The Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud has called on governments at all levels to increase investment in primary healthcare.
Mahmoud made the call in Abuja on Monday, at an event organised by the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, FCT/Keffi Chapter, to celebrate the 2025 World Family Doctors Day.
She emphasised the critical need to strengthen primary healthcare systems to address the growing health challenges faced by communities.
She said that the theme, “Building Mental Resilience in a Changing World,” underscored the essential role family doctors play in supporting mental health.
She added that family doctors also foster resilience amidst global adversities such as climate change, social instability, and economic uncertainty.
“Family doctors are frontline caregivers, uniquely positioned to deliver continuous and person-centred care that promotes early intervention and holistic support.
“They are the backbone of our healthcare system, providing comprehensive care that nurtures mental wellness and builds resilience in individuals and communities.
“Not only that, family doctors are unsung heroes, working tirelessly in clinics, rural health posts, urban centres and conflict zones to deliver equitable healthcare,” she said.
The minister praised their enduring relationships with patients, describing it as “vital” for proactively managing mental health issues and chronic diseases.
She reiterated that a robust and accessible primary healthcare was more important than ever in addressing the complex health landscape marked by pandemics, chronic illnesses, and mental health crises.
She stressed the need for training, recruitment and retention of family physicians, especially in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Mahmoud emphasised the importance of recognising and valuing family medicine within health policy and practice frameworks.
This, according to her, will ensure sustainable health outcomes.
The chairperson of the family physicians, Dr Ngozi Mmamelu, said that Nigeria faces unique challenges, including limited access to mental health services, stigma and shortage of mental health professionals.
Mmamelu added that family doctors could bridge the gaps by conducting initial mental health screenings, raising awareness and providing basic psychological support.
She further noted that integrating mental health services into primary care is crucial and family doctors could play a vital role in promoting mental wellness.
She reiterated the commitment of the physicians to the principles of family medicine. (NAN)
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has inaugurated its 2025 Quality Assurance Monitoring and Evaluation exercise for senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
Speaking at the inauguration on Monday at the Federal Government College (FGC), Malali Kaduna, the Executive Secretary (ES) of the commission, Dr Iyela Ajayi, said the initiative aimed to assess and improve the quality of education in secondary schools nationwide.
According to Ajayi, education is not merely a tool for individual advancement, but the cornerstone of a prosperous and equitable society.
He said that President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to the Nigerian people, recognised the critical role of education in achieving collective aspirations.
According to him, it is a blueprint for a brighter future for a government to prioritise human capital development and empower every citizen with the
knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century.
Ajayi explained that the commission, entrusted with the crucial responsibility of shaping the future of the nation’s youth, recognised the paramount importance of quality education.
“We are committed to ensuring that every senior secondary school in the country provides a conducive learning environment that fosters academic excellence, critical thinking, and the development of well-rounded individuals,” he said.
He noted that the commission had since developed the National Minimum Standards for Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria, which served as a benchmark for the operation of all senior secondary schools nationwide.
He recalled that the document was approved at the 68th National Council of Education between Oct.7 and Oct. 10, 2024 and launched by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa in February.
“Copies of the minimum standards were distributed to the state delegates at the launching for implementation in the various states.
“The implementation is expected to be done within nine months after which the commission will start the process of enforcement of the minimum standards,” he said.
The ES, therefore, said the exercise was aimed to achieve desired learning outcomes through monitoring and evaluation, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and setting clear benchmarks for accountability and improvement.
“The programme promotes best practices, empowers educators with constructive feedback and support, and enhances their skills to elevate teaching quality and learners’ outcomes,” he said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education in the state, Prof. Muhammad Bello, expressed delight that Kaduna State was chosen as the sole state in the federation for the inauguration of the 2025 monitoring exercise.
“This is sincerely a privilege, and it goes a long way to emphasise the fact that Kaduna State remains committed to enhancement of quality education and expansion of access across the state,” he said.
