Month: October 2023

Nigeria has deposited its instrument of ratification for the African Union (AU) Convention on cross-border cooperation.

Mr Adamu Adaji, Director-General, National Boundary Commission made this known in a statement signed by the commission’s Head of Information Unit, Mrs Efe Ovuakporie in Abuja on Thursday.

Adaji said that the instrument was deposited at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, adding that Nigeria had earlier signed the convention on Jan. 29, 2017.

“With this deposition, Nigeria has become the 9th country to have ratified and deposited the Niamey Convention at the African Union Commission Headquarters.

“Aside Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo have already deposited their instruments of ratification at the AU Headquarters.

He explained that the convention, otherwise known as the Niamey Convention, has a strong commitment by member states towards the promotion of cross-border cooperation for sustainable development of the African continent.

According to him, the convention is aimed at ushering in a regime of peaceful resolution of border disputes between member states.

“It also intended to promote peace and stability through the prevention of conflicts, the integration of the continent and the deepening of unity amongst member states.

“It equally provides an opportunity to share intelligence amongst member states.”

The DG recalled that Nigeria played a pivotal role in the conceptualisation of the African Union Border Programme.

He added that the country was equally strategic to the process that produced the convention during the conference of African ministers in charge of borders on May 29, 2012, in Niamey, Niger Republic.

He argued that the convention would no doubt pave the way for cross-border cooperations at the local, sub-regional and regional levels.

He added that it would equally ensure effective and integrated border management to promote growth, socio-economic and political integration of the continent.

Adaji urged all other member states that were yet to ratify and deposit the convention to expedite actions and deposit theirs.

He said that the convention was expected to come into force as soon as 15 more countries make their deposition.

The director general said that the Head of the Nigerian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Aminu Nasiru has lauded the commitment of Nigeria in promoting cross-border cooperation.

He added that the Ambassador also commended Nigeria for strengthening peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness across territorial borders.

The DG, who led the delegation, said he was received by Amba. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the African Union Commission.

He said that Adeoye equally commended the Nigerian government for its continued leadership position and determination in the promotion of peace and security in the African continent.

He added that the Ambassador agreed that Nigeria’s deposition would serve as a motivation to fast track other countries to take the necessary steps and deposit theirs,” he said.

NAN reports that the convention, also called the Niamey Convention, promotes positive relations between neighbouring States.

When it comes to peace and security, borders are a priority.

The African Union Border Programme aims for structural prevention of conflicts.

Nigeria signed the convention in 2017 as part of the side line events at the ongoing 28th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.

The Niamey Convention, which was adopted in 2014, is to promote Cross Border Corporation at local, sub-regional and regional levels with the aim of ensuring peaceful resolution of border disputes.

It is also to ensure efficient and effective border management.(NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Executive Director, Administration of Every Life Matters Foundation, Mr Benjamin Obasi, has urged parents to invest time in training their male children to become responsible adults.

He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, in commemoration of the International Day of Girl-child.

Obasi said that the society had invested so much energy and time on training and educating the girl-child and neglecting the male child to become nuisance.

According to him, there will not be a girl-child abuse if the male child is properly educated on how to treat the opposite gender.

He added that proper education of the male child was key to achieving zero rape and abuse case in the society.

Obasi stressed the need for proper education of the male child, adding that the same energy channeled by parents to educate the girl-child should be replicated in the upbringing of the male child.

“You know parents keep telling the girl-child you have to be careful and do not allow any man to touch you in a certain manner, but failed to tell the male child that is not proper to touch a lady in a certain way.

“We will continue to face the girl-child abuse if we do not train the male child properly.

“I therefore call on all to invest in proper training of the male child in order to have a better society because if a male child is well trained abuse and rape cases will be minimised,” he said.

Obasi, however, enjoined the girl-child to always speak out when molested, adding that it is a right way to get justice.

According to him, telling the truth will always be the way out in confronting issues such as rape and abuse of cases.

He, however, called on the government to address issues of inequalities, adding that more participation of women in politics will help to better the living standard of the girl-child.

Obasi also called for respect of enactment of the 2003 girl-child right, noting that Nigeria still engages in child marriage which is against the Child’s Right Act.

“Marrying these girls out at a very young age affects them mentally and psychologically, which also makes them loose their confidence and deny them the opportunity to become better in the society.

“It is commonly said that a girl-child will become like her mother someday, so it is imperative for mothers to be good role models to their girl-child,” he said.

Obasi further called on stakeholders to embark on more sensitisation to educate the boy child to become better persons in the future.

