Opinion
FHA and PPP Revolution In Nigeria, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Since the globally coined Public Private Partnership PPP arrangements that occasioned synergy between the public service and private entities, particularly organised private sector, the Federal Housing Authority FHA under it’s housing programs had embraced the new parlance over two decades and beyond mere nomenclature, keyed into the practice and practical implementation of the laudable arrangements in the country since 2000.
As the official sole provider of houses for public and ordinary Nigerians, the agency had penultimate provided such arrangements that had metamorphosed in the six geopolitical zones, including the Federal Capital Territory FCT, with quantum and quality of affordable houses to Nigerians, in line with it’s mandate and now obsolete act , as well as synergy with the global and local investors that thrived in the provision of houses across length and breadth of Nigeria.
What this means was that the PPP initiatives of FHA that debuted in states like Rivers, (Port Harcourt), Lagos, Ibadan, Imo, Kaduna, Abuja , the nation’s capital city among many others states in the last decades had metamorphosed and transformed to full fledged activities in the current Federal Housing Authority FHA, under the leadership of Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Cumulatively in the early days of PPP in FHA , inspite of the outdated act desiring amendments and needed reforms which the current leadership had tackled headlong both at the National Assembly and administratively, the agency achieved over 1,500 housing units yearly, in comparison to the pronounced official figure of 1,000 in a year in 2023, over two decades away.
Combining the PPP arrangements with other modest innovations by the successive management sustained by the current leadership, using site and service, direct construction and the globally acceptable PPP arrangements, the authority had transcended beyond mere pronouncements with practical realities that had achieved over 1,500 yearly, without subvention and grappling with obsolete act that needed amendments and modest reforms .
The leverage of the current management under Senator Gbenga Ashafa as a former Senator and lawmaker, administrator and his bureaucratic exposure in land matters spanned decades, having handled such gigantic assignment in the cosmopolitan Lagos state, which made the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on his engagement and preference, that enabled him achieved his agenda of mass housing for all Nigerians,as part of his campaign manifestos, and to also key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the needed legal and administrative reforms which have been initiated in the last three years and nearing completion.
All these , according to Senator Gbenga Ashafa who met a moribund FHA with dilapidated working tools and structures, demoralized workforce with backlog of promotions and grossly understaffed authority, was reverted to optimum function within a year on assumption of office.
This was coming from an agency without subvention over the decades and budgetary provision in line with it’s act, but acted under the discretion and arrangements of a competitive market were the private sector that had access to unfettered fund both locally and internationally held sway.
What it means is without legal encumbrances, FHA as the sole agency charged with the provision of mass and affordable houses for Nigerians will be able to assess bonds, approach capital market to mop up funds with a view to meeting not only the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in the area of housing, bridge housing deficits, but surpassing the global and local provision of houses beyond the required 50, 000 units annually .
Piloting the affairs of the authority adequately and administratively, Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s reform policy commenced with the land reclamation program that left the FHA lands and properties porous and the mercy of shylock land grabbers across the country, had yielded results and envisaged reforms deploying adminstrative and legal means to achieve these objectives.
Many Nigerians particularly in Lagos and Abuja had turned FHA lands to free and green honey, making billions from it’s illegal occupation both at night and weekends, through forgery of it’s documents and forceful means as well as other any subtle guise , with some using the two main religion, Christianity and Islam to acquire it’s Lands, the negative development and retrieval process was upped that led to recovery of Multi Billion assets of FHA Lands/ properties.
Inspite it’s obvious constraints, the management ensured more housing development and initiatives across the country both at it’s estates in Lagos at Festac Town, Abesan , one to five, FHA Lugbe and Gwarimpa among many others in the country was on course.
It constructed and completed with government support and intervention the 748 Zuba mass housing estate which included the introduction of ‘Rent to Own’, and also plucked back it’s investments in the oversubscribed Zuba with standard facilities provided to the ongoing Bwari Mass Housing Estate, that had opened up the area housing many government establishments, due for sales, having acquired of over 250 Hectares of Land for more construction.
The FHA advancing it’s PPP arrangements also reclaimed the over 200 hectares Federal Housing Authority FHA estate at Mbora, and commenced construction of over 1,000 houses with the ground breaking ceremony carried out during the Golden Jubilee anniversary in 2023.
