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NIN Registration: NIMC Assures Nigerians of Better Service Delivery

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NIN Registration: NIMC Assures Nigerians of Better Service Delivery

By: Michael Mike

The Director General/CEO of Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote has assured Nigerian that the National Identification Number (NIN) would only get better as all the challenges in the process are addressed.

The DG gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at the capacity building for staff in some of the state offices.

Coker-Odusote, who said the Commission was presently undertaking the training of its entire workforce, said Nigerians should expect the best from them after the training.

Represented by the Deputy Director, Training and Development, Olufunmilola Opesanwo, the DG told the trainees that “it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this important training programme, organized in partnership with our trusted facilitator, Toppy Integrated Limited. This initiative reflects our commitment to building a workforce that is not only efficient but also deeply rooted in the values of professional customer service, ethical practices, and organizational excellence.

“As custodians of Nigeria’s identity management system, we understand that our success depends not only on technology and processes, but also on the integrity, competence, and dedication of our people.

“Over the course of this programme, you will be equipped with skills and insights that will strengthen your capacity to serve Nigerians with greater efficiency, empathy, and accountability. We encourage you to actively participate, share experiences, and translate the knowledge gained here into practical action in your respective roles.

“Let me also acknowledge the efforts of Toppy Integrated Limited for anchoring this training. Their expertise and professionalism give us confidence that the objectives of this programme will be fully achieved.

“Together, let us seize this opportunity to reaffirm our shared vision: a world-class identity management system driven by excellence, ethics, and service to the Nigerian people.”

On his part, one of the facilitators, Dr. Ibrahim Gaddafi noted that: “The aim of this training is to build the capacity of NIMC staff on customer relations. The last time capacity training of this nature was organized for staff was 12 years ago.”

He added that: “We know that NIMC is the number one agency that manages database of Nigerians. The reason many Nigerians have not registered for NIN is the way they interact or the kind of perceived interactions they have with NIMC staff at registration centres. That was why this training was organized to increased the number of Nigerians on NIMC data base.

“The Hallmark of customer service is customer satisfaction and one of the ways to achieve this is through operational efficiency. This begins with the way we attend to our customers; in this case those who want to register for NIN. Some may be aggressive, but we have a responsibility as professionals to calm them down and attend to them in professional and efficient manner.”

Gaddafi said: “My expectations from the participants is that we want them to go back to their respective states and train their colleagues and third party that assist them in registering Nigerians.”

NIN Registration: NIMC Assures Nigerians of Better Service Delivery

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Zulum Rewards Dedicated Igbo Health Worker with House, Automatic Employment for her Son

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Zulum Rewards Dedicated Igbo Health Worker with House, Automatic Employment for her Son

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has presented a fully-furnished two-bedroom house to an Igbo health worker, Mrs Marbel Ijeoma Duaka, in recognition of her dedication and service to the people of the state.

Mrs Duaka, who is from Anambra State, was among the 72 teachers and health workers who receive housing units at a ceremony inaugurated by Governor Zulum on Tuesday in the Mafa Local Government Area.

In a similar gesture in October 2022, the Governor rewarded another Igbo teacher, Mrs Obiageli Mazi from Abia State, with a housing unit at the teachers’ quarters in Maiduguri for her hard work and punctuality after 31 years of service in Borno State.

While presenting the keys, Governor Zulum also announced automatic employment for her son, Anthony, a Banking and Finance graduate, at the state-owned Kashim Ibrahim University.

Governor Zulum stated that Mrs Duaka has been working at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Mafa for more than two decades and never left the town, even during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“She has been working here for over 24 years and has never left Mafa for a single month. During the Boko Haram crisis, most people fled the town, but she stayed throughout the conflict despite being a non-indigene. She has treated most of my family members, including my mother,” the Governor said.

He further directed that the allocation of the house be changed from an institutional to a personal allocation. “The allocation letter should be issued in your name. Do not leave Mafa, even after you retire,” he remarked.

Addressing her son, he added: “Your son, Anthony, will be given automatic employment at the Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri. His employment starts with immediate effect.”

Responding on behalf of her family, Mrs Marbel Ijeoma Duaka thanked Governor Zulum for appreciating her little contribution to the people of Mafa.

“Today is the happiest day for me because His Excellency has honoured me and appreciated what I have been doing in Mafa. He has been so good to me,” Mrs Duaka said.

“He provided me with a scholarship to study BSc in Health Education, today he has given my son a job and given me a house. I am truly grateful.”

Zulum Rewards Dedicated Igbo Health Worker with House, Automatic Employment for her Son

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CAN dismisses Christian genocide claims, says terrorist attacks have no religious pattern

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CAN dismisses Christian genocide claims, says terrorist attacks have no religious pattern

By: Zagazola Makama

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has dismissed recent claims by some foreign commentators alleging an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing the assertions as misleading and not supported by facts on the ground.

The association’s reaction follows remarks by U.S. comedian and talk show host Bill Maher, who alleged that Christians were being systematically exterminated in Nigeria by Islamist extremists.

Maher claimed that over 100,000 Christians had been killed since 2009 and that more than 18,000 churches had been burnt in what he described as “a genocide attempt greater than what is going on in Gaza.”

Similarly, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating” the mass killing of Christians by jihadist groups. Cruz said he had introduced a bill, the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, to the U.S. Senate to sanction Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in such acts.

Also, Riley Moore, a U.S. Congressman from West Virginia, reportedly urged the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and suspend arms sales to the country over alleged persecution of Christians.

Reacting to the allegations, the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare of CAN, Abimbola Ayuba, said the pattern of killings across Nigeria does not suggest a religious motive, as both Christians and Muslims have been victims of terrorism and banditry.

Ayuba said, “Empirical facts exist all over showing the spate of killings in Nigeria, but the pattern has not been religious. In some areas like Benue, it may appear as if Christians are being targeted, but the same insurgency has claimed several Muslims some even during early morning prayers.”

He described the situation as a national tragedy rather than a religious conflict, stressing that bullets from terrorists do not “look for a Christian or spare a Muslim.”

According to him, “Sometimes, our situation is being exploited by groups with foreign interests. They benefit from spreading misinformation abroad. Those foreign interests may have a right to express concern, but we must also report things as they truly are.”

Ayuba urged Nigerians to adopt an all-of-society approach to end insurgency rather than seeking external sympathy.

“Instead of running to America, why not use our own institutions like the Senate to seek redress? When they place Nigeria on a blacklist, all of us will suffer. But those who go abroad to look for sympathy know why they do that,” he said.

The Presidency had earlier dismissed similar claims of a religious genocide, reiterating that the ongoing insecurity in parts of the country is driven by terrorism, banditry, and criminality rather than faith-based conflict.

CAN dismisses Christian genocide claims, says terrorist attacks have no religious pattern

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IPCR, KAICIID, NIALS Set To Tackle Herdsmen-Farmer Clashes at Policy Review Meeting in Abuja

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IPCR, KAICIID, NIALS Set To Tackle Herdsmen-Farmer Clashes at Policy Review Meeting in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), in collaboration with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue KAICIID and the Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), has joined forces to address Nigeria’s escalating tensions between farming and pastoralist communities.

At the First Quarter Policy Review Meeting themed “Livestock Policies in Nigeria: Implications for Peace, Security, and Reconciliation,” stakeholders highlighted the urgent need for reforms to address policy gaps driving communal violence.

The event which held on Tuesday at the IPCR Director-General’s Conference Room in Abuja, stakeholders gathered for a high-level dialogue led by the Director-General of the IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu.

Ochogwu set the tone by emphasising that livestock production, while a backbone of Nigeria’s rural economy, has become a trigger for recurring conflict, displacement, and national insecurity.

He said: “We are all witnesses to the devastating impact of these clashes,” stressing that: “From loss of lives to destruction of properties and disruption of food supply chains, the consequences are eroding national cohesion and fuelling organised crime.”

He noted that despite existing frameworks like the National Livestock Transformation Plan (2019–2028), the National Dairy Development Policy (2021), and anti-open grazing laws, implementation has remained inconsistent and, in many cases, polarising.

“Too many communities still view government efforts with scepticism. Policies that are not inclusive or culturally sensitive will continue to fall short of expectations,” Ochogwu warned.

He noted that: “Every insight shared here today has the potential to prevent conflict tomorrow.”

The meeting, which featured policymakers, religious leaders, civil society representatives, and researchers, served as a platform to review livestock governance policies and their intersection with peace and security outcomes.

Ochogwu underlined the indispensable role of the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders (NPMRL) as a forum for inclusive dialogue. He stressed the power of religious and traditional institutions to mediate conflicts and counter misinformation where government efforts may fall short.

He said: “Religious leaders are trusted voices in times of crisis. By meaningfully engaging them in livestock governance, we build trust, legitimacy, and ownership at the community level.”

He further called for a shift in how policies are monitored, not merely by economic metrics, but by how they enhance peace and human dignity.

“Behind every policy are real lives — the farmer feeding his family, the pastoralist protecting his herd, the woman whose livelihood is disrupted, and the child whose future is at stake.”

Since 2016, the IPCR-KAICIID partnership has fostered interfaith dialogue platforms like the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) and has hosted quarterly policy review meetings since 2021. Dr. Ochogwu noted that these engagements have proven the effectiveness of inclusive dialogue in resolving sensitive national issues.

The session also featured a lead paper by Dr. Andrew Kwasari and discussants from government ministries, academia, and research institutions. They examined alignment between livestock policies and mandates of key institutions, including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), faith bodies, and civil society organisations.

“Peace-sensitive livestock governance is not optional it is a national imperative,”

“This gathering is not just a policy review. It is a moral and social obligation to ensure no Nigerian is left behind in our pursuit of peace.”Dr. Ochogwu concluded.

The Country Expert from KAICIID Dr. Joseph Atang revealed the urgent need to critically assess Nigeria’s livestock policy, particularly in terms of its sensitivity to existing conflicts. Without understanding whether the policy mitigates or aggravates tensions, meaningful recommendations cannot be made.

“So how conflict sensitive is the livestock policy in Nigeria? We would need to know that. Because if we don’t know what the policy is all about, and we don’t know whether it is conflict sensitive or not, we will not be able to give recommendations that are cogent and practicable and implementable.”

He acknowledged that the farmers-herders conflict is often a catalyst for broader tensions,sometimes framed through religious or ethnic lines making the policy not just an agricultural issue, but a peace and security concern.

“We know that what we call the farmers-hunters conflict is perhaps an indirect reason why we have the policy ,Sometimes, the conflict is executed on the platform of ethnicity, sometimes on the platform of religion.”

Atang stressed that while the Ministry of Livestock Development is the lead agency, the success of the livestock policy depends on all stakeholders including religious bodies, MDAs, and security agencies actively promoting, integrating, and supporting its goals.

“Although our eyes are all on the livestock ministry for implementation, we still have to do our own bit to make sure that it succeed

“All the MDAs, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies What are the religious organisations doing about this?”

Atang emphasized that all stakeholders religious groups, security agencies, and civil society must go beyond attending meetings and actively mainstream livestock policy into their respective programs and constituencies.

“We are supposed to mainstream this policy into our own programmes. What is CAN doing about this livestock policy? What is JNI doing about this livestock policy? How are we promoting it within our constituencies?”

The President at SCL Future Food Systems, Dr. Andrew Kwasari cautioned that livestock reform should not be viewed merely through an economic lens. Instead, it must be firmly rooted in Nigeria’s broader peace and stability strategy to address the root causes of conflict.

He said: “Livestock reform should not be pursued solely as an economic modernisation agenda, but as a cornerstone for Nigeria’s peace and stability strategy.”

He stressed the need for peace-sensitive monitoring and evaluation frameworks that go beyond economic metrics like productivity. These frameworks should also measure community perceptions, institutional collaboration, and actual conflict reduction.

“Monitoring frameworks must track not only productivity gains, but also reduction in violence and improvement in intercommunal relations.”

Kwasari emphasized the importance of listening to the communities most affected by livestock policies. Independent evaluations must amplify these voices to ensure inclusive and equitable policy outcomes.

“Commission independent evaluation of livestock policy implementation that prioritises the voices of affected communities, particularly marginalised groups.”

IPCR, KAICIID, NIALS Set To Tackle Herdsmen-Farmer Clashes at Policy Review Meeting in Abuja

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