Category Nigeria News

Professor Farouk Haruna has been appointed as the Federal University of Education, Kontagora in Nigeria,’s first substantive vice Chancellor.

Following the fifth meeting of the Council in Kontagora, Professor Francis Faduyile, the pro-Chancellor and Governing Council chairman, made the announcement.

Faduyile informed journalists that Professor Haruna was chosen after a rigorous selection process that involved six candidates shortlisted.

He claimed that the new vice Chancellor, who previously held the positions of acting vice Chancellor, provost, and chairman of the committee of provosts, brings a wealth of experience.

He anticipates that the new Vice Chancellor’s inauguration will take place on November 4, 2025.

Also read: Prof. Mohammed Othman’s appointment as FUDMA Vice Chancellor

The Pro-Chancellor assured Kontagora’s staff, students, and parents that the campus is still safe for both learning and living on the security front.

“I’ve visited Kontagora a lot,” I said. People live and work there without fear because it is peaceful. According to Faduyile, the university environment is conducive and safe for students.

He referred to the university as one of the nation’s fastest-growing teacher education centers, which offers a sizable number of Ph. holders of degrees and cutting-edge facilities of education.

The school, which was formerly a College of Education, was upgraded to a Federal University of Education in 2021 and began accepting students in March 2025.

The Federal University of Education, Kontagora now has its first substantive leadership position to help the school achieve academic excellence with this appointment.

In the meantime, Niger State Governor Umaru Bago praised Haruna for taking the vacancy of the Federal University of Education Kontagora (FUEK) as the substantive Vice-Chancellor (VC) for the next few months.

The governor described the newly appointed Professor Haruna as a seasoned scholar in a message sent through his chief press secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, adding that his appointment is appropriate and deserving.

He claimed Haruna possesses the qualities of an innovative and transformative leader.

The newly appointed VC will take the institution to a remarkable height, the governor predicted.

Governor Bago praised the appointment of the new vice chancellor and pledged to support his success.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s (PDP) Kebbi State Chapter) has distanced itself from Kabiru Turaki’s nomination as the party’s candidate for the northernmost seat.

READ MORE: PDP Northern Stakeholders Support Turaki As Consensus Candidate for the National Chair

Shortly after a Saturday emergency meeting in Birnin Kebbi, the state chapter made the announcement.

The chapter reaffirmed its commitment to the North-West’s position in a communiqué read by its Publicity Secretary, Sani Dododo.

It stated that the PDP governors’ decision to support Turaki had not been supported by the state chapter and was therefore rejected.

“Kabiru Tanimu has never spoken to the party’s Kebbi State chapter about his contest plans. He has not participated in any of the party’s activities in the state, according to Dododo.

Kabiru Tanimu visited Kebbi to ask for support or consult any party elder or stakeholder at no time, he continued.

Right to nominate

The state chairman added that the Kebbi PDP was unanimous in its support of the party’s position that each state should have the authority to deliberate and choose a qualified candidate to represent the area in accordance with the party’s zoning laws.

Therefore, the Kebbi State chapter expressly rejects the former Minister of Special Duties’ choice as the party’s preferred candidate.

The former Minister of Special Duties had endorsed him as the party’s preferred nominee for the chairmanship position at its upcoming national elective convention, which is set to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Umar Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa State, stated to journalists following a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday that the decision did not prevent any interested candidates from running for the position.

Following the meeting, the governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Zamfara, and Plateau States, former senators Abba Moro, Umar Damagum, the PDP national chairman, and other party leaders from the North, all came together to reach a consensus candidate resolution.

READ ALSO: The court decides a PDP convention case on October 31.

A fully-loaded truck fell off the Oshodi Bridge in Lagos State, seriously injuring one person.

Read more about LASTMA’s arrest of six suspected “One-Chance” robbers, recovery of 77 stolen phones, and others under the bridge.

Prior to the incident, the truck’s brake system was said to have failed.

In a statement confirming the incident on Saturday, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority claimed its agent responded quickly by rescuing the injured man.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) once more demonstrated its unwavering commitment to public safety, emergency response, and traffic orderliness in an example of operational precision and institutional alertness. Today, its operatives rescued a severely injured male victim from a horrific accident involving a fully loaded vehicle.

The six-tyre truck, with the AKD 135 YK registration number, allegedly sank into the terminal ditch after leaving the Oshodi-Oke inward mile 2 and jumped off the Oshodi Bridge.

The ill-fated truck, which was reportedly loaded with tonner printing materials, lost control as it descended the bridge, skidded off the carriageway, and slammed into the terminal below, reportedly causing a critical mechanical failure.

