By Saint Mugaga

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has congratulated Nigerian Muslims for the successful completion of Ramadan, saying their prayers and supplication are about to bring the country to a new dawn.

In his Sallah message as the Holy Month of Ramadan ends on Thursday, Abbas said Allah (SWT) has been merciful and gracious to Nigeria, especially in the wake of the country’s socio-economic, security, and political challenges.

He noted that divine intervention, through prayers, remains a major reason for the country’s unity, peace, and stability.

The Speaker urged Islamic adherents to continue to imbibe piety, selflessness, charity, and other virtues of Ramadan, stressing that Nigerians cannot afford to reduce their prayers for a better society and nation.

“Alhamdulillah, we have witnessed the Holy Month of Ramadan peacefully, and today, we are bidding a farewell to one of the most critical aspects of the life of every Muslim.

“As always, the month of Ramadan comes with numerous lessons. In the past 30 days, Muslims all over the country, and indeed across the globe, embarked on this spiritual journey through devotion. May Allah (SWT) accept all our acts of ibadah and reward us abundantly.

“Incidentally, our Christian brothers and sisters are also observing the Lent period concurrently with their Muslim counterparts. This is a divine arrangement for us to redouble our efforts in prayers and dedication to our Creator. It is also a reminder that we are one people united by a common good,” the Speaker said.

While wishing Muslims happy celebrations, Speaker Abbas prayed to Allah (Allah) to accept their prayers and worship in the Holy Month.

By Wumi Tewogbade, Abuja

In order to protect people with disability in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said it has developed ‘The FCT Disability Policy Document”.

The Mandate,FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, stated this when she received the FCT chapter of the Joint National Association Of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), in her office.

She said the administration is committed to the welfare of PWD in Abuja, that is why the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, has approval the setting up of Disability Desk Unit in the Secretariat, headed by a PWD.

” You may wish to recall that the implementation of The Disability Act and Policy within the FCT is a collaboration with World Bank and signed by The Minister himself. The Women Affairs Secretariat is only there to coordinate the process”, She said

According to The Mandate Secretary, ” Nothing about you, without you”, is the slogan that motivated The Setting up of The Disability Desk an it is meant to be be institutionalised so that it will be replicated in every Secretariat, Department and Agency in FCT.

“The expectation is that in the near future there will be a an FCT Disability Agency, with the kind of approval from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike whose passion for inclusion is not in doubt by a number of policies that has been put in place since he came on Board.

“Aside the approval for The Disability Desk Officer in the Secretariat, The FCT Minister is the First in the history of Nigeria to approve that a day; December 10th of every year is set aside to celebrate and discuss the challenges of The Adolescent Girl Child”.

Benjamins-Laniyi further called on relevant partners and stakeholders to work towards removing barriers that hinder the full participation of People Living with Disabilities.

The Acting Chairman of JONAPWD, Ayoade Alase praised the FCT Administration for the deliberate effort and strong advocacy for the PWD Community, and The First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for the recent empowerment of 250 PWDs with the sum of 200 Thousand naira each.

The Acting Chairman said that The ongoing developmental Strides of The FCT Administration is commendable and appealed for the urgent establishment of The proposed FCT Agency For Persons With Disabilities.
He said that 25 States in Nigeria have domesticated the Disability act, and in the North Central region, FCT remains the only entity yet to establish it’s own Agency.

Alase said other areas of priority for The Disability Community includes free health Insurance and Disability friendly Services in the Hospitals, Employment equity and Social protection and Empowerment.

Other areas are Operational support for JONAPWD FCT Chapter and Inclusion of Data and Infrastructure that will ensure that all Public Facilities are accessible to PWDs.

Your Excellency, Mr President, and Distinguished First Lady,

Ekabo. Se Daaa Daa Ni. (Greetings! I hope you are well.)

My wife and I are delighted to welcome you to Windsor Castle here on this occasion. We are most grateful to you for travelling during this holy month, which, I acknowledge, is no small sacrifice, and so it is my particular pleasure to wish you, Mr President, peace, blessings, and an abundance of joy.

During my most recent visit to Nigeria in 2018, when I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with your highly respected traditional leaders, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, Onitsha, Warri, and The Emir of Kano, it was self-evident that while the warmth of the Nigerian welcome remains constant, the country itself is transforming at a remarkable pace. Nigeria hasn’t merely changed. It has arrived. Yours is now a nation of over two hundred and thirty million people, half of whom are under eighteen, with the energy, ingenuity, ambition, and resolve to address the great challenges of our age.

We in the United Kingdom are blessed that so many people of Nigerian heritage, having chosen Britain as their home, are now at the heart of British life through excelling at the highest levels of business, technology, academia, law, science, sport, literature, and the arts, and public service.

I have met so many of these quiet heroes in our schools, businesses, National Health Service, and universities, including countless young people who have flourished through the work of my King’s Trust over the last fifty years. Only last week, I was delighted to host a rather lively group of them for a ‘Jollof and Tea’ Party at St. James’s Palace. I was firmly assured that the Jollof was only the best: Nigerian, of course… or perhaps Ghanaian or Senegalese. Diplomatically, I cannot remember!

