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NIPSS INDISPENSABLE IN OUR NATION’S POLICY RETOOL – VP Shettima
NIPSS INDISPENSABLE IN OUR NATION’S POLICY RETOOL – VP Shettima
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Sen Kashim Shettima, has assured that the Tinubu administration will reposition the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, for good and quality policy advice to the government.
This, he said, had become pertinent given the very crucial and indispensable role the institute would be playing in shaping and retooling government’s policies.
According to the VP, the Federal Government would make use of the beautiful recommendations brought by the institution.
Vice President Shettima gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received in audience the management team from NIPSS led by the Director General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said, “We really need to recalibrate the system and see to it that all the beautiful policy recommendations by NIPSS are brought into reality, because the world is changing and the world is gradually becoming knowledge-driven.
“NIPSS is a policy think-tank for the government just as we have its equivalent in other parts of the world such as the Global Policy Institute, the Chatham House, the Adam Smith Institute, the Royal United Institute for Defence Studies in Russia, and the Hopkins Institute in the United States of America.”
VP Shettima cautioned Africa against missing the chance to fill the gap in a knowledge-driven world as she did during the agriculture and industrial revolution.
“We missed the agricultural age; Africa missed the industrial age. We are now in the knowledge-driven age. When others are talking about artificial intelligence, of bio-technology, of internet things, we are busy dwelling on farmer-herders clash and things that we ought to have overcome decades ago,” he stated.
Asking the management of the Institute to make a formal presentation of the executive summaries of all its policy recommendations to the government, Vice President Shettima said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to reset the national agenda. President Bola Tinubu has the courage to take far-reaching decisions.
“As much as possible, we will support you not to compromise on your quality, not to compromise on your standard, so that you should not be a dumping ground for frustrated public officers because, at a point in time, that was what NIPSS degenerated into.
“If somebody is going to be punished then he is sent to NIPSS for a year. Somebody with such a mindset can hardly absorb what you are going to teach. So, this time around, as much as possible, we will minimise political patronage and send credible people within the required age bracket, within the required professional cadre so that whatever experiences and exposure they gain can be translated into the governance structure.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Director General of NIPSS said his management team came to brief the Vice President on the operations of the institute, adding that the organisation was established in 1979 to advise government on several policy directions and train high profile policy makers in the country.
His words, “There is no problem in the country that NIPSS has no solution to. NIPSS supports the Presidency in terms of policy. It deals with all sectors of the economy.”
According to Prof Omotayo, the Vice President oversees the administration of NIPSS, approves the nominees to be trained, as well as approve the course of study for the session.
Those in the delegation were Brig Gen L Y Udaya (rtd); Prof Fumi J. Para-Mallam; Prof Dung Pam Sha; Codr S Dahun; Prof Sola Adeyanjin; Bawa Ahmed and Dr Catherine Maduagwu.
NIPSS INDISPENSABLE IN OUR NATION’S POLICY RETOOL – VP Shettima
News
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
By Zagazola Makama
A viral video circulating on social media, in which a content creator identified as “Za Baba” mockingly portrays a supposed soldier captured by bandits, has been confirmed as FALSE, misleading, and dangerously irresponsible.
In the video, the individual uses derogatory language to depict Nigerian soldiers as weak, while glorifying bandits as “warriors.” He further dramatizes a fake scenario of a captured soldier, tied with ropes, taunts and mock sympathy, in what appears to be a staged and scripted performance designed purely for attention and virality.
There is no evidence that the video reflects any real incident. Field checks show no record of such an occurrence. The content creator had also used similar costume to act as bandit in his other videos while another individual acted as a soldier.
The clip is therefore nothing more than fabricated content packaged designed to provoke emotions, mislead the public, and undermine confidence in security forces.
What makes this even more troubling is not just the falsehood but the intent. In a country battling insurgency and banditry, portraying terrorists as heroes while ridiculing national troops is not “content creation” it is reckless amplification of enemy narratives.
The Nigerian military operates in some of the most hostile environments imaginable, confronting heavily armed groups daily. These are men and women who risk and often lose their lives to keep communities safe. Reducing that sacrifice to cheap mockery for clicks is not satire, it is disgraceful.
The individual behind the video was reckless. There is a difference between freedom of expression and irresponsible messaging that emboldens criminals and demoralises those on the frontlines.
Content creators must understand that influence comes with responsibility especially in matters of national security.
Equally concerning is how quickly some bloggers and social media users amplified the clip without verification, using it to attack the military. This reflects a growing trend where falsehood spreads faster than truth, especially when it feeds outrage.
The public is strongly advised to treat such viral content with caution. Not everything seen online is real and in many cases like this, it is deliberately crafted to distort reality.
Nigeria’s security challenges are real. But so too are the sacrifices of those confronting them. Mocking that effort while romanticising terrorists is not just wrong, it is dangerous.
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised two suspected terrorists during a fighting patrol in Zamfara State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted by troops of 1 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF) from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bagega in the early hours of May 4.
The troops, while on patrol, advanced through Maikwanuga village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, extending operations to Aljumma, Gidan Dawa, Magami Didi, and Tungar Magaji villages in Maradun Local Government Area.
During the operation, the troops made contact with suspected terrorists at Tungar Magaji village, where a firefight ensued.
“In the course of the engagement, two terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with possible gunshot wounds,” the source said.
Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a motorcycle.
The troops are currently exploiting the general area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further threats in the region.
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
Army opens 2026 RSM Convention in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
The 2026 Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSM) Convention has been declared open in Kaduna, with senior military officials and stakeholders in attendance.
The event, hosted by 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, was inaugurated on May 4 at the JN Garba Hall, Ribadu Cantonment, by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), represented by the Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAIPKLC), Maj.-Gen. D.G. Allu.
In attendance were the Chief of Army Administration, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, commanders of affiliated formations within the division’s area of responsibility, resource persons, and representatives of other security agencies, among other invited guests.
The theme of the convention is “Empowering RSMs to Drive Combat Readiness and Professional Excellence.”
The convention is expected to provide a platform for professional development, experience sharing, and strengthening leadership capacity among Regimental Sergeant Majors in the Nigerian Army.
Army opens 2026 RSM Convention in Kaduna
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
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