A new report by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) reveals that many Nigerians perceive their country's judicial system as corrupt, difficult to access, and susceptible to political influence. Released on Tuesday in Lagos, the report titled "Voices for Justice: A Civic Lens on Nigeria's Judicial System – Documenting Public Experiences, Opinions, and Reform Demands" represents the fifth edition of HEDA's Leadership Approval Rating series. Executive Secretary Sulaimon Arigbabu presented the findings, which are based on a nationwide survey of 1,357 respondents across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The results highlight significant public dissatisfaction with the justice system. "Young people are clearly engaged, with 57 percent of respondents aged between 18 and 35," Arigbabu noted. "Yet, 50 percent of participants said they had never interacted with the courts. Only 12.6 percent rated the judiciary as highly accessible, while 36.5 percent described accessibility as very low." When citizens did engage with courts, it was primarily for administrative purposes like obtaining affidavits or resolving land disputes rather than seeking more substantive justice. The survey exposed concerning trends regarding judicial integrity. Nearly half (49 percent) of court users admitted to paying or "sorting" court officials, while 65.4 percent characterized judicial corruption as high or extremely high. Only 42.3 percent of respondents believed court decisions were based on merit, with many citing persistent delays and perceived bias as major issues. Trust in legal professionals was also low, with 64 percent of respondents saying lawyers contribute to judicial corruption and only 29 percent viewing judges as impartial. Additionally, 62 percent felt judges were violating judicial ethics by failing to "remain heard and not seen." High-profile and political cases were identified as particular areas of concern, with 63.4 percent of respondents believing these cases expose judges to corruption. Nearly half (48.9 percent) said such cases received priority treatment at the expense of ordinary matters, contributing to extended delays in accessing justice. While 59 percent of respondents acknowledged that financial autonomy had moderately improved judicial independence, only 17 percent expressed confidence in the National Judicial Council's ability to discipline judges who violate standards. Despite improvements in the judiciary's financial autonomy, respondents indicated this has not translated to greater transparency or accountability. The report also found that more than 70 percent of respondents did not know how to report judicial misconduct.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The International Monetary Fund has lowered its economic growth projection for Nigeria, citing falling oil prices as a primary factor behind the adjustment.

According to the IMF's April 2025 World Economic Outlook report published Tuesday, Nigeria's real GDP is now forecast to grow by 3.0 percent in 2025, down from the previous estimate of 3.2 percent. This revised figure also falls below the 3.4 percent growth estimated for 2024, with a further slowdown to 2.7 percent anticipated in 2026.

The IMF explained that the downgrade reflects how declining oil prices are affecting Nigeria's fiscal and external positions, emphasizing that energy exports continue to be the country's main source of foreign exchange and government revenue.

"For sub-Saharan Africa, growth is expected to decline slightly from 4 percent in 2024 to 3.8 percent in 2025 and recover modestly in 2026, lifting to 4.2 percent," the report stated. "Among the larger economies, the growth forecast in Nigeria is revised downward by 0.2 percentage point for 2025 and 0.3 percentage point for 2026, owing to lower oil prices."

While Nigeria is maintaining a current account surplus, its external position is expected to weaken in coming years. The IMF projects the country's current account balance will decrease from 9.1 percent of GDP in 2024 to 6.9 percent in 2025, dropping further to 5.2 percent in 2026.

The Central Bank of Nigeria recently reported a balance of payments surplus of $6.83 billion for 2024, driven by a goods trade surplus of $13.17 billion. However, these surpluses may not be sustainable according to the latest IMF projections.

Investment bank JP Morgan has warned that Nigeria could slip into a current account deficit if oil prices remain below the fiscal breakeven benchmark of $60 per barrel. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings offered a more optimistic view, projecting that Nigeria's current account surplus will average 3.3 percent between 2025 and 2026, supported by improved refining capacity and ongoing energy sector reforms.

Regarding inflation, the IMF forecasts that Nigeria's headline inflation will average 26.5 percent in 2025—down from 33.2 percent in 2024—but could surge to 37.0 percent in 2026.

These projections follow the National Bureau of Statistics' rebasing of the Consumer Price Index in January 2025, which updated the base year from 2009 to 2024. After rebasing, inflation eased to 24.48 percent in January from 34.80 percent in December 2024, falling further to 23.18 percent in February before rising again to 24.23 percent in March.

