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Nigeria’s 65th Independence: Tinubu’s Full Speech

Published

3 weeks ago

October 1, 2025

NATIONAL BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY BOLA AHNED TINUBU, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE 65TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA, OCTOBER 1, 2025

Fellow Nigerians,

Today marks the 65th anniversary of our great nation’s Independence. As we reflect on the significance of this day and our journey of nationhood since October 1, 1960, when our founding fathers accepted the instruments of self-government from colonial rule, let us remember their sacrifice, devotion, and grand dream of a strong, prosperous, and united Nigeria that will lead Africa and be the beacon of light to the rest of the world.

Our founding heroes and heroines—Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and other nationalists—believed it was Nigeria’s manifest destiny to lead the entire black race as the largest black nation on earth.

For decades, the promise of our Independence has been tested by profound social, economic, and political challenges, and we have survived. While we may not have achieved all the lofty dreams of our forebearers, we have not strayed too far from them. In 65 years since our Independence, we have made tremendous progress in economic growth, social cohesion, and physical development. Our economy has experienced significant growth since 1960.

Although, it is much easier for those whose vocation is to focus solely on what ought to be, we must recognise and celebrate our significant progress. Nigerians today have access to better education and healthcare than in 1960. At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000. Available data indicate that, as of year 2024, there were more than 23,000 secondary schools in our country. At Independence, we had only the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology as the two tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria, comprising Federal, State, and private institutions. We have experienced a significant surge in growth across every sector of our national life since Independence – in healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and defence, among others.

Our country has experienced both the good and the bad times in its 65 years of nationhood, as is normal for every nation and its people. We fought a bitter and avoidable civil war, experienced military dictatorships, and lived through major political crises. In all these, we weathered every storm and overcame every challenge with courage, grit, and uncommon determination. While our system and ties that bind us are sometimes stretched by insidious forces opposed to our values and ways of life, we continue to strive to build a more perfect union where every Nigerian can find better accommodation and find purpose and fulfilment.
Fellow Compatriots, this is the third time I will address you on our independence anniversary since I assumed office as your President on May 29, 2023. In the last 28 months of my administration, like our founding fathers and leaders who came before me, I have committed myself irrevocably to the unfinished nation-building business.

Upon assuming office, our administration inherited a near-collapsed economy caused by decades of fiscal policy distortions and misalignment that had impaired real growth. As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path. We chose the path of reform. We chose the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today. Less than three years later, the seeds of those difficult but necessary decisions are bearing fruit.

In resetting our country for sustainable growth, we ended the corrupt fuel subsidies and multiple foreign exchange rates that created massive incentives for a rentier economy, benefiting only a tiny minority. At the same time, the masses received little or nothing from our Commonwealth. Our administration has redirected the economy towards a more inclusive path, channelling money to fund education, healthcare, national security, agriculture, and critical economic infrastructure, such as roads, power, broadband, and social investment programmes. These initiatives will generally improve Nigerians’ quality of life. As a result of the tough decisions we made, the Federal and State governments, including Local Governments, now have more resources to take care of the people at the lower level of the ladder, to address our development challenges.

Fellow Nigerians, we are racing against time. We must build the roads we need, repair the ones that have become decrepit, and construct the schools our children will attend and the hospitals that will care for our people. We have to plan for the generations that will come after us. We do not have enough electricity to power our industries and homes today, or the resources to repair our deteriorating roads, build seaports, railroads, and international airports comparable to the best in the world, because we failed to make the necessary investments decades ago. Our administration is setting things right.

I am pleased to report that we have finally turned the corner. The worst is over, I say. Yesterday’s pains are giving way to relief. I salute your endurance, support, and understanding. I will continue to work for you and justify the confidence you reposed in me to steer the ship of our nation to a safe harbour.

Under our leadership, our economy is recovering fast, and the reforms we started over two years ago are delivering tangible results. The second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%—Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years—and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund. Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years. The administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs.

In the last two years of our administration, we have achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of our sound fiscal and monetary policies:

We have attained a record-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65 trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.

We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% to below 50%. We have paid down the infamous “Ways and Means” advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation. Following the removal of the corrupt petroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of government.

We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September—the highest since 2019.

Our tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 13.5 per cent from less than 10 per cent. The ratio is expected to increase further when the new tax law takes effect in January. The tax law is not about increasing the burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding the base to build the Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners.

We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters. We are now selling more to the world than we are buying, a fundamental shift that strengthens our currency and creates jobs at home. Nigeria’s trade surplus increased by 44.3% in Q2 2025 to ₦7.46 trillion ($4.74 billion), the largest in about three years. Goods manufactured in Nigeria and exported jumped by 173%. Non-oil exports, as a component of our export trade, now represent 48 per cent, compared to oil exports, which account for 52 per cent. This signals that we are diversifying our economy and foreign exchange sources outside oil and gas.

Oil production rebounded to 1.68 million barrels per day from barely one million in May 2023. The increase occurred due to improved security, new investments, and better stakeholder management in the Niger Delta. Furthermore, the country has made notable advancements by refining PMS domestically for the first time in four decades. It has also established itself as the continent’s leading exporter of aviation fuel.

The Naira has stabilised from the turbulence and volatility witnessed in 2023 and 2024. The gap between the official rate and the unofficial market has reduced substantially, following FX reforms and fresh capital and remittance inflows. The multiple exchange rates, which fostered corruption and arbitrage, are now part of history. Additionally, our currency rate against the dollar is no longer determined by fluctuations in crude oil prices.

Under the social investment programme to support poor households and vulnerable Nigerians, N330 billion has been disbursed to eight million households, many of whom have received either one or two out of the three tranches of the N25,000 each.

Coal mining recovered dramatically from a 22% decline in Q1 to 57.5% growth in Q2, becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors. The solid mineral sector is now pivotal in our economy, encouraging value-added production of minerals extracted from our soil.

The administration is expanding transport infrastructure across the country, covering rail, roads, airports, and seaports. Rail and water transport grew by over 40% and 27%, respectively. The 284-kilometre Kano-Kastina-Maradi Standard Gauge rail project and the Kaduna-Kano rail line are nearing completion. Work is progressing well on the legacy Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway. The Federal Executive Council recently approved $3 billion to complete the Eastern Rail Project.

The world is taking notice of our efforts. Sovereign credit rating agencies have upgraded their outlook for Nigeria, recognising our improved economic fundamentals. Our stock market is experiencing an unprecedented boom, rising from an all-share index of 55,000 points in May 2003 to 142,000 points as of September 26, 2025.

At its last MPC meeting, the Central Bank slashed interest rates for the first time in five years, expressing confidence in our country’s macroeconomic stability.

SECURITY:
We are working diligently to enhance national security, ensuring our economy experiences improved growth and performance. The officers and men of our armed forces and other security agencies are working tirelessly and making significant sacrifices to keep us safe. They are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes. We see their victories in their blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram Terror in North-East, IPOB/ESN terror in South East and banditry and kidnapping. We must continue to celebrate their gallantry and salute their courage on behalf of a grateful nation. Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes.

YOUTH:
I have a message for our young people. You are the future and the greatest assets of this blessed country. You must continue to dream big, innovate, and conquer more territories in your various fields of science, technology, sports, and the art and creative sector. Our administration, through policies and funding, will continue to give you wings to fly sky-high. We created NELFUND to support students with loans for their educational pursuits. Approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions. As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7 billion.

Credicorp, another initiative of our administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices, and more.

YouthCred, which I promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement.

Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, we promised to build a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of background, has an equitable opportunity to access a better future—thus, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. The Bank of Industry is driving the programme, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, and the Islamic Development Bank. This initiative is at the cusp of implementation. Over the last two years, we have collaborated with our partners to launch the programme, supporting our young builders and dreamers in the technology and creative sectors.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE
Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option. Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand.

The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities. Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments.

Therefore, on this 65th Anniversary of Our Independence, my message is hope and a call to action. The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise, just like the Ministry of Interior has done with our travel passports, by quickening the processing. In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building. Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes.

Finally, let all hands be on deck. Let us believe, once more, in the boundless potential of our great nation.

