Year: 2026

Zero funding threatens NDLEA fight against drug abuse – NASS Joint Committee

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Drugs and Narcotics has raised serious concerns over the zero capital release to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2025, warning that the agency’s ability to combat rising drug abuse nationwide is at risk without urgent financial intervention. The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and co-chaired by Hon. Abass Agboworin Adigun, reviewed the NDLEA’s 2026 budget proposal and its 2025 performance following a briefing by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna. Speaking after a closed-door session, Hon. Adigun highlighted the critical…

FG enlists Traditional, Religious leaders to boost health reforms

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has engaged traditional and religious leaders nationwide to strengthen the implementation of health sector reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. The move was announced ahead of the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders’ Summit on health, aimed at deepening collaboration and accountability across the sector. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja. He explained that the reforms are focused on strengthening governance and accountability, expanding access to quality health services, unlocking…

Nigeria pushes preventive strategy to safeguard democracy across Africa

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Nigeria has called for a proactive and preventive approach to safeguarding democracy across Africa, urged stronger regional collaboration to reinforce democratic institutions before crises emerge. The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, made the call while speaking at a High-Level Ministerial Forum on the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD), held on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tuggar stated that although democracy remains widely affirmed across the continent, it…

MURIC slams proposed US sanctions on Nigerian muslim figures as ‘selective and unjust’

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned a proposed bill by five United States lawmakers seeking to impose sanctions on prominent Nigerian Muslim figures and organisations, describing the move as lopsided, unjust and selective. The bill reportedly recommended measures such as visa bans and asset freezes against a former Governor of Kano State and National Leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as well as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. Reacting to the development in a…

FRSC dismisses 43 Personnel over desertion, scandalous conduct, patrol misconduct

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has disengaged forty-three (43) personnel over offences bordering on desertion, scandalous conduct, and patrol-related misconduct, in a move described as a firm demonstration of the Corps’ zero-tolerance policy on indiscipline. The affected personnel include thirty-one (31) dismissed for desertion, five (5) for scandalous behaviour, and seven (7) for patrol misconduct. Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, disclosed this in a statement issued on 12 February 2026, noting that the action underscores the Corps’ commitment to professionalism and ethical standards. The Corps…

Nigeria Customs commissions classroom block at Kirikiri, boosts inmates’ rehabilitation

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Hope was rekindled at the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre, Lagos, as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) commissioned a newly constructed four-classroom block to enhance educational opportunities for inmates. The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, inaugurated the facility on Wednesday, 11 February 2026. The project, executed by the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command under the Customs Cares Initiative, is aimed at strengthening access to education and supporting the reintegration of inmates into society. Speaking at the ceremony, Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to people-centred interventions aligned with national development priorities…

FG Flags Off Presidential Food, Nutrition Intervention for 20,000 Vulnerable Households in Sokoto

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of Presidential Emergency Food and Nutrition items to 20,000 vulnerable households in Sokoto State, as part of efforts to tackle food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty across the country. The flag-off ceremony, held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the Government House, Sokoto, marked the commencement of the intervention under the Presidential Emergency Food and Nutrition Initiatives. Speaking at the event, the Honourable Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, described the programme as a clear demonstration…

FRSC secures jail term for One-Way Driver in Lagos–Ibadan Expressway crackdown

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has secured a two-month jail term without the option of fine for a traffic offender arrested for driving against traffic during a special joint intervention patrol along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. In a statement issued on February 11, 2026, the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the conviction was handed down by the Ojodu-Abiodun Magisterial District Court following a coordinated enforcement operation launched on February 10, 2026, to curb the dangerous practice of one-way driving along the Kara–Opic axis of the…

Niger Information Ministry to drive public awareness for six-month maternity leave policy

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Niger State Ministry of Information and Orientation has pledged strategic media support to promote the newly approved six-month paid maternity leave policy. The commitment followed an advocacy visit by the Civil Society–Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (SUN CSA Nigeria), Niger State Chapter, to the Ministry in Minna. The extended leave, recently adopted by Niger State, aligned with reforms in other subnational governments aimed at promoting exclusive breastfeeding and reducing child malnutrition. The Ministry emphasized the critical role of clear and timely communication in ensuring public understanding and acceptance of…

NiDCOM hails Nigerians’ Super Bowl, Grammy, Formula Championship feats

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has congratulated Nigerians and people of Nigerian descent on their outstanding achievements across global sports, music and motorsport, describing the milestones as further proof of Nigerian excellence on the world stage. In a statement signed by the Commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Dabiri-Erewa lauded the Seattle Seahawks for their 29–13 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, securing their second Lombardi Trophy. She noted that the triumph holds special significance…