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NBTE trains North-West quality assurance assessors

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North West Assurance Meeting

 

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has commenced the training of Quality Assurance Assessors in the Northwest zone.

Declaring the five-day training workshop open on Monday in Kano, the NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said that the training was supported by the World Bank under the “Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS)“ project.

Bugaje, represented by his Special Adviser, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, explained that the World Bank was supporting the Federal Ministry of Education and some selected states to promote technical and vocational education in the country.

He said the project was geared towards enhancing the quality and relevance of skills in the country, noting that the IDEAS project was in six states across the federation.

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The NBTE boss disclosed that the project was meant to intervene in the development of the technical colleges and skills sector in Nigeria.

He described the initiative as vital for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Bugaje expressed regrets that over the years technical colleges were not functioning as expected.

He said this made the World Bank to provide a $200 million loan for the Federal government to reposition technical colleges in some selected states in order to close the skill gaps in the country.

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Bugaje, who lamented the shortage of quality assurance assessors in the country, noted that the participants would be trained with a view for them to be able to train youths in skill acquisition.

“The number of quality assurance assessors is not more than 1,500 in a country of 200 million people and that is why the Federal Government is partnering with IDEAS to close the gap,” he said.

The Project Manager of IDEAS, Abbati Muhammad, said that the World Bank was supporting the IDEAS project in each of the participating state with $200 million credit facility for its smooth implementation.

According to him, the project has four components with the core objective of enhancing the capacity of the Nigerian skills development system to produce relevant skills for the formal and informal sectors.

He explained that the training would enhance their capacity to effectively carry out their assigned activities across all the four project components of the scheme.

Muhammad explained that some of the challenges in the sector could be surmounted through the National Skill Qualification Framework developed to achieve the occupational standardisation.

Earlier, the commissioner for Education, Ya’u Yanshana, said that Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje launched the project ‘Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills“ recently.

According to him, the implementation of the project signifies the seriousness and commitment of those managing the IDEAS project.

He commended the NBTE for its concerted efforts to see that much was achieve within the life span of the project.

Represented by the Executive Secretary, Science and Technology Schools Board, Ahmed Abdullahi, noted that advent of knowledge economy and educational competences were prized above natural resources as the prime factor in national development.

“The combination of science, technology and mathematics education is acknowledged as the pivot of economic and industrial development, with its sub-sector, Technical, Vocational Education and training (TVET) as the pillars of the economy.

“A country’s standing in science and technology and in TVET defines her stand in the ladder of the world economies.

“Success stories of the newly industrialising countries (NICs) such as as Korea, China and Malaysia attest to the fact that the systematic application of scientific and technological knowledge is a major actor to leapfrog into sustainable economic development, ” he said.

He urged the participants to make good use of the knowledge they had acquired for the overall development of the state and the country at large.

Some of the participants, who spoke to our correspondent commended the organisers and promised to share the knowledge with others.

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Court Restrains Anti-Corruption Commission, Others from interfering in MAAUN’s Affairs

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Court Sign

 

A Kano High Court has granted an interim injunction restraining the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) and four other parties from interfering in the internal and external affairs of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (AAUN), Kano.

Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji of the High court of Kano Judicial Division issued the order, while ruling on a motion of ex parte filed by the management of the university.

The respondents in the suit are the Kano State Government, PCACC, Kano State House of Assembly and the state’s Attorney-General and concerned parents of the institution.

Justice Ma’aji in the court order dated December 11, 2025, restrained the respondents or any other person acting on their behalf from inviting officials of the institution or interfering in the administrative and academic activities of the intuition, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

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The court also directed all the parties to maintain status quo in relation to the matter between the applicant and the first respondent, pending the determination of the originating summons.

Speaking after the ruling, MAAUN’s counsel Zahraddeen M. Bello, said that the court’s decision reaffirmed the rule of law and the need for due process, saying the university will continue to operate within the confines of law, while the case is pending.

However, the court granted leave to the applicant to serve court processes on the fifth respondent at its office located at No. 224 Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Kano.

The matter was adjourned to December 29, 2025 and the order was given under the hand and seal of the presiding judge and was duly endorsed by the Principal Registrar of the court.

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Jigawa Trains Local Government Chairmen on 2025 Tax Reform Act

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The Jigawa Joint Task Committee has commenced a two-day capacity-building training for local government chairmen and policymakers. The two-day capacity program focused on the new Nigeria Tax Reform Act (NTA) 2025, which is scheduled to take effect nationwide on January 1, 2026.

The training gathered a contingent of state and local revenue stakeholders, including all 27 local government chairmen of Jigawa State, led by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), revenue officers, and key policy and tax experts.

The core objective of the session was multifaceted: to enhance understanding of the NTA 2025 and its specific implications for local government administration, strengthen collaboration between state and local tiers for revenue harmonization and joint administration, and improve the technical capacity of local government leaders in deploying modern revenue processes and digital systems.

During the event, the Executive Chairman of the Jigawa Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), Dr. Nasir Sabo Idris, commended the state government’s leadership for its commitment to fiscal autonomy.

“I wish to acknowledge the immense support of His Excellency, Governor Malam Umar Namadi, FCA,” Dr. Idris said.

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According to Dr. Idris, Jigawa Governor’s commitment to revenue generation has been unwavering, ensuring a consistent improvement in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Dr. Idris pointed out that the upcoming launch of JigiTax, a wholly digital platform designed to streamline and modernize revenue collection across Jigawa State, is underway.

He said the move is seen as a direct response to strengthening transparency and blocking revenue leakages.

On his part, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Local Government, Ibrahim Graba Hannun-Giwa, whose address was delivered by the Director of Research, Malam Samaila Yusuf, said:

“The Ministry of Local Government is doing all it takes to continue supporting the visionary policies of Governor Namadi and driving policies that will shore up the revenue base of our local governments,” Malam Yusuf stated, emphasizing a unified approach to fiscal strength.

The dividends of the collaborative efforts were highlighted by the ALGON Chairman, who also serves as the Chairman of Dutse Local Government.

Speaking to newsmen, he asserted that the state’s disciplined approach had fundamentally altered the financial landscape at the grassroots level.

“With the commitment shown by Governor Namadi and the diligent efforts of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee, no local government in Jigawa now seeks intervention,” the ALGON Chairman declared.

He said, “Revenue loopholes are being systematically blocked, and improved compliance by different stakeholders, including markets and motor parks remitting their taxes, has significantly boosted our revenue drive.”

He further confirmed that the local governments had already undertaken a series of awareness trainings for all relevant stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition to the NTA 2025.

Barrister Aliyu Abdullahi said the in a paper presentation titled “State and Local Government in the Law,” by a legal practitioner. The paper specifically called for the legislative institutionalization of the Jigawa Joint Revenue Committee by the State House of Assembly. This institutional backing, the practitioner argued, would solidify the collaborative framework for revenue harmonization and ensure its longevity beyond the current administration.

 

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Former President Obasanjo Endorses Turaki’s Faction of PDP

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo hosted the national working committee (NWC) of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

The PDP faction visited the former president on Saturday, and Kabiru Turaki led the delegation.

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Those among the delegation are: Muazu Aliyu, former Niger governor; Jonah Jang, former governor of Plateau; Adolphus Wabara, former senate president, and many more.

Interacting with the delegation, Obasanjo commended the faction’s effort, adding that its members should “soldier on”.

The former president also urged the faction to remain steadfast in instilling discipline in the party, adding that:

“anybody who wants to belong to a political party must adhere strictly to its rules and regulations”.

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