Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has vehemently opposed plans to construct housing units for beggars and displaced people in Abuja, claiming that this strategy is inappropriate for the capital city.
Wike made the declaration at the National Assembly’s 2025 FCT Appropriation Bill defense session. Mariya Mahmoud, the FCT minister of state, and other top FCT administration officials accompanied him.
Before holding a closed-door meeting, the delegation first made an appearance before the House of Representatives Committee.
Senator Ali Ndume advised the FCT Administration to adopt a plan similar to that used in Kano decades ago as he expressed concern over the growing number of displaced people and beggars in Abuja during the deliberation.
The indigenes or the displaced people roaming Abuja, according to the report from Nigerians, driving or arresting them. According to Senator Ndume, what you need to do is what the Kano government did in the 1970s.
“If you know any Indians, and you have a camp where you can feed and train them, you can pick them off the street.”
READ ALSO: Beginning On Monday, Wike, We Will Start Picking Up Beggars In FCT.
Wike quickly refuted the suggestion, saying that the peculiarity of Abuja as the nation’s capital necessitates a different approach.
The Federal Capital Territory is located here. He claimed that the processes in the FCT will not be the same as those in Kano, Rivers, Sokoto, or Ondo.
“These people are not native Americans,” you say. It will be challenging for us to adhere to that kind of pattern in a city like the FCT, where all the international bodies are located.
He also cited the capital city’s unique security restrictions.
Understand, on security, that this is where the President, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Defense Headquarters are located. We are unable to overtake the FCT’s entire security architecture, Wike added.
The Minister went further and issued a warning to beggars by the side of the road, urging them to leave or face arrest by law enforcement. He previously issued an ultimatum to all concerned people to leave the streetsides on October 27, 2024, citing the rise of such individuals as a threat to urban security.
The Minister lamented the rising number of people loitering on the roadsides while halting the construction of an access road to Katampe’s newly commissioned Judges’ Quarters.
Peter Obi, a politician and former governor of Anambra State, has criticized the Federal Government for fabricating a N7 trillion budget fraud claim that BudgIT recently exposed.
The civic-tech organization that promotes budget accountability and transparency in Nigeria and other African nations announced on Tuesday that it had found 11, 122 projects totaling N6.93 trillion that the National Assembly had inserted into the national budget for 2025.
The figure, according to an 18-page report released by the organization on Tuesday, represents 12.5% of the N54.99 trillion budget, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law on February 28.
A thorough analysis of the BudgIT report revealed that 238 projects, totaling N2.29 trillion, were inserted into the budget without much or no justification.
Additionally, a budget that included 119 projects in the N1 billion and 94 projects in the N1.7 trillion range, totaling N641.38 billion, was indiscriminately inserted into the budget, according to the report.
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In response to the report, Obi expressed his deep trouble and called Nigeria a “relentless scene of corruption.”
“Nigeria continues to be a corrupt country.” I have consistently argued that Nigeria must stop acting as a crime scene and be repositioned for real development in order for this nation to advance.
If there is going to be a significant change, “this deeply ingrained corruption must be nipped in the bud.” How else can we explain the troubling revelations made by BudgIT, which included a staggering $7 trillion in dubious projects for the 2025 national budget? I’m persuaded that this figure only accounts for a small portion of the actual misappropriation.
These findings confirm my long-held claim that we have turned our nation into a crime location. To effectively and effectively manage our resources, we must urgently and systematically combat corruption, misappropriation, and fiscal recklessness, and invest in essential development areas like education, health, and lifting our people out of poverty.
The 7 trillion discovered as being duped into the 2025 budget is even greater than the combined budgets for the ministries of agriculture, human rights, and health, which are essential to the development of the country.
The politician listed each ministry’s 2025 federal allocation, noting that the total amounts were still below the alleged N7tn, which was also inserted.
To be precise, the Ministry of Education received 3.55 trillion, the Ministry of Health received 2.48 trillion, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation received 260 billion, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security received 636.08 billion. These four ministries received a total of $6.896 trillion, which is an already exaggerated sum, but it is still below the $7 trillion budget-dubiously injected figure.
At a time when Nigeria is among the most terrorized countries in the world, “that is even more than the 6.1 trillion allocated to national security.”
Obi questioned why the federal government would not instead invest in vital sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education, describing the action as “brazen impunity” by political leaders.
“The country cannot invest adequately in education, which is why there are nearly 20 million children who are not in school,” according to our leaders. The corruption that has harmed primary healthcare has led to alarming numbers of malnourished children. Our leaders ignore agricultural investment because of persistent mismanagement and a lack of accountability, despite the widespread hunger we experience.