With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here.

Happy 65th Independence Anniversary, and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Amen.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Abuja.

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OPINION: 24 Governors And Still Counting

Published

5 hours ago

October 21, 2025

Editor

By Suyi Ayodele

Years ago, when the sun used to rise and set at its time, a powerful farmer lived. History has it that at his coming of age, the man boasted that he would have the largest farm in his neighbourhood. He was said to have also told those who heard him boast that he would not work harder than any average farmer to achieve the feat. His strength, the powerful farmer told his listeners, is that he would do what nobody would ever do.

And true to his boast, the man’s farm became the talk of the town. He cultivated virgin lands and acquired old farms from their owners. Some voluntarily yielded their plantations to him. Many others were forced to give up their farmlands by circumstances beyond their control. Not a few ‘recalcitrant’ farmers, who resisted the acquisition of their farmlands, died mysteriously. The situation got to a point that nobody was willing to share farm boundaries with the powerful farmer.

He became the only famer around. Other farmers ‘willingly’ turned farm hands on his plantation. At that point, the powerful farmer became a demigod. He decided who ate and who should go hungry. Even when a few others struggled to farm, the yields from their fields were too miserable. Yet, the harvests from the powerful farmer were bountiful. He sold, became rich and had in excess while others wallowed in abject poverty! The elders of the land knew something was wrong. They knew that the trajectory was no longer normal. They decided to act.

A powerful diviner was consulted. What came from the divination board was shocking. The Oracle revealed that the powerful farmer was not ordinary. Ifa disclosed that while the other farmers were relying on the strength of their hands, the powerful farmer did something esoteric.

According to Òpèlè, the powerful man consulted a sorcerer who made a charm that makes other people’s farm produce to reduce in size while that of the powerful man grew in leaps and bounds. That metaphysics is known as Ako. Ako, Yoruba metaphysics says it is twofold. One, the worse of the two, kills individuals and makes their ghosts work on the charmer’s farm. The other simply makes the other farmers’ produce grow wretched while the charmer’s produce prospers. In the case of the powerful farmer, Ifa said he combined the two! That was why those who resisted him died prematurely.

What was the solution? The divination said that if they must get rid of the powerful farmer, the people must make a sacrifice of all edibles and add what is forbidden for the powerful farmer to eat. Once the man sees the sacrifice, the divination said, he would lose all his powers. And what was that item? They asked. Ifa responded that the people should find out by themselves. After all, it is said that there is nothing as accurate as a self-applied divination.

The elders left and made arrangements for the sacrifice. All the edibles were added and the pot placed on the farm road the powerful man takes to his farm. But after about three attempts and nothing happened, the elders returned to their diviner. The message they got was that there was something they did not add. Ifa asked them to go and think deeply at home.

To solve the riddle, the elders took counsel and decided to prepare another pot of sacrifice. But this time around, they appointed some men to hide in the bush to spy on the man and his reaction when he saw the sacrifice.

The strategy worked. Early the following morning, when the man stumbled on the new pot of sacrifice, he laughed. He used his cutlass to check the items in the pot and laughed again. He then wondered aloud why the people would keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. In his arrogance, he said, loudly to himself: “But they tried this time around. The only thing missing here is a lizard.” He upturned the pot and left for his farm.

Those hiding in the bush heard him clearly. They went back and reported their findings to the elders. The next day, another pot of sacrifice was waiting. But this time around, various types of lizards were added. The people did not want to take any chances.

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When the powerful man got to the spot, he knew that something had happened to him. He did all he could to reverse the sacrifice. He chanted, moved to incantation; he did evocation and ended with invocation. All failed! The powers he had had been neutralised. The esikus (ghosts)of those working on his farm descended on him and clubbed him mercilessly. He was taken home half dead. His era of terror ended.

Our native upbringing does not allow a younger person to teach an elder the wisdom of life. But the name, Ajáléonílébotièléyìn (A-já-lé-o-ní-lé-bo-ti-è-lé-yìn) -he who plunders another’s house to fortify his own backyard – is instructive here.

