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UNAIDS Takes Campaign to Mobilise for AIDS to Vatican
UNAIDS Takes Campaign to Mobilise for AIDS to Vatican
By: Michael Mike
The Executive Director of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima has drum support for the AIDS Programme, meeting with leaders in the Catholic Church as part of a global effort to mobilize voices of faith to stand up in a moment of crisis for the AIDS response.
Speaking to communities of faith at events in Vatican City Ms Byanyima said, “Two weeks ago, the world’s biggest AIDS relief programme was paused. 20 million people living with HIV rely on the United States Government for the medication they need to stay alive and prevent HIV infection. A humanitarian waiver was issued allowing some lifesaving medicines to be distributed. That is welcome. But the programme’s future remains uncertain.”
A statement by UNAIDS on Thursday read: “HIV clinics around the world have shuttered and HIV prevention and treatment programmes have been derailed. Without funding from the United States, within four years, 6.3 million people will die and 8.9 million will newly acquire HIV. Around 370 000 babies will acquire HIV, and without treatment, half will not live to see their second birthday.
Byanyima said: “The AIDS movement has been through this before. When people were dying from neglect in the early days of HIV in Africa, Asia, and Latin America it was the churches that stepped up to care for the sick and dying. Catholic Leaders have called urgently for the restoration of HIV programmes and other crucial international funding.
“The church has a powerful voice that reaches into communities around the world,” said Ms Byanyima. “We need the voice of faith and the leadership of faith in the world that we are in today–this time to defend the global AIDS response and lifesaving programmes like PEPFAR. Human life is sacred–and today, it hangs in the balance.”
The AIDS response has recently been presented with a game-changing opportunity. In 2024, Gilead announced that its breakthrough medicine lenacapavir can prevent HIV with injections just twice a year. If made available and affordable to all in need, this could present the opportunity to end what has been the deadliest pandemic in generations.
“Humanity has made incredible progress tackling AIDS. But let me be clear. Without funding for the HIV response, we risk losing all we have gained and could see a resurgent AIDS pandemic. And if we want national governments to plug the gap, we must give them the means to do so and support a sustainable transition,” Byanyima added.
The statement said that even before the US announcement, the AIDS response had a financing gap of US$ 9.5 billion. UNAIDS estimates that US$ 29.3 billion is needed to get countries on track and end the AIDS pandemic by 2030.
Byanyima added that: “That is why at the Vatican today we are also focused on enabling low- and middle-income countries to raise domestic funding for the HIV response. Proper taxation and relieving the crushing burden of debt are critical.”
UNAIDS will continue to partner with the United States, other donors and countries most affected by HIV to ensure a robust and sustainable response to HIV and to achieve our collective goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the statement noted.
UNAIDS Takes Campaign to Mobilise for AIDS to Vatican
Tinubu Commissions Locally Made Electric Vehicles in Nasarawa
By: Michael Mike
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially commissioned indigenous electric vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles in Nasarawa State,
This marks an important milestone in Nigeria’s transition to sustainable transportation.
The event, which also featured the launch of several legacy infrastructure projects, showcased the commitment of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration to innovation and environmental sustainability.
The commissioning ceremony signifies the formal establishment and operation of electric vehicle technology in the state—an initiative aligned with President Tinubu’s national policy on sustainable transportation.
Governor Sule revealed plans to empower residents across Nasarawa with electric vehicles, a move aimed at easing transportation challenges and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Electric Motor Vehicle Company (EMVC), Prince Mustapha Audu, expressed gratitude to both President Tinubu and Governor Sule for supporting local innovation and embracing the future of transportation.
Audu described EMVC as one of Nigeria’s leading electric vehicle manufacturers, with branches in other states. He commended Governor Sule for pioneering the future of mobility in Nasarawa, noting the global shift towards electric vehicles, especially as many countries move to phase out compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles by 2030.
He said: “We have SUVs that can travel 1,200 km per charge, and sedan models suitable for ride-hailing services with a 400 km range. We also have locally made tricycles and motorcycles—popularly known as Igwe—that are affordable and built for Nigerian roads.”
Highlighting innovation in infrastructure, Audu explained that the vehicles will be supported by solar-powered charging stations. “Our charging stations can power three vehicles simultaneously without relying on the national grid or generators. We plan to increase them to five stations shortly,” he stated.
He explained that with just ₦5,000, vehicle owners can fully charge their cars depending on battery capacity.
He said the electric vehicles are powered by lithium batteries designed to reduce carbon emissions and enhance clean energy usage. To support long-term adoption, EMVC is also setting up battery assembly lines, EV repair centers, and training hubs across the state.
He further said: “Each electric vehicle comes with a minimum two-year warranty,” noting that: “Unlike traditional vehicles with over 25,000 components, electric vehicles have fewer than 300 parts—most of which are cosmetic. This greatly reduces maintenance costs and complexity.”
He emphasized that common issues will mostly be electrical, and the company already has trained technicians on the ground, with plans to train more as demand grows.
Audu acknowledged challenges such as poor road conditions and climate, but assured that the vehicles were designed with Nigerian realities in mind.
He expressed confidence in the durability of the locally manufactured electric vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles, urging Nigerians to embrace the cleaner, cheaper alternative to transportation.
Tinubu Commissions Locally Made Electric Vehicles in Nasarawa
Sen Kaka Shehu Lawan Mourn Ex Lawmaker Babagana Tijjani Banki
By: Our Reporter
The Senator representing the good people of Borno Central Distinguished Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan SAN has described the death of Hon Babagana Tijjani Banki “as one dead too many” not only to his family which he was the Scion, or the community which the famous Banki family impacted but Borno as a whole.
Having served as a federal lawmaker for three consecutive terms and later as a member of the Borno state executive council, Hon Banki’s role as a team player and also a bridge builder will leave a lasting memory in the minds of his colleagues and his immediate community to which he was a proud son.
While extending his condolences to H.E Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, the Shehu of Bama and members of the state executive council, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan prays Allah to forgive the deceased and grant him Paradise.
Kaka Shehu Lawan equally prays for the consolation of the family and friends who must have been pained by Hon Babagana Tijjani Banki’s irreplaceable loss.
Hon Babagana Tijjani Banki will be missed for his cheerful nature and kind personality, the senator added.
Sen Kaka Shehu Lawan Mourn Ex Lawmaker Babagana Tijjani Banki
VP Shettima Departs Nigeria For Ethiopia On Official State Visit
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Excellency, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali.
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
These include the Adama Industrial Zone, Mojo Poultry Farm, Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, Lume Avocado Nursery Site, and the Bishoftu Pea Youth Farm.
As part of the State visit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will host Vice President Shettima and his entourage to a State Dinner at the National Palace, further reinforcing the long-standing diplomatic and cooperative relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Nigeria and Ethiopia share a robust history of bilateral engagement, with notable collaboration in areas of military support, regional peacekeeping, and economic partnership.
This visit aims to deepen those relations, while exploring new opportunities in climate action, food security, and sustainable industrialization.
VP Shettima Departs Nigeria For Ethiopia On Official State Visit
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
Tinubu Commissions Locally Made Electric Vehicles in Nasarawa
Sen Kaka Shehu Lawan Mourn Ex Lawmaker Babagana Tijjani Banki
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