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Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
…Urges Government To Implement Safe Schools Plan to Protect Schools, Children
By: Our Reporter
Ten years after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigerian authorities have failed to put in place and sustain crucial measures to provide a secure learning environment for every child, Human Rights Watch said today.
Since 2014, according to Save the Children, more than 1,600 children have been abducted or kidnapped across northern Nigeria. In the northeast, the armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian armed forces continues to take its toll and, in the northwest, criminal groups commonly called bandits are terrorizing communities. During February and March 2024 alone, bandits kidnapped over 200 children from their schools in Kaduna and Sokoto states.
“For many children across northern Nigeria, the pursuit of an education means facing the constant threat of abduction or kidnapping,” said Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Children should never face the harrowing dilemma of sacrificing their safety for education, but this untenable choice, which echoes the profound insecurity plaguing the country, is thrust upon them daily.”
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram, an Islamist armed group, abducted 276 girls from their school in Chibok, a town in northeastern Borno state, sparking global outrage. Although some of the girls escaped, or were released or rescued, 96 remain in captivity according to UNICEF, and civil society groups continue to pressure the government to ensure they are rescued. Boko Haram, known for its opposition to education, has carried out other such abductions, including one of 110 girls from a school in Dapchi, a town in Yobe state, in 2018.
In addition to kidnappings by Boko Haram in the northeast, the ongoing banditry crisis in the northwest has in recent years made that area a hub for criminal kidnapping for ransom. The crisis emerged after years of conflict between herders and farmers, giving rise to the criminal groups, which have carried out widespread killings, looting, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom in mostly rural communities.
Between December 2020 and February 2021, a series of high-profile incidents, including the abduction of over 600 schoolchildren across Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states, thrust the kidnapping issue into the spotlight.
In the aftermath of Chibok, the Nigerian government endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political commitment to protect education from attack and schools from military use which turns them into targets. The government also adopted a Safe School Initiative for Nigeria with the support of the global community and Nigerian business leaders. The initiative aimed to raise funds with an initial US$10 million pledge to help make schools safer, including by moving them to safer areas and creating a safe school model for schools across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, the three states worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.
However, the multi-stakeholder initiative faced problems, and there has been a decline in momentum over the years with little or no progress made in fortifying schools, Human Rights Watch said. In 2021, Nigeria’s then-Senate president Ahmad Lawan, following an investigation into the utilization of the funds for the initiative, declared that it was designed to fail without a National Policy and Strategy for the Safe School Initiative and the leadership of the Federal Education Ministry. In the meantime, communities continue to suffer the brunt of bandit attacks and schoolchildren remain vulnerable prey.
A Chibok girl who was in Boko Haram captivity for over two years, and was released with 20 others, told Human Rights Watch that news of school kidnappings brings back memories of her ordeal. “Whenever I hear that more children have been kidnapped, I feel terrible, helpless,” she said. “We are still not safe … It brings back memories of what happened to me. I can never forget being snatched from my parents, my family for so long. I pray this is not the case for those that are kidnapped.” She is now a 28-year-old university student studying natural and environmental sciences.
Kemi Okenyodo, an expert in security and governance and the executive director of the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative in Abuja, told Human Rights Watch that the ongoing school kidnappings, resembling those in Chibok a decade ago, highlight a failure to learn from past experiences, as they are taking place without adequate security infrastructure or intervention from authorities to prevent dozens or hundreds of children being snatched away at once.
Amid the heightened threat of attacks on schools, many have been forced to shut down completely, with more than 20 million children out of school in Nigeria, according to UNESCO, among the highest number in any country in the world. According to UNICEF, 66 percent of out-of-school children in Nigeria are from the northeast and northwest, which are among the poorest regions in the country.
For girls especially, the challenges are double edged. They risk rape and other forms of sexual violence if kidnapped, and if kept out of school, they risk child marriage, which is a common practice in these regions.
In 2021, the government adopted the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools aimed at improving school security, strengthening the capabilities of security agents to respond to threats, and ensuring that education continues for children displaced by conflict and crisis, among other reasons.
