Nigeria: Fears of outbreaks grow in Maiduguri following severe flooding

By: Our Reporter

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is highly concerned about the significant risk of malaria and waterborne diseases, including cholera, following the recent flooding that swallowed vast parts of Maiduguri. There is also fear that this crisis could increase the levels of malnutrition in the area. MSF calls for urgent additional support, especially in terms of water, sanitation, and medical care, to protect people already heavily impacted by long-term insecurity and unprecedented levels of malnutrition.

On 10 September, heavy rain caused the Alau Dam in Borno State to overflow, leading to major floods in and around the city of Maiduguri. The deluge heavily impacted houses, markets, fields, livestock, and several health facilities. According to Borno State authorities, close to 400,000 people have been registered in 30 makeshift displacement sites. Most of the sites are schools with too few latrines and a lack of safe drinking water.

“We are very concerned about the precarious living conditions and the potential outbreaks of cholera and malaria”, says Dr Issaley Abdel Kader MSF Head of mission in Nigeria. “The number of children affected by malaria and acute watery diarrhoea had already started to increase before the flooding, and we have seen some with clinical signs of cholera since the floods. We are afraid that the number of cases will rise without the increase of medical and humanitarian support, especially regarding water, sanitation and hygiene.”

Last week, MSF teams went to several displacement sites (Galtimari, Yerwa, Ali Sheriff, Vocational Enterprise Institute, Teachers Village) to assess people’s needs and start the provision of essential services such as access to water through water-trucking and water tanks, the installation and repair of latrines, and the distribution of mosquito nets. Teams are also running outpatient consultations in the sites, including mental health support, and referring critical patients to the facilities we support. Given the risks posed by malaria and cholera, MSF is also planning to expand the paediatric facility it supports by 100 beds, to meet the demand of the likely increase in malaria cases. Teams have begun setting up a cholera treatment centre that can be increased to a 100-bed capacity, if needed.

The Borno State government has announced the closure and merging of most displacement sites in the coming days. They plan to keep three main sites to accommodate people who still have no place to stay for one more week, and a mass cholera vaccination is upcoming.

“All parties involved in the humanitarian response must continue providing assistance to the people affected by the floods as long as it will be necessary and ensure immediate and easy access to medical care for those who need it. The closure of most sites means that many will find themselves in a very vulnerable situation. For those remaining in the sites, prompt action must be taken to swiftly improve hygiene conditions, including access to latrines, safe water and mosquito nets”, says Dr. Issaley.

Support for communities won’t just be needed at the new displacement sites. Well before the flooding, the entire population of Maiduguri was already facing huge challenges, including one of the worst malnutrition crises recorded in northeast Nigeria. In the past months, hundreds of severely malnourished children were admitted every week in the MSF nutritional care hospital.

“Admissions to the nutritional facilities had just started to reduce when the flooding occurred”, says Dr. Ashok Shrirang Sankpal, deputy medical coordinator MSF Nigeria. “With markets and businesses heavily impacted, the harvest damaged and livestock washed away, there is huge concern that the downward trend will reverse and admissions start to rise again.”

This is the second time in just a few weeks’ time MSF has had to launch emergency responses linked to flooding in northern Nigeria. In August in Gummi, Zamfara state, homes and farms were destroyed and thousands left newly displaced by severe flooding. Like Maiduguri, people in this area already face significant challenges, including malnutrition, persistent insecurity and lack of access to healthcare. MSF teams have been supporting communities in Gummi over the last few weeks by delivering clean drinking water, repairing boreholes and delivering kits which include plastic sheets for temporary shelter and mosquito nets.

Nigeria: fears of outbreaks grow in Maiduguri following severe flooding

FG Says Legal Frameworks to Safeguard Country’s Biodiversity Being Reviewed

By: Michael Mike

The federal government has said it is currently reviewing the nation’s legal frameworks, among other steps to safeguard the country’s biodiversity and curb the illegal activities that is presently threatening Nigeria’s wildlife and natural heritage.

Speaking at the launch of the international consortium on combating wildlife toolkit assessment report for Nigeria, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass said the Nigeria stand at a critical juncture in our nation’s efforts to safeguard it’s rich biodiversity and to curb the illegal activities that threaten our wildlife and natural heritage.

He said: “Nigeria is a nation blessed with an abundance of natural endemic iconic natural resources such as gorilla, elephant, pangolin, ostrich, lion, flora, including some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. However, these blessings come with immense responsibility. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed an alarming increase in wildlife crime, including poaching, illegal logging, and trafficking of endangered species. These crimes only threaten our environment but also undermine the rule of law, fuel corruption, and deprive communities of their livelihoods, undermine public health and natural security.”

