NEWS
Kaduna Clears N18bn Pension Arrears, Raises Agric Funding to N100bn
The Kaduna State Government has disclosed that it has cleared about N18bn out of the pension and gratuity arrears inherited by the administration of Governor Uba Sani.
The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this in an exclusive interview on Saturday, attributing the development to increased allocations from the Federation Account under President Bola Tinubu.
Maiyaki said the additional resources had enabled the state government to intensify infrastructure development while increasing funding for agriculture, education, healthcare, transportation, security and youth employment.
According to him, the Uba Sani administration inherited about N24bn in outstanding pension and gratuity liabilities, alongside foreign and domestic debts.
He said, “When the governor assumed office, we inherited a backlog of debts, both foreign and domestic, which would have made it very difficult for the state to even pay salaries.”
The commissioner also disclosed that 115 road projects were ongoing across the 23 local government areas of the state, with more than half completed and covering over 1,400 kilometres of roads.
“Before now, 12 local government areas in Kaduna State had not seen even half a kilometre of road projects. But today, with the infrastructural development taking place in Kaduna State, 115 road projects are ongoing across the state,” he said.
Maiyaki explained that the road projects were designed to improve transportation, connect farmers and rural communities to markets, facilitate access to healthcare and strengthen security.
He cited a 35-kilometre road linking about 76 communities as one of the projects with significant socio-economic impact.
“We have a 35-kilometre road that has connected about 76 communities, particularly farming communities. This is one significant project that has helped provide farmers with access to markets and their farms,” Maiyaki stated.
Agriculture funding rises to N100bn
The commissioner said agriculture had received one of the biggest boosts from the increased revenue available to the state, noting that the sector contributes about 42 per cent of Kaduna’s Gross Domestic Product and provides approximately 60 per cent of employment.
He disclosed that the state’s agricultural budget rose from N1.4bn in 2023 to more than N100bn in 2026.
“This represents an increase in agricultural funding from 0.4 per cent to 11.6 per cent over the last three years,” he said.
According to Maiyaki, the increased funding had enabled the government to provide fertiliser and other inputs to smallholder farmers, as well as invest in irrigation, mechanised agriculture and extension services.
He said the state distributed 400 trucks of NPK and urea fertiliser to farmers in 2024 and another 500 trucks in 2025, while 150,000 smallholder farmers are being targeted for fertiliser distribution in 2026.
“Today, Kaduna State is the highest producer of maize, the highest producer of tomatoes, the second-highest producer of soybeans, and the highest producer of ginger in the country,” Maiyaki said.
Kaduna allocates N264bn to education
On education, Maiyaki said the state had sustained increased funding, keeping its allocation above the 25 per cent benchmark recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
He disclosed that more than N264bn was allocated to the sector in the 2026 budget.
The commissioner said the funds had been used to construct and renovate classrooms, recruit teachers and improve infrastructure in tertiary institutions.
“Over 75 secondary schools, including junior and senior secondary schools, have been constructed, while thousands of classrooms have been renovated,” he said.
He added that the investments had contributed to a reduction in the estimated number of out-of-school children in the state from about 550,000 in 2023 to approximately 187,000 in 2026.
CNG buses save residents N4bn
Maiyaki further disclosed that the state government had deployed 100 compressed natural gas buses to provide free transportation for civil servants, students, traders, artisans and other residents.
He said the buses had transported about four million passengers in one year, saving beneficiaries an estimated N4bn.
“Over the last one year, the introduction of the CNG buses has transported about four million people, saving them about N4bn at no cost to our people,” he stated.
Kaduna records no religious conflict in three years
On security, the commissioner attributed improved security and freedom of movement across the state to the combination of road construction, social interventions and the Kaduna Peace Model.
Maiyaki claimed that the state had not recorded a religious conflict in the three years since the Uba Sani administration assumed office.
“One of the key outcomes of our investment in peace and security is that, over the last three years since the assumption of office of His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State, we have not witnessed a single religious conflict in Kaduna State,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of six nominees for executive director positions at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the Senate for confirmation, retaining three existing directors while introducing three new nominees.
The nominations were conveyed to the Senate in a letter from the President, according to a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The six nominees comprise three executive directors seeking reappointment and three new candidates proposed for different leadership positions within the petroleum regulatory agency.
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The officials nominated for reappointment are Abiodun Adeniji, Executive Director of Finance and Accounts; Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha, Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community.