The Management has also acquired land of about 700 hectares in Kabusu district(maitama ii extension) of the FCT to construct the ‘Diaspora smart city’ with over 17, 000 housing units to be launched before the end of the first quarter in 2024 .
This was in addition to provision of 2,000 houses known as “Renewed Hope Estates” each in the six geopolitical zones in the country, within the year to address more housing problems in view of the global requirements.
Construction and occupation was already ongoing at it’s ENL estate in Guzape, Express view in Lugbe, Osun, Oyo, Rivers , imo, among other states with already acquired Lands.
This was encouraged by the new administration of Renewed Hope Agenda with a promise to surpass the 50,000 units houses to Nigerians annually, but a target of 100,000 units guaging the administration’s willingness to invest and support the transformation agenda of Senator Gbenga Ashafa at FHA.
With the glaring supports and promises of the global bodies, experts and professionals like AUHF, Shelter Afrique Development Bank that declared it’s intentions to invest about $40M into Nigeria’s housing development in 2024, during the celebration of the 50th anniversary and Golden Jubilee in 2023, and with needed supports and enabling environment from the supervising Ministry through synergy, supervision and unfettered access to it’s activities, no doubt the current leadership will take FHA to a comfortable achieving of over 100,000 Hosusing units annually, ahead of the target of the supervising Ministry’s 50, 000 houses to be built annually.
The FHA Mortgage Bank FHAMB rated as one of the best Primary Mortgage institution PMI by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, as a result of the reforms been carried out under Senator Gbenga Ashafa is already positioned to do more for the off takers under National Housing fund NHF subscribers, and with access to 25% equity in Pension Commission PENCOM.
The last three years reforms in the Bank has yielded results in many folds, resulting in the resucitation, provision of robust mortgages and expansion of it’s offices, management and activities.
Aside the Corporate office, FHAMB had opened up many branches and introduced products that attracted civil servants, farmers , business men and artisans as well as physically challenged person’s across the country.
On many occasions, the Bank handed over completed houses to many professionals including medical doctors and personel, that had discouraged the syndrome of ‘JAPA’ prevalent across African nations with Nigerian not in exception.
The ground breaking ceremony of a multi million naira new corporate headquarters recently launched by the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO Federal Housing Authority FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, was an indicator of the Bank’s readiness to deliver and improve on its mandate and retail banking in line with the global practices.
The proposed presentation of keys to beneficiaries at Luxiar/FMBN estate in Bwari Abuja in the first quarter of the year in 2024, was a testimony to the great things happening in the housing sector under Senator Gbenga Ashafa, as the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO, Federal Housing Authority FHA.
The transformative and innovative template, no doubt, with the ongoing strides and sustained efforts along with government supports , the target of 100, 000 units houses annually will become achievable under the current leadership and Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
All hands must be on deck to support the laudable objectives of the administrative reforms, robust oversight and needed amendments of the existing act, so as to guarantee needed investments in the housing sector, provision of more affordable houses devoid of any administrative bottle necks in Nigeria.
Yusuf Is A Public Affairs Analyst, Writes from Abuja on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
FHA and PPP Revolution In Nigeria, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
OPINION.
Since the global coined Public Private Partnership PPP that occasioned synergy between the public service and private entities, particularly organised private sector, the Federal Housing Authority FHA under it’s housing programs had embraced the new parlance over two decades and beyond mere nomenclature, keyed into the practice and practical implementation of the laudable arrangements in the country since 2000.
As the official sole provider of houses for public and ordinary Nigerians, the agency had penultimate provided such arrangements that had metamorphosed in the six geopolitical zones, including the Federal Capital Territory FCT, with quantum and quality of affordable houses to Nigerians, in line with it’s mandate and now obsolete act , as well as synergy with the global and local investors that thrived in the provision of houses across length and breadth of Nigeria.
