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OPINION: Salute To Melchisedec Of Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

October 10, 2023

By Suyi Ayodele

There are people known in Yoruba worldview as Àkàndá (special beings). Everything about them is a mystery (Àdìtú). They get away with everything that would easily consume other mere mortals. Two of such men are from a state in the South-West of Nigeria. They are almost agemates, but perennial enemies. One is a retired soldier, and the other, an Alákòwé (a lettered man). Both had on many occasions in the past, survived the ‘bullets’ of the enemies – physical or metaphysical. There was also another man I knew, who died years back. He was the oldest in his village. He died at a very old age; well above 100 years. In one of his village meetings, he once told the reigning oba (king) then that he had seen four different obas on the throne. He named them all. Then he made a vow, to wit: the reigning oba would be the last he would know. The villagers chorused Àse (Amen). There are many stories about the old man. Many hated him with palpable passion, and not a few also loved him very dearly too. His life was a mystery because each time anything we thought would consume him happened; the old man would bounce back, stronger, and fresher. So, we got inquisitive, and we became probing. This is what we were told about him. At his birth, the Oracle was said to have predicted that whether he did evil or good, he would live long, and that many would worship him. That is called “Orí àpésìn” (the destiny that must be worshipped), in my place. Truly, until he breathed his last, the old man’s home was a Mecca of sorts. In our contemporary history, the one who shares the old man’s traits is our new husband, President Bola Ahmed (Adekunle) Tinubu. Don’t pay attention to the new name, Adekunle, in parenthesis. It is one of the mysteries of the phenomenon called Tinubu! Our president’s Wikipedia page was edited some three days ago, precisely on October 7, 2023, at exactly 1.03pm; “Adekunle” was inserted. Oh, yes! A man answers any name that suits him!

President Tinubu is a Muslim. But I suspect he was born a Christian and may also be a distant cousin to the Biblical character, Melchisedec. The two of them share so many things in common. Melchisedec was rich. Tinubu is superrich. Melchisedec was a king and a priest. Tinubu surpasses that. He started as a palace courtier, graduated to become a crown prince (Àrèmo); became a Duke (Governor of a region); established himself as an Afobaje (kingmaker), and finally emerged as His Imperial Majesty, the King of Nigeria (President). That is not all between the two. Melchisedec received tribute and homage from the noblest of his era, Abraham. Tinubu’s abode too receives scores of such nobles every day. Melchisedec prayed for Abraham, and
he became so rich. Tinubu ‘blesses’ his hangers-on with political patronage and the poorest of them begin to swim in megabucks overnight. The most striking of their resemblances has to do with issues of their past and ancestry. Both grew up without any known peer, group, or playmate. Nobody has any record of Melchisedec’s family background; not even the Bible and its numerous histories is able to solve the riddle. This is how the Bible describes Melchizedek in Hebrews 7: 3: “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Neither the Lander brothers: Richard Lemon Lander (1804-February 6, 1834) and John Lander (December 29,1806-November16,1839) nor Mungo Park would have been able to discover where Tinubu hails from.

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Age-wise, Tinubu is old. He doesn’t know his real age himself otherwise, we wouldn’t have had the various discrepancies that have been found now on his date of birth. That has also been explained as a typographical error! Officially, our new husband says he is 71 years old. We will accept that for whatever it is worth. Appearance does not depict age, anyway! Seventy-one years of age is a good one in Nigeria considering the benchmark of the 55 years life expectancy in the country. The mystery would have been solved if Nigerians were privileged to run into Tinubu’s childhood friends, playmates, and primary school classmates. Since those ones are in short supply due to the Melchizedek nature of the man, we would make do with the given age. If he had claimed to be 65 years old, how would we have authenticated that? That would have been a bigger problem; bigger than the rigorous exercise Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu’s main challenger in the February 25, 2023, elections, embarked upon in his search for the latter’s Chicago State University (CSU)’ academic records.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) did something on “Philosophy of Lying”. In the piece, the BBC quoted the Italian priest, Thomas Aquinas, as identifying three hierarchies of lies to include: “Malicious lies” (lies told to hurt), which the priest described as “mortal sins”; ‘Jocose lies’ (lies told for the fun of it), which he said, “are pardonable” and “Officious’ or helpful lies”, which he also said “are pardonable”. The Dominican
priest, however, concluded that “all lies are wrong.” Going further, the BBC’s piece quoted yet another philosopher, the German Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), who strongly believed that lying was always wrong. Kant said that: “Lying to someone is not treating them as an end in themselves, but merely as a means for the liar to get what they want.” The philosopher submitted that: “If there was a universal law that it was generally OK to tell lies then life would rapidly become very difficult as everyone would feel free to lie or tell the truth as they choose, it would be impossible to take any statement seriously without corroboration, and society would collapse.”

