National News
SGBV, a Global Pandemic Requiring Coordinated Action for Security of Women and Children – EU, UN Women
SGBV, a Global Pandemic Requiring Coordinated Action for Security of Women and Children – EU, UN Women
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations (UN) Women and European Union have described sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) as a global pandemic that requires fundamental and coordinated action that would guarantee the safety and security of vulnerable women and children across the world.
Delivering her goodwill message at the Strategy and Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) for First-Time First Ladies in Nigeria organized by UN Women, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS,
Samuela Isopi said: “As we all know, sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) is a global pandemic that requires fundamental and coordinated action that would guarantee the safety and security of vulnerable women and children across the world.”
Isopi, who was represented by the Acting Head of Development Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Ruben Alba Aguilera noted that: “In Nigeria, the European Union continues to highlight the importance of the fight against SGBV through our political engagement with the government, and our development cooperation support in collaboration with like-minded partners and key stakeholders.
Our two flagship SGBV programmes; the Spotlight Initiative and the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC) Programme, have been quite instrumental in advancing this agenda. With a global envelope of 500 million Euros, the Spotlight Initiative is a clear demonstration of the EU’s commitment towards addressing SGBV. As the Spotlight Initiative comes to an end next month, a new SGBV programme is now in the pipeline, and we hope implementation can begin in 2024.
She said the European Union has been pleased to see an appraisal of the landmark achievements made, such as the adoption of relevant legal framework at state level, the establishment of more sexual assault referral centres and shelters, the launch of a national sex offender register as well as designation of SGBV courts by the judiciary. These are just some of the critical milestones achieved in the fight against SGBV in Nigeria.
She however said: “Moving forward, we simply cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Lessons have been learned over the years and many more challenges remain. Whether in establishing clear and efficient referral pathways for survivors of SGBV, or securing funding for designated institutions, speedy prosecution of cases, training of front line workers or inter agency collaboration and coordination.
We hope that this meeting serves to further prioritise SGBV intervention as well as raise public awareness on what we consider to be one of the most heinous crimes in our society. We also hope that this meeting will explore ways to continue raising a call to action that asks everyone to take concrete steps to question, call out, and speak up against acts of gender-based violence (GBV).
Isopi noted that the EU has contributed over a billion naira in support of the fight against SGBV across the country and will continue to collaborate with stakeholders in supporting adequate legislative instruments, targeted healthcare and responsive policies aimed at addressing the issue.
She added that: “We urge the government to take ownership by allocating more funding and ensuring that the SGBV designated institutions have all they require to address the needs of the people. Sexual Assault Referral Centres and specialised SGBV courts are best practices, and as the new administration both at states and federal level begin to settle in their various roles, we need to set the SGBV agenda so that they begin to give this the much-needed focus that it deserves.
In her keynote remarks, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong said the two-day workshop is one of the critical interventions of the joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative which seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against women and harmful practices through women’s movement building to work together, provide support and resources towards addressing the causes and effects of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
She said: “We are confident about sustainability of the collaboration between the EU and the UN in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment through addressing violence and all forms of discrimination against women and girls
“1 in 3 women have experienced violence. Globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence – 26% of women aged 15 and older have been subjected to intimate partner violence.”
She added that: “Although globally we have decreased maternal mortality, child marriage in the past decade, violence against women and girls, as you can see from these statistics remains pervasive, today almost one in five (19 per cent) in 2022 compared to 1 in 4 ten years ago have experienced child marriage. Irrespective, one girl is too many!
She noted that SGBV is one of the most significant human rights’ violations in today’s world, insisting that: “These violations have public health implications and negatively impact on the social, economic and political development of our society. In 2021, gender-based violence across the European Union was estimated to cost around EUR 366 billion a year. Violence against women specifically makes up 79 per cent of this cost, amounting to EUR 289 billion
“It is for this reason UN Women through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has enhanced engagement of the private sector to address violence against women and girls in the workplace and society through a private sector-led GBV Fund and uptake in the UN Global Compact and UN Women’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Excellencies, your offices present an invaluable opportunity to shape private sector’s influence on pervasiveness of violence in society. We call on you to continue challenging private sector entities to adopt policies to address violence.”
The Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors Wives Forum and the First Lady of Kwara State, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq said there is need to continue with frequent sensitization on SGBV in order to have a road map to follow.
SGBV, a Global Pandemic Requiring Coordinated Action for Security of Women and Children – EU, UN Women
National News
UK Commends Nigeria’s Economic ReformsInsists Though Reforms Have Brought Hardship But Necessary for Future Growth and Stability
UK Commends Nigeria’s Economic Reforms
Insists Though Reforms Have Brought Hardship But Necessary for Future Growth and Stability
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom has commended Nigeria’s Economic reforms being carried out by the President Bola Tinubu administration
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery gave the commendation at a press conference on UK-Nigeria trade on Wednesday in Abuja.