He said educating the male would reduce the case of girl-child abuse by 50 per cent. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government on Thursday pledged to improve the culture of handwashing, as only four per cent of Nigerians practice it at critical times.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said this at a news conference to commemorate the 2023 Global Handwashing Day with the theme, ‘Clean Hands are within our Reach’ in Abuja.

Utsev said imbibing the culture of handwashing at critical times would curtail the spread of preventable diseases, promote human health and strengthen communities.

According to him, handwashing is a ‘first-line of defence’ in preventing outbreaks and reducing the toll of pandemics, as can be attested from the last experience with the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Quoting the 2021 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Report, Utsev said national access to basic hygiene services stood at an abysmal 17 per cent.

The minister, represented by Engr. John Ochigbo, Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, noted that there is 99 per cent knowledge of handwashing practices, while only 8 per cent practiced it.

“It may also interest you to know that a high knowledge of handwashing practices estimated at 99 per cent was reported, in practice, only 8 per cent of the population can demonstrate proper handwashing with water and soap under running water.

“In addition, only 4 per cent are likely to practice proper handwashing with water and soap in critical times such as after defecation, touching animals or sick persons, playing and before cooking, eating, handling food, or feeding others.

“These low indices indicate the need to review our strategies in order to strengthen our interventions for greater effectiveness and for sustainable results”.

According to him, in oder to reverse these trends, the ministry has commenced the implementation of the Hand Hygiene for All Roadmap, which gives a strategic direction to achieve hand hygiene for all.

“This will help the country chart a course towards ensuring available and affordable products and services that will help entrench a culture of handwashing with soap for all, especially for the less privileged population.

While appreciating the efforts of the development partners and other stakeholders, the minister called for renewed commitment, to build good hygiene culture for Nigerians.

Earlier, Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, said the day was an opportunity to promote and encourage handwashing as a cost-effective way to prevent diseases and preventable deaths.

She said it was the desire of the ministry to see a community of healthy people who would contribute to economic development, saying effective handwashing at critical times would make it possible.

“Handwashing with soap and water is an easy, cost-effective, and affordable way to prevent disease and save lives.

“When handwashing with soap is practised after using the toilet or before eating, it can dramatically reduce the risk of diarrhea and pneumonia, which can cause serious illness and death.

“When people are healthy, they will be productive and contribute to the economy of the country, that’s why we are advocating making this a culture”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day, celebrated annually on October 15, is aimed at increasing awareness and understanding the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way for disease prevention.

Highlights of the day were sensitisation rally, distribution of handbills to create awareness about the importance of handwashing and why it should be prioritised. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has warned members of the academia and the university community over sexual harassments on campuses, stressing that the ministry would deal decisively with perpetrators of such acts.

Mamman gave the warning in Abuja on Thursday when he received the report of the committee on alleged sexual harassment by the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifo.

He said that sexual harassment was a serious criminal offence that must be dealt with decisively, when and whenever it occured.

He added that the ministry would do everything humanly possible to stem the ugly tide in institutions of higher learning.

He noted that the offence of sexual harassment was cancerous and must be eliminated at all cost, adding that all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace in the education system.

He also maintained that the administration of President Bola Tinubu would protect the vulnerable groups within the country’s education system.

The minister said he would evoke the long arm of the law to ensure that perpetrators were adequately punished, saying that no one would be allowed to take advantage of the vulnerable groups.

“Sexual offenses units will be established in the ministry and all institutions of higher learning to deal with the menace,” he said.

Earlier in the presentation of her report, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, said the university had followed all due processes in handling the matter, including the suspension of the suspect, appropriate queries and setting up of a disciplinary committee to hear all parties.

According to her, in order to ensure a very high degree of transparency, the Public Complaint Commission (PCC) and the Nigeria Bar Association(NBA) are brought on board the committee as observers.

Others, she said, were the Federation of Female Lawyers, ICPC, the Chief Judge of the Student’s Union, High Court as well as seven Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Barnksforte Technology Ltd, an indigenous technology company has reassured Nigerians of the formidable security features embedded in the self-service application launched by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Dayo Bankole, gave the assurances in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to lay to rest “needless concerns” raised in some quarters regarding the safety of the recently-launched App.

He allayed fears about the application, saying that necessary security measures had been put in place to ensure that the integrity of the application was thorough, with no gaps for security breach or compromise.

According to him, the self-service mobile application, which is a giant stride in digitalisation of biometric enrollment, was developed by NIMC in partnership with Barnksforte Technologies Ltd.