In yet another material, UKESSAYS.COM, an online platform, in an April 28, 2017 article titled: “The Principles of Lying”, identifies three classifications of lies to include “beneficial lies, spiteful lies, and neutral lies.” Spiteful lies, the article says “mean that you gain something while hurting someone else.” Then it adds: “People for years have been putting falsifications on their résumés to make it look appealing, and to create a sense that they are perfect for the job. Ethically it is fine to do so as long as you keep it to only one or two lies on it and you keep to a low level. By low level meaning
you can’t falsify years at college or years in a job you have never obtained…” The article cited the case of one Jane Cooke, who used false documents and claims to get employed by the Washington Post. Cooke had to resign when her cover was blown after she was given an assignment based on her submitted résumé, which was far above her natural aptitude. Using both “Virtue “Utilitarian” ethics, the article relies on Kant’s assertion that lying is morally wrong because: “To tell a lie contradicts the part of oneself that gives them moral worth. To receive a lie takes away a person’s free choice to decide other than what they would have had they known the truth. The two reasons lying is morally wrong, according to Kant, is lying contradicts the part of me that gives me moral worth and lying robs others of their freedom to choose rationally.”

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I have heard about legal searches for properties. Lawyers and estate valuers do that to establish the real owners of the property so that the intended buyer(s) will be sure of what they are buying. The CSU’s search for Tinubu’s certificate(s) is novel in all ramifications! And it is the most rigorous of all searches. It started over two decades ago. Precisely, Nigeria and Nigerians have spent the last 25 years searching for the academic credentials of President Tinubu. The first ‘Mungo Park’ in the voyage of discovery is the late fiery lawyer and human rights crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He searched for Tinubu’s credentials and got himself pelted with rotten tomatoes at a Lagos High Court, where a fellow ‘human rights fighter’ was on the other side defending Tinubu. It was only last week that Nigerians began to have faint ideas of the contents of Tinubu’s academic records. Even now, nobody knows the real picture. Ordinary certificate(s)? I may be ignorant, please pardon that. But, let me ask this: Is it so difficult to ascertain the schools a ‘First Class Graduate’ attended? What is the big deal in knowing the contents of the academic records of a brilliant student? I have a friend, who made a First Class in my set at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. His name is Abiodun Adefioye. Abbey, as I call him, rose to become a Managing Director of
Rosabel, one of the biggest Advertising agencies in the country. In my former place of work, you needed to see how I used to announce Abbey as my friend and classmate anytime his name was mentioned. You would have thought his certificate belongs to me. God save my neighbours that I did not make a First Class; dem for dey hear words from my mouth! It is the same First Class record that Tinubu and his handlers are fighting to hide from us! Isn’t that strange?