The statement from the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, partially read, “The unfortunate incident, which could have culminated in catastrophic casualties, was quickly mitigated by the prompt, professional, and coordinated intervention of LASTMA personnel who arrived at the scene within minutes to rescue victims, manage traffic, and prevent escalation.”

The officers immediately began the rescue and managed to free the victim who had suffered horrifying injuries upon arrival, according to the organization.

The injured man was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for urgent care, while the truck’s driver was arrested and handed over to security personnel from Makinde Police Station, Oshodi, for further investigation into the cause of the brake malfunction and other contributing factors.

LASTMA employees immediately cordoned off the accident scene, diverted vehicular movement, and supervised the wreckage clearance, restoring traffic normalcy in remarkably short time to prevent secondary collisions and ensure the safety of road users.

The release of the numbers 677, 572, and 815 has been approved by the governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, who will provide Katsina students with bursary allowances, academic excellence awards, and special needs scholarships.

With this most recent round, Katsina State has now invested 2.6 billion in student support, which is both positive for tens of thousands of students and confirms the State’s leadership in supporting the advancement of education in Northern Nigeria.

A total of 283, 521, and 639 will be distributed as bursary allowances to newly admitted Katsina students in tertiary institutions across the nation out of the total amount approved.

The Katsina State Government Award of Academic Excellence, which honors graduates with First-Class Honours in their respective fields, has been allocated another $115 million.

Additionally, $7 million has been allocated for the annual special scholarship program to assist students with special needs.

This most recent approval comes after the earlier release of 372, 051, and 176 for continuing students in September 2024, bringing the total amount spent for the 2024/2025 academic session to 677, 572, and 815.

According to Ibrahim Mohammed, the chief press secretary to Radda, who signed the bill on Saturday, this approval demonstrates the governor’s unwavering support for education as a vehicle for economic growth, social inclusion, and in line with his Building Your Future Agenda, which places human capital development at the center of governance.

Mohammed reaffirmed that Governor Radda has consistently prioritized education through substantial funding for bursary and scholarship programs since taking office.

He added that previous disbursements include ₦637, 924, 516 (for 47, 935 students, 2020/2021 fresh and 2021/2022 continuing), ₦544, 207, 748 (for 37, 802 students, 2021/2022 fresh and 2022/2023 continuing), ₦744, 102, 352 (for 50, 438 students, 2022/2023 fresh and 2023/2024 continuing), and ₦372, 051, 176 for 2024/2025 continuing students.

Also Read: Governor Radda swears in eight permanent secretaries and three commissioners.

The governor’s approval, according to Aminu Tsauri, the governor’s executive secretary, is a landmark decision that affirms the administration’s unwavering commitment to developing human capital.

His Excellency has once more shown that he views education as a long-term investment in Katsina State’s future, according to Tsauri. “This gesture rekindles hope in thousands of students, especially those from low-income families, who rely on government support to fulfill their academic dreams,” said the president. The Governor’s vision continues to inspire excellence, opportunity, and inclusion.

Tsauri praised Governor Radda for placing education at the heart of his leadership, reiterating that “this is not just about figures; it is about vision and purpose.”

The Governor has demonstrated that young people continue to be a key component of Katsina’s transformation. He has given them a reason to believe that sacrificing oneself and earning another will always pay off.

He also praised the Scholarship Board’s governing members for their impartiality and professionalism, assuring that all money raised will be wisely used to help deserving students.

Beginning on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025, he claims, award letters will be distributed to recipients of the scholarships in their respective institutions. Newly admitted Katsina students who are currently enrolled in the Nigerian Law School are expected to report to the Scholarship Board Headquarters between Monday, October 27 and Thursday, October 30th, 2025 for further processing and documentation.

Beyond providing local bursaries, the Radda administration has expanded its educational mission internationally. In specialized fields like medicine and surgery (MBBS) at Nahda University in Beni Suef, Egypt, and bioengineering at Xuzhou University of Technology in China, dozens of Katsina students from all 34 local government areas are currently enrolling in the State’s foreign scholarship program.

Governor Radda’s desire to make Katsina’s youth global citizens is reflected in these international programs. equipped with modern knowledge and abilities to promote both domestic and international growth, as well as advancement in medicine and technology.

A Nigerian conservation NGO that was preparing to receive an African baby gorilla for later repatriation said Saturday that Turkey’s decision to keep it defies logic.

Just before Christmas, the primate was taken to a zoo in the hills outside Istanbul and taken to safety in a wooden crate at the airport in a hurry.

Turkey’s conservation authorities launched the process after a DNA test revealed Zeytin belonged to a non-native species, and Nigeria requested his repatriation.