The Minister, who was represented by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Stanley Jonah, noted that the ICCWC toolkit assessment report was a comprehensive and timely document that provides us with a clear-eyed view of the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities for strengthening our efforts to combat wildlife crime.

He disclosed that one of the key findings of the report highlights the need for enhanced coordination among national agencies, improved law enforcement capacity, and stronger legal frameworks in response.

Lawal said: “in response, the Federal Government of Nigerians taken several proactive steps. We have strengthened the capacity of our law enforcement agencies, currently reviewing our legal frameworks, signed the Cooperation Agreement Framework between Nigeria and Cameroon on Transboundary Ecosystems Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wildlife and Forest Resources and increased public awareness on the importance of wildlife conservation.

The Minister while acknowledging that wildlife crime was complex for it is transnational issues that requires a multi-faceted and collaborative approach, noted that the recommendations in the ICCWC toolkit assessment report provide us with a valuable guide as we work to improve our efforts

He said: “As we launch this important report today, I urge all stakeholders, government agencies, international partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector to come together and renew our collective commitment to combating wildlife crime,” adding that: “Let us remember that the protection of our wildlife is not just an environmental issue, it is a matter of national security, economic prosperity, and global responsibility.”

On his part, the Officer-in-Charge
UNODC Country Office, Nigeria, Danilo Campisi said: “The World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 reminds us that the harms resulting from wildlife crime include a range of interlinked negative environmental, social, economic, and governance impacts, which are evident in the ongoing exploitation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity.
 
Campisi, while commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts which has resulted in increased seizures at land, sea, and airport border points, two-thirds of all seizures involving Nigeria were reported by authorities of other countries, said this suggests that interception capabilities still need to be strengthened.
 
He added that: “Enhanced information exchange and cooperation with relevant authorities in countries of origin, transit, and destination offer opportunities for intelligence-led operations and parallel or joint investigations aimed at detecting and dismantling trafficking networks.
 
“In this context, it is critical to understand what further steps are required to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife and forest products.
 
“The ICCWC Analytical Toolkit for Nigeria, conducted by UNODC in cooperation with all relevant Nigerian authorities under the overall lead of the Federal Ministry of Environment, examines the effectiveness of the legal and regulatory environment, as well as the institutional capacities of specialized law enforcement, prosecution, and the judiciary to prevent, detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate wildlife and forest crimes. This assessment provides important inputs for the effective implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria 2022-2026, which was first launched in 2022.”
 
He explained that: “The ICCWC toolkit report provides us with new insights and recommendations aimed to strengthen the legal and institutional response to wildlife and forest crime in Nigeria and I urge all national stakeholders to work together to advance the implementation of these recommendations.”

FG Says Legal Frameworks to Safeguard Country’s Biodiversity Being Reviewed

Nigerian Gov’t May Have Mortgaging Future Of Nigerians With Foreign Loan- Onyekpere

By: Michael Mike

An Abuja Civil Rights Lawyer, Eze Onyekpere has raised the alarm of the present administration’s continued disposition to foreign loans, decrying that the future generations of Nigerians may have been mortgaged by the government.

Onyekpere painted the gloom picture in Abuja on Thursday at a “ Public Discourse on Ending Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria”, an event organized by ActionAid Nigeria.

Onyekpere noted that a lot of policies the government is implementing are anti-people and has made Nigerians poorer, with biting hardship.

According to him, the Nigerian government has continued to implement a tax system and regime that has further impoverished the poor masses.

He called on the government to introduce a tax system where the rich will pay more, and stop putting the poor at disadvantage.

Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu called on the government to evolve a more sustainable approach towards addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable people in the country.

Mamedu disclosed that in Maiduguri, residents, especially women and Children have been displaced by the recent devastating
flood, which has further impoverished the poor masses working for survival.

He said, “ every action we take should focus on the people who have been affected by this disaster. We must conduct a strategic analysis of their immediate needs and ensure that the interventions are aligned with their realities. This is not just about providing relief; it’s about restoring their dignity and ensuring they are not further traumatized by the processes that are meant to help them.In this spirit, our approach must be empathetic.

“ There must be Accountability at every stage so that the aid reaches those who need it the most, and build the trust of the people.We need coordinated actions to not only respond to this immediate emergency but also to build resilient systems for the future. The warning signs were there; the forecasts were clear. Yet, our preparation was not enough. We cannot afford to repeat this mistake.

“ Following devastating floods in 2022, The Federal Government unfolded a National strategic Plan of Action, through a comprehensive report produced by the presidential committee on floods, inaugurated, the report comprises both mitigating and Adaptation plan”.

Nigerian Gov’t May Have Mortgaging Future Of Nigerians With Foreign Loan- Onyekpere