The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Reports

  • I won’t negotiate with bandits, says Radda

    I won’t negotiate with bandits, says Radda

    The Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has said that his administration won’t in any way negotiate with bandits.

    The governor said this when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, yesterday.

    Radda said: “The last administration negotiated with the bandits, and the negotiation did not yield any result. We felt that we have to use both kinetic and Non-Kinetic approaches to address the issue. As it is now, we can’t negotiate with the bandits at the point of their advantage. We want to negotiate with the bandits when they have received a lot of pressure, so that they will now come out and say they are ready for negotiation. At that point, we will negotiate with them and resettle them back to society.”

    Read Also: Katsina at 36: Radda lauds founding fathers, seeks support

    The governor said he had launched the Community Security Watch in the state to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies in the ongoing battle against bandits.

    He said he has visited the Defence Headquarters to strengthen the existing relationship between the state and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

    Radda commended the military for their role in ensuring security in the state and across the country.

    Chief of Defence Staff thanked the governor for the initiative of community security watch, and called on other governors to emulate him on that aspect.

    He advised governors of states in the Northwest to come together on how to reduce the security challenges affecting the North West region.

  • Sani inaugurates 20,000-capacity LNG, LCNG gas hub in Kaduna

    Sani inaugurates 20,000-capacity LNG, LCNG gas hub in Kaduna

    Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has inaugurated the first-ever Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) facility in Nigeria with daily capacity of 20,000 tonnes for distribution across the country.

    Inaugurating the LCNG facility in Kakau area, along Kaduna/Abuja highway, Governor Sani who was represented by the Commissioner of Public Works and Infrastructure, Architect Ibrahim Hamza, said he was delighted to be part of the historic event, adding that the gas would go a long way to reduce socio-economic hardship caused by fuel price hikes and currency fluctuations in the global market.

    The project is spearheaded by Greenville LNG, having 20,000 metric tonnes capacity to be distributed across the country from Kaduna as the pivotal station, even with 25 hubs across the country.

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the GreenVille LNG, Eddy Van Den Broeke, said the mission of the company extended beyond addressing fuel shortages, adding that it encompasses contributing to a greener and more sustainable Nigeria.

    “As we inaugurate this Kakau station, we also unlock investment opportunities for local businesses in Kaduna State’s industrial and automotive gas sectors,” Broeke said.

    Governor Sani congratulated Broeke on the milestone.

    He said: “Since your establishment in 2013, you have been revolutionising the way Nigerians access and utilise energy resources.

    Read Also: Tinubu will present 2024 Budget to NASS in November – Senator Adeola

    In a time marked by volatile fuel prices and currency fluctuations in the global market, Greenville LNG presents a robust solution in the form of LCNG. This change is not only embraced but enthusiastically welcomed in Kaduna State. It promises to bring not only economic growth but also the revival of various Kaduna-based industries, including textiles, machinery, steel, aluminium, as well as the automotive and oil and gas sectors.

    “The provision of a stable power source through the L-CNG gas hub is of paramount importance for micro, small and medium-sized businesses and industries. The development of these hubs will also help in addressing Kaduna State’s pressing need for energy security.

    “The transportation sector will benefit a great lot from the introduction of L-CNG. A significant number of keke riders ply the roads of Kaduna daily. For these riders, LCNG represents a cost-effective alternative to high-priced PMS, offering financial relief and reduced stress. Additionally, it promotes ecological peace, as CNG is renowned for its eco-friendliness and emission of less harmful pollutants, ensuring the safety of both our citizens and the environment.

    “Our administration is committed to making Kaduna a business hub. Our energy needs are enormous. The Greenville Initiative will reenergise the business environment and provide employment opportunities for Kaduna residents. Energy is a major driver of business. With energy, small businesses will spring to life again. Youths would not only be employed in numbers, they would also have the opportunity to create and innovate. We therefore request Greenville LNG to kindly consider providing more gas hubs in Kaduna. “

    “The Kaduna State Government eagerly anticipates the positive impact that this groundbreaking initiative will bring to our State and the nation as a whole. We shall give Greenville LNG all the support it requires to make this initiative a resounding success”.

