Stakeholders Laud Tinubu for UBEC’s Boss Appointment, Praise Effective Reforms in Primary Education

Education and Tech Coalition of Activists and Social Entrepreneurs have applauded President Bola Tinubu for the appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, over significant reforms that have brought significant solutions to primary education across the country.

The coalition, through its co-chairs, Olaonipekun Kazeem, the Executive Director of the Focus Teens Foundation and Olamide Apejoye, Head of the Developing Engineering Leaders stated this in a joint statement on Monday.

The coalition stated that President Tinubu went out of his way to recruit Aisha Garba from the World Bank, signalling the seriousness of his administration towards educational reforms in Nigeria.

The statement partly read, “UBEC under the leadership of Aisha Garba as its Executive Secretary have implemented reforms that have directly impacted basic education across the country. Out-of-school children are getting back in classrooms, while some are accessing school for the first time. Her leadership has also improved the quality of education through the upgrade of learning tools and teaching in order to increase positive outcomes.

“This would have been impossible without the help and support of President Tinubu, who went out of his way to bring Dr Garba from the World Bank, signalling how important his administration is keen on education reforms in Nigeria.”

Similarly, founder of Alpha Reach, JJ Omojuwa, in a post on X earlier today, also commended the ES, Aisha Garba for being able to allow states in the country access grants to improve the quality of basic education.

He said, “For two decades, an ordinary document created a stumbling block for states to access matching grants. This meant stalled access to education for many children. Aisha changed that!”

Omojuwa added, “She reformed the system by removing long-standing bureaucratic cogs and helped to open access to the states who are now able to do a lot more than ever as they plug into the UBEC matching grants.

“This has led to over 60% fund utilisation – a record, impacted about 3 million children, led to the distribution of 6m books to primary schools nationwide, about half a million library materials and other such interventions. States now feel more like partners in education development with the FG, all thanks to reforms led by Dr Aisha Garba.”

He also noted that Garba had managed a $3 Billion project portfolio across multiple countries whilst working with the World Bank, supervising the design, execution, and evaluation of large-scale education and skills development programs in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Ghana and many other countries. He stated that despite being a few months in, Garba’s reforms have began to affect the country’s educational development.

Many Nigerians have also been commending UBEC through various social media platforms.

On X, Mazi NnaEmeka posted, “didn’t come in to play politics, she came in to work, and she’s already breaking 20-year barriers that kept millions of children from accessing education.”

HighChiefOkoro also posted, “This is what purposeful leadership looks like. No noise, just results. @AishaMGarba is proving that with the right competence and vision, even the most rigid systems can be reformed for impact.”

These, among many other such comments are remarks by Nigerians who have been impressed by the ongoing reforms in the country’s primary education sector under Dr. Aisha Garba.

The post Stakeholders Laud Tinubu for UBEC’s Boss Appointment, Praise Effective Reforms in Primary Education appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    IOM Unveils €5.1m Project to Foster Peace, Socio-economic Stability in Katsina, Zamfara

    IOM Unveils €5.1m Project to Foster Peace, Socio-economic Stability in Katsina, Zamfara

    • Inaugurates 21-member steering committee 

    Francis Sardauna in Katsina

    The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has unveiled a €5.1 million Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) project in Katsina and Zamfara States to foster peace and socio-economic stability in the states.

    The 18-month European Union-funded project seeks to tackle the root causes of conflict through strategic interventions to strengthen governance, promoting social cohesion and enhancing community resilience in the two states.

    In collaboration with Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Mercy Corps, the community-driven project was launched on Monday in Katsina by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.

    Presenting an overview of the CPCRR project, the IOM Programme Manager, Peace Building and Reconciliation, Kutumbakana Jean Nahesi, said it would be implemented in eight Katsina local governments and three in Zamfara State.

    He said the project would reinforce peace and socio-economic stability in the states through integrated interventions to enhance community resilience in the face of violent extremism and climate change.

    He stated that the project would also foster conflict prevention and social cohesion mechanisms by empowering local communities and governance structures to resolve disputes in the states.

    Nahesi said: “The Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience in Katsina and Zamfara States, North-west Nigeria is an 18-month project aimed at reinforcing peace and socio-economic stability.

    “The budget for this project is €5,150,000.00; €3,639,140 for IOM, €1,177,769 for MCN and €333,091 for CDD. This budget is for both Katsina and Zamfara States. 

    “The project targets IDPs, returnees, host community population and government stakeholders across 10 selected LGAs in Katsina and Zamfara States (eight LGAs in Katsina and two LGAs in Zamfara, we are adding one LGA to make it three LGAs).”

    Unveiling the project and the steering committee, Governor Radda described it as a new era of hope, partnership and collective action to rebuild communities and restore lasting peace in the state.

