National News
EU, IOM Facilitates 500 Stranded Nigerian Returns From Libya
 
																								
												
												
											EU, IOM Facilitates 500 Stranded Nigerian Returns From Libya
By: Michael Mike
The European Union (EU) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have in 2022 assisted more than 500 stranded Nigerian migrants in Libya to return back to the country.
Presently, 162 Nigerian migrants have returned safely from Libya on the fourth charter flight for this year organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The evacuations were done with support from the European Union (EU) through its Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration.
A statement by IOM on Wednesday said the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted migrant workers like Yousef Al Hadji who migrated from Nigeria to Libya in 2016. When his work hours as a gas attendant decreased dramatically, Yousef began working as a cleaner at a garbage facility to continue sending money home to his family in Nigeria. Many other migrants were stranded in Libya due to COVID-19 and the challenging security situation in the country. Once voluntary humanitarian return flights from Libya resumed in October 2021 after months of suspension due to border closures and restrictions, Yousef immediately elected to return to his country of origin.
Al Hadji was quoted to have said when he visited an IOM facility for a medical assessment prior to his travel: “It has been six years since I first came to Libya, and I haven’t seen my big family.” While it was difficult to be away for so long, he now looked forward to reuniting with his family in Nigeria.
Wednesday’s humanitarian flight departed from the capital of Libya, Tripoli, at noon and landed safely at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 6pm. Out of the 162 migrants, 110 are men and 52 were women including 14 individuals under the age of 18 and 11 infants.
According to IOM Nigeria Head of Sub-office in Lagos, Stephen Rogers: “These migrants have been waiting patiently for months to get a flight back home and allow them to reunite with their families and friends.”
He said: “IOM’s role is not over yet. We need to ensure their needs are accommodated under the best conditions and initiate their reintegration support back in the communities of origin.”
The statement said prior to departure, the returnees underwent health checks and got tested for COVID-19 and received hygiene kits containing face masks and other protective gear. IOM also provided them with pre-departure counselling services, protection screening and transportation assistance. IOM also offers targeted assistance to migrants with specific situations of vulnerability such as pregnant women, unaccompanied migrant children, victims of trafficking and migrants with medical conditions.
Also Read: NYSC: 1,500 corps members to report to Orientation camp in…
Upon arrival, the returnees are given food, refreshments and a mobile device to assist them with contacting their families and to remain in touch with IOM as they receive reintegration support. Vulnerable cases are provided with non-food items such as clothes, shoes and other essential items. Returnees undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine period for unvaccinated beneficiaries and undergo on the second day another PCR test for COVID-19. Returnees subsequently receive financial support for transportation to their communities of origin. IOM will provide mental health and psychosocial support and business skills training to help them to kickstart income-generating activities as part of their reintegration assistance.
Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi said:
“The EU-IOM Joint Initiative has been instrumental in safely returning and reintegrating Nigerian nationals since April 2017 and we are happy to know that operations have resumed. We are welcoming the flight from Tripoli and we aim at successful reintegration for all returnees.”
Libya has long been an important transit and destination country for migrants arriving from different parts of Africa. IOM’s latest DTM report indicates that Nigerian migrants make up 6 per cent of migrants in Libya, the country’s fifth largest migrant population. According to IOM data, Libya followed by Niger and Mali are the primary transit countries for Nigerian migrants.
IOM works closely with the Federal Government of Nigeria and specifically with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI), National Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to facilitate the humane, orderly and dignified movement of returning migrants.
This is the 94th chartered flight from various locations since April 2017 when the Joint Initiative commenced. Between April 2017 and February 2022, 19,452 stranded Nigerians have been assisted to return voluntarily from 22 countries in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world with support from the European Union.
EU, IOM Facilitates 500 Stranded Nigerian Returns From Libya
National News
Nigeria Unveils National Waste Marketplace Programme to Drive Circular Economy and Green Innovation
 
