NEWS
Kachikwu begs ASUU to call off strike
…tells Nigerians to unite against inept leaders in 2023
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, has urged on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to put an end to their industrial action to enable students in tertiary institutions that have been at home in the last five months return to classes and continue their education.
Kachikwu made this call in his State of the Nation address at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting of the ADC in Abuja.
He urged Nigerians not to allow religion, ethnicity and language to divide them ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He also called on medical doctors in the country to stop leaving the country abroad and allowing the healthcare system in the country to continue to degenerate.
He said: “Do we let ourselves be killed? Do we wait for the next rain of bombs on our cities? Do we wait for the next calamity? Please look around you and understand that all is not well with us.
“Nigerians are hungry, Nigerians are suffering, and Nigerians are afraid. This is the hill before us. We must understand that we must first have a country before we can talk of elections. Who will save Nigeria? Who will save Nigeria from her government? Who will save Nigerians from Nigerians? You.
“Today we must reset. Today we must chart a new course. Today we must choose to fight for Nigeria. Today we must fight for ourselves. Let us look within us and find the courage to start again.
“We must take our country back from these evil men. We must resist all invaders. We must defend our lands, our cities, our country, block by block.
“This is our patriotic duty. No longer will we let religion, tribe and tongue divide us. Those who have destroyed our country are from all tribes, tongues and religions so we must not be deceived. They are in the minority. We are in the majority. We have suffered and endured for too long and we must endure for a little while longer.
“They will induce you. They will make promises. They will say they have changed. They will threaten you. They will beat you. They will incarcerate you. Whatever they do to you just endure because in a little while, in a short time, in the near future, our small voices, our small actions, our small protests, our small plans, our small groups will become a mighty rescue mission to save our nation.
“You must endure. We must endure. Architects and town planners form groups in your communities. Create the masterplan of the community you envision for your city. Engineers come together in your different cities and design the infrastructure we need. Design the power grids we need. Start with the design. Start with the plan.
“Lawyers, civil society groups, men and women of good will, contribute your quota to a new and better constitution that divides us rather than the corrupt one that now divides us.
“Lecturers go back to classes. You have sacrificed before. Sacrifice one more time for the sake of our children. This government can’t afford to pay your demands. They are broke.
“They can’t give what they don’t have.
Please go back to classes and save the future of our children. Our medical personnel are leaving the country in droves, and nobody cares. Who will staff our hospitals? Who will treat the sick?
“Are we going to leave our healthcare to quacks? No. We must take a stand for Nigeria today. It is the right thing to do.”
Kachikwu further bemoaned the degenerating security situation in the country and called on Nigerians to rise up and take their country back in 2023.
He added: “Several months ago, when I announced my intention to run for the highest office in the land, I was clear within me that it was a suicide mission.
“I knew what was at stake. I was not in any doubt about the capabilities of those in the better-known parties. I expected the hound dogs would come after me.
“I was prepared to be imprisoned. I was prepared to even be killed in the process, but I was not fazed because I knew that the real threat was not any of those.
“No. The real threat was the tens of millions of Nigerians who had only known abuse all their lives.
“People whose normal was the abnormal.
People who couldn’t trust anyone who promised change because President Buhari had shown us all what change was. People who were affected by the Stockholm Syndrome. They love their captors and prefer them to those who will try to save them.
“Some of my family, friends, colleagues and business associates are also affected by this syndrome and most would say to me they didn’t believe Nigeria could be salvaged.
“Most of them had given up on themselves and on Nigeria. They didn’t give me or my rescue mission any chance.
“I remember trying to galvanise young Nigerians to run for office because I believe you must walk your talk. Don’t just complain, do something. Be the change you desire.
“Most of them just laughed. Most people I encountered on this journey believed that the only reason for them to embark on this mission was money.
“They believed that I had to incentivise them to join the rescue mission. Most felt there was nothing like patriotism so they would rather go for me, myself and I.
