Over the years, a major received wisdom in Nigeria is that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, its real foundation for creating employment, livelihood and opportunities. Truly, it was the case that Nigeria used to boast of a thriving agricultural economy in crop production, livestock, forestry and fishing, with every part of the country thriving agriculturally. The country has over 34 million hectares of arable land, and a net total area of 79 million hectares that can be cultivated, and an irrigable area of 3.14 million hectares. Between 1961 and the following decade, Nigeria’s economy was significantly propelled by agriculture, the exports from the sector generating over 40% of national revenue. Those were the days when the South West, the Western region as it then was, built cocoa plantations, agricultural extension settlements and commodity boards. In those days, the farmer was considered King - Agbe L’Oba in local parlance.  

The tallest building in the Western region then was actually known as Cocoa House, built with agricultural revenue. Farmers were so powerful in the South West they even had an activist group named Agbekoya – meaning “the union of farmers who reject suffering”. It was a peasant revolt, led by ordinary farmers who were so powerful they rejected Federal Government taxation and state regulations of agricultural co-operatives. These farmers were so powerful they thought they should have a say in government policies, particularly taxation. Their wealth had helped to develop the region in terms of Awolowo’s education programmes and the development of infrastructure. In the North, there were groundnut pyramids, pyramid structures built by the likes of Alhassan Dantata, a prominent nut and cotton trader who oversaw exports of groundnuts to the Royal Niger Company. The pyramids were so central to Nigeria they found their way to the country’s postage stamp. In the Mid-West, there were rubber plantations. along a substantial stretch of the road from the West to the Mid-West. 

The Middle Belt was known as the food basket of Nigeria, where everything that was edible could be cultivated, from livestock to tomatoes and yams. In the South-South, Nigeria produced a thriving fishing industry. Indeed, the country earned its spurs as one of the best countries in the world in agriculture: the world’s largest producer of cassava, yam, the second largest producer of sorghum, the fifth largest producer of palm oil and cocoa beans, and the third largest producer of peanuts and sweet potatoes. The country was so rich, it had enough food to feed itself and enough for exports. This is the same country today where food inflation is over 50% in some states. This is the same country where ordinary Nigerians complain about the high cost of food and survival. In the South West, they say “Ebi n pa wa” -meaning we are hungry. In this same country where a federal Minister, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, who was in charge of the Federal Government’s Committee on rice distribution in the 80s, once boasted that Nigerians were not eating from the dustbin because the government provided sufficient food, it is now a fact that Nigerians would be happy to eat from the dustbin. Even those dustbins are empty.   

The cause of the problem first and foremost is that Nigeria found oil, and the economy moved away from agriculture to oil exploration and the petro-dollar that came with it. The new rulers of Nigeria in military uniform abandoned agriculture, the country’s economic mainstay. Oil brought so much wealth a former Head of State boasted that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it! The farmers left the rural farms and trooped to the urban centres to gain close access to their own share of the national cake of oil revenue. But Nigeria’s crude oil brought nothing but misery: it divided the country along ethnic and geographical lines, it created a new elite that chose rent collection as a way of life. The entire country became indolent. Agriculture was abandoned because it requires much thinking, preparation and hardwork. There have been efforts in the past to revive agriculture but every effort in that direction has not worked due to lack of commitment, absence of continuity, corruption, waste and poor organization. In 1976, in his first coming as Nigeria’s Head of State, President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced what he called “Operation Feed the Nation” to increase food production, healthy nutrition and promote farming. In 1979/80, the Shagari administration focussed on what was called the “Green Revolution”, to ensure food security. Between 1976 and 1980, there were also fertilizer distribution programmes. All of these initiatives, brilliant as they were on paper failed to achieve their objectives. By 2008, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was telling the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) about his administration’s commitment to the Millenium Development Goals of nutrition security, poverty and hunger reduction, even if budgetary allocation to agriculture then was a mere 7%. 

