Olusegun Odunewu

El-Rufai’s sons clash publicly as Bashir attacks brother Bello over political defection

A fresh political disagreement has erupted within the family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai, with his sons, Bashir and Bello, becoming embroiled...

ISRT 2026: Loveworld leads global tribute to Saul Hertz, push precision cancer care for Africa

Latest1 week ago

ISRT 2026: Loveworld leads global tribute to Saul Hertz, push precision cancer care for Africa

Leading experts in nuclear medicine and radiopharmaceutical therapy have honoured the pioneering contributions of Dr. Saul Hertz while calling for stronger collaboration, training and...

Uncle lures 18-year-old niece with fake Abuja Job, plans N7m sale

Crime1 week ago

Uncle lures 18-year-old niece with fake Abuja job, plans N7m sale

An Adamawa State man, Andrawus James, has been remanded in custody after allegedly abducting his 18-year-old niece, Fatima, as part of a plan to...

Chelsea star Enzo Fernández agrees terms with Manchester City

Football1 week ago

Chelsea star Enzo Fernández agrees terms with Manchester City

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández has reportedly reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with Premier League rivals Manchester City, with the proposed move now...

Oil price slide: Dangote Refinery, depot owners face calls to lower petrol prices

Business1 week ago

Oil price slide: Dangote Refinery, depot owners face calls to lower petrol prices

Nigeria’s domestic petrol market is coming under renewed pressure for a downward price adjustment following a decline in international crude oil prices, raising expectations...

Latest1 week ago

Beyond chemotherapy: Loveworld powers emerging radiopharmaceutical cancer treatment

Nigeria’s emerging radiopharmaceutical cancer-treatment capacity received a major boost on Friday as medical experts, researchers and policymakers converged in Lagos to promote precision oncology,...

NPC chairman Aminu Wushishi dies at 66, eight months after taking office The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Aminu Yusuf Wushishi, has died at the age of 66, barely eight months after assuming leadership of the commission. Wushishi, popularly known as Talban Wushishi, reportedly died on Friday, August 28, 2026, following a brief illness. His death was confirmed by his Special Adviser on Media, Stanley Nwosu, who said the NPC chairman became ill before his death. “Yes, it is true. The NPC chairman died after a brief illness,” Nwosu told journalists. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), citing a statement by the NPC Director of Public Affairs, Adelayo Olurode, reported that Wushishi died in Abuja. News of his death reportedly reached Minna, the Niger State capital, around the time of the Juma’at prayer, triggering an outpouring of grief among his associates, political allies and people of the Kontagora Emirate. Wushishi was born on April 15, 1960, in Wushishi, Niger State, according to his official biography. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Wushishi as Chairman of the National Population Commission in 2025, following the end of the tenure of his predecessor, Nasir Isa Kwarra. The Senate confirmed his nomination in October 2025, paving the way for his assumption of office. He was subsequently sworn in at the Presidential Villa on December 2, 2025, and formally began his tenure on December 3. His tenure, however, lasted less than nine months before his death. Before his appointment to the NPC, Wushishi had accumulated extensive experience in politics, public administration, education and community development. He served as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Niger State Governor between 2019 and 2023. He was also involved in the 2022 presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress, serving as Assistant Director, Grassroots Mobilisation for the North-Central zone. Wushishi previously served as Executive Chairman of Wushishi Local Government Area and was a Member-elect of the Niger State House of Assembly. He also served on the governing board of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Despite his relatively short tenure at the NPC, Wushishi presided over initiatives aimed at modernising Nigeria's population and civil-registration systems. One of the major reforms introduced under his leadership was the nationwide deployment of the VitalReg digital birth and death registration platform, implemented under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system. The digital registration platform became fully operational nationwide on July 1, 2026. The initiative was designed to improve the accuracy and accessibility of birth and death records while strengthening the demographic data available to the government for planning, policymaking and development. Wushishi had described the reform as a significant transformation of Nigeria's civil-registration system. His death comes at a critical period for the National Population Commission, which is responsible for generating population and demographic data used by the government for planning, resource allocation and development policies. The commission is also expected to play a central role in Nigeria's long-awaited national population census. Reacting to the development, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago described Wushishi's death as a “shocking and colossal loss” to Niger State and Nigeria. Bago said the late NPC chairman's experience in demographic research, data management and policy implementation would be greatly missed, particularly at a time when his expertise was considered important to the preparations for the national census. The governor commiserated with Wushishi's family, the National Population Commission and the people of Niger State, describing his death as a major loss to public service. Wushishi's sudden death leaves the NPC without its substantive chairman at a crucial juncture for Nigeria's population-management and civil-registration agenda.

Latest1 week ago

NPC chairman Aminu Wushishi dies at 66, eight months after taking office

The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Aminu Yusuf Wushishi, has died at the age of 66, barely eight months after assuming...

Tinubu orders forensic audit of IPPIS, agencies over ghost workers, fake entities

Latest1 week ago

Tinubu orders forensic audit of IPPIS, agencies over ghost workers, fake entities

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems and the operations of federal agencies following concerns over alleged...

US troop withdrawal puts Nigeria’s counterterrorism gains to the test

Latest1 week ago

US troop withdrawal puts Nigeria’s counterterrorism gains to the test

The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 American troops deployed to Nigeria earlier this year to support counterterrorism operations, bringing an end...

Entertainment1 week ago

Karibi-George secures top 40 spot as Nigeria claims Miss World Africa top model title (VIDEO)

By Ihuoma Inyama Nigeria’s representative at the 73rd Miss World Festival, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, has secured a place in the competition’s Top 40 after winning the...

National Daily Newspaper

Stories By Olusegun Odunewu

El-Rufai’s sons clash publicly as Bashir attacks brother Bello over political defection

ISRT 2026: Loveworld leads global tribute to Saul Hertz, push precision cancer care for Africa

Uncle lures 18-year-old niece with fake Abuja job, plans N7m sale

Chelsea star Enzo Fernández agrees terms with Manchester City

Oil price slide: Dangote Refinery, depot owners face calls to lower petrol prices

Beyond chemotherapy: Loveworld powers emerging radiopharmaceutical cancer treatment

NPC chairman Aminu Wushishi dies at 66, eight months after taking office

Tinubu orders forensic audit of IPPIS, agencies over ghost workers, fake entities

US troop withdrawal puts Nigeria’s counterterrorism gains to the test

Karibi-George secures top 40 spot as Nigeria claims Miss World Africa top model title (VIDEO)