By Abubakar Mohammed ,Dutse

The Jigawa State Government and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) are collaborating on the preparation of a proposed US$110 million education project designed to improve school infrastructure, strengthen teacher capacity, and create a more conducive learning environment in Jigawa State and two other participating states.

The proposed intervention, tagged the SMART Project, was revealed Friday when Governor Umar Namadi received an IsDB delegation led by Mr. Imtiaz Alam, Operations Team Leader for Social Infrastructure at the Bank,during a courtesy visit to Government House, Dutse.

The delegation, which was accompanied by the staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, was in Jigawa as part of a preparation mission to engage the state government, understand its education priorities, and gather relevant information for the development of the project proposal.

Delivering his remarks, Mr. Imtiaz Alam said the project would support the construction of new schools, rehabilitation of existing facilities, and provision of water and sanitation infrastructure. It would also include teacher training, capacity building, and interventions to improve the teaching and learning environment.

He stated that the purpose of the mission was to consult the participating states, document their priorities, and incorporate their needs into a comprehensive project document for submission to the IsDB Board of Executive Directors for consideration and approval.

Mr. Alam said the participating states were selected following an assessment of their readiness, responsiveness to the process, submitted concept notes, and the feasibility of their proposals, adding that indicators such as teacher-to-student ratios and the number of schools were also considered in the selection process.

On the financing arrangement, he explained that the proposed project would involve a combination of IsDB development financing and grant support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), while the bank was also exploring opportunities to mobilize additional resources from other development partners.

Governor Namadi described the engagement as an important opportunity to strengthen the state’s ongoing efforts to address challenges in the education sector.

He said that the state approached the Islamic Development Bank because of its capacity not only to support development initiatives but also to mobilize other development partners and donors to contribute to priority interventions.

He noted that, while pursuing the proposed partnership, the state government had continued to implement measures aimed at improving school enrollment, retention, and learning outcomes.

Among these interventions is the establishment of the Tsangaya Education Board and the strengthening of Tsangaya schools, including their integrated and model categories, saying that the measures had contributed to the state’s efforts to address the challenge of out-of-school children.

He also highlighted a deliberate government policy requiring political appointees to mobilize and return a specified number of out-of-school children from their respective communities to the classroom, stating that the initiative is yielding positive results.

The governor also disclosed that the state government had recruited more than 10,000 teachers at the basic education level to ensure adequate staffing in schools and strengthen supervision, monitoring, and evaluation.

He said the proposed IsDB-supported project would complement these existing interventions by providing the additional resources required to improve school infrastructure, strengthen teacher development, and raise the quality of education.

“Our objective is to improve learning outcomes and ensure that our students can compete favorably wherever they find themselves,” he said.

Governor Namadi expressed confidence that the proposed intervention, when approved and implemented, would enable the state to expand its education initiatives and achieve greater progress in addressing existing challenges.

By David Owei

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday, inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 State Campaign Council, with Chief Robert Enogha Ayalla appointed as the Director-General and Chief Timi Alaibe, Chairman of the Campaign Advisory Council.

The council, comprising party leaders and stakeholders across the state, will coordinate campaigns for President Bola Tinubu, National Assembly and House of Assembly candidates of the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.

Announcing the appointments at the inauguration ceremony held at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa, the APC State Chairman, Hon. Warman Ogoriba, said individuals with the capacity and experience to deliver victory at the polls were carefully selected.

Ogoriba described the campaign team as formidable, expressing confidence in its ability to secure electoral success.

He said: “Every person picked as a member of this campaign council was carefully scrutinised. I want to tell you that our campaign team is loaded. We parade the best candidates among all the parties in Bayelsa State, and there is no doubt about that.”

The APC chairman urged members to remain focused and united, warning that the opposition would seek to exploit any division within the party.

“Our unity is very important because they would want to feast on our disunity. We will not give them that opportunity. Please, as you carry out this assignment, do not take your eyes off the target,” he charged.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, was named deputy coordinator, while Governor Diri will coordinate the presidential campaign in the state and also serve in an advisory capacity on the state campaign council.

Others include Ogoriba, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who will serve as Coordinators One, Two and Three respectively.

Immediate past state chairman of the party, Dr. Dennis Otiotio, was appointed secretary, with Japan Odoji, Irorodamie Komonibo and High Chief Osomkime Blankson as Assistant Secretaries One, Two and Three.

Other appointments included Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere as Deputy Director-General, Organising and Programme; Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, Operations; Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou, Media and Publicity; and High Chief Collins Cocodia, Welfare and Entertainment.

Former Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, will serve as Deputy Director-General (West); Chief David Lyon (Central); and Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd) (East).

Gesiye Isowo was appointed Deputy Director-General for NGOs and Support Groups; Reuben Wilson, Special Contact while Dr. Ayakeme Whiskey will oversee Research and Documentation.

In his acceptance speech, Chief Ayalla expressed appreciation to Governor Diri and the party leadership for the confidence reposed in him, assuring that the campaign team would work collectively to secure victory.

He said the calibre and experience of members of the council, coupled with the support of party leaders, provided a strong foundation for the task ahead.

“I want to sincerely thank Your Excellency, the party chairman and everyone who made this possible. One thing that excites me is the capacity and capability of members of my team. There is nobody who can claim to be a champion in a political battle when you are not properly backed,” he said.

The campaign DG assured the governor that the council would not disappoint, promising to concentrate on results rather than unnecessary political rhetoric.

“I want to assure you that I and my team will not let you down. We will not make noise, but we will lift you high. We will deliver,” he stated.

