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Tunisian Doctors Go on Strike, Demand Higher Pay

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Thousands of young doctors went on strike across Tunisia on Wednesday to demand higher pay and warn of an impending collapse of the health system.

The protesters, wearing white coats, brandished placards that read “Dignity for doctors” and “Save our hospitals” as they gathered near Tunisia’s parliament.

As well as low wages, the protesters complained of outdated equipment and shortages of essential medical supplies, factors which they said were fuelling a growing exodus of young health professionals to Europe and the Gulf.

As long as the authorities ignore our demands, we will continue to escalate, resist and lead the social movement in the country,” Wajih Dhakkar, head of the Young Doctors’ Organisation, said.

President Kais Saied has accused what he describes as conspirators and infiltrators of fabricating crises in various sectors in order to undermine the state.

Saied suspended Parliament and assumed all executive powers in 2021.

 

 

Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq

Nigerian Leader Disturbed by Kebbi Abduction, Orders Urgent Rescue Operation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep distress over the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State, ordering the security agencies swift rescue Operation.

In a message shared on the official X handle of the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada @Dolusegun, President Tinubu said he was “depressed” by the tragic death of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other officers who were killed in the line of duty.

President Tinubu also condemned the kidnapping of the schoolgirls, noting that “heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls.”

He said; “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.

“I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.” President Tinubu said.

The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to defeating terrorism and safeguarding communities across the country.

 

Olusola Akintonde

Kebbi State Releases Abducted Girls’ Names, Refutes US Claims

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Binta Aliyu, Kebbi State

The Chairman of Danko‑Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu, has refuted a statement attributed to U.S. Representative Riley Moore alleging that the recent abduction of schoolgirls from Maga occurred in a Christian enclave.

Aliyu urged the lawmaker to refrain from making unverified remarks that could inflame religious or ethnic tensions while authorities focus on rescuing the girls.

He noted that the Zuru Emirate, under which Maga falls, has never experienced sectarian violence and questioned why the comment portrays Nigeria negatively.

In a press briefing, Aliyu released the names of the abducted students, grouped by school and class:

Senior Secondary School 2A

1. Fatima Sani Zimri

2. Hafsat Ibrahim

3. Nana Firdausi Jibril

4. Masauda Yakubu Romo

Senior Secondary School 2B

5. Hauwa Saleh

6. Hauwau Umar Imam

Senior Secondary School 3A & 3B

7. Salima Garba Umar

8. Salima Sani Zimri

9. Amina G. Umar

10. Rashida Muhammad Dingu

11. Saliha Umar

12. Aisha Usman

13. Jamila Iliyasu

14. Maryam Illiyasu

15. Najaatu Abdullahi

16. Zainab Kolo

Junior Secondary School 3A

17. Surraya Tukur

18. Hafsat Umar Yalmo

19. Maryam Usman

20. Amina Illiyasu

21. Ikilima Suleman

Junior Secondary School 2

22. Khadija Nazifi

23. Hauwa’u Iliyasu

24. Hauwa’u Lawali

25. Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim

The chairman’s statement comes amid intensified search‑and‑rescue operations involving police tactical units, the military, and local vigilantes in the forest surrounding Maga.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered an accelerated rescue effort, and Vice‑President Kashim Shettima has visited Kebbi to meet the families of the victims.

Authorities appealed for calm and urged anyone with credible information to contact security agencies.

The release of the girls’ names aims to counter misinformation and ensure accurate information reaches the public.

Lateefah Ibrahim

President Tinubu Orders Intensified Manhunt for Kwara Church Attackers

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to reinforce deployments in Kwara State and intensify the manhunt for the bandits who attacked worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.

Announcing the postponement of the President’s scheduled trips to Johannesburg for the G20 Summit and to Luanda for the 7th AU–EU Summit, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said President Tinubu delayed his departure to receive further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.

Onanuga noted that the President, deeply disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s bandit attack on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, decided to suspend his planned departure.

“He now awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara.

“In response to the request by the governor of Kwara State, President Tinubu ordered the deployment of more security men to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers,” he said

President Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today, Wednesday to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.

The President reiterated his directive to the security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls, abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe.

 

Olusola Akintonde

Group Flags Off Mobilisation Drive for President Tinubu 

Partners Assured for Tinubu (PAT) has announced the upcoming launch and inauguration of its national executive structures, scheduled for November 20, 2025, at Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.

PAT is a broad-based, pan-Nigerian solidarity movement established by long-standing associates and political allies of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

It is rooted in shared political history and loyalty; the movement is committed to strengthening the Renewed Hope Agenda and advancing transformative national development.

The organisation aims to deepen grassroots mobilisation, enhance communication between government and citizens, and promote the administration’s policies and socio-economic initiatives.

The inauguration will feature the unveiling of PAT’s core mandate and operational framework, the introduction of its National Working Group and committees, and the forging of closer collaboration among partners and stakeholders nationwide.

It will also set the tone for a nationwide mobilisation drive to expand the impact of the Renewed Hope initiatives championed by the First Lady.