It is also un-African for a child to say he has seen a lot when the elders are present. I subscribe to that native injunction. But it is equally safe for a child to say that the little he has seen is enough to teach a life-lesson.

If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is rejoicing today because all his political opponents are coming to his camp in droves, I will advise him to ask his diviners the implications. There is a reason why he should consult those who are wise why nobody names his child Ajáléonílébotièléyìn.

This story above is derived from the legend of Ajáléonílébotièléyìn. Our elders say that we should tell he who removes other people’s roofs to cover his own porch to remember the day a whirlwind will remove his own roof (E so fún Ajáléonílébotièléyìn pé kó rántí ojó tí ìjì máa jà tó máa gbé’lé tiè lo). When that time comes, they caution that there will be no place to take cover from the impending rain.

President Tinubu appears to be the luckiest man today in Nigeria. He should be happy about that. He has every reason to celebrate. His camp is also justified if the drums are rolled out in jollification. If the trend of defection continues, Tinubu will be contesting against Tinubu in 2027! But I don’t think President Tinubu should be happy because he is the only farmer whose farm harvest is bountiful!

Why do I think the President should not be happy? The story of Ajáléonílébotièléyìn tells me that. Names in my Yoruba background carry meanings. This particular one is not just a name but a legend. The wisdom of the name tells me that President Tinubu should not rejoice because he has no opposition to his painful rule over Nigeria.

Joy, in the African worldview, has a slender and delicate body. We call it ayò, abara tíńtín (the tiny-bodied joy) in my place. Why did those before us give joy such a contrasting name? The elders of that era argued that within joy lies defeat, and at times, sadness.

When one is happy, they caution that such a person should not be overjoyed like the proverbial striped frog (Akere) which breaks its limbs while rejoicing! The story behind ayò àkèré (the joy of the striped frog) will, however, not be told today.

At the last count, President Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC), has 24 governors in its kitty. Only God can tell if any governor will remain in the opposition parties before the 2027 general election. This is a great feat by the President.

The simple implication is that President Tinubu, today, appears unbeatable! But is that true? Is there a man who cannot be defeated? Is there any champion for life? When a man is too powerful for his enemies to handle, what do our elders ask us to do? The answer to this last poser is the experience of life as taught by the name: Ajáléonílébotièléyìn.

What President Tinubu is doing with the decimation of the opposition is exactly what the powerful farmer, Ajáléonílébotièléyìn did to his fellow peasants. He can only thrive for a while. Those who believe that President Tinubu is the master strategist should know that very soon, the sacrificial pot waiting at the three-footpath for the President will contain an item that Tinubu is forbidden to eat. It will happen because nature does not allow an individual to answer the name, we-have-come (Enìkan kìí jé àwádé)!

The president’s masquerade can dance alone for as long as he wants at the arena. It must surely exhaust all the stunts in its arsenal. Former Governor Raufu Aregbesola of Osun State hinted at that last week. We should pay more than a passing attention to the man known as Ogbeni! The whirlwind will surely come and blow off the roof of Ajáléonílébotièléyìn.

He cannot be the only one with a roof over his head. And because he had succeeded in the past in rendering other houses roofless, there will be no place of refuge from the impending inclement weather! Like they say on the street, everyone go chop breakfast! This is why I believe that it is too premature for Tinubu and his supporters to rejoice.

What the President and his APC are doing is not ordinary. The way the opposition bigwigs are rushing like Kwesi Brew’s poem, Lest We Be The Last, to the ruling APC can only spell doom for the nation. The end, like Brew’s poem, will not be palatable to the defectors of today. Tinubu himself will find out too late that there is nothing to the defections. His harvested ‘friends’ have enough forbidden edibles in their bags.

This is one of the reasons I consider Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State’s reaction to the gale of defections that has hit the PDP as the most metaphorical reaction so far to the epidemic of defections sweeping across our political landscape. Looking at how politicians, especially fellow governors, are falling over one another to join the ruling APC, Makinde quipped that he was not moved by the number of the people defecting to the ruling party.

