The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram bomb maker ‘fails in bid to join army’

    Boko Haram bomb maker ‘fails in bid to join army’

    DSS arrests 21 suspects

    Boko Haram members are planning to infiltrate security agencies, it was learnt yesterday.

    Part of the plan is to insert an Improvised Explosives Devices specialist into the Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) said.

    In a statement issued by its spokesman Tony Opuiyo, the DSS disclosed the increasing desperation and sophistication of criminal elements, noting that about 21 suspected assasins, fraudsters, kidnappers and others have been picked up during various operations across the country.

    “In response to the regrouping of Boko Haram elements in Kano State, the Service in concert with the military, carried out coordinated operations in the State which led to the apprehension of two high profile members of the sect, namely Ibrahim Ustaz Abubakar and Idris Audu (aka A.Y.A.).

    “Audu is an IED specialist who was being groomed to penetrate security agencies in the country; Audu had already perfected plans to seek for recruitment into the next recruitment scheme of the Nigeria Army before his arrest.

    “ On 22nd August, 2016, one Samuel Asuquo, a kidnap kingpin was arrested by the Service at Nasarawa Bakoko village in Cross River State; Asuquo was the mastermind of the kidnap of three Australian staff of Lafarge Cement Company, for which his gang received ransom N150m.

    “Similarly, on 30th August, 2016, the trio of Bamaiyi Mustapha (aka Dan Borno), Aminu Isa and Hassan Shehu, members of a notorious kidnap gang operating around the Abuja-Kaduna axis, were arrested at Lafia, Nasarawa State.

    “The gang had earlier kidnapped five Igbo women and collected N13m as ransom; they were subsequently arrested by the Service while planning a high profile kidnap in Abuja.

    According to the DSS, a sacked embassy driver who was threatening the Ukrainian ambassador, was arrested for posing as the Accountant-General of the Federation. Two others who cloned the telephone number of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, in a bid towards actualising high level fraud.

    ”This Service has arrested one Abbas Mohammed at Asokoro, Abuja; he was sending several threat messages to the Ukranian Ambassador to Nigeria.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that Mohammed was formerly employed by the embassy as a driver but he began threatening his former employer after losing his job arising from observed gross acts of insubordination from him to his employers.

    “On the economic front, the DSS is currently intensifying action against high level fraudsters whose unwholesome activities is  negatively affecting investors’ confidence with multiplier risk to genuine  businesses nationwide.

    “Accordingly, one Izuagie Mohammed was arrested in Benin City, Edo State on 24th August, 2016, for impersonating the Accountant-General of the Federation. Mohammed had already defrauded unsuspecting members of the public, posing as the Nigerian AGF on Facebook and promising them facilitation of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) empowerment loan before he was apprehended by the Service.

    “In a further action, on 28th August, 2016, Taiye Alade and Ajoke Kolawole were also arrested by the Service at Fabian Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    “The duo had cloned the GSM number of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (GMD NNPC), and were using it to defraud his close associates,” the DSS alleged.

    Assuring all law abiding citizens and residents that it will not rest on its oars in its determination to ensure a safe environment for all to carry out their legitimate business, the DSS stated that several other criminal suspects are now helping its investigations.

    “ In another operation carried out same day at Tamburawa village along Kano-Zaria Expressway, Kano State, Alhassan Musa and Ado Yusuf, members of a notorious kidnap/armed robbery syndicate operating from Falgore forest in Doguwa Local Government Area, Kano State, were also apprehended.

    “On 19th August, 2016, two kidnappers operating in Zamfara and its environs were arrested; they are Abdulrasheed Ibrahim and Aliyu Umar; the duo had been terrorising residents of the area along with a kidnap group headed by ‘Buhari General’ who is still at large.

    “Also, on 26th August, 2016, two (2) notorious kidnappers, armed robbers and assassins; Moses Achia and Fanen Igbetar, were arrested at Kperlegba Village, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

    “One AK-47 rifle, five fully loaded AK-47 magazines, 150 rounds of live ammunition and one pistol loaded with 15 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from them. The syndicate had planned to kidnap a female business tycoon in Makurdi, Benue State.

