Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Barely days after resigning as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been inaugurated as Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The announcement was made during the formal inauguration of newly appointed FAAN board members in Abuja.

The eight-member board includes representatives from the Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Defence, and the FAAN Managing Director/CEO.

 

Ganduje’s appointment as FAAN board chairman was initially made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in January while Ganduje was still serving as the APC National Chairman. His formal swearing-in follows his recent resignation from the party leadership

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has announced the reintroduction of a compulsory one-year post-graduation engineering residency programme for all graduates of engineering from universities and polytechnics across the country.

President of the council, Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at a press briefing ahead of the 33rd Engineering Assembly scheduled to hold between July 15 and 17, 2025, on Monday in Abuja.

Themed “Advancing Quality Engineering Services and Businesses in Nigeria, Professional Compliance and Remuneration,” the annual assembly will bring together over ten million practitioners, including engineers, technologists, technicians, craftsmen, and artisans, to deliberate on pressing issues within the profession.

Abubakar said the revived programme, initially known as the Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering, will now run as the Engineering Residency Programme to build practical competence among engineering graduates before their mandatory National Youth Service Corps year.

According to him, the two-year post-graduation pathway aligns with international standards, forming part of Nigeria’s Mutual Recognition Agreement under the International Engineering Alliance. Nigeria joined the Washington Accord as a provisional signatory in 2023, making it the second African nation to achieve that status.

He also noted that the mandatory programme aligns with the standard practice in other regulated professions such as law, medicine, and pharmacy.

Abubakar said, “In response to the federal government, the current Federal Government administration’s aspiration to be able to develop hands-on experience for our youth in this country, COREN is resuscitating what we started about 40 years ago, the supervised industrial engineering training scheme, what we call CITSE. We have repackaged it and we now give it a new name, called the Engineering Residency Programme. COREN is happy to inform everybody in this country that our graduates with degrees and HNDs from universities and polytechnics will soon align with the global practice.

According to him, the two-year post-graduation pathway aligns with international standards, forming part of Nigeria’s Mutual Recognition Agreement under the International Engineering Alliance. Nigeria joined the Washington Accord as a provisional signatory in 2023, making it the second African nation to achieve that status.

He also noted that the mandatory programme aligns with the standard practice in other regulated professions such as law, medicine, and pharmacy.

Abubakar said, “In response to the federal government, the current Federal Government administration’s aspiration to be able to develop hands-on experience for our youth in this country, COREN is resuscitating what we started about 40 years ago, the supervised industrial engineering training scheme, what we call CITSE. We have repackaged it and we now give it a new name, called the Engineering Residency Programme. COREN is happy to inform everybody in this country that our graduates with degrees and HNDs from universities and polytechnics will soon align with the global practice.

“After graduation, our engineering graduates will now have to undergo mandatory one-year residency in their area of specialisation to be able to develop the competence, the proficiency and the hands-on experience that will qualify them after graduation and certification from the residency to go for NYSC one year again in the relevant area of their speciality and competence.

“These two years of residency and NYSC probably posting in engineering organisations will amount to part of the qualification for any engineer with a degree qualification or HND qualification to be able to register with COREN as an engineer or as a technologist and certified so that they can practise anywhere in this world and they can be regulated under any jurisdiction whether in Nigeria or any part of the globe. This is what COREN has already signed in what we call MRA, mutual recognition agreement with our jurisdiction in Europe, in Asia, in the Americas, under the International Engineering Alliance.”

He added that the council is working with government stakeholders to provide a monthly stipend of N75,000 for each graduate, with a task force already inaugurated to develop a sustainable funding structure.

“The engineering residency program is one year. It’s going to be mandatory but it is not new to engineering. I am sure you know it has been done in the medical field, it has been done in the legal field, and it has been done in the pharmaceutical field.

“We started it, but our challenge was a lack of funding. For almost 40 years, we have been doing it. And like somebody said, I think that’s part of your query. Are we going to have some stipend? Yes, there’s going to be a stipend around it. We have packaged it, and we have developed a series of documents. We have the manual, and we have about four different documents.

 

We are inaugurating the committee, what we call a tax force, that is going to champion the reintroduction of this in this country. And this committee is being chaired by eminent Nigerians, whom we want to engage the government so that we will be able to have the framework for funding, sustainable funding, so that when we come back to it, we will not get out of it again. Because this is one key area that Nigerians must have to be able to compete globally. We recommended N75,000 per candidate but this is still subject to final discussion and approval at the meeting.

“Our aim is to ensure Nigerian-trained engineers can compete and practise globally. We are very confident that we will succeed in this and change the narration. We have signed recognition agreements with jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas,” Abubakar noted.

The COREN president further revealed that remuneration for engineering professionals will form a central part of discussions at the upcoming assembly.

He said the council has just completed a fresh review of its fee structure, known as the Engineering Compensation and Professional Scale Structure.

This development followed the current economic situation and the continued payment of expatriates in foreign currency by construction companies in the country.

He said the updated ECOPASS provides payment structures on an hourly, daily, and monthly basis for engineers, technologists, and technicians, both in the public and private sectors.

“This year’s assembly is going to interrogate specifically the enumeration and the few structures for the engineering professionals vis-à-vis the quality of services rendered and the motivation for all engineering practitioners that serve our great nation. The remuneration could be on an hourly basis, daily or on a monthly basis in the private sector and in the public sector. It would also determine the minimum wage and pay.

Every profession that licenses and regulates practitioners must define fair pay. Engineering is no exception.

“We are revamping our remuneration standards to tackle quackery and ensure qualified practitioners are well compensated. Often, that is one of the key mandates of COREN to ensure that, as one of you asked, there is no quackery because if you don’t pay a good remuneration, people who are not qualified can easily get into that system and damage the profession,” he said.

COREN also disclosed plans to enforce annual renewal of practising licenses for engineers, which will now require professional development courses under a newly formed Engineering Professional Examination Committee, comprising four engineering bodies: NSE, NATE, NiSET, and NAEC.

In a bid to strengthen quality assurance in engineering education, the council is also collaborating with the National Universities Commission for the joint accreditation of engineering programmes in Nigerian universities, similar to its partnership with NBTE for polytechnics.

Abubakar also confirmed that COREN has received the buy-in of JAMB to begin regulating the admission and enrollment process of engineering students into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

He stated, “Just like medicine, pharmacy, and law, we are now aligning admission quotas and curriculum quality with global benchmarks to produce competent, industry-ready graduates.

“As part of its decentralisation policy, COREN has set up seven regional offices across the country in Enugu, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Abuja, Gombe, and Lagos (as a special hub). These regional centres will support the regulation of engineering practices across 11 key sectors, including oil and gas, telecommunications, construction, aviation, maritime, manufacturing, mining, biomedical, and agro-allied industries.

“The council is also leading Nigeria’s engineering input in the National Skills Qualification Framework, certifying training centres and registering artisans to improve quality and safety.”

The COREN boss noted that the Engineering Assembly will feature a review of the past year’s activities, stakeholder dialogues, technical sessions and a special “engineering family forum” involving all recognised professional associations.

He stressed that the council’s latest initiatives are aimed at boosting Nigeria’s engineering workforce and equipping them to compete globally.

“The residency programme, the revised ECOPASS, and our accreditation reforms are key milestones that will reposition Nigerian engineering,” he added.

The PUNCH reports that the keynote address at the 33rd Engineering Assembly will be delivered by former Vice President, Prof. Oluyemi Osinbajo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Osun State Police Command, on Saturday, confirmed the arrest of an Islamic cleric, identified simply as Kadiri, for allegedly having carnal knowledge of a minor in Ede, Osun State.

 

The incident which occurred at Babasanya-Araka Ede led to a protest by an angry mob, who had attacked the suspect after he was seized.

 

The command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, said police operatives were deployed to the scene after the matter was reported.

 

“The matter was reported, and we deployed operatives to the scene. When our men got to the scene, the Amotekun men who arrested him handed him over to

us.

 

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results from its mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted on June 28.

 

In a statement signed by JAMB’s Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in Abuja on Sunday, the board also provided an update on its ongoing crackdown on a widespread fake admission letter syndicate.

 

Benjamin said, of the 96,838 candidates slated for the mop-up examination, results had been released for 11,161 candidates who sat for the test.

 

He urged candidates who were unable to access their results to ensure they follow the prescribed procedure.

 

The procedure, according to him is by sending the text, “UTMERESULT” (as one word) to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number they registered with, for the UTME.

 

He added that non-compliance with this requirement has been identified as the main reason some candidates cannot access their scores.

 

Meanwhile, JAMB has also offered a detailed update on efforts to dismantle a syndicate engaged in the production of fake JAMB admission letters for a fee.

 

Benjamin disclosed that an investigation, carried out with the support of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), led to the arrest of five ring-leaders who had confessed to producing and distributing forged admission letters.

 

The suspects, he said, are currently being prosecuted at the Federal High Court in Abuja in the case titled, Inspector General of Police vs Effa Leonard and Four Others.

 

He revealed that the syndicate’s activities implicated a total of 17,417 candidates flagged as beneficiaries.

 

“Between 2024 and May 2025, JAMB cleared 6,903 of these candidates after they rectified minor discrepancies.

 

“However, 10,514 candidates were referred to designated police investigation offices.

 

“Of these, 5,669 were confirmed to have procured forged admission letters outrightly.

 

“Another 4,832 were found to have tried to bypass the Board’s formal process for undisclosed admissions (typically covered by a 2017–2020 ministerial waiver) by resorting to the syndicate,” he said

 

Additionally, he said 13 other candidates were flagged due to individual acts of omission or commission.

 

“Twelve of these cases date back to 2017 when the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) was introduced.

 

” The flagged candidates are spread across institutions including Bayero University Kano (2), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (2).

 

“Others are, one each from Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ekiti State University, Yaba College of Technology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Osun State Polytechnic Ire, Ben Idahosa University, Obong University, and the University of Ilorin,” he added.

 

He, however, said that following its management meeting on July 5, 2025, JAMB resolved to give the 13 candidates an opportunity to rectify the specific anomalies in their records and print new admission letters.

 

According to him, they will be added to the batch of 6,903 whose cases were previously condoned.

 

“Furthermore, the Board announced that 1,532 candidates, who claimed they were unaware of the syndicate’s role in facilitating their admission letters and whose institutions eventually processed their condonement properly, would be formally warned but ultimately condoned.

 

“However, 3,300 candidates remain under investigation for allegedly securing admissions that were neither legitimate nor properly processed by their claimed institutions,” he explained .

 

Benjamin warned that the Board’s screening processes would continue rigorously.

 

He said that any candidate found to have engaged in or solicited help from examination or certificate fraudsters would face consequences under the Examination Malpractices Act.

 

This, he said, would include possible prosecution, with penalties applicable even to minors and their culpable guardians or parents.

 

“The Board remains committed to upholding the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that only duly qualified candidates gain access to tertiary education in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Opposition arrowhead Peter Obi says he will contest for the office of the President in 2027, dismissing rumours that he will be running mate for Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, said on Sunday Politics programme.

 

When asked whether he was considering becoming the running mate to Atiku, in the 2027 election, Obi said, “This is not in play; nobody has ever discussed that. People assume so many things. Nobody has ever discussed with me whether I am going to be A or B or C.”

 

The former Anambra State governor stressed that he remain a vibrant member of the Labour Party though he is an active member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition adopted by the opposition to unseat President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who is eyeing a second term of four years in office in 2027.

 

“I am part of the coalition which will be able to produce a president with the capacity and compassion to save this country,” he said.

I don’t need a day more than four years. I will show the direction of good governance,” Obi said, even as he announced that he would run for president in 2027, and not as a running mate to any politician.

 

“In two years, there has been maximum damage. Two years can change it in a good direction. People want to get up and see a president that cares, that shows compassion,” he said.

The suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has stated that she will resume legislative duties in the Senate on Tuesday following a court order directing her recall to the Red Chamber.

 

The lawmaker disclosed this in a video shared on social media, which started trending on Sunday. She thanked her supporters for standing with her.

 

“I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today.

 

 

“We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” she said.

 

Her comment followed Friday’s judgment by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which declared her six-month suspension from the Senate as unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ rights to representation.

 

Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the matter, ruled that the suspension lacked constitutional backing and ordered the immediate reinstatement of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

 

The court, however, also found the senator guilty of contempt for a Facebook post described as a satirical apology addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The post, the court held, violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, barring parties from making public or social media comments on the ongoing suit challenging her suspension.

 

Justice Nyako imposed a ₦5 million fine on the senator for the post, which was deemed to have breached the court’s order.

 

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March after a controversial plenary session that turned rowdy over disagreements about seating arrangements in the chamber.

 

Days later, the controversy deepened when she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview

 

In her ruling, Justice Nyako emphasised that the extended suspension of the senator was not only procedurally flawed but also deprived the people of Kogi Central of their constitutional right to representation.

 

She stated that lawmakers are required by the constitution to attend at least 181 sitting days in a legislative year and warned that long suspensions without due process undermine democratic governance.

 

The court also criticised the Senate’s disciplinary processes, urging the National Assembly to review its internal rules to conform with constitutional principles and ensure fair hearing

Residents of Temidire-Agbamu Road in the Sanyo area of Ibadan, has appealed to the Oyo State Government to urgently rehabilitate their road.

The residents noted that the road is in a bad condition and is hindering the free flow of movement in the affected areas.

 

The community, which falls under Ward 7 in Oluyole Local Government Area, said the state of the road has caused untold hardship for commuters and residents alike.

The residents noted that the repair of the road will boost economic activities in the area and improve the quality of life for hundreds who depend on it daily.

 

They urged the state government to include the road in its ongoing infrastructure renewal projects across the state.

 

The Chairman of the community, Mr Olaide Adeoye, while speaking on Monday, noted that the road is always impassable, especially during the rainy season.

He then used the opportunity to appeal to the state government to do something about the road.

 

He said, “We are appealing to the Oyo State Government to come to our aid. The condition of Temidire-Agbamu Road has made life unbearable for our people. Vehicles break down frequently, and transportation costs have skyrocketed”.

 

In the same vein, the Otun Baale of the community, Mojeed Owoade, called on the state government to prioritise the road project.

Our community is growing, but this road has become a nightmare. We need urgent intervention so our people can move about freely and businesses can thrive.”

 

Other residents, among whom are Alhaji Aliyu, lamented the neglect of the road over the years.

 

He then used the opportunity to urge the state government to consider the consider the ro

ad.

 

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has passed away.

 

Olakulehin died at the age of 90.

 

A family source who confirmed to Channels Television noted that the monarch died in the early hours of Monday.

 

His death comes at the peak of celebrations for his 90th birthday and the first anniversary of his reign as Olubadan of Ibadan land.

He succeeded the late Oba Lekan Balogun.

 

The late Olakulehin was installed as the 43rd Olubadan on June 14, 2024, after succeeding Oba Balogun.

 

More details later

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned users of bleaching creams to desist from using products with excess hydroquinone, to safeguard their health.

 

NAFDAC Bauchi State Coordinator, Mr Hamis Yahaya, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.

 

Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent used to treat hyperpigmentation, such as melasma and age spots.

 

Yahaya said that the approved quantity of the chemical substance in cosmetics was only two per cent.

 

According to him, NAFDAC conducts checks on market products to ensure public health.

 

“The black colour provides natural protection against harmful radiation due to melanin contents.

 

“Applying creams with hydroquinone contents more than two per cent is harmful. Mixing creams by non-experts is wrong.

 

“Hydroquinone affects the health of the users gradually, including causing cancer,” he said.

 

Yahaya urged the media to create the awareness in order to stem down the use of cosmetics that would endanger the lives of consumers.