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We won’t succumb to blackmail from our students, says NIPSS

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The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has reiterated its commitment to grooming credible leaders for national development, declaring that it will not succumb to what it described as blackmail by students unwilling to abide by the Institute’s rules.

In a statement on Sunday, Head of Public Affairs at the Institute, Prof. Sola Adeyanju, reacted to a media report linked to a student identified simply as Yeshua, describing it as an attempt to discredit the institution.

Adeyanju noted that a petition allegedly sent to the President but instead published in the media contained claims of intimidation, which he dismissed as baseless. He maintained that NIPSS remains focused on its core mandate of training top decision-makers and policy-makers across the public and private sectors.

As Nigeria’s foremost policy think tank, NIPSS is mandated to build leaders who are effective, ethical, and capable of making sound decisions in their organisations and for the country,” he stated.

As Nigeria’s foremost policy think tank, NIPSS is mandated to build leaders who are effective, ethical, and capable of making sound decisions in their organisations and for the country,” he stated.

He said, “In doing this, it has set some parameters along the lines of discipline, time management, emotional intelligence, respect for rules and regulations, respect for other people’s rights, and many more. Those who have passed through the National Institute trainings, particularly the Senior Executive Course, leading to the award of the Member of the National Institute (mni), will attest to this.

The performance of the products of the National Institute has been acknowledged in Nigeria and around the world; that is in addition to its cutting-edge, top-notch research results for national development. It has not, at any time, been found wanting in the discharge of all its mandates and obligations.

This is the 47th Course and the graduates with mni are always proud and happy to raise their shoulders high wherever they find themselves for the level of moulding they have received from the National Institute.

Coming to the specific issue of Mal Yushau, it is a case of someone who would not allow himself to be subjected to constituted authorities in the Institute. One of the cardinal rules of the National Institute is to keep whatever is discussed within, particularly during plenary, confidential.

This is a rule that all participants have signed to uphold. It is modelled along the Chatham House Rule. The essence is to give all our resource persons the freedom of intellectual and academic independence to speak their minds. Whatever will be published should be after the course is concluded. In fact, some process their Individual Research Projects into books, with approval from the Management.

However, Mr Yushau, being a PR and media person, violated this rule by publishing what transpired in the Institute. He got it wrong by insinuating that he meant well. The truth is, the content is immaterial; the act of publishing when you are not supposed to is what matters.

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Mr Yushau knows very well that he signed the document where he promised to abide by this rule. Upon violation, he was queried and he responded by apologising. Thereafter, he was warned that it should never happen again.

However, it did not take Mr Yushau long before re-violating the same rule he was warned about. He published another story on the theme of the study given to the Senior Executive Participants of SEC 47, 2025, and NIPSS, which he belonged to, using his byline.

The study is still ongoing and should not, by any imagination, be published, in part or full, until the Course is over. This is in flagrant violation of the rules for which he was appropriately queried for the second time.

‘However, instead of replying to the query accordingly, Mr Yushau threw caution to the wind and decided to lecture and threaten the National Institute on the inappropriateness of issuing him a query. This he did in bad faith. Let us reiterate that the cheap blackmail of saying the content was to support Mr President on his agenda cannot hold.

We are all working towards the success of Mr President, as exemplified in the many detailed research and other activities of the Institute being submitted to Mr President from time to time.

Nevertheless, being an orderly and law-abiding Institution, with a reputation built over the years with a clear and known ethos and standards, Mr Yushau was given a suspension for six weeks, after receiving the second query for the same offence. He was still serving the suspension when he sent a letter of complaint to the media, insinuating bullying.

We need to stress here that all we asked Mr Yushau to do is obey laid down rules and regulations, and this is not tantamount to bullying in whatever way. The newspaper did a story on this, and the Director General gave a detailed response.

“As if that was not enough, his case is still being considered, as he has been invited by the Disciplinary Committee set up by the Management to look into his case and give him a fair hearing when he decided to publish (again) a petition meant for Mr President in the media. One would have thought that a petition meant for Mr President would be submitted in his office.

