Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustained investment in education, saying it remains central to securing a better future for the younger generation and positioning Borno as a hub for intellectuals and skilled professionals.
The Governor made this known on Wednesday while hosting the Forum of Heads of Tertiary Institutions at the Council Chambers, Government House, Maiduguri.
Zulum promised to review the salaries of staff at Ramat Polytechnic and the state’s Colleges of Education, provide funding for the accreditation of academic programmes, recruit academic staff based on institutional demand, and construct, expand, and rehabilitate physical infrastructure of some institutions alongside other forms of institutional support.
“Education is the bedrock for any meaningful development, and therefore investment in education will never be in vain,” Zulum said.
“I invited the heads of tertiary institutions to discuss one fundamental issue: the payment of salary arrears and the implementation of promotions and benefits for staff of tertiary institutions in the state. I want to pay, but I want you to review it very well and get back to me within the next one to two weeks,” he added.
The Governor said his priority is to transform two institutions, Abba Ashigar College of Business and Management Studies, Konduga, and the College of Legal and Islamic Studies to restore them to their rightful place in society. He directed the Provost of the College of Business and Management Studies, Konduga, which was established to provide skilled middle-level manpower for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the state, to reintroduce courses such as Office Technology and Auditing to enhance the capacity of local government staff.
Zulum further pledged to rehabilitate the staff quarters at Ramat Polytechnic and remodel the students’ hostel at the College of Nursing, Maiduguri, to accommodate more students.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum, the Vice Chancellor of Kashim Ibrahim University, Professor Babagana Gutti, commended the Governor for the unprecedented progress recorded in the education sector, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, as well as the establishment of new federal and state tertiary institutions.
He, however, appealed for additional funding to run the institutions, a review of staff salaries, recruitment of more academic and non-academic staff, construction of staff quarters at institutions that lack them, rehabilitation of existing staff quarters, and the provision of buses to ease students’ transportation costs.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, the Acting Head of Service, the Acting Chief of Staff, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Heads of Agencies, Permanent Secretaries, and other government officials.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has promised to reform and upgrade facilities at the Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies and its Higher Islamic College in Maiduguri, to expand access to education for more residents of the state.
Zulum made the pledge while receiving the report of a 10-man visitation panel set up to review the college’s activities, at the Government House, Maiduguri.
The Governor commended the visitation committee for its thoroughness, noting that the panel carried out its assignment “without fear or favour.” He assured that the recommendations contained in the report would be implemented soon.
“I want to commend the chairman, members of the committee, provost, management team, and staff of the institution, and I want to assure you that the report of this committee shall be implemented very, very, very soon,” Zulum said.
Governor Zulum disclosed that he had visited the college twice in recent months to assess conditions on the ground personally. He said he was moved by the resilience of students, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds.
He noted that despite limited financial resources, lecturers were teaching to the best of their ability while students strove to keep up with academic activities.
Among the concerns raised by students during his visits, the Governor said, were inadequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and the college’s exclusion from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) scheme, issues he pledged to address as part of a planned rehabilitation exercise expected to begin within days.
He also endorsed the panel’s recommendation to constitute a Governing Council to steer the college away from decline, describing it as a good idea that would receive his support, alongside broader institutional backing for management.
The Governor said improved facilities at the Higher Islamic section could draw in more students, including out-of-school women within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council area who currently lack access to education due to poverty.
“The school has the capacity to recruit not fewer than 10,000 students, even the Higher Islamic section. I think we shall do this one,” Zulum said, adding that renovation of the expansive Higher Islamic wing was already under consideration, following the panel’s findings.
Presenting the panel’s findings, the Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Alhaji Mohammed Abatcha, said the panel found that while the college’s administrative and management structure remains functional, its leadership and decision-making processes require a complete overhaul.
The panel also raised concerns about staff and student welfare, physical and administrative infrastructure, and the institution’s compliance with directives from supervisory bodies, describing the college’s financial application and resource management as weak.
