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Minister Calls for Proportionate Representation of Women in Military, Security Agencies

Minister Calls for Proportionate Representation of Women in Military, Security Agencies
By: Michael Mike
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim has called for proportionate representation of women in senior command positions in the military and security institutions in the country, describing the present under-representation as unacceptable.
The Minister made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the 5th Annual Forum of Women, Peace and Security Sector Reference Group in Nigeria.
She said that women are grossly under-represented in operational roles and strategic decision-making positions in the security institutions, despite their demonstrable competencies and qualifications, calling for breakdown of institutional barriers and structural inhibitions in the security sector.
The Minister, who acknowledged that some progress have been made in the appointment of women in some strategic positions in the Nigeria Police Force and other paramilitary institutions such as Nigerian Immigration Service, however said she was not satisfied with the achievements recorded so far.
She said: “While we have made progress, the reality is that women continue to bear the brunt of insecurity in Nigeria whether as victims of gender based violence, internally displaced persons or those facing structural barriers within our security institutions.”
Sulaiman-Ibrahim called on key stakeholders to work assiduously to close the gaps between commitment and execution, between dialogue and measurable impact in the implementation of Women, Peace and Security.
Earlier, in her remarks, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, pointed out that the theme of this year’s forum, “Enhancing Implementation: The Role of the Security Sector in Nigeria’s 3rd National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security,” reflected the collective commitment of the security sector and other stakeholders towards advancing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Nigeria.
Eyong explained that the Forum, served as a testament to Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which was borne out of the landmark adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in October 2000.
She said: “This historic Resolution shifted the global understanding of peace-building and reconstruction, recognising women not only as victims of conflict but as peacebuilders and agents of change.”
She announced that Nigeria would soon launch her 3rd National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325, a roadmap for advancing gender equality and enhancing women’s meaningful participation in peace and security processes, including within the security sector.
Eyong while explaining the importance of the policy document, said: “This policy document will reaffirm Nigeria’s leadership in addressing the unique needs of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings while also promoting their vital roles in preventing conflict and building sustainable peace.
“The security sector has a pivotal role to play in translating the 3rd NAP into actionable outcomes, hence the decision to prioritise on this during this forum, which avails us the opportunity to share experiences, showcase best practices, and strategise on how to strengthen coordination between security institutions, government MDAs, and community-based WPS structures to accelerate the implementation of the 3rd National Action Plan.”
The UN Women Representative while recounting some notable progress made in the security institutions in Nigeria,
noted that: “Gender Policies have been adopted by the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, and Department of State Services, among others, which continues to set a benchmark for institutionalising gender equality.
“The need to strengthen institutional support for the full operationalization of these policies cannot be over emphasised.
“The recent approval for the integration of the Standard Training Manual on Gender into the training curricular of Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Nigerian Navy exemplifies a strategic step toward sustainable impact. I encourage other security institutions to follow suit.
“Nigeria’s Armed Forces achieved 27.9% female participation in peace-keeping operations in 2023, surpassing the UN-recommended benchmark of 17%.
“And Civil Defense reached 35% of women among all its staff. These are remarkable milestones worthy of commendation.
“In collaboration with the National Defence College (NDC) and security sector institutions, UN Women rolled out a Leadership and Mentoring Programme for Women in the Security Sector at the last quarter of 2024.
“I call on heads of security sector institutions to institutionalise this initiative for sustainable impact.”
Minister Calls for Proportionate Representation of Women in Military, Security Agencies
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Gombe N22bn Industrial Park will transform economic landscape of North East- Industrialists

Gombe N22bn Industrial Park will transform economic landscape of North East- Industrialists
Some industrialists in Gombe State have commended the state governor Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in establishing the N22 billion Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, saying that the park would transform the economic activities of the North east region.
Addressing journalists during their tour of the facility in Dadin Kowa community in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Isa, who led the delegation described the park as the best investment destination for investors.
Baba-Isa said that the park would transform economic activities in the Northeast and help reduce youth unemployment in the state and region.
He said that the park would impact positively on major sectors of the state and would boost industrial production, attract investment, and promote regional development.
Malam Sani Yau, Chairman of Groundnut Oil Millers Association, Gombe State said that with the park now functional, a lot of investments would be attracted into the state.
Yau said that the project would contribute to wealth creation in the state and help improve living standards of residents of the state and Northeast.
“As we can see some companies have started operating in the park while massive construction of companies is ongoing; this is good for youth employment.
“This move will transform economy of the state and region and reduce the price of goods especially the ones that would be produced here.
“What Gov Yahaya has done is a milestone that will propel industrialisation and massive economic growth for not only Gombe but North east.
“Our association is pleased with the infrastructure provided at the park and we will support the state government’s move to turn the state to an industrial hub in the North east,” he said.
Yau urged the state government to allocate special zone for groundnut and rice millers in the state to enable them expand their businesses and contribute to the food security effort of the government.
For Alhaji Lawan Yusuf, chairman of Rice Processors Association in the state, the park would help mop up youths from streets and ensure that Gombe State remain safe for more investment.
Yusuf said that the groundnut and rice millers were willing to make investments at the park that would result in the creation of over 100, 000 jobs.
He urged investors from within and outside the country to support the initiative of the state government by harnessing the infrastructure at the park to contribute to the economic prosperity of the state and country.
Gombe N22bn Industrial Park will transform economic landscape of North East- Industrialists
News
UN80: Our Achievements Should Give Us Hope for a Better Future By Philemon Yang