The Tinubu-Atiku CSU matter is before the highest court in Nigeria. I try as much as possible not to comment on any matter before our courts as a matter of principle. And I am not breaking that rule here. There are so many things I find strange in this case. For instance, I was alarmed when Tinubu’s lawyers filed objections before the United States of America (USA) courts that releasing the president’s academic records to Atiku would cause Tinubu “severe and irreparable harm!” A First-Class academic record will hurt the owner? How? Would the records show something different from the academic ‘brilliance’ Tinubu and his boys keep touting? Then, again, while you expected Tinubu’s media boys to tell us that they had implicit confidence that the
outcome of the search would be positive for their principal, what they told us is that no matter the outcome of the CSU search, it would not
have any effect on the matter before the Supreme Court! Haba! This is Nigeria anyway. We have even heard Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs),
telling us that Atiku cannot file “fresh evidence” at the Supreme Court again! Really? So, these folks admitted that there is “fresh evidence” but due to technicalities, which have ruined our judiciary, any felon can get away with any crime! Sad for them, all.

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I don’t want to delve deep into the merits or demerits of the outcome of the depositions by the CSU officials. They are as shameful as they are embarrassing. That is for the Supreme Court to determine. This will, however, not go without saying that many Nigerians, including yours sincerely, have lost confidence in the ability of our judiciary to rise to the occasion and do what is right. Whichever way the case goes, posterity will write everyone’s name according to his deeds or misdeeds. The CSU official has told us that fakery “is a Nigerian thing”. One thing I am sure of is this: there is no way anyone will defend the Tinubu’s CSU saga without sounding cretinous! The same fellas who were ready to draw the blood of the Anambra State adolescent, Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme, who, in June this year falsified her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, are all out now to defend Tinubu and the certificates he submitted to INEC. Funny lots! Even when the registrar of CSU deposed to the fact that what Tinubu submitted to INEC as certificate did not emanate from the university, the president’s Vuvuzelas came up with their as thick as two short planks argument that in the USA, certificates could be obtained from a third-party vendor. Is that part of the CSU depositions? No! It is simply what it is: a propagandist invention from Abuja! The question is: how many of Tinubu’s supporters will employ a ‘graduate’ with an Oluwole copy of his/her certificate? How many of them will show Oluwole drivers’ license to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the highway simply because they ‘lost’ the original?

There is a saying that if the thief has lost his sense of shame, his family members should retain theirs. That is not the case here. I don’t know why it is difficult for the hallelujah boys to note that it is much easier for Tinubu to line up his course mates, school mates and teachers alike to affirm his studentship at the university, than his running up and down asking the courts to disallow access to his ‘enviable’ academic records. How many of such mysteries are they defending anyway? Tinubu’s age? His place of birth? Ancestry? Where he worked and who he worked for or with? What about his primary and secondary schools? St John’s Primary School, Aroloya, Government College, Ibadan or Government College, Lagos? Which set? 1972 or 1974 set? No classmates or schoolmates? What about his date of birth? Which year do we pick among the three dates flying about: 1952, 1954 or 1955? All typographical errors, including his gender of being a male, female, or hermaphrodite; or he simply suffered from True Gonadal Hermaphroditism? The issue before us and the moral burden on us all, but more importantly on the Justices of the Supreme Court who will sit in adjudication over the matter, is not Tinubu’s studentship at CSU. The main issue is the authenticity of the certificates he submitted to INEC as prerequisites for the presidential elections. Are the certificates fake or genuine? Are they original or forged? If they are genuine or original, Nigeria has no problem. But if they are fake or forged, the Justices of the Supreme Court (JSC) are to determine and interpret what the extant laws of the land say about such infraction. In a saner community different from ours, ordinarily, on moral grounds, one would have expected that with the depositions by the CSU, the man in the eye of the storm would have shipped himself out of Aso Rock, voluntarily. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, such virtue is in short, or no supply, at all! Shame! Our last hope is the Supreme Court. I do hope My Lords, the JSC, are aware that all eyes are on the judiciary!

This article written by Suyi Ayodele, South-East/South-South Editor, Nigerian Tribune was first published by the same newspaper. It’s published by INFO DAILY with the permission from the author.

News

OPINION: Nigeria’s ‘Sheikh Of The Slaughters’

Published

5 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

By Suyi Ayodele

The festive period is here, yet one wonders how the sound of fireworks will affect us, given our recent experiences in the hands of terrorists and bandits. I also wonder how the elderly women we saw in the video of the attack and abduction at Eruku town in Kwara State will react to the sound of knockouts this season. This is not the best of times for us. We have never had it this bad. Why does terrorism thrive here, and the government remains flat-footed? Emma Sky provides an answer.

The British adviser to the US military in Iraq states: “Corrupt regimes and terrorists keep each other in business. It’s a symbiotic relationship.” He made this remark while speaking about the connection between terrorists and those in government.

Chapter two of the 270-page book, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, written by the American journalist, author and news commentator, Michael Weiss and the columnist for UAE-based English daily, The National, Hassan Hassan, (Pg.20, 2015), opened with the above quote ascribed to Sky. The authors took that route to underscore the claims in many quarters that terrorism is not just a mere game but a transactional enterprise between those in power and the agents of death, the terrorists. The sub-title of that chapter, ‘Sheik of the Slaughters’, tells the story more. It is our today’s headline

The cliche: “to win the battle and lose the war”, often used in military circles, is defined as: “to achieve a minor success or victory, but lose or fail to achieve a larger, more important, or overall goal, especially when the larger failure is at least partly due to the smaller victory.” (Collins COBUILD Idioms dictionary, 3rd edition, 2012)

Nigeria, at the moment, presents a stark reversal of the old saying. Here, we have lost the battle and are dangerously close to losing the war. We sure need Deus ex Machina – the Greek plot device – to serve as denouement and rescue the nation. The bitter truth is that despite extensive propaganda about “technically defeating” terrorism, the terrorists are now firmly among us! Unfortunately, our response so far reflects the same predictable, panic-driven approach of previous years!

Our governments – federal, state and local – do not only negotiate with terrorists. Officials at various levels openly associate with them, attend their social functions and take photographs with individuals responsible for widespread loss of life. Not long ago, there was a report that the government paid a particular terrorist group a substantial sum of money to recover a lethal weapon the blood-sucking demons seized from our military. It was at that time that, if left in the hands of the terrorists, the weapon could be used to shoot down our president’s aircraft!

Most states in the North pay terrorists and bandits in order to maintain a semblance of peace. Farmers and other residents in the region also pay these violent groups simply to plant and harvest their crops. When individuals are kidnapped, ransom is paid, depending on the number, the circumstances and their identities, or governments ‘negotiate’ their release. In some instances, we are told that our security agencies “rescued” victims after “exchange of fire with the abductors.”

Nigeria is in ruins! Pardon the sharpness of that expression, but a milder word seems inadequate! We live in fear, perpetually at the mercy of terrorists and bandits. In the past, we slept with both eyes closed. Over time, we learnt to sleep with one eye closed. Today, we hardly sleep at all – and it is not because we suffer from insomnia, but because those more powerful than the State appear to exert control across the nation from the North to South and East to West! The government is battered, those in authority are overwhelmed!

This is not the time to play politics in Nigeria. The nation is in bad shape. Non-state actors are in control of our affairs. Those we entrust our lives to are practically absent. The leaders are in panic mode just as the governed are marooned on the island of insecurity. The iconoclast rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, did not see anything when he sang Nigeria jaga jaga. Now is the time the protest song is most relevant!

The humanity in us dictates we should pity President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The old fox must have realised the wisdom in the caution of our wise ones that no one should sell gravel as goods. The exchange currency is usually in pebbles, our forebears posit. Today’s power wielders in Nigeria know where what is hitting them comes from. They sold sand as goods to Nigerians and Nigeria in 2014, when they politicised the mass ‘abduction’ of school children. Today, they are being paid in the same coins of pebbles (àwon tó ta ojà iyèpè ti ńgb’owó òkúta). This is sad because we are all victims!