														Nigeria Unveils National Waste Marketplace Programme to Drive Circular Economy and Green Innovation
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has officially launched the National Waste Marketplace Programme (NWMP), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to revolutionise waste management, promote recycling, and stimulate green enterprise across the country.
The unveiling ceremony, which was held in Abuja on Thursday, brought together representatives from government, the private sector, academia, civil society organisations, and international development partners, including the European Union (EU), German Development Cooperation (GIZ), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The event was marked by addresses from key figures in Nigeria’s environmental sector, including Prof. Innocent Barikor, representative of the Legal Business School Sustainability Centre, and the Honourable Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who served as the guest of honour.
Barikor described the National Waste Marketplace Programme as an innovative step by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to bridge environmental sustainability with economic opportunity through digital technology.
He said: “The National Waste Marketplace Programme represents our national resolve to harness innovation and partnership for sustainable waste management and a thriving circular economy.
“It embodies the idea that waste, when properly managed, can drive growth, enterprise, and inclusion across society.”
The programme, he explained, aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which emphasises economic diversification, innovation, and effective governance. By connecting waste generators, recyclers, aggregators, and end-users in a transparent, traceable system, the initiative aims to transform waste from an environmental burden into an economic asset.
Delivering the keynote address, Balarabe Lawal hailed the initiative as a “landmark innovation” that formalises Nigeria’s waste value chain.
“The National Waste Marketplace is an opportunity to close the gap in our waste management system by modernising operations and advancing the principles of the circular economy,” the Minister stated.
He highlighted that millions of tonnes of recyclable materials are lost annually due to poor disposal practices a challenge that the NWMP seeks to address by creating economic linkages across the recycling ecosystem.
The Minister noted that the initiative aligns with several national and international frameworks, including the National Policy on Solid Waste Management, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme, National Circular Economy Roadmap, and global agreements such as the Basel Convention and the Paris Agreement.
“This programme will not only promote responsible production and consumption but also contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly Goals 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 15,” he said.
The Minister also acknowledged the Recycle Start Nigeria Limited, NESREA’s technology partner, for its role in developing the digital infrastructure behind the platform.
“The success of this programme demonstrates how regulatory reform, private sector participation, and technological innovation can converge to deliver environmental and economic benefits,” Lawal said.
He urged all stakeholders government agencies, private sector players, recyclers, investors, and civil society to take ownership of the National Waste Marketplace Programme.
He said: “By working together, we can build a more organised waste management system that promotes accountability, creates jobs, and safeguards our environment.”
Through the NWMP, waste will no longer be seen as refuse but as a resource for value creation. The platform enables efficient trading of recyclable materials while ensuring traceability and accountability across the waste management chain.
Barikor emphasised that the system will empower youth and small businesses, stimulate investment, and expand livelihood opportunities in local communities.
“This initiative gives practical expression to our collective aspiration for a cleaner, more prosperous Nigeria where waste management becomes a driver of innovation and employment,” he said.
Both speakers expressed gratitude to Nigeria’s development partners including GIZ, UNDP, UNIDO, and the European Union for their continued collaboration and technical support in promoting circular economy initiatives.
The launch of the National Waste Marketplace Programme marks a defining step in Nigeria’s transition toward a circular economy, one that prioritises innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth turning the nation’s waste challenge into a powerful engine for green development.
Nigeria Unveils National Waste Marketplace Programme to Drive Circular Economy and Green Innovation
National News
VP SHETTIMA TO ACF: Stand In Solidarity With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
 