Some leaders in Nigeria have lost touch with the reality of the poor, according to former president Sam Adeyemi, who has lamented the country’s leaders’ lack of empathy and compassion.
Adeyemi, who serves as Daystar Christian Centre’s senior pastor, was a guest on Thursday’s Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program.
The cleric claimed that these leaders are now more focused on ensuring the people’s lives are better than improving theirs because they are now finding it difficult to guide the populace in the right direction.
He claims that the fear of losing control also contributes to the political party cross-party politics trend.
According to Adeyemi, “some of our leaders have lost touch with the reality of the poor, they have no empathy, no compassion,” it is even obvious from their words. We want to foster a climate in which those in charge can take the right steps and make the right choices.
Some of them are defrauding because they fear losing their next election. Thus, it is threatened that they will survive.
powerful godfathers
Adayemi claimed that political godfathers who do not choose their leaders in Nigeria are breeding leaders who are unable to discern reality.
He claimed that these leaders forget the people and become scandalous as they ascend to power.
“I wish we had the ideal scenario whereby citizens actually elected people, but we’ve seen the influence of the godfathers in our politics over time. Over the years, they have cultivated a strong influence.
According to the most recent international payment data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Government paid 50% more for external debt servicing annually.
In contrast to the $ 1.33 billion recorded during the same time period in 2024, the data shows that Nigeria repaid its external debt by about $ 2.01 billion between January and April 2025.
Debt servicing alone made up 77% of Nigeria’s total international payments in the first four months, a significant increase from the 64.5 percent share recorded in the same period in 2024.
As of April 2025, the nation’s total international payments, which included debt service, remittances, and letters of credit, increased to $ 2.07 billion from $ 2.07bn from the previous period of 2024.
During the review period, Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves reportedly decreased by about $3 billion.
On a month-to-month basis, Nigeria paid $540.67m in January 2025 from $560.52m recorded in January 2024.
In February, the figure stood at $276.73m, almost unchanged from the $283.22m paid in February 2024.
However, the cost of debt increased by $ 623.2 million in March, more than double the $ 76.17 million that was paid the same month last year.
The upward trend continued in April, with a further $557.79 million repaid, a 159 percent increase over the $ 215.20 million paid in April 2024.
According to the data, the nation repaid nearly $1.2 billion in debt in March and April alone.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed that Nigeria has fully repaid the $3.4 billion in funding provided by the Rapid Financing Instrument to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic effects. In contrast to traditional IMF programs, the loan was one of the largest disbursements under the Rapid Financing Instrument on a global scale.
The Fund claimed that Christian Ebeke, the IMF’s résident representative for Nigeria, was responsible for the payment as of April 30th, 2025.
According to the IMF, “Nigeria has fully repaid the financial support of about $3.4 billion it requested and received in April 2020 from the International Monetary Fund in order to help alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp decline in oil prices.”
The loan, which was approved in April 2020, was intended to assist Nigeria in reversing the effects of the pandemic, including the sharp drop in oil prices, economic contraction, and fiscal pressures.
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Nigeria will continue to pay additional annual fees over the next few years in addition to the full payment of the principal due to the approximately $30 million Special Drawing Rights charges.
Bosun Tijani, the country’s minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, revealed on Wednesday that the Federal Government is preparing to invest in 70 000 telecommunications towers, with over 80% of those installations located in the country’s northern regions.
According to him, the goal is to close the current connectivity gap and make Nigeria the continent’s most inclusive digital economy without any marginalization.
The Minister further stated that the 90, 000 kilometers of fiber optic network, which the state government plans to build across all of Nigeria, is still one of the biggest investments made by the Federal Government in the digital space. He was speaking in Katsina State during the state government’s hosted Arewa Tech Fest 2.0.
We have a focus on fundamental initiatives that can increase national productivity under President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, Tijani said.
The 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic network, which aims to connect every region of the nation, is one of our biggest investments in the digital space.
To close the connectivity gap that exists, the government is also working on investments in 70 000 telecommunications towers, of which over 80% will be based in Nigeria’s northern region. No community will be forgotten in Nigeria, making our goal the most inclusive digital economy in Africa.
His Ministry has focused on fundamental initiatives that can increase the national productivity, according to President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
“This tech festival today is more than just an event; it also has strong signals from Katsina, the Arewa states, and that Arewa is prepared.”
Therefore, I tell participants, especially the room’s innovators, that all you need is self-expression and formation; all you need is that you don’t have to move to Lagos or Abuja to succeed.
Being born in Katsina or Kano gives the country a “smart advantage” rather than a disadvantage.
He said, “The future of Nigeria and that of Africa is being written right here in Katsina right now than the silicon valley of Lagos or Abuja.”
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Tijani advised young people to show their innovations to potential investors and philanthropists so they can help them.
