Zulum Launches Agricultural Input Distribution Under NAG-SP Dry Season Wheat Programme

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has launched the distribution of agricultural inputs under the Nigeria Agricultural Growth and Sustainable Productivity (NAG-SP) Dry Season Wheat Production Programme in Indusuman, Jere Local Government Area, marking another milestone in the state’s pursuit of food security and year-round farming.

Speaking at the event, Governor Zulum applauded the Federal Government for its continuous support toward irrigation development. He noted that Borno State, with its vast arable and irrigable land, especially within the Lake Chad basin, remains one of Nigeria’s most promising agricultural frontiers.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining all-season farming through the provision of essential infrastructure, logistics, modern machinery, improved seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, and other inputs required to boost productivity and support farmers across the state.

Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to transform agricultural and food security policies. He emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration places agriculture at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda, with deliberate actions aimed at cutting down food imports and strengthening local production.

Senator Kyari described the rollout of the NAG-SP dry season wheat programme in Borno as a strategic intervention to revive the long-standing irrigation culture across the Lake Chad basin and other farming communities. He added that the distributed inputs would enhance farmers’ resilience and reinforce local food systems.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food Security, Engr. Bawu Musami, commended the Federal Government for supporting initiatives that boost national food systems. He noted that the expansion of large-scale irrigation farming to complement the rainy season has already improved productivity, enabling farmers in Borno to cultivate and harvest all year.

Musami highlighted Borno’s natural comparative advantage in agriculture, citing its fertile soil and extensive irrigation potential, particularly around the Lake Chad region. He said the state government is actively restoring and upgrading irrigation schemes in communities that previously relied on year-round farming before insurgency-related disrupt

Zulum Launches Agricultural Input Distribution Under NAG-SP Dry Season Wheat Programme

Bandits kill two, injure six in Ikara community attack

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have killed two residents and injured six others during an attack on Gidan Duma in Gangarida village, Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Zagazola Makama report that the incident occurred at about 12:35 a.m. on Friday.

The source said the gunmen, armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded the residence of one Yakubu Samaila, 37, and abducted him after firing multiple shots.

According to sources , members of the community mobilised in an attempt to rescue the victim, during which Samaila managed to escape with gunshot wounds.

The sources said two other residents Ibrahim Isah, 45, and Solomon Ishaya, were shot and fatally injured during the confrontation.

“Four others, namely Irimiyah Samaila, Halilu Isah, Abel Markus, and Elkana Mohammed, all from Katsinawa village, also sustained various gunshot injuries,” the source added.

The sourcss disclosed that security teams were mobilised to the area and evacuated the injured victims to the hospital for treatment.

Those confirmed dead were certified at the hospital, while the injured are currently receiving treatment at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria.

The source added that intensified operations were ongoing to track down the attackers.

“Investigation has commenced and further updates will be communicated,” he said.

Bandits kill two, injure six in Ikara community attack

Lost Talents on Our Roads: A Call to Remember, Support, and Act

By: Mohamed Malick Fall & Shehu Mohammed

Every day, lives are shattered. Dreams are cut short. Families are left in silence. On our roads, tragedy unfolds, not in distant lands, but in our own streets and communities. Children, young people, parents, neighbours—gone forever.

This is no ordinary loss. This is a pandemic of sorrow. A hidden crisis claiming millions each year. According to the WHO 2023 Global status report on road safety, road crashes claim approximately 1.19 million lives and injure nearly 50 million people annually, with the greatest burden borne by low- and middle-income countries.

In Africa, road traffic remains the leading cause of death among youth aged 5–29, with pedestrians and cyclists among the most vulnerable. Each number is not just a statistic; it is a life, a story, a promise unfulfilled.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, we pause, remember, and mourn. But remembrance is not enough, we must act.

In Nigeria, every life lost on the road is a talent lost to our nation: a young person, a parent, a worker, taken too soon. A quiet room where laughter once lived. A deserted playground.

An empty stage. These are the spaces where absence speaks the loudest.
Road traffic injury is one of the leading causes of death for children and young people; the leaders, innovators, artists, teachers, and builders of tomorrow. When we lose them, we lose potential, progress, and hope.

Too often, our response is muted. Laws are weak, enforcement is inconsistent, and road deaths are treated lightly. A crash is called an “accident,” as if fate alone is to blame. But we know better: these are preventable tragedies. Every crash has a cause. Every injury leaves a mark that can last a lifetime.

We must acknowledge the tireless work of emergency responders, police, paramedics, and doctors. They face heartbreak daily, rushing to scenes of carnage, lifting bodies, comforting the wounded, offering solace where sorrow overwhelms. They are heroes, but even their courage cannot compensate for unsafe roads and broken systems.

The World Day of Remembrance calls on us to Remember. Support. Act. We remember the lives lost. We support those left behind—the families, the injured, and the communities. We act with urgency, compassion, and resolve.

Action begins with awareness. Every road user must understand that safety is a shared responsibility. Roads are not racetracks. Vehicles are not weapons. Speed kills. Distraction kills. Carelessness kills. Respect saves lives.

Action requires enforcement. Traffic laws must be clear, fair, and applied consistently. Speed limits are lifelines. Seatbelts, helmets, and child restraints are shields against death. Every driver, passenger, and cyclist must feel the weight of responsibility.

Action demands infrastructure. Safe roads, clear signs, pedestrian crossings, street lighting, and proper markings save lives. Governments, communities, and civil society must design roads that protect rather than endanger.

Action calls for empathy. Victims and their families deserve support, psychological care, medical aid, legal assistance, compensation, and recognition. The pain of loss should never be deepened by neglect.

On this day, we honor those taken too soon and the resilience of those who survive. We pledge not to let their talents vanish into silence. Their stories will guide us; their memory will drive us to change.

Every life saved is a victory. Every law enforced is progress. Every child protected is a promise kept. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the will. What remains is action; bold, urgent, persistent.

To the families of those lost: your grief is seen. Your sorrow is shared. Your loved ones are not forgotten. Their memory lives in every campaign, every policy, every act of prevention.

To our leaders: the cost of inaction is measured in lives; the cost of indifference, in tears. Invest in road safety. Strengthen laws. Build safer streets. Educate citizens. Every measure matters. Every moment counts.

To every citizen: your choices matter. Your speed matters. Your attention matters. One second of caution can save a lifetime. One act of responsibility can prevent unimaginable pain.

On this World Day of Remembrance, we say again: Remember. Support. Act. Not tomorrow, not later, but today.
Let us turn grief into resolve, loss into action. Roads must become safe again. Talents must not be lost again. Lives must be valued. Families must be spared. Together, we can rewrite the story of our roads.

Remember the lost. Support the living. Act to prevent more heartbreak. Every life matters. Every family matters. Every future matters.
Mr Mohamed Malick Fall is the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria while Mr Shehu Mohammed (mni) is the Corps Marshal/ CEO of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

Lost Talents on Our Roads: A Call to Remember, Support, and Act