News
Outrage in Kano: Women Give Birth in Tricycles as Abandoned Road Project Leaves Thousands Stranded
Residents of communities in Nassarawa, Kumbotso, and Gezawa LGAs are crying out over the worsening condition of the Yandodo–Mai-Allo–Oromi–Mariri road, where deep potholes, flooding, and years of neglect have reportedly forced pregnant women to give birth inside tricycles and left thousands battling daily hardship despite the government’s road contract award.
By Sani Magaji Garko and Abbas Yushau Yusuf
Residents of several communities across Nassarawa, Kumbotso, and Gezawa Local Government Areas have appealed to the Kano State Government to urgently commence full-scale work on the Yandodo–Mai-Allo–Oromi–Mariri road project, lamenting that the prolonged delay has exposed thousands of residents to hardship and danger.
The affected road links Yandodo, Mai-Allo, Oromi, and Mariri, with another section extending from Oromi to Yargana and Tsamiya Babba in Gezawa Local Government Area. Residents described it as a major transport corridor serving densely populated communities.
They said that although the Kano State Government awarded the project to a construction company, full-scale work has yet to commence, leaving the road riddled with deep potholes, severe erosion, and persistent flooding.
Speaking a tricycle operator, Adamu Alhassan, recounted what he described as one of the most heartbreaking consequences of the deteriorating road.
According to him, four different pregnant women gave birth inside his tricycle on separate occasions because the poor condition of the road prevented them from reaching hospitals in time.
«”I have personally witnessed four pregnant women deliver inside my tricycle at different times because we could not get them to the hospital quickly due to the condition of this road,” he said.»
He explained that whenever labour became too advanced during the journey, he had no option but to stop his tricycle at a safe location.
«”I would park the tricycle and cover the woman to provide some privacy until the delivery was completed. After that, I would immediately continue the journey to the hospital so that the mother and newborn could receive proper medical treatment and professional care,” he added.»
Another resident and Chairman of Tricycle Operators in the area, Hussaini Sa’idu, said the stalled road project has become a major source of suffering for residents, especially pregnant women, children, elderly persons, and other vulnerable members of the communities.
He said years of neglect had left the road filled with potholes and extensive erosion, making movement extremely difficult.
According to him, the situation worsens during the rainy season when floodwaters overtop sections of the road.
«”When there is heavy rainfall, residents cannot cross the road for several hours because of the volume and speed of the floodwater. People are afraid of being swept away, so they wait until the water subsides before continuing their journey,” he said.»
Sa’idu noted that the poor condition of the road has disrupted transportation, delayed access to hospitals, schools, and markets, and increased transportation costs for residents.
He appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to intervene by ensuring that the contractor handling the project returns to the site without further delay.
Global Tracker recalls that in October 2025, the Kano State Commissioner for Works, Marwan Ahmed, announced the award of the contract for the construction of the strategic road.
A few months later, the government erected the project’s signboard at the site, signalling the commencement of the project.
However, despite the placement of the signboard, residents said full-scale construction has yet to begin, with the road remaining in a deplorable condition.
Several other residents who spoke expressed concern that despite the strategic importance of the road, the project has failed to take off, exposing road users to avoidable hardship and safety risks.
They said the completion of the road would significantly improve socio-economic activities, ease transportation, enhance access to healthcare and education, and reduce the suffering currently experienced by thousands of residents across the affected communities.
Another resident, Alhaji Mukhtar Adamu, told a Nigerian Tracker correspondent that the number of pregnant women who have delivered babies inside tricycles (Adaidaita Sahu) due to the deplorable condition of the road is impossible to quantify, despite the road being located within the Kano metropolis.
He added that thousands of residents are often dropped along the Kano Major Ring Road because tricycle operators cannot convey them to their doorsteps due to the impassable condition of the Mai-Allo Road.
According to him, residents were hopeful when the government erected the signboard announcing the reconstruction of the road. However, they said nothing has happened since then, apart from the dust and hardship caused by the deteriorating road.
The residents urged the Kano State Government to investigate the cause of the delay, ensure accountability in the execution of the project, and facilitate its speedy commencement and completion in the public interest.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the relevant government authorities and the contractor handling the project were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
News
Report: Nigeria Records N166trn Public Debt
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The Debt Management Office (DMO) says Nigeria’s total public debt rose to N166.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026.