Jafar Alabi, a participant, advised coworkers to embrace artificial intelligence in their projects to advance and avoid falling behind.
Dr. Muttaka Rabe Darma, the head of the local organising committee, stated earlier in an interview that he anticipates a lot of positive developments at the festival’s conclusion, where participants are expected to come up with solutions to lingering socioeconomic and security issues facing Katsina State.
He thinks that Katsina State will ultimately be the most prosperous and will switch from an analog to a digital economy.
The second-ever edition of Arewa Tech Fest 2.0, which was attended by about 10,000 technology investors and initiators, was held in association with it.
The inaugural edition of the festival, titled “Innovating for Impact: Technology as a Catalyst for Economic Transformation,” was held in Kano State last year, and stakeholders are working together to ensure that they triple the success of Kano in Katsina State.
The main goals of this festival are to transform Katsina from an analog state to a digital one, and to enable a technology-driven economy.
Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, government organizations, academia, development partners, media, and the general public were previously invited to participate in this historic festival.
Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate for 2023, has stated that he will not run for Atiku Abubakar in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Adebayo made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday in response to growing rumors about a potential opposition coalition ahead of the election.
Adebayo asserted with all the force that neither he nor Atiku have the authority to “use” the SDP despite claims that it could be co-opted into a larger alliance to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
He has not said anyone should step down, and he has not said that. “I will not]step down. The SDP can’t be used by me or Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The Nigerian people own the SDP. It is not permitted by anyone.
People who now accept the SDP as correct and have aligned ideologies can join the party, they might say. They will want to join because they have the best chance of winning in a system that hasn’t been bought over by anyone because they know the party is open and democratic.
However, it cannot be used if you believe the SDP is something you can use. You can support the SDP, respect its ideology, and support the efforts of those already in place. That’s fine if you want to contribute and join. However, we are not available to be used if someone is sitting around and wants to use something,” according to the candidate for president of the 2023 SDP.
No formal interaction
Adebayo continued, citing Atiku’s political standing and standing, but added that the former Vice President has not been in touch with the coalition directly.
“I must respect Atiku, but it’s obvious that people are speaking out in his name.” He has access to us and is aware of what he wants to do. A third party is not required to provide information to us.
He will come to us when he wants to join the party. We don’t discuss him until then because he appears to be aware of his plans because he has been running for president for more than 32 years, he said.
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When asked if he knew the coalition being allegedly led by Atiku and Nasir El-Rufai to ouster President Tinubu in 2027, Adebayo responded, “All of us want to unseat President Tinubu in 2027. I want him to win over him more than anyone else.
The SDP flagbearer responded to rumors that the coalition might be looking for a stronger candidate because of his electability, saying, “I don’t know about that. Let the voters of Nigeria decide that President Tinubu is invincible against the people of the country. “Adding that,” I can say.
Not 2027, but “Worry About Nigerians”
Adebayo responded when asked whether President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be concerned about the escalating political discussions and coalition initiatives in 2027.
There are serious discussions taking place that aren’t reported in newspapers. However, they should first be concerned about putting pressure on Nigerians. They ought to not be so concerned about electing the electorate, but rather concerned about deceiving the electorate.
He criticized the performance of the government, citing unrest and rising poverty.
The President’s office is not a monarchy, they say. His political fervor should be reflected in the Nigerian people’s welfare.
People are dying from hunger, according to the director, “This is not a movie.” There is uncertainty. You feel depressed after reading the news because you want good news. Use your sagacity to control the lives of Nigerians, Adebayo remarked.
Defections and Coalition Talks
In Nigeria, significant political maneuvering has been taking place over the past few weeks as various political parties and figures have begun to plan ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for president in 2023, Atiku has publicly backed the formation of a large opposition coalition.
The former vice president confirmed that he was speaking with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Peter Obi, the party’s leader, in order to form a coalition against the ruling APC.
However, not everyone in the PDP is supportive of this initiative. The party’s governors’ forum has vehemently opposed the coalition talks, expressing concern that such a move might undermine the party’s standing and electoral cohesion.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate for president in 2023, has also made his position clear. Any coalitions established solely with the intention of securing political power have been rejected by him. Any alliance must be based on a shared commitment to addressing Nigeria’s pressing issues, according to Obi.
El-Rufai recently left the APC and joined the SDP, outraged by the direction of the ruling party, in a surprising move. The SDP leadership has stated that at this time there is no formal alliance with El-Rufai or Atiku despite his defection.
In the interim, party reversals keep making headlines. Delta State’s six House of Representatives members recently left the PDP to join the APC.
Ifeanyi Okowa, the former governor of Delta State and Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, officially defected to the APC in April, which shocked many in the opposition.