    The post IOM Unveils €5.1m Project to Foster Peace, Socio-economic Stability in Katsina, Zamfara appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    • Inaugurates 21-member steering committee  Francis Sardauna in Katsina The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has unveiled a €5.1 million Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) project in Katsina and
    The post IOM Unveils €5.1m Project to Foster Peace, Socio-economic Stability in Katsina, Zamfara appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

    NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine

    NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine

    Michael Olugbode in Abuja

    An international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating within Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), made up of mainly ex-jailbirds in overseas prisons, has been smashed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    According to a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the anti- narcotics agency in a two-week-long intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos arrested three leaders of the cartel after intercepting large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Babafemi said the unraveling of the drug syndicate began on August 26, 2025, after NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials going to Sydney, Australia, noting that a thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery of 16 big blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9 kilogrammes hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection.

    He disclosed that a freight agent and member of the syndicate, Olashupo Oladimeji, was the first to be arrested. The consignment was expected to fetch the syndicate an estimated street value of over 5.3 million Australian Dollars, equivalent of N5.3 billion.

    Babafemi said fast-paced investigation of the operations of the IOCG quickly unmasked other leaders of the group: Muaezee Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke, stating that Ogunbiyi, who is the arrowhead of the syndicate in Nigeria, was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja GRA last Wednesday and swiftly taken to his house in Lekki area of Lagos where a search led to the recovery of 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis with a total weight of 10.9 kilogrammes and a double-barreled pump action gun, with some cartridges.

    He said a house located at 13 Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA, where the criminal group use to package illicit drugs for export was subsequently raided and another leader of the syndicate, Shola Adegoke, was arrested there, adding that a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in the compound was searched and 17 parcels of Loud weighing 9.6 kilogrammes were recovered. A black Toyota Venza car with registration number FST 771 JQ was earlier recovered from Ogunbiyi at the point of his arrest at the hotel.

    He said investigations revealed that while Ogunbiyi coordinates operations for the group in Nigeria, one Adebisi Omoyele (Mr. Bee) who is currently hibernating in Dubai, UAE, is identified as the ringleader of the criminal network who coordinates their overseas operations. Shola Adegoke was found to have been jailed in the UK in 2021 for dealing in Methamphetamine and subsequently deported to Nigeria in 2024. Ogunbiyi s also served a 14-year-jail term in the UK over a murder case before returning to Nigeria about eight years ago.

    Meanwhile, a Milan Italy-based Nigerian Gabriel Michael was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of terminal 1 of the Lagos airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy. He was found to have concealed a total of 24,480 pills of tramadol 100mg, 200mg and 225mg, which he claimed he was going to sell for 19,520 euros.

    Babafemi said a total of 160,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in a 40ft container during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers and men of Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne in Rivers State last Thursday. The container which has 220 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares used as cover for the codeine syrup was one of the shipments watch-listed and tracked by a special operations unit of NDLEA while the illicit consignment has an estimated street value of over N1.1 billion.

    In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on a stop-and-search operation last Thursday arrested a dispatch rider, Joel Bernard, 32, in Gwarimpa area of the city while conveying 3.1 kilogrammes Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.

    In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Monday 1st September arrested the duo of Tunde Ayinla, 47, and Olawale Omotare, 54, while loading four distribution vehicles at their 28 Ola Street, Ijesha, Surulere home.

    Recovered from them include: 9 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud; 5 kilogrammes of Colorado and 1,101 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 611 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of the combined seizures to 625 kilogrammes.

    In another raid in Lagos, operatives last Friday arrested a couple, Andy David, 43, and Andy Esther, 44, with 24.4kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, recovered from their home in Ajegunle area of the state; while 45-year-old Musa Isah was arrested with 53.400 kilogrammes skunk concealed in two cartons in the trunk of his Toyota Avensus car marked ABC 338 SS in Kogi state, Yunusa  Zakari, 23, was nabbed in a follow up operation in Auchi, Edo State, last Friday in connection with the earlier seizure of 233 kilogrammes skunk in Kakau, Kaduna state.

    Babafemi said not less than 11,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a suspect Ayouk Nelson, 28, when he was arrested by NDLEA operatives last Wednesday at 61 Bida road, Onitsha, Anambra State, just as operatives on patrol along Minna-Bida road Niger state last Tuesday intercepted a white Toyota Hilux vehicle, when searched 30 bags of skunk weighing 342 kilogrammes were found and subsequently seized, while the driver Afolayan Ayodele, 54, conveying the consignment was arrested.

    In Taraba State, a total of 18,750 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on 7.5 hectares of cannabis plantations at Joro-Ade village, Ardo Kola Local Hovernment Area last Tuesday. Owners of the two farms: Mako Zmar, 55, and Sani Titus, 45, have were arrested during the operation.

    The spokesman said across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.

    Meanwhile, commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, and Niger Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

    The post NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    Michael Olugbode in Abuja An international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating within Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), made up of mainly ex-jailbirds in
    The post NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-bound Cocaine appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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