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FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum
FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has been advised to include sign language in the nation’s education curriculum.
The call was made on Thursday by a
Non Governmental Organisation, Beta Nigeria at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja.
The Federal Lead Beta Nigeria Campaign (BNC), Abdulsalam Badamasi, made the call while taking questions from news men on Thursday in Abuja. Where various Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other stakeholders came together to strategise on the best way to advocate for improved education in Nigeria.
Badamasi who took questions from newsmen after the event said they only want to amplify the voices of existing NGOs in the education sector. And ask for a curriculum review that will accommodate excluded persons.
Responding to the demand by the Disability Rights Advocate, Janet Talbat, that sign language be included in the nation’s education curriculum, he said: “Part of the performance bond that the (23 agenda) has something to do with review of curriculum and I think that’s the opportunity where we can put this request into place. And of course we are going to make sure that we put the issue of exclusion in the front burner so that everybody can be able to put in and support the excluded persons in the education conversation
He also said: “We are looking at a more improved advocacy for education through increased advocacy for education resources. We are bringing in new voices and in the process we are going to ensure that we call on our politicians, service providers, we will also call on partners and others to come together and see how we can increase Nigeria’s commitment and investment to education to a certain level.”
Maryam Uwais, who was the Special Advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments, advised Beta to be cautious of the people’s culture and religion in their campaign to bring more children and out of school children back to school.
She noted that: “The approach to engage in this issues is critical; when for instance we give the impression that Islamic education is not education is going to alienate the people who will want to bring the children into formal education. So we need to find words, the sensitivity, the culture and bring it into our own advocacy and campaign to engage with them and make them understand that it is just a different kind of education and that it’s critical for the children to go and thrive in this world.
Speaking on the importance of formal education, she said, “Today’s context insists that we must have the numerics and the alphabets. And a good understanding of that if we are going to even have skills. We need to sell our products in the market.
“So if we leave our children to just one form of education then they are going to be the ones that have been left out behind. There is so much to gian from formal education because the children will people to fall back to, they will build networks. A few year of formal education make a lot of difference in the life of a girl child, her family and her community.”
Janet Fasatan Talbat of Disability Rights Advocate (Ability Plus Initiative), used the opportunity to call on the organisers to convey her demand of including sign language in the nation’s basic education curriculum to the Minister of education to enable the deaf and those who can speak to communicate with ease.
She said: “As a deaf person I went to a primary school without sign language Teachers and today I have children who are going to school (without sign language teachers); we cannot communicate effectively because they are not being taught sign language. Please when you meet the Minister tell him to include sign language in our educational curriculum.”
FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled suspected insurgents and neutralised a suspected informant during operations in Ngamdu area of Borno.
Military sources said the action followed signals intelligence indicating that suspected Boko Haram elements were massing.
At about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 18, troops carried out a fire mission on the identified area, forcing the insurgents to disperse and abort their suspected plan.
Shortly afterward, at about 3:45 a.m., troops engaged and neutralised a suspected insurgent informant who attempted to breach the trench defensive position in Ngamdu.
Sources said the troops immediately conducted a search of the surrounding area after the encounter but made no further contact with fleeing suspects.
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have disrupted a suspected terrorist gathering and arrested five suspected arms smugglers during separate operations in Yobe State.
Security sources said that at about 6:21 p.m. on Feb. 17, troops conducted a fire mission following credible intelligence that terrorists were converging in large numbers on motorcycles at Mangari, about 10.6 kilometres from the location of the 135 Special Forces Battalion in Buratai.
The swift action forced the insurgents to disperse in disarray, effectively disrupting their suspected plans.
In a separate development, troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Potiskum apprehended five suspected arms smugglers and abductors at about 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 18 at a checkpoint along the Gombe–Potiskum road.