What this means was that the PPP initiatives of FHA that debuted in states like Port Harcourt, Lagos, Ibadan, Imo, Kaduna, Abuja , the nation’s capital city among many others states in the last dispensation had metamorphosed and transformed to full fledged activities in the current Federal Housing Authority FHA, under the leadership of Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Cumulatively in the early days of PPP in FHA , inspite of the outdated act desiring amendments and needed reforms which the current leadership had tackled headlong both with the National Assembly and administratively, the agency achieved over 1,500 housing units yearly, in comparison to the bandied figure of 1,000 in a year in 2023 over two decades away.
Combining the PPP arrangements with other modest innovations by the successive management solidified by the current leadership, using site and service, direct construction and the globally acceptable PPP arrangements, the authority had transcends beyond mere pronouncements with practical realities that had achieved over 1,500 yearly with no subvention and grappling with obsolete act that needed reforms and amendments .
The leverage of the current management under Senator Gbenga Ashafa as a former Senator and lawmaker, an administrator and his bureaucratic exposure in land matters spanned decades, having handled such gigantic assignment in the cosmopolitan Lagos state, that made the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on his engagement and preference that enabled him achieved his agenda of mass housing for all Nigerians,that was part of his campaign manifestos, and to also key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the needed legal and administrative reforms which have been initiated in the last three years and nearing completion.
All these , according to Senator Gbenga Ashafa who met a moribund FHA that had dilapidated working tools and structures, demoralized workforce with backlog of promotions and grossly understaffed authority, was reverted to profitability within a year on assumption of office.
This was coming from an agency without subvention over the decades and budgetary provision in line with it’s act, but acted under the discretion and arrangements of a competitive market were the private sector held sway that had access to unfettered fund both locally and internationally.
What it means is without legal encumbrances, FHA as the sole agency charged with the provision of mass and affordable houses for Nigerians will be able to assess bond, approach capital market to mop up funds with a view to meeting not only the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in the area of housing, bridge housing deficits, but meeting and surpassing the global and local provision of houses beyond the required 50, 000 units annually .
Piloting the affairs of the authority religiously and administratively, Senator Gbenga Ashafa reform policy commenced with the land reclamation program that left the FHA land and properties porous and the mercy of shylock land grabbers across the country, which had yielded results and envisaged reforms deploying adminstrative and legal means to achieve the objectives.
Many Nigerians particularly in Lagos and Abuja had turned FHA lands to free and green honey, making billions from it’s sales illegally even at night and weekends, through forgery of it’s documents and forceful means as well as other any subtle guise , with some using the two main religion, Christianity and Islam to acquire it’s Land, the negative development and retrieval process was upped that led to recovery of Multi Billion assets in Lands.
Inspite it’s obvious constraints, the management ensured more housing development and initiatives across the country both at it’s estates in Lagos at Festac Town, Abesan one to five, FHA Lugbe, Gwarimpa among many others in the country was on course.
It constructed with government support and intervention the 748 Zuba mass housing estate which included the introduction of Rent to Own, and also plucked back it’s investments in the oversubscribed Zuba with standard facilities provided to the ongoing Bwari Mass Housing Estate, that had opened up the area that housed many government establishments, due for sales having acquired of over 250 Hectares of Land for more construction.
The FHA advancing it’s PPP arrangements also reclaimed the over 200 hectares Federal Housing Authority FHA estate at Mbora, and under construction of over 1,000 houses with the commencement and foundation laying ceremony carried out during the Golden Jubilee anniversary in 2023.
The management has also acquired land of about 700 hectares in Kabusu district(maitama ii extention) of the FCT to construct the Diaspora smart city with over 17, 000 housing units to be launched before the end of the first quarter in 2024 .
This was in addition to provision of 2,000 houses known as “Renewed Hope Estates” each in the six geopolitical zones in the country within the year to address more housing problems in view of the global requirements.
Construction and occupation was already ongoing in it’s ENL estate in Guzape, Express view in Lugbe, Osun, Oyo, Rivers , imo, among other states with already acquired Lands.
This was encouraged by the new administration of Renewed Hope Agenda with a promise to surpass the 50,000 units houses to Nigerians annually, but a target of 100,000 units guaging the administration’s willingness to invest and support the transformation agenda of Senator Gbenga Ashafa at FHA.