  • Senate swears in Adamawa senator

    Senate swears in Adamawa senator

    The Senate yesterday sworn in Reverend Amos Yohanna, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as Senator to represent Adamawa North Senatorial District.

    Yohanna replaces Senator Elisha Abbo who was recently sacked from the red chamber by the Appeal Court.

    The Clerk to the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on Yohanna, on the directive of the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who presided over plenary.

    Following the swearing-in of Reverend Yohanna, APC now has 59 Senators, PDP – 37, LP – 8, NNPP – 2, SDP – 2, and APGA – 1 in the 10th National Assembly.

    Abbo, who had previously been affiliated with the PDP, made headlines when he defected to the APC following his initial term as Senator.

    The Court of Appeal’s recent ruling signaled a new chapter in the political landscape of Adamawa North Senatorial District.

    On February 27, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC candidate, Senator Abbo, as winner with 71,927 votes defeating PDP’s Yohanna who scored 61,895 votes.

    Dissatisfied with the outcome, the PDP and Yohanna approached the tribunal.

    Yohanna, who contested election under the PDP, dragged  Abbo and INEC before the tribunal challenging the election which brought him back to the Senate.

    Read Also: Tinubu calls for synergy within housing agencies

    In his petition marked, EPT/AD/SEN/02/2023, Yohanna, alleged that the election of Senator Abbo was invalid by reasons of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

    He averred that Senator Abbo was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast during the election, alleging over voting at various polling units, false entries, alteration and cancellation of votes at several polling units.

    According to him, some of the alteration and cancellation were not signed by the presiding officers of the polling units, and prayed the tribunal to set aside the election of Senator Abbo.

    He also sought for an order of the tribunal to return him (Rev. Amos Yohanna) as the duly elected candidate for Adamawa North Senatorial seat having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast during the exercise.

    However, in its ruling, the tribunal dismissed the petition and awarded damages, asking the petitioner to pay N600,000 to Abbo.

    Dissatisfied, Rev Yohanna headed to the Court of Appeal which is the final Court for National Assembly Petitions which has ruled in his favour.

  • I will prosecute any corrupt official, says Bago

    I will prosecute any corrupt official, says Bago

    Niger state Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago has promised public prosecution and disgrace for anyone caught embezzling or misappropriating public funds.

    Bago gave the warning after he announced the commencement of the Niger State Agricultural Development Fund while moderating a session on the second day of the Niger State Green Economy Summit in Minna.

    According to him, taking the action of disgracing officials or individuals who misuse or embezzle public funds publicly would restore the confidence and trust of the people in government.

    Read Also: Tinubu will present 2024 Budget to NASS in November – Senator Adeola

    “The Agricultural Development Fund must live to expectation. We would create a Niger state Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to make sure that these monies go to the real farmers. We will prosecute people publicly. When you touch public funds, we will disgrace you. That is what will bring the trust and confidence of the people in government”, he said.

    The governor also announced that the state government would give N1 million to anyone who returns to farming in the state, adding that the first 1,000 youths who key into the agro initiative of the state government would be given N1 million each.

    “The Niger State Agricultural Development Fund will start with an incentive from the Niger state government of N1 billion. Every local government area will give N100 million and as a government, we have seed money of N3.5 billion for people to enroll back into farming for sustainable development,” he said.

    The Niger State Government also entered into an agreement with One Hectare One Family to provide one million banana seeds for the benefit of Nigerlites.

  • Fed govt to resettle IDPs, returnees

    Fed govt to resettle IDPs, returnees

    The Federal Government is working out modalities to resettle returnees and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria to a safe and better living condition.

    It is also redesigning an action plan for the IDP returnees and farmers to go back to their farms,

    The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, said this when the Representative of United Nations Mines Action Services (UNMAS) visited in his office in Abuja, on Tuesday.

    Matawalle said the Federal Government would provide essential technical support for the establishment of a national mine action centre in the North East and extend it to the North West where incidence of insurgency has increased.

    Read Also: Tinubu calls for synergy within housing agencies

    “Such a center will afford the IDPs the opportunity to return to their communities and have access to quality education,” he said.