The Central Bank of Nigeria maintained its Monetary Policy Rate at 27.5 percent in February to contain inflation, though it may need to implement further rate hikes as inflation and money supply increased in March 2025.

The IMF also highlighted concerns about weak income growth among Nigerians. It projects that Nigeria's real output per capita will grow by just 0.6 percent in 2025 and 0.3 percent in 2026, indicating limited improvements in living standards. These figures remain below the Sub-Saharan African average, underscoring the slow translation of economic growth into improved household incomes.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Residents of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states have been undergoing hardship following cuts in power supply by the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).

They said in the last three days, they got power supply for between two and three hours daily.

This is just as several Small-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the states said they were facing difficulties operating due to poor power supply and shortages.

Daily Trust’s findings revealed that businesses like welding, tailoring, phone charging, ice making and other small trades have been thrown into difficulties due to the shortage in electricity supply while others don’t even receive any power supply from the distribution company for days.

The KEDCO has apologised for the poor supply and blamed it on a system upgrade on its critical distribution infrastructure and vegetation control on electricity feeders requiring safe working space for its engineers.

Residents in the affected states have also been groaning as several basic amenities such as water supply and others are affected.

Water vendors increase price in Kano

In Kano State, a resident of Hotoro North in Nassarawa Local Government Area, Gambo Muhammad, said 25 litres of water sold at N70 before the shortage is now selling at N120 due to the power shortage.

“We are finding it very difficult to get access to affordable drinking water here. The main source of water in Kano is through boreholes and these boreholes are being powered by electricity. Therefore, without power supply, operators of the water businesses were forced to use other sources, which are expensive to operate and as such, water vendors incur additional charges which necessitate an increase in price of the water. To make it worse, not every centre can adequately afford it and that has made the water a little bit scarce in some places,” he said.

In some places, it was gathered that one had to wake up as early as 6:00am to look for a water vendor, while some water vendors claimed that they had to spend the night in the queue just to get their supply for the day.

It was also revealed that the ice block made from sachet water selling at N100 is now N200 per piece.

Why poor power supply?

Speaking on the poor supply in the state, the Head, Corporate Communications of KEDCO, Sani Bala Sani, in a statement on Saturday, blamed the poor supply to the ongoing network upgrades in some of its critical distribution infrastructure.

While apologising for the continuous outage, Sani said the company is also engaging in vegetation control on its feeders, which require safe working space for its engineers.

“We wish to sincerely apologise to our valued customers for the slight drop in power supply currently experienced across our franchise area….

“Recall that we have made significant progress in enhancing electricity distribution, and the results are evident, with longer hours of uninterrupted power, quicker response times, and better service delivery.

“As we remain committed to maintaining and even surpassing these improvements and in view of the forthcoming rainy season, it became necessary to carry out the upgrades to forestall any network disruptions.

“We sincerely regret all inconveniences caused, while assuring you that normal supply shall be restored as soon as the work is completed. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

Welder loses ‘mouthwatering contract’ in Jigawa

In Jigawa State, people have resorted to the use of abandoned wells to source for water and also various businesses such as welding and other related businesses have been grounded due to shortage of power supply. It was also gathered that the shortage had affected the price of some commodities such as cooking oil, ice blocks and phone charging as operators had increased their charges to cover the extra expenditure they incurred.

According to a water vendor, Sani Talle, electricity has been elusive in his area for three days and thus has not loaded his truck due to lack of water as a result of power shortage in the state. He explained that the power shortage has forced many water vendors to abandon their trucks and look for other things to be able to keep body and soul alive.

“They only provide electricity two or three hours a day, and in Jigawa here, the source of water is usually the boreholes and you can imagine the volume of water a two-hour power supply can pump. For three days now, I have been sitting down because there is no water to sell. If you go round, you will find out people are now using well water for their daily usage,” he said.

He added that there are many vendors like him who are considering adopting other means of survival and abandoning their vendor work as electricity supply is always going down.

On his part, Jamilu Shuwarin, a welder said he does nothing in his shop daily due to the power outage.

“I open in the morning and close in the evening without doing anything. I have lost a mouthwatering contract to someone who has more capital than me and can work with big electricity generating machines.”