We are aware that he has been going from one media house to another in order to blackmail the National Institute. This is counterproductive, as the National Institute will not subject itself to blackmail by a candidate who refuses to obey simple rules and regulations.

“The National Institute, in line with the dreams of its founding fathers, many of whom are still alive, will not reduce the standard of producing decent, courteous, sound and effective leaders for the country. Let us say here that Mr Yushau is using his affiliation with the media for a negative cause.

Contrary to his claims, he is actually trying to denigrate the very National think tank, which is the pride of Nigeria, for his selfish end. That Mr Yushau’s nomination came from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR (an organisation we are all proud of) speaks volumes.

He has not demonstrated the very tenet of public relations, as he has not only let himself down professionally, but he has let his nominating agency down. We are looking for leaders with emotional intelligence, not those who will betray his or her temperament when faced with the issue of discipline.

Without prejudice to the outcome of his letter to Mr President, let it be on record that the NIPR has also set up a panel of inquiry to look into his case. The questions Mr Yushau should ask himself are: how many participants are in his Course, and how many of them have been queried twice within two months? For the benefit of doubt, there are 96 of them, and he is the only one who has gotten two queries.

We leave this to the general public to judge. In conclusion, the Disciplinary Committee set up to look into his case has submitted its report to Management, and the six-week suspension has not lapsed, so we await the verdict of Management on his case. Until then, we want to thank all our media organisations for holding on to the truth.”

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Nigeria’s GDP Growth, Drop in Inflation Not Translating into Poverty Reduction – BUK Deputy VC

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The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Ahmad Muhammad Tsauni, has said that Nigeria’s recent economic growth and decline in inflation have yet to translate into a meaningful reduction in poverty among citizens.

Professor Tsauni, an economist, made this observation during a gathering organised by the Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiative, with the theme, “Nigeria at a Crossroad: Who Is to Fix It?”

He said that although Nigeria had recorded some level of growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and improvements in certain economic indicators, the development had not significantly improved the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, the country continues to grapple with complex economic and social challenges that require collective efforts and practical solutions to overcome.

“We want to show that Nigeria is a country that, in spite of its challenges, has complex problems that will not really allow it to address them easily. Recently, we have been experiencing some level of growth in GDP, but those indices are not translating into a reduction in poverty, and so we are at a crossroads,” he said.

The BUK Deputy Vice-Chancellor explained that addressing the country’s challenges required more than government interventions, stressing that every Nigerian had a responsibility to contribute to rebuilding the country.

He maintained that the responsibility of finding solutions to Nigeria’s problems should not be left to individuals, political leaders or organisations alone, but should involve citizens from all sectors of society.

Professor Tsauni also called on the government to formulate and implement pragmatic policies capable of addressing the country’s challenges, while emphasising the importance of building public trust.

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He, however, identified negative societal attitudes and a lack of commitment to national development as some of the major obstacles preventing Nigeria from achieving the desired results from its policies.

According to him, Nigeria has developed several sound policies over the years, but poor attitudes and the failure of citizens to demonstrate the necessary commitment have continued to undermine their implementation.

“We have beautiful policies in Nigeria, but they cannot work because of our attitude. We should not apportion blame to anybody because we created the problem together, so everybody should contribute,” he said.

The university don urged Nigerians across different professions and institutions to examine their conduct and take responsibility for improving the country.

He specifically noted that classroom teachers, judges, public servants and other professionals must reflect on their individual responsibilities, adding that positive changes in societal attitudes were essential to national development.

Professor Tsauni further stressed that Nigeria’s current situation required collective reflection and a change in citizens’ approach to public responsibilities rather than continuous blame-shifting.

Earlier, the Technical Lead of the Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiative, Dr Auwal Halilu, called on Nigerians to demonstrate patriotism and contribute towards revitalising the country.

Dr Halilu said Nigeria was facing numerous challenges as the country approached the 2027 general elections, stressing the need for citizens to reflect on how to secure the country’s future through responsible participation in the electoral process.

