Author: Lawrence Idoko

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government will fast-track the passage of the Food and Nutrition Bill to safeguard nutrition funding and ensure accountability in its implementation. Speaking at the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Shettima said the proposed National Food and Nutrition Bill would provide a legal foundation for the government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative. The initiative coordinates federal, state and local governments in delivering nutrition interventions across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. The legislation is also intended to establish clearer financial and administrative responsibilities among the three tiers of government, while strengthening oversight…

Scores of candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition parties have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State. Members of the ADC Legacy Group in Kebbi State, including the party’s House of Representatives candidate and two State House of Assembly aspirants who defected to the ruling APC further consolidated Governor Nasir Idris’s political base ahead of the 2027 elections. The defectors, who were received by party leaders in the state, cited the development strides of Governor Nasir Idris and President Bola Tinubu as reasons for joining the ruling party. The defection, formally received by…

Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has declared that Taraba State will deliver 100 per cent votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. The Governor made the declaration after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, saying the state is fully aligned with the President’s Renewed Hope agenda. The Governor said Taraba residents had benefited from programs introduced by the administration and would reward the president with their votes. “I’m also the leader of the party in my state, so I came to welcome the President home and also to condole…

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has promised to clear the 11-month salary arrears owed to school teachers in the state, assuring that his administration is committed to workers’ welfare. The Governor gave the assurance while addressing teachers in Makurdi, saying efforts were underway to offset the backlog of salaries owed to teachers employed through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUPEB) Under the scheme, the government will pay teachers an additional month’s salary arrears alongside their regular monthly salaries until the backlog is fully settled, Alia said Wednesday at the state’s 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration. The Governor, represented at…

The Federal Government has cleared eight months’ salary arrears owed members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). NewsQuest reports that this is coming less than 48 hours after the union threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU agreement. SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, who confirmed the payment on Wednesday, commended the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, for his intervention, saying the development had averted an imminent disruption in the nation’s universities. The union had, after its 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom…

Moves to reconcile Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, gained momentum on Tuesday as the Rainbow Coalition group led by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory met with the Governor in Port Harcourt ahead of the 2027 general elections. The closed-door meeting is believed to be aimed at ending the prolonged political crisis in the state and forging a united front. Wike arrived at Fubara’s private residence in Port Harcourt with senior coalition figures, including Kingsley Chinda, the coalition’s governorship candidate. The meeting, closed to reporters, also included former local-government chairmen and other grassroots figures who…

The Independent National Electoral CommissionINEC) has called on the Federal Government to ensure the prompt release of the remaining part of its budget to enable credible preparations for the 2027 general elections. The Commission said early funding was critical for procurement of electoral materials, voter registration, and logistics ahead of the polls. NEC Chairman Joash Amupitan made the request Tuesday at a news conference and national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja marking 100 days before the vote. He said the Commission had received statutory allocations that allowed it to meet vendor obligations, procure election technology and upgrade infrastructure, but needed the outstanding…

The Nigerian Army has commenced a two-week long assessment of over 500 senior Non-Commissioned Officers shortlisted for promotion to the rank of Warrant Officer, as part of efforts to strengthen leadership and professionalism within its ranks. The exercise, which involves screening, physical fitness tests and professional evaluation, is being conducted at various Army formations across the country. Major General Adewale Adekeye, the Army’s Chief Personnel Management, opened the exercise on October 5 at the Cultural Center in Abeokuta, Ogun State, urging candidates to maintain discipline and professionalism throughout the process. He said the board’s mandate was to identify the most…

Lagos has the largest number of registered voters in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election, followed by Kano and Kaduna, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Lagos has 7,488,633 registered voters, while Kano has 6,570,276 and Kaduna has 4,662,640, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said Tuesday. Amupitan said the figures reflect the three phases of the commission’s voter-registration exercise. He put the national register at 110 million voters, making Nigeria Africa’s largest democracy by registered voters. “The national register of voters now stands at 110 million, making Nigeria the largest democracy in Africa,” Amupitan said in Abuja. The…

The Federal Government has cleared the 17-year pension backlog with a N758 billion intervention bond to settle outstanding liabilities of retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The move is expected to bring relief to 957, 045 pensioners who have been awaiting their retirement benefits since 2007, following delays caused by inadequate budgetary provisions and rising pension obligations According to Omolola Oloworaran, Director General National Pension Commission, PenCom, the payment was made through an intervention bond. She disclosed the development in a keynote address Tuesday at the 2026 PenCom Media Conference(PMC)in Lagos. The settlement ends a backlog that accumulated under successive…