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  • Remember when we told you the Citizen Townhall wanted to help you lend your voice to the state of affairs in Nigeria? The event finally happened; all the cool people came through, and it was everything we thought it’d be. If your FOMO caught up with you, this full recount of everything that happened at the town hall will fill you in.

    About the Citizen Townhall

    First of all, the Citizen Townhall 2025 was a hybrid event held on February 25 in Abuja. It was organised by Zikoko Citizen in partnership with Luminate to serve as a platform to bring together stakeholders to discuss the crucial role that young people play in Nigeria’s democracy and development.

    This year, for its first edition ever, the town hall featured industry experts, changemakers, and, of course, young Nigerians who brainstormed ideas for improving youth involvement in politics and governance. It also featured the launch of a data-driven report on youth insights.

    A welcome address and an interactive session

    The event started with a welcome address by Tomiwa Aladekomo, the CEO of Big Cabal Media (BCM), Zikoko Citizen’s parent company, emphasising the role that Zikoko Citizen has played in keeping young Nigerians informed and aware, the importance and potential of the event’s outcome, the report.

    The welcome address was followed by a pretty interactive discussion among the attendees– you just had to be there.

    The spice in the conversation first came in through a statement made by an attendee from the Advocate for Human Rights and Development, who said he believes the Nigerian youth are docile and not interested in politics. Chukwudi Ozalla, from the Advocacy for Change Initiative, agreed with him, while another attendee, Mathew Dennis, argued that this was kind of untrue as he believes Nigerian youths are not given the opportunity to participate in leadership.

    This was followed by strong opinions from Abdullahi Faruk of Activista, who pointed out that young Nigerians are active and interested and have shown this in various ways, including the EndSars protests and EndBadGovernance protests, both of which have shown the governments’ intolerance to constructive criticism and complaints. If you think it stopped there, you’re wrong– other attendees gave strong opinions on the factors that have blocked young people from participating in governance. You should probably watch the full conversation here.

    A keynote address

    The conversation was followed by a keynote speech by Toyin Akinniyi, the Vice President of Luminate, Africa. Her speech touched on various areas such as the efforts of young people (in Nigeria and Africa) to contribute to good governance and development. She pointed out that a bulk of these activities take place in online spaces and that it is important to figure out how to make those spaces safe for them as “erosion of rights to free expression online, online harassment, weak data protection threaten their ability to participate fully and safely.”

    Akinniyi’s speech also emphasised the importance and timeliness of the Citizen Report. “It provides us with an opportunity to redefine youth engagement in governance, particularly in a digital era where technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are redefining civic participation,” she said.

    A second interactive session

    Akinniyi’s keynote address was followed by another interactive conversation which dwelled on one of the things she addressed in her speech– the use of social media by young people as spaces for discussions involving democratic change as well as the threat that misinformation poses a threat to civic engagement among the youth. This interactive session was just as engaging as the first, with several attendees sharing their diverse opinions on key issues raised both by the host and fellow attendees.

    Panel one–  Youth as Catalysts for Democratic Change.

    The discussions gave way for the first panel of the day titled Youth as Catalysts for Democratic Change. The panel was hosted by Osaruonamen Ibizugbe, Project Officer, Media in Gender, at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). It was made up of three panellists– Busola Ajibola, Deputy Director of the CJID; Chioma Iruke, a FactChecker at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa, and Mahmud Jafar, a Senior Analyst at Gatefield.

    The panel discussed a number of issues, such as the impacts of the Not Too Young To Run bill in giving youths the opportunity to effect change through politics and the role of traditional and religious leaders in influencing civic change among young people, among others. Some of the panel’s resolutions are that:

    • There’s a need to educate young people about the direct impacts of their participation towards the wellbeing of the country’s democaracy and development.
    • Young people at low levels must be trained on how to actively engage the government and how to drive change.
    • Town halls should be organised in rural areas to engage young people on the importance of civic engagement as a tool for change.

    Panel Two– The Role of The Media In Amplifying Youth Voices.