The three new nominees are Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa, proposed as Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure; Ogechukwu Modie, nominated as Executive Director of Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning; and Said Abutalib, nominated as Executive Director of Corporate Services and Administration.
If confirmed by the Senate, all six nominees will serve five-year terms.
President Tinubu urged the lawmakers to consider the nominations expeditiously, stating that the appointments would ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the Authority’s oversight capacity.
In a related development, the President has approved the appointment of Jumoke Gafar as Secretary to the Board/Authority and Legal Adviser of the NMDPRA.
Her appointment is subject to the completion of the statutory processes stipulated under Section 46 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The latest nominations follow Tinubu’s appointment of Engr. Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA in April.
The Senate’s consideration and confirmation of the six nominees will determine their formal appointment to the respective executive director positions.
In the bid to improve environmental sanitation, the Osun State Government plans to engage with immediate effect, able-bodied men and women as ad hoc road sweepers.
Biztellers reports that the exercise would cover designated areas of the state.
The recruitment exercise, announced by the Osun State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation (OSTES) is open to medically fit able bodied men and women who are residents of the areas where they intend to work.
According to the public service announcement, applicants must be at least 30 years of age, medically fit and resident in their preferred areas of assignment.
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The designated areas mentioned by the Taskforce include Akoda- Abere, Ataoja -Ogo-Oluwa, Olaiya -Old Garage, Igbonna -Ayetoro, Power Line – Ota-Efun and Kobongbogboe.
Other areas covered by the exercise are Ataoja- Dele Yes Sir, Stadium- Testing Ground and Ilesa- Garage, as well as Oke-Fia -Dada Estate, Dele Yes Sir- Lameco and Oroki Housing Estate.
Interested applicants are required to submit application letters to the General Manager, Osun Waste Management Agency, at its office located at the former Boreepo House, West Bye-Pass, Ring Road, Osogbo.
The announcement further stated that the deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, November 12th, 2026.
The recruitment is expected to support routine road sweeping and complement the state’s efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.
Applicants have been advised to ensure that they meet the stated requirements and reside within the areas where they seek to be deployed.
It would be recalled that the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had earlier declared every Thursday of the week as Environmental Sanitation Day throughout the state during which offices, markets, shopping malls and homes among other public places are to be swept clean between 8am and 10am.
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) said it has sponsored nearly 15,000 Nigerians for studies at home and abroad, with 1,571 scholars currently studying in 15 countries, as of July 2026.
This is as the Fund is now asking the United Kingdom (UK) to help address visa rejections, high tuition fees and the monitoring of its scholars, which it says are putting pressure on the programme.
The executive secretary of the Fund, Prof Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, made the request on Tuesday at a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles. The meeting was held at the General Shehu Musa Yar’adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology, Kaduna.
According to Aliyu, the Fund had sponsored the beneficiaries through its Overseas Scholarship Scheme and In-Country Scholarship Scheme, for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
He said that as of July 2026, 1,571 scholars were studying in 15 countries and more than 120 partner institutions. He added that demand for PTDF scholarships was still rising.
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The executive secretary said the UK had for decades been the Fund’s main partner in building skills for Nigeria’s energy sector.
He said the PTDF worked with 24 British universities, including Robert Gordon, Strathclyde, Portsmouth, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester.
He said the partnership had helped train thousands of Nigerian engineers, geoscientists, researchers and energy professionals.
Aliyu also said the Fund worked with institutions in Germany, France and Malaysia, where it sought cheaper ways to train Nigerians. He said the Fund still wanted to keep its long-standing ties with the UK.
The ES told the High Commissioner that the Fund was facing problems with its UK partners. He listed these as tuition fees that were high compared with other European countries, and visa rejections.
“I would like to take this opportunity to highlight several challenges we are facing with our UK partners for the High Commissioner’s attention,” he said.
He said the Fund also wanted a plan to monitor its scholars in the UK, with support from the UK government and the host universities.
Aliyu did not give figures for the fee increases or the number of visa rejections.
In response, Vowles said the British High Commission understood the difficulties, especially those linked to visas and increases in tuition fees.
“We will take these concerns away as a team and communicate them to the relevant stakeholders within the UK system,” he said.
The High Commissioner said the PTDF and the High Commission had worked together to simplify the process. He said the PTDF’s recognition as a government-approved sponsor was expected to help.
“Having the PTDF recognised as a government-approved sponsor will hopefully make the process much smoother,” he said.
He did not promise any change in fees or visa rules.
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