PAT reaffirms its commitment to standing as a dependable pillar of support for President Tinubu’s administration, working to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda yields tangible benefits for every Nigerian.

The founding members call on strategic partners, political stakeholders, and business leaders to join in consolidating the mission and objectives of the movement.

The general public and the media are invited to take note of this important development.

 

Kebbi School Attack: UNICEF Urges Stronger Protection for Children

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The United Nations Children’s Fund, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has strongly condemned the reported attack on a government girls’ school in the Maga community of Kebbi State, in north-western Nigeria.

The attack resulted in the death of the school’s vice-principal and the reported abduction of 25 students.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, UNICEF Communication and Advocacy Specialist Susan Akila described the tragic incident as a stark reminder of the urgent need to strengthen the protection of children, schools, and the personnel who support safe learning.

“We stand with the affected community at this difficult time. Our heartfelt condolences go to those who have lost their loved ones, and we wish a full recovery for those injured,” she said.

UNICEF has further called for the swift release of the abducted children.

“Students, education facilities, and their personnel should be protected under international law from any form of attack, and those responsible for this incident must be held to account in accordance with national and international standards,” she added.

Akila noted that in 2015, the Nigerian government endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, which outlines concrete measures to safeguard the civilian nature of schools and universities, ensuring students can access education safely during conflict.

“UNICEF calls on all relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts to implement the Safe Schools Declaration in Nigeria,” she said.

She reaffirmed that UNICEF continues to work with government partners, civil society, and local communities to strengthen child protection systems and promote safe and inclusive learning environments across the country.

“These systems and environments must be reinforced to prevent future tragedies. No child should ever be put at risk while pursuing an education,” she stressed.

 

Olusola Akintonde

Nigerian Monarch Celebrates 35th Coronation Anniversary

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One of the foremost traditional rulers in  Nigeria, His Imperial Majesty, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III CON, JP. is celebrating, 35 years on the throne at the age of 80.

The celebration will span a period of five days, from Wednesday, 19th November to Sunday, 23rd November 2025.

The themes of the Coronation are unity, heritage, faith, and festivity. The event will highlight the enduring royal legacy of the monarch and his reign.

The highlight of the event is a Book Launch and Conferment of Chieftaincy Titles.

The launch of a book related to the royal legacy of the monarch and chieftaincy titles conferment highlights the integration of cultural heritage with intellectual and social recognition.

Read Also: President Tinubu Congratulates Emir of Borgu on 10th Anniversary

The involvement of prominent figures such as serving and former governors, academic chancellors, and legal luminaries as well as royal fathers underscores the event’s high-profile nature and broad societal importance.

The Royal Father of the Day being another imperial monarch, Ooni of Ife, signifies solidarity and mutual respect among traditional rulers within the region and Nigeria as a whole .

Prominent Nigerians expected at the event, includes, the book Reviewer, Professor Yusuf Ali, S.A.N.; the Chancellor of Ekiti State University (ESU), Dr. Tunji Olafe; the Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Olusola Sanwolu, former Governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, the former Finance Commissioner of Ekiti State and Founder of Vinita University, Iloro, Ekiti, Honorable Dakwa Kolawole and others.

His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, CFR. will be the royal father of the day.

Lawmakers Vow to Recover National Assets

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Gloria Essien Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, has inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to probe abandoned federal properties and buildings nationwide, declaring that the era of wasting national assets is over.

The Speaker said that the committee’s mandate reflects the 10th House’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability in public asset management.

“We are committed to ensuring that no public property is left to decay or fall into neglect,” Abbas said. “These facilities represent public wealth that must serve the country.”

The Speaker, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Hon Usman Kumon, said the investigation would cover the location, status, history, and current occupancy of all abandoned federal properties, alongside the policy failures that led to their abandonment.

He tasked the committee, chaired by Hon. Daniel Amos, to be meticulous and fearless in identifying assets that have been left idle, mismanaged, encroached upon, or illegally acquired.

He stressed that federal landed assets, from buildings to empty plots, must either be rehabilitated, converted to public use, or responsibly disposed of.

“The public expects honest findings and recommendations that will help the government stop waste and improve asset management. This responsibility calls for focus, patience, and a strong sense of national duty,” he said.

The Speaker also announced plans for a long-term framework in partnership with the Executive to track, protect, and optimise federal properties nationwide.

“The 10th House will work with the Executive to establish a coordinated and transparent system for identifying, assessing, and restoring abandoned Federal Government properties,” he said.

Speaker Abbas urged the committee to engage ministries, agencies, host communities, and stakeholders, promising that the House would act on their recommendations.

“The eyes of the country are on you,” he warned. “Let your work reflect the expectations of Nigerians and inspire confidence in the legislative process.”

Chairman of the newly inaugurated House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, Mr. Daniel Amos, vowed to reclaim and redeploy national assets that have been left to rot across the country.

He said the assignment is both a national obligation and a moral duty, as thousands of abandoned federal properties represent “lost opportunities” for development, housing, revenue, and public benefit.