    The next panel to follow was the second panel titled The Role of The Media In Amplifying Youth Voices. The panel was hosted by Chigozie Victor, Senior Editor at Zikoko Citizen. It was made up of three other panellists– Rotimi Olawale, Executive Director at YouthHubAfrica, Samad Uthman, Digital Investigative Journalist at AFP, and Ope Adetayo, Nigeria Correspondent at Reuters.

    The panel examined various issues like the representation of the youth in the media and how it impacts their participation in politics and the role of the media in curtailing misinformation among others. Some of the panel’s resolutions were that:

    • There’s a need for positive representation of the youth in the media
    • There’s a need to tell both good and bad stories about young people equally
    • The media has a role in clamping down on the misinformation that discourages young people from participating in Politics.

    The panel was followed by a tea break and an interactive conversation among attendees and speakers about the discussions and issues raised in the first and second panels.

    Report presentation and an interactive session

    The Citizen Report is a data-based insight into how young Nigerians are affected by misinformation and digital threats, how they are trying to navigate it as well as what the government and other stakeholders can do better.

    The presentation of the report was done by  Anita Eboigbe, the Chief Operating Officer of Big Cabal Media. While pointing out some of the key findings of the report, Eboigbe pointed out the need for the media, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to use this information to make the digital space safe and conducive both as a place for Nigerian youths to interact with each other, find information, and drive democratic change.

    The presentation was followed by an interactive discussion among the attendees about the findings of the report, particularly on the low level of trust in traditional media.

    Third panel– Best Practices for Co-Creating Initiatives With and For Young People

    The last panel, titled Best Practices for Co Creating Initiatives With and For Young People. This panel was hosted by Zubaida Baba Ibrahim, Sub-Editor at Nigeria Health Watch, and it was made up of two other panellists– Amina Salaudeen, Women’s Rights & Safety Officer at TechHer, and Titilope Fadare, Assistant Production Editor at Science Development Network, Sub-Saharan Africa (English).

    The panel examined various issues, like the need to hear from young people before developing projects and initiatives directed at them and the challenges and flaws in programs directed at young people among others. Some of the panel’s conclusions include:

    • The need to hear from young people before creating programs and initiatives for them.
    • The need to create programs that impact as many young Nigerians as possible rather doing creating surface level initiatives that have little to no impacts on them.
    • The need to encourage the implementation of initiatives among young people by giving them a sense of ownership in the programs created for them.

    The final panel was followed by a vote of thanks by Anita Eboigbe to mark end of the event. While thanking the participants and Zikoko Citizen’s partners, Luminate, Eboigbe pointed out the need for the conversations had at the townhall to go beyond the venue, as well as the need for the findings of the Citizen Report to serve as directives for stakeholders who make decisions that impact young Nigerians. She also emphasised Zikoko Citizen’s commitment to holding more events that advocate for young people in Nigeria.

    “We want to develop this (the Citizen Townhall and The Citizen Report) and continue to create a space for us to have data and for us to gather the ecosystem together to do the things that really matter. We want to do this as people who have understood and continue to try to understand young people,” she said.

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  • It’s about to be a hell of a day for patients at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan because their doctors have decided to stand on their ten toes against the horrible condition they’ve had to live in for months.

    What’s going on?

    On Monday, February 17, members of the Association of Resident Doctors at UCH Ibadan officially embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the electricity blackout in some parts of the hospital. This story actually goes way back; stay with me.

    How it started

    UCH owed the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) so much money (₦3.1 billion to be exact), and the electricity company had been patient with them since 2019 when the bill started piling up. But on October 26, 2024, they decided they had enough and cut off the hospital’s power supply over an outstanding ₦400 million debt, part of its accumulated bill.

    102 days of darkness

    For 102 days, the entire teaching hospital was in absolute darkness. Both doctors, patients, and students in the hospital were deeply frustrated by this, and they spoke out several times. The first was through a protest held in November 2024 by relatives of the hospital’s patients; “We are tired of our loved ones suffering; patients are dying because they cannot receive the medical tests needed for treatment,” one of the protesters said at the time.

