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NAYLC kicks against cancellation of national language policy

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The National Association of Yoruba Language and Culture (NAYLC) has condemned the cancellation of the National Language Policy (2022).

 

In a statement signed by the patron of the association, Dr James Adesokan Ojebode, the group called for an “immediate reversal in defence of Nigeria’s linguistic heritage.”

 

Ojebode said it received, with deep shock and disappointment, the recent decision of the National Council on Education (NCE), during its recent meeting in Akure, Ondo State, to cancel the National Language Policy (NLP 2022) and to impose English as the sole medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria.

 

“As Life Patron of the NAYLC, I strongly condemn this unfortunate and ill-informed decision, which represents a grave misplacement of priority at a time when nations around the world are strengthening—rather than abandoning—their indigenous languages,” Ojebode said.

 

The life patron of the association explained that the National Language Policy was conceived to promote mother-tongue-based multilingual education, ensuring that Nigerian children receive instruction in the language of their immediate environment during the foundational years of learning, adding that “This is not merely an academic strategy; it is a cultural imperative. Language is the soul of a people. It carries identity, values, memory, and worldviews across generations. To discard it is to uproot the very essence of who we are.”

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He explained that for decades, researchers, cultural custodians, linguists, and policymakers—including UNESCO and leading global education bodies- affirmed that children learn best when taught in their mother tongue. Evidence consistently shows improved comprehension, stronger cognitive development, and greater cultural confidence.

 

The NAYLC patron, however, warned that “to now jettison this progress on the weak justification that some children are no longer fluent in their mother tongue is to misunderstand both the problem and the solution. The erosion of indigenous languages is precisely why the policy must be fully implemented—and certainly not cancelled.

 

“This retrogressive action threatens the survival of minority languages, Nigeria’s cultural continuity, the intellectual growth of our children, the vibrancy of our creative industries, and the global standing of Nigeria as a culturally endowed nation.

 

“Yoruba, like all other Nigerian languages, is a living archive of wisdom, philosophy, and identity. To sideline it is to erase centuries of accumulated knowledge and cultural pride. No serious nation abandons its mother tongues in favour of a colonial language elevated as the sole medium of instruction.

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“We must not become a nation that willingly loses its heritage in the blind pursuit of borrowed identities. The future of the Yoruba language—and indeed all Nigerian languages—cannot be negotiated away on the altar of convenience or administrative expediency.

 

“Nigeria must not become a country that willingly loses its soul. Our languages are our pride, our identity, and our inheritance. We must defend them—firmly, responsibly, and without apology,” he said.

 

On behalf of the NAYLC, Ojebode called on the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, the National Council on Education (NCE), the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria (YOSAN), UNESCO, Nigerians in the Diaspora, and all lovers of culture and heritage to resist this dangerous policy shift and to ensure the immediate reinstatement and full implementation of the National Language Policy, 2022.

 

He also appealed to scholars, cultural organisations, traditional institutions, civil society groups, and all patriotic Nigerians to raise their voices at this critical moment. Silence now will amount to endorsing the cultural erosion of future generations.

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“History will not forgive us if we allow our languages to die under our watch. Nigeria must therefore rise to protect its heritage. Nigeria must reject policies that weaken its identity. Nigeria must not cling to colonial apron strings in the 21st century.

 

Nigeria must not become a country that willingly loses its soul. Our languages are our pride, our identity, and our inheritance. We must defend them—firmly, responsibly, and without apology,” Ojebode advised.

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

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Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

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On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

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4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

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7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

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10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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