Bello, represented by Director, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA), Prof. Usman Zaria, noted that monitoring and evaluation of schools remained a missing link.
Though he emphasised that the government had continued to invest billions of Naira in the state’s education sector, he, however, noted there had been the missing aspect of monitoring and evaluation of the schools.
“The governor has prioritised education, allocating a significant portion of the budget to it, over 26 per cent in 2024 and even more in 2025”.
Bello assured of the state government’s support for the NSSEC’s initiatives in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NSSEC toured facilities at the FGC Malali and other selected schools within the state. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Tenants in Osogbo, Osun, have decried what they described as exploitative hikes by landlords in the state and called for urgent government intervention.
A cross section of the tenants, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Osogbo, said that “landlords were making life unbearable for them due to hike in rent”.
They called on the state government to, urgently, implement a law that would guide house rent in the state.
A tenant, Mr Emmanuel Ayanda, who resided in Osogbo, said that his landlord recently increased his house rent from N180,000 to N400,00 for a three-bedroom flat, not minding his source of income.
“A few months to the expiry of my rent, the landlord through his lawyer, sent me a letter that rent has increased from N180,000 to N400,000, without any justification.
“The building is very old, without tiles and with old wooden doors, but since I cannot afford the said amount, I have to pack out,” he said.
Ayanda, however, appealed to the state government to rescue tenants by setting up a taskforce to control rent in the state.
Another resident, Miss Feyisayo Akomolafe, who lives in Ogoluwa in Osogbo, said that her rent was increased from N450,000 to N600,000 a year for a two-bedroom apartment.
According to Akomolafe, the way landlords are increasing rent without any form of control may result in a situation where many tenants might become homeless, if nothing is done urgently.
“This is a civil service state and not an industrialised state.
“I wonder where the landlords expect civil servants, who are still struggling for survival, to get money to pay for this exorbitant house rent,” she said.
Also, Mr Jeremiah Obeh, who resides in Ofatedo, Osogbo, said that he rented a three-bedroom apartment for N900,000 per annum.
Obeh, however, said that his landlord recently added N200,000 to the rent to make N1.1 million per annum.
He appealed to the state government to make a law that would regulate the activities of the landlords and their agents.
Also residing in Ofatedo, Miss Glory Adeola said that a one-room self-contained apartment she rented was recently increased from N250,000 to N320,000.
Adeola lamented the “arbitrary increase by landlords without any tangible reasons”.
However, some of the landlords who spoke with NAN, gave reasons
for the exorbitant hike in the state.
Mr Peter Osinubi, a landlord, said that the increase in house rents was a result of the current economic situation.
“I feel the government is in the best position to do something about it,” he said.
Another landlord, Mr Oladele Bode, however, said the tenants could direct their complaints to the government, who was responsible for the rising costs of items in the country.
Mr Abiodun Olowoporokun, Chairman, Association of Real Estate Managers in Osun, however, attributed the hike in rent rates to the insatiable appetite of some greedy landlords in the state.
Olowoporokun said that several efforts had been made to prevail on landlords to stop the unnecessary exorbitant hike, but to no avail.
“Once an estate agent tries to convince a landlord not to put too much on the rent, they will abandon such an agent and go for another one that can do their bidding,” he said.
Olowoporokun said that the reasons given by landlords for the exorbitant hike was current inflation in the country.
According to him, the state government is working on a bill to regularise house rent in the state.
“Once the bill is out, it will help to checkmate the activities of the greedy landlords,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Kofoworola Adewunmi, Majority Leader, state House of Assembly, said that the “Osun State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Bill 2024” had already been passed.
According to him, the bill seeks to ensure that tenants are not exploited by landlords and estate agents, and it has been passed by the assembly.
“The bill is seeking to control the abnormal charges by the agents and the landlords.
“I sponsored the bill. It has passed through the third reading and has been sent to the governor for his assent.