To address these gaps, the Chairman said the panel put forward six key recommendations, including strengthening leadership and decision-making processes to build a more effective administration.
It also called for staff development and training to improve teaching and learning, as well as the adoption of comprehensive financial budgeting, accounting, and reporting systems.
The event was attended by the acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe; Commissioners of Education and Women Affairs; Permanent Secretary, Government House; among other personalities.
In a renewed push to curb violent conflicts and decongest courts in Kaduna State, more than 60 stakeholders drawn from the judiciary, civil society, academia, women and faith groups have completed a two-day intermediate training on Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR.
In a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna following the successful completion of the training, Ambassador Yakubu said the programme could not have come at a better time, given the growing need for dialogue and mediation across communities in the state and the country at large.
The capacity-building programme, organised by the German Embassy in Nigeria in partnership with the Interfaith Mediation Centre, IMC, and the Kaduna State Multi-Door Courthouse, KDMDC, brought together participants from the three senatorial zones of the state to strengthen community-based mechanisms for conflict prevention and peaceful coexistence.
Commending the organisers, the Team Leader of the Network of Peace Journalists, NPJ, Ambassador Ibrahima Yakubu, described the initiative as “an important intervention aimed at strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders to prevent conflicts, mediate disputes and promote peaceful coexistence within their communities.”
He listed participants to include representatives of the Public Complaints Commission, International Human Rights Commission, Interfaith Mediation Centre, judges, lawyers, lecturers, women leaders and religious leaders, as well as members of civil society organisations and academia.
According to him, the training exposed participants to practical approaches to understanding conflict dynamics, conflict analysis, personality types and various mechanisms of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
“The knowledge and skills acquired during the programme will enable participants to intervene more effectively in community disputes and prevent minor disagreements from developing into violent conflicts or lengthy court cases,” Ambassador Yakubu stated.
He added that facilitators encouraged participants to establish what he described as “mediation tents” within their communities and workplaces. The concept, he explained, is to create accessible spaces where disputes can be addressed through dialogue and mediation before escalating to litigation.
Ambassador Yakubu praised the German Embassy, IMC and KDMDC for successfully implementing the programme and for ensuring broad representation across Kaduna State.
He noted that the initiative demonstrated the importance of strengthening community-based mechanisms for conflict prevention and peaceful dispute resolution, “particularly at a time when communities require greater access to dialogue and mediation.”
The NPJ Team Leader further commended the German Embassy and the Interfaith Mediation Centre for their continued support for peacebuilding initiatives in Nigeria, with special recognition for programmes promoting women’s participation in peacebuilding, human rights and freedom of religious belief.
“Investing in mediation, dialogue and inclusive peacebuilding will help build stronger communities and contribute to sustainable peace and development in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
The two-day intermediate training is part of ongoing efforts by the German Embassy, IMC and KDMDC to expand access to justice and promote non-violent means of resolving disputes at the grassroots level across Kaduna State.
When General Abdourahamane Tiani seized power in Niger in July 2023, ousting the democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum, he promised stability, sovereignty, and a renewed fight against terrorism. Three years later, those promises ring hollow. Instead, Niger finds itself increasingly dependent on Russia, torn by internal military divisions, and estranged from its West African neighbours. The recent mutiny in Niamey which began on Saturday, August 29 at Base 101, a military installation at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, before fighting spread to other sensitive sites, including areas near the presidential palace and the state broadcaster, was suppressed only with the intervention of Russian paramilitaries, laid bare the fragility of Tiani’s regime and the dangerous trajectory of the country.
The most striking symbol of Niger’s compromised sovereignty is the involvement of Russian paramilitaries from the so‑called “Africa Corps” to suppress the rebellion. Analysts note that this was not simply assistance—it was direct intervention in Niger’s internal affairs. For a country whose junta claims to have broken free from Western “neo‑colonial” influence, the reliance on Moscow’s mercenaries reveals a new form of dependency.
