Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has extended its condolences to the government and people of Niger State following the devastating flood that claimed numerous lives and destroyed property in Mokwa Local Government Area. At least 21 people lost their lives and property worth millions of naira was destroyed in the flood. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, the forum expressed shock over the scale of destruction caused by the flood. AbdulRazaq wrote, “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum stands in solidarity with the government and people of Niger State on the…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the recent incident where Nigerian students were forced to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, in dark and unfit conditions, calling it a ‘national disgrace.’ This came as the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies gave WAEC, a 24-hour ultimatum to appear before it on Friday, to address concerns surrounding the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE. Meanwhile, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, slammed WAEC, for the delay in the conduct of English Language examination in the ongoing SSCE. In a statement, Atiku urged…
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has emphasized the need to strengthen parliamentary cooperation between Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) to foster mutual benefits. Kalu made the call on Thursday when he received in audience the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Africa) for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, United Kingdom, His Excellency, Lord Collins of Highbury accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery and other officials. It will be recalled that the Deputy Speaker in January this year led a delegation of the Nigerian lawmakers from the House to the…
The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to appear before it and address mounting concerns over irregularities in the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, made this known in a statement on Thursday, expressing strong displeasure over WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to clarify issues affecting the credibility and conduct of the exams. According to Oforji, the Committee had invited WAEC to a hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2025, following numerous complaints from…
The Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives is set to meet with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on July 23, 2025, to present bills currently under consideration and seek their support for passage. The Committee will also meet with the Speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in a joint retreat with Senate Constitution Review members to harmonize bills and ensure consistency across the country. The House Committee has also slated an engagement with media executives, including the Guild of Editors, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ); the civil society organizations and the diplomatic community, amongst others to…
Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has said that the Federal Government is making serious efforts to break Nigeria’s pharmaceutical dependency on foreign countries. According to pharmaceutical experts, the Nigerian healthcare system is highly vulnerable because 70 per cent of medicines consumed in the country are imported. However, the Health Minister has maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is making efforts to address the de-industrialisation of the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Prof Pate said the President has initiated an effort to unlock the healthcare value chain…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday marked the second anniversary of his administration with a strong defence of his reform policies, asserting that despite initial hardships, Nigeria is firmly on the path of economic growth, stability, and national renewal. Addressing the nation in a statement commemorating the occasion, the President said that his administration’s bold decisions—particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange windows—were the turning points that saved the country from economic collapse. According to the President, these reforms were not made lightly, but were necessary to halt the nation’s downward spiral. “Today,…
Harvard University has been flooded with requests from foreign students to transfer to other institutions as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to ban it from hosting international scholars, a staff member said Wednesday. “Too many international students to count have inquired about the possibility of transferring to another institution,” Maureen Martin, director of immigration services, wrote in a court filing. Trump has upended the United States’ reputation among foreign students, who number around one million, as he presses a campaign against US universities he sees as obstructing his “Make America Great Again” populist agenda. He has blocked Harvard from…
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has disclosed that he has not collected a single loan from any local or international financial institution since he assumed office two years ago. The governor made this known while fielding questions from some Kaduna-based broadcast journalists in Hausa, as part of the celebration of his two years in office. According to the governor, several banks had approached him to collect loans under different guises but he refused to accede to their requests because he did not want to sink the state into further debt. The governor disclosed that he cut the allowances and…
The West African Examinations Council has blamed the delay in the conduct of the 2025 English Language paper on Wednesday on heightened efforts to curb examination malpractice, particularly the leakage of question papers. In a statement issued on Thursday, WAEC acknowledged the disruption experienced by candidates during the English Language Paper 2, which was scheduled for May 28 but held several hours behind schedule in many centres nationwide. Videos and photos circulated on social media showed students sitting for the examination as late as 10pm, relying on torchlights and lanterns due to power outages, a situation that sparked outrage and…