In order not to delay us with history, let us jump to the Jonathan administration, 2010 -2015 under which a blueprint for agricultural development was introduced and led by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who before his appointment had been the Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). He had also worked as a senior economist at the West African Rice Development Association (WARDA), Ivory Coast. Adesina’s natural inclination as Minister was to revolutionize agriculture, turn it into a business and reinvent it. He was succeeded by Audu Ogbeh who threw away his blueprint and confused agriculture with politics. It is widely believed, in any case, that the Buhari administration was not keen about anything that required any measure of rigour. The agriculture value chain in Nigeria also suffered due to low budgetary allocation, lack of political will, politics, the fixation of the leaders with easy oil wealth. The problem has since been compounded by the effects of climate change, insecurity in the country which makes it difficult for farmers to get to their farms or feed their cattle, oil pollution in the Niger Delta which has destroyed aquatic life and the politicization of agriculture. 

This is the setting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited in 2023. Food inflation is the biggest problem in Nigeria today. Oil exploration has become problematic. There is no money to buy food. It is still the same land, but not enough to eat, and where food is available, it is costly. Tinubu has been talking about food security and the need for the states to work together with the Federal Government to address this national emergency. I find quality response from two states: the Niger State administration of Governor Umar Mohammed Bago, the farmer-Governor and the Chrislam who sings and leads Christian praise worship sessions despite being a Muslim. Besides singing Christian songs as a Muslim, Bago is investing heavily in agriculture. The other Governor is Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State, who is about to cause a food revolution in Lagos. The rest of this piece is devoted to the example of Lagos State and my recent eye-witness account of the state’s response to Nigeria’s food dilemma. 

In February 2024, I was the moderator of a media chat, the governor’s first tagged “Sanwoolu Speaks” where in the context of the complaints about hunger in the state, the Governor promised among other things to launch what he called “Ounje Eko”- that is Lagos Food Initiative to support households and make food affordable. Within weeks after that media chat, Governor Sanwoolu launched the “Ounje Eko” Initiative, to give 25% food subsidy to Lagos residents in 60 locations across the state in all the local government areas. By July 2024, the Lagos government had chosen to rename the Ministry of Agriculture to become the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems. The new emphasis was to create and develop in an efficient manner, a value chain in Lagos State from the farm to the market to achieve supply and price stability. By October 2024, Lagos State launched the Fresh Food Hub Initiative, with the pilot project in Idi-Oro, Mushin. The concept is that of a one stop for very fresh food at affordable and unbeatable prices. It is a public-private partnership project, a good demonstration of how the government can collaborate with entrepreneurs with knowledge and expertise to innovate and elevate. 

The other day, I ran into the Chairman of the company -Origin Tech Group that is in partnership with the Lagos State Government on the project. His name is Prince Samuel J. Samuel. He is Chairman of about 22 companies including Sensale, Greener Hope, Landcraft, Rhema Project, Origin Agriculture, Origin Automobile and so on and so forth. His main project and mission is to partner with government to revolutionize agriculture. He believes that agriculture is one area in which Nigeria can make a quick difference in the people’s lives: create jobs, provide food at affordable rates, develop communities, and develop mechanized farming. “Many Nigerians are trained but they are untested”, he told me. Investment in agriculture can build resilient food systems and develop expertise. His company has since worked with the Sanwoolu Government to develop a 5-year Agric Strategic Plan for Lagos State. It is sub-titled “Lagos State Agriculture Development Roadmap – Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.” Prince Samuel says he has had to suspend every other project he is working on because he is inspired by Governor Sanwoolu’s commitment and determination. His company designed and built the Middle Level Market in Idi Oro, Mushin. But that he said is just the beginning of a carefully thought-out programme for Lagos State. 

Last week, he invited me to visit the Food Logistics Hub that is being built in the Epe Division of the state. The plan is to commission the first phase of this Logistics Hub for Agriculture in May, 2025. It is located in Ketu-Ejinrin, a quiet, rural community that is about to be transformed. For over two hours, we inspected the vast farmland and food processing centre that is under construction. The phase one sits on 2.2 million square metres of land, and when the hub is completed, it will occupy 4.2 million square metres. Origin Group and the Lagos Government are constructing a total of 60 kms network of roads within the farm settlement, 18 km is already built with full concrete, of about more than 4 metres in diameter. 

Some of the facilities at the location include a weighbridge, an administrative block of five floors, a cold storage on 15, 000 square metres, a large dry store area, 11 dealing areas sitting on 7,000 sq. metres (8 nearing completion), storage silos of 1.5 million tonnes when fully completed, a clinic, and a truck terminal with a processing and parking capacity of 1, 560 trucks per day. When fully completed, this facility will be powered with a 4 MW gas plant, backed up with 27 MW of solar capacity. The Lagos Food System hub is patterned after the Marche d’Interet National de Rungis in Paris, the largest food market in the world. A similar market co-operative is the Royal FloraHolland. The Lagos farm logistics hub is designed to sell wholesale products to traders who then distribute to other networks within the state. The objective, says Samuel, is to ensure market and price stability. I marvelled at the expanse of land, stretching as far as the Lagoon with jetty locations abutting the farm. Five kilometres away is another farm, a ranch for cows. Over 250 million dollars have so far been spent. The workers at the location were all Nigerians including the engineers and security personnel. 

“We could not have done this without Governor Sanwoolu”, he said. “If Dangote can build a whole refinery, that in itself is inspiring. Other entrepreneurs can do it. Governor Sanwoolu told me let’s do it. By the time you visit this site in another month, you’d be surprised.”  

Would he opt for a Free Zone model? “No”, he retorted. “We don’t want customs disturbing our off-takers. Do you know what killed Tinapa? Brilliant idea. Free Trade Zone killed it.” 

How about exports? “That is not our priority. The Governor wants the people of Lagos to get food at stable and affordable prices, that is his primary target.”  

When we left Ketu-Ejinrin, our next stop was Abijo, near the Lagos Business School where Lagos State is building another Middle Level Market. “If you look around, you will see that markets in Lagos States developed organically. What Governor Sanwoolu is trying to do is to organize the farm to market value chain in line with world standards,” Prince Samuel said. The Abijo Market is the same as the one in Idi Oro, Mushin. Lagos State plans to build about 60 of such markets across the state. A beautiful structure, with ample parking space. The market is to be operated on a trade-as-you-go-basis. The market like the one in Idi-Oro is also open to all Lagosians. I pointed out that I had seen something similar in Rwanda. Prince Samuel dismissed that quickly. “The Lagos vision is bigger than that!” 

From Abijo, we also inspected Origin Group factories in Oregun and Surulere where state of the art mechanized farming equipment has been kept aside, to launch perhaps the most extensive mechanized farming programme that Nigeria has ever seen, when the logistics hub is completed. I was worried though that Governor Sanwoolu has just two more years left in office. Is there any guarantee that this legacy project will be sustained by his successors? Perhaps the private sector partnership is a form of guarantee. Prince Samuel is as committed to the project as the Governor. A former Tomato Puree maker, he sees agriculture as a business and a passion. He believes that with agriculture, Nigeria cannot fail, nor should the country worry about the energy transition, an area where Nigeria is so far behind. Agriculture he says is the future. Prince Samuel is also an author, he believes that research is everything, and that technology has changed the world for good. He has found a good soulmate in the Governor of Lagos State. The Lagos 5-year Agric Plan should be shared with other states of the Federation and the Federal Government. Nigerians must fight the scourge of hunger. No Nigerian male or female, must ever go to bed hungry. President Tinubu and the Governors must feed the nation and encourage local entrepreneurs working in the agric sector and other sectors. Dangote’s example in oil and gas has catalyzed courage and ambition in the country. Let more

Dangotes who dream big (!) emerge across the landscape.

There are indications that the camp of the embattled ex-speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is plotting to remove the incumbent Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, at any moment.

The indications emerged over the weekend when an inside source confided in Vanguard.

According to the source, after a series of failed attempts to remove Meranda since her emergence on January 13, 2025, there have been a series of permutations to relaunch embattled Obasa to power.

The latest plot is to elect a lawmaker from the West, preferably from Ikeja, after the Ifako-Ijaiye candidate declined the offer, along with others who have restated unalloyed loyalty to Meranda.

APC leaders, with a soft spot for Obasa, are currently plotting to see to the emergence of a proxy speaker from the Ikeja constituency and, after a few weeks, relinquish positions to pave the way for Obasa’s emergence. Obasa, in turn, is expected to resign for a popular candidate as speaker.

Meanwhile, members of the state House of Assembly have again, for the umpteenth time, expressed unalloyed support for Meranda, not minding whose ox is gored.

“Why’s no one focusing on the role of Abuja in trying to reinstate him, even with all the infractions and behaving like the elected members must get clearance from Abuja, especially at this stage of our democracy? The matter is being unnecessarily overflogged.

“They even tried to install a proxy to bring him back in a few months.

“Someone making deductions from the allowances of staff, even junior staff, and his colleagues. They behave like they benefit from his negative behavior,” an APC chieftain lamented under anonymity.

Also, a public critic, Benjamin Mokwunye, in his article “Time to move on,” released at the weekend, said, “There are indications that in one form or the other the Governance (or Governor’s) Advisory Council (GAC) was involved in the removal, perhaps even sanctioning it.

“The council may be an extra-constitutional body, but it has remained influential since it was set up under the Bola Tinubu governorship.

“Soon after Obasa was unseated, his successor, Mojisola Meranda, visited the GAC and received their blessing.

“Their assent, as well as the visit, should have been more nuanced, lest many analysts begin to squirm over the role of the council, even believing erroneously that it was behind the putsch.

“But since the mistake was made, the GAC and the Assembly have battled to sustain the action the state’s lawmakers took against Obasa.

“It has turned out that a few members of the GAC, perhaps three or four out of about 24 have balked at the former speaker’s removal, but regardless of the stridency of their voices and protests, they have been unable to give traction to their reservations.

“There are speculations about APC, hierarchs wanting to return Obasa to his seat, but no one is sure the rumours are not just amateur name-dropping or red herring.

“The procedure adopted by the lawmakers to remove Obasa was democratic.

“His removal over alleged financial misappropriation, misconduct, and high-handedness cannot be downplayed.

“Indeed, the lawmakers could even remove him if they happened to take a dislike to him at any time and any point.

“It is unclear what role the GAC played in the removal beyond merely asserting it.

“If the party and its hierarchs begin to nitpick over such removals, ignoring the sensibilities of the lawmakers and overplaying their hands, they risk alienating the rank and file.

“But public analysts and critics observed that the removal may upset the political permutations of the party, but they would be courting disfavor, if not disaster, to insist on reinstating him.

“If the removal blindsided them, they must find intelligent and democratic ways of closing ranks and regaining control of the party and the legislature.

“Obasa makes it hard for party leaders and members to defend or back him. Regardless of his misunderstanding with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his response to the governor’s budget presentation on November 21 exhibited poor judgement and a lack of grace and understanding.

“It is uncertain whether party leaders looked deeper than the surface of his leadership; but the near unanimity of opinion against him by most of his colleagues, past and present, speaks to the poor choice they made of him when they first elected him speaker nearly 10 years ago.

“The GAC and the party must now move beyond Obasa.

Their speakership choices have not always been flawless, as evidenced by their election and sustenance of the former speaker.

“It is disturbing that the GAC and the party have hemmed and hawed over a fairly straightforward matter. Mr Sanwo-Olu himself has kept discretely silent so as not to be accused of having a hand in the removal of his combative nemesis,” among others.

Lawmakers hail Tinubu

Recall that lawmakers hailed and listed some achievements of the Tinubu-led administration last Friday at a plenary, describing the President as a blessing to Nigeria.

Speaking during plenary, the lawmakers took time to eulogize the President, saying he came into office at a time when Nigerians were at a crossroads over the country’s socio-economic status before the 2023 elections.

Raising the motion, Tobun Abiodun (Epe I) told his colleagues that Tinubu’s policies had begun to yield positive results in less than two years in office.

Tobun noted that Tinubu’s economic expertise had boosted the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to him, “This is further reflecting in the current continuous strength of the Naira.

“Currently, the policies are yielding positive results and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased. The value of naira is gradually gaining strength.

“There is no more fuel scarcity anymore in the country. We need to encourage the federal government to continue on the good pedestrian it started two years ago,” Tobun said.

In his contribution, the Majority Leader of the House, Adewale Temitope (Ifako-Ijaiye I), said the President’s actions showed that he was prepared before he took the baton of leadership.

