News
ActionAid Describes 2024 IMF/World Bank Meeting, A Damp Squib, Falling Short of Addressing Issuing for People Living in Poverty
ActionAid Describes 2024 IMF/World Bank Meeting, A Damp Squib, Falling Short of Addressing Issuing for People Living in Poverty
By: Michael Mike
ActionAid has said the 2024 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual meetings in Washington, D.C., were a damp squib that fell short of addressing the bread-and-butter issues for people living in poverty.
The IMF’s forecasts of high debt and slow growth, especially among Global South countries, and its recommendations for even more fiscal adjustments, public sector wage rationalization,and the social acceptability of structural reform are testament to their continued failure and inability to show relevance for the global majority in the 21st century.
The Global Economic Justice Lead at ActionAid International, Roos Saalbrink, said: “We see once again how the IMF is not fit for purpose and unable to offer real solutions to the economic crises they helped to create. The decision to stick to old ways and pursue harmful policies, such as public sector wage cuts, is a blatant disregard for decades of evidence that has shown that this does not work and for rapidly growing inequality.”
He added that: “The IMF seems unable to see reality outside its econometric models. Sadly, the lack of meaningful action to arrest the debt crisis and put an end to austerity could spell doom for the global majority, whose voices demanding a break from the failures of the past are yet again ignored.”
On her part, the Policy Specialist at ActionAid UK, Jessica Mandanda, said:
“It has been 80 years, and we find ourselves, yet again, at odds with the International Financial Institutions, with consistent contradictions in what they say and what they do. What is crystal clear is that the IMF is completely out of touch and disconnected from the lived realities of billions across the world who are suffering because of austerity and bad policy advice.
“The calls for austerity, or fiscal adjustments or restrictions as the IMF is calling it, will increase the burden among vulnerable communities, especially women, who bear the brunt of cuts in spending on essential services such as health, education, and other support sectors.
“In so many ways, we have seen even more this past week that the IMF is willing to let people especially women be collateral in the pursuit of economic growth. After 80 years, we expected the IMF to take responsibility for their failed policies and be open to changing their ways of operating. Their decision to stick to business as usual will doubtlessly reverberate negatively on vulnerable and poor communities, in the Global South.”
ActionAid noted that metrics like Gross Domestic Product growth hide the real impacts of economic policies, as well as in whose interests this endless growth is pursued. It is a continuation of a colonial system enabling the extraction of wealth and resources into the hands of a few, fueling extreme inequality. The increased climate crisis stems from this unquestioned pursuit of GDP growth that is driving extractivism and has pushed the planet beyond its limits.
The Women’s Rights Programme and Policy Advisor for ActionAid International, Lina Moraa, said: “While the IMF preaches ‘reform’ it is clear that they have failed to deliver on this for the past 80 years. The fund is still deeply entrenched in neoliberalism and happy to perpetuate a system that fuels inequality and suffering. We demand a radical departure from this failed model and a new era of economic justice for all.”
She noted that the time is up for outdated economic policies, systems, and rules, that disproportionately impact women and girls. As part of international financial architecture reform, governments must take debt negotiations and sustainability assessments away from the IMF to a new UN democratic and representative debt workout mechanism to function at the Fourth UN Financing for Development conference in 2025 hand in hand with a UN Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
ActionAid insisted that there is an urgent need for a collective resolution to the global debt crisis anchored on debt cancellation, radical debt renegotiation, reparations, and bold action for progressive, gender-responsive, and climate-sensitive tax reforms to allow governments to invest in quality public services.
Global Lead on Economic Justice and Public Services at ActionAid International, Roos Saalbrink said: “The blatant unwillingness of global north governments to change the current governance structure of the IMF and World Bank is striking. The IMF itself also seems adamant to keep the system as it is, holding itself at the center of economic decisions continuing the endless cycles of debt, reforms, and cuts in government spending. Debt cancellation simply is not in the IMFs interest, it might put it out of business. So, we should see its outdated recommendations for what they are; a deliberate attempt to maintain its relevance and power.”
ActionAid Describes 2024 IMF/World Bank Meeting, A Damp Squib, Falling Short of Addressing Issuing for People Living in Poverty
News
Army troops restore calm after farmers, herders clash in Sokoto
Army troops restore calm after farmers, herders clash in Sokoto
By: Zagazola Makama
The troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA have restored normalcy to Karangiya and Danjawo villages in Silame Local Government Area following a violent clash between farmers and herders on Sunday.
Zagazola reliably informed by sources that the clash erupted at about 9 a.m. over alleged cultivation of farmlands along cattle routes.
According to the sources, the altercation between Hausa farmers from Karangiya and Fulani herders from Danjawo escalated into violence before security operatives intervened.
The troops swiftly moved to the scene to restore order.
Nine people from both sides five farmers and four herders sustained varying degrees of injuries. Five were treated and discharged at the Silame General Hospital, while three others are still receiving treatment.
The Chairman of Silame Local Government Area has convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to find a lasting solution to the dispute.
Intensive patrols and surveillance have been intensified in the affected communities, while calm has been restored.