Russia’s involvement in Niger is part of a broader strategy across the Sahel. In Mali and Burkina Faso, Russian operatives have entrenched themselves as security guarantors, trading military support for political loyalty and access to resources. In Niger, the pattern is repeating: sovereignty is eroded as decisions about internal security are increasingly shaped by foreign actors. For many Nigeriens, the irony is bitter—the promise of independence from Western powers has been replaced by subservience to Moscow.
Niger faces one of the most severe jihadist threats in the world. Groups linked to al‑Qaeda and ISIS operate across its borders, exploiting porous frontiers and fragile governance. Yet under Tiani, the fight against terrorism has been subordinated to regime survival. Military resources are diverted to protect the presidency and suppress dissent rather than confront insurgents in Tillabéri, Diffa, and Tahoua.
The mutiny itself was led by soldiers from frontline anti‑terrorism units—men who felt abandoned, under‑resourced, and betrayed. Their decision to turn against their own leadership underscores a dangerous reality: the armed forces are politicised, fragmented, and increasingly alienated from their mission. As one analyst put it, “The junta has militarised politics, but it has not politicised security.” The result is a hollowed‑out counter‑terrorism effort, leaving civilians exposed to relentless attacks while the regime fortifies its own survival.
Tiani’s regime suffers from a fundamental legitimacy crisis. His rise to power was not through elections but through a coup, and Bazoum remains in captivity—a stark reminder of the junta’s disregard for democratic norms. Internationally, Niger’s isolation has deepened. Sanctions, suspension from ECOWAS, and strained relations with Western partners have left the country economically vulnerable and diplomatically cornered.
Internally, the cohesion of the junta is in question. The mutiny revealed cracks within the military establishment. Soldiers storming the presidency is not just a rebellion—it is a profound crisis of trust. Loyalty to Tiani is fragile, and the spectre of further uprisings looms. For ordinary Nigeriens, this instability translates into uncertainty, fear, and a sense that their leaders are more concerned with power struggles than governance.
Against this backdrop, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) faces its own existential challenge. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—now aligned in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—have withdrawn from ECOWAS, citing hostility to military rule. The split has fractured regional integration, undermining collective security and economic cooperation.
Yet the new ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, has signalled a shift. In his inaugural address in Abuja, Diop declared that ECOWAS must rebuild unity and reopen meaningful engagement with the AES countries. “We have no other choice,” he said, stressing that geography, shared borders, and common threats make cooperation unavoidable. His words reflect a pragmatic recognition: terrorism, organised crime, and migration flows do not respect political boundaries.
Nigeria, too, has urged reconciliation. Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, representing President Bola Tinubu, described Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as “our brothers and sisters,” underscoring the need for an “ECOWAS of citizens, not governments.” This vision places ordinary West Africans—the traders, migrants, and farmers who cross borders daily—at the heart of integration. For them, regional unity is not an abstract ideal but a lived necessity.
While leaders debate sovereignty and integration, ordinary Nigeriens bear the brunt of instability. In rural areas, communities face relentless jihadist attacks. Farmers abandon fields, traders risk ambushes, and families are displaced. In Niamey, the mutiny brought fear to the capital, with citizens witnessing soldiers turning their weapons inward. The sense of insecurity is pervasive.
Economic hardship compounds the crisis. Sanctions and isolation have disrupted trade, raised prices, and deepened poverty. For a country already ranked among the poorest in the world, the junta’s political choices have tangible consequences: empty markets, shuttered businesses, and dwindling opportunities for youth. The promise of sovereignty feels distant when daily survival is at stake.
Outgoing ECOWAS President Omar Touray left office with a poignant message: “Our borders may divide our territories, but they do not divide our destiny.” His words capture the essence of West Africa’s challenge. The destinies of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and their neighbours are intertwined. Terrorism, migration, and climate change are shared burdens. Division only weakens collective resilience.