Temitope said the Federal Government under Tinubu continues to meet Nigerians’ yearnings, citing the refineries that are in operation and that have led to drops in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

He re-echoed the efforts and sacrifices made by Tinubu, who he described as a true democrat, for the continued successes and strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) both in the state and the nation.

Temitope said the House remained committed to the ideals of the party, its leadership and the GAC, a team of elders that continue to guide the party in Lagos.

For his part, Gbolahan Yishawu (Etim Osa II) praised the President for fighting insecurity and reducing inflation.

Contributing to the debate, Aro Moshood, representing Ikorodu II, commended the President for the upward review of the country’s minimum wage, his investment drive that has secured over $40 million and his assuaging the effects of the removal of subsidies.

However, the Speaker, Meranda expressed optimism that the President would meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

“I know President Tinubu will take us to the Promised Land. When he started, it was rough but it is becoming obvious the policies are yielding results.

“This is a positive result happening within the short time Tinubu came into power. Tinubu’s investment in the security architecture is also yielding results as we have insecurity reducing,” she said.

Miranda, therefore, directed the acting Clerk of the House, Abubakar Ottun, to send a commendation letter to the President acknowledging the positive impact of his policies and programmes.

The members are expected to resume sitting on Monday, by 11 am as further developments unfold.

….as court adjourns case indefinitely

The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, on Monday, caused a scene before the Federal High Court in Abuja, as he insisted that he would not be prosecuted before a shrine of injustice.

Kanu, who is facing a seven-count treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him, forced the court to adjourn his trial sine-die (indefinitely).

The detained IPOB leader spoke from the dock, on a day that was fixed for FG to open its case against him.

Trouble started after the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, informed the court that he had filed and served all the necessary processes on Kanu’s legal team, preparatory to the commencement of full-blown hearing of the matter.

However, Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Alloy Ejimakor, drew the attention of the court to his client’s contention that the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, was no longer fit to preside over the case.

Ejimakor noted that Justice Nyako had in a ruling she delivered on November 24, 2024, recused herself from the trial.

Kanu’s lawyer also stressed that his client had also applied for his trial to be moved from Abuja to any Division of the high court in the South East region where offences he was charged with were allegedly committed

Following Ejimakor’s submissions, Justice Nyako explained that though did not want to handle the trial again, she said the case-file was returned back to her by the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho.

According to Justice Nyako, the CJ turned down her recusal from the trial and directed the defendant, Kanu, to file a formal request for the matter to be reassigned to another judge

Meantime, while the prosecution counsel and the defence lawyer were still bickering over the request for Justice Nyako to hands off the trial, Kanu, who was watching from the dock, indicated his intention to address the court.

“I want to speak,” Kanu insisted when he was asked if he wanted to take over from his lawyer.

“Yes, I want to take over,” he replied.

Kanu said he only appeared for the proceeding due to the respect he had for the court, even as he stood his ground that Justice Nyako no longer had the requisite jurisdiction to priside over his trial, having previously recused herself.

Attempt by FG’s lawyer to interject, further infuriated the IPOB leader.

“Look at you! A grown-up man like you who should be in the village and who should be making sure that things are done properly, you are here subverting the law,” Kanu fumed.

Turning to the judge, he said: “I don’t recognise the authority of this court to preside over my case. Everything you said here is meaningless to me.

“Why is it that when it comes to my case, everything is turned upside-down?,” he queried, insisting that the memo the CJ sent, which returned the case-file, could not override the enrolled order of the court that recused Justice Nyako from the trial.

When he was told by the judge that he was at liberty to appeal the directive of the CJ, Kanu said: “If the Chief Judge disagrees, he should be the one to appeal the decision.

“You cannot preside over this case, not now, not today, not ever. You stand recused and you must leave my case. I dont need you in my case. You are biased. Tell the Chief Judge that Nnamdi Kanu said so.

“This is not a court of law, this is a shrine of injustice and i will not subject myself to it,” Kanu added.

Not ready to be cowed by Kanu’s outburst, the prosecution counsel, Awomolo, SAN, urged the court to fix a date for his trial.

“My lord, in view of the fact that the defendant has indicated that he will not make a formal application, I apply for your lordship to give us a definite date for trial,” Awomolo, SAN, submitted.