With the glaring support and promises of the global bodies, experts and professionals like AUHF, Shelter Afrique Development Bank that promised to invest about $40M into Nigeria’s housing development in 2024, as promised during the celebration of the 50th anniversary and Golden Jubilee in 2023, and with needed supports and enabling environment from the supervising Ministry through synergy, supervision and unfettered access to it’s activities, no doubt the current leadership will take FHA to a comfortable achievements of over 100,000 Hosusing units annually, ahead of the target of the supervising Ministry’s target of 50, 000 annually.
The FHA Mortgage Bank FHAMB rated as one of the best Primary Mortgage institution PMI by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN as a result of the reforms been carried out under Senator Gbenga Ashafa is positioned to do more for the off takers under National Housing fund NHF subscribers and with 25% equity in Pension Commission PENCOM.
The last three years reforms in the Bank has yielded results in many folds, resulting in the resucitation, provision of robust mortgages and expansion of it’s offices, management and activities.
Aside the Corporate office, FHAMB had opened up many branches and introduced products that attracted civil servants, farmers , business men and artisans as well as physically challenged person’s across the country.
On many occasions, the Bank handed over completed houses to many professionals including medical doctors and personel that had discouraged the syndrome of ‘JAPA’ prevalent across African nations with Nigerian not in exception.
The ground breaking ceremony of a multi million naira new corporate headquarters recently launched by the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO Federal Housing Authority FHA Senator Gbenga Ashafa, was an indicator of the Bank’s readiness to deliver and improve on its mandate and retail banking in line with the global practices.
The proposed presentation of keys to beneficiaries at Luxiar/FMBN estate in Bwari Abuja in the early period of the year in 2024, was a testimony to the great things happening in the housing sector under Senator Gbenga Ashafa, as the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO, Federal Housing Authority FHA.
The transformative and innovative template, no doubt, with the ongoing strides and sustained efforts , the target of 100, 000 units houses annually will become achievable under the current leadership and Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
All hands must be on deck to support the laudable objectives of the administrative reforms, robust oversight and needed amendments of the existing act, so as to guarantee needed investments in the housing sector devoid of any administrative bottle necks.
Yusuf Is A Public Affairs Analyst, Writes from Abuja onFHA and PPP Revolution In Nigeria, By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
OPINION.
Since the globally coined Public Private Partnership PPP arrangements that occasioned synergy between the public service and private entities, particularly organised private sector, the Federal Housing Authority FHA under it’s housing programs had embraced the new parlance over two decades and beyond mere nomenclature, keyed into the practice and practical implementation of the laudable arrangements in the country since 2000.
As the official sole provider of houses for public and ordinary Nigerians, the agency had penultimate provided such arrangements that had metamorphosed in the six geopolitical zones, including the Federal Capital Territory FCT, with quantum and quality of affordable houses to Nigerians, in line with it’s mandate and now obsolete act , as well as synergy with the global and local investors that thrived in the provision of houses across length and breadth of Nigeria.
What this means was that the PPP initiatives of FHA that debuted in states like Rivers, (Port Harcourt), Lagos, Ibadan, Imo, Kaduna, Abuja , the nation’s capital city among many others states in the last decades had metamorphosed and transformed to full fledged activities in the current Federal Housing Authority FHA, under the leadership of Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Cumulatively in the early days of PPP in FHA , inspite of the outdated act desiring amendments and needed reforms which the current leadership had tackled headlong both at the National Assembly and administratively, the agency achieved over 1,500 housing units yearly, in comparison to the pronounced official figure of 1,000 in a year in 2023, over two decades away.
Combining the PPP arrangements with other modest innovations by the successive management sustained by the current leadership, using site and service, direct construction and the globally acceptable PPP arrangements, the authority had transcended beyond mere pronouncements with practical realities that had achieved over 1,500 yearly, without subvention and grappling with obsolete act that needed amendments and modest reforms .
The leverage of the current management under Senator Gbenga Ashafa as a former Senator and lawmaker, administrator and his bureaucratic exposure in land matters spanned decades, having handled such gigantic assignment in the cosmopolitan Lagos state, which made the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on his engagement and preference, that enabled him achieved his agenda of mass housing for all Nigerians,as part of his campaign manifestos, and to also key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the needed legal and administrative reforms which have been initiated in the last three years and nearing completion.