“This was my reality every day. Extremely discouraging. How do you help those who don’t know they are in need of help? As I toured media organisations and heard them all asking me questions that suggested they believed only the two better known parties had a chance, I pondered at the fate of my country.
“If most people have given up, then who is going to be part of this rescue mission? Who will save Nigeria? The answer is simple, you. I refuse to give up on you. I refuse to give up on Nigeria. Our nation might have failed but we will rise again.
“As long as I have breath in me, I will keep on speaking, I will keep on nudging, I will keep on prodding you. One man at a time, we will build a formidable rescue army.
“We will rebuild our country, we will revive our economy, we will protect our citizens, we will secure our borders and we will defend our land.
“I don’t care about what this government has done, I care about what we need to do now. Time is not on our side, but God is on our side. Forget about 2023 and start today.
“Raise your voices, speak up and don’t be cowed. Our nation is blessed with the people who can make this the greatest nation in the world, and you are one of those people.
“Join this rescue mission and let’s start changing Nigeria one person at a time, one street at a time, one city at a time and one state at a time.
“We will rescue Nigeria. It is our goal, it is our destiny, it is our mission. Remember, the rescue starts with you.”
He insisted that the present political leaders have lost focus, saying it will take the collective efforts of the masses to vote them out of office ans vote in a new team ready to change the current abysmal narratives.
He said: “Under the Buhari administration, Nigeria has witnessed unprecedented calamity second only to the Nigeria civil war. From Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Abuja, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Kaduna, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, tales of woe.
“The streets of Nigeria flows with the blood of the innocent. Many a mother is weeping. Many a wife in sorrow. Many families left to mourn quietly and helplessly.
“In all this, no one has lost his or her job. No Minister, National Security Adviser or President has resigned. The shame of a nation. Who did this to us? We reduce the dead to nomenclature such as scores killed, dozens killed, hundreds killed.
“Don’t we know they have names?
They had dreams, ambitions, aspirations. They had loved ones. What needs to happen before we know Nigeria is a failed state? Who needs to die again?
“Which school needs to be attacked? Who needs to be kidnapped before we realise that this administration has nothing more to offer?
“Beyond the killings and kidnappings, we also have to contend with a failed economy.
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Tens of millions unemployed and underemployed. ‘Yahoo’ and the trade in human parts are now accepted as industries in our nation.
“The naira is 612 to the dollar today. Our farms are untended as terrorists rape, maim and kill our farmers while our government looks the other way.
“Five months of fuel scarcity in some cities like Abuja, diesel at an all time high of N800 a litre and the middle class who are the engine room of every society just wiped out overnight.
“Our children are at home as government and ASUU fritter away their future. I can spend the next 24 hours talking about the failures of this government, but they are all too familiar to us all.
“How did we get here? How did we let our nation descend to this abysmal level? How did we fail on multiple levels with our eyes wide open?
“Didn’t we have any constitutional safeguards? What is the role of the parliament when the executive fails? What is the role of the media when the government fails? What is the role of society when you have a failed government?
“What is your role? It is important that these questions are asked and answered. We can’t run away from this. We can’t run full throttle towards the 2023 general elections when we don’t know if we will have a nation in six months. This is the crux of the matter.
“How much more can this nation take? How much more can the Nigerian people take? When does the abuse stop? When do we say no more?
“The most painful part of our collective suffering is that we are too afraid to say anything. The media operate in fear of having their licences suspended or revoked.
“The opposition parties dread that invitation from the security agencies when they speak out of turn. The people remember the forgotten victims of the END SARS protest, so they stay silent in the face of despair, disillusion and abuse.
“Who will save the Nigerian people? Who will save us from ourselves? Because we must accept that we all have a role to play in this mess. Silence in the face of tyranny is not an option. An emasculated parliament is not an option.
“A weakened judiciary is not an option. Abandoning Nigeria for other countries is also not an option.
“We also know that this President will never resign and that he will never be impeached by this weak assembly. So, what are our options as a people?
