The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised the slow pace of work at the new Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal complex in Dakibiyu, Jabi District.

Wike spoke on Monday, after inspecting the Appeal Court site and the Judges’ Quarters in Katampe District.

He said he doubted the contractor could meet the original September 2025 deadline, which was meant to coincide with the Court of Appeal’s legal year celebration.

“I’m afraid; I’m really not too satisfied. I don’t think that the contractor will meet up,” Wike told journalists after the inspection.

The minister said he has called for an urgent meeting with the contractor to find ways to speed up the project.

He stressed that the facility was a priority for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I do know that it will not exceed this year. I have sent them to call the contractor. Let’s put our heads together because it’s one project that is dear to Mr. President,” he said.

He, however, praised the progress of work at the Judges’ Quarters project in Katampe, where 40 five-bedroom duplexes are being built for Justices of the Federal High Court, the FCT High Court, and the Court of Appeal.

“We are impressed with the speed of work and the duration is for them to hand over by January 2026 with complete furnishing. I believe with the way they are going, they may be able to hand over before that date,” he said.

Wike noted that the President’s initiative to provide decent housing for judges was part of efforts to strengthen judicial independence.

Wike explained that President Tinubu’s effort is aimed at giving judges greater independence by providing them with their own secure housing and allowing them to live separately and focus fully on their duties.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has fixed October 8, as deadline for States’ Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, Commissions, and licensed Hajji Operators to remit Hajj fares for the 2026 pilgrimage.

NAHCOH spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara disclosed this in a statement to Ekwutosblog on Monday.

Sanda Usara disclosed this in a statement to Ekwutosblog on Monday.

This comes as the Saudi Government announced October 12, 2025 (20 Rabi’ al-Thani 1447H) as the final date for the announcement of pilgrims’ registration and submission of data.

“NAHCON has fixed October 8, 2025, as the cut-off date for State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, Commissions, and licensed Hajj Tour Operators to remit Hajj fares for the 2026 pilgrimage.

“The Commission urged all stakeholders to adhere strictly to the deadlines in order to ensure smooth operations and guarantee a successful Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims”

Earlier, the Chairman of NAHCON, Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman, led a delegation of Commissioners and the Secretary of the Commission, Dr Mustapha Ali, to Saudi Arabia to finalise the commission’s synergy with key players ahead of the 2026 Hajj.

According to the Commission, this move is part of preparations in line with the operational calendar released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU).

“This comes as the Saudi authorities had earmarked September 6–23, 2025 (15–29 Safar 1447H) for early contracting and payment for Mashair (camps), while September 23–24, 2025 (1–2 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1447H) has been fixed as the deadline for contracting essential services such as transportation and accommodation”, the statement added.

The National Coordinator of the Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, Dr Fati Aliyu, has disclosed that, to mitigate the effects of climate change and boost crop yields, the agency has entered into an agreement with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, to provide daily weather forecasts to smallholder farmers in nine states.

The participating states include Niger, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Taraba, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu.

Dr Aliyu made this known during the graduation of youth fabricators and the distribution of equipment to beneficiaries of the VCDP Adaptation for Smallholders Agriculture Programme, ASAP grant in Minna, Niger State.

According to her, the partnership has led to the establishment of mini weather stations in local government areas, where farmers receive forecasts in their local languages to enable them to make informed decisions about their agricultural activities.

Dr Aliyu also explained that the ASAP grant included the distribution of equipment to 45 beneficiaries across nine local government areas in Niger State. These include cassava peel conversion machines, rice husk briquette machines, solar-powered irrigation water pumps, power tillers for bunds, and laptops and phones for climate information.

The national coordinator further noted that the grant is designed to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers against climate change in two of the nine participating states, targeting 24,000 beneficiaries—19,000 farmers in Niger State, including women, and the remaining 5,000 in Kogi State.

“The intervention covers climate-resilient planting materials, soil conservation, waste-to-wealth initiatives, improved access to water resources, and renewable energy solutions.

“Additionally, youths were trained in fabricating agricultural equipment, empowering them with practical skills to create jobs and support farmers,” she added.

The Niger State governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, commended VCDP for the initiative, which he said aligns with the state’s desire to revolutionise agriculture.

He expressed appreciation to the federal government and IFAD/VCDP for recognising the state’s efforts in agriculture and assured continued support, while congratulating the beneficiaries of the ASAP grant who were trained on the maintenance and fabrication of agricultural equipment.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Engr Marcus Ogunbiyi, represented by Mohammed Bashir Abdulkadir, a director, said empowering youths with practical skills is crucial for strengthening the agricultural machinery ecosystem.

The state coordinator of VCDP, Hajiya Hadizat Isah, thanked the state government for providing an enabling environment for the programme and called for the payment of counterpart funding for 2025.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Ahmed Matthew, observed that the equipment given to beneficiaries would go a long way in encouraging youths to venture into agriculture, as well as helping farmers reduce post-harvest losses.

Representatives of NAMDA, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Minna-Green House, the Chairman of Edati Local Government, and the Executive Director of the National Animal Production Research Institute, NAPRI, also applauded the initiative, saying it would bring growth and development to the agricultural sector.