All these , according to Senator Gbenga Ashafa who met a moribund FHA with dilapidated working tools and structures, demoralized workforce with backlog of promotions and grossly understaffed authority, was reverted to optimum function within a year on assumption of office.
This was coming from an agency without subvention over the decades and budgetary provision in line with it’s act, but acted under the discretion and arrangements of a competitive market were the private sector that had access to unfettered fund both locally and internationally held sway.
What it means is without legal encumbrances, FHA as the sole agency charged with the provision of mass and affordable houses for Nigerians will be able to assess bonds, approach capital market to mop up funds with a view to meeting not only the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in the area of housing, bridge housing deficits, but surpassing the global and local provision of houses beyond the required 50, 000 units annually .
Piloting the affairs of the authority adequately and administratively, Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s reform policy commenced with the land reclamation program that left the FHA lands and properties porous and the mercy of shylock land grabbers across the country, had yielded results and envisaged reforms deploying adminstrative and legal means to achieve these objectives.
Many Nigerians particularly in Lagos and Abuja had turned FHA lands to free and green honey, making billions from it’s illegal occupation both at night and weekends, through forgery of it’s documents and forceful means as well as other any subtle guise , with some using the two main religion, Christianity and Islam to acquire it’s Lands, the negative development and retrieval process was upped that led to recovery of Multi Billion assets of FHA Lands/ properties.
Inspite it’s obvious constraints, the management ensured more housing development and initiatives across the country both at it’s estates in Lagos at Festac Town, Abesan , one to five, FHA Lugbe and Gwarimpa among many others in the country was on course.
It constructed and completed with government support and intervention the 748 Zuba mass housing estate which included the introduction of ‘Rent to Own’, and also plucked back it’s investments in the oversubscribed Zuba with standard facilities provided to the ongoing Bwari Mass Housing Estate, that had opened up the area housing many government establishments, due for sales, having acquired of over 250 Hectares of Land for more construction.
The FHA advancing it’s PPP arrangements also reclaimed the over 200 hectares Federal Housing Authority FHA estate at Mbora, and commenced construction of over 1,000 houses with the ground breaking ceremony carried out during the Golden Jubilee anniversary in 2023.
The Management has also acquired land of about 700 hectares in Kabusu district(maitama ii extension) of the FCT to construct the ‘Diaspora smart city’ with over 17, 000 housing units to be launched before the end of the first quarter in 2024 .
This was in addition to provision of 2,000 houses known as “Renewed Hope Estates” each in the six geopolitical zones in the country, within the year to address more housing problems in view of the global requirements.
Construction and occupation was already ongoing at it’s ENL estate in Guzape, Express view in Lugbe, Osun, Oyo, Rivers , imo, among other states with already acquired Lands.
This was encouraged by the new administration of Renewed Hope Agenda with a promise to surpass the 50,000 units houses to Nigerians annually, but a target of 100,000 units guaging the administration’s willingness to invest and support the transformation agenda of Senator Gbenga Ashafa at FHA.
With the glaring supports and promises of the global bodies, experts and professionals like AUHF, Shelter Afrique Development Bank that declared it’s intentions to invest about $40M into Nigeria’s housing development in 2024, during the celebration of the 50th anniversary and Golden Jubilee in 2023, and with needed supports and enabling environment from the supervising Ministry through synergy, supervision and unfettered access to it’s activities, no doubt the current leadership will take FHA to a comfortable achieving of over 100,000 Hosusing units annually, ahead of the target of the supervising Ministry’s 50, 000 houses to be built annually.
The FHA Mortgage Bank FHAMB rated as one of the best Primary Mortgage institution PMI by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, as a result of the reforms been carried out under Senator Gbenga Ashafa is already positioned to do more for the off takers under National Housing fund NHF subscribers, and with access to 25% equity in Pension Commission PENCOM.
The last three years reforms in the Bank has yielded results in many folds, resulting in the resucitation, provision of robust mortgages and expansion of it’s offices, management and activities.
Aside the Corporate office, FHAMB had opened up many branches and introduced products that attracted civil servants, farmers , business men and artisans as well as physically challenged person’s across the country.
On many occasions, the Bank handed over completed houses to many professionals including medical doctors and personel, that had discouraged the syndrome of ‘JAPA’ prevalent across African nations with Nigerian not in exception.
