What do you remember about the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria? What lessons have we learnt? How prepared is our health system? And what does the current Bundibugyo Ebola case mean for Nigerians? Join TheCable for a conversation with public health expert @firstlady_84952 as we reflect on lessons from the past and examine Nigeria’s readiness for the current threat. Date: Thursday, October 22 Time: 3pm WAT xitter.cf/i/spaces/1vJpPNb…

Gold and grief: The children who went looking for treasure and never saw home again Nasir Sani, a naive and down-to-earth lad, already carried the survival instincts of a grown man at 13. Life had taught him more than childhood should hold. After losing his father at a tender age, he found a way to survive on the street, in the pits, shafts, and muddy waters of mining sites across Minna, Niger state, where he makes a living to support his dream and immediate family. Although he is learning the arts of needles, thread, and linen to weave and sew apparel, he occasionally visits the pits on days when his craft cannot put food on the table, and that burden he had learnt to live with and carry. thecable.ng/gold-and-grief-t…

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From rot to revenue: How solar energy is cutting post-harvest losses in Nigeria's fishing village Times have changed, Alice Biobaku admitted unashamedly, her face aglow with ecstasy. A woman of few words, in her early 50s, she winked and giggled. Her dimples complemented the sparkle in her eyes. Biobaku stuttered again, “Times have really changed.” Once more, her countenance lit up like a young bride whose beautiful floral veil had just been lightly lifted by her groom. She has lived in Ayetoro, a coastal community in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo state, Nigeria, for most of her life. Living near the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, she has seen the good, bad and ugly – the times when the fish were plenty in the ocean; the lean seasons; and the bleak periods when the whole world seemed to have fallen apart, and she contemplated quitting fish trading. But she had no choice but to stay put until the storm passed. In most rural coastal communities like Ayetoro, you are born a fisher first. Fishing is the lifeblood of the local economy. Your entire world revolves around the sea. When it roars, the community shudders; when it’s calm, the village booms. thecable.ng/from-rot-to-reve…

War, hunger, and now aid cuts: Nigeria’s malnourished children surviving on hope Hamsatu Isa was barely 20 years old when Boko Haram captured Gwoza, Borno state, north-east Nigeria, and declared the community their caliphate. It was a bloodbath, a massacre still etched in her memory as though it were yesterday. The once peaceful and thriving town fell to its knees at dawn in August 2014. Hundreds of residents were killed, many fled, houses were torched, and young girls were abducted. While some men disguised themselves as women to escape Gwoza, Hamsatu’s father was not so fortunate and could not escape with his family. He was gunned down. Hamsatu, her siblings, and mother joined a group of people fleeing the community. They trekked a long distance, first to Madagali town in neighbouring Adamawa state, before they finally found their way to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. thecable.ng/war-hunger-and-n… Cc: @pulitzercenter, @Fmohnigeria

Recurring glitches, AI-driven fraud, power outages… six systemic issues awaiting new JAMB registrar On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu appointed Segun Aina, a professor of computer science at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, as the new registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). He will succeed Ishaq Oloyede, whose two-term tenure will elapse on July 31, 2026. Oloyede was first appointed JAMB registrar on August 9, 2016, by former President Muhammadu Buhari, and was reappointed for a second term in August 2021. According to Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, 39-year-old Aina, who turns 40 in July, will become JAMB's youngest-ever registrar. thecable.ng/recurring-glitch…

After TheCable's report, FG demolishes shanties along Lagos-Calabar coastal highway The federal government has demolished illegal shanties along the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway corridor following a report by TheCable. In April, TheCable reported how informal settlements had sprung up behind the fenced corridor around the Maruwa axis on the Lekki-Epe route of the newly constructed coastal highway. The federal government has demolished illegal shanties along the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway corridor following a report by TheCable. In April, TheCable reported how informal settlements had sprung up behind the fenced corridor around the Maruwa axis on the Lekki-Epe route of the newly constructed coastal highway. thecable.ng/after-thecables-…

