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Former Vice President Atiku Unlocks Reasons For Insecurity in Nigeria
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has attributed the wave of insecurity and systemic decay in the country to the longstanding neglect of the education sector.
Atiku made the remarks on Saturday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, during the 17th Annual Founder’s Day of the American University of Nigeria.
“The crass disregard for education inflicted upon us by the current and successive governments since 2007 has transformed what could have been a vibrant future into a bleak landscape,” he said.
According to him, as daunting as the country’s divisive challenges may appear, the most insidious threat does not stem from the visible chaos unleashed by armed groups but from the far deeper neglect of education, health, and human development services.
The former vice president cautioned that while the nation grapples with violence and turmoil from armed groups, the consequences of overlooking human development sectors do not merely endanger the present but also cast a long shadow over the future.
He urged individuals and the private sector to pay closer attention to the condition of Nigeria’s education system, stressing that idle youths have become fertile ground for criminal recruitment.
He added, “Our beloved country, endowed with a youth population of enormous promise, faces staggering challenges that threaten to undermine our most precious asset—our children.
“Currently, millions of children remain out of school, and among those who do enrol, many find themselves disillusioned and trapped in an outdated system that fails to prepare them for the demands of an increasingly complex and competitive world.”
Atiku described Nigeria’s education statistics as sobering, lamenting that the nation now bears the regrettable distinction of having the highest number of out-of-school children globally.
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Breaking: Nigerian Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, FG Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, noting that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
The Forum made the demand in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the highest-paid Level 17 officer on a monthly salary of N1.5 million, while Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn N300,000.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Forum said.
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The FWF argued that the Federal Government had not fully implemented the 2024 minimum wage agreement, claiming that federal workers had yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” it said.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in August 2026, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to N500,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s government increased the minimum wage to N70,000 per month from N30,000.
However, the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026.
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BREAKING NEWS: ‘No Support For Military Coup in Niger’ – FG
The Federal Government has said Nigeria will never support a military coup or any unconstitutional change of government, following claims that the country backed a failed coup attempt in the Niger Republic.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, the claims circulating on social media are baseless and misleading.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to democracy, constitutional rule and political stability in West Africa and would not support any attempt to remove a government through unconstitutional means.
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“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” he said.
The minister also rejected claims that Nigeria, through its membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported or endorsed the military takeover in Niger.
He said the Federal Government had already stated its position on the situation in Niger in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria remains deeply concerned about developments in Niger and wants the country to return peacefully to stability and constitutional order.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s close historical, cultural and fraternal ties with Niger made peace and stability in the neighbouring country particularly important.
“Nigerians at home and abroad should disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, they are intended to create confusion and tarnish Nigeria’s image,” the statement said.
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