“As I prepared to make this speech today, certain media organisations declined to cover me. They were worried that I would say something about the government that would affect them.
“There is no society in the world that can survive with a cowed and cowardly media. None. When the parliament fails, when the executive fails, when the judiciary fails, when society fails, the media must never fail.
“For if they were to fail then all hope is lost. The media must arise and shine at a time like this. Your country needs you. My dear Nigerians all hands must be on deck. This ship will run aground if we don’t act fast.
“The poor and hungry we ignore today will eat us tomorrow. The terrorists we pamper today will kill us tomorrow. The religion we introduce into politics today will divide us tomorrow.
“The politics and politicians we avoid today will govern us tomorrow. The hatred we incubate today will destroy us tomorrow. We can’t run away from these truths. Let us act now to save Nigeria. Let us speak with one voice.
“Don’t let them divide us. Don’t let them change parties and deceive you. Don’t let them change logos and deceive you. If they have been there, then they have done that. Get rid of them.”
Panic swept through parts of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Friday after a fresh gas leak affected more than 100 students and teachers across several schools, forcing many victims to be rushed to hospitals for treatment.
The incident, which occurred less than two months after a similar case in the town, reportedly affected schools including Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, and Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, among others.
Witnesses said students suddenly began complaining of breathing difficulties, stomach aches, dizziness, and weakness as the strange gas spread across the affected areas.
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Videos circulating online showed frightened students running out of school premises while teachers and residents assisted those who fainted into vehicles for emergency medical attention.
Many of the affected students were taken to the Ogun State Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while others were rushed to nearby private medical facilities as worried parents stormed the hospitals.
An eyewitness described the situation as more severe than the previous gas leak recorded in April.
“I am currently at the Ogun State Hospital, Ijebu Ode, and the hospital is overcrowded. Some parents had to move their children to private hospitals. The students are complaining of stomach pain and weakness. This incident affected multiple schools and over 100 students,” the source said.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the development, stating that emergency response agencies had been mobilised to contain the situation and investigate the source of the leak.
According to the commissioner, air quality monitoring devices installed within the area detected elevated methane gas concentrations, with readings reportedly peaking at about 13,500 ppm in surrounding locations.
He explained that although the methane level remained below the lower explosive limit, the situation was environmentally significant and required urgent investigation.
Oresanya said the state government had activated a multi-agency environmental and public health assessment team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, security agencies, and air quality experts to determine the source and extent of the emissions.
Officials, including the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, and the Managing Director of OGEPA, Kenny Bello, were also seen visiting affected schools and hospitals to assess the situation and monitor medical response efforts.
Residents were advised to remain calm, avoid open flames or ignition sources in areas with unusual gas odours, and immediately seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, or respiratory discomfort.
The latest incident comes weeks after over 30 students and a teacher were hospitalised following another gas leak at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in April, raising fresh concerns over environmental safety in the area.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government and Kaduna State authorities to release former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai before the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, describing his continued detention as unfair and politically troubling.
Atiku made the demand in a statement issued on Friday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
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The former presidential candidate condemned El-Rufai’s detention ahead of the Muslim festival, saying it contradicts the spirit of mercy, compassion, and reconciliation associated with Eid-el-Kabir.
According to Atiku, it would be wrong for any government to deny a citizen freedom without clear justification, especially during a significant religious period when families are expected to reunite.
He warned against the alleged use of state institutions to intimidate perceived political opponents, stressing that democracy should not be used as a weapon to settle political scores.
“At a time when millions of Muslims are preparing for Eid-el-Kabir, it is unconscionable to keep a citizen away from his family without just cause,” Atiku stated.
The former vice-president also argued that the credibility of any democratic government depends on how it treats opposition figures and perceived critics.
He urged authorities to ensure transparency if El-Rufai’s detention is connected to ongoing legal proceedings, insisting that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to constitutional rights, including liberty and due process.
