NCoS Says 59,786 Inmates Captured by NIMC Platform

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that 59,786 inmates out of
the total of 80,879 inmates’ population, representing 74 percent across the country, have been captured into the NIMC platform.

The NCoS gave the information on Sunday in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, in reaction to publication claiming non-commencement of National Identity Number (NIN) registration in 256 Custodial Centres across the nation.

Abubakar, in the statement, sad: “The attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has been drawn to a recent publication by a section of the media alleging that the National Identity Number (NIN) registration exercise is yet to commence in all custodial centres across the country. This report is misleading, inaccurate, and does not reflect the current state of affairs within our custodial facilities.

“The Service wishes to categorically state that the NIN registration of inmates in our custodial centres is not only ongoing but has recorded significant progress. A majority of inmates across various custodial centres nationwide have already been successfully enrolled into the National Identity Database through the collaborative efforts of the Service and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Available data show that as at 7thJune, 2025, out of the total of 80, 879 inmates’ population, 59,786 inmates approximately 74% have been captured into the NIMC platform.

“The registration of the remaining inmates is actively in progress, and mechanisms have been put in place to ensure its seamless completion.

“The claim that the registration has “yet to commence” in custodial centres is factually incorrect and fails to acknowledge the substantial work already done.”

Abubakar assured that: “The Service remains committed to the full integration of inmates into national data systems, including the NIN, as part of broader efforts to promote rehabilitation, reintegration, and the digital inclusion of all persons in custody.

“The Service therefore urges members of the media to verify information with relevant authorities before publication, in order to avoid spreading misinformation that may mislead the public and undermine ongoing institutional efforts.”

NCoS Says 59,786 Inmates Captured by NIMC Platform

Menstruation Is Not a Taboo — It’s Time the World Treated It That Way

By: Ann Eyi-ojotule James

Every single day, more than 300 million women and girls around the world are
menstruating. Yet, for something so natural and vital to human reproduction,
menstruation remains cloaked in shame, silence, and stigma, particularly in
many parts of the world where girls are taught to hide, suppress, or be
embarrassed by their monthly flow.
This narrative needs to change. And we must start by calling it what it is: a human rights issue.
On May 28, 2025, in commemoration of Menstrual Health Day, I visited Government Girls Secondary School Wuse, Abuja Nigeria to speak with young girls about menstruation. The stories I heard were heartbreaking and far too common. One girl, looking both nervous and vulnerable, told me she felt ashamed and embarrassed whenever she was on her period. This should never be the case. I looked her in the eyes and said, “Your menstruation is not a curse. It is a sign of your strength and health as a woman. Hold your head high, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
That single moment reminded me why this advocacy matters. For far too long,
society has painted menstruation to be painted as dirty, sinful, or shameful. It
has held girls back from school, from sports, from social life, and, most dangerously, from realizing their full potential.
The Hidden Realities of Period Poverty
An estimated 500 million women and girls globally lack access to basic menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM). That’s not just a number, it’s a life-altering reality. During one of my menstrual health outreaches, a group of girls told me they
couldn’t dry their reusable sanitary towels outside because it’s considered a
taboo in their community. Imagine being forced to dry your sanitary cloth in
dark, damp places, out of sight, just to avoid judgment. The result? Increased risk of infections, particularly Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), that harm thousands of girls every year simply because they’re not
allowed to hang their laundry in the sun.
This is not just a health crisis. This is a gender inequality crisis.
My advocacy goes beyond distributing sanitary pads — it’s about transforming
mindsets. It’s about affirming to every girl that she matters, not despite her period, but because of it. Her menstruation is not a limitation; it’s a reflection of her strength, resilience, and womanhood. And it doesn’t stop with the girls. We need the boys in this conversation too.
Educating boys and men about menstruation is crucial to breaking the stigma. When we empower communities with accurate information and open
dialogue, we begin to build a world where menstruation is normalized, not
feared or mocked.
The Way Forward: A Call to the Global Community
We must treat menstrual health as a public health priority and a fundamental
human right. It is time for governments, organizations, schools, and families
to come together to:
Increase access to menstrual hygiene products for all girls and women,
especially in low-income and rural areas.
Integrate menstrual education into school curriculums — for both girls
and boys.
Create safe, stigma-free environments where girls can manage their
periods with dignity.
Invest in community outreach that confronts and dismantles harmful
taboos and cultural practices.
Menstruation should not be a barrier to education, health, or dignity. It should
never be a source of shame or silence. It’s time the world recognized that periods are powerful — and so are the girls and women who have them.
Let us stand together — educators, activists, policymakers, parents, and allies
— and build a world where every girl knows: her period is not her weakness. It
is part of her power.

Written By;
Ann Eyi-ojotule James
Founder/E.D: Edureach Africa
edureachafrica1@gmail.co

Menstruation Is Not a Taboo — It’s Time the World Treated It That Way

Shettima Calls for Localization of Global Technologies to Solve Nigerian Problems

…Laments Poor Maintenance that Leaves Nigeria with Over 26,000 Broken-down Serviceable Heavy-duty Equipment

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for the localization of global technologies in order to create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems, insisting that relevant agencies must be supported to point Nigeria towards a stabler nation and promising future.

