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Nigeria, China Sign Culture and Tourism Statute

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Nigeria, China Sign Culture and Tourism Statute

Nigeria, China Sign Culture and Tourism Statute

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China have signed a joint Culture and Tourism Statute and inaugurated a sub-committee that would further strengthen bilateral cooperation between both countries.

Representatives of both countries signed the act and inaugurated the committee during a virtual event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday.

During the event, China’s Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Zhang Xu, while recalling that Nigeria and China “have enjoyed good bilateral relations in the past 50 years,” noted that culture and tourism have played critical roles in strengthening the ties.

He revealed that the aim of adopting the act and establishing the sub-committee was to promote inter-cultural collaboration and connectivity between the Chinese and Nigerian people in furtherance of China-Africa relations.

He said the establishment of an inter-governmental committee with Nigeria is the first-ever between China and Africa, noting that this action testify to how important and strategic China considered Nigeria.

He said: “As important contributors to the strategic partnership between our two countries, culture and tourism should play greater roles in increasing the people-to-people connectivity for the benefit of the two countries.

“That is the mission of the culture and tourism sub-committee that we are establishing today.

“Therefore, members of our ministries and sub-committees must make good use of the platform in alignment with the objectives of FOCAC, its eight ministerial meetings, Belt and Road Initiative, and FOCAC Action Plan 2022-2024.”

He added that: “We must work together to offset the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact and the planned programmes that the sub-committee covers such as culture, tourism, publishing heritage, library, and museum.

“Our goal must always be to promote our interculturality, and cultural collaboration, full relationship and connectivity between China and Nigeria people in the new areas of China-Africa relations.”

Zhang advised the sub-committee to ensure the promotion of activities and events that would further boost cultural ties between both countries.

He said: “I would like to propose the following; keep working on events like Happy Chinese New Year, Chinese and African culture in focus, and resume mutual visits of artists as soon as the pandemic situation allows.

“Also, we should continue to carry out capacity building programmes in culture and tourism and support cooperation between Chinese and Nigerian cultural businesses.”

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On his part, the Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun said that the establishment of the Act and sub-committee on Culture and tourism is a good start to a greater future with new dynamics.

The Ambassador said that in a generation where the youth are taking the lead with great innovations, reinvigorating the culture and tourism sector will help boost both economies with mutual benefits.

According to him: “The establishment of the sub-committee on Culture and tourism is really a milestone.

“I do believe we are doing good things now because culture and tourism mean a lot to young people. We have already embarked on a new journey of mutually beneficial cooperation and we all believe that a thousand miles begin with a single step.

“The potentials of our cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism will surely be further released and a better tomorrow must belong to us.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr Ifeoma Anyawutaku, who led Nigerian team to the signing, said the potentialities in the creative sector in Nigeria were untapped and that the new cooperation would help facilitate that.

She said Nigeria will also leverage this to diversify its economy by adequately harnessing the potentials in the culture and tourism sector.

Anyawutaku said: “While taking a cursory look at the Statutes of the sub-committee on Culture and Tourism, Nigeria, as well as China have reviewed our achievements and experiences in the cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation.

“Under the framework of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This evaluation and experiences will help reposition the culture and tourism sector. For the development of both countries and the reinforcement of our bilateral cooperation.”

The establishment of the sub-committee and drafting of the act was an outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the foreign ministers of both countries with the aim of boosting bilateral ties.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi had signed the MoU on behalf of his country during his visit to Nigeria while his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama signed on behalf of the Federal Government.

Nigeria, China Sign Culture and Tourism Statute

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19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

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19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

By: Zagazola Makama

Nineteen persons abducted by bandits in Katsina State have regained their freedom following the ongoing peace accord under the Operation Safe Corridor Initiative.

The victims, comprising men and women from Sabuwa and Funtua Local Government Areas, were released on Thursday morning at Innono Jigo Village in Sabuwa LGA as part of reconciliation efforts with repentant bandits.

They include Safaratu Basiru, 27, Jamila Auwalu, 22, and 17 others who had been held in captivity for several weeks.

Local officials and community leaders received the freed victims and conveyed them to Haske Private Health Centre, Sabuwa, for medical examination before reuniting them with their families.

Authorities in the area said the situation was being closely monitored as part of sustained efforts to consolidate peace and stability in the state.