He said his situation has made feeding his family difficult as he couldn’t afford to complement the shortage of electricity with other sources of power supply.

Netizens react

The conversation has also made waves on Nigeria’s cybersphere with netizens complaining how long it took for KEDCO to speak on the poor power supply.

Writing under an X post of KEDCO, Abdulmalik Attah described the position of the company as a ‘story’, adding that the situation means there wouldn’t be electricity in the franchise states for three weeks if the maintenance lasted that long.

Another X user, Muhammad Madaka, said the notice is coming late and is basically useless.

“It is after people have been complaining seriously you decided to come up with this excuse of a notice, no timeframe of when the supposed upgrade will be done.”

Rabiu Adam, who tagged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in his comment, alleged that KEDCO is prioritising Kano as Katsina has always suffered at the hands of KEDCO.

“Even the KEDCO staff in Katsina don’t know the reason for the power outage. Almost a week of no supply and calling it a slight drop is crazy.”

Ibrahim Salisu Jibia said he is not happy with the current situation as the GRA feeder in Katsina supplying electricity to his house has gone for three days, keeping residents in darkness. “Something needs to be done please,” he pleaded.

SMEs shut down in Katsina

In Katsina State, the situation is similar, as residents claimed that they don’t get electricity supply that lasts for three hours. Residents of the state revealed that it is disheartening the rate at which SMEs are shutting down their businesses due to poor electricity supply.

NERC fines 8 DisCos

This is coming two weeks after the NERC announced it had fined eight electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) N628,031,583.94 (million) for violating its capping order on estimated bills for unmetered customers.

According to NERC, the companies, which included KEDCO, were fined in pursuant to section 34(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 2023 (“EA 2023”) and for not to fully complying with the monthly energy caps issued by the commission between July – September 2024 (2024/Q3).

Others include Abuja, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, and Yola DisCos.

“The public may recall that in 2020, the commission issued the Order on Capping of Estimated Bills (Order No: NERC/197/2020) and subsequently issued monthly energy caps, which aimed to align the estimated bills for unmetered customers with the measured consumption of metered customers on the same supply feeder. A review of DisCos’ billing of unmetered customers for July – September 2024 (2024/Q3) revealed non-compliance with the monthly energy caps issued by the Commission.”

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Minna, the state capital, following a surge in violent attacks and killings. The curfew, effective from 6:00pm to 6:00am daily, restricts all movement, including commercial motorcycles and tricycles, during these hours.

The governor announced the measure on Tuesday during an emergency security meeting with traditional leaders and security chiefs at the Government House. He emphasized that the curfew excludes medical emergencies but is necessary to address the escalating security threats in the city.

Bago warned that the government would not tolerate further attacks on residents and directed local leaders—including district, village, and ward heads—to monitor and document visitors in their areas. He also issued a stern warning that properties housing suspected criminals or drug dealers would be demolished.

The decision comes amid increasing incidents of thuggery, armed assaults, and fatalities in Minna, which have heightened fears among the populace. The curfew aims to restore order and enhance security operations in the state capital.

No fewer than seven people were killed when gunmen suspected to be members of the new terrorist group, Mahmuda, attacked communities in Baruten and Kaiama local government areas of Kwara State.

Daily Trust gathered that the assailants, who were on military camouflage riding motorcycles, stormed a market square at 9:30 pm on Monday and opened fire on the residents before they zoomed off.

Four Fulanis, a vigilante and a 19-year-old youth who was hit by a stray bullet reportedly lost their lives during the deadly incident.

According to a resident of the area, the fresh incident is coming in the wake of a similar attack the same day in neighbouring Kaiama where a vigilante was killed.

Speaking on the Baruten incident, a source said: “We suspect that they came with a premeditated motive because they fired at the Fulanis at close range shooting them in the head. The vigilante was holding a dane gun and they saw him as a threat. But the boy was hit by a stray bullet.

“The place is a very popular trading spot with a lot of business and commercial activities. It was a sudden attack believed to be a reprisal over alleged collaboration with the security agencies against the terrorists”.

Confirming the incident, police spokeswoman, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the “two grievous incidents that occurred on Sunday in Baruten and Kaiama are under investigation.