The ground breaking ceremony of a multi million naira new corporate headquarters recently launched by the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO Federal Housing Authority FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, was an indicator of the Bank’s readiness to deliver and improve on its mandate and retail banking in line with the global practices.
The proposed presentation of keys to beneficiaries at Luxiar/FMBN estate in Bwari Abuja in the first quarter of the year in 2024, was a testimony to the great things happening in the housing sector under Senator Gbenga Ashafa, as the Managing Director, Chief Executive officer CEO, Federal Housing Authority FHA.
The transformative and innovative template, no doubt, with the ongoing strides and sustained efforts along with government supports , the target of 100, 000 units houses annually will become achievable under the current leadership and Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
All hands must be on deck to support the laudable objectives of the administrative reforms, robust oversight and needed amendments of the existing act, so as to guarantee needed investments in the housing sector, provision of more affordable houses devoid of any administrative bottle necks in Nigeria.
Yusuf Is A Public Affairs Analyst, Writes from Abuja on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a leading Pan-African student body, has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Ogun State under Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, for its commitment to security and community engagement.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, highlighted the CP’s efforts in strengthening collaboration between the police, stakeholders, and other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the state.
“It is worthy of note that CP Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, has further fostered a harmonious working synergy between the police, stakeholders, and other security agents aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun State,” Okereafor said.
The student leader expressed confidence in CP Ogunlowo’s leadership, stating that Ogun State is on track to becoming one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria under his administration.
He also praised the professionalism and dedication of the Ogun State Police Command in tackling crime, regardless of its scale.
Additionally, PSM acknowledged the Ogun State government’s continued support for security agencies, particularly in providing mobility and logistics to enhance their operational efficiency.
The commendation comes at a time when security remains a top priority for residents and authorities in the state, with ongoing efforts to curb crime and ensure public safety.
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
On assumption of duty in January, 2025 , the new Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Boss and well grounded World Bank expert , Aisha Garba envisaged the need to reposition the Basic Education through interfacing with the critical stakeholders.
Amongst them is the office of the National Security Adviser , NSA, led by Malam Nuhu Ribadu whose achievements in the last few years in the area of security has become distinct and outstanding.
Therefore, seeking to cooperate and collaborate with the office became germane and needful particularly the protection of lives and properties of actors in the promotion of Basic Education ranging from the pupils , teachers , workers and facilitators to enable it drive the new wave to curb Out of School Children OOSC in the country.
Aside providing the basic security arrangements for schools , the need to engage the security apparatus at the level of National Security Adviser NSA became needful, so as to address the sophistry of security problems in the country, to nip in the bud any unforseen circumstances.
With the high rates of kidnappings, abduction , banditry, cattle rustling, ritual tendencies among many other vices, the idea of bringing on board , the security architecture of the country in all ramifications will assist the commission to consolidate the implementation of Basic Education policies and programs, also introduce new ones .
Since pupils at the Primary, Junior Secondary and Secondary Schools are prone to such ugly development and security issues , the need to be proactive on the part of the commission became timely and desiring.
This led to the success story of the bilateral interface between the management of the commission and NSA, to streamline, perfect and chart a new course on the issue of security of actors in the Basic Education.
The visit described as timely and long overdue, discussed fruitfully the way forward and the immediate and long term intervention of both agencies in the area of collaboration.
According to the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba she stated by discussing” strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing educational access and security in Nigeria. ”
She further said” the engagement focused on strategies to address challenges such as the safety of schools, particularly in vulnerable regions, and the promotion of equitable education for all children.”
“the meeting highlighted the critical intersection between education and national security and the need for collaboration between UBEC and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on improving access to basic education and safety of safety schools across the nation. ”
“This collaboration underscores the government’s commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive learning environment as part of its broader agenda to strengthen the nation’s educational framework,” it added.
“UBEC boss had pledged to engage critical stakeholders to break down barriers to education and create inclusive learning opportunities for children across the six geopolitical regions of the country.”
