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Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast

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Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast

By: Michael Mike

An appeal for US$306 million has been launched to tackle projected food security and nutrition crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states during the lean season of May to September.

The appeal was launched on Tuesday in Abuja by the Government of Nigeria, national and international partners, with the aim of fast-tracking food assistance, nutrition supplies and services, clean water, healthcare, and protection support to people in severe need during the period in the three states that were heavily impacted by the over a decade Boko Haram crisis.

According to the Government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March this year, some 4.8 million people are estimated to be facing severe food insecurity, the highest levels in seven years in the BAY states,

The report specified that children, pregnant and lactating women, older persons, and people living with disabilities are among those who are most vulnerable.

The appeal launched on Tuesday is expected to at least provide urgent succour to 2.8 million and make them insusceptible to the lean season food insecurity and nutrition crisis with a multi sectoral plan put in place.

A statement on Tuesday by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said this food and nutrition crisis, which has been compounded by soaring food prices, is primarily due to continued conflict and insecurity in the BAY states, alongside climate change impacts. It threatens to become catastrophic without immediate and coordinated intervention. The prices of staple foods like beans and maize have increased by 300 to 400 per cent over the past year following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira. Inflation is outpacing the ability of families to cope, making essential food items unaffordable.

It added that malnutrition rates are of great concern. Approximately 700,000 children under five are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next six months, including 230,000 who are expected to be severely acutely malnourished and at risk of death if they do not receive timely treatment and nutrition support.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar said: “The mobilization of funding and resources to address this lean season food security and nutrition crisis envisaged in the north-eastern part of the country is a step in the right direction in complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to prevent the deaths of people as a result of malnutrition-related complications, adoption of negative coping mechanisms and other health related issues among others.”

Announcing the release of $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to jumpstart the emergency response, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall, said, “I am confident that we have the capacity to address these increased needs in support of Government efforts, what we need now are resources. Joining hands together, pooling resources, to save lives and stop the suffering”.

The Acting Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, on his part, said: “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the escalating food security and nutrition crisis in the BAY states. The alarming rise in severe acute malnutrition among children underscores the urgent need for immediate action. This year alone, we have seen around 120,000 admissions for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition with complications, far exceeding our estimated target of 90,000. We must ensure that lifesaving nutrition commodities reach every child in need. This is not just a call to action; it is a race against time to save lives and protect the future of millions of vulnerable children,”

While highlighting that immediate actions need to be taken for longer term results, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative ad interim in Nigeria, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, said, “given the urgent situation, urgent interventions are required to support short-, medium- and long-term needs of vulnerable populations. The focus therefore needs to be on building resilience supported by emergency agriculture, including seeds, fertilizer, livestock and technical training, and developing agribusiness for better production and better nutrition”.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, David Stevenson, said: “We need to get out of conflict into solutions, and the solution is peace and production. Meanwhile, there remains a conflict in the north-east that requires our collective urgent assistance. We are prioritizing access to nutritious foods by providing cash-based transfers, specialized nutritious foods, and by supporting local food solutions.”

The statement by OCHA noted that with the lean season coinciding with the rainy season, there is a need for collective efforts to improve access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene to combat the spread of infectious diseases, particularly among the more than 2 million internally displaced persons in camps and overcrowded settlements in the BAY states. This is crucial to help break the vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition that threatens the lives of young children and other vulnerable people.

It further said alongside efforts to protect lives, there is also a need to strengthen people’s resilience by supporting agricultural livelihoods which sustain over 80 per cent of the vulnerable people across the BAY states. Limited funding for agricultural livelihoods continues to perpetuate cyclical food insecurity.

It recalled that this is the fourth time that the UN and humanitarian partners are launching an operational plan for the BAY states pointing to the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. This includes but is not limited to advancing peace-building efforts, improving access to essential health care services, supporting food production systems, enhancing social protection services, and mitigating climate change shocks.

The lean season food security and nutrition crisis multisector plan is part of the 2024 UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria.  

Every year, countries in the Sahel face a difficult “lean season” period between planting and harvesting. During this time, food supplies are low, pasture for livestock is scarce, and households rely on various coping strategies to meet their food needs.