The DMO published the latest public debt portfolio report on Friday.
The figure represents a 9.4 percent or N14.39 trillion increase from the N152.4 trillion recorded at the end of June 2025.
It also represents an increase of N7.44 trillion or 4.7 percent compared with the N159.35 trillion recorded at the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.
According to the latest report, the debt stock comprises N91.59 trillion in domestic debt, which accounts for 54.91 percent of the total debt stock, and N75.2 trillion in external debt, representing 45.09 percent.
The debt office said domestic debt increased by N11.04 trillion (13.7 percent) from N80.55 trillion recorded in June 2025.
The office said external debt also rose by N3.35 trillion (4.7 percent) from N71.85 trillion in the same period.
According to the DMO, the federal government accounted for N152.77 trillion of the total debt stock, comprising N86.99 trillion in domestic debt and N65.77 trillion in external debt.
On the other hand, states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for the remaining N14.01 trillion — N4.59 trillion in domestic debt and N9.42 trillion in external debt.
In dollar terms, the agency said Nigeria’s total public debt stood at $120.93 billion as of June 30, 2026 — up from $99.66 billion recorded in June 2025.
The DMO said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official exchange rate of N1,379 per dollar as of June 30 was used to convert the external debt to naira.
News
NNPC Ltd Welcomes $800m Ima Gas Final Investment Decision
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has welcomed the $800 million Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ima Gas Project, describing it as a landmark development that affirms the growing viability of Nigeria’s upstream gas sector.
The project, located offshore in OMLs 112 and 117 and developed by AMNI International in partnership with TotalEnergies, will produce about 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day at peak. The output will supply critical feedgas to Nigeria LNG Limited in support of its Train 7 expansion, which will increase capacity at the Bonny Island plant from 22 million tons per annum to 30 Mtpa.
The FID was enabled by the Presidential Directives of 2024, which provided fiscal incentives for non-associated gas, streamlined contracting and lowered development costs. Ima is the fourth major gas project to reach FID under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after Iseni, Ubeta and HI.
Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari described it as “a decisive vote of confidence in Nigeria’s gas sector and in the bold reforms” that have created competitive terms and a predictable investment environment.
NNPC Ltd. also commends the collaboration between AMNI, TotalEnergies and the Nigerian financial sector, saying the model of indigenous operator, international partner and domestic capital is a template for future developments.
In a statement signed by Andy Odeh Chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd. reaffirms its commitment to work with government, regulators and industry partners to sustain investment momentum and deploy Nigeria’s gas resources for industrialisation, job creation and long-term prosperity.
News
At MAN AGM In Kano, Manufacturers Throng Dangote Pavilion Over ‘Peoples IPO’
Manufacturers under the aegis of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) thronged the Dangote Group’s pavilion at the exhibition to seek information and clarification on the ongoing Public Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP).
The three-day Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Kano-Jigawa Branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the 54th in the series, ended on Thursday, with the Dangote Group’s representative hosting participants and engaging manufacturers who expressed keen interest in the ongoing Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Dangote Refinery.
The Dangote Refinery Peoples’ IPO offers Nigerians and other eligible investors an opportunity to buy shares in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, thereby becoming part-owners of one of Africa’s largest industrial projects and participating in its future growth.
The Dangote Refinery IPO runs from 14 September to 13 October 2026.
Dangote Industries Limited is one of the sponsors of the 54th MAN AGM.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Sharada/Challawa Branch, Alhaji Nura S. Madugu, highlighted the mounting burden of multiple taxes, levies and charges on manufacturers, warning that the situation is increasing the cost of doing business and undermining the competitiveness of local industries.
Madugu urged the Kano State and Federal Governments to ease the tax burden on manufacturers and accelerate efforts to harmonise taxes and levies imposed on businesses.
He particularly decried the practice of double and multiple taxation, which he said continued to place additional financial pressure on manufacturers already grappling with high energy costs, inadequate infrastructure, expensive financing, insecurity, foreign exchange challenges and unfair competition from imported goods.
“We are especially concerned about instances of double and even multiple taxation, where the three tiers of government impose what is essentially the same levy under different names and different guises. This practice places our products at a serious disadvantage in their constant competition with imported goods, a disadvantage made worse by the high cost of alternative power supply and the volatility of the foreign exchange rate.