“She said: “My goal is to deliver on this mandate which includes strengthening collaboration, partnerships and institutional learning for effective service delivery. ”
“Together, we will work to increase access, improve quality, provide conducive and safe learning environments, supply adequate teaching and learning materials, and adopt the concept of ‘best fit’ in addressing specific basic education challenges, state by state and region by region”.
Highlights of the program which included the engagement of both bodies with a commitment to ensure the introduction of security architecture in schools in Nigeria is achievable.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
By Stephen Adewale
This rejoinder is a response to a column that graced the pages of the Nigerian Tribune on March 16, 2025, titled “Nasir El-Rufai and the Philosophy of Nothing.” The piece was penned by none other than Festus Adedayo, one of my cherished wordsmiths, a maestro of prose whose pen drips with both wit and wisdom.
Adedayo has long held a prime spot in my literary affections for reasons beyond mere admiration. First, we both hail from the illustrious Akure Oloyemekun, a shared heritage that makes his brilliance a source of personal pride. There is something uniquely gratifying about watching a kinsman wield the pen with such devastating elegance, weaving words as effortlessly as a bard conjuring magic. Second, in an era where original thinkers are as scarce as rain in the heart of harmattan, Adedayo stands tall as a relic of intellectual abundance. His columns have, for years, been my weekly ritual, a delectable dish of analysis served with just the right amount of audacity.
Regrettably, the unrelenting demands of academia had deprived me of Adedayo’s literary ambrosia for the past three weeks. Resolute in my quest for redemption, I consecrated my Sunday morning to devouring Adedayo’s recent columns, much like a parched wanderer stumbling upon an oasis of forbidden wisdom. And then, lo and behold, the last paragraph of the aforementioned column stopped me in my tracks. It was not just a paragraph; it was a gauntlet thrown, a provocation that demanded and commanded a response. And so, here I am, pen in hand, ready to engage.
In the preceding paragraphs, Adedayo took great pains to dissect El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP, wielding the philosophy of nothingness like a sculptor chiselling away at what he believed to be a futile political move. He argued, with the confidence of a man who has peered into the future, that El-Rufai’s new political adventure would amount to precisely nothing. Fair enough. He is entitled to his opinions, and I bear him no grudge for his gloomy prophecy. After all, time is the ultimate arbiter of political fortunes.
However, just when one thought the column was a masterclass in political critique, Adedayo took a reckless detour in the final paragraph, committing what can only be described as a literary felony. In one fell swoop, he attempted a hatchet job on the political integrity of SDP’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo. Quoting him, he said ‘my excitement at the potentials of SDP as a viable opposition suffered a momentary halt almost immediately that same last week. Adewole Adebayo, 2023 presidential candidate…had come on an interview session on a national television. I had heard of his trumped up brilliance from journalists who earlier interviewed him.’
To begin with, Adedayo’s statement exposes one of two possibilities; either he is woefully out of touch with the political landscape or he is deliberately peddling falsehoods in service of some unseen paymaster. Or how else can one explain his audacious claim that he had never encountered Adewole Adebayo’s interviews on national television before the week in question?
Adebayo has been a towering presence in the public space since January 2022, when he declared his presidential ambition. He has graced national television countless times, dissecting policies with the precision of a seasoned statesman, not merely critiquing but offering well-reasoned alternatives. His interviews have been clipped, shared, and dissected across social media, yet Festus Adedayo, an otherwise astute columnist, would have us believe that he only stumbled upon Adebayo’s rhetoric through second hand whispers from journalist friends. The claim is as implausible as it is suspicious, making one wonder if his sudden epiphany was less of an honest discovery and more of a scripted hit job.
Then he went on to claim that ‘at that interview session, gradually, Adebayo defrosted all those superlatives with which he was robed. By the time the interview session ended, in place of a huge turkey with huge feathers I expected to encounter, I was left with a species of hen Yoruba call “Adiye opipi”. This type of hen is known by a unique characteristic of featherless wings. Adebayo came across as this and much more. I saw a man who delights in a horse ride that takes place on the back of a cockroach. When you see such politicians, your mind races to a spent canister.’
There is a Yoruba adage that warns, “Ibi tó yẹ ká tíbá ọgbọ́n, a ò gbùdó bá àgò nbẹ,” meaning that where one expects wisdom, it would be a grave disappointment to find foolishness instead. Unfortunately, this perfectly captures the bewildering blunder committed by Festus Adedayo.