For Niger, the path forward is fraught. Tiani’s regime clings to power but lacks legitimacy. Russia’s shadow looms large, offering short‑term security at the cost of sovereignty. The military is fractured, and the fight against terrorism is compromised. Yet amid this bleak picture, ECOWAS’s renewed outreach offers a glimmer of possibility. Reconciliation, though difficult, could restore regional solidarity and provide a framework for addressing shared challenges.
For Niger, the stakes are high. If it continues down its current path, it risks becoming a client state, its sovereignty hollowed out and its citizens abandoned to insecurity. But if ECOWAS and the AES countries can find common ground, there remains hope for a collective response to terrorism, poverty, and instability. For ordinary Nigeriens, that hope is not abstract—it is the difference between despair and survival.
In the words of General Diop, “We have no other choice than to work in a solidary, concerted manner.” The future of Niger, and of West Africa, depends on whether that choice is embraced.
Amajama, a social and policy analyst, writes from Abuja and can be reached via amajamaip@gmail.com
The Borno State Government has presented a cheque of ₦622,308,300 to the National Examinations Council (NECO) office in Maiduguri, covering 2026 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees for 27,599 final-year students in public schools across the state.
Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, made the presentation on behalf of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, in continuation of a state policy in place since 2019 that subsidises 75 percent of WASSCE, SSCE and NABTEB fees for eligible students.
According to the Commissioner, a total of ₦1,195,661,872.50 has been committed in 2026 alone toward WASSCE, SSCE, SISE and NABTEB fees, bringing the state’s cumulative investment in external examination fees since 2019 to ₦5,987,567,125.00, benefiting 193,396 students.
Wakilbe said the 2026 SSCE, held across the state’s 24 Local Government Areas, proceeded largely smoothly, despite a security incident in Lassa on June 29, in which 36 learners and one teacher, including a candidate who was sitting the examination at the time were abducted. He prayed for their safe and swift return.
“This gesture reflects Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that no child in Borno State is denied the opportunity to sit for their final examinations because of financial hardship,” Wakilbe said.
“Since 2019, we have invested nearly ₦6 billion to keep our children in school and in the examination hall, and we will not relent until every eligible student benefits from this policy. Our thoughts remain with the affected learners and their teacher from Lassa, and we continue to pray fervently for their safe and immediate return to their families and classrooms,” he added.
The Commissioner commended NECO officials, local government chairmen, education secretaries, school principals, teachers, parents and security agencies for their roles in ensuring the successful conduct of the examination.
He further pledged the state government’s continued support toward the planned rollout of Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations in 2027.
Borno State has recorded its highest-ever school enrolment figure, with 1,801,295 learners captured in the newly presented 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 Annual School Census (ASC) Report.
Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe unveiled the report on Friday at the Ministry of Education Work Hub, Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri and it indicates a jump of more than 1 million pupils over nine years.
He described the figures as proof that the state’s rebuilding of its education system is paying off.
“When you look at where we started, 766,551 learners in 2017/2018, and see where we are today, this is not just a number; it is evidence that parents and communities once again trust our schools with their children’s future,” Engr. Wakilbe said.
The Commissioner attributed the renewed public confidence in education and sustained state investment in rebuilding and expanding the sector to the improved enrolment which grow steadily from 766,551 in 2017/2018 to the current 1,801,295.
Engr. Lawan Wakilbe credited Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his sustained commitment to education, and Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, for driving the national education data agenda, including the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS).
He also thanked enumerators, head teachers, Local Government Education Authorities and EMIS staff who conducted the census.
Teaching workforce grows alongside enrolment:
The Commissioner for Education said the teaching workforce across primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels rose from 15,563 in 2024/2025 to 17,565 in 2025/2026.
