National News
Society has further disabled us, laments Persons Living with Disability
Society has further disabled us, laments Persons Living with Disability
By: Michael Mike
Persons living with Disability have decried the conditions they have had to live with in Nigeria and other West African countries, insisting that there are so many physical and psychological hindrances that are present in the region to further incapacitate them and add to their disability.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the opening of a three day regional meeting of disability inclusion experts in West Africa, the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons’ with Disability, Mr. James Lalu called for removal of barriers hindering the inclusion of persons with disability in the scheme of things in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa region.
Persons with Disabilities are known to be faced with various social challenges including marginalisation in employments as well as discrimination by the society, and it is against this backdrop that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gathered experts from the sub- region to review disability inclusion laws, policies and programmes in it’s member states, and to identify gaps and levels of compliance with international standards.
Key findings of the study to be considered by the experts will provide evidence-based data for policy makers to utilises in mainstreaming disability issues into development policy and programming.
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Represented by his Technical Assistant Mr. Yusuf Iyodo the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons With Disabilities in the Sub- region, said they would now have a voice if the recommendations of the study are implemented.
ECOWAS commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Dr. Siga Fatima Jagne said the Commission would continue to encourage member states to create an enabling environment under which the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities are addressed in every sector.
She said the number of persons with disabilities are dramatically increasing and this was due to demographic trends and increases in chronic health conditions, hence the need for the meeting.
She said: “ECOWAS recommends the development of a Regional framework for protection of persons with disability in ECOWAS region ; awareness-creation and sensitization on international and regional legal/policy frameworks protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and disability inclusion to be mainstreamed into development planning in the ECOWAS region.”
She lamented that: “Anecdotally, it is known that, when persons with disabilities access health care, they often experience stigma and discrimination, and sometimes receive poor quality services because of the stigma and misconceptions,” urging that: “There is an urgent need to scale up disability inclusion in all levels of the social systems- education, health, employment, recreation/sports, and others.”
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Dame Pauline Tallen encouraged Persons With Disabilities to always stand for their rights, assuring them of Federal Government’s support towards improving their welfare.
The country Director International Labour Organisation (ILO), represented by Dr. Runo Onosade disclosed that the ILO was working to increase the employability of people with disability through partnership with various stakeholders.
Fifty experts from government institutions, national associations of persons with disabilities, development partners and ECOWAS Institutions are participating at the three-day meeting.
Society has further disabled us, laments Persons Living with Disability
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.
The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.
The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.
Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.
Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.
The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.
Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.
These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”
The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;
Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.
The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.
It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.
With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed three persons and injured three others in an attack on Galadi town, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.
Sources confirmed the incident saying the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 27.
The sources said the bandits stormed the town, shooting sporadically, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the scene. The corpses and injured victims were evacuated to Galadi Primary Health Care Centre for autopsy and treatment.
Meanwhile, a manhunt for the fleeing culprits has been intensified, as the bandits escaped before the arrival of the joint forces,” the sources said.
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