National News
MSF Calls for Inclusion of North West in UN’s Humanitarian Plan

MSF Calls for Inclusion of North West in UN’s Humanitarian Plan
By: Michael Mike
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders has called for the inclusion of Northwest Nigeria in the United Nations’ Humanitarian Plan, insisting that this would enable a broader and more sustained response in the region which has been bedeviled by banditry.
A statement on Tuesday by MSF read that: “As the malnutrition crisis in northwest Nigeria continues at catastrophic levels, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for the humanitarian community to respond to the emergency needs of people in the region, and for northwest Nigeria to be included in the UN’s humanitarian response plan, enabling a broader and more sustained response.”
The statement further read that: “Since the beginning of 2022, MSF teams have witnessed extraordinarily high numbers of children with malnutrition in MSF’s programmes located in five states across northwest Nigeria. Multiple factors have led to a sharp increase in malnutrition in the region over last year.”
The MSF country representative in Nigeria, Dr. Simba Tirima was quoted to have said that: “With increasing insecurity, climate change and global inflation of food prices in a post-pandemic world, we can only imagine this crisis getting worse,” adding that: “The Nigerian authorities need support to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. This must include emergency humanitarian funding now for organisations able to respond and a commitment to include northwest Nigeria in the UN’s humanitarian response plan for 2023.”
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He revealed that since January, MSF teams working in collaboration with the Nigerian health authorities have treated close to 100,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition in 34 outpatient facilities and admitted about 17,000 children requiring hospital care in 10 inpatient centres in Kano, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi states.
He noted that in Zamfara state, one of the areas most affected by ongoing violence and banditry, “we recorded a 64 percent increase in the numbers of severely malnourished children treated in the outpatient nutritional departments supported by MSF from January to August 2022 when compared to January to August 2021.”
According to the statement, the MSF’s nutritional surveys have also underlined the severity of the crisis, including in areas that are less affected by violence and insecurity. In Mashi local government area, in Katsina state, MSF found a 27,4% rate of global acute malnutrition and a 7,1% rate of severe acute malnutrition in June, even though the community has been relatively spared from violence and forced displacement. These rates indicate a critical emergency.
The statement added that the UN’s current humanitarian response plan for Nigeria focuses on the critical situation in the country’s northeast region, excluding the northwest. Unlike MSF, which is not funded by the humanitarian response plan, many organisations are currently unable to respond to the acute needs in the northwest because they rely on it for funding.
The MSF head of mission in Nigeria, Froukje Pelsma said: “We understand the United Nations, donors and other stakeholders are increasingly aware of the extent of the crisis in the northwest, but there is a need to go beyond discussions,”insisting that: “It’s essential that the northwest is included in the next Nigeria humanitarian response plan for 2023, because this plays a key role in mobilising the resources to save lives.”
MSF Calls for Inclusion of North West in UN’s Humanitarian Plan
National News
FG Plans Nationwide Audit Of Skills Centres To Transform Workforce

FG Plans Nationwide Audit Of Skills Centres To Transform Workforce
** As VP Shettima demands urgent action to bridge nation’s skills gap
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for immediate and united action to close Nigeria’s widening skills gap, describing it as a national priority critical to economic transformation.
This is just as the federal government has hinted at a proposal for the review of existing skills training centres across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to align their work and functions with national development goals.
The Vice President, who spoke on Thursday during the 6th meeting of the National Council on Skills (NCS) at the Presidential Villa, noted that the council’s mandate is to develop a strategic workforce capable of meeting Nigeria’s evolving economic demands.
“What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. We have to make this country work. We need to fill in the skills gap,” he said.
VP Shettima pointed out that the council has a mission to strategically position Nigeria’s workforce to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.
“This council was established with a clear mandate to drive the strategic development of the skilled workforce that can contribute meaningfully to national growth and prosperity,” he added.
The Vice President described the session as an open forum where positions were aired and important decisions were taken, emphasising that stakeholder engagement, consensus-building, and decisive leadership are essential to fixing Nigeria’s skills and employment crisis.
A major highlight of the meeting was the proposal for a National Skills Infrastructure Audit to create a centralised database of all training facilities, verify their functionality, and identify gaps or overlaps in infrastructure.
“The government’s policy trajectory is to strengthen human capital development for national growth and industry through skills development. However, unless the skills infrastructure across MDAs is optimised, this vision will remain unattainable,” the council noted.
The audit will also involve physical verification of centres and a detailed cataloguing of operational training facilities, ensuring alignment with national occupational standards and labour market needs.
Earlier, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa made a presentation on the National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP), an initiative aimed at training 10,000 artisans annually in high-demand construction trades.
The programme is designed to formalise Nigeria’s informal artisan sector by providing certification and onboarding qualified artisans onto a Digital Artisan Marketplace.
“The overall goal of NASAP is to establish a reliable and competent artisan workforce to drive the Ministry’s housing and infrastructure agenda while empowering Nigeria’s youth with employable skills,” the Minister said.
He noted that NASAP seeks to tackle youth unemployment while simultaneously addressing the skilled labour shortage in the construction sector, just as he said it is projected to have a significant impact on both job creation and long-term infrastructure development.
FG Plans Nationwide Audit Of Skills Centres To Transform Workforce
National News
Army intercepts railway vandals in Yobe, arrests 8 suspects including 5 NSCDC personnel