19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

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Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

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Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

…Pate Calls for National Consensus on Prioritizing Health Care

By: Michael Mike

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has advocated for access to affordable medical care for all Nigerians, insisting that no citizens should be pushed into poverty for seeking essential medical care.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ali Pate also called for national consensus on prioritizing healthcare system in the country.

Speaking at a High-Level Health Media Dialogue with Media Executives in Nigeria with theme: “Escalating Executive and Media Action for Health Accountability and Financing,” on Thursday in Abuja, Kaduna State governor said: “We believe no Nigerian family should be pushed into poverty by seeking essential medical care. Here, equity is not rhetoric for us. It is a principle of governance and justice…”

Sani, while noting that health facilities have been elevated in all parts of Kaduna state, said these landmark facilities significantly reduces the need for medical tourism, lessening the financial and emotional burdens in families.

He noted that emergency care is given priority, said: “We have launched the Kaduna State Emergency Medical Services ambulance system,” which has ensured that countless lives ensuring that urgent intervention reach patient within critical calling hour.

He added that: “Our consensus, as of today in Kaduna, the government has made it free for every emergency case in the first 24 or 48 hours without paying a penny, every patient will be treated free the first 48 hours in Kaduna,”

On his part, Pate said the issue of health affordability is universal and Nigerians need to know that the federal government is working on this.

He said: “There is real pain of affordability. Half of the world’s population doesn’t have access to basic healthcare services, not only in Nigeria, but we tend to self flagellate and not build a consensus to fix it, because it takes national consensus. It’s not a technical issue.

“Fixing health is not just a technical issue because we have had technical expertise for a very long time. It’s not also purely technocratic in terms of just having the right actors that know how to manage doing fundamentally, it’s a political choice that is reflective of political consensus within a country. It is when a country does not build a consensus on the prioritization of health or of education that it doesn’t allocate the resources or use the resources in that right way. And that goes beyond government.”

He noted that with the new tax reform has offered an opportunity for health to be adequately funded in the country.

Also speaking, the Country Director, Gates Foundation Nigeria Uche Amaonwu, said the health of our mothers, children and families, and by extension Nigeria’s human capital depends on what we do next for primary health care.

He assured that the Gates Foundation remains deeply committed to working alongside government and partners to ensure that every Nigerian family can rely on a strong, well financed primary healthcare system.

Earlier in her welcome speech, the Executive Director. International Society of Media in Public Health, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola reiterated the importance of budgeting adequately to health sector

She said “while we acknowledge the remarkable progress made, we must also confront — with courage and compassion — the realities reflected in our health indices.”

She said according to the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Nigeria still records one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an under-five mortality rate of 102 deaths per 1,000 live births. These figures translate to approximately 82,000 Nigerian women dying annually due to pregnancy-related causes, and one in every ten Nigerian children dying before the age of five.

“These statistics are not meant to indict but to inspire — to spotlight the urgency for deeper reforms, more coordinated investments, and sustained accountability. They also highlight why our collective focus on strengthening PHC systems remains both timely and essential.

“Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) represent the bedrock of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) — the first and most critical point of contact for millions of Nigerians, especially those in rural and underserved communities. Yet, data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) reveals that only 20% of the over 30,000 PHCs nationwide are fully functional.

“When PHCs work — maternal and child mortality declines, immunization coverage improves, productivity rises, and the cycle of poverty linked to ill health is broken. Our task, therefore, is not merely to acknowledge these challenges but to transform them into opportunities for lasting change.”

Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

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Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

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Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

By: Zagazola Makama

Four persons have been confirmed dead following a violent communal clash between Nupe and Fulani residents in Ezhigi village, Edati Local Government Area of Niger State.

Zagazola Makama report that the conflict began on Oct. 21, 2025, when a yet-to-be-identified Nupe man from Ezhigi had an altercation with one Jibril Adamu, a Fulani herder, for reasons yet to be ascertained.

During the dispute, Jibril allegedly attacked the Nupe man with a machete, inflicting deep injuries. The victim was rushed to the General Hospital, Kutigi, where he later died on Oct. 22 while receiving treatment.

The death of the victim reportedly triggered a reprisal attack by Nupe youths, who stormed the Fulani camp in the same village, killed four Fulani residents, and set their settlement ablaze.

Police personnel from Enagi Division swiftly mobilised to the scene and restored normalcy.

The command confirmed that one suspect, Jibril Adamu, had been arrested, while investigation was ongoing to track other perpetrators and prevent further escalation.

Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

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