society
Security, Economy in Focus as Buratai Chairs Aminu Kano Memorial Event
Security, Economy in Focus as Buratai Chairs Aminu Kano Memorial Event
KANO, NIGERIA — Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd), will chair the 24th Annual Symposium commemorating the 43rd memorial anniversary of Aminu Kano, with a strong focus on regional security and economic cooperation in West Africa.
The high-level event, scheduled for Friday, April 17, 2026, at the Sa’adu Zungur Auditorium, Mambayya House in Kano, is expected to convene policymakers, academics, and security experts to examine the evolving role of Economic Community of West African States in maintaining peace and stability across the subregion.
With the theme “ECOWAS and Regional Peace in West Africa: The Security and Economic Implications for Nigeria,” the symposium comes at a critical time when West Africa continues to grapple with security threats, political transitions, and economic pressures.
Buratai, who also served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, is expected to bring his extensive military and diplomatic experience to bear in steering discussions around collective security, cross-border threats, and the strategic importance of regional alliances. His leadership as Chairman of the Occasion underscores the significance attached to the symposium’s deliberations.
The event will be hosted by the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Haruna Musa, while the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, will serve as Chief Host.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, is billed as the Special Guest of Honour, adding further political weight to the gathering.
The symposium will also feature a keynote address by Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, a former Commissioner for Internal Services at the ECOWAS Commission, who is expected to provide insights into the bloc’s internal mechanisms and policy direction.
Other notable discussants include former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, and Professor Samaila Suleiman of the Department of History, Bayero University, Kano.
Organised by Mambayya House, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, the annual symposium remains a key intellectual platform dedicated to preserving the legacy of Aminu Kano while addressing contemporary governance and security challenges.
Analysts note that Buratai’s central role as Chairman is particularly significant given Nigeria’s frontline position in regional security dynamics. His presence is expected to shape robust conversations on how ECOWAS can better respond to insurgency, military coups, and transnational crime while strengthening economic integration among member states.
The symposium is slated to commence at 9:00 a.m., drawing participants from across government, academia, and civil society in what promises to be a timely and impactful engagement on West Africa’s future.
society
Ajadi Congratulates CSP Iteyere on Retirement
Ajadi Congratulates CSP Iteyere on Retirement
The leading gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has extended warm congratulations to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Goddey I. Iteyere (rtd.) following his successful retirement from the Nigeria Police Force after years of meritorious service to the nation.
In a goodwill message made available to journalists on Wednesday, Ajadi described the retired senior police officer as a disciplined and patriotic public servant whose commitment to law enforcement contributed to strengthening peace and order in different parts of Nigeria.
According to Ajadi, retirement from active service should not be seen as an end but a transition into another phase of life where experience can still be used for national development and community service.
“Chief Superintendent of Police Goddey I. Iteyere has served this nation with honour, courage, and dedication. His retirement is well deserved, and I celebrate him for his sacrifices in maintaining law and order in our society,” Ajadi said.
He further noted that officers like Iteyere represent the backbone of Nigeria’s internal security architecture, stressing that their contributions often go unnoticed by the public despite the risks and challenges associated with policing.
Ajadi added: “On behalf of myself and my team, I congratulate CSP Goddey I. Iteyere on this milestone. We pray that God grants him good health, peace of mind, and a rewarding post-retirement life. His wealth of experience is still needed in nation-building, especially in mentoring younger generations of security personnel.”
He also urged serving officers in the Nigeria Police Force to remain committed to professionalism, integrity, and respect for human rights, noting that such values are essential for building public trust in security institutions.
“Policing is a noble but demanding profession. I encourage those still in service to emulate officers like Iteyere who have retired with dignity and honour. The nation depends on their discipline and commitment,” he added.
Chief Superintendent of Police Goddey I. Iteyere (rtd.) is expected to be celebrated by family, friends, colleagues, and associates in recognition of his long-standing service to the Nigeria Police Force.
The congratulatory message adds to a growing list of public tributes for retiring officers who have served the country in various capacities within the security sector.
society
Alleged Anti-Tinubu Comment: Buratai Denies ‘Fake’ Report, Reaffirms Loyalty to APC
Alleged Anti-Tinubu Comment: Buratai Denies ‘Fake’ Report, Reaffirms Loyalty to APC
society
inside a Growing Revolt Over Nigerias Unity Schools: Why Humphrey Nwafor Is Marching
inside a Growing Revolt Over Nigerias Unity Schools: Why Humphrey Nwafor Is Marching
By : Murphy Ajibade Alabi
On Saturday, May 9, 2026, the usually fluid rhythm of Lagos, Abuja and Kano will make room for something more deliberate: an awareness walk and rally led by alumni of Nigerians famed Unity Schools. One of those alumni is Humphrey Nwafor, President of the Lagos Chapter of the Federal Government College Kano Old Students Association (FGCKOSA), a man whose calm delivery masks a deeply structured critique of government policy.
When we met, Nwafor was neither incendiary nor sentimental. He was precise almost surgical in how he framed the issue.
This is not a protest against reform, he began. It is a protest against how reform is being executed.
The Fault Line: Reform vs. Asset Stripping
For years, multilateral institutions such as the World Bank have advocated for a shift in how public institutions particularly schools are managed in developing economies. The argument is straightforward: government ownership often breeds inefficiency, while private sector participation introduces discipline, capital, and accountability.
Nwafor does not reject this premise. In fact, he embraces it.
I agree that these schools need a new funding and management model, he told me. That conversation is long overdue.
But his agreement ends where current policy begins.
What is happening now is not reform. It is asset stripping disguised as Public-Private Partnership.
His contention is that the ongoing PPP concessions involving Unity Schools some of which include land swaps and commercial developmentsfail a basic economic test: they do not eliminate governments financial burden. Instead, they reduce the asset base of the schools while leaving funding obligations largely intact.
That is not sustainability. That is liquidation, he said flatly.
A Question of Value
Unity Schoolsfederal secondary institutions established to foster national integrationare not just educational facilities. Many sit on expansive parcels of land, some in increasingly valuable urban corridors. Several are over 50 years old and have produced generations of Nigerias elite across sectors.
Nwafor sees this not as a liability, but as an under-leveraged asset.
These schools have alumni networks embedded in global corporations, multinationals, and financial institutions. You are talking about individuals and organizations with the capacity for structured, long-term investment through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and philanthropic vehicles.
He leaned forward slightly.
Why sell land when you havent even activated your most obvious capital pool?
The Numbers Behind the Argument
To illustrate his point, Nwafor pointed to Nigerias banking sector, which has posted record profits in recent years. While he did not cite a specific figure during our conversation, industry reports indicate that the combined profits of major Nigerian banks in 2025 run into trillions of naira.
His proposal is mathematically simple:
If just 0.5% of banking sector profits were systematically channeled into Unity Schools, the funding gap would effectively disappear.
The implication is stark: the problem may not be a lack of resources, but a failure of coordination.
USOSA: The Alternative Model
At the core of Nwafors argument is an institution many outside the Unity School ecosystem may not fully appreciate: the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA), an umbrella body representing alumni across these federal schools.
USOSA was built on a very clear idea, he explained. That government does not have to fund these schools indefinitely. There is a credible alternativestructured alumni-led management.
This model, he argues, is a truer expression of Public-Private Partnership than what is currently being implemented.
You hand over operational responsibility to a body that has emotional, historical, and reputational equity in the schools. Government becomes the regulator. Alumni bring funding, governance, and a competitive mindset.
That last point is critical.
When schools are run by their alumni, performance becomes personal. Every school wants to outperform the other. That is how you drive excellence.
The Process Problem
Beyond policy disagreements, what appears to animate Nwafor most is the processor lack thereof. According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education constituted a committee in June 2025 to develop PPP guidelines for Unity Schools. Yet, USOSAarguably the most relevant stakeholderwas excluded.
They did not invite us. They did not consult us. They did not even share the final guidelines.
What followed, he says, was even more troubling.
They proceeded to sign 18 PPP concession deals for 18 schoolswithout public notice, without stakeholder engagement, without asking a basic question: is there a better alternative?
The frustration here is not rhetorical; it is procedural. In governance terms, the absence of transparency and stakeholder inclusion undermines both legitimacy and long-term viability. Even formal correspondence from alumni bodies underscores this concern, citing lack of transparency, stakeholder exclusion, and deviation from established PPP guidelines as central objections.
Nwafors summary is blunt: Who works like that?
Why He Is Marching
For Nwafor, Saturdays march is not symbolicit is strategic.
This is an awareness walk. We are trying to force a national conversation.
He is particularly focused on reaching one audience: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
My greatest hope is that the President hears usnot as critics, but as stakeholders offering a better solution.
His appeal is framed less as opposition and more as course correction.
If the true objective is to reduce the financial burden on government and improve these schools, then we are presenting a model that does bothwithout destroying value.
The Stakes
At stake is more than land or policy. It is the future governance model of a network of institutions that has, for decades, played a quiet but significant role in Nigerias nation-building.
The governments current path suggests a belief in private capital as the primary solution. Nwafors counterproposal does not reject that beliefit redirects it.
From external investors to internal stakeholders.
From asset liquidation to asset optimization.
From opaque concessions to participatory governance.
As Lagos, Abuja and Kano prepare for the march, one thing is clear: this is not a nostalgia-driven defense of the past. It is a contest over the architecture of the future. And Humphrey Nwafor intends to make sure it is not decided quietly.
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