But who could have imagined that, when I first visited Nigeria thirty-six years ago today, so many of those I might have met would have gone on to have such an impact in the United Kingdom. From Afrobeats filling our concert halls and Nollywood captivating our screens, to stars competing in our Premier League and adjudicating our highest courts, so much of Britain’s culture is, in truth, profoundly enriched by Nigeria. Whether they are Nigerians who have chosen Britain as their adopted place to invest, trade or study, or Britons who cherish their personal connection to Nigeria, they all represent a living bridge of over half a million people who connect our nations, Mr President, and help make our cultures richer, our shared security stronger, and our economies more prosperous.

We are proud that so many great examples of this living bridge join us this evening.

As the connections between our nations deepen every day, so too do the economic ties. Your visit has provided the opportunity to celebrate the fact that Nigeria is investing in Britain’s future as much as Britain is investing in Nigeria’s – leading Nigerian banks have chosen the City of London as a global base, examples of the best Nigerian companies have listed on London’s Stock Exchange, and UK Export Finance is supporting investment in Nigeria’s ports. In education, British schools and universities are opening their doors in Nigeria, and British and Nigerian technology companies are forming ever closer partnerships. I was pleased to see that visitors from Nigeria spent £178 million in Britain in 2024, and 251,000 people from Britain travelled to Nigeria and spent just as much, in return. In January of this year, Nigeria became the United Kingdom’s biggest export market in Africa and whilst I hear that in Nigeria the phrase ‘Made in UK.’ has always symbolised the highest quality, it evidently now has a distinctively Nigerian flavour…

The friendship between our two countries, Mr President, is a partnership of equals that has brought us both enormous benefits. It has been described to me as a deeply spiritual connection – beyond churches and mosques – a deep bond through which we have strengthened our shared security, ensured our economies are more prosperous, and empowered each other to believe in a more hopeful future.

The many dynamic connections between our two nations have deep roots and yet I do not pretend that those roots are without a shadow. There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks. I do not seek to offer words that dissolve the past, for no words can. But I do believe, as I know you believe, Mr President, that history is not merely a record of what was done to us – it is a lesson in how we go forward together to continue building a future rooted in hope and growth for all, and worthy of those who bore the pains of the past.

This afternoon, in another part of the Castle, Mr President, you and I witnessed one such example of how we are learning from one another when we met leaders of the British Christian and Muslim communities. The gathering was a deeply meaningful symbol of what Nigeria has long shown: that people of different faiths can, do, and must live alongside one another, in peace, in harmony and in shared purpose. It was also a timely reminder of the importance of standing with you – and in us strengthening your Quick Reaction Forces, or in providing food, nutrition and protection services in Northern Nigeria – when challenges disturb the age-old balance between these communities.

Your nation, Mr President, is an economic powerhouse, a cultural force and an influential diplomatic voice from a continent that is playing an increasingly important role in the world. In a vastly interconnected global environment, one that is changing at unimaginable speed, that leadership brings responsibility – and opportunity. I heed the Yoruba wisdom – and forgive me if I say it in English… that “rain does not fall on one roof alone”. As you observed so astutely before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, “if we didn’t have this global alliance… of fifty-six member states, 2.7 billion people and a combined G.D.P. forecast soon to surpass twenty trillion U.S. dollars… there would be a need to create one”. I believe firmly that, when rain clouds gather, we can tighten the grip of friendship between us and, in so doing, reinforce the central role of the Commonwealth in our shared future.

As the world changes, these are lessons we must heed now more than ever. As the Hausa saying goes, “When the music changes, so does the dance”. We can learn from Nigeria, and the best of the UK and Nigeria’s partnership, and harness the advantage that comes from our common languages, our similar legal systems, and the web of cultural ties and spiritual connections that provide such deep trust between us, and look to the future and learn new dance steps, together.

Mr President, you have spoken, in particular, of the importance of expanding intra- Commonwealth trade by creating shared standards, regulatory and digital alignment, and removing barriers that deter investment – as the U.K. and Nigeria’s Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership is just such an example – so that our economies can grow, in harmony with Nature, and create the millions of jobs our citizens need. So as we look towards C.H.O.G.M this year, I hope far from being past its time we can demonstrate that the Commonwealth’s time has come, as you so rightly said. In achieving that, my wife and I will gain strength from seeing Nigeria take her rightful place at the heart of the Commonwealth and to standing alongside you as a friend, who believes the future is best when built together. As the Igbo say, “Knowledge is never complete two heads are better than one”.

So as I close, Mr President, in anticipation of Eid El-Fitr in Nigeria and across the world, I can only wish you and the millions of Muslims in our countries, Eid Mubarak.

And, in doing so, let me propose a toast,

To the President and people of Nigeria –

“Naija No Dey Carry Last!” (Nigerians Never Come Last)