The Northern Reform Organisation (NRO) has thrown its weight behind the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria’s call for urgent national reflection and corrective action, describing the bishops’ assessment of the country’s worsening conditions as courageous, forthright and deeply patriotic.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Gidado Mukhtar, the Northern Reform Organisation said the Catholic Bishops had demonstrated exemplary moral leadership by publicly drawing attention to the severe hardships confronting Nigerians and the broader challenges facing the country across virtually every sector of national life.

The NRO said it particularly commended the bishops for choosing to speak openly about the country’s challenges rather than restricting their concerns to private engagements with government officials, arguing that their intervention reflected a strong sense of national responsibility.

According to the Northern Reform Organisation, the bishops’ intervention goes beyond partisan or sectional interests and represents a sincere concern for the welfare of Nigerians, the preservation of national unity and the long-term stability and success of the present administration.

The organisation said it fully identified with the concerns expressed by the Catholic Bishops and endorsed their demand for urgent national introspection, arguing that the issues raised by the bishops correspond with realities being experienced daily by millions of Nigerians.

The NRO identified widespread economic hardship, growing insecurity, governance deficits and declining public confidence in state institutions among the major concerns that require immediate attention. The organisation cautioned against dismissing such concerns as mere political criticism or subjecting them to what it described as sophisticated arguments from government officials and political actors.

The Northern Reform Organisation therefore appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organisations, professional bodies and other patriotic stakeholders to support the bishops’ intervention and add their voices to the call for meaningful national action.

The organisation maintained that addressing Nigeria’s current difficulties cannot be left to government alone, stressing that rescuing the country from its present challenges requires collective responsibility, honesty, courage and constructive engagement from citizens and stakeholders across the country.

The NRO also urged the Federal Government to undertake a deep and honest reflection on the issues raised by the Catholic Bishops and to look beyond what it described as reassuring narratives frequently presented through official channels.

According to the organisation, genuine leadership requires more than acknowledging difficult realities; it also requires responding to those realities with sincerity, transparency, urgency and decisive policy action.

The Northern Reform Organisation warned that Nigeria is currently at a critical point in its history and argued that the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops should not be interpreted as criticism for its own sake.

Rather, the NRO described the bishops’ intervention as a timely and patriotic contribution to the national conversation, saying it should be treated as an opportunity to identify effective solutions to the country’s mounting social, economic, security and governance challenges.

The organisation expressed hope that the bishops’ intervention would become a catalyst for meaningful reforms capable of restoring public trust and confidence in democratic governance, while advancing equity, justice and national cohesion.

The NRO further called for reforms that would place Nigeria on a stronger path towards economic and social recovery, national renewal and shared prosperity, recalling the commitments made by President Bola Tinubu during his campaign for office.

The Northern Reform Organisation said it remained convinced that Nigeria’s current challenges could be addressed through responsible leadership, constructive public engagement and policies that respond directly to the difficulties confronting ordinary citizens.

The statement was signed by Gidado Mukhtar, Chairman of the Northern Reform Organisation, and dated August 10, 2026.

The organisation’s Board of Trustees listed in the statement includes Gidado Mukhtar, Abulrahman Umar, Musa Magami, Ado Mohammed Umar, Paroug Abdulwahab, Bello Masu, James Magaji, Mainako Umar-Shiiten, Muhammad Sani Hassan, Murtala Abubakar Gaca, Kiyawa, Mujaba Isa, GsauL Fassan, Zanna Boguna and Yusuf Abdallah.

Concerned Rivers People, CRP has uncovered the underbelly of former Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs Joy Nunieh as she holds clandestine meetings with Gabriel Pidomson and Dumo Lulu-Briggs.

This was contained in a statement signed by CRP’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Sunny Nwagbo on Sunday where he declared that these clandestine meetings and backdoor politics will not stop the will of the people, their plans will fall like a pack of cards.

In the statement it was further stressed that “Information at our disposal confirms that a meeting was held at the residence of 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐉𝐨𝐲 𝐍𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐡, former Managing Director of NDDC, between 𝐌𝐫. 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐨 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐮-𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐬 to strategize against the 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

“We are also aware that another meeting is to hold at the 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐲𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬.

“Let it be known, the 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲. These clandestine meetings and backdoor politics will not stop the will of the people, their plans will totally fail.

“Also let us quickly send a reminder to Nunieh that she must be in a hurry to have forgotten so soon how she was saved from the pangs of those who almost extinguished her from existence while in office.

