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ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said between 2023 and 2024 it splashed over $26 million on humanitarian activities in West Africa.
The regional political cum economic bloc said it also supported sport federations in the region with $100,000 each per year.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr said the regional body startups in scientific innovation with the sum of $50,000 in the area of youth innovation.
Sarr said a total of $700,000 was used for the training of 30 young people from the region in Masters and PHD programmes.
She also revealed that countries under sanctions were not excluded from the humanitarian gesture of the regional body.
She stressed that ECOWAS puts significant resources into the humanitarian sector for displaced people, migration, floods and various forms of disaster:
She said, “Guinea under sanctions received nearly 600,000 dollars in January 2024, namely: 100,000 dollars for the fire at the oil depot and 499,390 dollars for the floods.”
For the displaced people within the region, Prof. Sarr said, “In 2023 for floods and nutrition out of a total of 8.5 million people affected, ECOWAS provided support to half of the victims, or 4 million people for an amount of $12.6 million.
“In 2024, ECOWAS has released 9 million dollars for internally displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers, as well as for the communities that welcome them (i.e. all 15 countries).
” ECOWAS has allocated $1 million for stabilization in Nigeria (victims of terrorism, displaced people, injured people, rehabilitation and strengthening community resilience).”
The Commissioner also revealed that “Out of a fund of 25 million dollars intended for the fight against terrorism (Nigeria, Burkina, Mali and Niger), ECOWAS has reserved 4 million dollars for humanitarian actions.”
She explained that ECOWAS places more emphasizes on prevention, adding “We have a disaster reduction strategy and tools such as the observation, monitoring and alert center which allows ECOWAS to monitor displaced populations and floods, to anticipate problems. and better manage crisis situations.”
On the programmes for the youth integration within the region she said that the commission intervention was in the area of Volunteers programs, Sport and Economic Integration
According to her “Since 2014, ECOWAS has posted 217 volunteers in the following countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, Burkina, Benin.
“ECOWAS works to promote the spirit of volunteering among young people to give them opportunity for professional development, enhance their civic engagement and foster their conscience for community service.”
ECOWAS, she also said supported sports federation of each member states with $100,000 per year.
Sarr also listed other sporting activities and Union supported to include the Union of deaf sports associations, university sport development organizations. ECOWAS cycling tours Lagos- Accra 2010, Lagos Abidjan 2012.
“The Ecowas Game Event that included 5 to 6 sports disciplines were organized in 2009 and 2011,” she added.
She also said ECOWAS supported the Entrepreneurship project and youth mentoring Business incubation project.
She listed the area of training to include “Training in agrosylvopastoral farming from 2010-2018 at the Shanghai Center for 1,300 young people
“Training in refrigeration and air conditioning, auto mechanics in Burkina between 2014 and 2019 for 500 young people
“Training in building electricity in Mali for 500 young people.”
Prof. Sarr also revealed that ECOWAS initiated cooperation with the People’s Republic of China in 2023 to support young people, “Thus 12 entrepreneurship projects for young people in the sub-region received an awardcompetitors out of a total of 100 worldwide.”
In the area of Science Education, the ECOWAS Commissioner said the programs of the Directorate of Education, Science and Culture focus largely on young people, we can cite
“The academic mobility and professional integration program for young people within ECOWAS institutions, which from 2016 to 2024 enrolled 845 young people.
“The youth integration program in industries and the private sector in ECOWAS countries, which benefitted 180 young people between 2021 and 2022.”
Sarr added that: “Since 2019 ECOWAS has sent 42 young people for master’s degrees in diplomacy and international relations in Spain.
“Support for young people through prizes to the most successful startups in scientific innovation ($50,000).
“With PARI (Research and Innovation Support Program) from 2018 to 2024, it was possible to train more than 30 young people in Masters and PHD through funds donated to research consortia, for a total of $700,000.”
She also said the commission was supported the youths during film and art festivals, ad prizes were awarded to young artists.
For the ECOWAS Gender Center, Sarr said: “1,720 excellence scholarships were distributed from 2010 to 2022 to young girls from disadvantaged families.”
The Commissioner also revealed that there are plans to host ECOWAS Youth Forum in the coming month.
The forum, she said is “to take stock of the current situation, identify the changes and ruptures which have led to the general malaise observed in the sub- region.
“Consultations will be organized in member countries by bringing together young people concerned in their geographic, social and socio-professional diversity.”
The forum which will be extended by webinars to reach a larger number of people, television shows and radio debates, she said “will allow populations in each country to know that ECOWAS is looking into youth problems.
” At the end of the process, the ECOWAS meetings will be organized in a member country, allowing the regional organization to review its policy, strategy and roadmap accordingly.”
ECOWAS Expends Over $26 million on humanitarian activities between 2023-2024- Commissioner
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
•••771 to Graduate in Nigeria in 2025
•••Otuaro Hails Scholars’ Performances
By: Michael Mike
Nine students awarded foreign post-graduate scholarships by the Presidential Amnesty Programme have graduated from their master’s degree rprogrammes in universities in the United Kingdom.
The successful scholars are the first graduates in the offshore post-graduate scholarship deployment to UK institutions by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic session.
They graduated from the Anglia Ruskin University, University of Dundee and The University of Law with master’s degrees in cyber security, data science and engineering, law, construction and civil engineering management, project management, and ICT.
Also, 711 undergraduate and post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries are expected to graduate from universities within Nigeria this year.
The PAP, on Wednesday, 3 December, 2025, organised a graduation reception for the scholars in London.
Otuaro has congratulated them on their successful graduation, stressing that they completed their programmes in record time which shows the seriousness they had put into their studies.
He said they have justified the Federal Government’s investment in their education with their successful graduation, and urged other beneficiaries not to be distracted in their academic pursuits.
“We congratulate these scholars on their successful graduation. It shows that they took their studies seriously. That is what we demand of every scholarship beneficiary, whether at the undergraduate or post-graduate level”, Otuaro said.
He reiterated his unwavering commitment to expanding the scholarship scheme to create more opportunities for indigent students of Niger Delta extraction to access higher education with a view to closing the human capital development gap in the region.
Otuaro said it was for this reason he deployed 3800 beneficiaries in-country in the 2024-2025 academic year, and increased the figure to 3900 in the 2025-2026 academic session with 200 for foreign scholarships.
Otuaro has so far deployed 7700 students for the PAP scholarship scheme within Nigeria in less than two years.
Within this period, also, he has also deployed 162 students from the region for post-graduate programmes in targeted disciplines in the UK universities.
According to him, this is in conformity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the Niger Delta, who has given unprecedented support to the PAP because of his sincere love for the area.
The PAP boss said, “Our decision aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the Niger Delta. We will continue to create more higher educational opportunities for students from indigent backgrounds in our region.
“We are also deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate in informal education and other areas for the sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement of the region.”
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
By: Michael Mike
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited has been incorporated to seamlessly allowed for the Refinery and Free Trade Zone in Ondo State.
A press statement on Thursday read that: “In furtherance of our commitment to the execution of these two major projects – Refinery and Free Trade Zone in conjunction with the Ondo State Government, the joint partners have taken another giant step by incorporating a joint company, namely – SUNSHINE JOINT VENTURE INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED – as the vehicle to be used in executing these projects. A move that further reinforces the sincerity of purpose and total commitment of the funding partners to move ahead together as a united front.
According to the release by Wale Adekola on behalf of the JV, the Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limitedwill, going forward serve as the vehicle to work with the Ondo State Government through the Ondo State Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) in the implementation of the executed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
The statement added that: “In moving the projects forward for implementation, the JV team met in Dubai to finalize the funding modalities and put in place structures and plans for the commencement of activities for ground breaking and community engagements. These initial activities are aimed at complementing the 50th Anniversary of the creation of Ondo State and the one year anniversary of the election of the Executive Governor of the Sunshine State, His Excellency, Chief Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa CFR.
At the Dubai meeting were key officers of the JV Company, including: Messrs SALEHI FARHAD; ZAHERI NAVID; EGHBAL KORDJAMSHIDI; SAHEED ZAHERI; DR. STEPHEN DIKE; HENRY OWONKA AND MRS. NAMVAR MARYAM.
The statement further informed that, plans have been concluded to mobilize the relevant contractors working with the locals and host communities to put up structures that will host the information center, architectural models to showcase the projects on offer and facilities that will serve the team. All these are being planned with ONDIPA to execute the relocation and accommodation of the host communities that are likely to be affected by the projects and create a seamless transition that will engender peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship with our host communities.
The JV company further reiterated its commitment to work with Ondo State Government (through ONDIPA) to change the infrastructural landscape of the Sunshine State and for mutual benefits.
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
Edo: Seven suspected bandits arrested along Benin-Agbor Road
By: Zagazola Makama
Seven suspected bandits were arrested along the Benin–Agbor Road in Edo State during stop-and-search operations, security sources confirmed.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects, all Fulani youths, were intercepted after being offloaded from a truck at about 1800 hours on 2 December 2025. A search revealed pictures of assault rifles, including AK-47s, on their mobile phones.
Upon interrogation, the suspects claimed to have travelled from Adamawa State. Investigations are ongoing for the possible recovery of actual firearms and to determine their involvement in criminal activities.
Security agencies have urged members of the public to report any suspicious movements to help prevent criminal acts in the area.
Edo: Seven suspected bandits arrested along Benin-Agbor Road
UN Women Calls for Strengthening of Mechanism and Policies Towards Ending Gender Violence
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
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