Zulum Declares 2026 Year of Consolidation, Intensifies Security and Reconstruction Drive in Borno State

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has declared that his administration will intensify efforts to eliminate residual security threats and fast-track the completion of critical infrastructure projects across Borno State in 2026, describing the year as decisive for consolidating hard-won gains.

The governor made the commitment on Thursday during the first State Executive Council meeting of the year at the Government House in Maiduguri, where he addressed commissioners and senior government officials on the administration’s priorities.

Zulum said although relative stability has returned to many parts of the state after years of insurgency, the government would not relent until every community is safe.

“We have made measurable progress in restoring peace, but our task is not finished. Security remains the foundation upon which every other intervention stands. We will continue to support security agencies and ensure that no part of Borno is left vulnerable,” he stated.

A central pillar of the 2026 agenda, according to the governor, is the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), with emphasis on durable, long-term solutions rather than temporary relief.

He explained that the state government would deepen investments in housing, healthcare, education and livelihood programmes to ensure that returning families can rebuild their lives sustainably.

“Our goal is not just to return people to their communities, but to restore dignity, economic stability and hope. Resettlement must translate into real recovery,” Zulum said.

The governor also announced plans to strengthen social protection systems to shield vulnerable populations from economic shocks and the lingering effects of conflict. He described social protection as a strategic tool for stabilisation and inclusive growth.

“Social protection remains central to our rebuilding process. As we provide infrastructure and social amenities, we must also strengthen support systems for widows, orphans, and the most vulnerable in our society,” he added.

Zulum directed members of the executive council to ensure the timely completion of all ongoing projects across the state’s three senatorial districts. These projects cut across road construction, healthcare facilities, schools, water supply schemes and agricultural development initiatives.

He warned against delays and cost overruns, stressing the need for accountability, transparency and rigorous supervision.

“Every project must reflect value for money and must be delivered within schedule. Our people deserve visible and measurable progress,” he said.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Bukar Tijani; Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Babagana Mallumbe; and other top officials.

With the renewed focus on security consolidation and accelerated development, the Borno government signalled its determination to shift from emergency response to structured recovery, anchoring the state’s future on stability, infrastructure expansion and strengthened social systems.

Zulum Declares 2026 Year of Consolidation, Intensifies Security and Reconstruction Drive in Borno State

Nigeria, Israel Move to Deepen Strategic Alliance on Security, Health, Technology

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and Israel have taken fresh steps to strengthen their strategic partnership, with renewed commitments to collaborate on border security, counter-terrorism, health systems support, agricultural technology, and innovation.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made this known in Abuja during a high-level meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman.

At the heart of the discussions was Nigeria’s ongoing battle against insurgency and terrorism, with Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighting Israel’s globally recognised expertise in border management and intelligence coordination as an area from which Nigeria could draw practical lessons.

She emphasized that strengthening collaboration in defence, intelligence sharing, and security training would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to address evolving security threats. According to her, activating the long-standing Nigeria-Israel Joint Commission would provide the institutional backbone required to translate diplomatic goodwill into measurable outcomes.

Beyond security, both countries signaled readiness to scale up cooperation in healthcare delivery. Israel has pledged to donate between 50 and 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria in phases, alongside training for emergency response personnel who will operate them.

Describing the initiative as transformative, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria’s emergency response framework requires urgent reinforcement, particularly in improving first-responder systems across states and rural communities.

“This marks the beginning of institutionalising an ambulance culture in Nigeria,” she noted, pointing to persistent gaps in rapid medical response that often determine survival outcomes in critical cases.

Freeman described Nigeria as a strategic partner, citing its demographic weight and leadership role on the continent as central to Israel’s diplomatic outreach in Africa. He said deepening ties with Nigeria aligns with Israel’s broader engagement strategy across key sectors including agriculture, technology, and innovation.

He disclosed that arrangements were already underway with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health to commence delivery of the ambulances, starting with an initial batch of three to four units. Beyond emergency health support, Freeman said Israel is also prepared to expand access to its agricultural technologies to support Nigeria’s food security drive.