Nigeria and UN Launch US$306 million Appeal Fund to Tackle Urgent Food and Nutrition Crisis in Northeast

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Hoodlums amputate man’s hand in Gusau, flee with severed limb

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Hoodlums amputate man’s hand in Gusau, flee with severed limb

By: Zagazola Makama

Suspected members of a gang known as Yan Sare-Sare attacked a 28-year-old man in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, amputated his hand and fled with the severed limb, the police said on Wednesday.

Zagazola Makama learnt from sources that the attack occurred at about 11:32 p.m. on Tuesday in Hayin Bugaje area of Gusau Local Government Area.

The victim, identified as Garzali Umar Monde, was said to have been attacked with cutlasses and machetes while the gang was heading into the area.

“Upon receipt of the distress call, patrol teams were immediately deployed to the scene. Blood traces were followed to the residence of one of the suspected attackers,” security sources said.

However, attempts to arrest the suspect were thwarted by his father.

The injured victim was rushed to Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau, where he is currently receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, two suspects have been arrested in connection with the gruesome attack, while others remain at large.

The authorities assured residents that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects and bring them to justice.

Hoodlums amputate man’s hand in Gusau, flee with severed limb

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Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri

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Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri

By: Zagazola Makama

The troops of Operation Hadin Kai in collaboration with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have arrested a suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the suspect, identified as Mr. Ahmadu Mohammed Dogo, was apprehended at Muna Garage at about 11:50 a.m. on Monday, following credible human intelligence.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect was intercepted while allegedly attempting to convey Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) concealed in Fearless energy drink plastic bottles and packed in 12 sacks.

The suspect reportedly confessed during interrogation that he was transporting the fuel to Gamboru-Ngala, a border town in Borno State, believed to be a major logistics route for insurgents operating along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.

Items recovered from his possession included the PMS-filled plastic bottles, charms, suspected hard drugs, rings, syringes, and several personal effects.

Security sources said the arrest forms part of ongoing counter-terrorism efforts to cut off Boko Haram’s logistics and financial networks in the North East.

The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing further interrogation.

Troops arrest suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier in Maiduguri

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Again, FG Disburses ₦250,000 Each To Small Businesses At 7th MSMEs Clinic In Ondo

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Again, FG Disburses ₦250,000 Each To Small Businesses At 7th MSMEs Clinic In Ondo

** Enabling environment for MSMEs central to President Tinubu’s economic policy, says VP Shettima

By: Our Reporter

The federal government, on Tuesday, disbursed ₦250,000 unconditional grants each to outstanding business owners in Ondo State as part of ongoing efforts to empower Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

To this effect, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced the disbursement of the grants, said creating an enabling environment for MSMEs in Nigeria is central to the economic policy of the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during the launch of the 7th Expanded National MSME Clinics in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Senator Shettima described the ₦250,000 grant as a gift from Nigerians, through their government, to the champions of local industry.

“I am also pleased to announce today, in line with President Tinubu’s unwavering support for grassroots enterprises, that every outstanding exhibiting MSME identified during this clinic will receive an unconditional grant of ₦250,000.

“This is not a loan. It is a gift from the Nigerian people, through their government, to the champions of local industry. It is our way of saying: we see you, we value you, and we believe in your journey,” he declared.

The Vice President noted that because MSMEs account for over 90 per cent of businesses in Nigeria, contributing over 45 per cent to the national economy and employing more than 60 million Nigerians, they are not only economic actors but also “the silent architects of survival, the lifelines of households, the pulse of every community”.

Explaining why MSMEs are central to the economic policy of the Tinubu administration, VP Shettima maintained that while they are the true engine of poverty alleviation, no sustainable effort to reduce poverty could be achieved without the jobs and opportunities they create.

Nigeria’s national prosperity, according to the VP, is entwined in the success of MSMEs, and the nation cannot grow its economy without empowering them.

He continued: “This is why the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu places the creation of an enabling environment for MSMEs at the heart of our economic policy. It is not rhetoric. It is a call to action. It is a covenant with the builders of our future.

