Inside a quiet hall in Sokoto, dozens of Islamic clerics sat side by side, their phones and notebooks open, listening closely as they learned how a single fake video or voice message could ignite fear, division or even violence. For many of them, this two-day workshop was their first direct encounter with the hidden world of artificial intelligence, deep fakes and digital manipulation. The training, Organized by Alkalanci a Hausa-language fact-checking and media literacy organisation dedicated to combating fake news, misinformation, disinformation and mal-information in collaboration with the Sokoto State Ministry of Religious Affairs, brought together religious leaders from across…
Author: TheStories
Nigeria is once again at a familiar crossroads where policy choices expose deeper structural contradictions within the federation. The ongoing controversy surrounding the siting of the proposed National Gold Refinery in Lagos State is not merely an administrative disagreement; it is a constitutional, economic, and moral question that strikes at the very heart of equity, federal balance, and inclusive development. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has rightly raised fundamental concerns about the decision to locate a gold refinery thousands of kilometres away from the primary gold-producing regions of the country. The Coalition of Funtua Community-Based Organisations strongly aligns with this…
Last week, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had commenced enforcement of the long-debated ban on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200 millilitres. According to the report, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made this disclosure during a media parley in Lagos, explaining that the move followed a directive of the Senate. Although the agency had announced as far back as November 2025 that enforcement would begin by December, the process was briefly halted after the Federal Government ordered a…
When someone casually typed, “Finally, the much-talked-about Almighty Kano has fallen to the APC,” it felt like a curtain drop. Weeks of suspense, anxiety, partisan arguments, and relentless speculation suddenly found closure. The internet buzzed. Headlines raced each other. And then the confirmation landed: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had officially resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). Punch Newspaper captured the moment with clinical precision on January 23, 2026, at 5:20 p.m., reporting that the Kano governor left the NNPP alongside a formidable political convoy: 21 members of the State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of…
A few days ago, the National Chairman of the APC ignited an intense national conversation with a policy direction he proposed for the ruling party should it secure re-election in 2027. According to a report by Daily Trust titled “2027: No Appointments for Non-APC Members – National Chair, Yilwatda,” Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda declared that political appointments after the next general elections would be reserved strictly for party loyalists, not technocrats or professionals detached from partisan politics. What might ordinarily have passed as a routine partisan declaration quickly transformed into a viral moment, setting social media ablaze and polarising opinion across…
At the Yar’akija Primary Healthcare Centre in Sokoto metropolis, women sit patiently with their children, some clutching infants while others guide their older children through the busy clinic halls. For many, visiting a healthcare centre was once a rare or uncertain experience. Today, these visits are becoming a regular part of life, offering routine immunisations, advice on nutrition, and support for adolescent health. For these families, the change is small yet profound, a sign of hope and care reaching them closer to home. This shift was highlighted during a high-level EU delegation visit, accompanied by UNICEF, UNFPA, the International Labour…
The African Union (AU) and the International Executive Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have praised the Lagos State Government, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, sponsors, partners and media organisations for their roles in the successful hosting of the 9th edition of the awards. The five-day celebration of African music, held in Lagos from January 7 to 11, 2026, brought together artistes, delegates and stakeholders from more than 48 African countries, furthering AFRIMA’s status as the continent’s leading music awards platform. Speaking after the event, Head of Culture at the African Union Commission, Angela Martins, said the success of the…
The recent tragedy involving the literary giant Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, following the loss of her young son at Euracare Hospital in Lagos, unsettled many beyond the immediate circle of grief. The accusations and defenses that followed, spilling into national and international headlines, did more than provoke sympathy or outrage; they invited reflection. It is one of those moments where private sorrow collides with public meaning, where a single incident opens wider questions about institutions, values, and the fragile space between reputation and reality. Adichie herself has always been an intriguing figure, not merely because of her literary brilliance, but because…
I remember someone who was once offered a job as a Lecturer and rejected it outright. He laughed it off, declaring that such a life was not for him, and those around him joined in the laughter. Someone even joked that they thought he would at least use the job to “discipline his body.” The moment passed as banter, but it stayed with me. That story is not unusual. Many people who have options walk away from lecturing jobs, leaving them for those with fewer alternatives. High unemployment has pushed many into academia, not out of passion, but necessity. Yet,…
A thin line often separates success from failure, and sometimes that line is so narrow that it hides in plain sight. Kano has dominated the news in recent days, momentarily eclipsing heated political conversations that once held public attention. The anticipated political realignments, the intrigues of power, and the drama of defections suddenly faded into the background when tragedy struck in a way that was both shocking and deeply unsettling. The story did not just interrupt the political moment; it froze it, forcing attention toward something far more human and far more painful. Reports emerged that Aishatu Umar, a mother…