The renewed push builds on earlier diplomatic engagements between the two countries. In August 2025, Odumegwu-Ojukwu held a comprehensive political dialogue in Abuja with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, where both sides underscored the global nature of terrorism and the need for coordinated international action.

At that meeting, Nigeria and Israel agreed to intensify cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence exchange—particularly in tracking terror financing—border innovation, agriculture, culture, tourism, and multilateral diplomacy. Both sides also committed to regular consultations and exchange programmes aimed at strengthening institutional linkages.

Wednesday’s meeting signals a continuation of that trajectory, as Abuja and Jerusalem seek to convert diplomatic engagement into concrete partnerships capable of addressing security vulnerabilities, boosting healthcare capacity, and driving technological advancement.

For Nigeria, grappling with complex security challenges and striving to modernise key sectors of its economy, the evolving partnership with Israel represents both a strategic calculation and a practical pathway toward capacity building in critical national priorities.

Nigeria, Israel Move to Deepen Strategic Alliance on Security, Health, Technology

NRM Presidential Aspirant Faduri Declares 2027 Ambition, Vows To Rescue Nigeria From ‘Political Elites’

By: Our Reporter

Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, popularly known as Fadojoe, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election under the platform of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), promising what he described as “people-first leadership” to pull Nigeria back from economic decline and insecurity.

In a speech announcing his ambitionnon Wednesday, the sociologist and US-based healthcare executive said Nigeria was “bleeding” and required urgent rescue from years of corruption, mismanagement and what he called recycled political leadership.

Faduri, who hails from Ipetu-Ijesha in Osun State, recounted his early life struggles, revealing that he lost his father at the age of four and his mother at fourteen.

A graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Faduri also stated that he is a licensed nurse in New York, United States, and currently serves as CEO of F Planet Group USA, with interests spanning healthcare, consulting, foundation work and film production.

Referencing Nigeria’s founding leaders—Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Obafemi Awolowo—the presidential hopeful said the country had drifted far from the ideals of a true republic envisioned at independence.

According to him, Nigeria has degenerated into a nation where poverty, youth unemployment, insecurity and currency depreciation have replaced the prosperity and unity of earlier decades.

Faduri blamed Nigeria’s challenges on systemic corruption and leadership failure, arguing that personal interests have consistently been placed above national interest.

He questioned the continued dysfunction of state assets such as refineries and the Ajaokuta Steel project, asking why thousands of workers are still paid in non-functional institutions while the country depends heavily on private interests and foreign services.

The NRM aspirant disclosed that he previously joined the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 elections and contributed to building the platform that produced Mr. Peter Obi as presidential candidate, but stepped down in the interest of unity.

Quoting American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., he said leadership must be measured by courage in times of crisis, insisting that Nigeria now needs decisive and people-driven governance.

Faduri said he would contest under the National Rescue Movement, symbolised by the honeybee, adding that it was time to return Nigeria “to her honey days.”

If elected, he promised to prioritise economic stability, strengthen the naira, revive local refining capacity, and address energy costs. He also pledged to make primary and secondary education compulsory, strengthen vocational training, and ensure lecturers’ salaries are paid promptly.

He further promised to rebuild public hospitals to world-class standards and vowed that no government official, including himself, would seek medical treatment abroad at public expense.

Other priorities listed include decentralising electricity supply, reforming and strengthening the military and police, and promoting local manufacturing, including the use of locally produced vehicles for official purposes.

Framing the 2027 election as “the people versus the political class,” Faduri called on Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to join what he termed a “rescue mission” to rebuild the country.

The statement reads in part; “When the founding fathers of this nation came together in the struggle for independence—great leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Obafemi Awolowo—they fought for a Republic. A true Republic—if we can keep it.

“A Republic where government would be kind to its people. A Republic where life would be dignified, where food would be affordable, where citizens would love one another, and where love of country would supersede love of self. A Republic where leaders would create an enabling environment for prosperity through the proper use of our vast human and natural resources.