Those arrested included a 41-year-old suspect, Baba Abare, who was found in possession of an AK-47 rifle, alongside four others identified as Idris Zakari, 33; Nasiru Aliyu, 25; Abdullahi Sulaiman, 35; and Mohammed Idris, 34, all said to be indigenes of Potiskum town.
The suspects were intercepted in two Golf Wagon vehicles bearing registration numbers Borno NGL-506XA and Kaduna DKD16-01.
They were disarmed and handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation.
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
News
Ward Congress: Bayelsa APC Group Condemns Marginalization Of Sylva’s Supporters, Call On Party NWC, Tinubu To Intervene
Ward Congress: Bayelsa APC Group Condemns Marginalization Of Sylva’s Supporters, Call On Party NWC, Tinubu To Intervene
The Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Grassroot Movement (BSAGM), has expressed deep dissatisfaction over the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri biased, marginalized conduct of the party ward congress in the state.
Condemning in strong terms the APC ward congress conducted on Wednesday, 18th of February, 2026, the group described the process as witch-hunt of a selected group of stakeholders and leaders in the party.
A statement issued on Thursday by the group’s spokesman, Mr John Peremobowei, condemned the governor’s deliberate segregation of key stakeholders in various wards geared towards generating division.
Some APC stalwarts through their followers have expressed profound dissatisfaction on the social media over segregation and non-inclusion of critical stakeholders who stood firmly as an opposition in building the “Hausa party” in Bayelsa State.
They stated that Governor Douye Diri’s failure to conduct an all inclusive APC congress in various wards across the state; which is his first assignment as party leader after defection, has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that the governor is incapable to manage affairs of the party in the state.
The group said “Governor Diri who could not manage insignificant affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leading to Mr George Turnah factional leadership in Bayelsa, has transferred the same attitude from the PDP to the APC barely four months of defection.
“The governor whose administration and leadership depend, and feed on propaganda, rumours, gossip from subordinates without investigation before making decisions, obviously cannot build, neither maintain the APC–as he couldn’t manage the PDP.
“Senator Diri leadership of division, propaganda to incite leaders against other leaders, can’t build people like he was deliberately built by the likes of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, Chief Timi Alaibe, Senator Seriake Dickson and others.
“Diri is a Supreme Court Governor who has never had grassroot support due to failure to manage people from his days in house of representatives, senate till date as governor, and the Bayelsa APC is in trouble because he can’t build neither maintain a party.”
The group said the governor who was a financier of Atiku-Okowa PDP presidential ticket, and worked so hard against President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, defected to the APC for fear of prosecution by the anti-corruption agencies over misappropriation.
Governor Diri who has been receiving over thirty-four billion naira and above on a monthly basis from the federation account since the inception of President Bola Tinubu administration, was caught by the United States interpol with huge amount of money early 2025.
The group’s spokesman cried out to the APC National Working Committee, President Bola Tinubu for immediate intervention, saying followers/loyalists of the former governor and minister, Chief Timipre Sylva were sidelined in the ward congress in various wards across the state, describing it as witch-hunt.
“Sylva with the support of loyalists brought APC to Bayelsa, and fought so hard to build, and strengthen the party as an opposition, and today, he is unjustly marginalized in the party.
“Despite undeserved exclusion in the party congresses, we the steadfast supporters of Chief Timipre Sylva will stand firm in galvanizing support for President Bola Tinubu re-election.
“We have stood firm in APC even as an opposition in the state, but can’t relent now that it is the ruling party.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, as he did in Rivers, and call Governor Douye Diri to order–as his actions are targeted towards generating division in the party.
Ward Congress: Bayelsa APC Group Condemns Marginalization Of Sylva’s Supporters, Call On Party NWC, Tinubu To Intervene
Troops repel insurgents, neutralise suspected informant in Borno
Yobe: Troops Disperse Terrorists, Arrest Five Suspected Arms Smugglers
Ward Congress: Bayelsa APC Group Condemns Marginalization Of Sylva’s Supporters, Call On Party NWC, Tinubu To Intervene
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