Kebbi State Government has ordered urgent repairs to a section of the Birnin Kebbi–Makera–International Road, which was washed away by flooding following a recent downpour.

The damaged portion, considered a key route linking Kebbi to the Republic of Niger, has disrupted transportation and regional trade since the incident earlier this week.

Governor Nasir Idris, who visited the site on Wednesday, directed the Ministry of Works to engage a qualified construction firm to begin immediate rehabilitation. He also requested that a cost estimate be submitted by Thursday for swift approval.

“This road is vital to both Kebbi State and the national economy,” Idris said during the inspection, pledging to release 50 percent of the project funds immediately to accelerate the work.

Commissioner for Works, Abdullahi Umar Faruq Muslim, blamed the road failure on poor drainage infrastructure, noting that the absence of proper culverts allowed rainwater to erode the roadbed.

The governor was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, during the visit.

Lagos State Government has expressed deep concern over the rising tide of substance abuse within the state and across Nigeria, calling for urgent efforts to tackle the growing threat.

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu issued the call during the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme, ASAP, Advocacy Stakeholders Conference, organised by MTN Nigeria at its headquarters in Falomo, Lagos.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the governor described substance abuse as a “malignant cancer” eating away at the core of society and endangering the nation’s future.

“It is disheartening to witness the spread of drug abuse among our youth, with its grip extending even to our innocent children,” Salu-Hundeyin lamented.

He added: “Our young people are the lifeblood of our future. But how can a nation thrive when its strength is undermined by the devastating effects of addiction?”

She noted that the Lagos State Government is actively implementing a multi-faceted response to the challenge. Initiatives include the establishment of a dedicated mental health institute, a round-the-clock mental health support helpline, and ongoing collaboration with regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight.

“We are prioritising preventive strategies in our fight against substance abuse.

“Through the Lagos State Well-Being Programme, we have expanded school counseling services, equipped communities, schools, and religious centres with early intervention tools, and reinforced mental health awareness to stem the tide before it worsens,” she said.

Salu-Hundeyin also praised MTN Nigeria for its corporate commitment to social responsibility through the ASAP initiative.

She highlighted the programme’s investment in youth education, teacher training, and sustained national advocacy as exemplary, noting it demonstrates how the private sector can be a powerful partner in driving societal progress.

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has appealed to the National Assembly to enact a law against unexplained wealth.

He said such a law would engender the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

In a statement by the EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale on Wednesday, the chairman made the plea at National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance convened by the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The statement noted that the Chairman condemned non-existing legislation against unexplained wealth saying that corruption is emboldened when people living above their means are not questioned.

“I want to make an appeal to you all, please, pass the bill on unexplained wealth. We need transparency in resource management. That’s all we need,” he said.

Olukoyede also called on government at all levels to uphold transparency in resource management even as he stated that “mismanagement of resources is behind banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other acts of insecurity in the country.

The chairman also sought the Commission’s cooperation with custodians of stolen assets abroad for the repatriation of the stolen assets to Nigeria.

He noted that custodians of stolen assets are as guilty as those that stole the assets.

In his remarks, the House Committee Chairman on Public Accounts, Honourable Bamidele Salaam said to tackle corruption headlong, there must be a review of the nation’s cost of labour such that workers would not fall prey to inducement and corruption.