Army intercepts railway vandals in Yobe, arrests 8 suspects including 5 NSCDC personnel
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai in Yobe have intercepted a truck loaded with suspected vandalised iron railway sleepers and arrested eight suspects, including five personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), during a targeted operation in Katarko area of Gujba Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the operation, which took place on July 8 at about 4:00 p.m., followed credible intelligence about the movement of vandalised railway materials.

The truck, was intercepted while en route to Damaturu. A Hilux vehicle marked NSCDC CD 234 A, believed to be providing escort for the illegal consignment, was also impounded.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the railway materials were vandalised from a section of the tracks around Kukuwa, also in Gujba LGA.
Further findings revealed that the arrested NSCDC officers were allegedly invited by the vandals to provide safe passage in exchange for monetary compensation.
A cash sum of ₦128,500, believed to be proceeds of the illegal escort, was recovered from one of the NSCDC officers. The money was reportedly concealed in his inner clothing.
The suspects and exhibits have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Damaturu for further investigation. An anti-bomb squad has also been directed to sweep the recovered materials to ensure public safety.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing and all those found culpable will be prosecuted accordingly.
Army intercepts railway vandals in Yobe, arrests 8 suspects including 5 NSCDC personnel
National News
NHRC: Over 320,000 Human Rights Violations Complaints Received in June

NHRC: Over 320,000 Human Rights Violations Complaints Received in June
By: Michael Mike
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decried the rising incident of human rights violation in the country, stating that last alone over 320,000 cases were reported across the country.
Speaking during the presentation of June 2025 Human Rights Situation Dashboard in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu said: “In the month of June, we received 327,154 complaints reflecting another sharp increase in human rights violations, each one a desperate plea for justice and a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done.”
He lamented that: “Every month, when we gather to present this human rights dashboard, we are confronted with a sobering reality of the lived realities of those affected by violence, injustice, discrimination, and systemic neglect. These numbers compel us to reflect deeply on our collective responsibility and ask ourselves the difficult question: Are we doing enough? The events of June 2025 demand not just reflection, but an honest and urgent response.”
He said: “Last month, Nigeria witnessed a harrowing surge in violent attacks, with devastating consequences for affected communities and our national conscience. Among the most tragic incidents were the brutal assaults on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 innocent lives were lost. These were not mere figures on a report; they were fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished in moments of senseless brutality.
“Equally alarming is the rising trend of attacks against law enforcement and local security forces. In Kaduna and Niger States, more than 17 soldiers were killed in coordinated attacks, further destabilizing already fragile regions. Equally distressing was the massacre of over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Ruggar Chida, brave individuals who stood on the frontlines to protect their communities, only to pay the ultimate price.
“Their deaths leave a void in local security structures, rendering civilians even more exposed to further violence.”
Ojukwu noted that: “The wave of insecurity plaguing our highways has also intensified. In June alone, more than 50 travellers were abducted along major transit routes in Kogi and Benue States. These are not isolated criminal acts; they represent a direct assault on the fundamental rights to freedom of movement, economic participation, and personal dignity. These abductions inflicts lasting trauma on victims and their families while further eroding public trust in the safety of our roads. This pattern of violence marked by impunity, fear, and systemic failure highlights a grave deficit in protection and accountability.”
He added that: “In the month of June, we received 327,154 complaints reflecting another sharp increase in human rights violations, each one a desperate plea for justice and a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done.
“To the government, we reiterate the need for decisive and coordinated security interventions. To civil society and the media, we urge sustained advocacy and amplification of these issues. To our development partners, we call for strengthened collaboration in addressing the root causes of these issues. This dashboard must not merely serve as a record of tragedies; it must be a catalyst for meaningful and sustainable change.
“Let us never forget; every complaint documented, every statistic recorded in these dashboards represents a Nigerian citizen, a fellow human being seeking justice, safety, and the fulfilment of their basic rights.
“The National Human Rights Commission remains unwavering in its mandate to promote, protect, and enforce human rights across Nigeria. We will forge ahead with purposeful and sustained action.”
NHRC: Over 320,000 Human Rights Violations Complaints Received in June
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