    Nothing was done about the complaints raised in the November protest, so months later, medical students schooling in the teaching hospital protested on January 25, 2025, in State and Federal Secretariats about the same issue, yet nothing was done. On February 10, they organised a second protest at the office of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD). Power was restored to the hospital two days later, except it didn’t get to the doctors’ quarters.

    The last straw

    It was one thing when the entire hospital did not have light, and it was a different level of frustration seeing that the main hospital had been disconnected while residential parts of the hospital remained in darkness. The resident doctors at UCH weren’t having it, so on Friday, February 14, they held an emergency meeting, and issued an ultimatum after, saying they’d go on an indefinite strike if power was not restored to the residential areas of the hospital, latest, 4 pm on Monday, February 17.

    The doctors were not shitting around because after they saw that their warnings were ignored, they embarked on the strike just like they said they would and at the time they specified.

    Why does this matter?

    It’s a no-brainer— the doctors at UCH have endured horrible working conditions and deserve better. Additionally, the absence of doctors has automatically put the lives of patients at risk, but the authorities who should solve both problems are not doing anything about it.

    It’s even crazier because UCH is not the only Nigerian hospital that has had to deal with poor electricity supply. The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) have had this issue in the past, and so have Primary Healthcare Centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), AKA, where the President lives.

    While the primary concern in these situations is usually the well-being of the patients, the medical professionals suffer, too. It’s not just poor power supply; they also have to endure other terrible things like late and sometimes non-payment of salaries. The situation is so bad that  16,000 doctors have left Nigeria in five years. It got even worse because, in 2024 alone, a whopping 15,000 doctors left the country.

    As of March 2024, there were only 55,000 licensed doctors in Nigeria. Lagos and Abuja alone had a huge chunk of the doctor population (12,300), leaving the rest of the country with 42,700.

    With the crazy number of doctors’ exodus recorded in 2024, Nigeria might be in big soup because even more doctors might leave, as nothing much has changed. This possible reduction in the doctor population will leave Nigeria open to massive casualties in the event of a disease outbreak. With big donors like the United States taking a step back in foreign aid, there is no better time for the government to sit up than now.

    What can you do to change things?

    Part of the oversight functions of the National Assembly is to summon government officials and ministries for questioning over poor performance and other similar issues. The medical sector is long overdue for serious intervention, but since that has not happened yet, you can pressure the National Assembly into taking action by doing the following:

    • Reach out to the lawmaker representing your constituency and tell them what you want. You can find their contact details here.

    • Consistently talk about it on social media through the use of hashtags. Start a digital campaign by creating a petition for a state of emergency or urgent intervention in Nigeria’s healthcare system. You can create your petition on platforms like this.

    • Start a digital campaign by creating a petition for a state of emergency or urgent intervention in Nigeria’s healthcare system. You can create your petition on platforms like this.
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  • Think you’re up to date with Nigeria’s current affairs? From political leaders and historical moments to key decisions shaping the country, this 15-question quiz will test how well you know Nigeria’s political landscape.

    Let’s see how well you really know Nigeria’s current affairs!

    do you know your current affairs?

    Who is the current Vice President of Nigeria?

    If you’re feeling confident, you can try the second edition of our Nigeria’s current affairs quiz here.

  • I hate to be the bearer of this bad news, but the dreaded day is here— MTN Nigeria has increased the prices of its internet data plans, and the new prices are not funny.

    Where’s this increase coming from?

    This increase is happening because the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% tariff hike on January 20, but it also goes way back.

    In 2024, telecom operators asked the NCC to allow it to increase the tariff as it had not done so in 11 years, but the government denied this request. The discussion only became serious in January 2025, when telcos threatened to suspend their services in some parts of the country, explaining that a tariff increase was the only way forward as the telecommunication industry was at risk of collapsing without it. After an initial 100% increase in demand, the NCC met them halfway and approved a 50% increase. 

