Here’s a roundup of today’s top Nigerian newspaper headlines, along with our key advocacy demands.

1. ‘Education suffers reduced allocations as NASS amends passed 2025 budget’ – Vanguard

The National Assembly has amended the recently passed N54.9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill, making key adjustments to the allocation of funds between recurrent and capital expenditures.

Our Take: The National Assembly’s decision to slash education allocations is a direct attack on Nigeria’s future. Lawmakers must reverse this reckless cut because a nation that refuses to invest in education is simply budgeting for failure.

2. ‘Boko Haram: US probes aid to Nigeria’ – Daily Trust

The United States government is set to investigate how past aid allocated to Nigeria and other countries has been utilised.

Our Take: Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), this is your cue! While the U.S. plays detective with its foreign aid, how about conducting a long-overdue audit of all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving donor funds, especially those operating in terrorism-prone regions?

3. ‘Workers in 109 embassies groan over six-month unpaid salaries’  – Punch

At least 450 foreign service officers in 109 Nigerian missions abroad have yet to receive their salaries for the past five to six months.

Our Take: Minister Yusuf Tuggar, your foreign service officers, Nigeria’s ambassadors of goodwill, are now ambassadors of unpaid labour, struggling to pay rent while representing a country that prides itself on ‘Giant of Africa’ status. Six months without salaries is a long time to test patriotism. Kindly settle these arrears before our diplomats start crowdfunding their survival.