Facing him again, Kanu, said: “Because of money they are paying you from the AGF’s office, a grown-up man like you is here supporting evil. The rule of law says you should go on appeal.

“The same Chief Judge writing this stupid memo, I have recused him before. He sat on appeal, I took him to NJC and recused him. Why is he insisting on this one? He wants to embarrass your lordship by asking her to sit on this case.”

In a short ruling, Justice Nyako, held that she had no option than to adjourn the case indefinitely.

“You have no jurisdiction to adjourn anything. None whatsoever! You cannot make an order without jurisdiction. The memo from the Chief Judge cannot confer jurisdiction upon you,” Kanu insisted.

It will be recalled that Kanu was first arrested in Lagos on October 14, 2015, upon his return to the country from the United Kingdom, UK.

Justice Nyako had on April 25, 2017, granted him bail on health ground, after he had spent about 18 months in detention.

Upon the perfection of the bail conditions, he was on April 28, 2017, released from the Kuje prison.

However, midway into the trial, the IPOB leader escaped from the country after soldiers invaded his country home at Afara Ukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, Abia State, an operation that led to the death of some of his followers.

Kanu was later re-arrested in Kenya on June 19, 2021 and extraordinarily renditioned back to the country by security agents on June 27, 2021.

Following the development, the trial court, on June 29, 2021, remanded him in custody of DSS, where he remained till date.

On April 8, 2022, the court struck out eight out of the 15-count charge that FG preferred against him on the premise that they lacked substance.

Likewise, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on October 13, 2022, ordered Kanu’s immediate release from detention even as it quashed the charge against him.

Dissatisfied with the decision, FG took the matter before the Supreme Court, even as it persuaded the appellate court to suspend the execution of the judgement, pending the determination of its appeal.

While deciding the appeal, the Supreme Court, on December 15, 2023, vacated the judgement of the appellate court and gave FG the nod to try the IPOB leader on the subsisting seven-count charge.

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof Ishaq Oloyede has disclosed that “exceptional” students below the age of 16 can register for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination as the board had opened the Exceptionally Brilliant Window for such candidates.

He noted that while the examination body had enforced the minimum age requirement for any students into tertiary institutions at 16, the need for below-16s to sit for the UTME was necessitated by the number of rare, exceptional students.

Oloyede, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, stated this as a guest on the Sunday edition of a socio-political programme, Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, on Channels Television.

“In Nigeria, there are many brilliant students, we have so many excellent people. We are enforcing the 16-year minimum entry into tertiary institutions but some people are saying there are exceptional students. Yes, there are exceptional students but they are just one in a million.

“We are saying 16 years is the minimum but if you know you are exceptional, register for exceptional candidacy–that is you are less than 16 years old and exceptional,” he said.

The JAMB registrar equally condemned how some parents now raise the ages of their children.

He cited a case in which students between the ages of 10 to 12 had been registered for the UTME.

“I’m surprised, just from Monday to now, over 2,000 have registered in the whole country. Some of them are 10, 11, and 12-year-olds whose parents have found crooked ways of jumping classes.

“Normal children cannot grow at a rate higher than their biological age. What parents are now doing is increasing the age of their children, they are doing everything, affidavit of age and everything.

“The parents want to use the children to decorate their CVs. They want to say I am the mother of a lawyer, my child graduated at age 13,” Oloyede lamented.

In November 2024, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa announced the reversal of the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions to 16 years.

“We will not be going forward with the 18-year admission benchmark. We will go with 16 years and we are going to meet with the Joint Admission Matriculation Board and others on that.

“There will also be exceptions for gifted students. So, 18 years is not part of our policy again,” he said.

The former Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, in July 2024, announced a ban on admissions for candidates under the age of 18 into tertiary institutions in the country.

A Nelore cow named Viatina-19 has set a new world record after being sold for an astonishing $4.8 million in Brazil.

Weighing 1,101 kilograms which is twice the typical weight of her breed, Viatina-19 has gained international recognition for her exceptional genetics, superior muscular build, and adaptability to hot climates. 

Her record-breaking sale took place in Minas Gerais, where she was auctioned as the most expensive cow in history.

