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THE MANY ROTS MATAWALLE MET IN ZAMFARA
By Abdulkadir Sulaiman
After failing to win in its dirty machinations to create scandal using the former IGP M. D. Abubakar Committee on finding lasting peace to the lingering security crises which they mismanaged for nearly a decade, the dirty side of the opposition in Zamfara state have now jumped to the Education sector.
From yesterday, a certain video was recorded, allegedly of the Government Science Secondary school Shinkafi where a dilapidated hostel occupied by students was recoded by a certain academic who might have done it in his own way of being a patriot. This is in spite of the fact that no channel of communication was established between the said academic and the state Ministry of education as to what is being done to address the rots in education inherited by Governor Bello Mohammed Administration from the previous administration. However, the way it went viral pointed to the fact that mischief was the backbone behind the said video circulating in the Social media.
When Governor Bello Mohammed took over the administration of Zamfara state last year, he met a multiple of crises especially in the area of security, education and health. The immediate concern was to address the security issues which was at a point of societal breakdown. The first few months of his administration was occupied with addressing this security issue which brought peace to Zamfara State after eight years of escalating banditry which gulped more than 6,000 innocent lives, widowed more than 5,000 women and orphaned more than 25,000 children.
The rot in health and education sector was equally monumental. The hospitals in the state were in a very sorry state. This is in spite of the fact that rural areas do not even have dispensaries to address their primary health demands. Governor Matawalle, in only one year, built and equipped the Kagara hospital and also improved the existing hospitals in the state by providing them with many of their requirements which included drugs and brand new ambulances.
The rural areas were not left behind as Governor Matawalle administration embarked on building a 50-bed primary health hospital for each of the 147 wards in the state which are now in various stages of completion. Similarly, 147 tricycle ambulance are acquired for each of these hospitals to be distributed when these centers are completed. An orthopaedic hospital is also being built at Shinkafi at the cost of over N2 billion.
In the area of education, Governor Bello Mohammed began by addressing the rot in our primary schools. He built and renovated over 1000 classroom blocks in our primary schools across the state along with the provision of their furniture. He employed nearly 600 primary school teachers who were meant to boost the teaching staff of the sector. This is born out of the fact that primary school education is the backbone of the educational system anywhere. He has also built a model primary school at Maradun.
As for secondary school sector, Matawalle administration has started addressing its multiple rot in terms of infrastructure, teaching staff and feeding system. It, however, cannot possibly addressed in only one year? Yes, the renovation of Government Girls Secondary school Kwatarkwashi has been effected while the crooked feeding system of all the secondary schools in the state has been addressed. With the tens of secondary schools and thousands of students in those schools, and each with multiple of decay, in one year, no state Government has the magic to address all the gargantuan rot inherited from many years of maladministration such as the type inherited by Matawalle administration. .
It is in line with his avowed commitment to address the education sector that in the current fiscal provision in the state, education was allocated the highest share of the budget with 19%. It is instructive to note that at the time the Matawalle administration assumed office, graduating secondary school students could not write their SSCE examinations while previous ones were withheld as the state Government owed WAEC and NECO stupendous amount of unpaid fees from previous students examinations. Matawalle administration has taken care of that and the students have collected their withheld results and it is now back to normal with the present set of students.
Indeed, everywhere in Nigeria today, one is bound to find one or two of similar condition as portrayed in that video. But the intent behind this video going round the social media is dead on arrival because it is an unwitting indictment of the previous administration that allowed it to reach this stage and equally failed to address it. There is no magic wand Matawalle can use to address all these multiple rots in only one year he has spent in office. But then, it is clear all Zamfarans that his administration is committed enough to ensure that by the end of its tenure, it has left Zamfara state better than it met it.
Sulaiman writes from Gusau.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
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More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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