Amos said the House has given the panel a clear timeline and a broad mandate to investigate, recover, and recommend long-term reforms in public property management.

“This mandate is not merely administrative; it is a solemn responsibility to the Nigerian people, whose resources and heritage these assets represent,” he said.

He stressed that the probe would cover the full identification and verification of all abandoned federal landed properties nationwide, with a key objective to develop a central, reliable database, something the country has never had.

He listed the committee’s mandate to include: Establishing a national inventory of abandoned assets; examining the financial, economic, and developmental costs of their abandonment; determining the MDAs responsible for each property; investigating administrative, regulatory, and budgetary failures; recommending recovery, rehabilitation, or productive reuse; and proposing long-term reforms to prevent future waste.

The committee, he said, would produce an evidence-driven report within the stipulated timeframe and ensure every recommendation is tied to national development and public accountability.

“Every abandoned property represents deferred development, lost revenue, and a diminishing of public trust,” Amos stated. “The work before us is not just technical, it is moral.”

He pledged transparency, professionalism, and a “fidelity to public trust,” urging ministries, agencies, and stakeholders to cooperate fully.

Amos said the ultimate goal is to transform idle public properties into sources of growth rather than symbols of waste.

Together, let us turn these dormant assets into engines of growth, sources of revenue, and symbols of renewed national stewardship,” he said.

 

Japan to Restart World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant

The Japanese governor overseeing the region that is home to the world’s largest nuclear power plant is set to give approval this week for its restart.

The approval will clear one of the remaining milestones in Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s to bring the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant back online, more than a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster led to its shutdown.

Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi is set to announce his approval to partially resume Kashiwazaki-Kariwa as early as Friday, Kyodo said, citing multiple unnamed sources in the prefecture government.

TEPCO is planning to bring online the two biggest units of the plant, No. 6 and No. 7, which can together produce 2,710 megawatts of electricity, and possibly decommission some of the remaining five units. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s total capacity is 8,212 MW.

In October, TEPCO finished checks at reactor No. 6 after fuel loading, saying at the time it had confirmed that the main systems required for reactor startup were operating properly.

The company has also pledged 100 billion yen ($644 million) to support local communities to gain support for the restart, which TEPCO has sought for many years despite some local opposition.

If approved, the restart would be in line with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plans to support more nuclear restarts to strengthen energy security.

Partial restoration of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant would also help to cut liquefied natural gas import costs for Japan, the world’s second-biggest LNG buyer after China, as Takaichi’s government is prioritizing bringing down the cost of living.

As of the end of October, Japan has restarted 11 reactors with a total capacity of 10,647 MW.

Prior to the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s utilities operated 54 reactors in total.

TEPCO continues to pay out large amounts of compensation following the reactor meltdown in 2011.

 

Reuters/Hauwa M.

Experts Advocate Innovation, Global Partnerships for African Entrepreneurs

African Entrepreneurs have been urged to adopt bold and innovative business models, leverage global partnerships, and embrace high-performance systems to accelerate wealth creation and boost the continent’s economy.

Business leaders from across the globe echoed this unanimously during the first Africa 10X Business Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, marking a significant milestone for entrepreneurial development on the continent.

Speaking at the summit, the Convener, Theo Godson said; “the Africa 10X Business Summit is positioned to become “one of the most transformative business summits in Africa.”

He noted that the vision is to activate a new generation of African entrepreneurs capable of scaling beyond local borders and competing on the global stage.

“Whoever is willing to spend the most to gain a customer, wins. Be intentional about your leads,” he said.

A wellness coach and entrepreneur, Judith Okafor, described the summit as timely, stressing that African businesses must prioritise personal development, structured systems, and global-standard leadership if they are to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.

“A drained leader loses capacity, a tired leader cannot have a vibrant community,” she said.

Speaking on the topic, “Conditioning Your Mindset: Unlocking Your Subconscious Pattern for Success,” entrepreneur Sandra Grace described the summit as a “game-changer,” saying it exposes African founders to growth frameworks often reserved for advanced markets.

Also Read: Nigerian Leader Calls for United African Action on Trade, Innovation  

She noted that such knowledge transfer is essential for building sustainable enterprises, attracting investment, and accelerating economic transformation across the continent.

Africa’s first-ever 10X Business Summit forms part of a multi-city business empowerment movement spanning major African cities, including Abuja, Kigali, Kampala, Nairobi, Dodoma, Accra, and Lagos.

Designed to equip entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, and creatives, the summit focuses on world-class strategies in sales, finance, leadership, people-alignment systems, marketing, and business scaling.

The event brought Grant Cardone’s acclaimed $100 million playbook directly to Africa, delivered exclusively by the only African licensed to teach it, Theo Godson.

The 10X Movement, championed globally by American business mogul Grant Cardone, promotes bold thinking, massive action, high-performance systems, and exponential growth strategies.

According to Mr Godson, these teachings now gaining strong traction across Africa are beginning to reshape the mindset and capacity of the continent’s emerging entrepreneurs.