    What are MTN’s new data prices?

    • 1.8GB monthly plan formerly ₦1,000 now costs ₦1,500
    • 15GB plan formerly ₦4,500 now costs ₦6,500 
    • 90-day 1.5TB plan formerly ₦150,000   now costs ₦240,000
    • 600GB 90-day plan formerly ₦75,000 now costs  ₦120,000 
    •  20GB plan formerly ₦5,500 now costs ₦7,500

    Does the 50% hike affect all MTN services?

    No, it doesn’t. Some prices have remained the same while others have changed. An MTN executive who spoke to Tech Cabal on anonymity said the telecom company is not effecting a “50% increase on every plan, but rather an across-the-board adjustment,” in order to ensure they keep the grassroots connected.

    How about other network providers?

    Except for SWIFT Networks, which have also increased its prices by 50%, other network providers like Globacom, Airtel, and Etisalat are yet to effect the increase on their end. However, they have all begun charging ₦6 for text messages, as against the former price of ₦4.

    The old prices of telecommunication services include calls at ₦11 per minute, SMS at ₦4, and 1GB data bundle at ₦287.50.

    This is a developing story…

    If you want to follow the tariff hike story way back to when it began, you should read this article read this next: Here’s Why the NLC Wants You to Reject the New 50% Hike on Calls and Data Subscriptions

  • Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the I Said What I Said (ISWIS) podcast, a curious newcomer or someone who’s never even heard of it (seriously, where have you been?), this list is for you.

    Hosted by best friends, Feyikemi “FK” Abudu and Jola Ayeye, ISWIS delivers raw and hilarious conversations about friendship, love, money and everything in between. With their signature brand of humour and honesty, a typical ISWIS episode finds FK and Jola breaking down life’s highs and lows — usually joined by special guests with fresh perspectives. The show also features their beloved “Agony Aunt” segment, where they tackle listener-submitted dilemmas with wisdom and chaos.

    After a long, long break, the podcast is finally back for season seven, and there’s no better time to dive in. So whether you’re a longtime listener or looking for the perfect starting point, here are the 10 best I Said What I Said episodes that capture the magic of the show. 

    10. The “I Love This Game” episode (with Patrice Evra)

    Securing the final spot on my list was not easy — there were so many standout episodes to choose from. But in the end, this one edged out the competition. And if you know Patrice Evra, you’ll understand why.

    Since his retirement from football, Patrice Evra has been about positivity, kindness, fun, and an enviable renewed passion for life. In this episode of the pod, he brought that fun energy with him, connected with the girls, talked about the game of football (of course), and answered questions sent in by fans of the show. You’ll love it.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    9. The “Just Keep Calling” episode (with Falz TheBahdGuy)

    The fact that this episode lands at number 9 — even with Falz dropping gems — just shows how stacked this list is.

    The first thing I loved about this episode? Obviously, Falz! The second? The conversation covered everything — from the economy to marriage, masturbation, parental expectations, and even holding lawmakers accountable. It was engaging, insightful and just very funny.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    8. The “Bad Bitch on Vibes” episode (with Ashley Okoli)

    What I expected to love about this episode was the fact that it featured badass fashion girlie, Ashley Okoli, talking about her rise as a DIY fashionista. 

    What ended up winning me over was her raw, honest conversation about being the first daughter of a mother who was married off at 18 and her mother’s journey to liberation. Honestly, ranking it at number eight almost feels like a betrayal.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    7. The “All for Mama” episode (with Soji)

    This episode sits proudly at my number seven spot because it was an instant favourite, and for good reason. Soji, a name FK and Jola drop in almost every episode, finally came on, and it was lovely to put a voice to all the fun stories.

    I know my reason smells like nepotism, but Soji brought his A game — he turned out to be even more fun than the hosts had always described. During the show, he vibed and joked with the girls, talked about the uniqueness of his career as a wedding hypeman and chipped in on the dilemmas of the day. I definitely see why the hosts like him, and I’d vote for him as a returning guest.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    6. The “Papa Lolo” episode (with Chigul)

    If there’s one thing this episode guarantees, it’s nonstop laughter and pure entertainment from start to finish. And honestly, that’s no surprise when the guest is none other than comedian and actress, Chigul.

