ECOWAS Insists Women, Children Need to be Involved in Peace Building in West Africa

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has insisted that women, children and youth must be involved in the search of peace and security in the West African region.

The Director Humanitarian and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, said it would be difficult to address the challenges of insecurity and violence in the region without these set of people because they are mostly affected.

Tarfa-Ugbe spoke in Abuja at the 2024 First Annual meeting of the ECOWAS Women Peace and Security Regional Steering Group with the theme: “Sustaining the momentum towards monitoring and reporting on women, peace, and security agenda using the continental results framework (CRF).”

She decried that for long the issue of security and peace have been left in the hands of other people while the women, children and youth have been silent, insisting that “it is time for their voices to be heard.”

Tarfa-Ugbe said: “For us as ECOWAS Commission, peace and security is an important pillar of development. And we can’t talk about peace and security without women and children and the youth.

“Part of our work as ECOWAS Commission is to continue to promote the inclusivity of women, children and youth in the peace and security and stability agender of the region.

“We are here with representatives of the 15 members state to report to us on what they are doing and what are the challenges and how we can consolidate on addressing the peace and security issues.

“We don’t want the agenda to be dominated by people who are not affected by the issues.

“Women and children are the ones who are affected by the issue, we want their voices to be heard on the table.

She claimed that the various representations shows how important the meeting was.

The Director said: “Today you can see that the Commissioner Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Sarr, as the representative of the ECOWAS President is here and also the Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye representing the Nigerian government.

“And you know Nigeria is the Chair of ECOWAS and she has demonstrated that she’s ready to push the agenda but not push the agenda as policy talk but an action talk and we will continue that engagement with the members state and Nigeria moving forwar.

On her part, Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, Commissioner, Human Development and Social Affairs said the meeting is of critical importance as women play fundamental role in ensuring the sustainability of peace processes and resolutions of conflict.

She said that the meeting is meant to help restrategise and plan for the future

Sarr said: “As we gather here, we are reminded of the critical importance of advancing the women, peace and security agenda in our region, with the understanding that peace and security are fundamental pillar for development and prosperity, and women play an indispensable role in ensuring the sustainability of peace processes and resolutions of conflict.

“In this workshop, we aim not only to exchange knowledge and experience but also to strategize and plan for the future. The continental results framework provide us with a roadmap, a guiding light towards achieving our collective goals in advancing the agenda by aligning our efforts with this framework, we can enhance coordination, cooperation and accountability across Ecowas member states in implementing the WPS agenda

“We must recognize that achieving meaningful progress requires concerted action at all levels from grass roots communities to regional and continental institutions as such, today we have the opportunity to dialogue share knowledge and further build our capacity to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities in advancing the women peace and security agenda.

“Ladies and gentlemen you will all agree that together we represent a diverse array of backgrounds expertise and perspective, it is this diversity that will enrich our discussion and enable us to explore innovative approach to strategies and address the challenges ahead as we embark on this journey together let us remain mindful of the significance of our task and reaffirm our commitment to promoting the meaningful participation of women in decisions Glenda perspective into all aspects of peace and security initiatives

“The stakes are high but so is our determination let us harness the collective energy and commitment in this room to drive real tangible progress towards a more peaceful inclusive and equitable region for all.”

Nigeria’s Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on her part, said the present government is ready to work on past policies to improve women situation in the country.

She lamented what women and children are made to face in the country especially in the way their issues are treated by the police, adding that the time has come to change the narrative.

ECOWAS Insists Women, Children Need to be Involved in Peace Building in West Africa

France Expresses Willingness to Collaborate in Developing Art in Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

French Government has shown interest in the Nigerian art industry, expressing it willingness to collaborate with Nigeria in all areas of art.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Nike Art Gallery exhibition, titled “Harmony in Diversity,” at the Lycée Français Marcel Pagnol (French School) in Abuja at the weekend, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of France to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jean Francois Hasperue said Nigeria has great potentials in all fields of art and was already a force to recognize with globally.

He said: “We have already a lot of collaboration between artists. Nigerian artists and the French embassy. We are supporting and promoting artists in Lagos through different programmes.”

Hasperue noted the French government was willing to assist in nurturing young artists in Nigerian in order to help them to start their activities and to be well known .

He said the French Embassy in Nigeria has been connecting French artists and their Nigerian counterparts by inviting them to France to some festivals in very different kind of a field of art be it cinema, animation, e-sports as well paintings.

He disclosed that France has different range of activities and partnership with Nigeria in art.

The envoy stated that Nigeria has no limitation in art, insisting that: “Nigerians are great artists to be honest and they have proven it in the art market world wide. They are quite at a high level.”

He commended the Lycée Français Marcel Pagnol (French School) in Abuja for its collaboration with the Nike Art Gallery, noting that this signifies all that France stands for in the area of art, developing young talents.

In his opening speech, the school principal, Mr. Alain Chassard eloquently underscored the significance of the exhibition in fostering cultural exchange and collaboration between the French school and Nike Art Gallery.

He commended the tireless efforts undertaken to familiarize students with Nigerian art, including immersive guided tours of the Abuja gallery, and expressed heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to the realization of the cultural extravaganza.

France Expresses Willingness to Collaborate in Developing Art in Nigeria

Ramat Poly Students call on Zulum to bail them out of exploitation by lecturers in the consultancy service

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Students of the post graduate diploma class, Consultancy service, Ramat Polytechnic in maiduguri have called on Governor Babagana Zulum to wade into obvious exploitation being exhibited by some staff of that service against them.

They equally called on the Commissioner of Education, Engineer Lawan Wakilbe and the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Bukar Abubakar to set up a committee of enquiry to investigate the case of extortion of money going on in the school of post graduate diploma, within the consultancy service of the institution.

One of the students of the post graduate diploma class, also a serving teacher in the state speaking on anonymity said that with the economic hardship been faced by Nigerians and citizens of Borno State, he was appalled that consultancy lecturers were exploiting students in such flagrant manner.

“Why would the lecturers of the consultancy unit request and demand students to pay the sum of Fifteen thousand naira for their Project Topics to be approved?” he asked.

He said it was disheartening and unfortunate for an institution like Ramat Polytechnic to allow such an ugly trend to be taking place in its premises.

He added that most of the students of the post graduate diploma class were State Government teachers and national youth service Corp (NYSC) members who had to struggle hard in order to squeeze and save money to pay registration fees and buy handouts to ensure they graduate with good grades.

The student regretted that he has never heard or seen a situation where he has to pay money to get approval for his Project Topic except in Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri.

He then called on the attention of stake holders in the Borno education sector to intervene into the ugly trend as many students can not afford to pay the said amount being demanded and they also want the ugly trend to stop, before it drags the name of the institution into the mud.

When contacted to respond on the scandal, the Rector of the institution Dr Bukar Abubakar said he was very busy and was unable to respond to any form of interview as at the time of writing this report.

Ramat Poly Students call on Zulum to bail them out of exploitation by lecturers in the consultancy service