Speaking at the official launch of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Asset Restoration Programme in Maiduguri on Sunday, Shettima decried that data available shows that Nigeria currently holds over 26,000 units of broken-down but serviceable heavy-duty equipment and nearly 500,000 component scraps that can be restored or repurposed.

The Vice President however said this contrasts with the stark reality there is only 7,000 to 12,000 functional tractors in a country that needs 2.4 million tractor units to meet its food production goals over the next decade.

He lamented that: “For so long, Nigeria has been profiled as a nation with poor maintenance culture. This dysfunction cuts across both the private and public sectors, and we owe it to ourselves to say enough is enough.

“Enough of investing our scarce resources in ideas and projects that get abandoned halfway through. Enough of allowing our critical assets to lie in waste while we budget, year after year, for the problems they were procured to solve. This is why I’m excited about the purpose of this gathering.

“This initiative, NASENI Asset Restoration Programme, is a response to our cross-generational dilemma about what to do with abandoned and poorly maintained assets of the nation, of the people. It’s a powerful shift in how we think about value, sustainability, and innovation, and I believe that’s what we’ve promised the nation.

“The data at our disposal shows that Nigeria currently holds over 26,000 units of broken-down but serviceable heavy-duty equipment and nearly 500,000 component scraps that can be restored or repurposed. This contrasts with the stark reality that we have only 7,000 to 12,000 functional tractors in a country that needs 2.4 million tractor units to meet our food production goals over the next decade.”

He noted that these figures are a reminder of what must be done, a reason to have a national inventory of value waiting to be unlocked, adding that: “We must commend NASENI, through this Asset Restoration Programme, for stepping forward with this brilliant idea to mitigate a national tragedy.”

He said beyond this promise to refurbish hardware, NASENI has shown a great capacity to serve as a national nerve centre for technology transfer, homegrown engineering, and adaptive innovation,” stating that this is why NASENI must be supported.

He noted that: “We have seen NASENI at work, playing critical roles in our interventions in compressed natural gas (CNG) retrofitting, renewable energy technologies, and agricultural mechanization. We are reminded more than ever that we can’t create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localize global technologies, and relevant agencies must be supported to point us towards a stabler nation and promising future.

“The Asset Restoration Programme fits squarely within the broader vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration: to build a productive, self-reliant, and diversified economy. Our goal, therefore, is to ease this transition to expand the potential and productivity of Nigeria’s agricultural, industrial, and creative sectors through smart investments in infrastructure, skills, and innovation.”

He added that: “The Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has shown both vision and urgency in our collective quests for solutions. The direction NASENI is headed is one driven by action, impact, innovation, and awareness of what the nation needs. It takes clarity of purpose to embark on a mission such as this:”

Earlier, in his remarks, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, said the restoration programme by NASENI is the response to a cross generational dilemma about what to do with abandoned and poorly maintained assets of the nation.

He said that NASENI has shown a great capacity to serve as a nation’s nerve centre for technology transfer, home grown engineering, and adaptive innovation.

Zulum said: “This is why we must support them. We are reminded more than ever that we can create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localise global technologies, and relevant agencies must be supported. The point is stable nation and promising future.”

The Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, on his part, said the reason this programme matters is because the agency’s national survey revealed that Nigeria holds over 47,000 broken-down but serviceable agricultural and law enforcement assets,” adding that the cost to replace them would exceed ₦14 trillion.

He said: “Today is not just the launch of a programme- it is the ignition of a national movement. A movement built on possibility, practicality, and partnership.

“When we set out to design the Asset Restoration Programme at NASENI, we were not just looking for another project to tick off. We were confronting a reality: that all across Nigeria, from farms to security outposts, public assets worth trillions of naira had been written off, locked away, or left to rust- not because they were beyond repair, but because there was no clear system to bring them back to life.”

He added that this programme is one more step in NASENI’s mission to keep innovation at the heart of governance, stating that whether it is through clean energy, mechatronics, or the domestication of advanced technologies, NASENI is showing that Nigerian problems can have Nigerian-engineered solutions.

He said: “We are building local capacity, developing talent pipelines, and enabling technology transfer at scale. We are turning NASENI into a true national enabler—quietly but boldly proving that government can deliver, and that transformation is possible.

“No movement thrives in isolation. Let me express my deepest gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to His Excellency, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, for their endless support, their belief in our mission, and their constant encouragement that we must not only think big- but act fast.

“To the Borno State Government, and especially Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, thank you for being a trailblazing partner. Your support and leadership have helped us bring this vision to life here on Borno soil- turning your state into the first node in this national restoration network.

“To our implementation partner, MECA, thank you for bringing global expertise, systems thinking, and a can-do spirit that perfectly matches our urgency. You have proven that when we bridge public vision with private execution, incredible things happen,” he said.

Shettima Calls for Localization of Global Technologies to Solve Nigerian Problems