Army troops restore calm after farmers, herders clash in Sokoto
News
WANEP Hosts National Briefing on Rising Concerns of Religious Radicalism•Highlights risks of unregulated Madrassas in Nigeria
WANEP Hosts National Briefing on Rising Concerns of Religious Radicalism
•Highlights risks of unregulated Madrassas in Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), under the EU-supported Research and Action for Peace (REcAP) program, hosted a national deliberative briefing to present key findings from two studies exploring the ideological, cultural, and security implications of madrassas in both Northern and Southwestern Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement made available on Monday by Mr Emmanuel Ami-Okhani, the representative of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Nigeria.
The session was attended by policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and security stakeholders, focused on understanding how religious education intersects with radical ideologies, external funding, and youth identity in Nigeria.
The REcAP project, implemented by WANEP in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), aims to strengthen the role of civil society and research in shaping effective responses to conflict, violent extremism, and peacebuilding across West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.
One of the working paper presentations of a major study titled “Madrasas, Charities and Religious Radicalism in Northern Nigeria: A Study of the Almajiri System,” authored by Prof. Freedom Onuoha, Dr Saheed Babajide Owonikoko, and Dr Chukwuma Okoli, explored the theological foundations and operational structures of the Almajiri system, particularly in Abuja, Kano, and Borno states, regions selected for their population size, security relevance, and Islamic education presence.

The research highlighted that the Almajiri system, rooted in the Arabic term al-muhajirun (meaning “to migrate for knowledge”), has historically served as a respected Islamic education platform but has since suffered neglect, a lack of regulation, and infiltration by unverified foreign actors.
According to Owonikoko, who presented the paper, the study found evidence of informal funding from foreign religious charities, mainly from the Middle East. Still, it warned that such support is largely undocumented, making it difficult to monitor for extremist influence.
He disclosed that, based on interviews conducted with school custodians, scholars, former Almajiri students, and security agents, a key concern is the lack of transparency surrounding financial donations and the ideological content introduced by some foreign-linked clerics.
He cited historical and contemporary cases where charities from countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran supported specific sectarian ideologies within Almajiri schools. However, direct links between this support and actual radicalisation remain hard to legally establish due to the clandestine nature of donations.
Owonikoko noted during the presentation that “most Almajiri schools are not documented or supervised, making them vulnerable to ideological manipulation through informal funding channels.”
“While the majority of Almajiri students are peaceful and focused on Quranic education, the lack of structure creates loopholes that can be exploited by extremist elements.”
A second study titled “Madrassas and Islamic Extremism among Teenage Muslim Students in Southwestern Nigeria” was presented by Dr Busari Dauda of the University of Ilorin. Co-authored with Dr Alatise Remi Kasalla from Osogbo, provided an empirical view of how madrassas are shaping youth religious identity in the South-West amidst growing ideological influences from the Middle East.
Unlike the Northern context, madrassas in Ilorin, Ibadan, and Osogbo were found to be more structured, often registered with education ministries and integrated into Yoruba Islamic cultural life, Dr Dauda revealed.
However, the study noted that sectarian interests and prestige-seeking among madrassa founders contribute to the proliferation of ideologically driven schools. Economic motivations and cultural acceptance also play significant roles in their expansion.
Dauda, during his presentation, stressed that, while the study found no widespread evidence of violent radicalisation, it did highlight growing perceptions of global injustice among teenage students, particularly around issues like the Palestinian conflict and Western treatment of Muslims.
He said, these sentiments, amplified by digital media and foreign ideological narratives, shape how young Muslims interpret their religious and social identity.
Dauda emphasised that “extremism is not part of the curriculum, but ideological influences can filter in through sect-based teachings and global narratives of Muslim victimhood.”
WANEP Hosts National Briefing on Rising Concerns of Religious Radicalism
•Highlights risks of unregulated Madrassas in Nigeria
News
Army troops recover 70 rustled livestock after gun duel with bandits in Katsina
Army troops recover 70 rustled livestock after gun duel with bandits in Katsina
By: Zagazola Makama
Army troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA in Katsina have recovered 70 goats and several sheep after engaging suspected bandits in a fierce gun battle in Bakori Local Government Area of the state.
Sources indicated that the incident occurred on Oct. 25, 2025, at about 11:50 p.m., when armed men suspected to be bandits loyal to a notorious leader known as “Abaku Aiki” who reportedly distanced himself from the recent peace accord invaded Ganjar and Alhazawa, two remote villages under Bakori LGA.
The bandits reportedly kidnapped an unspecified number of residents and rustled several domestic animals during the attack.
The troops in collaboration with other security agencies intercepted the bandits at Laila Forest. A sustained exchange of gunfire ensued, forcing the criminals to abandon the stolen animals and flee into the forest.
The sources confirmed that 70 goats and some sheep were successfully recovered, while efforts are ongoing to track the fleeing bandits and rescue the abducted victims.
The troops assured residents of continuous patrol and collaboration with security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the area.
Army troops recover 70 rustled livestock after gun duel with bandits in Katsina
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
News6 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