He added that he would “only be moved when hunger defects into the APC.” That was classic; that was deep in all ramifications. The statement has generated a lot of negative reactions especially by the apologists of the ruling APC and the Dictator-General of Nigeria, President Tinubu, who, today, is the sole beneficiary of the harvest of defections.

Many have argued that it was ‘uncharitable’ of Governor Makinde to have mocked Nigerians for being hungry. Some said that it was ‘self-indicting’ and ‘insensitive’ to talk about poverty in the land. They argue that if indeed there is hunger in the land, Makinde is part of the people who inflicted that pain on the citizenry. I don’t hold the portfolio of Makinde’s publicist, and as such, I won’t defend him on that.

Beyond the emotional responses from those who felt that Makinde’s statement hit the raw nerve of the god of the land, we need to look at what the governor said and ask if he lied or not. We need to do this before we bay for the governor’s blood.

Going by the reaction from President Tinubu’s camp, it is established that those who are ready to have Makinde for supper over the statement agreed with the Oyo State governor that Nigerians are hungry. They equally admitted that poverty walks on our streets in a three-piece suit. Their only point of divergence is that Makinde cannot exonerate himself. That is a good enough argument. Truth is that no leader in the present dispensation is exempted from blame.

But what is the import of Makinde’s statement? Did he utter that statement in mockery or is it a statement uttered to demonstrate bewilderment? I have asked those gloating that “Tinubu’s strategy is working” by the gale of the defections hitting the PDP and the other opposition parties what exactly is the attraction in the APC. I have asked, without getting any convincing answer, what that fantastic feat of President Tinubu is drawing the opposition to his camp.

This is where I find Makinde’s statement very deep. Since May 29, 2023, when Tinubu took the oath of office, what has been the fate of the masses of this country? This is what I think the governor was trying to say. His argument is that those defecting to the APC either from the PDP or the Labour Party (LP), are not doing so because they are convinced that the APC government of President Tinubu has changed the lives of the people for the better.

Makinde, to my understanding, is saying that the only time he would give serious consideration to the madness going on in the political firmament is when hunger, the hallmark of the Tinubu administration, defects and relocates to the president’s camp. In essence, it does not make any sense that people will voluntarily move into the house of the one afflicting them!

That is logical enough and I am tempted to follow that line of reasoning. Something beyond the surface is behind the current mass movement of the opposition figures to the ruling APC. I am convinced that another Ajáléonílébotièléyìn is at work here.

It might not be that the present situation has anything to do with an esoteric measure; it could be that the President is arm-twisting the opposition. A former governor of one of the Niger Delta states was reported to have wept profusely while begging his successor to move over to the APC. The former governor was said to have told those who cared to listen that the power-that-be had threatened him with the anti-graft agency. And when a man’s hands are soiled, a little jolt will make him capitulate!

While, for the purpose of this argument, one can excuse the selfishness of the governors of Delta, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom States, all first-term governors, in abandoning the PDP for the APC for political survival in the hands of a mean political vampire, how does one justify the resignation of Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State from the PDP? What exactly do we say Governor Diri is looking for? Here is a man who fought gallantly to earn a second term in office now jumping ship! And yet, some brainwave-individuals would want us to believe that there is nothing fishy!

The President’s camp can rejoice at this winning streak. They can celebrate while it lasts. Every Ajáléonílébotièléyìn has something he is forbidden to eat. Tinubu lost Lagos in the 2023 presidential election. That means that he is not totally unbeatable. What was that forbidden edible the Lagos voters gave to him during that election? That is the missing link those who want the president out of power in 2027 should find. I don’t get how people call their affliction their saviour! Something is wrong, somewhere!

Just like Governor Makinde posited, my worry over this disastrous move to a one-party State is the implication of absolute power in the hands of a pseudo democrat as we have in President Tinubu. If this venture scales through; if Tinubu succeeds in the total annihilation of the opposition, the impending calamity will be worse than a tsunami! Nobody will be spared! President Tinubu can win the next round of elections; I don’t have any problem with that. My concern is that he should not, by any means, be allowed to win as a sole proprietor of Nigeria. That will be an unmitigated disaster!