“At about 2130hrs, suspected armed men, numbering ten, stormed the Ilesha Baruba Motor Park and opened fire indiscriminately at civilians gathered at a nearby relaxation spot.

“As a result, six persons identified as Ja’awire, AbdulJabar, Mohammed Nasamu and three others lost their lives, while two others sustained serious gunshot injuries.

“The deceased have been deposited at the Ilesha Baruba Morgue for autopsy, while the injured are receiving treatment. An investigation has been initiated, and full security measures have been implemented to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“In a related incident earlier the same day at about 1130hrs, a Kemanji-based vigilante group on routine foot patrol encountered suspected bandits within the Kainji National Park area.

“In the course of the gun duel, three of the suspected bandits suffered fatal gunshot wounds and a member of the vigilante, Yusuf Samba was shot and later succumbed to gunshot injury.

“Our investigation culminated in the arrest of an informant, who admitted to collaborating with a group of bandits. This individual has proven to be a valuable asset in advancing the investigation”, she said.

Daily Trust

Israel steps up Gaza strikes; polio vaccination halted by blockade

The Israeli military launched one of the biggest waves of strikes in Gaza for weeks on Tuesday, residents said, and health officials issued a new warning that healthcare faced total collapse from Israel's blockade of all supplies.

Gaza's health ministry said a U.N.-backed polio vaccination campaign meant to target over 600,000 children had been suspended, putting the enclave at risk of the revival of a crippling disease that once had been all-but eradicated.

In diplomacy to end the conflict, a Hamas delegation was expected to arrive in Cairo for talks. Two sources familiar with the mediation effort said the delegation would discuss a new offer which would include a truce for 5 to 7 years following the release of all hostages and an end to fighting.

The sources said Israel, which rejected a recent Hamas offer to release all hostages for an end of the war, had yet to respond to a revamped long-term truce proposal. Israel demands Hamas be disarmed, which the militants reject.

A Hamas source later denied knowledge of an imminent visit, telling Reuters the group stood by its demand any agreement must end the war.

Gaza residents said Israeli forces bombed several areas across the enclave from tanks, planes, and naval boats. The attacks hit houses, tent encampments and roads, they added.

The airstrikes destroyed bulldozers and vehicles being used to lift rubble and help recover bodies trapped under the ruins, officials and residents said.

Hamas said the vehicles that were destroyed included nine that had been received from Egypt, adding that the move aimed to "deepen the suffering of our people in Gaza."

The Israeli military said they hit 40 "engineering vehicles" that were used for "terrorist actions", including the execution of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The vehicles were "considered a key component in Hamas' ability to carry out terrorist operations against the Defense Forces and the State of Israel," said the military.

Israel has imposed a total blockade on all supplies to Gaza since the start of March and relaunched its military operations on March 18 after the collapse of a ceasefire.

Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,600 Palestinians according to the Gaza health authorities, and hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes as Israel seized what it calls a buffer zone of Gaza land.

Israel's 18-month bombing campaign has rendered nearly all buildings in the Gaza Strip uninhabitable, and Gaza's 2.3 million people now mostly live in the open under makeshift tents. Since the total blockade was imposed last month, all 25 U.N.-supplied bakeries making bread have been shut.

Israel says enough supplies were sent into the enclave during the six-week truce to keep Gazans alive for months. Aid agencies say they fear the population is on the precipice of starvation and mass disease.

If polio vaccines don't arrive immediately, "we anticipate a real catastrophe. Children and patients must not be used as cards of political blackmail," said Gaza health ministry spokesperson Khalil Deqran. He said 60,000 children were now showing symptoms of malnutrition.

ISRAEL DENIES BLOCKADE BREAKS INTERNATIONAL LAW

Israel says its blockade is aimed at pressuring the Hamas militants who run Gaza to release 59 remaining Israeli hostages captured in the October 2023 attacks that precipitated the war. Hamas says it is prepared to free them but only as part of a deal that ends the war.

"Israel is acting in full accordance with international law," Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X, in response to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who called the Israeli blockade of Gaza since March a war crime.