The authorities committed to investing 144.8 billion naira (about $314.5 million at the time) over a certain period to finance this initiative. In 2023, they announced that 15 billion naira (about $24 million at the time) had been earmarked to pilot the initiative in 18 high-risk states and 48 schools. However, details of the implementation are sparse, and it remains unclear the extent to which this has been done.
Okenyodo told Human Rights Watch that the government needs to involve communities in designing and implementing initiatives to make schools safer to create a sense of ownership and reduce inefficiency and corruption.
“Now more than ever, the Nigerian authorities should step up efforts to make learning safe for children,” Ewang said. “They should work with communities to adopt rights-respecting measures and put in place adequate financing, systems, and structures to ensure quick, effective, and transparent implementation to ensure that children can learn without being exposed to grave harm.”
Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched an ambitious Net Zero Investment Plan (NZIP), a major policy framework designed to mobilise climate finance, accelerate sustainable economic growth, and strengthen the country’s pathway to net zero emissions by 2060.
The plan, unveiled in Abuja by the National Council on Climate Change, represents a significant step in Nigeria’s efforts to translate its climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities capable of attracting both domestic and international financing.
Developed under the NDC Partnership’s “Global Call for NDCs 3.0 and LT-LEDS,” the framework received technical support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the International Climate Initiative.
The NZIP is expected to serve as a strategic roadmap for implementing Nigeria’s long-term climate agenda by identifying priority sectors for investment, outlining financing needs, and proposing mechanisms to bridge existing climate finance gaps.
Government officials said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic transformation agenda and reinforces the country’s aspiration to emerge as a leading climate-responsive economy in Africa in line with the African Union Agenda 2063.
The investment framework builds on key national policies, including the Nigeria Agenda 2050, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), all of which provide the policy backbone for Nigeria’s transition toward sustainable and climate-resilient growth.
Under the LT-LEDS framework, Nigeria targets net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, while the NDCs outline short- and medium-term actions under the Paris Agreement.
Speaking at the launch, Country Director of GIZ, Markus Wagner, described the NZIP as a critical instrument for transforming climate goals into bankable projects capable of attracting large-scale investment.
According to him, the framework goes beyond policy declarations by providing a structured mechanism for mobilising public and private capital toward climate resilience, low-carbon industrialisation, and sustainable economic development.
Wagner noted that achieving net zero emissions would require strong collaboration among government institutions, development partners, financial organisations, and the private sector.
He said the plan demonstrates Nigeria’s determination to align climate action with economic development priorities while creating opportunities for innovation, green jobs, and long-term sustainable growth across strategic sectors of the economy.
Analysts say the launch of the NZIP could improve investor confidence in Nigeria’s green economy ambitions and position the country to access increasing pools of global climate finance targeted at low-carbon and climate-resilient development initiatives.
Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth
Nigeria Reaffirms One-China Policy, Seeks Deeper Economic Partnership With Beijing
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) has reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the One-China Principle, describing the country’s position on Taiwan as settled, consistent and non-negotiable.
The reaffirmation comes amid renewed global attention on China’s insistence that the People’s Republic of China remains the sole legitimate government representing China, with Taiwan regarded by Beijing as an inseparable part of its territory.
According to the NCSP, Nigeria’s adherence to the One-China policy dates back more than five decades to the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1971, and has remained a cornerstone of bilateral relations between both countries.
The agency noted that Nigeria again demonstrated its commitment during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2024, where both nations issued a joint statement reaffirming Nigeria’s recognition of the People’s Republic of China as the only legal government representing the whole of China.
The NCSP said Nigeria also expressed support for China’s pursuit of national reunification during the high-level engagement.
The statement followed heightened diplomatic conversations surrounding the Taiwan issue after a recent visit to Beijing by a United States delegation reportedly led by President Donald Trump alongside leading American business executives.
Director-General of the NCSP, Joseph Tegbe, said Nigeria intends to build on its longstanding diplomatic ties with China to unlock broader economic opportunities in manufacturing, technology transfer, industrialisation and export-driven production.
Tegbe observed that China has played a major role in supporting Nigeria’s infrastructure development through investments in railway projects, ports, energy facilities, telecommunications and industrial expansion.
He stressed that the partnership should now evolve into deeper collaboration in Nigeria’s digital economy, solid minerals development, agro-processing and consumer markets in order to create a more balanced and productive economic relationship.