    They started off by recounting the events of a mutual friend’s wedding (Youtuber Dimma Umeh), which they all attended. Then Chigul hilariously chatted about evil Lagos landlords, terrible house agents, her dating life, and her desire for an older romantic partner (Papa Lolo). The dilemmas in this episode were also spicy, and Chigul’s takes were fire.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    5. The “Agony Aunt” episode (with Taymesan)

    I can’t decide if my favourite thing about my number five pick was the listener who genuinely feared she might be a witch, or Taymesan’s iconic response: “Are we not all witches?”

    This Agony Aunt episode featuring actor and fellow podcaster, Taymesan was pure gold. From the wild, hilarious dilemmas sent in by listeners to his sharp, witty responses delivered in delightful Warri-Pidgin, every moment was a treat. Honestly, ask me in a couple of weeks, and I might have moved this episode into my top 3.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    4. The “Gbegborun Mid-Year review” (part 2 with Harmony Adenipekun)

    First of all, this episode only exists because the featured guest, Lawyer/luxury event planner Harmony Adenipekun and the hosts had so much fun talking that the original episode had to be split in two. And I’m so glad it was.

    Part two of the Gbegborun mid-year review was just as fun as the first.  They had a refreshingly honest conversation about their religious beliefs and their personal journeys with God.

    They also talked about other aspects of their lives, and in the usual Jola and FK fashion, the conversation was effortlessly entertaining.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    3. The ‘Gbegborun mid-year review’ (part 1 with Harmony Adenipekun)

    FK and Jola are typically in sync with their guests, but their chemistry with Harmony Adenipekun was literally harmonious (pun very much intended). 

    As a mid-year review of their lives, the conversation covered everything — from the serere around Lagos’ big weddings to the craziest dilemmas sent in by the listeners. And speaking of dilemmas, the most unhinged one? A dude who went through insane hurdles to secretly join his girlfriend’s all-female WhatsApp group chat. 

    The episode was so good, it had me digging through the archives for other episodes featuring Harmony. The chemistry was that great.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    2. The ‘Awaken the Tiger in You’ episode (with Tobi)

    Whoever came up with the phrase “the truth is madder than fiction” must have had this guest in mind.

    This episode marks the return of Tobi, a fan-favourite guest from a previous episode titled Fuji House of Commotion — which, trust me, is better than any Real Housewives franchise you’ve ever watched. 

    Tobi’s original story was so wild that listeners demanded FK and Jola bring him back. And in this sequel, he delivers again, narrating how his life took an even crazier turn after the death of his polygamous father. From moving in with his rich uncle to dealing with his wicked, stingy wife, Tobi’s life played out like a Nollywood drama. 

    This episode is so good that even the hosts consider it an all-time favourite.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    1. The ‘Fuji House of Commotion’ episode (with Tobi)

    I honestly can’t think of a more deserving episode for my number one spot. It’s so good that I have replayed it multiple times. 

    The Fuji House of Commotion episode is about the drama surrounding the childhood and upbringing of the show’s guest, Tobi, who was born into polygamy.

    I first listened to part two (because I was binging in reverse order), and it was so insane that I wondered if part one would live up to it. From the moment Tobi revealed that his father announced he was taking a second wife on the eve of his naming ceremony, I was hooked.

    And that was just the beginning. The second wife? A salesgirl from a beer parlour his dad chills at. Oh, and she was pregnant at the same time Tobi was conceived. His dad even registered both women at the same maternity and had the owner swear never to tell them. And somehow, this isn’t even in the top seven wildest moments of the episode. 

    If you’re a newcomer to the pod, I recommend you start with this episode. Expect drama, chaos, and laughter — and then expect even more.

    Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    ALSO READ: The 10 Best Nigerian Podcasts To Get Into

  • Wake up, kids! The government of the United States (US) has dropped what might be the most soothing update of the month. Days after the news of the PEPFAR fund freeze shook the global health community, the US Department of State has announced an emergency humanitarian waiver that will exempt Nigeria and some other countries from the 90-day  halt.

    The announcement, which was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,  on Wednesday, January 29, has been described as a welcome development by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). It also called on US President, Donald Trump to “prioritize the U.S. Government’s leadership in the global HIV response to achieve the shared goal of ending AIDS.”

    Some context

    Started by former US President George Bush in 2003, The  President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a humanitarian effort of the US government towards the control of HIV/AIDS.

    PEPFAR has saved an estimated 26 million lives since 2003, and with its generous $6.5 billion annual budget, it currently provides aid for 20.6 million people. However, on January 26, those lives were put at risk when Trump signed an executive order suspending US foreign aid (for 90 days), which translated to an automatic freeze on PEPFAR. News of the development caused unanimous chaos in Nigeria and other countries where the program provides funding.

    What does the humanitarian waiver really mean?

    The issuance of the waiver means that PEPFAR can now resume the distribution of HIV medication, but other specifics surrounding the waiver are still unclear. UK-based health news service Medical Xpress reports that “the freeze on other services, including the distribution of preventive drugs, is still thought to be in place.” The New York Times also points out that the nature of the waiver is unclear, adding that PEPFAR’s future remains “in jeopardy” as the waiver might be temporary.

    All clear for Nigeria?

    Ideally, everyone should be throwing a party now that the funding freeze has been lifted, but the unclear nature of the waiver and the uncertainty surrounding PEPFAR’s future make that impossible.

    For Nigeria, where PEPFAR shoulders 90 per cent of the HIV treatment burden and international donors are directly responsible for 96 per cent of the country’s HIV programs, the recent PEPFAR halt is an abrupt wake-up call, as a permanent freeze could painfully mean one thing— the endangerment of the 1.9 million people living with the virus in Nigeria.

    Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has also expressed similar concerns. Following the news of the waiver on PEPFAR funding, the agency thanked the US government while noting that the coast was still far from clear.

    “The Nigerian government appreciates the U.S. government waiver and is mindful of the potential change to foreign aid in the near future under the new administration,” Temitope Ilori, director-general of NACA, said.

    “The Nigerian government would intensify domestic resource mobilization strategies towards ownership and sustainability of the HIV response in the country with a view to reducing the risks of donor aid policy shifts to the HIV response while ensuring that the country’s strategic goals and targets in the fight against HIV are achieved,” she continued.

    While the reflection of the NACA DG sounds nice, a potential PEPFAR funding cut is not the only thing the Nigerian government has to wake up to; it also has to come to terms with the possibility of facing Nigeria’s malaria problem on its own as the  US Agency for International Development (USAID) also provides funding for elimination of Malaria in Nigeria, which accounts for the highest number of malaria cases in the world.

    News is boring, but we make it fun. Subscribe to The Big Daily to be the first to know the day’s biggest news

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  • Boys and girls, I know the phrase I’m about to say is almost as extinct as the dinosaurs, but I come bearing good news from the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria.

    What’s going on?

    On Thursday, January 30, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the launch of the DeepTech_Ready Upskilling program, an initiative of his ministry aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with foundational and advanced tech skills that’ll make them competent professionals in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science.

    The program lasts six months and is hybrid— self-paced online (with online support) and on-site.

    Will I have to pay to partake in the DeepTech_Ready program?

    No, just like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, this program is free.

    What courses will I learn?

    The DeepTech_Ready Upskilling program promises to take applicants on the following specialities:

    • Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization
    • Data Science/Machine Learning
    • Data Architecture
    • Geospatial Data Science
    • Computer Vision
    • Natural Language Processing
    • Advanced Machine Learning Techniques

    Am I eligible for the program?

    According to the website, the DeepTech_Ready Upskilling program is “open to 3MTT Fellows and individuals with basic to intermediate knowledge in relevant technical fields.”

