The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Nigeria is targeting full coverage of all citizens with a multi-hazard early warning system by 2027, through the “Early Warnings for All” (EW4All) initiative.

Director-General (D-G) of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, during a coordination meeting ahead of the official launch of EW4All in Nigeria.

EW4All is a global initiative that aims to ensure that every human on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, and climate events by life-saving early warning systems by 2027.

The meeting brought together Chief Executive Officers of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Umar said the meeting was convened to align roles for Nigeria’s multi-hazard early warning system, strengthen Nigeria’s disaster risk management architecture and ensure seamless inter-agency collaboration.

She noted that Nigeria continues to face increasing risks from floods, droughts, windstorms, heat stress and disease outbreaks.

“In 2025 alone, over 1.2 million people were affected by floods in Nigeria.

“The Secretary General of the UN has called EW4All a ‘survival agenda for humanity’ and for Nigeria, it is also a national security and development agenda.

“We therefore gather today to agree on a common pathway towards a successful national launch, and more importantly, to ensure that in Nigeria, every person is covered by an early warning system by year 2027,” Umar said.

She explained that the initiative has four pillars with clear institutional leads.

She said that NEMA and NASRDA would lead on Disaster Risk Knowledge pillar, NiMet and NIHSA would lead Detection and Forecasting, while NCC would lead Warning Dissemination.

Umar added that NEMA would also coordinate the Preparedness and Response pillar.

She said that the meeting was also organised to resuscitate quarterly coordination meetings among the agencies to review hazards, assess preparedness and resolve operational challenges early.

She said the collaboration aligns with the Sendai Framework, SDGs, Paris Agreement and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, urging the agencies to approach the deliberations with openness.

“NEMA is ready to coordinate but will only succeed if we move as one,” she said.

In his remarks, Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida, commended NEMA for bringing the agencies together.

Maida said early warning systems were critical to protecting citizens from unplanned disasters, adding that joint action would deliver results with fewer resources.

On his part, Director-General of NASRDA, Matthew Adepoju, said the agency would provide technical support through data and space technology.

Adepoju noted that NASRDA’s mandate includes disaster management, promising that the agency would support the fulfilment of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Also speaking, the D-G of NIHSA, Alhaji Umar Mohammed, described early warning as “national corps for preparedness”.

Mohammed said the goal is to prepare before disasters occur and reduce impact to the barest minimum.

Regional Representative of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Muliro Mashauri, described the platform as “unique” in West Africa.

Mashauri noted that bringing regulators like NCC into disaster planning was important and urged the agencies to harmonise warnings into “one bulletin” to avoid confusion.

He added that Nigeria has the capacity to meet and exceed the 2027 target, citing Nigeria’s satellite support during the Katrina event as evidence of existing capacity.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has approved the appointment of Dr. Nonny Patricia Ugboma as its Executive Director, Policy and Programmes & Chief Summit Officer.

In a statement by Dr Tayo Aduloju NESG CEO on Wednesday, her appointment took effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, following the approval of the Board of Directors.

The appointment reflects the NESG’s continued commitment to strengthening its executive leadership with accomplished professionals whose expertise and experience will support the Group’s mission of promoting sustainable economic development, inclusive growth, and private sector-led transformation in Nigeria.

In her dual executive role, Dr Ugboma will provide strategic leadership for the NESG’s policy programming, public-private dialogue, Policy Commissions and Platforms, major programmes, strategic convenings, and the Nigerian Economic Summit. She will also oversee stakeholder engagement, programme and partnership development, and the monitoring and implementation of summit and policy recommendations to strengthen the Group’s dialogue-to-execution agenda.

Dr Ugboma is a corporate leader, public-value strategist, board director, and scholar-practitioner with more than 25 years of professional experience spanning finance, telecommunications, corporate social investment, institutional development, energy, innovation policy, and sustainable development.

Before joining the NESG, Dr Ugboma built an accomplished career across finance, strategy, telecommunications, and corporate social investment. She joined MTN Nigeria in 2003 as a Business Planner and Financial Analyst before serving as Executive Secretary of the MTN Nigeria Foundation from January 2009 to March 2021.

During her tenure, she led large-scale social investments in education, healthcare, youth and economic empowerment, and arts and culture, working with governments, communities, educational institutions, healthcare organisations, private-sector partners, and other stakeholders to deliver impactful programmes across approximately 850 project locations nationwide.

Dr Ugboma’s career has been distinguished by her ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives that deliver measurable social and institutional impact. Her experience spans programme strategy, partnership development, institutional strengthening, innovation policy, and sustainable development, with a strong focus on translating strategy into implementation and creating long-term public value.