The NCSP reiterated its commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and China across trade, infrastructure, investment, technology transfer and capacity building, with the ultimate objective of delivering measurable economic benefits to Nigerians.
Nigeria Reaffirms One-China Policy, Seeks Deeper Economic Partnership With Beijing
NDLEA Busts Mega Nigerian-Mexican Meth Syndicate, Seizes N480bn Drugs in Largest Lab Raid Ever
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has dismantled what officials described as one of the most sophisticated transnational drug syndicates ever uncovered in Nigeria, arresting a notorious drug baron, three Mexican methamphetamine experts, and six Nigerian collaborators in a sweeping operation spanning Ogun and Lagos states.
The operation also led to the discovery and destruction of what the agency called the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever found in the country, hidden deep inside a forest in Ijebu area of Ogun State.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, disclosed the details on Wednesday during a media briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, describing the raid as a major blow against transnational organised crime and illicit drug manufacturing networks operating in Nigeria.
According to Marwa, elite operatives from the agency’s Special Operations Unit executed coordinated strikes across Ogun and Lagos within 48 hours after months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
He said the primary target was a remote property located inside Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, allegedly operated by a drug trafficking organisation headed by suspected kingpin, Anochili Innocent.
Marwa revealed that operatives stormed the forest laboratory on May 16, catching members of the cartel while processing illicit substances.
Among those arrested were three Mexican nationals identified as methamphetamine production specialists allegedly brought into Nigeria to run the operation. They were named as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles, and Torrero Juan Carlos.
Four Nigerian collaborators arrested at the laboratory were identified as Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor.
Simultaneously, another tactical team raided the Lekki residence of the alleged cartel leader at Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lagos, where Anochili was arrested.
Marwa said a search of the property uncovered the passports and mobile phones of the three Mexican suspects, linking the alleged drug baron directly to the importation and coordination of foreign methamphetamine specialists.
The NDLEA boss disclosed that follow-up operations on May 18 led operatives to another property linked to the suspect at Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, where another alleged syndicate member, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, was arrested.
Investigators also stormed the residence of another suspected collaborator, Emeka Nwobum, said to have operated a strategic stash house for the cartel.
The arrests brought the total number of suspects in custody to 10, including the kingpin, the Mexican specialists, and six Nigerian collaborators.
Marwa said the operation yielded an unprecedented 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical substances, including crystallised and liquid methamphetamine as well as dangerous precursor chemicals and industrial solvents.
He estimated the international street value of the seized narcotics at 362.9 million dollars, equivalent to over N480 billion.
According to him, the volume of drugs recovered represented millions of potential street doses capable of fueling addiction, violence, and organised crime across local and international markets.
The agency also recovered operational vehicles including a Toyota Tacoma allegedly used at the forest laboratory and a Toyota Highlander seized from the cartel leader’s residence.
Marwa warned that Nigeria would remain hostile territory for drug cartels and foreign criminal networks attempting to establish manufacturing bases in the country.
“We are fully aware of the shifting tactics of these cartels, including the disturbing trend of hiring South American cartel specialists to set up production factories in our rural communities,” he said.
“No matter how deep into the bush you hide, no matter how secure your gated estate is, the NDLEA will hunt you down, dismantle your network, and seize your illicit wealth.”
The NDLEA chairman also linked the latest operation to the recent takedown of another international drug trafficking network allegedly headed by Simon Amadi, saying the agency was intensifying cooperation with global law enforcement partners to combat organised narcotics operations.
He commended operatives of the Special Operations Unit and the agency’s chemical and forensic teams for what he described as exceptional professionalism and bravery during the operation.
Marwa also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, warning that the Ogun forest laboratory had operated under the guise of a legitimate farm.
NDLEA Busts Mega Nigerian-Mexican Meth Syndicate, Seizes N480bn Drugs in Largest Lab Raid Ever
Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth
Nigeria Reaffirms One-China Policy, Seeks Deeper Economic Partnership With Beijing
NDLEA Busts Mega Nigerian-Mexican Meth Syndicate, Seizes N480bn Drugs in Largest Lab Raid Ever
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