Madugu reminded the meeting of MAN’s enormous contribution to the society and provide employment to thousands of Nigerians, as well as participating actively in tax revenue generation for the country.
“We provide employment to thousands of Nigerians. We participate actively in tax revenue generation for the states and the federation through the deduction of Value Added Tax on our products, the remittance of Pay-As-You-Earn on behalf of our staff, and the payment of Withholding Tax, Education Tax, Tertiary Education Tax, Company Income Tax, and a whole host of other levies too numerous to mention individually. Beyond taxation, we also discharge our Corporate Social Responsibility diligently to the communities in which we operate.
“Even though what we receive in return remains modest, we continue, in strength and in good faith, to serve this nation and to hold up its economy. We do this because we believe in Nigeria and in Kano State. But it must be said plainly,” Madugu added.
In his remarks also, MAN Chairman, Bompai/Jigawa Branch, Mohammed Bello I. Umar, appreciated the association’s members for their resilience, commitment and continued investment in the Nigerian economy despite the difficult operating environment.
He pointed out that the meeting provides the members of the association with an opportunity to reflect on its activities, review the challenges confronting their businesses, acknowledge the progress they have made, and chart a stronger course for the future of manufacturing in the country.
However, he said, the members must acknowledge that manufacturing remains under serious pressure.
He highlighted that the high cost of energy, multiple taxes and levies, inadequate infrastructure, high financing costs, insecurity, foreign exchange challenges and unfair competition from imported goods continue to affect our competitiveness.
“One issue that requires our collective attention is the importation of contraband and substandard goods. These products undermine local manufacturers who invest heavily
“Reliable and affordable electricity remains one of the most important requirements for industrial development.
He however welcomed the ongoing electricity reforms and efforts by the Kano State Government and the State House of Assembly towards establishing a more effective electricity framework for the State.
He called for the swift implementation of reforms that will create a more reliable, competitive and affordable electricity market for industries.
He noted that manufacturers continue to provide employment, generate wealth, support local communities and contribute significantly to government revenue in production, employ Nigerians and comply with government regulations.
“We must therefore stand together and call for stronger enforcement at our borders and markets.
He urged the relevant government agencies to intensify the fight against smuggling, counterfeiting and the importation of goods that compete unfairly with locally
Report: Nigeria Records N166trn Public Debt
NNPC Ltd Welcomes $800m Ima Gas Final Investment Decision
At MAN AGM In Kano, Manufacturers Throng Dangote Pavilion Over ‘Peoples IPO’
NLC President Ajaero: It Is Wrong to Negotiate Minimum Wage Without Minimum Pension
Prof Yusuf Adamu Delivers BUK’s 63rd Professorial Inaugural Lecture, Reflects on Medical Geography and Academic Legacy
Zamfara Varsity ASUU Threatens Warning Strike Over FG-ASUU Agreement, Promotion Arrears
Bello Sharada: A Great Writer, A Bookish Soul, Gone Too Soon
Kano Chemists Threaten Warning Strike Over Alleged PCN Pressure
Per Ishaq Samaila: “Waziri” for Strategy. “Mai Jama’a” for Service. One Man. One Mission. Ibrahim Kabir Masari
Court Ultimatum Forces FBI to Hand Over Tinubu’s Fraud Records to Judge—But Keeps Them Hidden from Public
Report: Nigeria Records N166trn Public Debt
NNPC Ltd Welcomes $800m Ima Gas Final Investment Decision
At MAN AGM In Kano, Manufacturers Throng Dangote Pavilion Over ‘Peoples IPO’
NLC President Ajaero: It Is Wrong to Negotiate Minimum Wage Without Minimum Pension
Prof Yusuf Adamu Delivers BUK’s 63rd Professorial Inaugural Lecture, Reflects on Medical Geography and Academic Legacy
Zamfara Varsity ASUU Threatens Warning Strike Over FG-ASUU Agreement, Promotion Arrears
Bello Sharada: A Great Writer, A Bookish Soul, Gone Too Soon
Kano Chemists Threaten Warning Strike Over Alleged PCN Pressure
Per Ishaq Samaila: “Waziri” for Strategy. “Mai Jama’a” for Service. One Man. One Mission. Ibrahim Kabir Masari
Court Ultimatum Forces FBI to Hand Over Tinubu’s Fraud Records to Judge—But Keeps Them Hidden from Public
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