By Rakiya A. Muhammad Hajiya Maryam Aliyu, a mother of five, hopes Nigeria’s new tax…

Celebrated as one of Nigeria’s top wildlife conservation centres and a top destination for ecotourism in Lagos, the Lekki Conservation Centre sits at the heart of the city. Spanning 78 hectares of lush forest reserve and wetland on the Lekki Peninsula—equivalent to roughly 100 football fields—it was created to champion ecotourism.

Across Sokoto State, long-neglected classrooms are springing back to life. A place where this revival is more vividly seen is at Sarkin Baura Model Lizzamiya Primary School in Dange Shuni, where Maryam’s enthusiasm was unmistakable. As she confidently read aloud from the blackboard, her voice rang out the words “protecting one another from danger” during social studies.

Rakiya A. Muhammad

Communities, the organised private sector, civil society, youth, and women’s groups have joined forces with the state government to shape Sokoto’s 2026 Budget.

donkey dealers at the Wamakko weekly market

This legacy, beginning in the 1940s with Missionary Societies giving women a voice, has become a cornerstone for connection and influence