Headlines
Northern elders kick against Nigeria’s breakup
By Nasiru Yusuf
Bashir Othman Tofa, a former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) party during the annulled June 12, 1993 election said the North would never seek the break up of Nigeria as a country.
Mr Othman-Tofa disclosed this on Sunday during the inauguration of students’ wing of Northern Youth Groups, organised by Coalition of Northern Youth held at Bayero University, Kano.
He said the North has never agitated for the break up of the country, hence, it does not have any plan in the event of secession.
He advised Northerners to exercise patience in building the unity of the country, as they are the root of Nigeria’s unity.
“If you examine the situation, you would find out it is only in Northern Nigeria that there is no agitation for break up of this country. It is Northern Nigeria that doesn’t have any specific plan of its own, in case Nigeria is divided. This means we have absolute confidence that being together is the best thing for all of us.
“If you look at our population and what we have together is more than what anyone can hope for. So to try to destroy this is certainly lose-lose situation. That is why we here in the North would never say we do not want to live in this country. We know that people called us name, they do all sort of things. And our responsibility is to exercise patience to make sure we guide this country to the kind of unity and progress we need to develop into a better country and even become a nation state,” Mr Tofa said.
The elder statement, noted that, the unity of the country is sacrosanct, adding that the North has been playing the role of encouraging the unity of Nigeria “That is why we are the root of this country. If the root is up rooted, the tree will not be there. So we like to be patient, we like to encourage Nigerians to love their country to be united and tolerate one another. So that we can build a kind of country we like to build.”
In his address former Chief of Staff to former senate president Bukola Saraki and member of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed expressed disappointment in the leadership style of Northern peoples who hold various political offices in the country.
According to him, Northerners who hold different political positions had failed to address the region’s problems, adding that they woefully failed to live up to their billings in areas considered to be of paramount importance for the region.
He stated that northerners are aggrieved by the leadership style of those who are calling the shots in respective positions of authority, adding that people of the region would not wait until 2023 to vote them out.
“We are disappointed with our northern leaders at all levels. We will not wait until 2023 to vote them out. We will be putting pressure on them to correct their mistakes of tackling the problem of insecurity, poor quality of education and health, problem of economy among others.
“Henceforth, we will no longer vote any leader who deceived us. We want leaders who would go there to protect the interest of the North,” he said.
He however called on northern youth to ask governors of the region to protect the interest of Fulani herdsmen and livestock assets of the North.
He noted that while southerners were asking the Fulani to vacate their region, northern governors should provide shelter for them back in the North.
Highlights of the occasion include inauguration of three regional coordinators for Northwest, Northeast and North central geopolitical zones.
Aminu Abdullahi
The adolescent girls initiative for learning and empowerment AGILE has been described as a major catalyst to educational development.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir of Rano, Alhaji Muhammad Isa Umaru, made the indication while receiving AGILE team in his palace.
According to him, Kano has witnessed significant progress in girl child education facilitated by AGILE, hence the need for traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders to contribute their quota to achieve the desired objectives.
He noted that, Rano Emirate has been at the forefront of ensuring enrollment retention and completion of girls education through various initiatives.
The emir called on the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) to upgrade the girls school in his community.
The monarch said, the school, located beside the palace, requires expansion to accommodate a larger number of students.
The traditional ruler suggested that AGILE should visit the school to assess its condition, saying that, relocating the school to a bigger location had been earlier considered.
In his remarks the permanent secretary Kano state ministry of education Alhaji Bashir Baffa explained that, they were at the palace to seek for support and blessings form the royal father.
He said, AGILE has fostered an enabling environment for girls through promoting behavioral changes through communication campaigns engagement with traditional rulers and advocacy.
He maintained that, the team has embarked on advocacy visits to all relevant stakeholders at community and state levels on the importance of girls education.
Alhaji Baffa hinted that the state government had declared a state of emergency on education, hence the need for the traditional institution to contribute its quota to achieve the desired objectives.
He posited that, the team will visit the school to see possible ways of intervening for the development of education.
The permanent secretary also used the opportunity to condole Rano emirate over the killing of its indigenes in Uromi.
KANO FOCUS reports that, earlier the team has paid a similar visit to Karaye Emirate council as part of efforts to advocate for support from the traditional institution and relevant stakeholders.
Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, supported by the World Bank, has successfully renovated over 1,300 senior and junior secondary schools in the state in the last three years.
KANO FOCUS reports that the state commissioner for education, Alhaji Ali Haruna Makoda, disclosed this during a visit to the Karaye Emirate on Tuesday.
He added that the AGILE program has enrolled more than 30,000 girls through targeted outreach, grants, and its Second Chance education initiative.
Makoda further revealed that the state government has finalized plan to construct 130 new schools in rural communities, with over 35,000 girls already benefiting from financial assistance under the scheme.
He urged the Karaye Emirate to lend full support to the program and prioritize girls’ education.
In his remarks, the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Muhammad Maharaz, pledged the emirate’s commitment to advancing girls’ education in Kano State.
He commended the state government and the commissioner for their dedication to the programme’s success.
“It is our collective responsibility to support this initiative,” the Emir stated, calling for measures to ensure beneficiaries complete their education with strong academic outcomes.
The commissioner’s delegation consist of the Kano State AGILE Project Coordinator, Malam Mujitapha Aminu and other members of State Programme Implementation Unit (SPIU).
Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
Bayero University Kano (BUK) on Monday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Faculty of Education and inaugurated its Alumni Association at the Convocation Arena of the university’s new campus.
KANO FOCUS reports that the event was graced by government officials, education stakeholders, and alumni all gathered to commemorate the faculty’s contributions to Nigeria’s educational sector.
In her keynote address, the State Minister for Education, Mrs. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad announced the Federal Government’s Sector Renewal Initiative designed to transition Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.
She highlighted that the aim of the renewal initiative consists of – Reducing the number of out-of-school children; combating learning poverty; nhancing skills development and human capital for the labor market
The minister noted that the initiative prioritizes Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Digital literacy and education quality assurance.
Mrs. Ahmad disclosed that the Federal Government had disbursed ₦35 billion to 261 beneficiaries under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with BUK among the top beneficiaries.
“So far, the scheme has received 420 applications, and we are scaling up investments,” she stated.
She further confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved ₦120 billion to boost TVET programs, with plans to train 650 youths in technical, vocational, and digital skills over the next two years.
Emeritus Professor Sani Ahmad Sufi, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, praised the faculty for its high-quality graduates.
“Our pride lies not just in the number of graduates produced yearly, but in their impact across Nigeria and beyond,” he said.
He added that the faculty has produced Nigeria’s largest pool of graduate teachers many of whom hold key positions nationally and internationally.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje applauded the faculty for its significant role in advancing education in Nigeria.
The event concluded with awards presented to distinguished alumni and supporters of the faculty in recognition of their contributions to its growth.
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