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Nigeria, Kazakhstan to Sign MOU in Agriculture, Trade, IT Collaboration

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Nigeria, Kazakhstan to Sign MOU in Agriculture, Trade, IT Collaboration

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and Kazakhstan are preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cement bilateral relations aimed at building cooperation in agriculture, trade and information technologies.

The plan is presently been consummated at a business conference in Abuja on Sunday, facilitated by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, which brought into the country 30-member Kazakhstan’s
delegation from its public and private sectors to explore several areas of cooperation.

Speaking at the conference, the minister of the Federal Ministry of Communications, innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the ministry had already developed a strategic blueprint with six pillars, adding that each of these pillars is a potential area of collaboration and partnership with the Kazakhstan team.

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Faruk Yabo, said: “In particular, pillar number one speaks about knowledge, capacity building and talents. I’m aware that Kazakhstan is quite advanced in terms of its knowledge base in ICT. So this is a big area that we can partner.

“We already have the world’s largest capacity-building initiative that we are running, which is the three million technical talents by 2027. This is intended to train Nigerians in technical talent so that at least 1.5 million of them will be able to work in Europe and the remaining ones could be here.”

He also said the two countries were looking to cooperate in artificial intelligence, adding that Nigeria had just finished drafting its artificial intelligence strategy.

He also called for cooperation in the development of digital infrastructure.

On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who highlighted the giant strides made so far in the agriculture sector by the current administration, said Nigeria could collaborate with Kazakhstan in many areas of the sector.

Kyari said: “We’re meeting with them on Tuesday at 2 o’clock, and we will talk more and elaborately on some of the opportunities that exist between Nigeria and Kazakhstan in terms of the agricultural space.

“We are not asking only for them to come and invest. We are also asking for us to partner with them. What is it that they need? We have products that we have in abundance here.”

The Kazakhstan head of delegation, Alibek Kuantyrov, on his part, said this is the first official delegation from Kazakhstan to Nigeria, adding that the huge population of youths in the two countries provided an opportunity for cooperation.

“Our main trajectory is economic development, and we are the largest economy in Central Asia. So the same as Nigeria, Nigeria is a leader in the African continent.

“We see Nigeria as a very important partner and also the channel to go through the whole continent, and I think we can work together in terms of the transit of goods, trade and also making pure mutual investment in the field of minerals.

“We’re also an ICT and AI nation and also a FinTech nation, the sectors that are being developed in Nigeria and now we have managed and come to a conclusion that we can also open some FinTech and banking companies in the Nigerian markets.

“We can also exchange our ICT products and make an exchange of students because we have a target in our country to prepare at least 1 million IT specialists.”

The Ooni of Ife, who conveyed the meeting, said President Bola Tinubu should be credited for being proactive and making the business conference a reality, adding that it was a follow-up from the meeting between the presidents of the two countries in Abu Dhabi in January.

“They are very bullish. They are serious. They mean business. They’re here with their largest contingent, and they want to see how to explore so many things, and it will really help Nigerian youth in terms of employment. Look at another beautiful thing that came up today as a country. They’re changing their visa policy for them to accommodate Nigerians that are so talented in the area of tech, artificial intelligence, in area of writing codes.”

Nigeria, Kazakhstan to Sign MOU in Agriculture, Trade, IT Collaboration

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PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE

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PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE
 
By: Our Reporter

President Bola Tinubu has expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected by the recent terrorist attack by Boko Haram on the Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
 
The President mourns the loss of innocent lives, including military personnel, and those caught in friendly fire during the aerial interdiction of fleeing terrorists by the Air Force.
 
He describes the attack by the terrorists as a heartless assault on hapless citizens, urging Nigerians in Borno and elsewhere not to succumb to fear.
 
President Tinubu commends the military for their swift response, which led to the killing of scores of terrorists and their subsequent forced retreat.
 
He charges the military and other security agencies to work urgently to rescue those kidnapped by the terrorists.
 
Additionally, he directs the armed forces to intensify their efforts to protect civilians nationwide and prevent attacks on military installations in the North East.
 
President Tinubu prays for the souls of those who lost their lives in the attacks and friendly fire and extends his sympathies to their families and the Borno State Government.

PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACK IN NGOSHE, GWOZA LGA IN BORNO STATE

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Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

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Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) recently marked the 2026 World International Civil Defence Day with a weeklong series of activities, themed “Towards a safer society.”

A statement by the command’s spokesperson CSC Bulus James, stated that the celebration began with briefings and sensitization of staff on NSCDC’s critical roles in Crisis Management, Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Counter-terrorism, and VIP Protection.

On Thursday, 26th February 2026, officers and men, led by Acting Commandant DCC Obe Ndubuisi, embarked on a road match from the State Headquarters through the Kano Motor Park community and concluded at the headquarters, where the Acting Commandant delivered speeches on behalf of Commandant CC Ahmed Bello Gaya, including messages from the Commandant General and the State Commandant.

On the 27th February, 2026, Muslim faithfuls gathered at Al-Ansar Masjid for Jumaat prayers, with ACG CBRNE Hameed Abudurin from NHQ Abuja in attendance as Special Guest of Honour.

He was also present at the Passing Out Parade (POP) of a joint special training program held at the Nigerian Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Training School, Maiduguri, in collaboration with UNMAS which offered him the opportunity to celebrate alongside the Muslim faithfuls.

Prayers were offered by the Chief Imam Borno State, and NSCDC. Worshippers expressed gratitude for NSCDC’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives, property, and critical national assets.

This was followed by the grand finale at the NSCDC Glorious Chapel which held a special Sunday service at the Command’s multipurpose hall, attended by guests from sister security agencies on 1st March, 2026

Goodwill messages were delivered, followed by a keynote address from Commandant CC Ahmed Bello Gaya, delivered by Acting Commandant Obe Ndubuisi.

.DCC Paul Ochola delivered an exhortation on “Selfless Service to Humanity: Towards a Safer Environment.” The service concluded with pleasantries and a group photograph.

Borno State Command Celebrates 2026 World International Civil Defence Day in Grand Style

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Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

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Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has commiserated with the people of Ngoshe affected by the recent Boko Haram attack, describing the incident as tragic.

Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza local government, was attacked on Tuesday evening, scores were killed, while others were abducted.

Addressing members of the community on Friday in Pulka, Governor Zulum said he personally came to sympathize with the affected people and families of those that lost their loved ones.

He assured that efforts are underway to rescue all those abducted, restore security, and provide humanitarian support to victims.

“We are here today to commiserate with the people of Ngoshe that have lost their loved ones following the unfortunate incident that occurred on Tuesday. The situation is very sad and our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy,” Zulum said.

“I want to assure you that we will do everything possible to address the unfortunate situation that has befallen this community, and for those who have been abducted, the Nigerian military will do everything within its capacity to rescue them,” Zulum assured.

Governor Zulum explained that military operations are currently ongoing in Ngoshe and the Sambisa Forest to rid the area of criminal elements.

“There are ongoing military operations within the Sambisa Game Reserve. What we witnessed yesterday was largely a result of insurgents being pushed out from their strongholds, which led them to launch coordinated attacks on nearby communities,” he explained.

He called on the Nigerian Army to intensify operations to clear insurgents from the Mandara Hills which he described as a major security threat.

“The Mandara Hills remain a major security concern. The insurgents descended from the hills to attack this town. Therefore, I call on the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government to intensify efforts to clear Mandara Hills of insurgents,” Zulum said.

The governor noted that the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed as assessments are still ongoing, but acknowledged that several lives were lost while others were abducted.

As part of immediate humanitarian intervention, the governor said the state government had begun distributing relief materials and establishing cooking points to provide food for displaced residents.

“For now, we will distribute food items to those affected and I have directed that cooking points be established so that everyone in this community can receive meals from a central kitchen,” he said.

The governor appealed to residents to remain calm and law-abiding, noting that Borno State government will double its efforts to end this madness. “We shall not relent in our commitment to restoring lasting peace and stability in the state,” he said.

“I strongly believe that with sustained military operations and cooperation between all levels of government, we will overcome this challenge. Insha Allah, peace will return fully to our land,” the governor added.

Similarly, Governor Babagana Zulum inspected houses burned during an attack by Boko Haram insurgents on Thursday in Konduga town.

Zulum Pays Sympathy Visit to Victims of Ngoshe Attack, Assures Rescue of Abducted Residents

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