    “On 3rd September 2016, a kidnapping gang under the coordination of one Sunny Isaac (late), which has been terrorising residents in states of the South-East zone, was busted by the Service at Aba in Abia State; prior to their arrest, the gang had masterminded series of kidnapping incidents in the state, including the abduction of one Uche Ikonne (female), an American citizen in the state.

    “Other members of the gang arrested by the Service include Nnaoma Amak, Chiedozie Ebere, Bartholomew Michael, Chinweotito Innocent and Celestine Ikarangwan while the following items were recovered on them during the time of arrest; N400,000.00, a double-barrel gun with two live ammunition, a Toyota-Corolla car, a Volkswagen Golf car, and the mobile cellphone of Ikonne.

    “Also, one Mike Ewugbara, a known child trafficker was arrested at Okigwe, Imo State on 26th August, 2016.

    “Three kidnapped children were rescued from his hideout, including one Miracle who was abducted in Benue State,” the DSS stated.

  • ‘4.5m starving in Boko Haram-hit north-east Nigeria’

    ‘4.5m starving in Boko Haram-hit north-east Nigeria’

    The war against Boko Haram may be dwindling, but the impact of the insurgency in northeast Nigeria is still massively felt.

    According to the United Nations, more than 4.5 million people are starving and in dire need of food.

    A new analysis by various UN agencies, including the World Food Program, reveals that this number continues to double.

    “All indications point to an extremely grave situation,” said Abdou Dieng, the UN agency’s Regional Director for West Africa.

     “As the rains set in and the lean season deepens, and more areas are opened up to access humanitarian aid, the full scale of hunger and devastation is likely to come to light,” he added.

    According to the new analysis, the number of people struggling with severe food insecurity in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, has risen fourfold since March to exceed one million. It is also estimated that at least 65,000 newly liberated people in inaccessible areas in Borno and Yobe are facing “famine-like” conditions.

    While some Internally Displaced People are returning to their rural homes, they find them uninhabitable. Therefore, they’re forced to stay in urban areas, again as IDPs.

    These families have to beg, get in debts or skip meals to survive. Many now eat only once a day.

     Also, if the Nigeria’s economy continues to sink, this could push the number of people in need of food assistance in the north-east by another million by September. WFP, in another food assessment, has warned of soaring prices in areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

  • Video: Air Force blast Boko Haram camp

    Video: Air Force blast Boko Haram camp

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Director of Public Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, intelligence report has indicated that Several Boko Haram Commanders who were wounded in a similar attack on the night of August 20, 2016, over 300, were believed to have been receiving treatment at the camp when the attack occurred.

    Famuyiwa said the latest strike followed the trail of the intelligence, with the aim of neutralizing the suspected leaders of the sect who are high value targets.

    See video below:

  • NAF bombs Boko Haram hideout

    NAF bombs Boko Haram hideout

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully destroyed a Boko Haram camp at Tumbun Rego in Northern Borno in an unexpected attack on the terrorists’ position.

    According to NAF Director of Public Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, intelligence report has indicated that Several Boko Haram Commanders who were wounded in a similar attack on the night of August 20, 2016, over 300, were believed to have been receiving treatment at the camp when the attack occurred.

    Famuyiwa said the latest strike followed the trail of the intelligence, with the aim of neutralizing the suspected leaders of the sect who are high value targets.

    He said the NAF is yet to ascertain the casualty figure, but post-strike Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) mission shows that the degree of damage achieved was devastating as the buildings were engulfed by large fire as can be seen from the declassified video of the air operation.

  • How Boko Haram entice youths with money – NGO

    How Boko Haram entice youths with money – NGO

    A recent study bysome non-governmental Organisatons, Mercy Corps and Ford Foundation has revealed the recruitment strategies of Boko Haram in the North-Eastern part of the country.

    The research, which was tagged ‘Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian youth”, explored in detail how Boko Haram use financial services for recruitment and support of locals.

    The research The Nation gathered also revealed that the financial support offered to them presented an alternative set of services for community members, highlighting government and private sector deficiencies.