“This administration is deliberate in walking the talk, and one of the ways we do so is through platforms such as the MSME Clinics, conceived to draw the Federal Government closer to the creators of jobs, the innovators, the dreamers who make things happen in our communities.”

Underscoring the essence of launching the Expanded MSMEs Clinic in Ondo State, the Vice President said they offer small businesses in the state an unprecedented opportunity “to engage directly with regulatory agencies, financial institutions, and business support organisations.”

Senator Shettima also outlined other interventions under the President Tinubu administration to include the creation of a ₦75 billion MSME Intervention Fund being administered by the Bank of Industry (BoI), ₦50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme to support one million nano businesses across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria with grants of ₦50,000 each, and ₦75 billion Manufacturers Fund for manufacturers to access up to ₦1 billion in funding at a 9 percent interest rate.

He said the idea is to ensure the challenges of small business owners “find answers, not in theories or wishful thinking, but in real-time, face-to-face, problem-solving conversations.”

The VP assured that MSMEs remain the centre of economic vision of the Tinubu administration, urging small business owners “to take full advantage of the opportunities before them by engaging with the agencies present, seeking guidance, asking questions, and seizing every chance to elevate their businesses.

He thanked the government of Ondo State for its partnership on investments in infrastructure, commending the state’s commitment to policies that welcome innovation and enterprise, as well as its support for local industry, which align perfectly with the federal government’s “broader agenda for a prosperous, inclusive economy.”

Earlier, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the state government is also in alignment with the initiative of the federal government to drive MSME development and is implementing schemes that have enabled small businesses to address challenges inhibiting their growth.

He pointed out that his administration’s 7-point agenda, which prioritises MSME growth and development, has been impactful and has resulted in successes across different sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and fashion, among others.

Acknowledging the determination of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima to support growth in the sector, Governor Aiyedatiwa said, “Your presence here today demonstrates your unwavering commitment to the development of our state and key sectors of our nation’s economy.

“Your interest in promoting MSMEs across Nigeria has changed the fortunes and stories of small businesses across our country, and we remain grateful.”

In a goodwill message, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State appreciated the federal government, particularly the Vice President, for personally driving the initiative of the Clinics.

He acknowledged that the Ekiti edition of the clinics had been impactful and remains invaluable, as businesses have continued to benefit from the network created through the programme.

Governor Oyebanji said the programme is the first attempt by any government in Nigeria to align growth to development through a deliberate and direct interface between facilitators and small business operators across the country.

In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSME, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, said the Clinics have so far been very impactful, given the testimonials from operators in the sector.

He noted that the edition in Ondo State will not be different, as MSMEs were already interacting with regulatory agencies and partners to resolve issues affecting the growth of their businesses.

On his part, the Ooni of Ife, His Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, acknowledged the contributions of the Vice President and Ondo state Governor to the growth of the MSME sector in the state, urging all stakeholders to support and promote made-in-Nigeria products as part of the broad plan to support budding entrepreneurs across the country.

On his part, the Director General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Mr Charles Odii, said that through the Clinics, the Tinubu administration’s agenda for small businesses is being actualised as evidenced in the feedback received from participants at the Ondo clinics.

The high point of the occasion was the tour of the products exhibition by small business operators in Ondo and beyond by the Vice President, accompanied by the governors of Ondo and Ekiti, among other dignitaries.

Earlier, while addressing the traditional council at their chamber, Vice President Shettima thanked the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adedeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, describing him as a bridge builder who is endeared by the Tinubu Administration.

He told the traditional council that President Tinubu, “being a son of the South West, is a man of courage who means well for traditional institutions.”

VP Shettima noted that President Tinubu is aware of the condition of the people across the country, and has summoned the courage to remove fuel subsidy, stop multiple taxation and open the Lagos-Badagry-Calabar Highway for economic activities along that corridor,” among many other policies of government to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

Earlier, the Chairman of Ondo State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, commended President Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy, noting that this has enabled the federal government to deploy the subsidy funds to other sectors of the economy for which Ondo State is a beneficiary.

He also commended the federal government for being focused and pledged the support of the traditional council to the success of government policies, both at the national and Ondo state levels.

Again, FG Disburses ₦250,000 Each To Small Businesses At 7th MSMEs Clinic In Ondo

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