    The representative of UNMAS to Nigeria, Edwin Faigmane, said that the UNMAS is to collaborate with the Nigerian Army to secure success for Mines Action Services Operations in Nigeria.

    He said there was the need to conduct technical surveys to identify hazardous areas that need to be safe before any other activities could take place.

    Edwin commended the minister for the audience and requested that they count on the government’s support in identifying areas of collaboration.

  • Groups lament North, South ‘disparity’, challenge Northern Govs

    Groups lament North, South ‘disparity’, challenge Northern Govs

    Two youth groups around the North have complained of development disparity between the northern and southern parts of the country.

    The groups- North East Youth Progressives Union and Coalition for Democratic Rights Group in Northern Nigeria-said in a joint briefing in Yola on Wednesday, “We have noted that development, including that of human capacity has not been at the same rate in the country. There is a disparity between the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Consequently, we have a situation in which our brothers and sisters from across the Niger make jest of our situation.”

    Chairman of the North East Youth Progressive Union, Dr. Kabir Sambo, who spoke for the groups at the briefing, asked northern leaders to rise for the development of the region.

    He challenged Governors of northern States to intensify education delivery program as part of a way forward.

    Read Also: Regina Daniels congratulates mother on new political appointment

    The groups urged Governors from the North East and by extension all northern Governors to emulate exceptional Governors who are striving to develop their people and their States.

    Reading the text of the joint press briefing, Kabir Hassan singled out Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State with specific reference to education delivery and capacity building sectors.

    “Governor Yusuf within the last five months has paid for the tuition, feeding, and accommodation of 1001 post-graduate students to India. He has also paid the Senior Secondary school examination fees (NECO) for 57,000 students, tuition fees of 7,000 students at Bayero University, and tertiary institution students in Kano are now granted 50% discount on their fees,” Kabir Sambo said.

    He said the strides in Kano renews the hope of the youths of Northern Nigeria, and charged other leaders to emulate the Kano governor tor the overall development of the North.

  • Continental applause as Kwara Gov bags Lifetime Achievement award on gender inclusion

    Continental applause as Kwara Gov bags Lifetime Achievement award on gender inclusion

    Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday won a lifetime achievement award for his transformational gender inclusion policy in the state as prominent women leaders from across Africa commended his remarkable feats. 

    The Governor called on development agencies to design a ‘programme for result’ initiative which rewards any community or subnational that intentionally votes certain percentage of women into legislative offices, saying this would drive up gender inclusion and promote sustainable development. 

    At the ongoing 7th Voice of Women (VOW) Conference and Awards in Abuja, the Governor received a plaque specifically honoring his historic inclusion of unprecedentedly high number of women in key leadership positions, including having the highest number of women in cabinet in the history of Nigeria. 

    The award was a “big surprise” to the Governor by the Women Radio 91.7fm whose chief executive officer Toun Okewale Sonaiya called AbdulRazaq a historic figure in Nigeria as far as gender inclusion is concerned. 

    “This award recognises an individual, female or male, who has contributed in a profound way to gender empowerment during their lifetime or posthumous,” according to the organisers.

    The event, enriched by fireside conversations around issues of women empowerment and victimization, was attended by First Ladies from different states, female federal and state parliamentarians, ministers from across the continent, and dozens of gender rights activists, among others. 

    Kwara First Lady/Chairperson of Governors Wives’ Forum Ambassador (Mrs) Olufolake AbdulRazaq led her colleagues to the event; while Minister of Youth Dr Jamila Bio also briefly took the floor to point out how the Governor has mainstreamed gender inclusion in political leadership. 

    Two Kwara commissioners — Women Affairs’ Hon. Abosede Olaitan Buraimoh and Education and Human Capital Development’s Hajia Sa’adatu Kawu-Modibbo — are attending the conference, which is supported by MacArthur Foundation.

    Erelu Bisi Fayemi, former First Lady of Ekiti State and author of the African feminist charter, said the Governor of Kwara has truly earned his stripes for giving women a voice in a way never seen before in Nigeria’s history. 

