By Adeko Ukpa

The House of Representatives candidate for Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Prince Obaro Razak, has raised the alarm over growing security threats in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, calling for urgent intervention by both state and federal authorities to protect residents and schools from suspected bandit attacks.

Rasak’s appeal followed security reports indicating that bandits are targeting schools in parts of Edo State, particularly in Akoko-Edo, where Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration has reportedly shut down some schools as a precautionary measure.

Speaking on the development, the NDC candidate expressed concern over the safety of residents and students, describing the situation as one that requires immediate and coordinated action from security agencies and government at all levels.

“There is a security alert in my local government. The government has closed down schools in Akoko-Edo because of the threat,” Razak said.

He urged the Edo State Government and the Federal Government to deploy every available resource towards securing communities threatened by criminal elements.

“I am using this opportunity to call on the state and federal governments, which have greater responsibility in matters of security, to do something urgently to secure our people, secure our land, secure our schools and secure our citizens,” he stated.

Rasak also advocated the establishment and deployment of forest guards as part of efforts to strengthen security surveillance in forests and border communities often exploited by criminals.

According to him, authorities should give serious consideration to the proposal as a practical measure for preventing attacks and tracking the movement of armed groups.

“They should think positively about the invitation and deployment of forest guards to watch over our forests and the boundary areas within Edo State. What is important is to secure our people and ensure that criminal elements do not operate freely,” he said.

The NDC candidate stressed that the protection of schools must be treated as a priority, warning that any attack on educational institutions could have devastating consequences for children, parents and communities.

He called on security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and patrol operations across Akoko-Edo and other vulnerable areas of the state to forestall any security breach.

The call comes amid heightened anxiety among residents following reports of threats by armed groups in parts of Edo North Senatorial District. Community leaders and parents have continued to urge the government to take proactive measures to guarantee the safety of students and residents and prevent a repeat of attacks witnessed in other parts of the country.

Razak maintained that swift action by the authorities would reassure residents, restore confidence in public safety and ensure that educational activities are not further disrupted by insecurity.

​By Dr. Shamsuddeen Ahmad Aliyu (Haido)

​Agriculture remains the economic backbone of Sokoto State. According to recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the sector contributes roughly 42% of our state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with over 70% of our population actively engaged in farming. Yet, despite this massive demographic involvement, our agricultural potential remains largely uncommercialized. We remain primary producers of raw materials, while the immense wealth generated from processing and industrial optimization happens outside our borders.

​To shift this paradigm, we must look closely at our existing, underutilized industrial assets. The most prominent symbol of this untapped potential sits right in our backyard: The 250,000 Metric Tonne (MT) per annum Dangote Rice Mill in Kware.

​The Feedstock Dilemma: Why the Mill Sits Idle

​When the Dangote Group constructed its ultra-modern rice processing facility on a 27-hectare site in Runji Village, Kware Local Government Area, it was a data-driven investment. Designed to process 32 metric tonnes of paddy per hour, the mill possesses the capacity to process a quarter of a million metric tonnes of rice annually, making it one of the largest industrial food assets in West Africa.

​Yet, despite its completed infrastructure, the mill has faced challenges operating at full commercial capacity. The reason is not a lack of market demand for rice, but a structural fragmentation in the upstream supply chain.

​Industrial processing plants are capital-intensive and risk-averse; they require a continuous, predictable, and uniform pipeline of clean paddy. The current localized production model—characterized by fragmented smallholders, lack of access to certified seeds (like Faro 44/52), high post-harvest losses, and the absence of a structured corporate aggregator—means the mill faces a structural feedstock deficit.

​Resolving this deficit requires moving away from traditional, ad-hoc administrative interventions and implementing a sophisticated, business-to-government (B2G) structural framework.

​The Macroeconomic Impact: Keeping Wealth Inside Sokoto

​Activating a major asset like the Kware mill changes the economic landscape of the entire state. At current market rates, a metric tonne of high-quality industrial rice paddy sits at roughly ₦350,000 to ₦400,000. Delivering an initial baseline of 100,000 MT of paddy per year to the mill represents a direct capital injection of ₦35 Billion to ₦40 Billion moving into our state’s agricultural ecosystem annually.

​Because this model prioritizes direct institutional off-take from local farming clusters, this capital skips exploitative middlemen and flows straight into our rural economies. This injection accelerates the velocity of cash in our local markets, stimulating the retail, construction, and service sectors, and organically expanding the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base without increasing the tax burden on citizens.

​Furthermore, industrial processing introduces a high-value secondary economy. The Kware mill generates thousands of tonnes of rice husks and rice bran as by-products. Rice husks serve as a valuable biomass fuel source for energy and manufacturing plants, while rice bran provides the primary raw materials needed to establish a commercial livestock and poultry feed-mill industry within the state.

What Full Operation Means for the Citizens of Sokoto

​At the microeconomic level, turning on the machinery at Kware creates immediate, sustainable livelihoods:

​Lifting 20,000+ Farming Households: To generate 100,000 MT of paddy systematically, we must organize and support at least 20,000 hectares of farmland. Under a structured, high-yield input framework, a local farmer cultivating two hectares can achieve a yield of 4 to 5 tonnes per hectare. This translates to an estimated ₦3.5 Million in gross seasonal revenue per household, structurally elevating thousands of rural families into commercial sustainability.

​The Logistics and Service Boom: Transporting 100 million kilograms of grain from field to factory requires an extensive logistical network. This translates into roughly 10,000 heavy-duty truck trips per year along our internal transport corridors. The ripple effect means immediate, year-round business for local transport unions, haulage companies, mechanics, fuel stations, and youth-led loading crews.

​The Blueprint for Immediate Takeoff

​To get the Dangote Rice Mill up and running, we must position our agricultural sector as an active, de-risked commercial partner. Look at recent sub-national agricultural playbooks in Nigeria, where major corporate off-take frameworks succeeded because the state acted as a credible institutional guarantor via a structured corporate vehicle.

​To achieve this in Sokoto, a precise four-part strategy must be deployed:

​

The Strategic Framework for Agricultural Takeoff

Establishment of a State-Backed Agribusiness Vehicle

Step 1

The state must incorporate Sokoto Foods Limited (SFL) as a public limited liability company under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework. By holding a minority 25% equity stake and transferring controlling 51% operational ownership to a reputable private agribusiness managing partner, we eliminate civil-service bureaucracy. SFL will serve as the single corporate buffer to execute a long-term Paddy Supply Agreement directly with the Dangote Group.

Biometric Cooperative Mapping and Input Credit Loops

Step 2

SFL will biometric-map and cluster thousands of smallholder rice farmers into highly disciplined cooperatives. Instead of distributing open-ended subsidies, SFL will operate a closed-loop input provision system—supplying premium certified seeds, calibrated fertilizers, and mechanized ploughing services directly to farmers, with costs recovered strictly via paddy write-offs at the scale house during harvest.

Infrastructure Maximization and Dry-Season Irrigation

Step 3

Sokoto’s distinct edge lies in dry-season cultivation, which yields higher-grade paddy with lower moisture content. We must focus state capital on de-silting and expanding secondary canals at the Goronyo, Shagari, and Kware irrigation networks, paired with the mass deployment of solar-powered tubewells to farming clusters along our riverbanks.

Fiscal Incentives and Industrial Zone Declaration

Step 4

To completely lower the operational overhead of the facility, the 27-hectare Kware mill corridor should be designated as the Sokoto Agric-Industrial Revitalization Zone (SAREZ), granting a 5-year holiday on state-levied commercial taxes, accompanied by a dedicated, uninterrupted power evacuation corridor from the nearest electrical substation.

Conclusion

​Economic self-reliance is not achieved through seasonal government handouts; it is achieved by building the institutional scaffolding that allows our people to generate wealth through their own productivity. By transforming our state from a passive observer into a sophisticated commercial facilitator, we can turn a quiet industrial giant into the heartbeat of Nigeria’s rice production. The infrastructure is ready, our land is fertile, and our farmers are determined. With the right business acumen and structured policies, Sokoto is fully capable of driving an industrial takeoff that will rewrite our economic history.

​….Dr. Shamsuddeen Ahmad Aliyu (Haido) is the

NDC Gubernatorial candidate for Sokoto State

By Adinoyi Ukpa

As the horses trotted majestically through the streets of Ijebu-Ode and social media erupted in admiration of flowing agbadas, expensive beads, celebrity appearances and the splendour of the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival, a different Nigeria was unfolding far from the cameras.

In the forests of Oyo State, schoolchildren and teachers abducted by bandits remained in captivity, their families trapped in anguish, uncertainty and fear. While millions of Nigerians debated fashion statements and celebrated cultural pageantry, parents waited anxiously for news of children who had simply gone to school and never returned home.

The contrast was not merely ironic. It was an indictment.
It revealed a nation that appears increasingly comfortable celebrating itself while its children languish in the hands of criminals.
This is not an argument against Ojude Oba. Far from it.

The festival is one of Nigeria’s finest cultural exports. It represents history, identity, community and pride. It is a testament to the enduring strength of Yoruba culture and deserves its place among Africa’s great cultural celebrations.

But culture cannot become an escape from conscience.
What should trouble every Nigerian is not that Ojude Oba was celebrated. What should trouble us is that the kidnapping of schoolchildren no longer possesses the power to interrupt our celebrations.

We have become accustomed to horror. A nation that once recoiled in shock at the abduction of a handful of schoolchildren now treats such incidents as routine news items. We express outrage for a few days, issue statements, offer prayers, blame security agencies, and then move on to the next political controversy, celebrity event or cultural festival.