    The financial support also provided an immediate pathway for the vulnerable ones to expand their businesses, an affiliation that has provided Boko Haram with leverage to persuade potential recruits and community members to help with its operations

    Speaking on the importance of the research in the fight against Boko Haram, Director of Conflict Management at Mercy Corps, Rebecca Wolfe, claimed that conflict is one of the leading causes of poverty in the country and the aim of the presentation is to understand how Boko Haram recruits young people so that conflict can be reduced in the North-East.

    She said: “They recruit members in a number of ways. Not only unemployed young people, but employed, educated and uneducated, religious and non-religious people also join. The lack of services has created feelings of injustice, dissatisfaction and grievances predominantly in the North-East. Boko Haram has used this to effectively gain community acceptance. We have also found that business relationships and financial incentives are used to lure people into the group. Also, the deep-seated frustration with government paved way for Boko Haram to garner recruits.”

    Meanwhile, Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, Program Officer of Ford Foundation noted that what the research found was the cause of the recruitment of individuals.

    He said: “It is partly because they lack economic resources, because they are excluded from political discussions, and also because their education system is weak. They are not trained to think that they can create opportunities for radicalisation and indoctrination by religious groups.”

    On whether some of the recommendations made would help in solving the issue of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, he gave recommendations, that focus on economic livelihood for young people, if integrated with economic and social support, would be useful in addressing the challenge of youth involvement in the insurgency.

    A researcher and civil society practitioner in Maiduguri, Mustafa Ballama, explained that the research tried to explore the business and financial aspect of the insurgency.

    He also noted that according to the findings, in 2009 people joined because it was a new sect and they were curious to learn, and they wanted to look more religious.

    He said: “Then the violence came, and as a result of the findings, we know that the others joined because of either money or other issues around power or even politics – it’s an advantage. To a certain extent, finances or business were used as incentives to lure these youths to the sect.”

     

  • Boko Haram: Kids battle malnutrition in IDPs camp

    Boko Haram: Kids battle malnutrition in IDPs camp

    Children who escaped the terror of Boko Haram are now facing starvation in Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camps.

    The youngsters, some of them only infants, are being treated in a feeding centre run by Doctors Without Borders in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, according to a report by The Mail of London.

    Up to one in four of the youngsters in the 110-bed centre are dying, Doctors Without Borders spokeswoman Shaista Aziz was quoted by the newspaper in a report published yesterday.

    Most of the children were brought from the IDPs camps, she added.

    Parents living in the camps complain that there is not enough food, and when it does arrive, it is insubstantial.

    Dr Natalie Roberts, deputy emergency desk manager for the medical aid group, said the feeding programme in Maiduguri “has quadrupled in size in the last weeks, but each time it expands it becomes rapidly full’.

    In one camp, Muna Garage, 20 children under the age of five died in a single week.

    At Farm Centre Camp, on Maiduguri’s outskirts, residents said they had received no food in more than one month.

    They and displaced persons at other camps said that when they do get meals, it consists only of rice and beans. They get one shovelful a day – literally delivered from a shovel – whether a household has six people or 12, they said.

     

  • ‘Boko Haram ready for peace’

    ‘Boko Haram ready for peace’

    Hajiya Aisha Wakil, who is believed to be close to the Boko Haram leadership, says the group is ready for talks with the Federal Government on the fate of the 219 missing Chibok girls.

    She said yesterday that she had been on the neck of the Boko Haram leaders, who according to her offered to honour her to dialogue with the government and release the girls and other captives.

    The group’s leadership might soon make a pronouncement on their plan for the girls, she said.

    Hajiya Aisha, who spoke with our correspondent on the phone, said she expected the Boko Haram leaders to come out and discuss with the government.

    She said: “Since I came back, I have been on their neck. They have now agreed to come out and discuss with the government and bring back the girls.

    “I am for the Chibok girls and all the captives. They are ready for peace. This is what they told me.”

    Although Hajiya Aisha was not forthcoming on the imminent release of the girls, whose abduction has sparked a global outrage, she said: “I think they might post some information on YouTube within 24 hours.”

    The Army on August 14 declared Hajiya Aisha and two others wanted  for interrogation in line with the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended).

    The others are a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, and Amb. Ahmed  Umar Bolori.

    But Aisha has maintained her innocence, claiming  that she is not a shady personality.

    In a reaction to the Army’s statement, she had said: “I am Aisha Alkali Wakil. I understand that  the military declared me,  Ahmed Silkida and  Ahmed Bolori wanted for having links with Boko Haram. It’s interesting; now they believe me?

    “I know the Boko Haram boys. I have been in front fighting for peace long before Chibok girls were kidnapped. Nigerian security knows me too well. I’m not shady. Why declaring me wanted?

    “I have had meetings with Chief of Army Staff and his people. I told them the way forward, to allow me come with some commanders of Boko Haram and  discuss with them,  present the release of CBGs but they chose to do things their own ways only and never gave considerations to any of my suggestions.

    “I  want to inform the Nigerian people of my innocence and make them realise that I am in constant relation with the security personnel and they know where to find me but wonder why I had to be declared wanted on national news, even mentioning my husband’s name alongside.

    “This has put my immediate and extended family under a lot of pressure and I do not deserve this from the Nigerian government.

    “Though they may not appreciate all my efforts to proffer peaceful solutions to the menace of Boko Haram, my name should not be mudslinged nor my character defamed. Thank you.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari,  in an interview with reporters on the sideline of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi, Kenya last weekend, said the government was ready to dialogue with bonafide leaders of the group who know the whereabouts of the girls.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying: ‘‘I have made a couple of comments on the Chibok girls and it seems to me that much of it has been politicized.

    ‘‘What we said is that the government which I preside over is prepared to talk to bonafide leaders of Boko Haram.

    ‘‘If they do not want to talk to us directly, let them pick an internationally recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), convince them that they are holding the girls and that they want Nigeria to release a number of Boko Haram leaders in detention, which they are supposed to know.

    ‘‘If they do it through the ‘modified leadership’ of Boko Haram and they talk with an internationally recognized NGO, then Nigeria will be prepared to discuss for their release.”

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  • BBOG accuses govt of ascribing too much power to Boko Haram

    BBOG accuses govt of ascribing too much power to Boko Haram

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls   (BBOG) group have accused the Federal Government of ascribing too much power to Boko Haram.

    It accused the government of allowing them the leeway to determine the process for the swapping of the Chibok girls with the sect’s detainees.

    The group, which protested to the Aso Villa gate yesterday, after the expiration of their 72 hours deadline, said the protest was because there is no evidence of result- targeted action by the Federal Government.

    A statement by the group’s leader, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Strategic Team leader Aisha Yesufu, reads: “Today marks our third attempt at engaging with our democratically elected President, in the last eight (8) days. It is also sixteen days since the ‘Plea-For-Rescue’ video was released by the terrorists, who still hold 218 of our Chibok girls hostage, 869 days after the abduction on April 14, 2014.

    “We are out again because no evidence of persuasive, deliberate and result- targeted action has been conveyed by our President and the Federal Government.

    “We must as always however first acknowledge the courage and gallantry of our soldiers in the frontlines, the Multinational Joint Task Force, and the Civilian JTF, and urge them to remain resilient in the face of attacks as these. Their labour and sacrifice shall never be in vain. We acknowledge the return of thousands of our fellow citizens who were never confirmed by the Federal Government to be missing but have since been rescued by our military.

    “We acknowledge that since our march of the 25th August 2016, a statement was made by Mr. President in far-away Kenya, on the side-lines of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI). In the said statement as reported by the media, Mr. President suggested a willingness to swap our #ChibokGirls for Boko Haram fighters preferring that the terrorists engaged an international Non-Governmental Organisation in the intermediation process if they so wish.

    “We fail to understand why our Federal Government is giving so much powers to determine process and first mover actions to the terrorists. We have always maintained that the President has the powers to assemble all relevant intelligence assets required for determining the best action in terms of lowest risk option. Many countries with superior capabilities have indicated willingness to help our government gather security and intelligence assets on this and other related Northeast challenges.”

     

  • The military lacks power to declare civilians wanted-Falana

    The military lacks power to declare civilians wanted-Falana

     

    Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said that the military authority lack the power to declare civilians as wanted persons.

    Falana who made this clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos in reaction to the three persons, Ahmed Bolori,a social worker; Aisha Wakil, a lawyer and human rights activist and Ahmed Salkida, a journalist declared wanted on Sunday by the military over alleged link with Boko Haram.

    He said the military should stop further harassment of the three civilians.

    He advised “since journalists and other civilians in combat operations are entitled to full legal protection under the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, the Nigerian Army should be directed by the Chief of Army Staff to stop any further harassment of the “wanted” persons.

    “As a matter of urgency, the National Human Rights Commission should make it clear to the members of the armed forces that we are no longer under military dictatorship when the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people were violated with impunity.

    By declaring the three persons wanted without any legal authority the army has usurped the statutory powers of both the Police and the SSS adding, “in the process it has breached the fundamental rights of the ‘suspects’ to personal liberty, dignity of the person and fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.

    “In addition, the freedom of movement of Mrs Wakil and Mr. Bolori whose passports have been illegally impounded has also been violated by the army. Even under the defunct military dictatorship in Nigeria the arrest and detention of journalists as well as the closure of media houses by security operatives were declared illegal by several courts. Indeed, on several occasions, the ruling military oligarchy was ordered to pay monetary damages for the breach of the human rights of journalists and very many other citizens”.

    He stated for instance “the Punch newspaper was awarded reparation of N22 million over the 1994 closure of its business premises and detention of its editor, Mr. Bola Bolawole by the combined team of armed soldiers and mobile policemen under the  Sani Abacha junta.

    “In Civil Liberties Organisation v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 75 some journalists who reported s phantom  coup plot against the Abacha junta were tried before  a Special Military Tribunal. They were convicted and jailed for being accessories after the fact of treason.

    “The complainant dragged the federal government to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. As the federal military government had no defence to the allegations of mistrial the African Commission held that the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the convicts violated Article 7 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Similar trials of civilians by military courts in Mauritania and Sudan have been vitiated by the Commission on the ground that they failed to meet the independence test”, he stated.

    Falana recalled that on Sunday, August 14, 2016, the proscribed   Boko Haram terrorist sect had released a video showing some of the abducted Chibok girls.  Shortly thereafter, the Nigerian Army declared three persons wanted over alleged links with the terrorist organisation and for concealing information from the federal government on the whereabout of the girls who were kidnapped on April 14, 2014.

    Although Mrs Wakil reported herself to the army soon after the announcement, she was released and asked to await further instructions. She and Mr. Bolori have since been admitted to administrative bail by the army after meeting some conditions including the submission of their international passports. Thus, the planned pilgrimage to Mecca by the duo has been aborted by the army without any legal basis.

    In justifying the decision to declare the three persons wanted the Nigerian army spokesperson, Colonel Sani Usman, stated that “there is no doubt that these individuals have links with  Boko Haram Terrorist sect and have contacts with them. They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them…We rely on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act  (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorist activities.”

    He also recalled that Salkida, in his reaction to the serious allegations of withholding information and maintaining contacts with the terrorist stated via his Twitter that the video in question was sent to him before the girls’ abductors uploaded it on Youtube.

    Notwithstanding the gravity of the allegations of maintaining contacts  with a terrorist movement and concealing information  from the federal government, Falana contended that the decision of the Nigerian army   to declare the “suspects” wanted is ultra vires, illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.

    “Since the wanted persons are not serving military personnel who are subject to service law they cannot be investigated or tried under the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 LFN, 2004.  Furthermore, under  the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended the army has not been authorized to perform any duty whatsoever.

    ”In other words, the powers of arrest, investigation and prosecution under the Act have been vested in the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service. In the circumstances, the Nigerian Army ought to have made available to either the Police or the SSS any evidence or information concerning the alleged links of the three persons to the terrorist body”, he stated.

     

  • 25.3 million Nigerians out of school – FG

    25.3 million Nigerians out of school – FG

    The Federal Government on Monday said about 25.3 million Nigerian children and youths are out of school across the country.

    To reduce this figure, the government said it plans to enrol about 2. 9 million pupils annually in four years to reduce the figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

    Nigeria currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world with 11. 4 million out – of – school children out of the 20 million worldwide.

    Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said 60 per cent of the 11.4 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls.

    Adamu, who said this at the presentation of “Education for change: a Ministerial Strategic Plan (2016-2019) to stakeholders in Abuja, said only 3.1 million or 17 per cent nomadic children of school-age had access to basic education despite decades of intervention.

    He therefore said government would urgently raise the national Net Enrolment Rate (NER) to ensure that are enrolled in basic education schools in the next four years.

    The Minister said: “About 25.3 million students at all levels of education are out- of- school in the country.

    “Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children in the world with 11. 4 million out- of-school children of the 20 million worldwide. These include the girl-child, Almajiri-child, children of nomadic pastoralists and migrant fishermen and more recently the children displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “60% of the 11.4 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. Only a fraction (17%) of the 3.1 million nomadic children of school-age has access to basic education despite decades of intervention. Similarly, only a small proportion of the FME’s 20120 estimate of 9.5 million Almajiri children have access to any form of basic education.

    “An increasing number of displaced children (1 million) are being forced out of school in the insurgency-stricken states. These figures suggest that the educational process has given these groups of marginalized children very little access to education.

    “For the 11.4 million out-of-school children the most urgent concern is raising the national Net Enrolment Rate (NER) to ensure that all of them are enrolled in basic education schools in the next four years. To achieve this target, the government planes to enrol, 2, 875,000 pupils annually for the next four years.

    “The FME will come up with more effective strategies for engaging with states in addressing the problem of escalating numbers of out-of-school children including where necessary, the use of targeted funding that deliberately addresses the factors of exclusion.”

    Adamu said the government would renovate the schools destroyed by Boko Haram and construct additional 71, 875 classrooms annually for the next four years to accommodate the pupils.

    The minister also said the government would provide additional 71, 875 qualified teachers through the deployment of the 14 per cent of the new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually to cater for the anticipated increase in pupils’ enrolment.

    “The government will renovate the schools destroyed by Boko Haram and construct additional 71, 875 classrooms annually for the next four years to accommodate the anticipated increase in enrollment of out-of-school children.

    “Provide additional 71, 875 qualified teachers through the deployment of the 14% of the new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually to cater for the anticipated increase in pupils’ enrolment.

    “Raise the current enrolment of girls in the basic education schools by 1.5 million girls annually for the next four years if the 6 million girls currently out of school are to be provided with access to basic education as required by the UBE law.

    “Deploy 37, 500 qualified female teachers, (or 7.5% of the 500,000 new teachers to be recruited by the federal government annually), to serve as role models for female pupils/students; and determine the amount of resources in terms of the learning materials and other facilities, as specified in UBEC’s school norms and standards, required for training the Education For All (EFA) goals,” he added.

    Earlier, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, said the education sector needed strengthening for Nigeria to meet goal four of the SDG.

    According to Anwukah, the efficient and effective implementation of the Strategic Plan when finalized by all levels of governments and stakeholders would offer Nigerians the means to optimize opportunities, create solutions and find new paths to a better future.

    He said: “For Nigeria to meet the targets of the SDG 4, the education sector needs strengthening, our dilapidated schools must be provided with befitting infrastructure to become learner-friendly for all learners, including girls, the vulnerable and those with special needs.

    “We must recruit and re-train existing teachers for quality delivery. Every child, girl or boy must not only enroll in school but must complete the full cycle of basic education and must be seen to learn. Our tertiary institutions must be citadels of learning that foster innovation to meet the needs of the workforce, strengthen research capacities and advance knowledge by increasing higher education opportunities for young people.

    “It is important also to say that education for change must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of their own times.”