The demand comes days after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission confirmed that a Federal High Court in Kaduna granted El-Rufai access to medical treatment while in custody.
El-Rufai and his co-defendant, Joel Adoga, are facing a 10-count charge bordering on alleged corruption, money laundering, and possession of proceeds of crime before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has intensified its push for globally competitive artificial intelligence and digital technology solutions, as the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation attracted a record 237 entries, the highest participation level since the prestigious $100,000 award was established in 2004.
The milestone comes months after the 2025 edition ended without a winner, following a rigorous evaluation process that found none of the 112 entries submitted met the Prize’s benchmark for scientific excellence, originality, scalability and real-world impact.
The entries were formally handed over to the Prize’s Advisory Board during a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, officially commencing the adjudication process for this year’s competition themed: Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development.
The retention of the theme for a second consecutive year reflects growing recognition of the role of AI and digital technologies in solving socio-economic challenges and accelerating national development.
Speaking at the event, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, said the record-breaking number of entries signals renewed confidence in Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and growing interest among researchers in technology-driven solutions.
“In this fourth revolution, digital infrastructure is as foundational to our survival as electricity or water. For Nigeria, our economic sustainability depends on our ability to move beyond promising research and into undeniable innovation that delivers,” Horsfall said.
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She noted that the decision not to award a winner in 2025 was difficult but necessary to preserve the integrity and global credibility of the Prize.
“We believe that if a Nigerian discovery is to command global respect, it must withstand the highest levels of scrutiny. It is this conviction that guided the difficult decision seven months ago,” she stated.
According to Horsfall, NLNG responded to last year’s outcome by deepening engagement with Nigeria’s scientific and technology community through nationwide roadshows, media campaigns, collaborations with innovation hubs, and knowledge-sharing sessions with researchers and academic institutions.
“Our response was not to lower our standards but to deepen engagement. Today, we can confidently say those efforts have paid off,” she added.
She described the leap from 112 entries in 2025 to 237 entries in 2026 as evidence of rising momentum in Nigeria’s science, AI, and digital innovation ecosystem.
“It proves that there is a hunger in this country for research, innovation, discovery and recognition. It also proves that we need platforms such as this Prize that elevate scientific endeavour and transform ideas into impact,” Horsfall said.
Receiving the submissions on behalf of the Advisory Board, Chairman of the Board, Prof. Barth Nnaji, described the handover as a crucial stage in the search for transformative scientific breakthroughs capable of addressing Nigeria’s development challenges.
Nnaji, a former Minister of Power, said the no-winner verdict in 2025 reinforced the Prize’s reputation for excellence rather than diminished it.
“Our refusal to award the prize in 2025 was not a dismissal of the hard work of Nigerian innovators; rather, it reinforces that The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation holds a gold standard of excellence,” he stated.
He explained that entries would continue to undergo strict intellectual and technical scrutiny, with emphasis placed on originality, relevance, scalability, and measurable socio-economic impact.
“The theme we have focused on for the past two years is perhaps the most critical topic of our time. We are looking for solutions that directly address Nigeria’s real-world challenges, whether through digital health technologies for rural communities or the use of AI in preserving our cultural heritage and languages,” Nnaji added.
He further assured stakeholders that the adjudication process would remain independent, transparent, and merit-driven.
“We look at every entry through a lens of fairness, balance and equity. It is this consistency that has given the Prize its enduring credibility over the years,” he said.
Also speaking, NLNG’s Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, commended the resilience of Nigerian innovators who returned with stronger entries despite last year’s disappointing outcome.
“To see the numbers rise to 237 this year tells me that innovators did not see last year’s verdict as a deterrent. Instead, they saw it as a challenge,” she said.
The Advisory Board for the Prize also includes Dr. Nike Akande, former Minister of Industry, and Professor Baba Yusuf Abubakar, a professor of quantitative genetics and animal breeding.
The winning entry for the 2026 edition will be unveiled at a world press conference scheduled for September.
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