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The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said corruption is still on the rise in the country, noting that we cannot continue with these negative things. The monarch, who doubles as the President General of the Nigerian Council for Islamic Affairs, called on the Federal Government to fish out the killer herdsmen stigmatising the Fulani ethnic group, noting that there are millions of Fulani in the country including him who are not herdsmen. The Sultan made these remarks at the public presentation of a book, Dynamics of Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences in Abuja.

The book was written in honour of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, where the Sultan was the Royal Father of the day. The Sultan said Nigeria no longer have statesmen but men of state, adding that the government must find ways of getting things right in the country. He said, “We have so many issues coming up in our polity today and I will just pick one. Nigeria is a country where we don’t celebrate innocent and honest people until after their death. After they are gone , you will now name universities, airports and other things after them.

“The issue of N 36 m being swallowed by a snake is a sad reality for our country. Where is our moral value; where is our ethics? The reality is that we must wake up from our sleep. Let us not fail further. Things are bad. Corruption is at a very high level and it is left for us to fight it to a terminal end. “We cannot just sit down and think that things are okay. Things are not okay. We have to find ways of getting things right in this country. We cannot continue with these negative things. Nowadays and like I said recently in Rivers State, we don’t have statesmen; we have men of state.”

The Sultan said it was unfair to label all Fulani as killers, noting that criminality must not be mixed with ethnicity. He said, “We don’t accept criminals in our midst . We must fish them (the killer herdsmen) out and deal with them. The worst word you can hear nowadays is the Fulani issue. There are millions of Fulani who don’t even know what a cow is. I am a Fulani and I am not a herder. I am a proud Fulani. But everyone believes that when you see a Fulani, he is a killer. It is not true. So, for anyone to label any particular ethnicity is wrong. Let’s give criminals their ideal name; not Christian criminals, not Fulani criminals, not Muslim criminals. If the government has failed, let them call us to come and help out.

“Uthman Dan Fodio founded the caliphate many years ago. He said conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it. We must take a negative inner feeling away from us. We must not allow our biases to prevail over truth”Speaking on the JAMB state officers being investigated for various cases of corruption, Oloyede said they had been asked to return the government’s money in their possession. He said, “It is a continuous process. When anyone is found to be unable to account for whatever belongs to the government, our first duty is to ask the person to refund. If the person refunds honourably, there will be little or no need to go further. But if they refuse, we will take a necessary step of calling on the security agencies to recover whatever belongs to the government. “But we know that there are many honourable people that even when they make mistakes, they are ready to rectify them. For these people, there is no problem”.

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Lagos State Flags Off – NCAOOSCE Advocacy Campaign To Tackle Out-Of-School Children Crisis

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The Lagos State Advocacy Team of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) today officially flagged on its state-wide advocacy campaign aimed at revitalizing efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

The flag-on ceremony, themed “Revitalization of the Out-of-School Children’s Initiative,” was held at the Palace of His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, the Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, who served as Royal Host and Special Guest of Honour. In his address, the Chairman of the Lagos State Advocacy Team emphasized that the campaign is not just a government programme, but a national movement to restore dignity, opportunity, and inclusion for every Nigerian child currently excluded from formal education. The Commission commended His Royal Majesty for his continued contributions to education in Lagos State, including scholarship schemes, infrastructure support, menstrual hygiene initiatives, and the establishment of the Centre for Lagos Studies at Lagos State University. The campaign aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports the six strategic education priorities of the Federal Ministry of Education under Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON. Lagos is one of eight pioneering states championing this renewed national effort. The Lagos State campaign will cover all 245 wards across the state’s three senatorial districts, engaging traditional leaders, religious institutions, market groups, youth associations, and civil society organizations. A total of 1,225 local volunteers will be selected to champion the Commission’s flagship National Adopt an Out-of-School Child (N-OOSC) program at the grassroots level.

Key focus areas of the advocacy include: Ending street begging and child exploitation; Ensuring child identity through birth registration; Promoting safe, inclusive, and dignified learning spaces; Eradicating abuse disguised as discipline; Empowering communities to own the educational future of their children. “This campaign is not against religion or tradition,” the Advocacy Team reiterated. “It is about integration, dignity, and giving every child a fair chance.” The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders—government, traditional institutions, faith leaders, educators, and the public—to unite in ensuring that no child is left behind.

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BREAKING: Federal Government Declares Tuesday Public Holiday To Honour Buhari

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The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025, as a public holiday in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the public holiday on Monday on behalf of the Federal Government, after receiving approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

More to come…

 

 

 

 

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FirstBank, NLNG, Shell Back QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit

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Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria, has joined forces with Mighty Media Plus Network Limited for the maiden edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit.

Also supporting the event are Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Shell Nigeria, two major players in the country’s energy and development sectors.

Chief Executive Officer of Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, Olumide Iyanda, announced the partnerships in a statement on Monday.

Mr Iyanda described FirstBank’s involvement as a strong statement of the bank’s belief in the power of Nigeria’s creative sector.

“FirstBank’s support is a reaffirmation of its long-standing commitment to promoting the creative economy,” he said. “Through First@arts, the bank has become a reliable partner to talents, institutions, and organisations working to grow Nigeria’s cultural assets.”

First@arts is FirstBank’s platform for supporting the arts. It provides financing, advisory services, and exposure for creatives across the value chain. The bank has backed major cultural events and partnered with institutions such as British Council, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park and Terra Kulture.

Among the projects FirstBank has supported are The Headies Awards, Lagos International Theatre Festival, The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaq, Kurunmi, Eni Ogun, and Oke Langbodo.

Iyanda also praised NLNG for its role in promoting excellence in literature and science through The Nigeria Prize for Literature, The Nigeria Prize for Science, and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism.

“NLNG has shown leadership by rewarding creativity and innovation in ways that impact both the literary and scientific communities,” he said.

The prizes, worth up to USD100,000, are among the most prestigious on the continent. They celebrate Nigerian authors, critics, and scientists whose work makes a real difference.

Shell’s support for the summit reflects its ongoing commitment to education and social development. The company focuses on sustainable, community-driven educational projects, ranging from scholarships to infrastructure development and ICT donations.

“Shell’s belief in education as a foundation for long-term progress aligns with our vision for the summit,” Iyanda added.

He further noted that more sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, themed “Financing as Catalyst for a Thriving Creative Economy,” will take place on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The venue is the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

The summit will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, and business leaders to explore solutions to the funding challenges facing Nigeria’s creative industries.

Gbenga Bada
For QEDng creative powerhouse summit committee
08028599392

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