The children remain behind.
The parents continue to suffer. The kidnappers continue their business.
The country carries on as if nothing has happened.

The Oyo abduction should have triggered a national emergency. Reports from Oriire Local Government Area indicated that armed men attacked schools and communities, abducting pupils, teachers and residents. One teacher reportedly lost his life in captivity. Families have endured days and weeks of agony while awaiting the safe return of their loved ones.

Yet the incident never generated the level of sustained national outrage that similar kidnappings attracted in the past.
Perhaps that is because Nigeria has become desensitised. Perhaps we have seen too many kidnappings. Perhaps we have become too accustomed to headlines about bandits, terrorists and ransom demands. Or perhaps we simply no longer value human life as much as we claim.

The tragedy in Oyo inevitably invites comparisons with earlier school abductions that shook the nation.

In June 2021, armed bandits invaded Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, in Kebbi State, within the Zuru Emirate. The attack sent shockwaves across Nigeria. Students and teachers were seized and marched into the forests.
The response was immediate and relentless.

The Federal Government mobilised security agencies. Intelligence operations were intensified. Meetings were held at the highest levels of government. Traditional rulers became involved. The issue dominated national discourse for months. Every release of students generated national headlines. Every development was closely monitored.

The process was long and frustrating, but one thing was unmistakable: the country refused to look away.

The victims remained at the centre of national attention until they regained their freedom.

The same pattern was evident in Niger State.

Whether in Kagara, Tegina, Pandogari, Papiri or other communities ravaged by bandit attacks, successive mass abductions provoked urgent responses from both state and federal authorities. Governors convened emergency meetings. Security deployments were increased. Community leaders were engaged. The media maintained pressure. Public attention remained focused on the fate of the victims.

No one could accuse the government of indifference, even where outcomes were delayed.

The nation understood that schoolchildren in captivity represented a direct challenge to the authority of the Nigerian state.

That understanding appears to be fading. Today, the kidnapping of students struggles to compete with entertainment, politics and social media trends. This is dangerous.

Banditry thrives not only because of weak security structures but also because of public fatigue. Criminals understand that outrage has become temporary. They understand that Nigerians have developed a short attention span. They understand that after a few days, another story will dominate the headlines.

This normalisation of insecurity is one of the greatest threats facing the country.

A society that becomes accustomed to kidnapping is a society that has begun surrendering its moral foundations.

The consequences extend beyond the immediate suffering of victims. Parents begin to fear sending children to school. Teachers become reluctant to accept postings to rural communities. Educational outcomes decline. Economic activities suffer. Communities become isolated. Trust in government erodes. Most importantly, citizens begin to lose faith in the state’s ability to perform its most fundamental responsibility: protecting lives.

There is another uncomfortable dimension to this conversation.

Nigeria’s political elite often appears more visible during celebrations than during tragedies.

Photographs from Ojude Oba featured politicians, government officials and influential figures eager to associate themselves with a prestigious cultural event. There is nothing wrong with attending such occasions. Public officials are citizens too. The problem arises when citizens perceive greater enthusiasm for festivals than for confronting national emergencies. Leadership is as much about symbolism as it is about policy.

At moments of national trauma, leaders must demonstrate urgency, empathy and focus. They must ensure that victims know they have not been forgotten. They must convince citizens that government machinery is fully engaged. Anything less creates the impression that public relations has become more important than public safety.

The lesson from Birnin Yauri, Kagara, Tegina and numerous other school abductions is clear: sustained public attention matters.

Governments respond more aggressively when citizens refuse to look away. Security agencies perform better when subjected to scrutiny.
Political leaders become more accountable when public pressure remains constant.

That is why Nigerians must resist the temptation to normalise the Oyo tragedy.
The kidnapped children and teachers deserve more than fleeting sympathy. They deserve national attention.
They deserve sustained advocacy. They deserve a government that treats their captivity as a matter of utmost urgency. And their families deserve to know that the country has not abandoned them.

Ojude Oba will come again next year. The horses will return. The colourful attire will return. The music, festivities and celebrations will return.
But for the parents waiting for news from Oyo State, every passing day feels like a lifetime.

Long after the photographs from Ijebu-Ode disappear from social media timelines, those families will still remember the nights spent praying for the safe return of their children.

That is why the real question confronting Nigeria is not whether Ojude Oba should be celebrated. It should.

The real question is why a nation facing an epidemic of school kidnappings appears increasingly capable of celebrating everything except the urgency of rescuing its children.

Until we answer that question honestly, every grand festival will carry an uncomfortable shadow. Because somewhere beyond the music, beyond the glamour, beyond the pageantry and prestige, frightened children are still waiting to come home.
And no nation should be comfortable dancing while that remains true.

***Ukpa a public affairs analyst writes from Okene, Kogi State.