DAILYUPDATES

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, renowned philanthropist and community mobilizer, Ambassador Coach Gabriel Abinu, has commenced a ward-by-ward tour of Lokoja I State Constituency, seeking the support of critical stakeholders to secure the ticket for the Kogi State House of Assembly under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Abinu’s consultations took him to several wards across Lokoja Local Government Area, where he received a warm reception from party leaders and stakeholders, including a former Speaker of the 6th Kogi State House of Assembly and APC leader in Lokoja LGA, Rt. Hon. Umar Alfa Imam. Speaking at his residence, Rt. Hon. Imam commended Abinu for his years of selfless service to humanity and openly pledged his support for his aspiration.  “Ambassador Coach Gabriel Abinu is a household name in Lokoja Local Government. His service to humanity speaks volumes,” Imam said. “This is a man who has dedicated his life to serving his people, ...

Kogi State Governor and Visitor to Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has reaffirmed his administration’s strong commitment to quality education, academic stability and sustained investment in tertiary institutions across the state. Governor Ododo made this known at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of the Polytechnic held on Saturday. He was represented at the event by his Deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu. The governor described education as the most reliable pathway to personal advancement and sustainable development, noting that Kogi State Polytechnic remains a critical driver of technical skills and human capital development in the state. He commended the Governing Council, Management and staff of the institution for restoring academic regularity, pointing out the remarkable improvement from the past practice of combining up to ten graduating sets to just two sets this year. According to him, this development is a clear indication of...

The Kogi Progressive Stakeholders Forum (KPSF) has dismissed reports alleging that its recent meeting in Lokoja was aimed at dividing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Sani Philips, on Saturday, the forum said its attention had been drawn to what it described as misleading and negative narratives being circulated on social media by some unscrupulous elements. According to the statement, the narratives were deliberately orchestrated to blackmail the forum, sow seeds of division within the APC in Kogi State, and misinform party members and the general public about the true purpose of its recent stakeholders’ meeting. The forum explained that the meeting, held in Lokoja on February 4, 2026, overwhelmingly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for a second term in office and was not convened to create discord within the party. “Ordinarily, the forum would not have dissipated energy responding to the...

A university don, Prof. Christian Ezeibe, has called on governments at all levels to declare a 'national skills emergency' as a strategic response to Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment and widespread poverty. Prof. Ezeibe made the call while delivering the convocation lecture at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. The don, who is the Dean of Student Affairs, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stressed that Nigeria’s overemphasis on certificates at the expense of practical competence has weakened the country’s productive capacity and stifled sustainable development. Speaking on the theme, “Skills Over Certificates: Repositioning Technical Education for Sustainable Development,” Prof. Ezeibe said Nigeria must urgently invest in skills acquisition if it hopes to compete with developed nations.  “Nigeria has perfected the ritual of schooling but has lost the essence of learning. We have become a nation that worships certificates while...

A university don, Prof. Christian Ezeibe, has called on governments at all levels to declare a 'national skills emergency' as a strategic response to Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment and widespread poverty. Prof. Ezeibe made the call while delivering the convocation lecture at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic, Idah. The don, who is the Dean of Student Affairs, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stressed that Nigeria’s overemphasis on certificates at the expense of practical competence has weakened the country’s productive capacity and stifled sustainable development. Speaking on the theme, “Skills Over Certificates: Repositioning Technical Education for Sustainable Development,” Prof. Ezeibe said Nigeria must urgently invest in skills acquisition if it hopes to compete with developed nations.  “Nigeria has perfected the ritual of schooling but has lost the essence of learning. We have become a nation that worships certificates while n...

Nigeria is today confronted with a double tragedy. While terrorists and bandits continue their mindless massacres of innocent Nigerians—with close to 200 citizens reportedly killed in Kwara State and other parts of the country—the Nigerian Senate has, in equal measure, dealt a heavy blow to the hope of free, fair and credible elections by rejecting the proposal for compulsory real-time transmission of election results. As Nigerians mourn the loss of lives resulting from the glaring failure of government to secure lives and property, the Senate has chosen to deliberately sustain loopholes that guarantee electoral fraud. The rejection of mandatory real-time transmission of election results flies in the face of overwhelming public opinion and the clear recommendations of the committee on electoral reforms, all of which strongly advocated the compulsory upload of results directly from polling units. This action further confirms the growing fear among Nigerians that a National A...