    How can I apply?

    The application process is pretty straightforward— You will have to click on the website to get started. Once on the website, you will immediately see the “Apply” button which leads you to the “Sign Up” page, where you see the option to apply either as a fellow (learner) or an Applied Learning Cluster (organisation).

    The required data for registration varies for each option; while the fellows/learners are only required to input their National Identification Number (NIN) and email address, Applied Learning Clusters/Organisations are required to provide the following: Organisation name, Point Of Contact’s details  (name, email, and phone number), Organisation Type, state of the training centre, and Local government.

    Aiming to reach 20,000, the DeepTech_Ready Upskilling program is facilitated by Data Science Nigeria and powered by Google as part of its ₦2.8 billion grant to upskill Nigerian youths with advanced technical skills in Data Science and AI.

    The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, also notes that the initiative is part of his ministry’s broader goal to strengthen “the 3MTT initiative of the Nigerian government.

    News is boring, but we make it fun. Subscribe to The Big Daily to be the first to know the day’s biggest new

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  • Wake up, kids! There’s a new update from your faves, and it is sizzling—the tea is that lawmakers want to make voting binding by law, and they’re floating a bill to make it happen.

    The piece of legislature is titled “Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make it mandatory for all Nigerians of majority age to vote in all national and state elections and for related matters” and is being sponsored by the House speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

    Just as its name suggests, this bill wants to make it compulsory for every Nigerian citizen of legal age to vote in all elections, with the punishment being a ₦100,000 fine 6-month jail term, or both.

    What does this mean?

    The lawmakers will be tweaking four sections of the Electoral Act to effect this change and they include section 9 (which addresses the registration of voters and the responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC regarding the maintenance of the voter register), section 10 (which lists the eligibility criteria for voter registration and recommended procedure for transferring a voter’s registration between locations), section 12 (which outlines the condition for a person to be deemed unqualified for voter registration), and section 47 (which addresses the accreditation of voters and the use of smart card readers or other technologies for voter verification).

    The details of the amendment are not fully out yet, but at the moment, we know they want the amended version of section 47(4a) of the Electoral Act to read as follows:

    “It shall be mandatory for all registered voters who have attained the majority age of 18 and above to vote in all national and state elections;

    “(b) A person who has attained the Majority Age of 18 years who refuses to perform his civic duty to vote commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not more than N100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than six months.”

    How would this work?

    Once amended, the new law will require INEC to compile and maintain a voter register comprising the names of Nigerians of legal voting age (18 years and above) for continuous voter registration.

    Why are they proposing this bill?

    I have two words for you— voter apathy. Lawmakers say there is massive voter apathy in Nigeria, and they’re sick of it, primarily because it is bad for the democracy of the country.

    “The percentage of Registered Voters that present themselves for actual voting is abysmally low and requires parliamentary attention.”

    “For instance, according to INEC, a total of 94.4 million registered to vote in the 2023 general election, 87.2 million collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) while only 25 million persons participated in the February 25, 2023, presidential election,” the bill’s explanatory memorandum read.

    What can I do?

    Your next course of action depends on how you feel, but whether you agree with the measures proposed by the lawmakers or not, you can take either of the following actions:

    • Bills go through various stages before they become law. Track the progress of this bill to the Public Hearing stage so that you can directly tell the reps how you feel.
    • Engage in advocacy campaigns on social media by creating hashtags, posting consistently with the hashtags, and tagging concerned authorities.
    • Pressure your lawmakers to vote for or against the bill through phone calls, social media posts, written petitions, or emails. Click here to find the contact details of the lawmakers representing your constituency in the House of Representatives.
    • Organise or participate in peaceful protests to raise awareness about the bill among the general public; chances are that most people are not aware of its existence.
    • Create and share online petitions for or against the bill. The idea is to gather enough signatures to indicate that many citizens are in support or against the bill. You can create your petition on this platform.