"The humanitarian condition in Gaza is constantly monitored and large quantities of aid were delivered. Whenever it becomes necessary to allow additional aid, it must be ensured that it does not pass through Hamas, which exploits humanitarian aid to maintain control over the civilian population and to profit at their expense," Katz wrote.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, described the blockade as collective punishment of Gaza's people.

"The siege must be lifted, supplies must flow in, the hostages must be released, the ceasefire must resume," Lazzarini said on Tuesday in a post on X.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza, according to Israeli records.

Since then, local health authorities report that over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine presses for ceasefire as Russia reported to offer concession

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday Ukraine was ready for talks with Russia "in any format" once a ceasefire is set, while the Financial Times reported President Vladimir Putin had offered to halt Russia's invasion at the current front lines.

Both sides are trying to demonstrate progress towards ending Russia's war in Ukraine, now well into its fourth year, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he could walk away from efforts to make peace if there is no breakthrough.

"We are ready to record that after a ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format so that there are no dead ends," Zelenskiy told reporters in the presidential office in Kyiv.

He stressed that any discussions regarding the terms of a peace deal should only happen once the fighting has stopped and that it would be impossible to agree on everything quickly.

The Ukrainian president said his delegation would have a mandate to discuss a full or partial ceasefire at talks with European and U.S. officials in London on Wednesday in a follow-up to last week's Paris meeting.

At the same time, the White House said Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will again travel to Russia later this week to hold talks with Putin.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Putin offered at a meeting with Witkoff in St. Petersburg this month to halt Russia's invasion across the front line and relinquish its claims to full control of four Ukrainian regions.

Russia only partially controls Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions it claimed as its own during the full-scale invasion. Putin has publicly demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from Kyiv-held areas in the regions.

The FT said the proposal was the first formal indication Putin has given since the war's early months that Russia could step back from some of its maximalist demands. It cited European officials briefed on U.S. efforts as saying Russia's apparent concession could be a negotiating tactic.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the deliberations, that Washington had proposed recognising Russia's annexation of Crimea and freezing the war's front lines as part of a settlement.

The Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, is not one of the four regions in Putin's offer reported by the FT.

Zelenskiy has long said Ukraine will not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea and other territories as that would violate the country's constitution. However, he has also suggested that Ukraine could win back control over the areas diplomatically over time, rather than by military force.

The U.S. presented the proposals to Kyiv at a meeting with Western countries in Paris last week, the Washington Post said.

Other thorny issues that complicate the peace process include the Kremlin's insistence that Ukraine become formally neutral and not join the NATO military alliance.

Ukraine also hopes a foreign contingent will be deployed to ensure the peace settlement is enforced, serving as a security guarantee against any further Russian aggression. Moscow has repeatedly said it would not accept that.

In an apparent change of plan, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the talks in London, a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that Washington's Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg would attend.

Trump and Rubio said last week that Washington could abandon its peace effort unless there was progress within days. Trump on Sunday said that "hopefully" there would be a deal "this week".

Separately, Zelenskiy said he would be ready to meet Trump when they attend the funeral of Pope Francis along with other world leaders this week.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Zelensky refuses to recognize Russia’s Crimea

Kiev will not discuss recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky told journalists on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian outlet Suspilne.

The US will propose officially accepting the peninsula as part of the Russian Federation at a meeting with Kiev and its European backers on Wednesday, as part of a broader peace deal to stop the conflict, the Washington Post wrote on Tuesday citing anonymous sources.

“[Crimea] is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine. We have nothing to talk about on this topic – it is outside our Constitution,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader claimed that discussing the issue of sovereignty over Crimea could only lead to additional fighting.

“As soon as we start talking about Crimea, about our sovereign territories, we enter the format of prolonging the war,” he said, adding that this is “what Russia wants.”

Last week, Zelensky lashed out over the subject in a press conference, saying that US special envoy Steve Witkoff had no authority to discuss such issues with Russia.

The US proposal on Crimea was already presented to Ukraine in Paris last week, and includes eventual sanctions relief for Moscow in exchange for a peace deal, the Post reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the deliberations.

Ukrainian officials interpreted the plan as Washington’s final offer before the US washes its hands of peace efforts, the newspaper wrote, citing anonymous sources.

US President Donald Trump is expected to present Washington’s “final offer” on a full ceasefire deal as early as next week, the New York Post wrote on Saturday, citing a senior administration official.

In 2014, the predominantly ethnically Russian population of Crimea voted to join Russia following a Western-backed armed coup in Kiev. Both Ukraine and its Western supporters continue to claim that the referendum was illegitimate.

Reuters/RT

Monday, 14 April marked eleven agonising years since the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

What should have prompted a swift, coordinated national emergency response instead revealed deep-rooted inefficiencies, systemic neglect, and an alarming failure of governance — failures that tragically persist.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2014 abduction, both Nigerians and the international community watched in disbelief as the administration of then President Goodluck Jonathan faltered in its response. Despite offers of assistance from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and France, the Nigerian government hesitated. The president reportedly dismissed the incident as an “internal crisis” he would manage personally. That critical delay gave Boko Haram time to disperse the girls — many of whom were forced into marriage, subjected to slavery, or worse.

More than 90 of the Chibok girls remain missing today. The #BringBackOurGirls movement captured global attention and mobilised support across continents. Yet, even the weight of international advocacy could not compel Nigerian authorities to maintain consistent, effective rescue efforts.

Four years later, another dark chapter unfolded in Dapchi, Yobe State. On 19 February, 2018, over 100 schoolgirls were abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Within a month, all but one of them were returned.

That one was 14-year-old Leah Sharibu, whose continued captivity seven years on is a national tragedy. Her only “crime”? Refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Leah’s ordeal underscores not just religious persecution, but the government’s failure to act decisively and with equity. Despite repeated assurances from top officials, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Leah remains in captivity. There are no transparent updates. No credible leads. Just a haunting silence.

Successive governments, including the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, have failed to prioritise the rescue of the remaining girls or implement systemic reforms to protect schoolchildren. The statistics are staggering: since 2014, more than 1,600 children have been abducted in mass school kidnappings across Nigeria.

Each new incident reopens old wounds. The consequences for education are dire. Fear-driven dropouts have surged, contributing to Nigeria’s alarming out-of-school population — now the highest globally at 20.1 million.

Programmes such as the Safe Schools Initiative, once launched with optimism and global backing, have stagnated. The Chibok school itself remains in ruins — a haunting symbol of broken promises and unfulfilled obligations.

The continued silence of key figures — most notably Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was governor of Borno State during the Chibok abduction — has drawn sharp criticism. Meanwhile, insecurity in Nigeria has evolved into a full-scale crisis. The country now ranks sixth on the Global Terrorism Index. Terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping flourish under weak intelligence coordination, chronically underfunded security agencies, and pervasive corruption. Despite billions of naira budgeted annually for defense, Nigerians remain unsafe. Their children, even more so.

Eleven years on, the unresolved fate of the Chibok girls and the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu remain indelible stains on the nation’s conscience. They are not just tragic memories but damning indictments of a state that has repeatedly failed its most vulnerable.

As we mark this solemn anniversary, the call for action must rise above the noise. Nigeria needs bold leadership — one that declares a state of emergency on insecurity, invests in grassroots intelligence, and ensures transparency and accountability for every naira spent in the name of security.

We owe it to the Chibok girls. We owe it to Leah Sharibu. We owe it to every child sitting in a classroom, daring to dream. Nigeria must do better — or risk losing an entire generation’s faith in their nation.

** Firdausi Abubakar writes from Abuja and can be reached through: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kate Gallego

Kate Gallego knew she wanted to run for mayor of Phoenix, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.

In 2017, she was serving on the Phoenix City Council when the outgoing mayor announced he was leaving to run for Congress, leaving the seat open.

“I had long been interested in running, but it was a rough time in my personal life: My mom had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer, and I was pregnant, and my marriage fell apart, so I was newly divorced with an infant,” Gallego, now 43, told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan at the recent 2025 Changemakers Summit in Los Angeles.

Gallego initially decided she couldn’t pursue the mayoral seat: “It was too much. I felt like everyone was asking questions about my divorce and my personal life, and I didn’t want to put myself in too much scrutiny over that.”

But months after becoming a mother, she began to think otherwise. She was getting more sleep, for one, and also recognized that all around her were “wonderful people who wanted to support me and help me be successful in public service and be a successful mother,” she told CNBC.

“I realized there wasn’t a need to be a perfect mayor with your entire life in order,” Gallego said. “In fact, it maybe makes you a better mayor if you’re juggling the same challenges everyone else is and have the same pressures.”

Gallego, a Democrat, ran for mayor and in 2019 became the second woman elected mayor in Phoenix history and one of the youngest big-city mayors in the nation.

Gallego said she was glad she took the leap and urges others to not wait for the “right” time to pursue their ambitions.

“If there’s anyone out there and you’re making a big life decision and you want to wait till your life is perfect, I would say, don’t [wait],” she said. “At least, my life has never been perfect. But I think if you share what your goal is and what the vision is, what you hope to achieve, a lot of people are willing to help you along the way.”

Gallego said sharing her experience connected her with the many others who had similar life moments, and “hopefully I will make it easier for the next mom who wants to do a career change or promotion.”

“Just knowing that the people of Phoenix were very, very supportive, it did not end up being the huge issue that I thought,” she said. “It worked out for me, but it was a lot of doubt along the way.”

Leading Phoenix to be ‘future-ready’

Gallego will be sworn into her final four-yearterm as Phoenix mayor on Monday and is ready to “make Phoenix as future ready as possible,” she told CNBC.

Already, she has helped shape Phoenix as a hub of innovation, including by working with companies ranging from Amazon to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Alphabet’s Waymo on projects that are delivering packages and passengers to airports, and bringing new jobs and an influx of investments.

For example, TSMC’s plans to invest more than $165 billion to build advanced chips in the U.S. have brought in new workers to Phoenix, and the city is one of three in the U.S. where Waymo robotaxis transport passengers in driverless vehicles.

A personal loss — one of Gallego’s former bosses was killed in a traffic accident — has motivated her to invest in AI-powered traffic signals to improve pedestrian safety.

Meanwhile, Gallego said she’s invested in initiatives that bring new high-paying jobs to underserved communities, like Navajo womenwho previously worked in the coal industry who now do iron work at the semiconductor plant in $100,000-plus roles.

“It’s exciting to have four more years in the city of Phoenix,” Gallego said. “We’re in a really good place. We feel like we’re the ‘good news’ branch of government, and so we’re hoping to continue delivering results.”

CNBC

Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, who worked to instill progressive influences on the global church while maintaining unity with conservatives amid years of turmoil, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. 

He was 88 years old.

"Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Farrell announced.

"He taught us to live the values  of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy, and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views. 

Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and "will end badly." 

In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance — who had recently converted to Catholicism — after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others. 

"Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups," the pontiff wrote. "Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these considerations." 

Pope Francis in 2015 became the first pontiff to ever address a Joint Meeting of Congress where he spoke on a range of topics including immigration, family, the death penalty, climate change, extremism, religious freedom and the refugee crisis. 

He joined American bishops and urged American leaders to abolish capital punishment and said Congress has a "role to play" in addressing global warming. 

In 2022 he questioned then President Biden's conscience on abortion in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief's religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent. "A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life," the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision. 

He also weighed in on candidates Trump and Harris during the election campaign, where he bashed them both, saying, "Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ he said, according to the Associated Press. 

Just weeks before President Trump’s second inauguration, he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the Archbishop of Washington. McElroy had been critical of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term as president. 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, Francis made history as the first pope from the Americas — as well as the first Jesuit to hold the office.  

He was elected pope in 2013 after the almost unprecedented retirement of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.  

Bergolio’s father, Mario, was an accountant for the railway industry, and his mother, Regina, was a homemaker and caregiver for her five children.  

Throughout his early years, the future pope worked a number of menial jobs. He labored briefly in the stocking factory where his father was an accountant before moving on to other opportunities, including jobs as a bar bouncer and janitor.  

He eventually sought a career as a chemical technician, receiving a diploma in chemistry from the secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial N° 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen. He also worked briefly in a food laboratory. However, his career in chemistry was short-lived. 

He entered the priesthood at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto in Argentina. Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession with the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1973. The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.  

His appointment as provincial was concurrent with the Dirty War, a period of intense state-led persecution of left-wing leaders and political dissidents. Bergolio experienced constant threats to his own safety as he worked to hide or aid in the escape of government targets, including many Catholic faithful.  

During that time, two Jesuit priests under his supervision were disappeared by the government, drugged and left barely alive in a field five months after their kidnapping. Pope Francis has said he was forced to negotiate with the regime for their release.  

Bergolio would spend the next two decades bouncing from position to position at the direction of his superiors. He served as a professor of theology, seminary instructor, rector, doctoral student and parish priest.  

In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bergolio as titular Bishop of Auca and as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. This was done at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who consecrated him to the episcopacy.  

Bergoglio proved vital to the nation’s Catholic community, and he was quickly raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving alongside Quarracino and taking over the archdiocese entirely after his death the following year.  

Bergoglio was given the crimson hat of a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.  

In 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, selecting the pontifical name "Francis" after St. Francis of Assisi — a choice that set the tone for the rest of his papacy.  

Pope Francis’s teachings as a priest, bishop, cardinal and pope were deeply influenced by his Jesuit vocation — viewing each person as a unique creation of God, with whom they can have a personal relationship. His ministry and leadership were committed to keeping doors open and making the church approachable to the public.  

It was not only American politics that he had strong opinions of. 

He faced criticism for specific remarks he made against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful." During that same speech, he condemned the growth of antisemitism throughout the world, Reuters reported. He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed concerns over climate change.

In 2023, seemingly looking to strike a balance, he formally allowed Catholic priests to give same-sex couples a blessing, which was seen as being a radical shift in church policy, the Associated Press reported at the time.   

Pope Francis is also remembered for living a life of intense simplicity, denying himself a lavish papal apartment in the Vatican upon his election, and opting instead for a two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta, a residence built by Pope John Paul II.  

In contrast to his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis eschewed ornate robes or luxurious clothing. His outfit rarely consisted of more than a plain, white cassock tied with a papal fascia.  

Pope Francis even dressed down his Ring of the Fisherman — a piece of gold jewelry worn by popes to signify their office — by having it made with silver and only wearing it for ceremonies.  

Francis’s tenure continued the ongoing efforts to investigate decades of sexual abuse claims against priests across the world, including in the United States, with Francis vowing transparency in 2019. 

"Transparency is now being implemented at the highest level," said Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after Francis gave legal authorities access to documents about sexual abuse cases and abolished the "pontifical secret" of the cases.  

He continued Benedict's work to root malicious clerics out of the Church hierarchy "with the wrath of God," appointing task forces and establishing victim aid groups.  

Pope Francis proved frustrating for a wide variety of conservatives, liberals, traditionalists and progressives. 

His gentle — at times vague and confusing — language on key social issues, such as sexuality and divorce, frustrated conservatives hoping for a more aggressive champion of Catholic moral teaching. 

In July 2017, a group of Catholic clergy and academics sent Pope Francis a "Filial Correction" document alleging seven serious theological mistakes made by the pontiff in public statements. The document’s assertions proved controversial within the Catholic Church and the document was never explicitly addressed.  

Conversely, his refusal to back down from traditional church teachings on abortion, gay marriage, women’s ordination and priestly celibacy frustrated progressives hoping for a more modern church.  

Echoing his time as a prelate in Argentina, Pope Francis was at times criticized from both sides of the aisle for his heavy hand enforcing Catholic unity on national and international levels.  

Traditionalists voiced intense opposition to his apostolic letter "Traditionis custodes," which restricted the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in an attempt to squash increasingly separatist conservative movements within the Church.

He similarly shut down discussion of many social issues that progressives have sought to reform.  

In 2019, Pope Francis told a nun asking him to approve the ordination of women that "if the Lord didn’t want a sacramental ministry for women, it can’t go forward," adding, "We are Catholics, but if anyone wants to found another church they are free [to do so]."  

The hyper-progressive leadership of the Catholic Church in Germany was a target of his ire after the country’s clerical leaders attempted an upheaval of traditional teachings regarding gender and sexuality. The Vatican issued a series of letters, approved by Pope Francis, accusing the German church of risking separation from the Catholic Communion.  

The conflict with German bishops encapsulated his papacy’s recurring themes of authority and unity, best exemplified in a passage from his "Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany."  

In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, "The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective."  

Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015, and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. 

Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.  

The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.  

In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon. 

In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment. 

In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.  

He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.   

In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.  

Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, "empty seat."  

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