” It’s sad that human memory is so short when it comes to political matters, if Nunieh has forgotten we will soon uncover details and let posterity pass a verdict, the statement added.

The Impact Storytelling for Development Initiative (ISDI) has launched its capacity-building arm, the ISDI Academy, with the inaugural Future-Ready Communicators Bootcamp 1.0, equipping 25 emerging communicators with practical skills to communicate development more effectively.

The two-day Bootcamp, held in Kano on August 8 and 9, 2026, was themed “Stories That Matter. Skills for the Future.” It brought together communicators from diverse professional backgrounds for practical learning in development communication, storytelling, artificial intelligence (AI), visual communication and strategic communication.

The launch marks an important step in ISDI’s broader institutional vision of strengthening communication as a catalyst for sustainable development across Africa.

ISDI Academy is one of four institutional arms through which ISDI delivers its mandate. The other arms are the Impact Story Hub, which focuses on evidence-based impact storytelling and documentation; ISDI Conversations, which provides platforms for dialogue, knowledge exchange and engagement; and ISDI Advisory, which provides strategic communication and development communication support to institutions and organisations.

Speaking at the opening of the Bootcamp, Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah, Founder and Executive Director of ISDI, described the launch of the Academy as a significant milestone in the development of the organisation.

He said the Academy was established to create a practical learning platform where communicators can develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required to communicate development issues in an increasingly digital and rapidly changing environment.

The 25 participants in the inaugural cohort were selected from 227 applications, reflecting significant interest in the Academy’s focus on future-ready communication.

Isah encouraged participants to ask questions, challenge ideas, build relationships and learn from one another throughout the programme, while expressing appreciation to the facilitators and partners who supported the initiative.

The Bootcamp featured sessions on Communication for Sustainable Development; Finding and Building Powerful Stories; AI for Today’s Communicator; and Visual Communication: Capturing Stories through Mobile Video and Photography for Development Communication.

Facilitators included Dr. Isah Nasidi of the Sahel Centre for Information, Media and Development Research (SCIMDER); Dr. Musa Abdullahi Sufi, CEO of SIDES Media; Nasiru Muhammad Auwal, Founder and CEO of Drone Forge Africa and AI strategist; Auwal Sani, ISDI Programmes Officer; and Sulaiman Abdullahi Danladi, Founder of AD Visuals and Creative Corner Community.

The programme also featured a Fireside Conversation on Purpose, Creativity and Leadership, led by Alhassan Hamza Hussaini, Advocacy and Campaign Officer at Plan International.

The Communicating for Impact Challenge provided participants with an opportunity to apply concepts and skills acquired during the Bootcamp to real development issues.

Speaking during the programme, Dr. Isah Nasidi said the Bootcamp was helping to address gaps in communication training by bringing professionals and academics together.

“What ISDI is doing is the right thing. It is trying to bridge the gap that has been disturbing us for years.”

Participants described the Bootcamp as practical, engaging and different from conventional training programmes.

Moshood Isah, a communications professional, public affairs and policy analyst, said the balance between theory and practical learning made the Bootcamp stand out, describing the experience as “eye-opening, impactful, and humbling.”

Sadiya Abdulaziz Muhammad, a voice-over artist and storyteller, said, “I came here and walked out of here as a different person,” while Habeeb Nabeellah Yakasai, a poet, said the practical sessions gave her greater clarity on using empathy in visual storytelling.

Aisha Habib Maigiwa, a journalist and Head of Corporate Communications Unit at Kano Internal Revenue Service, said the programme enabled her to move beyond her previous understanding of communication concepts and identified teamwork as one of her major takeaways from the Communicating for Impact Challenge.

The Bootcamp concluded with the presentation of certificates to the 25 participants in recognition of their successful participation. Certificates were also presented to the facilitators in appreciation of their contributions to the programme.

In his closing remarks, Isah thanked the partners, facilitators, participants and everyone who contributed to the success of the inaugural Bootcamp.

He called for continued collaboration among organisations, professionals and other stakeholders to strengthen development communication and support initiatives capable of creating meaningful and lasting impact in society.

“Our vision extends beyond training 25 participants. We are building a network of future-ready communicators who will strengthen the quality of development communication across Africa,” he said.

The inaugural Bootcamp marks the beginning of the ISDI Academy’s capacity-building programmes and its effort to build a growing community of ethical, innovative and impact-driven communicators equipped to produce evidence-based stories and contribute to positive social change.

Media Contact:
Mr Samuel Ohayagha
Impact Story Officer
ISDI
contact@isdiafrica.org