News
Oyetola Launches 3,500 Life Jacket Campaign In Lagos
…tasks boat operators on water safety, commits to Zero Mishap Vision
Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy, has officially launched the distribution of 3,500 life jackets in Lagos State, as part of the federal government’s nationwide water safety campaign aimed at enhancing security on Nigeria’s inland waterways.
The event, held during a marine safety sensitisation and life jackets distribution exercise in Lagos, underscores the ministry’s unwavering commitment to a safety-first culture, particularly in riverine communities where water transport is a daily mode of movement.
Oyetola, represented by Mercy Ilori, a director in the ministry, disclosed that the initiative already carried out in Niger, Bayelsa, Anambra, and Akwa Ibom States, would extend to other coastal states over the coming months, with a target of reaching 12 states within the shortest possible time.
Highlighting the importance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the minister outlined three core pillars of the campaign, which include the enforcement of the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations 2023, ongoing public sensitisation on safety, and the provision of life-saving equipment, including life jackets.
Oyetola praised the proactive efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in transforming water transportation in Lagos and commended the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for its regulatory oversight and public awareness drives.
The Minister, while calling for grassroots participation, urged boat operators, community leaders, and transport unions to adopt the life-saving slogan “No life jacket, no entry.”
He stressed that life jackets are shields, not inconveniences, and called on all stakeholders to make water safety a shared responsibility.
Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos state commissioner for transportation, described the initiative as a timely intervention.
With over 85 percent of daily commutes in Lagos currently done via road, Osiyemi emphasised the importance of expanding safe and reliable water transport to meet the needs of the state’s growing population.
“This initiative is not just about safety gear; it’s about building a safety culture,” Osiyemi said, thanking the Federal Ministry and NIWA for their support and partnership.
The event brought together stakeholders from across the marine and blue economy sector, reinforcing the shared vision of a safe, secure, and efficient inland water transport system across Nigeria.
Bola Oyebamiji, managing director of NIWA, in his address, emphasised that in the water transport sector, safety is the real measure of success.
“While profitability is key in finance, safety is our profit here,” Oyebamiji stated.
He reiterated NIWA’s determination to achieve zero fatalities on Nigeria’s waterways and confirmed that six of the twelve targeted states have already benefited from the campaign.
“We are committed to reaching the rest in the next one to two years,” Oyebamiji said.
He highlighted the strict safety enforcement in Nigeria: “Here, if you don’t wear a life jacket, you don’t get into the boat. It’s that serious.”
Earlier, Damilola Emmanuel, general manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), welcomed participants and applauded the federal government’s leadership on safety.
“This is more than just a distribution, it is a significant step toward sustainable water transport. Safety is what keeps our waterways functional and reliable,” Emmanuela said.
Businessday.ng
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state
The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes
Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.
Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.
He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.
The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.
Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.
Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.
Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.
Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.
Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.
Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.
The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.
“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.
News
New Twist As El-Rufai Snubs ADC, Announces Another Party To Vote In Kaduna Bye-Election [ Video Trends]
Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, appeared to have taken a reverse from the coalition’s adopted political platform, ADC
This is as the former governor took to social media and asked the people of Zaria, Chikun to vote for another party in the Saturday, August 16 (today), bye-elections in the constituencies in Kaduna
Recall that the former governor recently visited Sokoto to canvass support for the ADC, while criticising President Bola Tinubu and the APC government.
Click to watch El-Rufai’s video here
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) August 14, 2025
Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna, has fueled speculations that he dumped the recently adopted coalition political platform, African Democratic Congress (ADC), as he called on the people of Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency and Zaria Kewaye and Basawa state constituency to vote for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
However, in a dramatic turn, the former governor urged the people of Zaria and Chikun to vote for the SDP in the Saturday, August 16, by-election, a poll which was meant to test the opposition’s strength ahead of the 2027 general election.
Recall that El-Rufai defected to the SDP after dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but soon after joining the party, the SDP fell into a leadership crisis, and the former governor has been silent on his membership and allegations against him.
El-Rufai recently visited Sokoto on a mission to gather support for the ADC. He described his action as a patriotic one to rescue Nigeria from the grip of ‘nepotism’ and ‘incompetence’.
During his visit to Sokoto, the former governor attended two important events meant to sensitise the people and political stakeholders working to achieve the agenda of sacking President Tinubu and the APC in the next general election.
During his address at the event, the former governor lambasted the ruling party and called them ‘a failed, clannish, and visionless administration that has plunged Nigeria into deeper socio-economic misery’.
He declared that it was time for Nigerians to rise against the APC and accused the party of ‘broken promises and elite conspiracy’. He warned that any move to vote for the APC beyond 2027 would be a greater doom for the country.
However, in a sharp turn, the former governor, in a video posted on his social media page ahead of the by-election, urged the people in the constituencies where the poll will be held in Kaduna on Saturday, August 16, to vote for the SDP rather than the ADC he went to Sokoto to canvass for.
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