One would assume that a seasoned columnist of his caliber would back his scathing critique with substance. At least a direct quote or a reference to the supposedly underwhelming statement that shattered his lofty expectations of Adewole Adebayo would suffice. Yet, in a display of either intellectual laziness or calculated deception, Adedayo offers none.
Since he conveniently avoids mentioning the specific interview that triggered his so-called disappointment, and given that Adebayo only appeared on Arise TV’s breakfast show during the week in question, it is clear that Adedayo was referring to that particular session. However, rather than provide any real context, he chose to shroud the event in ambiguity, hoping to mislead the unsuspecting public. Since he won’t do the honours, it is only right to offer a brief, unvarnished account of what truly transpired during the interview he so artfully distorted.
A few days before the said interview, Ayo of Arise TV blatantly misled viewers by falsely claiming that Adewole Adebayo had betrayed his supporters before the 2023 elections, endorsing President Tinubu and urging his followers to do the same. She went further, labelling him a politician devoid of principle.
When Adebayo finally appeared on Arise TV, he firmly set the record straight. He ran the race to the very end, never endorsed Tinubu, and never worked for the APC government, despite numerous inducements. He rightfully demanded an apology, but Ayo stood her ground. However, when the Arise TV crew presented what they called “evidence,” it backfired spectacularly, proving Adebayo right and exposing their deception. It was a textbook case of attempted character assassination gone embarrassingly wrong.
So, this was the interview that left Festus Adedayo “disappointed” in Adebayo, an interview where a man stood his ground against blatant falsehoods. When a self-proclaimed crusader of truth suddenly finds fault in someone defending himself against lies, perhaps it’s time to scrutinise the so-called champion of integrity. When a supposed high priest of truth suddenly takes issue with a man standing firm against lies, perhaps the high priest’s own altar is due for inspection.
Rather than call out Arise TV for their desperate attempt at character assassination, our esteemed “writer of truth” chose the path of deception by conveniently omitting the actual events. Instead of holding liars accountable, he doubled down, subtly trying to drag a principled man deeper into the mud. If this is what passes for truth-telling, then perhaps Festus Adedayo has been writing fiction all along.
Festus Adedayo, in his infinite journalistic wisdom, managed to compress the entire essence of a man’s political ideology, years of intellectual engagement, and national contributions into the span of one interview. A man whose intellectual sagacity had only been whispered to him in passing by his journalist friends, yet he deemed himself qualified to pass a grand verdict!
His article, ostensibly about the SDP, quickly revealed itself as something else entirely; a well-tailored hit piece, stitched together with just enough cynicism to fulfill the desires of some lurking, unnamed paymaster. He spent paragraph after paragraph dismissing the SDP as an unworthy alternative, regardless of who joined, and then, as the grand finale, he wielded his last paragraph like a dagger to stab the reputation of the very man who has kept the party afloat since 2023. If there was ever a masterclass in agenda-driven writing disguised as political analysis, Adedayo just delivered it with the precision of a seasoned mercenary.
Criticism, when wielded with sincerity, serves as a scalpel, precise, constructive, and capable of refining its subject. But when used recklessly, it becomes a sledgehammer, destructive, indiscriminate, and serving no purpose beyond ruin. At a time when Nigeria teeters on the edge of existential crises, what we need are columnists who illuminate the path forward, not those who revel in the theatrics of demolition.
This is why it is profoundly disheartening to see Festus Adedayo, once a beacon in the murky waters of Nigerian columnists, take a detour into the alley of agenda-peddling. Nigeria is not merely in need of critics; it is in need of honest critics. It is in need of voices that challenge, correct, and inspire, not those who merely regurgitate the cynicism that has already poisoned our media space.
I have always admired Festus Adedayo, but his portrayal of Adewole Adebayo is a painful reminder that even the brightest stars can flicker. To watch someone we once held as a paragon of journalistic integrity stumble into the company of the ethically compromised is not just disappointing, it is a national tragedy. If even the ‘good ones’ can abandon sincerity for sensationalism, then truly, the night is darker than we feared.
*Stephen Adewale writes from the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University*