At the senior secondary level alone, teacher numbers grew from 2,314 to 2,998 and are projected to reach 3,998 in 2027 following the recruitment of 1,000 additional senior secondary teachers in August 2026. Including facilitators supporting Sangaya and mass literacy programmes, the state’s combined teaching workforce now stands at an estimated 19,316.
“We cannot talk about access without talking about the people who stand in front of the classroom every day. That is why, alongside rising enrolment, we have deliberately grown our teaching workforce because more pupils must mean more qualified teachers, not more overcrowded classrooms,” the Commissioner said.
System expansion and Sangaya integration:
The Census, according to the Commission, shows that the number of functional public secondary schools rose from 34 in 2021 to 129 in 2026, and that the state achieved 100 per cent reporting coverage across pre-primary/primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and science and technical schools in this census cycle.
He added that the establishment of the Arabic and Sangaya Education Board, the development of High Islamic Colleges, and the ongoing registration and verification of Sangaya centres, enumerators, facilitators, and Islamiyya schools reflect the state’s push to integrate Sangaya education into the wider system formally.
The Educational Management Information System (DNEMIS) currently records 127,652 verified Sangaya learners. However, an ongoing verification exercise by the Sangaya Board has so far identified 498,295 learners across 5,335 centres. The Sangaya Board and the State Agency for Mass Literacy together deploy 1,751 facilitators supporting these learning centres.
The event was attended by the Executive Chairman, SUBEB, Prof. Bulama Kagu; Executive Chairman, BSSEB, Prof. Yusufu Gana Balami; Executive Secretary, Arabic and Sangaya Education Board, Dr Abdulkadir Abdulkarim; Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Hajiya Yakaru Mustapha; Permanent Secretary, SUBEB, Dr Hyelni Mshelia. AGILE Coordinator, Engr. Ibrahim Baba; representative of the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Alhaji Adamu Idris Bako; Dr Yusuf Isma, who led the UNICEF and donor partners’ delegation; and Mohammed Abdullahi Director, Borno Civil Society Organisations’ delegation.
Also present were Suleiman Askira (Director-General, Statistics), Alhaji Abba Bukar (Chairman, SBMC), Abba Kurama (DPRS, representing the Executive Secretary, Education Trust Fund), along with Eduas well asretaries and Directors from across the sector.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Wednesday, 2nd September, led a strategic high-level delegation on a visit to Abidjan, capital of Côte d’Ivoire, where he held productive discussions with the President of African Development Bank (AfDB. Sidi Ould Tah, on strengthening investment partnerships to accelerate the state’s post-conflict recovery and development.
The meeting focused on deepening the longstanding partnership between Borno State and the African Development Bank, building on the bank’s continued support and confidence in the state’s recovery and development efforts.
Since assuming office on 1 September 2025, Dr Sidi Ould Tah has twice paid courtesy visits to Maiduguri, a remarkable demonstration of solidarity with the Government and people of Borno State and confidence in the state’s recovery and development trajectory.
The Governor, who was accompanied by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, led discussions centred on identifying opportunities for high-impact, sustainable investments to accelerate Borno’s transition from post-conflict recovery to long-term economic growth and resilience.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Zulum informed the President of the Bank that Borno is moving from recovery to real sustainable growth. He stressed the need for partners like the AfDB who believe in that journey.
“Our partnership with the African Development Bank is not just about funding projects, it is about building a future where Borno can stand on its own, where our people can farm, trade and live without fear,” Zulum said.
Discussions also covered other key areas, including climate-smart agriculture and agro-industrial development, livestock and modern ranching, irrigation and water infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, transportation, youth employment, enterprise development, and private-sector investment through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Particular attention was given to the economic potential of the Lake Chad Basin, with emphasis on investments in agriculture, fisheries, livestock, renewable energy, agro-processing and cross-border trade. Such investments are expected to strengthen livelihoods, create jobs and contribute to the stability and development of communities across the region.