														VP SHETTIMA TO ACF: Stand In Solidarity With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
*Says all groups, communities, faiths, have a say in national conversation under Tinubu’s watch
*Urges resistance against mischief makers to divide Nigeria
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has charged the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to stand in solidarity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, “there is no better time than now for the leaders of the North to stand together as one” in support of efforts by the Tinubu administration to wriggle the nation out of the economic and social morass it was hitherto enmeshed in.
The Vice President made the call on Wednesday during an audience with a delegation from the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) led by its Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Senator Shettima told members of the region’s apex socio-cultural organisation to resist the antics of a few mischief makers to fragment the unity of Nigeria.
He drew the distinction between greed and grievance as propounded by those he described as “architects of modern conflict,” observing that, “while some agitations arise from genuine grievances seeking justice and fairness, others are fuelled by greed—by the quest to exploit disorder for selfish gain.”
He said the task before the Tinubu administration is to spot the difference between genuine grievance and greed, with a view to embracing “legitimate calls for equity and inclusion, and to isolate the forces that seek to profit from chaos.”
“We have proven, time and again, that our diversity is our strength, that our differences in tribe, faith, and geography are the very bricks that make this house of destiny we live in. This is why we must continue to resist all attempts to divide us or stir mischief among us. Our future depends on unity, and unity must remain our creed,” he stated.
Dispelling claims of ethnic and religious slant by peddlers of marginalisation, VP Shettima stated categorically that every group, faith, and tribe has a voice in national issues under the Tinubu administration, and that no group will marginalized.
His words: “What we do as a government is to ensure that every group, every community, every faith, and every voice finds its place in the national conversation. We will never accommodate the marginalisation of any group. Our policies are designed to create opportunities for all—to lift every community through inclusion, education, and enterprise.”
The Vice President assured the northern leaders that they are an integral part of the Tinubu-led federal government, and that the administration is ready to partner with the ACF in advancing the cause of the region and the nation as a whole.
He said, “The trajectory of the North, however, has been a sobering one. We began as a region defined by stability, vision, and a deep commitment to building bridges across ethnic, religious, and geographic divides. But what we have inherited today is a geography scarred by insecurity, mistrust, and economic decline.
“We cannot afford to allow this chaos to fester. We owe our people not only the burden of ending the cycle of killings and destruction that have crippled our communities, but also the duty of ensuring justice for victims of violence and deprivation.
“This government is yours. Your interests shall always find representation here, for I am one of you. And where there is a shortcoming, I assure you that you have direct access to me. We exist to serve you, to represent you, and to uphold the values that make the North an equal stakeholder in Nigeria’s identity.”
Senator Shettima outlined what he described as deliberate steps being taken by the administration to reposition the fortunes of the North, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu “prioritises education, agriculture, industrialisation, and security as the pillars of northern revival.”
He continued: “We are strengthening the foundations of education through reforms that empower local governments and promote fiscal autonomy at the grassroots. Through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), millions of northern students now have access to tertiary education without the financial barriers that once held them back.
“We are expanding vocational and technical training centres to prepare our youth for roles in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.”
The VP explained that under the current administration, Nigeria has moved beyond subsistence farming to large-scale commercial ventures that is transforming the vast arable land in the North into the nation’s food and industrial backbone.
“We are building agro-processing industries to create jobs and value chains, investing in microfinance systems to support smallholder farmers and MSMEs, and establishing industrial zones in key states such as Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto to attract textile, leather, and food-processing industries,” he added.
On security, VP Shettima said national security remains the administration’s topmost priority. “Through coordinated security operations, we have neutralised notorious bandit leaders and restored relative stability to once-besieged communities. This is the foundation upon which we intend to rebuild the North—through peace, through justice, and through economic empowerment,” he noted.
Earlier, Chairman of the BoT of ACF, Alhaji Dalhatu, commended the Tinubu administration for its bold reforms, applauding the commitment and support of the Vice President for the achievements recorded so far.
The BoT Chair said, “We are proud of what you are doing as Vice President as well as the work and achievements of this administration. You are doing a good job of assisting the President in running the affairs of the country in difficult times. We are always happy to identify with you”.
He explained that the group was at the Presidential Villa to express solidarity with the government, and formally invite the Vice President to the forthcoming 25th anniversary celebration of the ACF as well as deliberations on the development of the region.
Alhaji Dalhatu said among other things, the ACF intends to launch an endowment fund to drive the socio-economic development of the northern region, especially in building models across different sectors that would be emulated by state governments in the region.
He added that the 25th anniversary celebration would also provide a platform for ACF to interact with other socio-cultural organisations across the country for the future and development of Nigeria.
For his part, Chairman of the National Executive Committee of ACF, Mamman Mike Osuman, said the socio-cultural organisation will use the 25th anniversary to showcase the potentials of the northern region and make a bold statement about its commitment to a one, prosperous, united country.
He pledged the ACF’s support for the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the realisation of targets of the Tinubu administration.
Also present at the meeting were the ACF Vice Chairman, Sen Ibrahim Ida; Secretary General, Murtala Aliyu, and BoT Vice Chairman, Amb Ibrahim Mai-Sule.
Others include, Alh Nasiru Danu; Ibrahim Sidi Bamalli; former IGP, M.D. Abubakar (rtd); Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Lt. Gen. Abdurahman Bello Danbazau (rtd); Nasiru Sani Isa (Wamban Kebbi); Hon. Beni Lar; Maimuna Yaya Abubakar; Aishatu M.S. Ismail; H.E. Muktar Lamara Yero; DIG Habila Joshak (rtd), and Mrs Christine Gadzama.
VP SHETTIMA TO ACF: Stand In Solidarity With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
National News
IJAP Affirms INEC Chairman’s Call for End to Courtroom Elections, Reiterates Urgent Reform Agenda
 