The Yoruba indigenous religion, Ifa, in Oyeku Meji, warns that when the enemies gather to wage war against the all-female-inhabited town, no wise man should join the venture (tí wón bá sí’gun Ìlúbìrin, má bã won lo). I once asked an elder to interpret the caution in that Ifa Corpus. His response is very instructive here. The all-female-inhabited town, Ìlúbìrin the elders said, is always calm like the duck in hibernation (Ìlúbìrin máa ńdáke róró bíi pépéye tó sàba). He explained further that the gentle bird does not fight on its own because it is a bird of the women’s cult. It has an unseen army fighting its battles.

That unseen army is what the elders of my place call èsan (vengeance). The Holy writ, the Bible, says: “vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Deuteronomy:32:35). The gods and humans fight on behalf of the duck (àti ebora àti ènìyàn níí ja ìjà pépéye), the elder concluded. We are tempted to ask the leaders of today if they have ever broken the eggs of a duck in hibernation. If they answered in the affirmative, we would ask them to seek help. They need it!

The event of the last one week have further confirmed that Nigeria has moved from the stage of a failed nation. The country feels non-existent! How do those in power today even sleep at night? What comes to mind when they reflect on the roles they played, directly or indirectly, during the orchestrated Chibok schoolgirls’ ‘abduction’ happened on April 14, 2014? What runs through their minds?

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When the Chibok incident occurred 11 years ago, some of us believed it was a ruse. We argued that shepherding 276 girls from a school would require more than a mere illusion. We reasoned that the ‘abductors’ must have been extraordinarily well-resourced to feed the children while they were supposedly in captivity. We also noted that securing a location to keep them would not have been a simple undertaking. Furthermore, providing medical care in the so-called Sambisa Forest, where we were told they were taken, would have been an even more daunting challenge.

But we were asked to remain silent! When we insisted that the act would eventually return to haunt the perpetrators, harm the entire nation and injure the innocent – who had no part in the dangerous politicking that led to Chibok, we were told to blame the “clueless” President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Ironically today, those who once silenced us for suggesting that Chibok was a scam, are now the same set of people claiming that the recent series of schoolchildren kidnapping are political weapons aimed at undermining President Tinubu.

The calamity sweeping across the country today is like the proverbial rain – it spares no one. As the elders say, “A thing that is not sufficient is not allowed to go to waste” (ohun tí ò tó, kìí s’òfò). The North of Nigeria is widely regarded as an educationally disadvantaged. Yet, in that same region, 46 unity schools, all owned by the Federal Government, are now completely shut because terrorists are attacking schools across the 19 northern states! Just when it seemed that the problem was confined to the North, a school in Ekiti State – the Federal Technical College (FTC), Usi Ekiti – was also closed! The question now is: where is safe in Nigeria?

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Safe School Data, (September 2023), reports stated that 723 schools were closed in the North because of insecurity. A few of the schools, the report added, were shut down because non-state actors (terrorists) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) occupied the schools’ premises. It listed states such as Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto Yobe and Zamfara as mostly affected.

Yet we expect students in these schools to compete favourably with their counterparts down South. The campaign to bridge the educational gap between the North and the South has been ongoing for generations, championed by Nigerians of goodwill. Sadly, those for whom others undertake great sacrifices are busy enjoying comfort and abundance!

My concern is that ultimately, the misfortune of the North will be spread in equal measure across the Federation. The daily migration of northern young men and woman, from childhood to adulthood, to the South demonstrates that when the North suffers, it invariably drags the South along.

This is why nobody should adopt the attitude of “it is their problem over there.” The North is eating the bad insect today; the attendant whooping cough of that bad habit will give all of us sleepless nights. This is why we must all set politics aside and join hands in the fight against this menace. If a school could be shut down in Ekiti State because of threat of terrorism, no school in the South-West is truly safe. As the saying goes, when a fellow hunter shouts, “it is coming”, our elders advise that we set our nets in readiness for a catch (ó hún bo, ó hún bò, àwòn làá de dèé).

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The last week has been that of great calamity for Nigerians. It was a week the nation lost a two-star General, Brigadier-General Musa Uba and three other officers, killed by terrorists who ‘captured’ them after they survived an earlier ambush. Ask those who know the art of war, and you will be told that for an officer of the rank of a Brigadier-General to die on the battlefield, not a few other officers and other ranks would have gone! But it happened here, and we shoved it aside, facing other calamities.