Viatina-19’s value extends beyond her price tag. She holds the Guinness World Record for the highest-priced cow and has also been crowned Miss South America at the Champions of the World competition, a testament to her elite pedigree and outstanding physical traits. 

As a purebred Nelore, she features the breed’s signature white fur, loose skin for heat dissipation, and a prominent hump that stores fat for energy during food scarcity—traits that make Nelore cattle particularly suited for tropical and subtropical regions.

Originally from India and introduced to Brazil in the 1800s, the Nelore breed has become a pillar of the country’s livestock industry due to its heat tolerance, disease resistance, and efficient grazing abilities. 

Viatina-19’s genetic legacy is expected to influence future breeding, as her eggs will be sold worldwide to enhance cattle quality and productivity

A lawmaker at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Bonu Solomon Saanu, has commended President Bola Tinubu for his administration’s giant strides so far.

Hon. Bonu, who represents Badagry Constituency I, gave the commendation while addressing his colleagues on the floor of the Assembly during plenary.

According to the lawmaker, only a leader like Tinubu can attract top opposition elements from other political parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bonu, while speaking against the backdrop of the recent defection of Senator Ned Nwoko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed optimism that before 2027, APC would have garnered increased support from other parties.

Senator Nwoko presented his resignation letter to the PDP leadership in Ward 8, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, on January 30, 2025.

In the letter, Nwoko complained about the state of the PDP. He also cited deep divisions and irreconcilable factions as the primary reasons for his defection.

“My decision to resign is, first and foremost, due to the deep divisions and factionalisation within the party.

This fragmentation has made it increasingly difficult to foster unity and advance the collective interests of our people,” he said.

Reacting, Bonu said, “The defection of Senator Ned Nwoko to the APC is a testament to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s achievements in office.

“Nigerians are beginning to see how much their President means well to them, his passion for development and progress, and his commitment to ensure Nigeria is great enough for Nigerians.”

He hoped that his colleague, Hon. Foluke Oshafile, the only Labour Party member in the Lagos Assembly, would defect to the APC before the next general elections.

ragedy struck Lubo community in Yamaltu-Deba local government area of Gombe State on Monday morning as a Christian clergyman, Reverend Bala Galadima, was murdered by suspected armed robbers.

LEADERSHIP reports that Galadima is the presiding pastor at Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) worship centre in Lubo community.

It is gathered that the hoodlums killed the cleric in the early hours of Monday at his residence.

Responding to that killing, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has condemned the heartless murder of the clergyman and directed security agencies to track down the murderers.

The governor in a statement by his media aide, Isma’ila Uba Misilli, expressed deep sorrow over the killing.

“Governor Inuwa Yahaya strongly condemned the reprehensible act, describing it as an assault on the peace and security that Gombe State has long enjoyed.

“The governor stressed that such incidents must not be allowed to undermine the peaceful coexistence in the state”, the statement said.

He extended his condolences to the bereaved family, the ECWA Church, and the entire Christian community, praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased

The investigation committee set up by the Nasarawa State government to probe the irregularities that trailed the recent employment of teachers in the state has revealed how the unsuspecting applicants were made to pay huge amounts of money in exchange for appointment letters.

Presenting the report to Governor Abdullahi Sule, the chairman of the committee, Silas Dachor, said officials of the State Teachers Service Commission, charged between N500,000 to 700,000 per applicant in abuse of due process during the exercise.

He said an Access Bank account number was provided for the applicants to pay the money into as appreciation to facilitate the issuance of appointment letters.

“In relation to this, an Access Bank account was provided for interested applicants who were directed to pay in amounts ranging from N500,000 to N700,000 for what was termed appreciation to facilitate the issuance of appointment letter,” he said.

Dachor said the committee discovered that the TSC willfully disobeyed the governor’s instruction to recruit only 1,000  by going ahead to engage 3,277 teachers.

“Indeed, there are hundreds of others in possession of appointment letters who are yet to be posted. This, to say the least, amounts to gross insubordination to His Excellency and a great disservice to the government and people of Nasarawa State.

“Furthermore, the committee found out that the recruitment did not in any way reflect the needs of the school system, contrary to the rationale of the exercise, which was to fill existing vacancies.

“We also found that the exercise did not show a fair spread across local government areas and, worse still, there was no evidence that the recruitment was based on merit but merely selective, thus edging out other potential candidates,” he said.