    She also commended her husband former Governor Kayode Fayemi for his efforts in gender inclusion, and urged Governors in Nigeria to emulate the Kwara helmsman. 

    “If you check all the recent indices, the truth is that Nigeria is not doing so well in gender equality or women empowerment. It remains difficult for women to access political leadership,” she said, singling out AbdulRazaq for “using his platform as a Governor to promote women inclusion. He has shown adequate political will that is worth emulating.”

    Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, Namibian Deputy Finance Minister, said at the event that she is humbled by how much “the Governor of Kwara State has deployed the goodwill of his office to support women empowerment”. 

    In 2019, the Governor appointed a cabinet that had 56.25% female — apart from keeping some 50 % slots for women permanent secretaries. He currently has a 50% female cabinet, including young commissioners. 

    He has also introduced a legislation that mandates Kwara to have at least 35% gender parity in appointive political offices, including in the state bureaucracy.

    The Governor received a standing ovation from the large crowd, especially when the plaque was officially presented to him. 

    AbdulRazaq, for his part, thanked the organisers and wives of the Governor for their great efforts to put the issue of women empowerment on the front burners. 

    “This august gathering reminds us of the noble role that the Women Radio, organizers of this event, has played over the years in spotlighting every issue that concerns women, the girl child, and general wellbeing of our community,” he added. 

    “I am personally proud to associate with the management and staff of Women Radio. I congratulate you for this wonderful initiative. Women Radio has been a major cheerleader for what our administration has done in gender mainstreaming in Kwara State. This support dated back to 2019 when we nominated a 56.25% female majority cabinet in Kwara State. 

    “But we have gone beyond just appointing women as a matter of choice. We have enacted a legislation that compels any government in our state to have at least 35% gender representation in all government appointments, including at the level of permanent Secretary or boards of parastatals. 

    “This policy has had appreciable effects in the larger political space in our state. Today, we now have the youngest female lawmaker in Nigeria. This is apart from the other female legislators in the House. It is our intention that this will tear down all barriers against the girl child and spur them to reach for the stars! 

    Read Also: Five die, others injured in petrol truck accident in Kwara

    “To make this possible, we have keyed into different educational and sanitation programmes that will encourage the girl child to enrol in school and complete her education. One of them is the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), which we have keyed into. 

    “We have similarly introduced a policy of six-month maternity leave to encourage women to nurture our children without losing their professional status or abandoning work.

    “I’m optimistic that many other states of the federation are in the race to break new positive grounds in gender mainstreaming. Together, we can influence national legislations that support gender parity and empower women and the girl child to fulfil their destiny.

    “Once, again, I congratulate Women Radio on its successes over the years. I specially thank you for the honour done to me and to our state so far. I promise that we will not drop the ball.”

  • Stakeholders call for amendment of Electoral Act

    Stakeholders call for amendment of Electoral Act

    • Rep: House will look into INEC guidelines

    No address the shortcomings in general elections, stakeholders have called for a further amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act.

     They argued that the appointment of Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) and commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not be done by the President.

     This is as the House of Representatives assured that it would look into the guidelines of INEC on the conduct of future elections.

     Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo called for the unbundling of INEC, adding that the constitutional arrangements where issues on the appointment of INEC chairman and National Commissioners are vested in the Executive needed to be reviewed.

     Itodo spoke at a roundtable convened to conduct a post- mortem of the General Election and to seek priority areas for reforms organised by Yiaga Africa and the Kofi Annan Foundation with the theme “Unpacking Nigeria’s 2023 general elections and prospects for electoral reform” in Abuja.

     He said the Justice Uwais Committee recommended that the president should not appoint chairman, commissioners into INEC; rather that power should be vested into another institution.

     The Yiaga Africa chief stated that this was just one way of protecting the independence of the Commission to prevent it from any form of political interference or manipulation.

     Itodo said: “You cannot have an electoral commission that is composed of persons who are appointed by the President and in some cases you have the incumbents as part of a political party or leading a political party.’’

    Read Also: What Electoral Act says on deduction of invalid votes

     “So, in line with Justice Uwais,one of the recommendations is to review the appointment process of commissioners and RECs into INEC. In fact, one of the proposals is that the President should not appoint RECs.

