From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The President of Church of Christ in Nations(COCIN), Rev. Dr. Amos Musa Mohzo has frown at the deteriorating level of insecurity across the country fuelled by suspected Fulani terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and land grabbing has not only claimed countless lives but has also crippled economic productivity, couple with the displacement of communities leading to hopelessness among the people.

He said the Church advocates for leadership that fears God, serves the people, and upholds righteousness and called on all arms of government to urgently reform institutions to empower security agencies, invest in productive sectors, and uphold justice for all citizens of the country. COCIN president, Rev. Dr. Amos Musa Mohzo, while speaking on the state of the nation confirmed that Nigeria continues to be overwhelmed by the foundational challenges that threaten its unity, progress, and stability.”At the forefront is the scourge of corruption and lack of accountability, which has weakened public institutions, deepened inequality, and eroded trust between the government and its citizens.”Insecurity across the country-fuelled by Fulani terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and land grasping- has not only claimed countless lives but has also crippled economic productivity, displaced communities, and increased dear and hopelessness among the people.”We must advocate for leadership that fears God, serves the people, and upholds righteousness. We call on all arms of government to urgently reform institutions, empower security agencies, invest in productive sectors, and uphold justice for all”, COCIN president mentioned.Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang who was at the opening ceremony of the 107th General Church Council said the Church is a critical institution in the society, hence the need for Church leaders to remain committed and resolute in uniting the body of Christ.Mutfwang said lack of unity of purpose hindered believers to work as family instead, allowing the enemy to continue creating friction and division.He expressed concerns that the society is polarized by all kinds of social vices, urging Church leaders to consider their calling as a God divine responsibility on them as they continue to pray and preach the true gospel of Christ.”We must pray for strength to stand firm in the face of these challenges. By God’s grace, we have an open door to change the course of history. Even though the road has been tough, we are confident that the God who brought us this far will take us even further.”We are also addressing the economy, especially agriculture. We are making arrangements to subsidize fertilizer and have already procured seeds which we’ll distribute to farmers. We want to completely transform the agricultural system.”Mutfwang further revealed that very soon the government will add another 200 rangers to the already existing 100 had in place to tackle insecurity, challenging every community to rise up and take responsibility.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Olufemi Gbajabiamila yesterday described education as a foundational truth that gives adequate meaning and purpose to life, saying every responsible government that wants to develop should take education as its major priority.

Gbajabiamila said an educated man or woman is always cognizant of his or her rights and responsibilities within the community they live. According to Mr President’s Chief of Staff, many people consider education as privilege but it’s a right of every citizen, added that, “the utmost purpose is to produce a nation of people who build thriving communities, contribute to a fair society, and shape a country that reflects the highest ideals”Identifying funding as one of the challenges facing tertiary education, Gbajabiamila said Nigeria universities must reform its curriculum, teaching methods, technology access and comfortable lodging among others to overcome funding challenges bedevilling funding of operations.Gbajabiamila added that management of the institution must have zero tolerance for unethical conduct and coordinated efforts to eradicate ills as plagiarism, cultism and sexual harassment.The Chief Of Staff, while delivering the maiden annual lecture of Osun State University on Tuesday, titled “Interrogating Funding of Education: Global versus Nigerian Perspectives” disclosed that the Federal Government operates 64 while state governments operate 63, noting that they are insufficient for the growing population of Nigeria.However, he stressed that Education is a right but it is not free, revealing that education gulped N2.18trillion in 2024 which is second to National Security and lamented that despite the large sum universities in Nigeria still fall short of what is required in Africa and the world.He said in the United Kingdom and United States, in-state students pay £9,535 and $8,914 per annum while International students pay £38,000 and $19,081.His words “The financial contributions of international students are a significant revenue stream for universities worldwide, helping to subsidise university education for the citizens of those countries. Policymakers and university administrators in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and even Africa have long implemented policies and strategies to boost the enrollment of international students.”He noted that African countries like Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa have made efforts to boost funding of public universities by attracting International students.“Public universities in Nigeria can and should also look to increase their international profiles to become attractive destinations for international students willing and able to pay fees that might otherwise be practically and politically inexpedient for native students. Like the embassies of other nations in Nigeria, our embassies around the world can become very effective avenues for reaching out to a global market of students.”He added that academia must collaborate with the private sector to create a robust ecosystem for innovation; research commercialisation and economic growth thereby boost job creation.While saying that the number of universities in Nigeria is insufficient, the CSO hinted that the growing population demands more establishments of more universities.He added that the analysis of the 3024 budget of the federal Government of Nigeria by Nigerian institute of social and Economic Research (NISER)shows that education has 2.18trillion aside health and Defence that has 1.33trillion and 3.25trillion respectively.Speaking, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke said that the university is one the enduring legacy that has continued to make him proud in the state, saying that Uniosun has become a model for other universities to emulate.He said: “Osun State is experiencing rapid development in her educational achievements , Osun ranks seventh position in last international examination ranking against what osun used to be in 33 position in 2022.Our target is to be ranked number one in the future”He, however, appreciated the guest lecturer, the University Vice Chancellor, Prof Odunayo Clement Adebooye and other management team for the good they are doing in the institution urging them not to relent.UNIOSUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye appreciated the guest lecturer for honouring them just as he bailed the state governor for his unwavering support to the institution.

No fewer than 500 farmers on Tuesday benefited from the NNPC Foundation agricultural training initiative for vulnerable farmers in Osun and Oyo States.

The training, marking the flag-off in the South-West zone of Nigeria, was held at the Ilora Baptist Grammar School, Ilora, Oyo State.

The foundation manages the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of NNPC Limited, focusing on education, health, environment and energy access to communities nationwide.

The Managing Director of the foundation, Mrs Emmanuella Arukwe, said the initiative demonstrated the commitment to food security and economic empowerment for Nigerian farmers.

Arukwe, who was represented by Dr Bala David, the foundation’s Executive Director, Programme Development, said the project aimed to build resilience, boost productivity and promote sustainable agriculture.

“We are training 6,000 farmers across six zones in climate-smart practices, modern techniques, quality inputs, and market access,” she said.

She, therefore, urged farmers to participate actively and embrace the opportunity to help secure Nigeria’s food and economic future.

Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, commended NNPC Foundation for the training and empowerment programme.

Olaleye, who was represented by Mr Olusegun Ezekiel, the ministry’s Director of Regulation and Enforcement, said empowering vulnerable farmers was crucial in addressing national food security challenges.

He added that the initiative aligned with Oyo State’s agricultural transformation agenda of Gov. Seyi Makinde.

“We remain committed to supporting initiatives that uplift farmers and improve productivity and livelihoods,” Olaleye said.

He encouraged participants to make the most of the training opportunity to improve their practices.

He also called for future collaboration between the foundation and the ministry to achieve greater impact.

The training consultant, Prof. Daniel Ozok, described vulnerable farmers as smallholders with an under-five-hectare farm size, mainly made up of women, youth, and the elderly.

“These farmers are most affected by climate shocks, hence the need for focused training,” Ozok said.

According to him, training equips them with modern techniques and strategies for improved productivity and market access.

Some of the participants expressed gratitude to NNPC Foundation and promised to apply the knowledge gained from the training.

NAN reports that a medical screening exercise was organised by the foundation for participants on the sidelines of the training.

Training initiative would later be held for farmers in Ekiti and Ondo States on a date different from that of Ogun and Lagos States. (NAN)