Month: October 2023

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) said on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government was committed to the fight against drug abuse in the country.

The Director-General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari, said this at an anti-drug abuse sensitiation programme organised at Federal Government Boys College, Abuja.

The event was organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Don’t Shame the Name Advocacy Foundation (DSTNAF), in conjunction with NOA and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Abari, who was represented by Robinson Okechi, Chief Programme Officer, NOA, said the event was necessary as young persons were vulnerable to drug abuse.

He commended DSTNAF for providing the platform to discourse one of the burning issues of national discourse.

According to him, drug abuse and trafficking are of great concern to the federal government.

He said that the event with the them: “Eliminating the scourge of Illicit drug use and Trafficking among the Youths “ was apt and commended the organisers for their catch-them-young efforts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NOA boss pledged the support of the agency to the NGO in its efforts to save young people from drug abuse.

Asst. Superintendent Narcotics, Oluwafemi Daniel, who represented NDLEA at the event said substance abuse affects behaviour of victims and advised the students to abstain indulging in it.

Amb. Joseph Ayalogu, former Ambassador of Nigeria to Switzerland and former Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva said a lot of countries have strict laws against drug use and trafficking.

He advised the students to conduct themselves responsibly and studying well.

“There is very serious concern globally about drug. It gives a bad name to a country, so sensitisation is the key,” he said.

The Principal of the School, Mr ZachariaMagaji who was represented by the Vice-Principal, Students Affairs (Senior School), Julius Faleye, commended the NGO for choosing the school for the programme.

He said it was necessary that teenagers gain insight into the impact of drug abuse in their lives and society at large.

The President and Founder of the NGO, Adaku Dike, said she was motivated to undertake the programme by the high level of crime caused by drugs in the society.

She said she started the sensitisation in primary schools because even primary school children were not left out on the issue of drug abuse.

According to her, drug abuse could be linked to most of the vices in the society such as kidnapping, killings, trafficking and expressed optimism that the programme would impact positively on the students.

The Mayor, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ugochukwu Ohuonu said the group was using entertainment enlighten students on the effects of drug abuse.

Two students of the school, Masters Donald Oboh (SS2A) and Abdullahi Shuaibu (SS2B), said the programme exposed them to the dangers of drug abuse.

They promised to sensitise other students on the need to stay away from drugs.

NAN reports that the highlight of the programme was a drama presentation on the dangers of illicit drug and presentation of stickers on dangers of illicit drugs to the school. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has partnered with other organisations to train entrepreneurs on sustainable alternatives to livestock feed.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports the opening of the Insects4Feed Entrepreneurship Incubation Programme, held in Ibadan on Monday, was organised by IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP), University of Ibadan(UI), New Generation Nutrition(NGN) and ProEnto.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a 13-week incubation programmme, Chief Executive Officer, IITA BIP, Dr Debo Akande, said the training was designed to provide a sustainable and affordable animal protein source for livestock feed for industries and users.

Akande, who also doubles as the Executive Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Agribusiness, said the insect-fed project was a new structured project in Nigeria supported by the Dutch Government and other partners.

“Now, we are training the entrepreneurs that would be like the first pilot of the people that would be like the venture owners of this business within the state.

“When we see how they have grown, it will become a project that would be expanded beyond this place.”

Akande said that one of the benefits of the programme was that it could complement the challenges of livestock feeds and replace some other materials that are expensive and non-environmentally friendly.

“The other advantage is that this animal consumed solid waste so it could help solve the problem of solid waste that littered the environment and thereby solve the environmental issues.

“It also makes use of materials that are natural to our environment.

“This also fits into the plan of Gov. Oluwaseyi Makinde in expanding the horizon of agriculture in the state from doing normal to peculiar from the usual to the unusual terrain,” he said.

In her address, Mrs Marian Peters from NGN, said the programme was unique, urging the participants to take advantage of it by working together and utilising the knowledge gained to produce affordable feeds for livestock in Nigeria.

One of the facilitators from UI, Dr Kehinde Thomas, said the training was to balance development and support food security through the provision of alternative protein components for livestock feeds, especially poultry and aquaculture by using Black Soldier Fly.

“Research has shown that the insect particularly the Black Soldier Fly is the best alternative to high-cost protein component in livestock feeds as it is environmentally friendly while bringing money to the purses of people.

The idea is to multiply this innovation among smallholder farmers in poultry,” Thomas said.

In an interview, the BIP IITA Team lead for the Insect4feed project, Mrs Victoria Ayeni, said the expectation from the participants was that at the end of the hands-on training, each of them would own an insect4feed farm where they produce insect4feed in mass for the livestock industry in Nigeria.

One of the beneficiaries of the programe, a retired diplomat, Amb. Sola Akinlude, appreciated the organisers of the training adding that the knowledge gained would be used to expand his agribusiness.

