In a powerful show of unity and purpose, the Sokoto Advancement Forum (SAF) has taken bold steps to drive inclusive development across Sokoto State — placing ordinary people at the heart of its mission. At its third stakeholders’ meeting held at Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, members of the forum rolled out a strategic roadmap aimed at tackling pressing issues such as poverty, insecurity, poor healthcare, and limited access to education — especially for women and youth. Professor Mohammad Ahmad Wali, Interim Chairman of SAF, spoke with passion about the journey so far. “SAF is not just an idea anymore.…
Author: TheStories
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is renowned for his philanthropy, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the less privileged. From his childhood to his current stature, he has consistently shown empathy toward those struggling to make ends meet. As a blue-blooded prince growing up in Wamakko town, he was known to frequent nearby fields with other boys, especially during the rainy season, to pluck grasses for animal feed and sell them at the local market. The proceeds were often given to the needy in his community and among his peers. Those who grew up with him recall a deeply ingrained sense of…
A Sokoto-based heritage group has renewed its call on the Federal Government to immortalize Nigeria’s first executive president, Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, GCFR, by renaming the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in his honour — a move aligned with a 2018 pledge made by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The call was made by Professor Uthman Abdulqadir, who read a statement on behalf of Sokoto Heritage Reloaded Initiative in an open appeal addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. The group urged the President to honour the legacy of Shehu Shagari by fulfilling the promise of national remembrance earlier made…
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, on Friday, led a distinguished delegation to attend the Juma’at prayer and the wedding Fatiha of Al-Ameen Farouk and Khadija Zubairu at the Central Mosque, Minna, Niger State. The groom, Al-Ameen, is the son of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Faruk Yahaya (rtd), while the bride, Khadija, is the daughter of former Ambassador Zubairu Dada, a respected elder statesman. Senator Wamakko, a political leader and elder statesman himself, stood in as the father of the groom during the solemn Islamic rites. He was joined at the colourful event by several dignitaries including the Minister…
In the wake of Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, a powerful Hausa phrase emerged: “Guguwar Buhari” —literally Buhari’s whirlwind.It aptly captured the tidal wave of support that swept General Muhammadu Buhari and many others into power under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The whirlwind was so intense that it carried along even political unknowns—individuals with no record, reputation, or merit—simply because they stood beside Buhari, either on campaign posters or on the ballot. That year, the APC logo became a winning ticket. Voters, driven by their deep trust in Buhari, voted for any name attached to it. The…
Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Gabriel Tanimu Aduda, has called for enhanced defence collaboration between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The call came during a high-level strategic meeting held at the British Parliament’s House of Lords with Lord Jonathan Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). Ambassador Aduda, a former OPEC Governor and seasoned diplomat, led discussions centred on boosting bilateral cooperation in defence, security, and industrial development. Central to the talks was the transformation of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Nigeria’s foremost defence manufacturing institution. In his remarks, Aduda emphasized…
In a bid to promote peace and enhance security in Nigeria’s border communities, journalists and mass communication students convened in Minna, Niger State, for a one-day sensitisation programme on conflict mitigation and resolution. The event, held at the Justice Fati Lami Abubakar Institute for Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS), was organised under the Nigeria-Benin Border Communities Peace Initiative and aimed at strengthening collaboration between media practitioners and peace actors. Speaking at the event, the Niger State Media Team Lead of Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Priscilla Dennis, said the sensitisation was designed to improve understanding and response to conflict, particularly…
The Commissioner of Police in Niger State, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, has clarified that the 35 women rescued from Boko Haram enclaves are in protective custody, not detention, as speculated in some quarters. Addressing journalists in his office in Minna on Friday, CP Elleman dismissed claims that the women were being held in a detention facility with their children or that they were threatening to return to their captors in the forest. He described such rumours as false and aimed at creating unnecessary tension. “The Niger State Government has provided the Command with the necessary support to care for these…
Brazilian police on Thursday searched the residence of former President Jair Bolsonaro as part of a broader investigation into the alleged falsification of his COVID-19 vaccination records. The country’s top electoral court also ordered Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and banned him from leaving the country. The Federal Police confirmed the raid was linked to a probe involving tampered vaccination documents that may have been used to enable international travel during the pandemic. Bolsonaro, a prominent COVID-19 vaccine skeptic, had repeatedly claimed he was never vaccinated, raising questions about how he was able to travel to countries that…
The Commissioner of Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad Zayyana, has expressed appreciation to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), development partners, and participants at the close of a five-day capacity-building training on result-based management, data analysis, and report writing. THESTORIES reports that Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is vital to promoting transparency and good governance as it provides a structured framework for tracking the performance, effectiveness, and accountability of government policies, programs, and resource use. By systematically collecting and analyzing data, M&E helps identify gaps, inefficiencies, and corruption, ensuring that public officials are held accountable…