Author: Our Reporter
By Msugh Ityokura For decades, Nigeria’s identity challenge has been more than the absence of a reliable identification number. It has been a fundamental governance problem and question of how a government effectively plans for, provide services to, protect and economically empower citizens it cannot reliably identify. That challenge took centre stage Wednesday in Abuja as President Bola Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Senator George Akume, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo and the host, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote were joined by other stakeholders to highlight the growing…
President Bola Tinubu has urged Governors of the 36 States to accelerate the rollout of compressed natural gas-powered transport, saying commuters should begin to see lower fares from October 1. The President said the federal government would support States in expanding CNG infrastructure, converting commercial vehicles and deploying gas- and electric-powered buses as global energy disruptions drive up the cost of petrol, diesel and transportation. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga in a statement said the decision followed an August 27 meeting with the Governors of the 36 States, at which they agreed to pursue measurable reductions in…
By Lawrence Idoko and Anule Emmanuel A recent wide service redeployment by the Nigerian Army posted Major General Raymond Terungwa Utsaha as Commander of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Garrison in Abuja, a strategic formation responsible for running, securing and maintaining the military’s headquarters environment, including its personnel. Army spokesperson Appolonia Anele in a statement said the reshuffle approved by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, is intended to strengthen operations, improve leadership alignment and boost national security as the service adapts to evolving threats, particularly in the North‑East and other hotspots. The posting of General Utsaha to…
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, has urged religious leaders to treat peacebuilding as a core element of national security, stressing the role of social cohesion and responsible public speech as the country heads into a contentious election year. Speaking at the 12th Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu, lauded the church’s humanitarian work and its contribution to national cohesion and moral formation. “National security cannot be the responsibility of soldiers, police officers and intelligence agencies alone,” SGF Akume said.…
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has launched an investigation into about ₦432.07 billion in unpaid levies and regulatory obligations owed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The inquiry follows findings in the Auditor‑General’s recent audits that flagged sizeable outstanding claims by the regulator against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and oil firms operating under the DAPPMAN, MOMAN and MEMAN trade groups. The Auditor‑General’s 2023 report recorded ₦392.73 billion in arrears attributable to the NNPCL and those oil companies. The liabilities, the report said, stem from items including balancing allowances, the national transport average, the…
By Jacob EDI There are governments that merely occupy time, and there are governments that attempt to bend time towards a destination. The distinction is subtle, but profound. One manages the present, putting out fires as they arise, patching holes and hoping the next day will be kinder. The other looks beyond immediate turbulence and asks the more difficult question: what should this place become, and what must we begin doing today to fit into the inevitable tomorrow? That, to my mind, is the more interesting way to read the third year of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration in Kogi…
By Tanimu Yakubu The seduction of the wrong conclusion An increasingly familiar claim in Nigeria is that widespread poverty, nearly three years into the reform programme, is itself proof that the reforms have failed. Poverty remains widespread. Hardship is visible. From those facts comes the claim that the reforms undertaken since 2023 stand condemned. The pain is real; the conclusion does not follow automatically. Nigeria carried deep economic weaknesses into the reform period. Their continued presence does not show that the policies now being used to correct them created them. The PUNCH report of 16 July 2026 leans on this…
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu has launched a four‑month vocational training programme for 150 youths in Abia State. The move is part of the government’s desire to upscale the role of skills development in harnessing Nigeria’s demographic dividend. The initiative, called “An Artisan Training on Building Projects,” is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and run by Family Homes Funds Ltd., with logistical support from Mr. Kalu’s office. The pilot, which runs from August through November, targets participants in Abia and Enugu states. Of the 150 trainees, 130 were selected from 13 wards in Bende…
By Tunde Rahman With just a few days before the August 15 Osun State governorship election, the political calculus is already shifting. The election is a two-way horse race between incumbent Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke of the Accord Party and his challenger, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji – popularly branded as AMBO. While no election is won on paper, three key factors – party structure, voter disenchantment with the incumbent, and the imperative of alignment with the centre – will likely determine where the pendulum swings. APC in Osun has spent the last two years…
Allies of Honourable James Abiodun Faleke have accused political rivals of manufacturing a state‑level campaign around the long‑serving lawmaker, calling recent honours, endorsements and media reports a calculated effort to pull him into Kogi State politics and away from national priorities. In a statement signed by Otunba Olukayode Biobaku, the group described a string of ceremonial tributes and “courtesy visits” and an online article they said falsely claimed a “one‑term” deal involving Faleke as part of a broader manoeuvre by “self‑serving political actors.” The statement said Faleke promptly denied the report and urged the public to disregard it. According to…