Author: Our Reporter
By Msugh Ityokura, Abuja At a time when insecurity, economic hardship and growing social frustration continue to define daily life in many parts of Benue State, the emergence of development focused political campaigns is beginning to reshape conversations ahead of the 2027 governorship race. Among the aspirants attempting to position themselves around governance reforms and social recovery is Jeffrey Kuraun, whose manifesto titled “Vision Direction” places unemployment, insecurity and social exclusion at the centre of his political message. For years, Benue politics has largely revolved around ethnic balancing, party structures, power blocs and elite negotiations. However, worsening insecurity, farmer displacement,…
National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, met top U.S. officials this week to boost counterterrorism collaboration and defense ties amid rising threats in Nigeria and West Africa. Ribadu’s three-day visit from May 4 to 6 included sessions with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who doubles as acting National Security Adviser. He also conferred with Undersecretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Assistant Secretary of War Daniel Zimmerim. A statement Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Indormation and Strategy said Ribadu’s emphasized on sustained US -Nigeria partnership against terrorism, violent extremism,…
President Bola Tinubu’s government has launched dozens of major infrastructure projects across the northwest, countering claims that it has neglected the region, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors said. The Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a pro-Tinubu network, issued the assessment following a media tour last weekend of Federal projects in the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, and Kebbi States. The tour, organized with the presidential media team, highlighted 48 special intervention projects in the northwest—Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara—out of 260 nationwide via the Ministry of Works. The tally tops other geopolitical zones and targets roads, rail, and irrigation…
A governorship hopeful for Benue State in the 2027 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jeffrey Kuraun on Thursday rolled out an economic blueprint promising to create jobs and deliver infrastructure across the State. Unveiling his “Vision Direction” manifesto in Abuja, Kuraun laid out plans to revive local industries, slash red tape for businesses and pour funds into utilities and rural links—essentials he called non-negotiable for any thriving economy. Kuraun vowed to spark hiring through skills training, agribusiness ventures and small-business loans, aiming to forge “a productive economy that creates opportunities for young people” and lifts…
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday submitted President Bola Tinubu’s nomination and expression-of-interest forms to the All Progressives Congress (APC), kicking off the ruling party’s process for the 2027 presidential election. Speaking at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Vice President Shettima urged party leaders—including State Governors, National Assembly members and APC national officers—to back President Tinubu’s second-term bid. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Stanley Nkwocha, Vice President Shettima said the President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” was key to pulling Nigeria from economic turmoil. “Through thick and thin, this President has…
Baze University, a private Nigerian institution founded by Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has named Professor Abiodun Adeniyi as its new Vice-Chancellor and Ahmad Mahmoud Lawi as Registrar, effective May 6, both of whom are rising from key administrative posts. Senator Baba-Ahmed, the University’s board of trustees chairman, approved the appointments after a competitive search. Professor Adeniyi, a communications and media epistemology expert, advances from his prior role in the institution as Registrar. Lawi, his successor, steps in from Director of Human Resources, bringing similar long-term institutional experience marked by professionalism and loyalty. The board voiced “strong confidence” in the duo’s ability…
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday appointed Terfa Akoso, a Pharmacist, as acting Head of the Abuja Central Medical Stores (ACMS). Dr. Adedolapo Fasewe, Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), approved the appointment following the retirement of the former acting head of the facility Pharmacist Akor Joseph. Akoso, who hails from Benue State is a Director on Grade-Level 17 since 2019, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (1998) and a Masters in Health Management from Benue State University—now known as Moses…
President Bola Tinubu’s administration plans to launch a $500 million annual fund for research and innovation, aiming to revitalize the economy through science, technology, and homegrown discoveries. The fund in subsequent years is expected to increase to about $1billion. Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the initiative Wednesday as a fall out of last week’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which approved the establishment of the National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF). Minister Alausa who was joined by the Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, while briefing State House Correspondents, called it a “game changer”…
The Federal Government has introduced stricter rules to curb the abuse of honorary degrees in Nigerian Universities, warning that violators could face sanctions, including action against Vice Chancellors and prosecution of individuals who falsely claim such awards. Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said the policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), is intended to restore integrity to honorary doctorate conferments, which he described as having been widely abused by some institutions and individuals. Briefing State House Correspondents at the presidential Villa, Abuja, Alausa said under the new framework, Universities that do not run accredited doctoral programmes will no longer…
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged European Union countries to deepen investment ties with Abuja, pointing to agriculture and real estate as two of the territory’s most promising sectors. Speaking Tuesday at the EU House in Abuja during a briefing with envoys from member states, Minister Wike said the capital territory has evolved into a business-friendly and increasingly secure market with strong revenue potential. He said the FCT offers about 274,000 hectares of arable land, particularly in the area councils, and an expanding property market driven by rising demand for residential and commercial space. “There…