“Lake Chad Basin holds enormous promise for our people, and for our neighbours across the region,” Zulum noted. “If we invest properly in agriculture, fisheries and clean energy there, we will not only rebuild livelihoods, we will restore hope and stability to communities that have suffered for far too long.”
The delegation also explored ways the AfDB could support Borno State in preparing and structuring priority projects, improving their bankability, mobilising financing and strengthening institutional capacity for effective implementation.
The engagement reflects the commitment of Borno State Government, under Governor Zulum’s leadership, to building strategic partnerships that attract investment, unlock the state’s economic potential, create sustainable employment and improve the wellbeing of its citizens.
The State Government appreciates the African Development Bank for its continued commitment to Borno State and commends the Honourable Minister of Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, CON, for his support in strengthening collaboration between Borno State, the Federal Government and international development partners.
The President of the African Development Bank, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, in appreciation of the visit, extended a further invitation to Governor Zulum and his team to visit him in Mauritania in December, 2026, with a view to exploring mutually beneficial areas of cooperation and support between Borno State, Nigeria, and the African Development Bank.
Other members of the delegation include the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Maina Yaumi; the Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Umar Lawan Dalorima; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, H.E. Ambassador Ezenwa Chukwuemeka Nwaobiala.
Members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, holding political appointments have been urged to return to their wards regularly to mobilize massive support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates of the party in the 2027 general elections.
The call was made by the National Coordinator of Project 774 for Tinubu/Dikko, Alhaji Abba Dayyabu Safana, at the inauguration of the State Working Committee of the group in Katsina.
Safana said the Tinubu-led administration has implemented key economic reforms that have made state and local governments financially buoyant enough to pay salaries and pensions without borrowing, and to execute meaningful projects and programs.
He added that the administration has also recorded remarkable progress in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes inherited from previous administrations, while strengthening the nation’s security architecture to confront emerging threats.
The National Coordinator urged members of Project 774 to embark on grassroots mobilization through direct engagement at wards and polling units across the 774 local government areas in the country.
He disclosed that the organization plans to recruit ten members in each of the 8,809 political wards nationwide as it targets 1.6 million votes for President Tinubu and over 500,000 votes for Governor Dikko Radda in 2027.
In his remarks, the State APC Chairman, Bishir Saulawa, observed that both President Tinubu and Governor Radda are midway into implementing reforms that will have far-reaching impact on the lives of citizens.
Represented by a party chieftain, Alhaji Ahmed Hassan, Saulawa urged Nigerians not to interrupt the implementation of the reforms by voting for opposition candidates in the elections.
He also appealed to party members to bury grievances arising from the last-held party primaries and unite to strengthen the APC ahead of the the elections next year.
The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday commenced the distribution of 10,000 seedlings to schools and institutions and unveiled a new policy making green areas compulsory for building permit approval, in a renewed push to meet its 10 million trees target and strengthen climate resilience.
The exercise was held at Teku Farms International and Agro Allied Services Limited, the state’s partner for the seedling supply. The occasion also marked the official launch of the farm’s new agricultural training centre focused on equipping women and young people with modern farming techniques.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Linda Yakubu, said the collaboration is in line with the ACReSAL project’s mandate on climate mitigation and resilience in semi-arid landscapes.
She said the government deliberately engaged institutions because they have greater capacity to nurture trees to maturity and ensure survival. Also present were the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands, directors of the ministry, and representatives of ACReSAL.
Yakubu stressed that long-term sustainability will depend on catching children early through agriculture and horticulture training. She described Teku Farms’ training arm as a “very noble idea” that must be sustained, noting that when pupils adopt good environmental practices early, they grow to appreciate nature and understand the effects of climate change.
She added that the ministry has in previous years raised nurseries and distributed seedlings to schools, and expects the Ministry of Education to collect more seedlings from the current batch for planting in institutions across the state.
