News
Food Security: 25,000 tons of Wheat for Northeast Arrive from Ukraine
Food Security: 25,000 tons of Wheat for Northeast Arrive from Ukraine
By: Michael Mike
A donation of 25,000 tons of wheat for emergency food assistance to 1.3 million crisis-affected people in northeast Nigeria has arrived the country from Ukraine.
The tons of wheat were donated through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
This vital contribution – part of Ukraine’s humanitarian “Grain from Ukraine” initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would come handing as prices of staple food in Nigeria have been rising in recent times pushing basic meals out of the reach of millions of vulnerable families across the country.
According to a statement by WFP, the shipment was made possible thanks to a collaborative effort from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, which helped cover the costs of transporting the wheat from Ukraine to Nigeria and its distribution to the families who so urgently need it.
WFP Representative and Country Director in Nigeria, David Stevenson said: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Government of Ukraine, partners, and donors for their unwavering support through the Grain from Ukraine Initiative,”
He added that: “This collaborative effort plays a crucial role in alleviating suffering and maintaining human dignity in areas facing conflict and food price increase”.
The statement added that as part of WFP’s ongoing humanitarian operations, the wheat donation will be combined with cash and other commodities to meet the basic food and nutrition needs of crisis-affected women, men and children for a two-month period.
It decried that deadly conflicts and persistent violence in northeast Nigeria have driven millions of people out of their homes, off their farms and across the region, jeopardizing agriculture and livelihoods production, adding that over the past three months, unlike in previous years, prices of key staples across several markets in Nigeria increased above pre-harvest levels hampering food access for vulnerable families who depend on harvest and markets for their supplies.
The statement said: “In Maiduguri, for example, the wholesale prices of red beans have increased by 210 percent compared to the same period last year (February 2023). Similarly, prices of maize and sorghum increased by 176 percent and 188 percent respectively.
The country is also grappling with its fourth consecutive year of chronic food insecurity with 26.5 million people across the country projected to face acute hunger during the 2024 lean season between June and August according to the November 2023 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis.
“WFP is committed to working with the government and partners to build more resilient, inclusive, and effective food systems taking advantage of its current footprint in the country. Through its “Out of Conflict into Solutions” food systems approach, WFP seeks to prioritize emergency food assistance to the most
vulnerable groups while simultaneously supporting self-reliance by rebuilding assets to improve long- term food security and resilience including adaptation to climate change, providing timely access to nutritious food, and promoting innovative financing to support WFP operations.
“In 2023, WFP invested US$ 200 million in agricultural economy through locally purchased food and cash transfers to crisis-affected families for food redemption in local markets.”
Stevenson said: “WFP has the tools and willingness to support the government in restoring and unlocking the agricultural potential of northeast Nigeria making it again the breadbasket of the country. But we cannot achieve this alone. Collective action is needed to bring peace and stability, ensure stable markets, encourage financial investments, and generate employment through enhanced collaboration with Nigerian private sector partners, suppliers, transporters, service providers, and retailers.”
He however said to ensure continued food and nutrition assistance to crisis-affected people in northeast and northwest Nigeria, WFP urgently requires US$154 million for the next six months (March-August 2024).
Food Security: 25,000 tons of Wheat for Northeast Arrive from Ukraine
News
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
By Aisha Gambo
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).
The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.
According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.
“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.
Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.
She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.
According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.
She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.
Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.
The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.
She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.
Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
News
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
By: Zagazola Makama
Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.
According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.
Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.
Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.
The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Health
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
By: Zagazola Makama
A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.
The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.
The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
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