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  • Photo credit: Daily Post Nigeria

    One of the things that the newly elected US president, Donald Trump, does not joke about is immigration laws, and he makes this clear to anyone who cares to listen. He was vocal and proactive about this in his first stint as US President, and it is no different this time around, as his hammer will be coming down on 1.4 million immigrants, 3690 of which are Nigerians.

    In a document titled “Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship,” US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) listed in detail the nationalities of illegal immigrants who will be deported from the country.

    The country with the highest number of illegal immigrants is the US’ neighbour, Mexico, with 252,044, followed by the Central American country Nicaragua, with 45,955. On the African front, Somalia leads with 4,090, followed by Nigeria with  3,690 and Ghana in third place with  3,228 illegal immigrants.

    When will Nigerians and other Africans be deported?

    Just eight days into Trump’s inauguration into office on January 20, the US immigration agency ICE has arrested about 3552 illegal immigrants, with many of them sent back to their home countries in US military planes.

    While the focus in the past week has been on Latin American countries like Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, there are speculations that illegal immigrants of African origin will be next.

    In any case, it is expected that the removal of illegal immigrants will be fast and thorough, as one of Trump’s campaign promises is to carry out the biggest deportation sweep in the history of the United States. The intensity of this crackdown is perhaps best seen in his decision to give federal agencies in the country the power to detain illegal immigrants.

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  • You likely know Omoyele Sowore as either of these: a former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), the owner of the news platform Sahara Reporters,  or as a rights activist who lives by the beloved Nigerian slogan “no gree for anybody.” He is currently in a tussle with the Nigerian Police because of the third one.

    What’s happening?

    On Monday, January 27, the Nigeria Police detained Sowore at the Abbatoir Police station in the Guzape area of Abuja.

    Sowore’s criticisms

    On Thursday, January 9, Sowore posted a video on X, which showed him questioning a couple of Police operatives in Lagos State over what he described as an attempt to extort him. “Operation Resist @PoliceNG extortion on Nigerian highways! #RevolutionNow,” he captioned the video, which soon went viral on the social media platform.

    Before then, he also openly criticised the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, in December 2024 for “ruining the Nigerian Police.” Sowore alleged that Egbetokun’s legacy as Police head is marked by  “police abuse, corruption, police baiting (using innocent relatives abducted at gunpoint to trap suspects), police illegal use of wiretapping, torture, bribery, extortion,” and more.

    Sowore has also accused Egbetokun of overstaying his legally allowed tenure as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police.

    Police invitation

    Two weeks after his January 9 viral video on X, the police sent a letter to Sowore on Thursday, January 23, inviting him to the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja for questioning over “Resisting and Obstructing Public Officers, Disobedience to Lawful Order, Acts Intended to Cause Grievous Harm or Prevent Arrest, Compelling Action by Intimidation, Reckless & Negligent Acts, Refusal to Assist Public Servant and Cyberstalking.”

    Following the police’s instructions, Sowore honoured the invitation on Monday, January 27, and was detained. His bail conditions were set at no cost except for submitting his international passport and providing a level 17 civil servant as his guarantor. Sowore rejected the bail conditions, saying they were illegal. “I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity,” he said in a social media post.

    Popular Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, who is Sowore’s lawyer, confirmed the bail conditions were illegal “such bail condition has been declared illegal by the Court of Appeal in the case of Dasuki V. Director-General of SSS,” Falana said, in a letter addressed to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in charge of the FID.

    Speaking to journalists on Monday, one of Sowore’s lawyers, Deji Adeyanju, also said that the bail conditions were illegal, adding that the Police were only holding the activist because he has consistently called out the IGP . “Sowore has been vocal in criticising the IGP for staying in office beyond the prescribed term. He said the IGP is an illegal IGP,” Adeyanju said.

    What’s the update?

    On Tuesday, January 28, a lawyer from Falana and Falana chambers told Premium Times newspaper that the Police plan to transfer Sowore to Lagos as it is the protocol to charge a defendant in the State where their alleged offence was committed. In Sowore’s case, it is Lagos State where he made the video, which led to his arrest.

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