														IJAP Affirms INEC Chairman’s Call for End to Courtroom Elections, Reiterates Urgent Reform Agenda
By: Michael Mike
The Independent Judicial Accountability Panel (IJAP), led by Hon. Justice Adekunle Owoade (Rtd) has commendsed the recent proactive statements made by the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, regarding the need to end the era of endless court battles over election results.
IJAP noted that Professor Amupitan’s emphasis on the necessity for robust legal frameworks, genuine internal democracy within political parties, and his challenge that “Elections must be won at the polling units, not in the courtroom,” is a welcome and highly encouraging statement, stressing that this commitment perfectly aligns with the extensive recommendations developed through its rigorous analysis of post-election justice delivery in Nigeria.
A statement on Wednesday said IJAP’s position, articulated during its 3rd session (September 30 – October 3, 2025), is clear: the current fragility of our electoral process is deeply rooted in the lack of consistency with legal principles of fairness, equity, and compliance with the electoral legal framework.
“We strongly urge the new INEC leadership to immediately prioritise the following critical recommendations made by the Technical Working Group of the Citizens’ Led Engagement on Judicial Accountability in Post-Election Justice Delivery in Nigeria (CLEAP – Justice):
“Pre-election matters should be determined before the election to ensure fairness, prevent multiplicity of actions and enhance election administration.
“The levels of redress for pre-election matters should be reviewed as follows: House of Representatives, Senate, and Governorship elections should have two steps/levels ending at the Court of Appeal, while Presidential pre-election matters should start from Court of Appeal and end at the Supreme Court.
“Primaries not conducted in adherence to INEC regulations & guidelines should be invalidated. Stringent rules and sanctions should determine elevated electoral crimes, and parties should be prohibited from holding public office for five years in case of disqualification.
“INEC Regulations should be separated from the guidelines and gazetted.
“The punishment for electoral offences in the Electoral Act, 2022 (Electoral Act) should be revised to elevate serious offences to a level that disqualifies the political parties and/or candidates from elections.”
IJAP also acknowledged that several bills currently before the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review align with the panel’s reform objectives, demonstrating legislative interest in addressing electoral flaws.
It added that notably, while some progress is reflected in the proposed Electoral Bill 2025, specifically the increase in fines for certain electoral offences, IJAP maintained that this measure is insufficient. The panel strongly reiterated its demand that any revised laws must include the automatic disqualification of candidates and political parties found guilty of serious electoral offences. IJAP emphasized that mere fines are inadequate as a deterrent, especially against deep-pocketed political actors, and that only the threat of direct exclusion can restore integrity to the electoral process.”
IJAP, also in the statement signed by Hon. Justice Adekunle Owoade (rtd), said: “Our independent assessment shows that one key to ending courtroom elections is that INEC should not be a statutory party in election petitions. Professor Amupitan has the unique opportunity to leverage the judiciary’s expertise, as envisioned by IJAP, to institutionalize these reforms. This is the moment for INEC to act decisively and cement its position as a truly independent umpire, safeguarding the will of the people expressed at the polling unit, not the whims of lawyers in the courtroom.”
IJAP Affirms INEC Chairman’s Call for End to Courtroom Elections, Reiterates Urgent Reform Agenda
- 
																	   News2 years ago News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children 
- 
																	   Opinions4 years ago Opinions4 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA 
- 
																	   Opinions4 years ago Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS 
- 
																	   News2 years ago News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree 
- 
																	   ACADEMICS2 years ago ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1) 
- 
																	   Columns2 years ago Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno. 
- 
																	   News6 months ago News6 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS 
- 
																	   Opinions2 years ago Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria 

 
																	
																															 
											 
											