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Teenager Becomes Nigeria’s ‘Vice President For A Day’

Published

5 hours ago

October 21, 2025

Editor

A teenager, Joy Ogah, symbolically took over the seat of Vice President Kashim Shettima for a day, using the platform to advocate passionately for the rights and education of girls across Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Vice President on Tuesday, the symbolic handover took place during a meeting on Monday between Vice President Shettima and a delegation from PLAN International, led by Helen Mfonobong Idiong, Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation.

From the Vice President’s chair, Ogah highlighted the challenges facing girls in the country, noting that over 10.5 million children remain out of school, more than 60 per cent of whom are girls.

“We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria,” she said, urging policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise interventions that protect and empower young girls.

Ogah also urged the government to provide free sanitary products in schools and ensure access to clean water, sanitation, and proper nutrition for all children. She stressed that every girl deserves a classroom, a choice, dignity, and not silence.

“When girls are protected, peace becomes possible. I may be the Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets,” she said.

Shettima also used the occasion to reaffirm President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to advancing girl-child education and inclusive learning nationwide.

“We will continue the engagement with PLAN International and see where the force and strength of government can be brought to bear on your solid advice on girl-child education.

“In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in,” Shettima said.

Recent reports from The PUNCH indicate growing national momentum toward gender inclusivity in education. On October 20, 2025, advocacy groups urged all tiers of government to invest more in girl-child education, mentorship, and sensitisation programmes, calling for stronger efforts to eliminate gender bias in schools.

In September, the Federal Government launched the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions (RH-SII774) targeting over 10 million women across all 774 local government areas through livelihood grants, digital inclusion, and clean energy initiatives.

Similarly, the Ministry of Education and the National Assembly have reinforced support for gender parity and access to learning.

The government’s recent workshop on inclusive education, coupled with the Student Loans Act and increased education funding, reflects ongoing institutional commitment to equity — a goal echoed in Joy Ogah’s symbolic “Vice President for a Day” advocacy.

News

ASUP Begins Two-week Strike Over Certificate Fraud At Delta Polytechnic

Published

6 hours ago

October 21, 2025

Editor

Following alleged certificate racketeering at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics suspended its services on Tuesday for two weeks.

A whistleblower, Raphael Ufua, accused the institution of certificate racketeering, causing serious damage to the school.

Ufua alleged that the principal officers issued certificates to students who never attended the school.

However, announcing the strike, ASUP Chairman Dr Michael Ohana said the lingering issue of alleged result racketeering has brought the institution into disrepute and disrupted academic activities.

He said, “A serious cause for concern is how the yet-to-be-verified result racketeering issue has permeated social media, bringing staff and the institution into public disrepute.

“Our members are the worst hit. When we relate with the world outside, we are no longer able to proudly say we are staff of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.

Meanwhile, within the work environment, the necessary supplies and resources that make teaching and learning possible have become a far cry.

“Following the state government’s refusal to act decisively on issues between the Governing Council and Management, despite several meetings and ultimatums, it has become imperative that the Union embarks on a two-week warning strike.

“Recall that in February 2025, the Governing Council suspended the Registrar over unverified allegations of result racketeering without due diligence.

“Similarly, in July 2025, the Council suspended the Rector over unfounded accusations of financial impropriety, later repudiated by the governor as ultra vires.

“Despite relentless union efforts, these issues continue.

“Therefore, ASUP suspends its services to the state government for 14 days, hoping the government will consider reports from investigative committees rather than forming endless committees on this matter.

“The Nigerian Police must stop harassing staff, especially our members. Heads of Departments are being summoned to Abuja to answer for suspected forged student results.

“Government should call the Governing Council to order and duly communicate to them their mandates and functions. This is to make them operate in the manner that is expected of a Council that governs an academic institution, as obtainable with other tertiary institutions within and outside the state”

The ASUP called for the arrest and prosecution of the false whistleblower, Raphael Ufua, whose actions have brought disgrace and public disrepute upon the institution and staff of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-uku.

They stated that the alleged result racketeering, involving principal officers of the institution, had disgraced the image of the state institution, insisting that it was merely a case of result forgery perpetrated by individuals who are neither management staff nor principal officers of the institution.