The Permanent Secretary further announced that the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Housing, and the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority, KASUPDA, will now jointly enforce the provision of green areas as a condition for approving all new buildings in Kaduna.
Beyond institutions and communities, she said the campaign is being taken to households, with a call on every home to plant at least one tree.
The initiative builds on investments already made by the state government and by the ACReSAL project in raising nurseries for schools, worship centres, communities and homes.
Yakubu also disclosed a personal commitment to the campaign, saying she now plants trees, flowers and fruit seedlings at her home, including apple seedlings obtained from Teku Farms.
She cautioned against indiscriminate tree felling and said ministry officials have been directed to intervene where necessary. “Mitigating climate change is basically nature-based, and nature has provided. One of the best ways is to plant trees,” she said.
Also speaking, the Founder and Proprietor of Teku Farms International and Agro Allied Services Limited, Mallam Ibrahim Salisu, said the new agricultural training centre was opened to equip women and young people with modern farming techniques aimed at creating jobs and boosting food production in Nigeria.
“The facility, which commenced operations with both young men and women in training, is positioning itself as an alternative pathway to employment at a time when thousands of graduates remain jobless,” he said.
“For generations, our parents and grandparents practised farming with basic tools, without sufficiently modernising the practice. That has limited the sector’s potential,” a coordinator at the farm said. “Agriculture can be developed into a profitable business and can provide employment opportunities for young people if we embrace modern methods.”
The launch comes amid rising youth unemployment. Organisers said they are particularly concerned about educated young people “sitting idle after completing their studies, with little to do other than move from one ministry to another carrying applications in search of employment.”
They argued that government alone cannot absorb the growing number of job seekers entering the labour market each year.
“The government cannot provide jobs for the large number of young people entering the labour market. We therefore need to create opportunities for ourselves, while the government supports and enables us,” the coordinator added.
Mallam Ibrahim explained that Teku Farms’ training model is designed to challenge the notion that farming is laborious and unrewarding. Through demonstration plots, instructors are teaching participants how to achieve significant yields and earn substantial income from even small parcels of land using modern techniques.
“Agriculture, when properly modernised and supported, can become a powerful tool for employment, economic empowerment and sustainable development for women and young people,” the farm stated.
He noted that agriculture remains a heritage passed down by parents and grandparents, particularly in Northern Nigeria, but the sector has been held back by reliance on traditional tools such as the hoe and slow adoption of technology.
Stakeholders at the event described the initiative as timely, saying the inclusion of women and youth is critical to transforming agriculture from subsistence to agribusiness in Nigeria.
The centre is expected to run regular training programmes and provide practical support to graduates who want to start their own farms.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has commissioned and handed over a newly constructed 42-room patients’ apartment to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) as part of his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the state.
The facility, which has a 42-room lodge, was constructed by Borno State Government and is designed to provide comfortable accommodation for patients’ relatives and visitors, many of whom travel long distances to access medical care.
The handover of the patients’ apartment is the latest in Zulum’s interventions at UMTH. The governor had previously presented a N100 million check to support the hospital’s funding gaps for medical consumables and other needs. He also constructed 24 three-bedroom apartments for medical staff to reduce housing shortages and keep doctors closer to patients.
In addition, Zulum has ordered the release of N1 billion in financial support to facilitate kidney transplant and maternal health services at the hospital. He also provided a N500 million intervention following the 2024 flood disaster.
Beyond UMTH, Zulum has extended similar support to other federal government agencies in Borno State. He distributed thousands of patrol vehicles to security agencies and formations to boost security across the state.
Zulum constructed housing quarters and provided several facilities and infrastructure at the University of Maiduguri.
He also approved hundreds of millions in takeoff grants for the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare; the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno; and the Federal College of Education, Gwoza.
The chief medical director of UMTH, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo, expressed gratitude to the governor and commended him for his relentless support.
The governor was accompanied by the Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe; commissioners; special advisers; and several senior government officials.
