News

Tensions Rise as Youth Council Protests CAC Deregistration

Published

1 year ago

October 9, 2025

Thousands of youth leaders under the banner of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Thursday took to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Abuja to protest the deregistration of the council.

Led by the NYCN President, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, the protesters launched a 30-day continuous demonstration, demanding the immediate sack of the CAC Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), whom they accused of carrying out an illegal and politically motivated move against Nigeria’s foremost youth organization.

It will be recalled that Sukubo was re-elected as NYCN President during the council’s national convention held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from September 19 to 22.

Just days after his victory, the Federal Ministry of Youth announced on Tuesday that the CAC had deregistered the NYCN, despite several ongoing court cases on the matter.

Consequently, on Thursday, the protesters stormed the Commission’s headquarters, demanding the immediate sack of the CAC Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), whom they accused of acting unlawfully.

The enraged youths barricaded all major access roads leading to the building, shut down the main entrance, and chanted solidarity songs while waving NYCN flags.

Armed with placards bearing bold inscriptions such as “Registrar-General Must Go,” “Nigerian Youths Reject CAC Tyranny,” ” The illegality can not stand”, “RG’s Action is an affront to Nigeria Youths”, “Deregistration of NYCN is a Security Threat”, “Ishaq Hussain Magaji Must Go,” and “We Say No to Illegality,” the protesters demanded the immediate reversal of NYCN’s deregistration and the resignation of the CAC boss.

Speaking to journalists, Sukubo condemned the CAC’s decision, describing it as a threat to national security.

The NYCN President further stated that some of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointees are undermining his Renewed Hope Agenda through their actions.

He stated, “If it is true, it means the Registrar General, Magaji’s action is an affront to the judicial system in Nigeria.This matter has already been addressed by Justice Okoro at the Federal High Court, and as I speak, it is pending before the Court of Appeal in Abuja. I see no reason why anyone should take personal action against a matter that the Court of Appeal has yet to decide.

“Mr. President, we have observed that some of your appointees are incompetent. They cannot deliver what is expected. The Nigerian youth have supported you, but today we face significant challenges in your government due to poor political judgment and inefficiency from the appointees.

“We are calling on you, President Bola Tinubu, to remove Magaji, S.A.N., the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission.

“This protest will continue for 30 days. We are starting today at the headquarters, and we will persist until the full 30 days are completed because we will not rest until he is removed. And NYCN his re-resgsitered.

“We also call on the Senate President to summon this individual, and on the National Security Adviser to take action to ensure that he is either removed or relieved of his duties immediately. This situation is an affront to the judicial system and poses a threat to national security.

The Nigerian youth are suffering, and this man is adding insult to injury. We cannot accept the deregistration of NYCN that cater for Youths welfare, and we will continue to fight for our rights.”

The NYCN National Secretary, Comrade Gara Nongha, described the Council’s deregistration by the CAC as illegal.

He stated, ” We are here to register our displeasure over the unlawful deregistration of the NYCN by the CAC. We demand the immediate reinstatement of the Council.

“NYCN is the apex body of Nigerian youth, and as their leaders, we will not allow this injustice to prevail.”

Also, Former Secretary General of NYCN, Barrister Abubakar Suleiman, said, Magaji (SAN), is sabotaging President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by delisting NYCN from CAC without waiting for court judgment.

He said: “Over 3,000 Nigeria youth are gathered here today, because of the impunity, lawlessness and the attitude of the Registrar General of the CAC. Nigeria is a federation. We are not living in a country of anomie. We are living in a country where the law works. The National Youth Council of Nigeria, the highest youth council, have its organisation registered with the CAC, Corporate and Affairs Commission.

“Just recently, two days ago, there was a publication from the CAC, Corporate and Fair Commission, that he has withdrawn the certificate of National Youth Council of Nigeria, as well as set up a committee to manage the affairs of the council. We have a pending suit at the court of appeal against CAC. CAC is a party to a suit that is pending at the court of appeal.
“We had won a suit in federal high courts. So they infer that CAC have no power to delist the Youth Council of Nigeria. But quite unfortunately, the Registrar General went and delisted the Youth Council of Nigeria from the portal of CAC, and issued a publication, as well as set up a committee to manage the affairs of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
“We are here to say no. Enough to impunity. Enough to this. The RG must go. It is obvious that the RG of CAC is working against the ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Renewed Hope Agenda that we are all clamouring for, and we are all supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The RG, who is an employee of the presidency, is working against President Tinubu. We are here today to tell Nigerians, to tell the world that enough is enough. Enough of impunity.Enough of lawlessness. It is time that Nigeria youths raised their voice and tell President Tinubu, RG must go.
“We are not just doing here today. We are not just stopping here. This is the first day of our flagging off. For 30 days, this protest will continue.
“Until President Tinubu sacks RG. We have mobilised our youths across the 36 states plus FCT, 774 local governments, to do the same protest in every state that CAC office is located. We are not leaving any CAC office until the RG is sacked.
“We know a lot of impunity is going on in this office. So many staff were employed at the background, without following due process. We are not ready to say that.The same RG has a pending case before Court of Appeal. And the same RG is here again to delist National Council of Nigeria from the list unlawfully, while there is a pending suit in the Court of Appeal. And we have won a suit at the Federal High Court and we got judgment.
“So on which ground is he deregistering NYCN? RG is a lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. I’m a member of the Bar. I wonder how such person of hierarchy of the profession, a noble profession, a gentleman to the court, will do this. We say no to this impunity.”
Speaking on behalf of the CAC, Acting Registrar General and Director of Customer Service, Julius Hanga, stated that NYCN was deregistered for a year to allow time for all outstanding issues to be addressed.
He assured that, in due course, the matters would be resolved and NYCN would be reinstated on the CAC portal.