In his charge to the council, Governor Diri urged members to make reconciliation, unity and the collective success of the APC their priorities, stressing that the campaign team’s assignment covered the party’s candidates in all the elections and not just the presidential.

The governor said the APC was prepared to welcome politicians from other parties but that such alliances must be built on mutual respect and good faith.

“We are ready to accept those who want to join us, but let nobody go out there and say that without them we cannot win. Let nobody give the impression that we in Bayelsa cannot work together as a party and deliver Mr President and all our other candidates,” he said.

Diri maintained that the APC would not surrender its positions to the opposition, declaring that the party will remain at the top and was prepared to negotiate from a position of strength.

He also directed that two Deputy Directors-General positions be reserved for women to ensure adequate representation, noting that the composition of the council could still be reviewed as the campaign progressed.

“Women are very important, and they cannot be left out. We cannot throw women under the bus. As we go forward, some changes will be made.”

The governor called on party members, including those not appointed into the campaign council, to support its activities by taking the APC’s message to communities, wards and polling units across the state.

He specifically charged members to mobilise support for President Tinubu and all APC candidates, describing the party’s electoral ambition as a comprehensive effort from the presidential to the state constituency level.

Setting a target of at least one million votes for President Tinubu in Bayelsa, the governor said the state’s voting strength had increased significantly and should be reflected in the outcome of the 2027 elections.

“I give you a target that in Bayelsa, we must not bring less than one million votes for Mr President. You are going to campaign, and you have a lot to talk about the President. He has done so much for our people,” he said.

He cited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, interventions in the power sector, federal appointments for Bayelsa indigenes and the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as achievements the campaign should communicate to voters.

He particularly commended President Tinubu for recognising the development needs of coastal communities, noting that the coastal highway project was an initiative no previous Nigerian president had undertaken.

“No president, alive or dead, has remembered the coastal people and coastal states to say let us do this signature project from Lagos to Calabar. The first president to think about it is Bola Tinubu, and those were the demands of the Ijaw people,” he contended.

Diri also expressed optimism that a second term for the president would advance the quest for fiscal federalism, greater resource control and state policing, which he described as important aspirations of the Niger Delta people.

He said the President had shown early signs of addressing some of the demands of the younger generation, adding that his re-election would provide an opportunity to consolidate on the ongoing reforms.

The governor further urged campaigners to avoid personal attacks and abusive exchanges with political opponents, insisting that the party’s campaigns should be based on issues and achievements.

He also charged members of the campaign council to focus on the collective development of Bayelsa, stressing that political differences should not undermine the common interest of the people.

By Our Correspondent

State House management, in collaboration with the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, P-CNGI, and private energy firm Rolling Energy, has commissioned an integrated CNG fuelling and conversion facility at the abandoned State House fuel dump in Karu, Abuja.

The facility marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and cheaper vehicle energy, and signals the Federal Government’s determination to move beyond rhetoric on gas-powered transport.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Temitope Fadeshemi, said the project demonstrates government’s commitment to “walking the talk” following President Bola Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal and the shift to Compressed Natural Gas.

He explained that the site, abandoned for decades and fallen into disrepute, was repurposed to dispense CNG and convert eligible petrol vehicles to gas hybrid systems.

“For several decades, this fuel dump was abandoned and fell into disrepute. We thought the best thing we could do is reactivate this place and make it available for dispensing CNG. And that is what we have done in partnership with P-CNGI,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, stressed that no public funds were spent on the infrastructure, with the private partner bearing the full cost of renovation.

“The State House hasn’t spent any naira on this place. We made this place available, and our partner, Rolling Energy, renovated it. They have already demonstrated capacity with several stations of their own, and for over a week during testing, they dispensed free CNG to the local community as a show of good faith,” he said.

The facility will serve the Presidential Villa’s growing fleet, which already includes recently acquired hybrid JAC vehicles and internal shuttle buses, while also opening conversion services to staff and eligible vehicle owners in the area.

Addressing concerns over the pace of rollout, Fadeshemi said government’s role is to enable and demonstrate viability, while private investors drive infrastructure growth.

Building on that, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of P-CNGI, Ismail Ahmed, said the initiative has moved far beyond proof-of-concept into rapid nationwide scaling.

“This is almost our 160th station across the country in less than two years,” Ahmed said. “The market has been proven, and investors are trooping in. Over $2.6 billion worth of private investment has come into the sector.”

He disclosed that 170 more stations are in various stages of development or awaiting licensing from the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, while over 2,000 infrastructure units ordered by the President are expected between late this year and early next year.

Ahmed said the scale-up is aimed at serving Nigeria’s estimated 12 million vehicles and over 220 million people, noting the country now boasts one of the fastest adoption rates for CNG and electric vehicles globally.

He contrasted the pace with the 60 years it took to establish Nigeria’s 24,000 traditional petrol stations, adding that the President has ordered another 500 fuelling units.

On direct impact, Ahmed said operational CNG routes are already cutting transport costs by 30 to 40 percent, citing the Kano-to-Katsina route where fares fell from between N3,000 and N4,000 to N1,500 on CNG buses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Energy, Mubarak Dambatta, said the Karu station features an Integrated Refuelling Unit with double dispensers capable of serving 150 cars daily.

“For the IRU, everything is integrated into one unit; we have the dispenser and the compressor all integrated into one. We also have a double noose, which means you can dispense from both sides, capable of serving 150 motorists daily depending on your cylinder size and the pressure,” he said.

Dambatta added that the station also has a conversion unit with capacity to convert 12 cars daily, as government targets aggressive expansion across high-traffic commercial corridors nationwide.