Montgomery said though the reforms have brought high inflation and hardship but they are necessary for future growth ànd stability of the country.
He said: “President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are working, and they have made Nigeria more investible.
“The Naira is now more stable and more predictable. And the last quarter Nigerian economy has grown by 4%.”
He also noted that the UK is also carrying out economic reforms that will be beneficial to Nigeria because they will make business investment’s more predictable, simplify regulations of doing business.
“We also have reforms in the UK economy and we are working on how they can benefit Nigeria.”
The Director General, Presidential Enabling Business Council (PENEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, on her part said the Naira is now more stable and it’s good for investors.
She said: “This conversation is about investment and trade; to me the Naira is more stable because it’s more predictable and prior to my appointment as DG , I use to work with the president on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), as a technical adviser and I can tell you; one o the key things that investors look for is stability, predictability . People invest in Afghanistan not because it’s better than Nigeria,. It was a war zone but because it was predictable.
“And that is what President Tinubu has created in Nigeria. There is predictability, we no longer have that market window where we had people who were simply trading the Naira. And that have been eradicated.”
Speaking further she said: “What we’ve done now is that we have stopped the ability for agencies or departments or ministries to come up with new new policies. It must go through all the stakeholders engagement, it must go through all the assessments to make sure that the positives far outweighs the adverse reactions of the businesses.”
“We are also doing everything possible to grow our local economy.” She added
The British Country Director, Department of Business and Trade, Mark Smithson, disclosed that UK-Nigeria trade volume is £7.2 billion.
“UK/Nigeria trade volume is £7.2N and the UK has approved zero tariff on 3000 exports from Nigeria, which includes: cocoa, cashew nuts, tomatoes and others.”
UK Commends Nigeria’s Economic Reforms
Insists Though Reforms Have Brought Hardship But Necessary for Future Growth and Stability
All Nigerians to be Enrolled to NIMC Databank Before End of Year
…120m Nigerians have been captured so far- Says Coker-Odusote
By: Michael Mike
No fewer than 120 million Nigerians have been enrolled so far by the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC.
This is as the agency disclosed plans to move the enrollment to various wards in the country as part of the efforts to get all Nigerians enrolled, insisting that a target of enrolling all Nigerians before the end of 2025 has been set.
NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, while addressing the media in Abuja on Wednesday, said the target of enrollment of all Nigerians by the end of the year into the NIMC databank has been set.
Coker-Odusote said: “Our systems have moved from 100 million capacity to about 250 million due to the upgrade and launch of various digital platforms to support our services in line with international standards and best practices.
“That is why I can assure you that before the end of this year, NIMC will have enrolled all Nigerians and residents. We have moved from local government areas to wards and communities to ensure that we have seamless enrolment.”
She also revealed that the agency within the past 18 months has embarked on the training and reorientation of its workers to ensure efficient and effective service delivery in all aspects of their operations.”
She further disclosed that through collaboration and partnerships with about 120 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, the country’s National Social Register has been updated and 2.3 million Nigerians have been verified and revalidated.
Coker-Odusote added that: “Within the past 18 months, we have been able to cover lots of ground. Besides the ongoing integration of the Civil Service and Agencies under the Ministries, we have also integrated the private sector, especially banks and Telcos.
“This development has helped to eliminate fake new sites and fake sites for NIN registration by some sharks. NIN is now tied to the school feeding programme, student loans programme, and disbursement of government social welfare packages.
“The government has been able to cut waste and eliminate identity fraud and corruption within the system. What we are advocating is that citizens should take responsibility for the safety and protection of their data.”
All Nigerians to be Enrolled to NIMC Databank Before End of Year
NESREA Seals 21 Facilities in FCT for Non-Compliance with Environmental Laws
By: Michael Mike
The National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Wednesday shutdown twenty-one facilities in the Federal Capital Territory for failing to comply with extant environmental laws .
Among the facilities/projects sealed were Ochacho Real Homes Limited, Idu; Cosgrove Shopping Mall Project, Wuse II; Belmont Court Idu; and 18 others.
Addressing the media, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor informed that the enforcement exercise was carried out to halt the adverse environmental impacts of the activities of the facilities.
He said: “The negative impact of the construction and quarrying activities within FCT has led to public outcry by the host communities where these facilities exist. In addition, the environment is exposed to various forms of environmental degradation and disaster such as flooding, erosions, burrow pits.”
Prof Barikor also stated that: “The construction sector has continued to deviate from the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Impacts Assessment Act. There were many public complaints against these facilities and officials of NESREA carried out investigation, after which notices of compliance concerns were issued to these facilities. However, they failed to adhere to the provisions of the environmental laws, hence the Action by the Agency.”
He added that many of the facilities failed to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment before the commencement of their projects as required by law.
NESREA Seals 21 Facilities in FCT for Non-Compliance with Environmental Laws
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