She holds a PhD in Innovation and Public Policy from the University College London Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, where her doctoral research explored the role of public sector dynamic capabilities in implementing reforms, coordinating complex stakeholder ecosystems, and creating sustainable public value. She also holds a Master of Public Administration, completed with Distinction, from University College London; an MSc in International Management from King’s College London; and a BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Financial Analysis from the University of Warwick.

As Executive Director, Policy and Programmes & Chief Summit Officer, Dr Ugboma will lead the NESG’s efforts to strengthen policy coherence, deepen public-private dialogue, enhance programme delivery, and reinforce the implementation of summit outcomes. Her appointment brings together the strategic discipline of a finance and corporate executive, the delivery experience of a national programme leader, and the intellectual grounding of a public policy scholar, positioning the NESG to further strengthen its role as Nigeria’s leading policy think tank and a trusted platform for driving evidence-based reforms.

The NESG is confident that Dr Ugboma’s wealth of leadership experience, strategic insight, and commitment to institutional excellence will further strengthen the Group’s policy, programme, and summit delivery capabilities while advancing its mission of shaping reforms that promote investment, competitiveness, productivity, and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld a total of 167, 486 of results of candidates who sat for its 2026 West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

Head of National Office (HNO) Dr.

Amos Dangut, revealed this while announcing the release of the results at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, the number of the withheld results represents 8.

59 per cent of the total candidates that sat for the Computer Based Test (CBT).

He added that the withheld results were allegedly in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

According to him, the figure is 1.11 per cent lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded in the same diet in 2025.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues.

“All the cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of council, for consideration and final decisions.

“The committee‘s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their various schools, in due course.

“Candidates affected by these decisions can now call for redress of their malpractice cases if they so wish, through the council’s complaint website,” he stated.

Speaking further on the examination, the WAEC boss said a total of 1,959,668 candidates drawn from 24,207 schools across the country, enrolled for the examination.

”Of the number that registered, 1,950,726 candidates sat for the examination, which also had candidates from some schools in Benin Republic.

”The examination was also administered to candidates in Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools is being used,” he said.

He noted that of the number that sat for the examination, 953,459 were males while 997,267 others were females, representing 48.88 per cent and 51.12 per cent, respectively.

Giving a breakdown of performance of candidates, the HNO said, of the total number that sat for the test in Nigeria, 1,834,695, representing 94.05 per cent had their results fully processed and released.

According to him, 116,031 others representing 5.95 per cent have one or more of their subjects still being processed due to some issues that are yet to be resolved.

He however assured that efforts were ongoing to speedily complete the process and release the affected candidates’ results in a couple of days.

“Of the number that sat for the examination, 1,950,726 obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, qualifying them for placements into tertiary institutions nationwide.

“I also wish to report that a total of 1,213 candidates with varying degrees of ‘Special Needs’ registered for the examination.

”Out of this number, 137 are visually challenged, 491 have impaired hearing, 55 others spastic cum mentally challenged and 41 physically challenged. All these candidates were adequately provided for, in the administration of the examination.

“The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released alongside those of other candidates,” he said.

According to him, the remaining 116,031 other candidates have their results still undergoing processing, because of unresolved issues requiring further verification before completion and eventual release by the council.

Dangut said the 2026 performance represented 1.42 per cent decline, when compared to what was obtained in the same diet in 2025.

According to him, the 2026 WASSCE for school candidates recorded notable technological improvements and strengthened anti-malpractice measures put in place nationwide.

“WAEC successfully conducted both the CBT and Paper Pencil Examinations (PPE) becoming Nigeria’s first examining body implementing computer-based achievement tests, for school candidates, on this remarkable nationwide scale,” he said.

He explained that the council had introduced the Digital Examiner Marking System and discontinued Smart Identity Cards, allowing candidates to generate electronic PINs through its digital certificate platform.

“Candidates can conveniently generate e-PINs online through our digital certificate platform, eliminating dependence on Smart Identity Cards for checking examination results nationwide,” Dangut added.

He noted that the growing use of mobile phones, organised cheating and rogue websites, had remained worrisome to the council.

The HNO warned that culpable supervisors and invigilators would face sanctions under existing regulations.

Speaking further, Dangut identified logistics delays, inflation-driven operational costs, late registrations and examination malpractice as some of the other challenges facing the council’s operations.

He however maintained that the 2026 WASSCE was largely successful in spite of the setbacks recorded.

“We successfully supported 1,213 candidates with special needs, ensuring equal opportunities throughout the examination process, irrespective of operational challenges encountered during the exercise nationwide,”he stated.

He said candidates could access the released results within 12 hours and obtain digital certificates within 48 hours.

According to him, printed certificates will be made available after 90 days.

Dangut disclosed that registration for the 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates Second Series was in progress, while preparations for the 2027 First Series examination would commence shortly nationwide.