Responding, Governor Sule expressed dismay over the magnitude of corruption that trailed the exercise.

He said the only option left to the state government was to handover the affected officials to security agencies for prosecution.

“The aspect of them collecting money from people, I don’t even have the power to handle that.

“The security agencies should be involved to see how these innocent children would get back their money.

“How do we accommodate 3,277 teachers today in Nasarawa State? Where are you going to get the money to pay them? Where are you posting them?

“But that is not even the biggest worry. The biggest worry is that the entire exercise was not done on merit, which means we have engaged people who are not qualified to be posted as teachers,” he said.

He said the state government has no capacity to engage over 3000 teachers.

“We employ people because of the vacancies that exist. You can’t go employing teachers without knowing where to post them.

“The most important thing is not about politics but about the education of our own children.

“This is beyond politics. We are not going to build a society until we have a society of people who are educated.

“We cannot have a society of educated people unless we have the right teachers,” he explained.

Nigerians were shocked to see the level of humility displayed by David ‘Davido’ Adeleke via one of his recent posts. The singer again showed off his philanthropic side after he shared a list of orphanages that he was able to cater to through his foundation – the David Adeleke Foundation.

In 2024, WITHIN NIGERIA reported that the father of twins went on X on his 32nd birthday to share with his fans that he would donate to orphanages and charity homes that help the young avoid drug abuse addiction. He stated that the amount would be N300 million, noting that he would release more details as time progressed. In Davido’s words:

“Once again my birthday this year we Donating to ophanages and a charity that helps young people stay away from drug abuse & addiction. This year is N300m . Details to follow soon ❤.”

However, in an unanticipated post, on Sunday evening February 9, Davido wrote:

“My foundation was able help over 500 motherless babies home this year .. we go again next year!”

The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, has unveiled the long-awaited funeral rites for his mother, an extraordinary event set to take place decades after her passing.

A statement signed by Frank Irabor, Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), a member of the palace, emphasized that the delay was not by chance but by strict adherence to Benin’s ancient customs, because the tradition of the Kingdom forbade the crown Prince (Edaiken) to perform the rites until he has been crowned the Oba.

Irabor further stated that on November 21, 2021, Oba Ewuare II posthumously honored his late mother by bestowing upon her the revered title of Iyoba, officially recognizing her as Iyoba Omo N’ Ikuoyemwen, Iyoba Ewuare II.

He revealed that the long-anticipated funeral rites will unfold in a grand series of ceremonies, commencing on February 15, 2025, and culminating on March 27, 2025.

A particularly significant moment will be the Ekasa ceremony, the second phase of the rites, during which a striking decree will take effect, that’s the suspension of traditional coral beads within the royal palace and across the kingdom.

Parts of the statement read: “In keeping with Benin customs and tradition, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin, will by the grace of God and, the royal ancestors perform in a private royal family ceremony, the funeral rites of his dear beloved mother, IYOBA OMO N’IKUOYEMWEN, IYOBA EWUARE II, who transited to eternal glory forty-nine years ago.

“For clarification purpose, in accordance with the Benin customs and tradition, the royal funeral rites could not be performed until the Edaiken (Crown Prince) ascends the throne, and crowned the OBA that the Oba had to first posthumously confer the title of Iyoba on his mother, and thereafter performs the funeral rites, hence the reason why it is taking place now.

“It will be recalled that His Royal Majesty conferred the Iyoba title posthumously on his dear mother on Sunday, 21st November, 2021.

“The first part of the ceremony will last for fourteen days. The second part begins with Ekasa immediately the first part ends. This will be the official mourning period.

“The ceremony will begin on 15th February, 2025 and ends on Friday, 28th February, 2025. The venue is Eguae Iyoba N’Uselu by 5 Junction, Benin City.

“Ekasa group will commence their ceremony on 1st March, 2025 till 27th March, 2025. The performance which will end on the last day, 27th March, 2025, would take place in the Palace of the Oba of Benin.

“From the 15th, February, 2025, when the ceremony will begin, traditional coral beads will not be used in the Palace and in the Kingdom until the end of Ekasa ceremony which is March 27, 2025″