He urged Nigerians to embrace positive values, transparency and accountability, noting that national development could only be achieved when citizens and leaders demonstrated genuine commitment to the country’s progress.

“We should take into consideration that we are going to revitalise this country. Every Nigerian should be patriotic. There are a lot of challenges in Nigeria as we approach the 2027 elections. How can we help to get the best in Nigeria? We should change our values for good and be transparent,” he said.

Dr Halilu also challenged Nigerians to consider how they could support leaders in addressing the country’s challenges, rather than leaving the responsibility of national development entirely to those in government.

He emphasised that rebuilding Nigeria required a collective commitment to good values, transparency and patriotism, particularly as the country prepares for another general election in 2027.

The gathering provided an opportunity for discussions on Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, the responsibilities of citizens and the need for collective action towards national development.

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Dala Chairman Marks Two Years In Office With Prayers For Peace,Leaders

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By Abdu Saidu

The Chairman of Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, Hon. Suraj Ibrahim Imam, has marked his second anniversary in office with a special prayer session for peace, stability and good governance in Dala, Kano State and Nigeria at large.

The prayer session, held on Saturday at the local government secretariat, featured the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by about 60 Islamic scholars and Qur’anic memorizers drawn from different parts of the council area.

The participants offered prayers for divine guidance, wisdom and success for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of the National Assembly and the Kano State House of Assembly, as well as other political leaders.

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Speaking at the event, Imam said the prayer session was organised to express gratitude to Almighty Allah for the opportunity to serve the people of Dala for two years and to seek His continued guidance and blessings for the council, the state and the country.

He added that the gathering was also an opportunity to pray for the success of Governor Yusuf and other political leaders in their future political engagements.

On his administration’s performance, the chairman disclosed that several development projects had been executed across the 12 wards of Dala Local Government Area within the past two years, with the support and approval of Governor Yusuf.

He commended the governor for his development initiatives across the state’s 44 local government areas, particularly in healthcare, education, security, road construction, potable water supply, agriculture and employment generation.

According to Imam, the interventions have contributed to improving the living conditions of residents and strengthening development at the grassroots.

He expressed confidence in the governor’s leadership and called on residents and political stakeholders to support his re-election in 2027. He also expressed support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates ahead of the next general elections.

The event was attended by Alhaji Bashir Ibrahim Al-Mustapha, OON, councillors, Islamic scholars, Qur’anic memorizers, political advisers, the local government secretary and other stakeholders from across Dala Local Government Area.

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NNPC Confirms Gas Supply & Network Availability

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NNPC Limited confirms that gas transportation network operated by its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), remains available to support deliveries to power generating stations Nationwide without any constraints. NGIC’s operational records do not indicate transportation-related constraints within its network that explain the current decline in electricity generation.

NNPC Limited is focussed on actualizing the Federal Government’s gas development and monetization agenda which has led to about 10% growth in gas production volumes 2026 year to date. Gas supply availability is therefore not a challenge as NNPC remains committed to supporting efforts to improve electricity generation through safe, reliable and efficient gas supply and transportation.

This clarification follows the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) statement of 5 November 2026, which cited limited gas availability and reduced water inflows to hydroelectric stations as causes of lower generation. NNPC Limited’s clarification concerns the operational status of NGIC’s transportation network. Gas production, commercial supply arrangements and actual deliveries to individual power plants must be assessed separately from the availability of transportation infrastructure.

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A comprehensive assessment must also consider the availability and operational readiness of generating units, plant maintenance schedules and actual gas offtake. These factors determine whether gas supplied can be converted into electricity. They should be verified alongside gas supply data to establish the causes of the shortfall.

NNPC Limited supports a coordinated review of operational data by gas suppliers, transporters, power generators and NISO to identify specific constraints and guide effective interventions. Accurate reporting across the gas-to-power value chain is essential to resolving the challenges and sustaining public confidence.

Our focus remains on dependable energy infrastructure and constructive collaboration that helps translate Nigeria’s gas resources into more reliable electricity for Nigerians.

Andy Odeh
Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Limited
Abuja

6 November 2026

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