Akinlude stated that there were lots of benefits in agriculture that people could take advantage of to enrich themselves and become employers of labour. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

France, Australia and Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France, an international non governmental organisations (NGO), on Tuesday, reaffirmed their firm opposition to death penalty in Nigeria and anywhere in the world.

The call against capital punishment came at the event to mark World Day Against Death Penalty 2023 in Abuja.

Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, said since the day was established in 2002, France had always seized the opportunity in all international fora to advocate universal abolition of death penalty.

She said 53 countries around the world still authorised the death penalty, including Nigeria.

“Every year, we continue to try to raise awareness on this common cause and diversify our means of action and efforts so that one day, this major issue will no longer be in the world, in Nigeria and elsewhere.

“In 2022, Amnesty International recorded 2,016 death sentences in 52 countries.

“Also in 2022, at least 883 executions in 20 countries took place, and this is unfortunately an increase of 53% compared to 2021,” she said

Charge D’ Affaires of Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Leann Johnston, also corroborated Blatmann’s statement.

Johnston said Australia opposed death penalty in all circumstances for all people and it also supported the universal! abolition of capital punishment.

According to her, on the latest figures, there are sorne 3,300 death row inmates in Nigeria who live daily with this sentence hanging over them — not just them, but their families also.

She said though the last death penalty in Nigeria took place in 2016, the envoy urged Nigerian government to go a step further and implement the official moratorium.

“l am pleased to see that Ghana abolished the death penalty in 2023, the Central African Republic in 2022 and Sierra Leone in 2021.

“I call on Nigeria to implement an official moratorium on executions and to move towards formal abolition of the death penalty,” she said.

The Country Director, ASF France, also known as Lawyers Without Birders, France, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, said death penalty does not deter crime; it does not offer the prospect of rehabilitation and it is irreversible where there is a miscarriage of justice.

Uzoma-Iwuchukwu noted that a Nigerian police officer, Darambi Vandi, who was said to have shot dead a Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day in 2022, was just sentenced to death by hanging on Monday.

She said the event was organised by the NGO, in conjunction with France Embassy and Australian High Commission, to step up campaign against death penalty in Nigeria.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said death penalty is “one of the most critical human rights issues of our time.”

Fagbemi, represented by Mr Felix Ota-Okojie, Secretary, Federal Justice Reform Coordinating Committee, Federal Ministry 6if Justice, said the death penalty and the debate surrounding its use as a form of punishment had continued to stoke feelings all around the world, especially in Nigeria.

He said the country still retains the death penalty as a legal form of punishment for certain grievous crimes, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, treason, conspiracy to treason, sedition, treachery, among others.

“Furthermore, the list of capital offences for which the death penalty may be applied is increased as a result of the adoption of Sharia-based criminal law in some states in the Northern part of Nigeria.

“While it is true that the death penalty is still a legal punishment in Nigeria, it is important to highlight that in recent history, executions have been comparatively low and their frequency has fluctuated over time, changing how the death penalty is actually applied,’ he said.

NAN reports that while this year’s World Day Against the Death Penalty, was titled: “Death Penalty: An Irreversible Torture,” some of the sideline activities at the event included panel discussion, movie screening, etc.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Country: Nigeria

Date: 12-Oct-23

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

CODE wants govt., stakeholders to prioritise girls’ education

The Connected Development (CODE), an NGO with a mission to empower marginalised communities in Africa, has urged government at all levels to prioritise education, protection and social justice for the girl-child.

The Chief Executive Officer of the group, Mr Hamzat Lawal, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDGC is annually celebrated on Oct. 11 as a global platform to advocate for a full spectrum of girls’ rights.

The 2023 theme of the global commemoration is “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being.”

Lawal, an education champion of the Malala Fund, also called on social society organisations and individuals to partner relevant government agencies to promote the educational, protection, leadership and general wellbeing of the girl-child.

According to him, prioritising girls’ education will ensure quality and safe environment for girls to learn, free from fear and violence.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to strengthen efforts toward protecting girls in conflict-affected areas, including support for their physical and psychological recovery.

He further called on stakeholders to encourage and support girls’ and womens’ participation in leadership and decision-making roles to foster a more equitable society.

The chief executive further advocated for policy changes that advance girls’ rights, gender equality and social justice.

He added that “on this International Day of the Girl-Child, let us pledge to invest in girls’ rights, recognising their inherent leadership potential and acknowledging that their well-being is intertwined with the well-being of our communities and nations.

“The theme for this year’s International Day for the Girl-Child — “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being” resonates deeply in our collective conscience.

“It is a poignant reminder of the challenges girls face, especially in regions like Nigeria, where their dreams are often threatened by the harsh realities of our world.

“Together, we can create a world where every girl’s dreams are nurtured, where her voice is heard, and where her future is filled with promises and opportunities.”

He pointed out that recent incidents of kidnapping of girls from schools in the country were very disturbing.

He added that the heinous act not only violates the basic right to education but inflicts lasting emotional scars on the girls and their communities.