    “INEC when properly constituted with individuals that have impeccable character, competence and capacity should appoint its own resident electoral commissioners or directors of elections to manage elections.”

     Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, Dachung Bagos, said the National Assembly would work to review issues around what happened during the last election and to look at what could be done to enforce those laws.

     He said: “We will look at INEC’s guidelines to turn them into law, because the difference between guidelines and the law is that the guideline is what someone sits down and feels that this is the guideline.

     “However, when the guideline is now a law, it becomes mandatory to practice. So we are going to review all these issues that Nigerians have problems with.

     “Once it’s now a law, it is no longer a guideline. Nobody will be able to change it at the dying minute. So, these are issues that collectively, we are all going to look at.”

     A representative of Kofi Annan Foundation in Nigeria, Sebastian Brack said Nigeria’s successful democratic experiment is a priority.

     Brack said: “This particular roundtable is looking at how we can improve the situation for the next elections in a constructive and forward looking way.”

     Special Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Kuna, said that although elections are important, they are not enough in terms of deepening and consolidating democracy.

     Kuna said there was a need to focus also on governance issues, on issues of political accountability, on issues of conducting elections among others and the commission was noting them.

  • Out-of-school children: Fed Govt to focus on basic education

    Out-of-school children: Fed Govt to focus on basic education

    The Federal Government said to reduce the number of out-of-school children, it intends to focus more on basic or primary education than tertiary education.

    Minister of education, Dr Tahir Mamman, said in the past, more focus was placed on universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education but the administration has decided to shift its focus to basic education in the country.

    He said although the responsibility of basic education lies mainly under the purview of states and local governments, the Federal Government is developing policies and backing it with funding.

    The Minister said this yesterday in Abuja at a ministerial roundtable on National child wellbeing at the ongoing 29th Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) summit with the theme: ‘Pathways to sustainable economic transformation and inclusion’.

    Mamman also said the government intends to make the teaching profession more attractive to Nigerians to enable it to reduce the number of out of school children in the country.

    His words: “And so, for us, in the education sector at this time, we are focusing attention at that level of basic education. In the past for some time, we focused on tertiary education, the universities, polytechnics, Colleges of Education but now our attention has shifted to that level. Now not because it is our mandate. Ordinarily, at that level it is actually state and local governments that have the bulk of the responsibility, that is what the Constitution says as basic education is compulsory.

    Read Also: EU earmarks N32.9b for out-of-school children

    “For now, what we’re doing is to develop policies at the federal level and engage the governors who have responsibility and not only just engaging them by word of mouth, no, there’s also some funding, which is provided for that through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

    “And then the issue of the teachers you know, who have to have the requisite background, you know, to be able to train them properly, and then ensure also that the condition of service is suitable and the teacher profession is also attractive to those who want to go into it. Not like the situation that we met on the ground where a lot of people who go into teaching are people who don’t have anything else to do. So, these and many others are some of the policies we are looking at.”

     Country Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Cristian Munduate said the government needs to set priorities and stick to them to achieve its mandate of reducing the number of out-of-school children.

    She said about 2000 children die everyday from preventable diseases which can be accelerated at the local levels with the correct investments to prevent diseases rather than its cure.

    Munduate added: “About 2000 children die everyday from preventable diseases, so, talking about rapid responses and quick wins, these can be accelerated at local level with the correct investments to prevent and not cure diseases.

    “What we spend on one child you can prevent through giving quality preventive actions,I commend the government because we have just finalised a consultation where the history of education was leaning on quality learning. Why? Because when the government came into office, the numbers were there. Three out of four children cannot understand what they are reading or cannot do arithmetical calculations.”

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-designate, NESG, Dr Tayo Aduloju said the present numbers say the country is in a crisis that must be treated now in terms of the huge number of out of school children in the country.

    Aduloju suggested that the government uses social investment incentives like the conditional cash transfer that it is implementing to force parents to send their children to school, ensure birth registration and vaccination.

     He said this could be done by making sure that every head of household that plans on benefiting from the programme ensures their children are in school, provides the birth registration of all their children and vaccinations.