Bankole said that it was unfortunate that some persons for selfish reasons would discredit such a laudable innovation that had the capacity to change the narrative across Africa and the world at large.

He further said that the narrative that Nigeria’s database would be compromised by foreigners using the the self-service application was not only mischievous, but an attempt to undermine NIMC’s capability.

“Nigerians should be assured that their biometrics are safe, and the choice of the current NIMC director-general, an expert with proven years of experience is not a mistake.

“I am disappointed by masterminds of the wrong reports about the effort of government to place Nigeria on the world stage in terms of technological advancement.

“Rather than carry out due diligence on the features of the application before going public, they are quick to put out reports to dissuade Nigerians from keying into the present government’s Renewed Hope Agenda in that regard,” the chief executive said.

He said if those behind the negative reports had made enquiries, they would have realised that the application process was only part of the whole package.

He added that there was a formidable backend technology to verify every information provided by an applicant.

Bankole said that the NIMC was collaborating with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other local technical partners on one of the basic requirements for enrollment for NIN for Nigerians in Diaspora.

He stressed that the diasporans are required to provide the international passport number to be able to apply.

“The application is the front-end identity solution and all data is sent directly to the NIMC database which is also well-secured.”

On the enrollment process, the technology expert said that the process was seamless once downloaded from Google Play Store or IOS.

Other steps, according to Bankole, are authentication, adding that “for those with the NIN, it is the key to accessing the self-service enrollment.

“Those without NIN are accommodated through secure emails, adjusting the process accordingly.” (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Some stakeholders have emphasised on the need for Africa to tackle debt issues to enable the continent to fix its increasing climate issues.

They spoke in an opinion piece “If You Want Our Countries to Address Climate Change, First Pause Our Debts” featured in The New York Times.

The stakeholders included Kenya’s President William Ruto, African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina, Moussa Mahamat, Chairman African Union Commission, and Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive Officer, The Rotterdam-based Global Center on Adaptation.

They said: “Of the 52 low- and middle – income countries that have defaulted on their debts or have come close to it in the last three years, 23 are in Africa.

“The continent’s debt burden is skyrocketing as a result of factors beyond its control.

“The aftershocks of the pandemic, rising fuel and food

prices, higher interest rates and climate catastrophes that weaken our economies and sap our ability to repay creditors.

“ As a result of rising interest rates, Africa’s debt repayments will surge to 62 billion dollars this year, up 35 per cent from 2022.”

According to the stakeholders, Africa is now paying more in debt servicing than the estimated 50 billion dollars a year the Global Center on Adaptation says it needs to invest in climate resilience.

They said rather than addressing climate crises, Africa was borrowing at a cost up to eight times higher than the rich world to rebuild after climate catastrophes.

The stakeholders said this was why Africa urgently needs a pause in debt repayments, so that it could prepare for a world of ever greater climate extremes.

They expressed the hope that the on-going Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank in Marrakesh, Morocco would help address some challenges faced by the continent.

“ In fairness, the World Bank and the IMF now recognise that climate change is a threat to economic and financial stability, and they are changing their lending policies in response.

“But much more needs to be done and we are running out of time to do so,” they said.

According to them, this week’s meeting in Marrakesh is an opportunity to start transforming proposals into actions.

They said: “Africa called for a 10-year moratorium on interest payments on foreign debt to give the world’s most vulnerable countries the space to invest.

“In climate resilience and other pressing needs, such as health and education. And we need a more imaginative use for debt relief.

“We need a speedier process that will quickly provide effective relief for the 52 countries that have defaulted or are at risk of it.

“We are not pretending this will be easy, creditors must all agree, and there are thousands of them.”

The stakeholders reiterated Africa’s commitment to adapt to the consequences of climate change that are not of its making.

“But it cannot adapt alone. The financing gap is enormous and so are the continent’s needs.

“Africa wants to work with the rest of the world to achieve solutions. With its young population, vast renewable energy and mineral resources and large tracts of uncultivated arable land.

“The continent is more important to future global prosperity than ever before.

“Making global finance responsive to Africa’s climate needs is one of the ways to ensure that Africa succeeds, bringing benefits to the whole world,” they said.

The stakeholders quoted António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, as calling on the IMF to use the international reserve asset to support Africa’s course.

“IMF should rechanneled 100 billion dollars a year in special drawing rights, an international reserve asset, to pay for investments in sustainable development and climate action on the continent,” they said.(NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria