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Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention

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Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 48th Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention).

The decision was communicated to the rest of the world as leaders gather in New York for the milestone UN Water Conference,

A statement by United Nations on Friday said: “Nigeria has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 48th Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention).”

In the statement Nigeria is noted to share at least one transboundary water body with each of its neighbouring states, making cooperation a key part of transformative action needed to address complex water challenges.

According to the statement, at a ceremony held on the opening day of the Conference, Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, stated that “as water and climate change know no borders, transboundary cooperation concerning climate change adaptation is necessary to prevent the possible negative effects of unilateral adaptation measures and enable the sharing of the costs and benefits of such collaboration.”

He recalled that “many transboundary basins that will be most severely affected by water scarcity and related climate change impacts are also, in parallel, impacted by political tensions, armed violence and internal water mismanagement, thus necessitating urgent efforts to build trust and strengthen cooperation on shared water issues.”

The Minister was also quoted to have said: “I am pleased to announce to you that the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has acceded to the Water Convention as an instrument to help strengthen our existing Transboundary commitments under the auspices of the Niger Basin Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.”

The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE), Olga Algayerova and Convention Parties welcomed Nigeria as the 7th African nation to join the Convention since 2018 (following Chad, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Togo and Cameroon). Nigeria’s accession further consolidates the strong momentum for water cooperation in Africa and worldwide. More than 20 countries worldwide are in the process of joining the UN Water Convention, including around 15 in Africa – where over 90% of water resources are transboundary.

Nigeria, given its role as the largest economy and most populous nation in Africa – with over 213 million inhabitants – and position in key shared basins including both Lake Chad and the River Niger, Nigeria’s accession may inspire even more countries to join the Convention and reap its benefits through strengthened joint management of shared water resources, according to the statement.

The statement noted that the Lake Chad Basin is the largest inland drainage area in Africa and covers 8% of the continent’s total land area. The basin extends through Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, Chad, and Sudan. In Nigeria, the basin drains about 20% of the country. However damming, overextraction, climate change, and drought are all contributing to the rapid depletion of Lake Chad, which has decreased in size by 90% over the last 60 years and has led to significant unemployment and insecurity challenges in the region.

Nigeria is also home to about 80% of the 100 million people residing in the basin of the Niger river, which crosses Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.

The Water Convention, whose secretariat is serviced by UNECE, is a unique and widely accepted intergovernmental legal framework. It requires Parties to prevent, control and reduce negative impacts on water quality and quantity across borders, to use shared waters in a reasonable and equitable way, and to ensure their sustainable management through cooperation. Parties bordering the same transboundary waters are obliged to cooperate by concluding specific agreements and establishing joint bodies.

Nigeria Officially Become 48th Member of the UN Water Convention

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Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

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Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

A renewed chieftaincy tussle in Muye village, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, has sparked violent confrontations between rival supporters, prompting swift intervention by security operatives.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the crisis began around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday when the deposed village head, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Maigari II, forcefully returned to Muye and broke into the palace.

The incident provoked tension among residents, especially after supporters of the current Dakachi confronted the deposed monarch. The situation was immediately brought under control by a team of security personnel from Lapai.

However, Zagazola learnt that the situation escalated on Friday morning when supporters of both camps clashed again, leading to a free-for-all fight that disrupted public peace in the community.

Security sources were swiftly deployed to Muye to restore normalcy.

“The combined security teams have brought the situation under control. Monitoring and surveillance operations are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” the source said.

No casualties or arrests have been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

Chieftaincy dispute causes chaos in Muye village in Niger

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Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

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Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

By: Michael Mike

Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.

The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.

The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.

The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.

The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.

According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.

The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.

It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
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Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

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Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

By: Michael Mike

A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.

Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.

Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.

He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.

“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.

“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.

According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.

Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.

He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.

He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.

“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.

“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.

In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.

Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.

He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.

“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

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