News
UNFPA: Population Key to National Development

UNFPA: Population Key to National Development
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) has said population management is key to national development by allowing for right choices to be made.
The Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria, Ms Ulla Mueller, said this at the ‘High Level Partners Engagement on the 2023 Population and Housing Census’ in Abuja, while also disclosing that the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs can only be delivered if Nigeria delivers its 2023 Census, urging everyone to get involved.
She said: “So taking that into consideration when we do a census in Nigeria, that kept a lot on the back. It’s well planned. And it was thought out. It’s a green census. Climate change is real. So we have together with the population commission gone over and beyond to ensure that we apply methodologies that are friendly to the climate to the extent possible. But it’s also going to help us make the right decisions about the climate as we go forward.
“The government has contributed already almost half of this budget and is commendable. We have to stand together figuring out how we take this to the goalpost. If we don’t, the world will actually fail to deliver the SDGs it’s not only Nigeria’s influence in Africa, it’s about Nigerians global influence as the third most populous country in the world 25 years from now.
“We cannot deliver the SDGs if we do not deliver the census in Nigeria so when you contribute to the census in Nigeria, you also contribute to the global promise and achieving and delivering on sustainable development goals and a world where no one is left behind”.
Mueller while assuring of continuous support to Nigeria, said the 2023 population census will offer Nigeria with the chance to choose potentials and opportunities particularly as the country is projected to reach 450 million mark by 2050.
She said: “Nigeria will be 450 million people in 2050 with 3.2 percent growth means the population will be doubled in 22 years is not much of a challenge. So we can choose to be 450 million strong and understand the possibilities and opportunities and well educated and well managed population offers to its country. Or we can choose to be 450 million blind and make decisions based in the dark on guess estimates, which means that we risk putting our investments not where they should be. We risk building schools in places where there are no women delivering children for instance, that would be a bad investment. We need to think about how do we do roads, where is the upcoming markets, that’s where it’s interesting for the private sector”.
She noted that it is estimated today that 70% of the population is under 30, with a lot of that population also under 18.
She added that: “Many of them would always now have started to produce the next generation. How are we going to educate them if we don’t know where they are? How are we going to ensure that there’s access to health care. How are we going to make sure that we have a grid that covers in the right spaces and that we expand that in the right faces? All of this evidence is what a census brings to the table. We were very challenged almost four years ago and I would like to also commend the government because of what many have done. But I also want to say the complexities of a census is mind blowing.”
, UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Mathias Schmale who described census as a capital intensive project, called for mobilization of fund for its success.
Schmale also restated the commitment of the UN to continue to support Nigeria especially in making the 2023 census a success.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, on her part said the need to address the inconsistency in the National Census and statistical system which limits the efficacy of development initiatives premised on obsolete data cannot be over-emphasize.
She said: “Our major challenge over the years had been the lack and/or inadequate funds to readily carry out such huge project in the face of pressing needs for social welfare and human capital development. It is worthy to note that 60 per cent of the funding and other requirements for the 2006 Census could not have been achieved without the invaluable support of the Development Partners, Corporate Bodies and other key Stakeholders. Indeed, the partnership and collaboration in carrying out the 2006 National Census took a lot of burden off the Government of Nigeria and enabled us to conduct a credible exercise whose outcome, served through the years.
“The data from the exercise has been useful in preparing our National Development Plans, implementation of Sectoral Plans and Initiatives, tracking follow-up actions for Global Conventions and Agreements, including the unfinished Agenda of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Nairobi Commitments, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development among others”.
Also speaking the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr. Clement Agba, gave an assurance of a digital, green and transformative census, which would meet international standards.
He said: “The Census was rescheduled for March 2023, but now recommended to hold in May 2023. This is a digital, green and transformative Census that meets international best practices. Some of the activities have been undertaken as scheduled including the conduct of a Trial Census. Government has demonstrated high level of financial and political commitment to the Census project in spite of the election cost and activities. UNFPA is providing significant technical and financial support to the Census programme. A Basket Fund managed by the UNFPA will be established for the redemption of pledges”.
He added that “a total amount of N889 billion would be required to conduct the census. So far the government has committed N291.5 billion to the census making it 46 per cent of total funding for the ncensus. There would be training of 885,000 persons for building numbering and household listing of all buildings in the country for seven days at average of N12,410 per day”.
UNFPA: Population Key to National Development
News
Council Durbar inaugurated to revive cultural heritage—Committee Secretary

Council Durbar inaugurated to revive cultural heritage—Committee Secretary
By: Yahaya Wakili
The Bade emirate council durbar committee was inaugurated three years ago by His Royal Highness, the Mai of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, with sole responsibility to revive and improve the cultural heritage of the emirate.
The secretary of the committee, Alhaji Sale Garba Suleiman, disclosed this to newsmen in Gashua, the headquarters of the emirate. He said, By reviving our cultural heritage, our younger generation will grow up with their own culture.
He revealed that the committee will solicit advice and cooperation from the Yobe State Art and Culture Board to improve and boost our cultural heritage and also advise other emirates to emulate what the Bade Emirate Council is doing.
Sale maintained that his royal father was the first person who put his contribution into the committee account; therefore, he appealed to all sons and Bade emirate lovers to contribute generously to this committee.
The Secretary thanks and deeply appreciates the leadership of His Royal Highness, the Mai of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, for his dedication to preserving the rich cultural heritage of Bade.
He also commended the effort of Hon. Yau Usman Dachia, Deputy Speaker of the Yobe House of Assembly, for his support, encouragement, and contribution to rendering this committee able to execute its function successfully.
Council Durbar inaugurated to revive cultural heritage—Committee Secretary
Crime
CLARIFICATION: No New Terrorist Group in Kwara, Mahmouda is a Boko Haram Commander Collaborating with Bandits

CLARIFICATION: No New Terrorist Group in Kwara, Mahmouda is a Boko Haram Commander Collaborating with Bandits
By: Zagazola Makama
Contrary to recent reports circulating on social and traditional media suggesting the emergence of a new terrorist organization in Kwara State, security sources have clarified that no new group has been formed. The figure at the center of these reports, Mahmouda, is not a name of a new terrorist group, but rather a known Boko Haram commander.
Mahmouda is a veteran Boko Haram fighter who initially operated in Borno State before relocating to Kaduna, where he briefly collaborated with the notorious terror kingpin, Sadiku. He later moved into the Shiroro and Rafi axis of Niger State, where he aligned with the remnants of Darul Salam, recruiting dozens of youths and enforcing extremist laws particularly on Fulani herdsmen.
Security intelligence confirms that Mahmouda has since moved some of his fighters further southwest into the forests bordering Kwara State, where he has established ties with local bandit groups. These elements are not a new organization but are extensions of Boko Haram collaborating with bandits already operating in the North West.
This clarification comes in the wake of past denials from security agencies. When intelligence analyst Zagazola Makama previously raised the alarm about the movement of terrorists toward Kwara, the Police issued a rebuttal, describing the report as fear-mongering.
However, with recent attacks and the presence of insurgent elements now being confirmed in parts of Kwara, observers are questioning the responsiveness and preparedness of authorities.
“What will the Police say now that the very thing they denied has begun to happen?” a senior security source queried.
Authorities are now being urged to act swiftly and decisively to prevent Mahmouda and his collaborators from entrenching themselves in the North Central corridor. Analysts warn that failing to address this threat early could result in Kwara becoming another flashpoint in Nigeria’s protracted insurgency.
Security agencies have been advised to increase intelligence operations, deploy special forces, and establish a proactive counter-insurgency presence in border forests between Niger and Kwara states to neutralize the threat before it escalates.
CLARIFICATION: No New Terrorist Group in Kwara, Mahmouda is a Boko Haram Commander Collaborating with Bandits
News
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS

FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
By: Zagazola Makama
The government of Burkina Faso has announced the foiling of an attempted coup allegedly involving President Ibrahim Traoré’s Chief of Staff and a network of foreign and local actors, in what authorities describe as a sophisticated plot to assassinate the junta leader and destabilize the Sahel nation.
The accused high-ranking official, whose name has not been officially disclosed, was arrested after reportedly confessing to accepting a bribe of 25 billion CFA francs (approx. $41 million USD) and an arms shipment allegedly facilitated through Côte d’Ivoire with French involvement.
The plot, uncovered through a military-led internal investigation, was said to be in the advanced planning stages. The confession reportedly links foreign powers to the destabilization attempt, with security sources accusing France Burkina Faso’s former colonial ruler of channeling weapons through Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara’s network. The French and Ivorian governments have not responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
“This is a grave betrayal of national sovereignty,” the Ministry of Security said in a statement. “The Burkinabé people remain resolute and united behind President Ibrahim Traoré, whose leadership continues to command overwhelming support in our fight against insecurity and external manipulation.”
The revelation has triggered increased security in Ouagadougou and its environs, with checkpoints erected across key routes and military deployments strengthened at sensitive installations. The government says nine individuals, including foreign nationals, have so far been arrested in connection to the attempted coup.
Since assuming power in 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré has charted a new course in Burkina Faso’s foreign relations, distancing from Western powers particularly France and deepening strategic and military ties with Russia and fellow juntas in Mali and Niger under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
This realignment has heightened tensions in West Africa, with regional power blocs increasingly split between pro-Western governments and military-led regimes advocating self-determination and reduced foreign interference. Security experts suggest that Traoré’s pivot and strong anti-colonial rhetoric may have provoked foreign interests seeking to retain influence in the mineral-rich nation.
However, Zagazola could not independently verify the claims of external funding or logistical support to the coup plotters.
Burkina Faso has faced growing insecurity with large portions of its territory under the control of jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Multiple coups, the most recent in 2022, have reflected the country’s fragile political climate and rising frustration over government inaction. Traoré’s administration has pursued aggressive counter-insurgency campaigns and citizen mobilization, gaining popularity among some segments of the population but also drawing criticism for limited democratic oversight.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
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