“A Republic where citizens would collaborate with government to build a society we can all be proud of. A Republic where morality, decency, and the fear of God would guide leadership. Above all, a Republic where people would feel safe in their own land. Today, my fellow Nigerians, we must admit that what we have falls far short of that vision.

“We now live in a nation that resembles a jungle—where survival of the fittest has replaced shared prosperity. A nation plunged into poverty by leaders who once enjoyed the best of Nigeria in their youth but have failed to preserve it for future generations.

“While the rest of the world is discussing artificial intelligence and technological breakthroughs, we are still campaigning with rice, noodles, onions, and ₦42,000 handouts on election day. What a tragedy.

“There was a time when the Nigerian passport was among the most respected in the world. Our naira was strong. Education was free and qualitative. Jobs awaited graduates even before graduation. Housing schemes met population growth. Hospitals functioned. Rural health centres served communities. You could travel safely from Lagos to Sokoto or from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri without fear.

“We lived as brothers and sisters—hopeful, united, and prosperous. But what do we have today? One of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. Rising insecurity. A struggling economy. A free-falling currency. A passport that no longer commands respect. A nation once united now divided by suspicion and fear. A country once flowing with opportunity now burdened by poverty, hunger, kidnapping, and corruption.

“My fellow Nigerians, how did we get here? How did we descend to this level where our citizens flee daily as though escaping a war zone? We got here through years of systemic corruption, mismanagement, and policies that moved our country from boom to doom. We got here because leaders placed personal interest above national interest.

“Even those in the diaspora, who struggle daily abroad, still carry the burden of families back home. Many of our health workers abroad—once undervalued here—now treat Nigerian leaders overseas for ailments that should be handled in our own hospitals. Enough is enough.

“It is time to fight for the soul of our nation. I am not here merely to recount our problems. I am here to declare that Nigeria is fixable. It is not rocket science. What we have lacked is sincere, courageous, and people-centred leadership. What happened to our refineries? What happened to Ajaokuta Steel? Why do we continue to pay thousands of workers in non-functional institutions? Why must we depend on private individuals for what government should provide?

“Corruption has become normalized. Public funds meant for national development are diverted. Absurd excuses are given for missing money, yet there are no consequences. Poverty has no tribe. Hunger has no ethnicity. Insecurity affects us all. If we fail to rescue Nigeria now, we risk becoming slaves in our own land—not chained by colonial masters, but controlled by political elites who care only for themselves. This is why I offer myself for service.

In 2022, ahead of the 2023 presidential election, I joined the Labour Party and contributed to building the LP that produced Mr. Peter Obi. I stepped down in the interest of unity. However, leadership must be measured by resilience and responsibility, especially in times of crisis. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

“Nigeria needs resolute, decisive, and people-driven leadership—not desperation or recycled political coalitions. The 2027 election will be the people versus the political class. And the people’s coalition shall prevail. I will be contesting under the National Rescue Movement (NRM), symbolized by the honeybee. It is time to return Nigeria to her honey days. If given the mandate, our government will be People First. Nation First.

“We will prioritize: Restoring economic stability and strengthening the naira; Revitalizing local refining capacity and addressing energy costs; Investing massively in education—making primary and secondary education compulsory and strengthening technical and vocational training; Ensuring lecturers’ salaries are never delayed.

“Rebuilding and equipping our hospitals to world-class standards. No government official—including myself—will seek medical treatment abroad at public expense. Decentralizing and stabilizing electricity supply. Reforming and strengthening the military and police to restore law and order.

“Encouraging local manufacturing, including the use of locally produced vehicles for official purposes. We will build a nation of law and order—a nation of reward and accountability. This is a generational call—a call for a shift from recycled leadership to visionary leadership. It is not a time for convenience. It is time to rebuild Nigeria.

“Our slogan says it clearly: “A Nation That Has Everything, Yet Lacks Everything.” Together, we will change that narrative. Join me in this rescue mission. Let us combine the best of Nigerians at home and abroad to build a new Republic—one we can keep,” the statement added.

NRM Presidential Aspirant Faduri Declares 2027 Ambition, Vows To Rescue Nigeria From ‘Political Elites’