“Once the bill is signed into law, it will regulate the charges and percentage taken by the house agents.
“It will not give room for any unregistered house agents to operate. It will be mandatory for estate agents to register before they can operate in the state,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
An Economist, Ephraim Audu, has attributed insecurity as the primary cause of food inflation in Benue, calling on the Federal Government to urgently tackle the menace across the country.
Audu, the National President, Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
He was reacting to the latest Inflation figures by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for April.
The NBS had said the food inflation rate in April 2025 was 21.26 per cent on a year-on-year basis, with Benue recording the highest food inflation rate at 51.76 per cent on a year-on-year basis and 25.59 per cent on a month-on-month basis.
The report said on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in April was 2.06 per cent, which decreased by 0.12 per cent compared to the 2.18 per cent recorded in March 2025.
The NBS said the decrease in food inflation was attributed to the reduction in average prices of items such as Maize (Corn) Flour, Wheat Grain, Okro Dried, Yam Flour, Soya Beans, Rice, Bambara beans, Brown Beans, etc
He, however, said he was not convinced that food inflation had dropped because the prices of food items were still on the increase.
Audu said it was sad to note that, even though Benue was the food basket of the nation, it recorded the highest level of food inflation.
He explained that less than three per cent of the population in Benue had access to civil service jobs, which meant over 80 per cent of the population were predominantly farmers.
“So now, their farms have been under attack. The insecurity will not allow these farmers a larger percentage of the populace, to have access to their farms, nor to produce.
“That has affected the dependency on their livelihoods, so why won’t there be high inflation of food items in Benue?”
The expert also gave another reason for food inflation to be the value chain, stating that there was a hyper increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as fuel, and diesel due to the removal of subsidy.
Audu said that PMS and diesel were major determinants of the prices of goods and services.
“ Those guys are irrigation farmers, producing primarily products, and they use irrigation machines that use either petrol or diesel to pump their machines to work.
“So if Mr A buys petrol every day at the rate of N920 per litre, which he needs at least 10 litres a day to cultivate his farm, approximately N9,000. He uses N9,000 daily in a month. How much is that?
“So, now, if he is cultivating one or two hectares, how many tons is he expected to generate from those two hectares, certainly less than 16 tons.
“How much is the prevailing market price? So, that farmer has to factor in all the costs he has already incurred in the process of cultivating that product.
“So, that is why no professional analyst will tell you that there is a decline in the price of food.”
He also stated that the current headline inflation rate, which dropped to 23.71 per cent, as reported by the NBS, does not reflect the current realities on ground.
The economist said food, house rents, and transportation costs were still on the increase, saying that many Nigerians could barely afford to eat a proper meal daily.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to revitalise the refineries in the country and give licences for modular refineries across the comparative states.
According to him, if this is achieved, then the Dangote, government, and modular refineries will go into competition, and the price of PMS and diesel will drastically reduce.
Audu saidd that the Federal Government must prioritise both human and food security, so farmers could have access to their farms without fear.
He also recommended that the Federal Government invest, if possible, 60 per cent of the total budget for now on agriculture, which would help achieve food sufficiency and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) .
“This will lead to an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product. Consequently, foreign investors will open their portfolios, enhancing export opportunities, thereby, building and strengthening our exchange rates and foreign reserves.”
Audu added that the Federal Government should implement price regulations to prevent hoarding and price inflation.
He said, as a matter of urgency, the Federal Government must address the issues in the power sector, saying that without power, “all that we have mentioned would be inconsequential.”
Audu said the Federal Government should give single-digit intervention funds with a favourable moratorium for entrepreneurs, businesses, and farmers, while interfacing and supporting the value chain manufacturers and processors.
He said that the government and private sector should increase workers’ salaries to match the increasing costs of goods, services, and transportation, noting that the purchasing power of Nigerians is weak. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
The Deputy Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mrs Maria Oligbi-Edeko (PDP- Esan North East II) has voluntarily resigned her position due to the minority status of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oligbi-Edeko was elected Deputy Speaker of the 8th Assembly on June 16, 2023, and served in that capacity until her resignation.