Share on Facebook

Health

New Malaria Plan Puts States, Local Data At Centre Of Nigeria’s 2030 Response

Published

14 hours ago

October 22, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

Nigeria’s latest malaria data point to a country making progress overall but facing sharply different disease burdens from one state to another, prompting health authorities to shift emphasis towards locally tailored interventions under a new five-year strategy.

The National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP) 2026–2030, launched alongside the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) report, seeks to cut malaria parasite prevalence and deaths by 50 per cent from 2025 levels by 2030.

Rather than applying a uniform national response, the plan prioritises interventions based on local epidemiological evidence, while also calling for stronger domestic financing, improved diagnosis and treatment, better surveillance and clearer accountability.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Daju Kachallom, presented the government’s position at the joint launch in Abuja.

Pate described the survey and strategic plan as essential tools for identifying weaknesses in malaria control and directing resources towards areas with the greatest need.

He said the survey’s findings on prevalence, prevention, diagnosis and treatment would support policy development, programme implementation, resource allocation and performance assessment.

The minister said the strategic plan was designed to accelerate progress towards a malaria-free Nigeria while remaining consistent with national health priorities and the World Health Organisation’s global malaria strategy.

He commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the National Population Commission (NPC), development partners and other stakeholders involved in producing the survey and plan.

Pate also called for a shared national effort involving federal and state governments, the private sector, communities and households, stressing that malaria elimination could not be achieved by government alone.

The 2025 NMIS shows that malaria parasite prevalence among children aged six to 59 months, measured through microscopy, fell from 42 per cent in 2010 to 23 per cent in 2018, 22 per cent in 2021 and 15 per cent in 2025.

However, the national improvement masks substantial differences between states. Prevalence among children in the same age group ranged from two per cent in Lagos State to 31 per cent in Ebonyi State.

The figures indicate that progress has not been evenly distributed and that malaria control efforts must be adapted to the conditions in individual states and communities.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of NMEP, Dr Nnenna Ogbulafor, said the NMSP was developed from the 2025 NMIS findings and other programme data.

She said the evidence would help policymakers locate high-burden areas, improve the design of interventions and direct limited resources to communities most in need.

Ogbulafor said the plan was aligned with Nigeria’s health sector priorities and the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.

She identified policy alignment, state-level leadership, domestic financing, partnerships and accountability as central to implementation.

The national coordinator urged state governments, civil society organisations and development partners to take ownership of the plan and support coordinated, adequately funded malaria programmes.

She said the differences in prevalence across states made subnational planning indispensable to meeting the national targets.

Ogbulafor called on states to develop comprehensive malaria control programmes reflecting local disease burdens, epidemiological evidence and available resources.

She also stressed the need for sustained domestic financing and partnerships to close funding gaps and maintain implementation through 2030.

NMEP, she said, would work with the National Malaria Working Group and international partners to track implementation, assess performance and review results regularly.

The plan aims to raise access to and use of preventive interventions to at least 80 per cent, achieve at least 90 per cent effective coverage of malaria diagnosis and appropriate treatment among at-risk populations, and improve surveillance performance from a baseline of 47 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030.

It also targets stronger governance and organisational capacity, with at least 60 per cent of malaria programme resources expected to come from domestic sources by 2030.

The survey data show that prevention remains uneven. Only 54 per cent of households had at least one insecticide-treated net, while 45 per cent of children under five and 54 per cent of pregnant women aged 15–49 slept under a net on the night before the survey.

Protection during pregnancy was also incomplete. Among women aged 15–49 who had a live birth in the preceding two years, 62 per cent received at least one dose of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine during their last pregnancy, but only 33 per cent received three or more doses.

The findings point to the need to expand access to insecticide-treated nets and intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women.

Diagnosis is another major gap. Of children under five who had a fever in the two weeks before the survey, 59 per cent had advice or treatment sought, but only 18 per cent had blood taken for malaria testing.

The strategic plan therefore places emphasis on prompt testing, appropriate treatment, preventive services and public awareness.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NPC, Dr Abubakar Muhammed, pledged the commission’s continued support for credible demographic and health data to guide policymaking and malaria elimination efforts.

Muhammed said the survey reflected the partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through NMEP, and the NPC.

He said the collaboration brought together expertise in malaria control, demographic surveys and data management to produce information for national planning and development.

The NPC director-general said the commission would continue to modernise its survey operations through technologies such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and spatial techniques.

He urged policymakers, programme managers, researchers and development partners to use the findings to refine strategies, improve implementation and target communities where interventions were most needed.

Muhammed commended the ministry, NMEP, technical consultants, state enumerators and field teams for their roles in conducting the survey.

He said the report would provide a strong evidence base for a coordinated national malaria response.

The launch of the NMIS report and NMSP 2026–2030 places the next phase of Nigeria’s malaria response on a clearer understanding of where the disease remains most entrenched, while challenging states and partners to convert that evidence into measurable local action.

Share on Facebook