  • EU earmarks 5.4m euros for teachers’ devt

    EU earmarks 5.4m euros for teachers’ devt

    The European Union (EU) has earmarked 5.4 million euros to build the capacity of teachers.

     EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, made this known in Abuja during the launch of 40 million euro intervention programme on education and youth empowerment in the Northwest through the Global Gateway initiative.

     According to her, the additional fund was to ensure teachers get upgraded skills and learning needed to nurture students armed with requisite knowledge to become an army of solutions to the many challenges confronting Nigeria and Africa.

    She said: “Actually, this component is complemented by a 5.4 million euros separate programme that we signed today, which is dedicated to teachers, aiming to build their resilience and capacity in challenging environments. We have to remember that there is no education without teachers and that’s why we also have to invest in teacher training.

     “The third objective of our programme is really that it empowers youth with the skills they need, providing vocational education as promoting behavioral change campaigns to challenge harmful social norms and empower girls.”

     Urpilainen also said the European Union was equally out to provide vocational education and training for youths to equip them with the skills required to excel in the labour market.

    She said: “This ambitious programme launched today has been designed with Nigerian authorities to ensure the ownership and an adequate response to the local needs. The EU is not only targeting the youth through this specific programme, it is also bringing the youth to the driving seat and this is why as the EU, we set up the Youth Sounding Board, also here in Nigeria, as well as in many countries to make sure that what we do is for the youth but also by the youth.

    “We have to include young people in the decision making, we have to create spaces and structures where young people feel that they are visible and they watch this and this is precisely what the European Union is doing.”

    Urpilainen noted that Nigeria was not only the economic powerhouse on the continent and the most populous country in Africa, but the country was also a strategic partner of the EU in the West African region.

    Read Also: EU, Netherlands to boost jobs in Nigeria

    While describing education as the most transformative sector with ability to change the fortunes of a country, she noted that the programme would focus on lifting out – of – school – children off the streets to get the required education, especially girls through various components aimed at achieving one objective; access to quality education and youth empowerment.

    She said: “Education is the most transformative sector in which we can invest and it is the cornerstone for creating resilient societies and finding solutions to the biggest challenges of our time.

    “So, the EU investment on access, skills and quality education and youth empowerment in Northwestern Nigeria brings actually all these different components together. It will be deployed in Northwest Nigeria.

    “The programme which we are launching today supports access to education for out of school children with a specific focus on bringing and keeping girls in schools. It also includes direct assistance to families, cash, transfers, social protection, income generation, gifts and indirect assistance through agricultural practices. I think it’s important that we are able to provide access to education to each and every child in Nigeria so no one is left behind.

    “Another talk and overall objective of our programme is that it really promotes validated teaching and learning in targeted schools. So it will support child centred medical, sexual reproductive health racial gender equality training and support community based and state level capacities to deliver on education.”

     Speaking on behalf of the Northwest states, Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, who appreciated the EU for helping the region tackle the menace of out-of-school children, said they were committed to making education in their respective states a priority and have decided to invest heavily in the sector.

    He said: “The Northwestern states have the highest population in the country, we are more disadvantaged when it comes to education so this support is coming at the right time.

    “For each of us education is a priority and we have decided collectively and individually to invest in education and we are ready to change the narrative in next four years.

    “This support has come at the right time and I assure you that this support will go a long way in helping us to revamp education in our various states. This intervention we will utilize in the best way possible and I assure you that the outcomes would be something commendable to improve our educational system and other aspects of social development.”

    Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, warned that any attempt to downplay education would cost the country a fortune in terms of welfare and security.

    He said: “If our youths are not properly catered for, trained and empowered, we are toying with the future of the country. Not catering for them will allow poverty to grow, insecurity to foster.”

    Mamman, who urged state governors to focus on prioritising education and youth empowerment, disclosed that the soon to be released education sector roadmap covered the same objectives of the European Union in revamping the sector.

     “Our focus is shifting to basic education, out of school children, adolescent girls who need to be trained and empowered. Our government is ready to commit 25% of the budget on education, all the President needs according to him is policies that will justify that budget and that is what we are working on,” Mamman explained.