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Nigeria: CERF releases US$10 million to save 1.7 million children under five in Northeast

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Nigeria: CERF releases US$10 million to save 1.7 million children under five in Northeast

Nigeria: CERF releases US$10 million to save 1.7 million children under five in Northeast

By: James Bwala

As the people of north-east Nigeria struggle to endure a devastating food and nutrition crisis, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released a US$10 million allocation to help save lives and get urgent aid to those who need it most. 

A statement by UN OCHA said approximately 1.74 million children under the age of five is expected to suffer from acute malnutrition across the north-east in 2022. 

“With a 34 per cent increase so far from last year the north-east recorded the highest burden of acute malnutrition since 2016, and, over 300,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition.” The statement said.

According to OCHA, the consequences of inaction are a matter of life and death. If immediate action is not taken, more than five thousand children are expected to die. Those who survive will potentially face lifelong disabilities. Malnutrition puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections, increases the frequency and severity of such infections, delays recovery and causes development stagnation.

“This CERF allocation will enable accelerated action to increase treatment capacity and early identification of acute malnutrition. The funding will be used for integrated prevention and treatment, including proven local solutions to improve availability, affordability and/or accessibility to nutritious foods that protect women and children from repeated episodes of acute malnutrition.

Also Read: UNDP trains INEC staff ahead of 2023 general elections

“This CERF allocation is the latest in a concerted effort to address the food and nutrition crisis. In May 2022 CERF allocated $15 million to support the catastrophic food insecurity and nutrition response. In September, the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) provided two allocations of $2.5 million and $1 million to enable humanitarian actors to provide urgent nutrition support in line with the interagency US$ 351 million multisector plan to address the desperate food and nutrition situation.

“These funds are being disbursed in the midst of an alarming lean season in which 4.1 million people across the north-east are facing the pain of hunger according to the Cadre Harmonisé food security and nutrition assessment.

“Despite these efforts, there remains a massive funding gap. The Nutrition Sector has a lean season funding gap of $39 million, or 57 per cent. According to Mr. Matthias Schmale, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, “We urgently need to close the funding gap to rapidly scale-up the response and implement immediate life-saving measures. For the thousands of children trying to survive, additional funding is needed today, not tomorrow.” The statement reads.

Nigeria: CERF releases US$10 million to save 1.7 million children under five in Northeast

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Buni approved the appointment of Yerima as the new emir of Ngazargamu.

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Buni approved the appointment of Yerima as the new emir of Ngazargamu.

By: Yahaya Wakili

Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, COMN of Yobe state has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yerima Ibn Mahmud as the new Emir of Ngazargamu.

This is contained in a statement signed and issued today, 12th June, 2026, by the acting secretary to the state government, Dr. Mohammed Goje, in Damaturu.

The appointment of the new emir of Ngazargamu followed the demise of the late emir, Alhaji Tijjani Ahmed Ibn-Saleh Geidam, who passed away recently in Cairo, Egypt, after a protracted illness.

Until his appointment, the new Mai Ngazargamu was the Turakin Ngazargamu, an office he held for 16 years. He was also a member of the State House of Assembly.

The new emir of Ngazargamu, Alhaji Yerima Ibn Mahmud, has at different times served as a member of the State Executive Council and the state commissioner for livestock development before the new appointment.

Governor Mai Mala Buni, while congratulating the new emir and the Ngazargamu emirate, urged the new emir to use his wealth of experience to unite the people, promote peace and peaceful coexistence, and foster economic growth of the emirate, Yobe State, and Nigeria as a whole.

Similarly, Governor Buni called on the people to support the new emir to execute the functions of his office diligently, effectively, and efficiently for the benefit of the people, peace, unity, and prosperity of the emirate.

Buni approved the appointment of Yerima as the new emir of Ngazargamu.

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Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

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Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Government has distributed relief materials to 434 indigenes of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area who were recently rescued by security agencies after spending three months in Boko Haram captivity.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the victims in Pulka on Monday and directed the immediate distribution of food and non-food items to support their recovery and reintegration.

In compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Abdullahi Isa, promptly supervised the distribution exercise.

Each rescued person received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grits, a mattress, a wrapper, and a shadda, while children received two pairs of clothing.

In addition, 208 heads of households received N50,000 each, fulfilling Governor Zulum’s earlier pledge of financial assistance.

Speaking during the distribution, the SEMA Director General said the intervention was part of the government’s immediate response to ease the hardship faced by the rescued victims.

“I am here at the instance of His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who was here some few days ago, and to deliver the items he directed that it should be given to you as emergency relief,” Ali stated.

The rescued individuals are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support at a government facility. Upon completion of the rehabilitation process, they will be reintegrated into their respective communities.

The exercise was carried out alongside the Chairman of Gwoza local government, representatives of the Ngoshe community, and other officials.

Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

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Zulum Targets Closure of Borno’s Largest IDP Camp as Resettlement Drive Enters Final Phase

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Zulum Targets Closure of Borno’s Largest IDP Camp as Resettlement Drive Enters Final Phase

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has announced plans to shut down the Bama Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, the largest displacement facility in Borno outside Maiduguri, within the next month, marking a major milestone in the state’s efforts to end years of mass displacement caused by insurgency.

The governor made the declaration on Thursday after personally supervising a screening exercise for displaced families at the Government Science Secondary School IDP Camp in Bama, where he spent more than three hours verifying beneficiaries eligible for the state’s resettlement programme.

Zulum said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that only genuine households are captured as the government moves to complete the return of displaced residents to their ancestral communities.

“We are here to examine the remaining displaced people that are living in the IDP camp with a view to ensuring the closure of Bama IDP camp,” the governor stated.

The planned closure represents another significant step in Borno State’s post-insurgency recovery programme, which has seen thousands of displaced persons return to their communities after years of conflict triggered by the activities of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

Over the last seven years, the state government has facilitated the resettlement of residents in several communities across Bama Local Government Area, including Darajamal, Nguro Soye, Goniri, Banki and Abbaram. Bama remains one of the areas most devastated by the insurgency, with large-scale destruction of infrastructure and prolonged displacement of residents.

According to Zulum, only three communities—Mayanti, Goniri and Bula Kuriye—remain to be fully resettled before the camp can be permanently shut down.

“We have three communities that are left to be resettled, namely, communities from Mayanti, Goniri, and Bula Kuriye. By the next one month, the Bama IDP camp, which is the largest camp in the state outside the state capital, will be closed,” he said.

The governor’s visit also featured inspections of major infrastructure projects underway in Bama as part of the administration’s reconstruction and urban renewal agenda.

Among the projects inspected were the construction of a modern shopping complex and the dualisation of the Bama township road. Zulum praised the quality of work being executed, describing the projects as critical to restoring economic activities and modernising the town after years of devastation.

He recalled that the historic Bama Market was destroyed during insurgent attacks about 15 years ago before being rehabilitated under the administration of Nigeria’s current Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

To further strengthen commercial activities, the state government is constructing a modern shopping complex with 156 shops in front of the market while simultaneously remodelling the entire facility.

“We are trying to provide a befitting shopping mall in front of the market, totaling 156 shops, while also remodeling the market as part of our urban renewal programme,” Zulum said.

He noted that the market redevelopment is designed to stimulate economic growth, improve livelihoods and provide a more conducive environment for businesses and traders.

The governor also disclosed plans to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity through the dualisation of major roads within Bama, particularly the strategic township road linking Maiduguri, Bama and Gwoza. Existing roads across the town, he added, would be rehabilitated before the end of his tenure.

The inspection tour extended to High Islamic College and teachers’ quarters in Konduga, underscoring the administration’s continued focus on rebuilding educational infrastructure and improving public services in communities affected by conflict.

Zulum was accompanied by senior government officials, lawmakers and community leaders during the visit. The move to close the Bama camp is expected to signal a new phase in Borno’s recovery efforts as authorities push to transition displaced families from temporary shelters to permanent community-based resettlement

Zulum Targets Closure of Borno’s Largest IDP Camp as Resettlement Drive Enters Final Phase

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