Within the same week, almost 400 students were ‘kidnapped’ in Niger and Yobe States by terrorists. The same ‘sheik of the slaughters’ also killed no fewer than 68 Nigerians across some states of the North. In Eruku, 38 worshippers in a church were kidnapped and three others killed! While the government of Kwara State announced on Sunday that the 38 victims had been ‘rescued’, a blog in the locality claimed that the government paid close to N200 million before the victims were released. Whom do we believe, whom do we trust?

On the farm or on the way to the stream and in the comfort of our bedrooms, we all live in the fear of terrorists. If we are not the victims today, we assist our kidnapped neighbours and relations in raising the ransom for their release. Those of them who were unfortunate and died in captivity, we organised their funerals. In most extreme cases, we don’t get their corpses to be buried! Whichever way one views it, we are all victims, helpless victims for that matter! The only question on our lips is: how did we get here?

Just as we are grappling with the closure of those 47 unity schools, the governments of Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba States, ordered that all schools – private or public – operating boarding facilities in the states must close them due to the threat of terrorist attacks! What, then, is the fate of the students of these closed boarding schools? Will the West African sub-regional examination body wait for them when it is time to sit for the regional sub-examination? How can we treat our future this shabbily and still expect Nigeria to develop?

From all indications, and I hope President Tinubu gets this: Nigeria has lost the battle. And by the way things are going, we are on the verge of losing the war. When terrorism and banditry started as a battle pre-2014, and the government of President Jonathan wanted to confront it headlong, many of the actors of today’s power frustrated the efforts for political reasons. Notable leaders from the North said fighting Boko Haram was like fighting the North. We accepted their narratives and looked on while the felons overran Nigeria!

Those who travelled as far as the United States to ask for ‘help’ all in the bid to get rid of Jonathan, are now crying because the same US has noticed that Nigeria is not just a “disgraced” country, but a nation in dire need of help! Many of us still don’t understand why the issue of Nigeria’s sovereignty should be paramount now when 11 years ago, the present handlers of our affairs threw that same principle to the wild dogs! The US assisted them into power. Today, the same American Government has indicated that it would, on its own volition, intervene and put an end to the killings in Nigeria.

What is the reaction of the government? A powerful delegation was sent to the US to go and explain that nothing like genocide is happening here! We die in our hundreds, they say it is not genocide! Do we have to wait till there will be nobody to bury the dead before the realisation will dawn on us? Growing up, we were told that the man with a thorn in his foot limps to meet the man holding the blade. The reverse is the case today in Nigeria.

When our swollen pus-infected foot is visible to the world, our leaders say all is well. However, the truth starring us all in the face is that whether America comes or not, the present government here has lost the battle. If it remains lethargic, it will lose the war in a matter of time. When that happens, our leaders will not merely limp, looking for the man with the razor, they will take a dash in their wobbling tracks seeking help. May it not be too late!

News

10 Countries With The Strongest Global Reputation In 2025

Published

6 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

In today’s world, countries’ reputation is more than prestige: they shape investment, trade, tourism, and diplomatic influence.

CEOWORLD Magazine’s Global Nations Reputation Index 2026 evaluates 197 economies using 50 key attributes across governance, ethics, innovation, sustainability, and social cohesion. The result is a comprehensive measure of global trust and respect.

Leading the ranking is Singapore, recognized for its stability, innovation, and effective governance, surpassing long-established reputations of Switzerland, Ireland, and Germany.

Here’s a look at the top 10 countries with the strongest global reputation:

1. Singapore (97.83) – Asia

Renowned for policy consistency, transparent governance, and advanced infrastructure. Singapore is a hub of innovation, multicultural inclusion, and neutral diplomacy.

2. Switzerland (97.81) – Europe

Admired for neutrality, financial integrity, high quality of life, and robust institutions. Switzerland is a global standard for stability and innovation.

3. Ireland (97.22) – Europe

Known for economic openness, skilled workforce, and cultural diplomacy. Ireland combines modern business competitiveness with strong social cohesion.

4. Netherlands (96.77) – Europe

Celebrated for progressive policies, sustainability, and global trade leadership. The Netherlands excels in human capital development and innovation.

5. Germany (95.49) – Europe

A powerhouse of industrial and technological innovation, governance, and global influence. Germany maintains a strong reputation for efficiency and reliability.

6. Norway (93.55) – Europe

Respected for social welfare, environmental stewardship, and transparent governance. Norway blends prosperity with high citizen trust and global responsibility.

7. Denmark (93.46) – Europe

Known for quality of life, ethical governance, and sustainability. Denmark consistently ranks high in innovation, education, and societal cohesion.

8. Luxembourg (93.34) – Europe

Small but influential, Luxembourg is admired for economic stability, governance, and financial integrity. It maintains a strong reputation as a safe and prosperous nation.

9. Sweden (92.93) – Europe

Celebrated for social equality, innovation, and environmental leadership. Sweden balances economic competitiveness with progressive policies and human capital development.

10. Liechtenstein (92.79) – Europe

Highly respected for governance, economic stability, and quality of life. Liechtenstein combines a strong financial sector with a reputation for discretion and reliability.

News

Edo: Stakeholders Rally To Address Children Trafficking Through Education

Published

6 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

Stakeholders in migration and education gathered in Benin on Tuesday to discuss Mainstreamed TIP Content in the revised National Curriculum, and how best to utilise the new curriculum addressing irregular migration and children trafficking in particular.

The stakeholders, comprising the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD); the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and Edo State Government held a two-day two-day training of subjects teachers on Mainstreamed TIP Content in the revised National Curriculum code named School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP).

In her speech, ICMPD Head of Office, Nigeria, Isabelle Wolfsgruber, revealed that over 75% of trafficking victims in West Africa are children, and that Nigeria shares a high percentage, stressing the urgent need for preventive efforts, particularly “within our schools.”

The ICMPD Head of Office, Nigeria, said the rising statistic underscores the urgent need to “leverage education as a powerful tool to prevent trafficking.”

Her speech, which was read by Favour Simeon, ICMPD, Wolfsgruber expressed optimism that at the end of the training, the teachers would have been equipped, and by extension, the “larger school community with knowledge about the risks of trafficking, how to recognize warning signs, and strategies to stay safe.”

The Head, Nigeria Office, ICMPD, who disclosed that 150 teachers drawn from 50 schools across the state were captured for the training, added: “That is why we have organized this two -day training workshop for subject teachers from selected schools in Edo State. Through this training, teachers will gain practical skills to apply the curriculum
effectively while fostering safe and supportive classrooms that protect children from harm.

“The training aims to equip teachers with a thorough understanding of human trafficking, practical skills to deliver the national approved curriculum effectively, and the capacity to act as child protection advocates, fostering safe, supportive, and collaborative school environments.”

On her part, Director-General NAPTIP, Binta Bello, who said trafficking in Persons remains “one of the gravest human rights violations confronting Nigeria today,” emphasised the need for collective effort to “safeguard the future of our children and strengthen the national response to human trafficking through education.”

The DG, who was represented by Hassan Tahri, added: “The statistics are deeply troubling-children account for more than 55 percent of identified victims.”

In his speech, Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, while lamenting that “Edo State has, in the past, been significantly affected by the devastating consequences of human trafficking,” however, noted that “tremendous progress has been made in recent years, we must continue to consolidate our gains by strengthening education-driven prevention mechanisms.”

Iyamu, while stating that “education remains the most powerful tool for shaping values, informing decision-making, and protecting the next generation from exploitation,”
promised that his ministry will continue to “reinforce our State’s preventive strategies and expand the impact of our anti-trafficking interventions in schools.”

“This training is not just another workshop—it is a strategic investment in the human infrastructure that supports our fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP),” he said.