He said “as a member of the Malala Fund Education Champion Network, CODE reaffirms its commitment to championing the rights of girls and women.

“The plight of girls in Nigeria reflects broader challenges faced by girls worldwide, including gender-based violence, armed conflict and limited access to quality education.

“Girls are disproportionately affected by the impacts of conflict and crisis, facing heightened risks of abuse, exploitation and displacement.”

Lawal further noted the underrepresentation of women and girls in political leadership roles, describing the situation as stark reality.

He emphasised that women’s voices were essential in shaping policies that promote gender equality, justice and social progress.

“It is our collective responsibility to dismantle the barriers that hinder their participation and empowerment,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has provided eyecare services and donated reading glasses to more than 500 workers in the administration.

Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), FCTA, stated this during a news briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Fasawe explained that the media briefing was part of activities to commemorate the 2023 World Sight Day, with the theme, “Love Your Eyes at Work”.

She said that the free services, which took place on Tuesday, were part of continued efforts to make eyecare services affordable and available to the working population of the FCTA.

“During the eye screening, 500 staffers of the FCTA were given reading glasses free to complement President Bola Tinubu’s initiative.

“You will recall that President Tinubu had in September inaugurated the distribution of five million reading glasses to Nigerians.

“As an individual, I am donating 750 reading glasses to the FCTA in support of the 2023 WSD activities,” Fasawe said.

She added that the team would move to Karu Abattoir on Wednesday to screen the workers and the immediate community.

Fasawe said that drugs and other medical interventions would be provided while an additional 500 reading glasses would be donated to the community members.

“Last year, we provided optical, medical, and surgical interventions to the teaming population of FCT residents, with support from relevant stakeholders and the Federal Ministry of Health.

“This year, the HSES has received the support of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike to celebrate the WSD with rapt attention to the sight and visual needs of workers.

“This is an indication of Wike’s resolve to ensure that FCT stays in the forefront in the fight to reduce the menace of avoidable blindness,” she said.

Fasawe added that a considerable proportion of Nigerians had the tendency to wait until there was an emergency before seeking the help of the eye care professional.

This, according to her, makes intervention and treatment difficult with outcomes that could have been better if presented earlier.

Fasawe described the workers of the FCTA as “middle-aged, highly mobile, dynamic, and very active”, stressing the need to take proper care of the eyes for maximum productivity.

“Over the years, we have continued to strengthen our eye care delivery system in the FCT with the establishment of eye clinics in 10 secondary health care facilities owned by the FCTA.

“In all of these centres, quality eye care services are being delivered in our bid to reduce avoidable blindness and visual impairment in the FCT,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, with the cooperation of the World Health Organization has set aside the second Thursday of October, every year, for the celebration of WSD.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has ordered the demolition of a scavengers’ colony along the road corridor cutting across Mabushi, Jahi and Kado Districts.

Wike gave the order in Abuja on Tuesday, when he visited the area, officially known as ‘Road N12’ in Mabushi District of the FCT.

He described the colony, located behind the Minister’s Quarters in Mabushi District, as a “threat” to the security of the city.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the area had been taken over by scavengers popularly known as ‘Baban Bola’, including mechanics and furniture makers.

The minister, who was accompanied by a combined team of security personnel and senior officials of FCT Administration, added that efforts would be heightened to rid the city of criminal elements.

He said that such dens of criminals would not be allowed in the FCT.

He said that the colony was also encouraged by the thick canopy of cashew trees planted by the indigenous people of the FCT for speculative purposes.

Wike warned against planting such trees in areas where the government had mapped out for development.

According to him, the government will not pay compensation for the trees.

Wike ordered the Development Control Department and the Federal Capital Development Authority to clear the entire area and take a scope of the road for preliminary works.

“You should not compensate them. This is a hideout of criminals, and the communities should stop planting trees in the area.

“When they see that the government intends to develop the road, they come and plant crops for the government to pay compensation. We are not going to do any compensation.

“The Development Control must clear this area, chase out all these criminals.

“These are the kind of things you see that people commit crimes and then before you know it, they run down here for cover and people will be saying oh, FCT is not safe.

“It is not a question of giving them notice. There is no notice. You must chase them out now and clear the entire area,” he said.

The minister assured the residents of FCT that the government would do everything possible to reduce the level of crime.

Mr Mukhtar Galadima, Coordinator, Federal Capital Territory City Management Task Team, assured the minister that the area would be cleared of all structures and send the criminals packing.

Galadima, who is also the Director, Department of Development Control, said that the area was proposed for a transit road network that transverses the city across districts.

He said that scavengers had however turned the area into a colony, harbouring all kinds of criminals.

“With the security challenges across the country, illegal activities of this nature will not be allowed to continue.

“That is why we are not giving consideration to compensation; we have to secure the place.

“After the clearing the area, FCDA will move in immediately, nobody will come in and settle again,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria