture. Instead, public pushback from some clerics and groups weakened political courage and slowed reforms that could have saved lives,” he said.
Sunday accused those who opposed past reforms of lacking moral standing to champion security today.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead with transparency and decisive action, calling for the publication of the names of terror financiers and their enablers.
He also called for the revival of security cooperation with Israel, the United States and other allied nations, and for the empowerment of Nigeria’s security leadership, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and Deputy Minister Bianca Ojukwu, to build what he described as the strongest anti-terror network in West Africa.
“No president is endangered by telling the truth. The nation will defend any leader who chooses transparency over silence,” he said.
He advised Nigerians to reject secrecy, extremism and divided legal systems in the fight against terrorism, insisting that titles and status should not shield poor decisions.
“From Zamfara to Benue, Borno to Kaduna, the blood of innocent Nigerians cries, not for charity, but for justice. A nation divided by law cannot unite against terror,” Sunday said.
Governors of the 19 northern states have approved a N228 billion fund to combat insecurity, with each state contributing N1 billion monthly for one year.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who announced this in Lafia, said the decision was reached at a recent meeting in Kaduna where Ezekiel Gomos was appointed Director-General of the forum.
Sule said the fund will be used to acquire equipment for security operations, and to train youths who will support the fight as vigilantes or hunters.
He added that the governors also agreed to contribute separately to build a secretariat for the forum in Kaduna.
Sule further disclosed that the governors resolved to suspend all mining activities with presidential approval, pending licence verification, noting that mining sites have become safe havens for criminal groups.
Ordinarily, the campaign by Arewa Consultative Youth Movement on an ambiguous, spurious and veiled scraggy allegation for which they are asking Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman, Zacch Adedeji to step aside to be investigated over his unstated lifestyle should be ignored. It can at best be a level of economic sabotage on Nigeria given the sterling performance of the head of the Revenue Service of the country.
Had they outlined any offence Mr. Adedeji committed to warrant or justify their call, one would have been assuaged, but no. The movement took an action akin to one hiding behind a finger which has made it obvious that theirs is a sponsored campaign of calumny against a resourceful cerebrally adroit man who is navigating Nigeria out of financial doldrums.
How come that of all the problems of Nigeria, it is the most vibrant and working sector that they have chosen to attack, a sector that has awakened Nigeria’s senses to how we can stop borrowing to fund our country, taking the country back to progressive tax system that protects the financially weak that the Movement has singled out for attack?
This is the man who has instituted reforms in the tax system, plugged leakages and has awakened the country to how to generate funds to seamlessly run the economy. Truth is that an attack on Adedeji is an attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because the economic programme of this administration is receiving verve from the Revenue Service.
He has been meeting and surpassing targets set for him as the upper limit benchmark while at the same time enhancing the welfare of staff in a way that has boosted staff morale. He started the reformation that has changed the Inland revenue service and has crafted the new tax laws for the country which does not call for the vilification.
The right question to ask is who is behind the Arewa Youth Movement and the funding of this campaign of calumny? Our security agencies should as a matter of utmost urgency investigate those behind it as they qualify as enemies of state.
Adedeji has been so good at his game that Nigeria is generating so much that the pressure on our external reserve has ebbed leading to the increase of an all time high $45 billion thereby building global confidence in doing business with Nigeria. The ripple effects of his performance is touching positively on the economy that it is foolhardy for any discerning Nigerian not to notice.
Patriotic Nigerians are in the best position to know who is working in government and those who are not since many of them monitor in real time, all agencies and ministries as well as the government and know better that the Movement goofed and should retrace their steps unless they are shamelessly queueing behind those eternally committed to stagnating the country.
Summing up what Adedeji has done in two years, he has been superlative in performance and needs no distraction so he can concentrate and finish his good works. Those desiring to take over the service from him should wait for him to run his term and spare us the unnecessary nibbling by sponsoring organisations to issue empty statements.
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service.
A group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, the Kogi APC Renaissance Forum, has called for a review of the appointment of the coordinator and Renewed Hope Ambassador for the state.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Emmanuel Adejo, and made available on Sunday night, the Forum said it believes the appointment requires reconsideration to ensure effective grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group urged the Renewed Hope National Ambassador and Director-General of Party Outreach, Engagement and Mobilisation, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, as well as the North Central Zonal Coordinator, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, to examine its concerns.
According to the Forum, its position is not directed at any individual or group but is aimed at strengthening the Renewed Hope Ambassador’s Programme in Kogi State.
It noted that the role is critical to advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national development agenda.
The Forum argued that the appointment process should involve broad consultation with stakeholders across the state to enhance inclusiveness and ensure the best representation for the Renewed Hope initiative.
It also referenced voting data from past elections to emphasise the need for equitable political representation.
According to the group, Kogi East and Kogi West have consistently contributed significantly to APC’s electoral success in the state and should be adequately considered in strategic political assignments.
The Forum appealed to Governor Uzodimma and Senator Al-Makura to revisit the appointment and consider selecting a candidate it described as more broadly acceptable across the state’s political zones.
Reaffirming its loyalty to President Tinubu, the Kogi APC Renaissance Forum pledged continued commitment to ensuring the party’s success in the 2027 presidential election.
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has been honoured with the Best Performing Governor Award for 2025 by the NTA Kaduna Network Centre, adding another major recognition to his growing list of achievements.
The award, presented yesterday, was described as a strong endorsement of the governor’s commitment to stabilising Kaduna, strengthening security, and promoting inclusive governance that resonates across communities.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, Governor Sani was celebrated for transforming Kaduna into a national model for peace-building, development and responsive leadership.
Despite a year marked by complex national challenges, Kaduna has recorded notable gains in security, rising investor confidence and renewed citizen engagement under Governor Sani’s reform-driven leadership. NTA officials hailed him as a “pillar of stability” whose inclusive policies have strengthened political participation and social cohesion.
The colourful award ceremony, chaired by Rt. Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, PhD, drew high-profile guests including Senator Shehu Sani, members of the National Assembly, NBTE’s Prof. Idris Bugaje, media executives and other stakeholders.
Speakers highlighted the Governor’s strides in peace-building, infrastructure renewal, education, healthcare and social welfare, describing Kaduna’s progress as unmatched among subnational governments in 2025.
They noted that the administration inherited significant challenges but responded with clear strategies and tangible solutions—from security partnerships that reduced rural banditry to expanded opportunities in skills development, mass transit, housing, MSME support and capital projects.
His inclusive leadership style, offering greater representation to women, youths and minority groups, was praised as a unifying model.
Receiving the award on the Governor’s behalf, Maiyaki reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to sustain ongoing reforms, deepen grassroots engagement and accelerate development across all 23 LGAs. He dedicated the honour to the people of Kaduna State, saying their support remains central to the Governor’s achievements.
The NTA recognition further elevates Governor Uba Sani’s national profile as a bridge-builder and reform champion, reinforcing Kaduna’s growing reputation for stability, inclusiveness and people-centred governance in 2025.
Abuja residents and the wider public have been urged to drastically reduce salt consumption as Nigeria faces a surge in hypertension, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure linked to excessive sodium intake.
The Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), working with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other stakeholders, gave the advice on Saturday during the Lugbe leg of its public sensitisation campaign against excessive consumption of salt.
The initiative aims to prevent deaths, ease pressure on the health system and safeguard family and national economic productivity.
The Head of Programmes at CCSI, Oluseyi Akintola, said the awareness effort targets everyday dietary habits, especially among young people, because of the implications of excessive sodium consumption.
Explaining why the campaign becomes necessary, Akintola stressed that most Nigerians consume far beyond the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended daily limit of five milligrams.
“We just put so much salt that it may cause, later in life, problems for us,” he said
He described hypertension as a growing epidemic, saying, “We now have an epidemic of non-communicable disease, especially hypertension, which is directly traceable to salt intake.”
Akintola said salt preference is an acquired habit that can be changed when people are properly informed,
“That’s why CCSI is upbeat about this campaign to the grassroots”, he added, explaining that while sodium reduction has been discussed previously, the CCSI campaign represents the first national communication-led behavioural change effort.
“With consistent messaging, we believe the message will stick and get to a point where people will now say, oh, I’ve heard this somewhere… I should mind how much salt I consume every day,” he added.
He added that CCSI works closely with regulators, and that steps toward mandatory front-of-pack labelling for sodium content on packaged foods are advancing.
One of the medical experts on the team, Dr. Abbah Innocent Ochigbo of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, warned that salt-related illnesses are now showing up in younger Nigerians.
“Before now, elevated blood pressure… and other cardiovascular diseases were very rare among young people, but we are beginning to see a rising trend,” he said.
He listed kidney failure, heart failure and chronic kidney disease among people under 40, noting that fast foods, excessive snacks and eating out are major contributors.
Warning against extra salt at the table, he said, “It’s very dangerous. You are already inviting different forms of cardiovascular diseases.
“Excess salt weakens bones, causes arthritis and osteoporosis, and compromises kidney function. Anywhere there is salt, it attracts water, increasing fluid retention and blood pressure, which over time puts harmful stress on the kidneys.”
Ochigbo called the campaign preventive and urgent, noting “The cost of managing these diseases is far more expensive compared to when they are prevented”.
The organisation’s Media and Programme Officer, Anna White-Agbo, said the campaign will expand to Lagos and Kano next year, noting that informed communities are more likely to demand supportive government policies.
The campaign flagged off at Wuse Market on December 4, offering blood pressure checks and public education.