UN80: Our Achievements Should Give Us Hope for a Better Future By Philemon Yang
By: Michael Mike
Eighty years ago this month, the Charter of the United Nations was signed in San Francisco, turning the page on decades of war and offering hope for a better future. For 80 years the United Nations has stood as the highest expression of our hopes for international cooperation, and as the fullest embodiment of our aspiration to end the “scourge of war.” Even in a world steeped in cynicism, this is a milestone worth acknowledging.
The United Nations remains the only organisation of its kind, and the only one to have endured for so long. That longevity is remarkable when we consider the context of its founding: assembled from the rubble of not one, but two global cataclysms. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, had collapsed in disgrace.
No organisation is flawless. But to paraphrase the second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld: the United Nations was created not to take humanity to heaven but to save us from hell. In that mission, it has not failed.
We continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of war—in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere. The recent escalation between Iran and Israel is a stark reminder of the fragility of peace particularly in the tension-prone Middle East region.
Yet amid the violence, we have managed to avert a third global war. In a nuclear age, that is an achievement we can never take for granted. It is one we must preserve with the full force of our efforts.
Over the past eight decades, much of human development also bears the direct imprint of the United Nations. Consider the success of the Millennium Development Goals, adopted in 2000 by 189 Member States and more than 20 international organisations, which gave the world a shared roadmap for action.
By 2015, compared to 1990, extreme poverty was more than halved. Child mortality had fallen by nearly 50 percent. And millions of children — especially girls who had long been denied the right — had entered school for the first time.
Now, as we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must build on that legacy of progress. We must continue efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, achieve universal health coverage and produce and consume sustainably.
There is another story of progress, often overlooked: the dismantling of empire. Eighty years ago, colonialism cast its shadow over much of the world. Today, more than 80 former colonies across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific have gained independence and joined the United Nations. That transition, supported and legitimised by this Organisation, reshaped the global order. It was a triumph of self-determination, a profound affirmation of the Charter’s most fundamental principle: the sovereign equality of all States.
Evolving for the future
The world has changed dramatically since 1945. Today, the Organisation faces a deepening liquidity crisis. Despite the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress has been uneven. Gender equality continues to elude us. Our pledge to limit global temperature rise and protect our planet is slipping beyond reach.
These setbacks do not warrant diminished ambition but greater resolve. The United Nations has always shown its worth in times of crisis. Its founders had witnessed humanity at its most destructive and responded not with despair, but with boldness. We must draw on these achievements.
The spirit of San Francisco was not utopian. It was grounded in a sober understanding of what was at stake. It held that, even amid deep division, nations could still choose cooperation over conflict and action over apathy.
We saw that spirit last September, when world leaders gathered in New York for the Summit of the Future. After difficult negotiations, they adopted the Pact for the Future and its annexes—the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact—by consensus. In doing so, they pledged to renew multilateralism for a world more complex, connected, and fragile than the one imagined in 1945.
That spirit endures today. It lives in the resolve of 193 Member States, in the integrity of international civil servants, and in the quiet determination of those who believe firmly in the promise of the Charter. It is carried forward by the Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative, which calls on us to deliver better for humanity; and to look to the future with adaptability and hope.
As we mark this anniversary, we must rekindle the call for unity and solidarity that rang out from San Francisco 80 years ago.
We built a world order once, in the ruins of war. We did so with vision and urgency. Now, again, we find ourselves at a moment of consequence. The risks are high. So too is our capacity to act.
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, is the President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly
UN80: Our Achievements Should Give Us Hope for a Better Future By Philemon Yang
News
US Trains Nigeria, Others on Effective Drug Enforcement

US Trains Nigeria, Others on Effective Drug Enforcement
By: Michael Mike
Special Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will host an advanced-level course for 35 law enforcement, prosecutors, magistrates, and training personnel from Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Togo.
According to a statement by the U.S. Embassy, the training addresses the growing threat of transnational drug trafficking across West and Southern Africa, where criminal networks are increasingly using the region as a transit and distribution hub for illicit narcotics.
The statement added that the course strengthens participants’ capacity to lead complex investigations, with a focus on international controlled deliveries, conspiracy cases, inter-agency coordination, and operational planning—reinforced through scenario-based exercises.
It added that all programmes at the International Law Enforcement Academy – Gaborone are intended to bring partner countries together to promote cross-border cooperation and enhance regional efforts to disrupt organized drug crime.
Established in 2000, the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) Gaborone is Africa’s premier institution for law enforcement training and regional security cooperation.
It is a joint initiative between the United States and the Government of Botswana, ILEA Gaborone has trained over 18,000 law enforcement and justice officials from more than 38 African nations.
Backed by Botswana’s annual in-kind support and staffed by instructors from 16 U.S. agencies, ILEA delivers cutting-edge instruction on transnational crime, fostering lasting U.S.-Africa partnerships.
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US Trains Nigeria, Others on Effective Drug Enforcement
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