SPOTLIGHT: Sir Dickson, the accidental influencer who raises funds for distressed Nigerians When desperation spills onto Nigeria’s social media timelines and hope almost hits a brick wall, one name is often summoned with urgency: Sir Dickson. Under posts from students facing expulsion over unpaid fees, families seeking urgent medical treatment, tenants on the brink of eviction, or strangers asking for help to feed through the week, users frequently tag the same account in the hope that attention and assistance might follow. Over the years, the social media personality has built a reputation for mobilising donations for people in distress, helping to raise funds for hospital bills, rent, school fees, feeding, ransom payments for kidnapped victims, and even cases involving prisoners supporters believe were unjustly jailed. thecable.ng/spotlight-sir-di…

SIMON KOLAWOLE: "Contrary to what was widely circulated on social media as the “deep dive” into the Supreme Court ruling, there was no pronouncement restoring the Mark-led national officers. There was also no decision on jurisdiction. And there was no declaration directing the INEC to recognise Mark or anybody. What the apex court decided, in simple English, was that the high court should first determine whether or not it has jurisdiction. It also said the Court of Appeal was wrong to grant the preservatory order of “status quo ante bellum” — that is the job of the court of first instance on this matter. That said, I am quite relieved that the INEC has retraced its steps and re-recognised Mark." thecable.ng/for-adc-a-bag-of…

PHOTO STORY: Inside FCT community where cows graze on refuse, residents battle health threats On a typical weekday evening between 4 pm and 8 pm, motorists on the Nyanya-Karshi road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) suffer through a gridlock. Long lines of vehicles moving inch by inch, tricycles squeezing through the littlest gaps, and riders lifting their motorcycles to drive on the kerb. Amid the crawl, the air is thick with the cloying smell of wet garbage. It rained the day before; now the Karu dumpsite between St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Masalachi junction stinks twice as bad, with water seeping into the road to form a reeking puddle. As tyres track the water, spreading the smell even further, local garbage collectors offload even more rubbish, and herders can be seen leading their cows to the dumpsite to graze. When the traffic is particularly bad, impatient motorists opt to use the opposite lane, thereby worsening the traffic condition and exposing road users to the risk of accidents. Directly opposite the dumpsite is a line of mechanic shops. The shop owners were quick to express their frustration with the situation and the dangers it continues to pose. thecable.ng/photo-story-insi…

TIMELINE: 13 attacks, 7 foiled — mapping Nigeria's military base assaults in 2026 In January 2025, President Bola Tinubu asked the armed forces to take the war against insurgency to the camps of bandits and terrorists, especially in the north-west geopolitical zone. The president’s directive followed the January 4 attack on a military base at Sabon Gari in Damboa LGA of Borno state that claimed the lives of six soldiers. Tinubu also directed a probe of the attack. The president said the investigation will “uncover the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident and ensure that it serves as a valuable lesson to prevent similar occurrences”. That was the first attack on a military base in 2025. At least six other such attacks that resulted in the deaths of several soldiers were recorded before the year panned out. And instead of the war going to the insurgents’ camps, in 2026, insurgents appear to have flipped the battlefield, bringing the war directly to military formations through rapid, coordinated assaults tagged “burning of the camps” or “camp Holocaust” — a strategic campaign aimed at weakening the operational capacity of security forces by targeting military positions. Since January, at least 13 bases across Nigeria, particularly in Borno, have come under attack, pointing to a shift in both strategy and capability. thecable.ng/timeline-13-atta…

SIMON KOLAWOLE: There you have it. In an interview with ARISE TV on Wednesday, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar confirmed the worst-kept secret in politics: that he is going to join the 2027 presidential race. The former vice-president, the driving force behind adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform to rally the opposition against the All Progressives Congress (APC), also promised that this would be his last attempt — most likely, since he will be 80 by 2027 and 84 by 2031. His proposal all along has been to do one term and support power shift to the south in 2031. He has promised to sponsor an amendment to the constitution to provide for rotational presidency should he be elected president. thecable.ng/atikus-last-thro…