National

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended warm felicitations to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), on his 65th birthday, which falls on November 21, 2025. In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu described Ribadu as a principled reformer, an accomplished security professional, and a steadfast defender of Nigeria. The President praised Ribadu’s exceptional integrity and lifelong commitment to public service, emphasizing the enduring impact of his work on Nigeria’s governance and security institutions. Read Also: President Tinubu Postpones Two-Nation Visit to South Africa and Angola President Tinubu highlighted Ribadu’s pioneering leadership at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he championed accountability and strengthened the nation’s anti-corruption framework. “Since we struck a close relationship over 15 years ago, I have come to acknowledge and appreciate Nuhu’s honesty, forthrightness, and camaraderie. As a prominent member of our Renewed Hope Agenda team, I have found Nuhu to be a patriotic, loyal, and candid individual,” the President said. He further prayed that Almighty Allah would grant Ribadu good health and greater wisdom to continue serving the nation. “As Nuhu turns 65 today, I fervently pray that Almighty Allah will grant him good health and greater wisdom to continue serving our beloved country,” President Tinubu added.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has introduced new restrictions aimed at tackling the growing abuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria, including a firm prohibition on conferring such honours on serving government officials. Announcing the decision in Abuja on Friday, the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said the measures were prompted by troubling discoveries made by a committee set up to investigate the award and misuse of honorary degrees across the country. Ribadu noted that the Commission decided to intervene after a nationwide review revealed disturbing patterns in how honorary degrees are conferred and subsequently used. “These degrees are meant to recognise outstanding service or achievements, but unfortunately, they have increasingly been misused,” he said. Read Also: University of Abuja Governing Council Appoints New Vice-Chancellor Gombe Targets Stronger Basic Education as Governor Yahaya Inaugurates Taskforce FG Announces 50 Tax Exemptions, Reliefs for Low-Income Earners, SMEs, Effective January 2026 He pointed out that the situation has been worsened by the proliferation of illegal and unaccredited institutions—both within and outside the country—posing as honorary degree-issuing bodies. According to him, the investigation highlighted rampant disregard for the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a resolution adopted by Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to guide the award of honorary doctorates. The declaration clearly bars universities from giving honorary degrees to serving public officials and warns honourees against styling themselves as “Dr” without proper clarification. “This is not just a matter of ethics; it is a matter of law. Using the title ‘Dr’ based on an honorary degree without clarification amounts to false representation, which is punishable under various fraud-related laws in Nigeria.” Ribadu stressed that the misuse of honorary titles erodes the credibility of the university system and weakens public confidence in legitimate academic achievements. He disclosed that the committee identified 32 entities operating as honorary degree mills in the country. These include 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed Nigerian universities, 15 professional bodies without authority to award degrees, and 3 other organisations likewise lacking degree-awarding powers. Some of these institutions, the NUC found, even issue bogus professorships. “Let us be clear. Awarding honorary degrees is a legal responsibility of Nigerian universities. The law empowers the NUC to regulate both the award and the use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.” Ribadu reaffirmed that only authorised public or private universities are permitted to award honorary doctorates. Even then, he stressed that recipients should use appropriate designations such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa), rather than adopting the title “Dr”, which is reserved for holders of earned doctorates and medical practitioners.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment for terrorism-related charges. Justice James Omotosho handed down the sentence, convicting Kanu on counts one, two, four, five, and six, with a 20-year prison term for count three and five years for count seven, to run concurrently. Read Also: Kano Judiciary Gets New Acting Chief Registrar, Approves 30 Shari’a Court Judges The prosecution had sought the death penalty, citing Kanu’s alleged incitement leading to violence and destruction of public infrastructure. Kanu’s trial had been ongoing for over 10 years, with his rearrest in Kenya in 2021 sparking controversy. The court also ruled that Kanu’s declaration of a “sit-at-home” order, enforced through violence, amounted to a terrorist act. The judge faulted Kanu’s approach to achieving a Biafran nation through means of violence.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to depart Abuja on Wednesday for a two-nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola. According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu will participate in the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit and the 7th African Union–European Union Summit. “President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a two-nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola. His first stop is Johannesburg, where he will attend the 20th Summit of the G20 Leaders. After the summit, he will proceed to Angola for the AU–EU Summit,” the statement read. The Presidency added that President Tinubu was invited to the Johannesburg summit by South African President and current G20 President, Cyril Ramaphosa. A similar invitation, it noted, was earlier extended by former G20 President and Brazilian leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during his 2024 tenure. Read Also: Ganduje Attends 3rd National Aviation Conference in Lagos The President is expected to engage with global and continental leaders on key issues bordering on economic development, partnerships, and multilateral cooperation.