Zeytin would not be repatriated to Nigeria, but he would be kept in a Turkish zoo, according to Turkish officials’ announcement on Friday.

READ ALSO: Customs Seize $5. 3 billion worth of illegal drugs from imported goods

Before moving Zeytin and another young gorilla of the same subspecies to a sanctuary in central Africa, the Pandrillus Foundation in Nigeria was preparing to house them.

“We have been incredibly disappointed. What the Turkish government is doing is illogical, according to Liza Gadsby, director of the Pandrillus Foundation.

“And that’s fine if Turkey doesn’t want him to go to a gorilla sanctuary instead of Nigeria.” But they must act responsibly for this animal, she said.

She said that while they should have taken him into consideration when they first seized him, keeping him in Turkey “goes against everything” that they are supposed to be doing under the CITES or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Another gorilla was taken from Nigerian customs more than two years ago, according to The Pandrillus Foundation.

Gadsby announced that the other gorilla’s repatriation process would start on Monday.

She said, “We never intended to keep her.”

Engr. – Minister of Works By the end of November, David Umahi has requested that the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State be fully operational and ready for use.

Umahi gave the directive while conducting an inspection of federal road projects in the South-South and South-East regions, where he evaluated the level of work done by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc on the 37.9-kilometer Bodo-Bonny Road project.

According to President Bola Tinubu’s approval, the project, which began on October 20, 2017, had gone through several cost reviews, starting with 120 billion, moving up to 199 billion, and finally to N280 billion.

Bodo-Bonny, a 37.9 km project, is “exactly eight years old today.” The project officially began on October 20th, 2017. As of 2017, the contract’s initial value was 120 billion, which was later increased to 198 billion and now to 280 billion. Because of his commitment to the Niger Delta people, Umahi advised “go and give them what they want.”

He claimed that given the terrain and the standard of the work being done, the cost would be around $7.4 billion per kilometer.

The route through marshy lands is “a coastal route.” It would cost more than 15 billion per kilometer if we were to complete this project right away. The Minister stated that the work was of high caliber and that the project manager’s commitment was admirable.

By the end of November, Umahi ordered that all barricades be removed so that there can be some partial traffic flow while monitoring continues until the final asphalt surfacing is finished in the spring.

Every job here must be finished by December 15th, with the exception of the five kilometers of asphalt. Before final surfacing, monitor the road through December, January, and February and open it for traffic until the end of November. The President will then commission it, he said.

Additionally, the Minister disclosed plans to put solar-powered streetlights, CCTV cameras, and trees along the embankments, noting that the improvements would be funded by the project’s contingency funds without incurring any additional costs to the government.

“This road’s security is very important. If there are reasonable emergency costs, he said, “we’ll use them to plant trees, install solar lights, install CCTV, and also set up relief stations where cars can park and we can watch security.”

Tim Nippert, Julius Berger’s project manager, praised Umahi for his assurance that the project would be finished in time.

We appreciate your sincere words. You have presented us with a significant challenge, but we won’t have to put up with it. That’s our full commitment,” Nippert said, referring to the project as a new standard for Nigerian concrete road construction.

Ndom Ndifreke, the engineer’s representative, also confirmed that the work was going well and would be finished on time.

Umahi expressed satisfaction with Reynolds Construction Company’s (RCC) work at the East-West Road’s Eleme-Onne section, explaining that the project had been converted from asphalt to reinforced concrete pavement to accommodate heavy industrial traffic.

The petrochemical plant, port, and refinery are served by this is Nigeria’s most traveled road. He claimed that we redesigned the initial $ 156 billion asphalt design to make it stronger by using reinforced concrete.

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The Minister made it clear that the Aleto Bridge and one carriageway were about to be finished, with the remaining flyovers and bridges scheduled to arrive by April of next year.

He demanded truck parks to be constructed to stop heavy vehicles from causing damage to the new road and directed the installation of solar lights and CCTVs every 30-meter interval.

Umahi also urged people to take ownership of government projects in order to prevent misuse of public infrastructure.

We must protect the roads because the President is building ones that will last 100 years. People should stop dumping garbage on medians and parking trucks on bridges. Every citizen has a role, he remarked. Leadership is not just for those in office.

The Minister further assured contractors that all NNPC-sponsored road projects, including those in the Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States, would continue to be funded without delay.

“There won’t be any issues with funding.” We’ll give the President a strategic plan by the end of this week to ensure that NNPC projects continue to be funded. He claimed that none of these initiatives should be abandoned.

In response, RCC representatives thanked the Minister for his advice and promised to finish the Eleme section on time.