Later, the campaign moved to Nyanya before berthing at Lugbe Mall on Saturday, then moved into Lugbe communities, attracting large turnouts and focusing on proper label interpretation, medical guidance and on-the-spot testing.
Beneficiaries also received educational materials.
White-Agbo said sensitisation will continue into next year, with grassroots outreach especially important, noting, “Not everybody has the data or resources to be online.
“But by combining digital education with market-based interventions, CCSI is hoping to build sustained public awareness around salt reduction and healthier food choices”.
Kwara State Government on Thursday handed to a contractor the site for the construction of a multistorey Senate building for the State University of Education — a major step in the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s smart city project.
Along with other top public and private sector infrastructure, the university’s permanent site is designed to be in the First District of the Kwara Smart City at the Alalubosa suburb of Ilorin East Local Government Area.
Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Segun Ogunsola, said Kwara Smart City will have 20 districts, the first of which comprises the University and a few other iconic infrastructures.
Thirty of the 120 kilometers of roads within the First, Second, and Third Districts
have so far been cleared for the smooth take-off of the smart city project, according to the commissioner.
“What we are doing today is to officially hand over the site of the University of Education to the contractor. We expect a quality job that will provide a standard campus for the people of Kwara State,” the Commissioner said as he handed over the site to the contractor, MC&T Nig Ltd.
“We are making history because we have a visionary leader, who believes that to develop any state, or any nation, you must invest in education and other supporting infrastructure.
“This is mostly a virgin land and, in a couple of months, we are going to see the development that will happen here, from education to the health sector, housing units and others.
“Everywhere will be planned, from residential to commercial, education zone, enterprise zone, recreational, among others, all within 20 districts connected by sustainable transportation. This is worthy of commendation and emulation.”
He commended AbdulRazaq’s vision of bringing Kwara to “the world of what a formal urban development should look like”.
gunsola said the Governor has also facilitated 250 housing units from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and another 100 units under the Renewed Hope Housing Estate.
Dignitaries at the event included the Commissioner for Tertiary Education Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Alhaja Risikat AbdulAzeez; Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye; Vice Chancellor of KWASUED, Prof. Medinat Salman; and Baale Alalubosa, Alhaji Sakariyau Sonibare.
Modibbo and Ajakaye took turns to acknowledge the leadership qualities of Governor AbdulRazaq for conceiving the project, noting this demonstrates the importance the Governor attaches to education and physical development.
Modibbo applauded AbdulRazaq for prioritising education in the state.
“We have a visionary leader who believes that to develop any state, to develop any country, for nation building, you must invest in the education sector. Education is the most important empowerment as far as we are alive that you can give because it gives a level playing ground to all children,” she said.
Ajakaye lauded the Governor for his commitment to seeing through such an iconic project, saying that the concept is about sustainable living and development.
“This is about visionary leadership. I am using this opportunity to call on everybody to come on board. This is a project for the future. Beyond the university, it is about how we are going to live sustainably over the next few decades,” he said.
Baale Alalubosa, Alhaji Sonibare, thanked the Governor for citing the University’s main campus in the community, expressing hope that the initiative will stimulate rapid growth and development of the area.
2027 presidential hopeful and businessman, Dr. Gbenga Hashim, on Thursday, paid a condolence visit to Mrs. Adebola Awolowo, widow of the late Segun Awolowo, offering prayers and words of comfort as the family prepares for the commencement of his funeral rites in Abuja.
Hashim said the atmosphere in the Awolowo home was “heavy with grief,” reflecting the depth of pain felt by relatives, friends, and associates of the late statesman.
“The grief in the air as the funeral ceremony kicks off today is thick. May the Lord be our strength,” he said.
The visit came two weeks after Hashim released a deeply emotional tribute to Segun Awolowo, former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and grandson of the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In the tribute titled Good Night My Brother and Friend, Segun Awolowo, Hashim recalled receiving news of his passing while in Madrid, a moment he described as “shocking and unsettling.”
He said the late Awolowo was part of a close-knit Abuja circle of friends bound together for over two decades. Hashim narrated how, during a visit months before his death, he found Awolowo energetic, optimistic and fully immersed in his work. “He proudly introduced me to his senior management team,” he added.
Hashim also recounted what he now considers Awolowo’s parting message: “Gbenga, please keep standing for Nigeria. Among all of us, you’re the one I know has the capacity to stand.”
Describing him as “a rare gem—humble, thoughtful and deeply patriotic,” Hashim said Awolowo carved his place in public life through character, service and hard work rather than by leaning on his famous surname.
He said their friendship, strengthened over the years by deep conversations and moments of prayer, was a gift he will always cherish. “I am grateful for the friendship we shared and pained that it ended too soon,” he wrote.
Segun Awolowo’s death has continued to draw widespread tributes from political, business and social circles across the country as preparations for his funeral intensify.