In her resignation speech, the former deputy speaker said that she resigned her position to allow for justice, fairness, and equity for all the constituencies.
She thanked the leaders and members of the PDP for finding her worthy to represent her constituency in the assembly.
Lawmakers in the House took turns to praise her unwavering dedication, passion for public service, and the high level of integrity she consistently demonstrated throughout her tenure.
Many of the lawmakers described her as a committed leader whose contributions left a lasting impact on the legislative process during her tenure as deputy speaker.
Meanwhile, Mr Osamwonyi Atu (APC-Orhionmwon East) has emerged the new deputy speaker after a unanimous vote by members.
Also following the former deputy speaker’s resignation, the Majority Leader, Jonathan Aigbokhan (APC-Esan West) moved that all the entitlement due to the office of the deputy speaker should be accorded her.
The motion was seconded by the minority leader, Charity Airobarueghian (PDP-Ovia North East 1), while other lawmakers supported and adopted the motion. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has intensified its efforts for the success of the 2025 Hajj by conducting a catering simulation exercise at the Rawaf Mina office in Makkah.
This is contained in a statement by Ahmad Musa, Head, Public Affairs, NAHCON made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Makkah.
The exercise was conducted to evaluate the quality, timeliness and standard of catering services arranged for the Nigerian Pilgrims under the Private Tour Operator quota.
The Commission’s Makkah Deputy Coordinator, Mr Alidu Shutti, led the delegation during the exercise.
Rawaf Mina, a Saudi-based company is responsible for provision of services to Nigerian Private Tour Operators’ pilgrims at the sacred sites of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah during the Hajj rites.
Shutti emphasised that the quality and quantity of meals in terms of taste, portion, and nutritional value must match what would be served to the Pilgrims during the Hajj.
“Timely delivery and consistency in quality, quantity are non-negotiable,” he stated, noting that the Commission’s goal is to elevate the 2025 Hajj experience to one of the best in recent time.
In response, Rawaf Mina CEO, Mr Zuhaer Sadayu, assured NAHCON officials that a dedicated food service consultant has been appointed to oversee all stages of meal preparation and delivery.
He pledged that feedback from the inspection would be meticulously addressed and incorporated into the final service provision plans in order to ensure Pilgrims receive full value for their money.
Also present at the event was NAHCON’s Saudi Liaison Officer, Ustaz Abubakar Lamin, who expressed gratitude to the Rawaf Mina team for facilitating the meals-tasting session and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to enhancing Pilgrims’ welfare across all aspects of the Hajj exercise.
This function forms part of NAHCON’s broader mission to ensure efficient and effective service delivery during the days of tashriq outing.
The Hajj Commission reaffirms that the welfare of Nigerian Pilgrims remained top priority in its operational mandate for the 2025 Hajj.(NAN)
The Sokoto State Government is strengthening its communication strategies and response mechanisms to better prepare for and mitigate potential flooding.
This includes improved early warning systems, proactive flood risk management, and strengthened collaboration between government agencies and local communities.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi, who is also the Chairman, Disaster Response Coordinating Committee in the state, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Sokoto.
Abdullahi said government was aware of 2025 Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Agency (NIHSA) predictions.
He said that a stakeholders’ meeting was convened comprising the Commissioner for Environment as well as others from other relevant agencies and security organisations on the forecast.
“Programmes and response mechanisms were fine-tuned on averting flood, planting of crops on the right time, needed seedlings and other considerations toward safeguarding people’s lives and properties.
“The committee warned people against tree felling, indiscriminate disposal of waste on the water ways which block water passages, unprofessional building constructions and other human activities while good messages were prepared for public circulation,” he said.
Abdullahi added that local government authorities, traditional institutions, farmers groups and other stakeholders were properly briefed on the strategies for circulation to people at different levels.
Also, Mr Abubakar Umar, Head of NIHSA in Sokoto State, said the agency plans to work with the state ministry of environment, water resources and agriculture to ensure a seamless coordination.
Umar said that Nigeria experienced harsh flooding incident in 2012 and 2018 while similar incidents were closely replicated in 2022 with high rainfall and flows from Sokoto and Bakalori Rivers which serve as a major source of flood in Sokoto State and environs.
“The 2025 predictions were disseminated with forecast of expected floods in some areas that comprised Goronyo, Tangaza, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Rabah, Silame, Wamakko, Kebbe, Yabo and Shagari Local Government Areas.
“In 2022, 32 states of the federation were affected by flood and no fewer than 66, 622 persons, 6,136 houses and many farmlands were affected in Sokoto State,” he said.
The Head of NiMET in Sokoto State, Malam Yawale Baba, said the agency ensures prompt dissemination of information on weather and associated climatic situations to state and relevant agencies.
Baba said that the information was simplified in local languages and shared with relevant organisations in order to ensure right attentions and responses.
Speaking to NAN also, the Head of Operations, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Tukur Abubakar, said critical stakeholders meeting was organised by the agency.
Abubakar cautioned people on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways, constructions on flood prone areas and other human factors.
He urged stakeholders to sensitise the public as it is important due to the predictions that rain would be much this year.
“Based on NiMET predictions that rain will be much this year, NEMA, as a responsive agency, felt that we should start sensitisation programme in and around Sokoto State on the need to be mindful of how to keep the environment and clear the drains before the onset of this heavy rain.
“We are soliciting for more collaborations on mitigation strategies and sensitising people to have a cleaner environment to avert flooding,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Mr Hassan Abdulateef, a rice farmer from Difa Community in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, says he makes at least N2.5 million annually from cultivating rice.
Abdulateef told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Difa Community, on Monday, that cultivating the commodity had been his only occupation for the past two decades.
He described rice farming as one lucrative aspect of agriculture that youths could venture into for self employment and empowerment.
“I have been cultivating rice during dry season for the past twenty years in Difa Community and this is the only job I do to care for my household.
“On yearly basis I make enough from cultivating rice through irrigation but the high cost of inputs has always depleted the profit.
“I make over N4 million during this period, sometimes it is even up to N5 million, but after taking out the money for fertilisers and security on my farm, I end up with N2.5 million.”
The 40-year-old farmer decried the incessant hippopotamus attacks on his farms, which necessitated his decision to engage hunters to repel them.
He said in the three months between planting and harvesting his crop, he spends N600,000 to pay the hunters to repel such attacks which, he said, usually occurred at night.
Abdulateef appealed to Gombe youths, who have access to water bodies, to leverage the resource to engage in irrigation farming to empower themselves, instead of waiting for white-collar jobs.
He further urged the state government to support youths living in communities close to water bodies with the necessary irrigation facilities and inputs to enable them to engage in dry season farming.
He also urged the state government to address the hippopotamus attacks on farmlands to help farmers minimise losses recorded on yearly basis. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Breaking the chain of human trafficking in Edo via a student-led initiative
L-R: Mr Sam Offiah, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP in Benin presenting advocacy materials to students of YWCA Secondary School, Benin during the inauguration of anti-human trafficking vanguard club in the school
By Usman Aliyu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
In the heartbeat of the nation, Edo, once infamously known as the epicentre of human trafficking in Nigeria, a new kind of resistance is taking root.
Not in courtrooms or campaign offices, but in classrooms.
A fresh, student-driven initiative is emerging to challenge the longstanding menace of human trafficking.
Through the launch of Anti-Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons (A.TIPVAP) Vanguard Clubs in 50 public secondary schools across the state, young people are being empowered to become frontline advocates in a battle that has stolen the futures of countless boys and girls.
This bold move is part of the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), a collaborative effort between the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), with funding support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The launch events brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders, government officials, security agencies, educators, students, and civil society actors, united by a shared urgency and a common cause.
These figures underscore the urgent need for early intervention and targeted awareness campaigns—particularly among young people, who remain the primary targets of traffickers.
At the inauguration of the Vanguard clubs, NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander in Benin, Mr Sam Offiah, delivered a sobering address.
Speaking directly to the students, he warned of the deceptive tactics traffickers often employed to lure victims.
“Human trafficking is dehumanising. It reduces you to a commodity,” he said with conviction.
“Anyone who asks you to leave school and promises you freedom, riches abroad, or a better life without informing your parents is a trafficker.”
A lawyer by profession, Offiah recounted harrowing tales of young girls seduced by fake job offers, only to find themselves trapped in cycles of sexual exploitation, forced labour, or even organ harvesting.
His message was clear: awareness is the first line of defence, and education is the most powerful weapon in this fight.
Students showing red card to human trafficking in Edo shortly after their inauguration as members of anti-human trafficking vanguard club
“We are here to inaugurate this vanguard so that you know these dangers and help spread the message. You are not meant to feed your parents. You are meant to stay in school and pursue your dreams,” he said.
The NAPTIP boss emphasised the critical role of students in spreading awareness; hence the decision to come up with the initiative.
“You must take the message home, to your classmates and your friends. When you hear someone promise jobs in Europe through Libya, tell them the truth.
“Over 80 per cent die crossing the Sahara. Some drink their urine. Some are never buried. Vultures feast on their remains,” he asserted.
He also alerted the public to the new trends in human trafficking, “which is exploiting the digital space to lure young Nigerians into ‘modern-day’ slavery.
“We are seeing an upsurge in internet trafficking. Traffickers now use fake online profiles, phishing tactics, and blackmail with nude photos to manipulate and coerce victims,” he said.
Representing ICMPD, Elvis Ederibhalo, Project Officer of STEAP for Edo, explained the broader objective of the initiative.
“We are here because we believe that education is the strongest weapon we have to prevent trafficking. The vanguard you are joining today is not just a club. It’s a movement.
“You will be trained to identify trafficking tactics, speak up, and protect yourselves and others,” he told the students.
Ederibhalo explained how a recent survey by the ICMPD revealed that 75 per cent of rescued victims of human trafficking were school-age children, which underscored the need to cut it from the root.
Members of the anti-human trafficking vanguard club in Ihogbe Secondary School, Benin City
On the part of the government, Mrs Mercy Imasuen-Isibor, Desk Officer for STEAP at the Edo State Ministry of Education, hailed the project as a strategic step in combating the state’s reputation as a trafficking hub.
“This campaign is timely and crucial. By establishing these vanguards, we now have in-school ambassadors who will carry out sensitisation activities.
“They will be trained to recognise trafficking strategies and report suspicious movements.
“We are deliberately involving school authorities, parents, and community leaders so that the message goes beyond school walls,” she said.
Imasuen-Isibor further explained that the ministry of education would ensure the sustainability of the clubs by monitoring their activities and integrating the anti-trafficking agenda into existing school support frameworks.
“With 50 schools in this first phase, our goal is to eventually expand to every school in Edo State. This way, we can ensure a systemic cultural change,” the ministry official said.
Representing the Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Blessing Agbebaku, his aide Mr Benedict Omordon described the initiative as a welcome development.
“If you don’t inform the youth, you deform them. The Assembly takes trafficking seriously and is working on laws to protect the vulnerable.
“Human trafficking is not always about being taken abroad. It also happens within our neighbourhoods.
“Anyone forced into begging, street hawking, or house help without consent is a victim,” he said.
In the same vein, the principals of participating schools are not left out as they also welcomed the vanguard clubs enthusiastically.
Rev. Victor Orumwense, Principal of Oba Ewuare Grammar School, called the move “historic and transformative.”
“Human trafficking is a crime against humanity,” he told students during the launch.
“It strips people of their decency. These clubs will help build student consciousness and resilience. I hope every student here will see themselves as an ambassador of light against this darkness.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by other principals in Emotan College, Oredo Girls, Oba Akenzua II, Ihogbe, Egor, Angelican Girls and YWCA schools among others, who pledged institutional support to sustain the vanguard activities.
Perhaps, the most powerful testimony came from Excellence Osamuyimen, President of the new anti-trafficking club at Oredo Girls Secondary School. In a stirring speech, she called on her peers to stay vigilant.
“We understand the hard choices out there. But human trafficking is a crime that ruins dreams. It dehumanises. It promises freedom but brings death and disease.
“Our parents should not be our reason to fall victim. We must finish school, become professionals, and help others rise,” he said.
Osamuyimen applauded NAPTIP, ICMPD, and the ministry of education for choosing her school, saying “we will not disappoint you. We will take this message to every corner.”
While the launch of anti-trafficking clubs in Edo schools is an encouraging step, stakeholders agree—it is only the beginning.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 46 per cent of detected victims in West Africa are children, with girls especially vulnerable.
Many fall prey to traffickers under the weight of poverty, peer pressure, family expectations, or manipulation.
STEAP’s approach, rooted in education, peer-to-peer advocacy, and school-community partnerships. offers a promising, sustainable path forward.
With sustained support from NAPTIP, ICMPD, and international partners like the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the hope is that today’s students will rise as tomorrow’s defenders: informed, resilient, and unwavering in their stand against exploitation.
If Edo succeeds, it could become a model for other regions across Nigeria, where trafficking networks continue to adapt and evolve.
For now, a seed has been planted in 50 schools. And in those classrooms, among chalkboards, uniforms, and morning assemblies, a quiet resistance is growing.
One student at a time. One voice at a time. Until the chain is finally broken.(NANFeatures)
***If used, kindly credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has called for the urgent implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to foster regional integration and enhance intra-African connectivity.
Keyamo made the call on Monday, while delivering the keynote address at the 18th Plenary and Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) held in Abuja.
According to him, improving air connectivity within Africa will significantly reduce travel time, lower costs, and provide optimal satisfaction for users.
He noted that enhanced connectivity was an asset that boosts the global competitiveness of cities, states, and regions.
“I want to highlight the urgent need to implement SAATM for the benefit of our sub-region and the entire African continent.
“SAATM represents a bold and visionary step toward achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and unlocking the immense potential of air connectivity across our continent,” Keyamo said.
In spite of multiple declarations and political will, he noted that progress on SAATM had been slow, with airspace fragmentation remaining a barrier to regional integration.
He added that SAATM, if fully implemented, would enable smoother movement of passengers and cargo with minimal transit points and competitive prices.
He urged member states to go beyond verbal commitments and take coordinated, deliberate steps to bring the initiative to life.
“Our skies must no longer be defined by closed borders, but by open opportunity,” he said, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to the ideals of the BAG.
In his welcome address, Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, reiterated that the meeting was convened to strengthen collaboration on aviation safety, security, regulatory harmonisation, and sustainable development across the region.
He emphasised Nigeria’s support for BAG’s goals and the “No Country Left Behind” initiative by the International Civil Aviation Organisation”, which seeks to ensure equal participation of all states in global aviation standards.
“Let us keep our eyes on the prize – a safe, secure, and unified aviation sector in West Africa,” Najomo added.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Banjul Accord Group, Mr Fansu Bojang, highlighted that the group currently comprised seven member states: Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
According to him, the group aims to promote safe and efficient development of civil aviation within and beyond member states.
This, he said, could be achieved through agencies like the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO), responsible for aviation safety oversight and compliance.
“There is also the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), which handles aircraft accident investigations,” he added. (NAN)
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa
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