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Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA
Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA
By: Michael Mike
Two young social media influencers living with HIV with the support of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) are on their way to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Summit of the Future in New York to urge world leaders to partner with them in the response to HIV.
The two, Ibanomonde Ngema from South Africa and Jerop Lima from Kenya, according to a statement on Thursday by UNAIDS, will call on leaders to invest in youth-friendly health systems, provide holistic services for young people living with HIV, and to partner with young people and communities, allowing them to lead in the response to HIV.
Executive Director of UNAIDS. Winnie Byanyima said: “Young people’s powerful and vibrant activism has driven so much of the progress made in the HIV response,” adding that: “They know what works for them. It is essential for leaders to listen to them to understand the specific challenges that young people face and how those challenges can be overcome. Leaders can only successfully plan how to end AIDS and sustain the advances made by partnering with young people living with HIV.”
The young Kenyan HIV activist. Jerop Limo, said: “I am representing not only the voices of 1.5 million Kenyans living with HIV but all people living with HIV,” adding that: “I want leaders to leave New York knowing that we are not beneficiaries, we are equal rights holders. We have a voice, we have skills and expertise and we need an equal playing field where our data is valued, where our input is valued and where our voices are heard. We want meaningful and ethical engagement of adolescents and young people in all spaces of the AIDS response.”
According to the statement, young people, especially adolescent girls and young women, are disproportionately affected by HIV. Globally, 44% of all new HIV infections were among women and girls (all ages) in 2023 and every week 4000 young women and girls around the world are infected with HIV—3100 are in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, some 3.1 million adolescents and young people (15-24 yrs) were living with HIV—1.9 million were adolescent girls and young women.
Ibanomonde Ngema, a young South African AIDS activist, said: “Governments meeting here in New York cannot end AIDS alone. They need to involve us to find solutions. We have lived experiences of HIV, from treatment to mental health, because we navigate life with HIV every day. We need to be included in policymaking so that we can take full ownership of ending end AIDS as a public threat,”
He noted that: “The world can only benefit when young people are included in the global HIV response. No conversation about HIV should take place without us, from policy to practice in communities.”
The safety decried that too often young people report facing stigma and discrimination, including from doctors and healthcare workers, when they access sexual and reproductive health and HIV services. This discourages them from seeking support and crucial information about their health, putting them at risk of HIV infection or of defaulting on treatment for those who are living with HIV.
The statement added that young people living with HIV play a critical role in the fight against AIDS in communities. They offer support and share important information about HIV that schools or parents might not talk about. They also challenge stigma and discrimination through social media, helping to save lives and encourage young people to stay on treatment.
It also added that they drive innovation in communities, for example, a self-funded project by the Youth Empowerment Group uses e-bikes to deliver antiretroviral medicines, food and adherence support to young people who often cannot attend clinics because their schooling hours conflict with clinic opening times in Namibia.
However, their transformational work is being held back because it is not being sufficiently supported. Youth-led HIV responses often operate with little or no financial and political support. At the UNGA the two young people will call on world leaders to fully support and fund their work. They will also urge leaders to uphold the human rights of young people as key to ending AIDS as a public health threat—they will call on them to protect young people’s right to healthcare, education, freedom of speech, and to provide social support to young people living with HIV.
Jerop Lima said: “Providing treatment is not enough, young people living with HIV need an education and they need a job to survive,” adding that: “We need to be seen as equal contributors and partners, and we need investment to allow us drive change. We are the leaders of the future and we need to be included now to help shape a better future for us all.”
Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA
Gov. Fintiri’s defection will boost APC’s chances of winning in 2027 – Dr Girei
Dr Salihu Bakari Girei, Gubernatorial aspirant under the platform All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 described the defection of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the ruling party as a welcome development for the APC in the state.
Girei said that his defection is coming at the right time to galvanise the party’s victory in 2027 General Elections at the national and sub national level.
Dr Girei who is one of the founding fathers of the APC in the state disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Yola.
He said, Fintiri joined APC at the right time considering his outstanding performance in the state which he said was in line with President Tinubu’s transformation agenda.
He added that the defection would add value to the APC family and also help deliver dividends of democracy to the ordinary people that are yearning for good governance as well as to fast-track development.
He said Fintiri has performed credibly well, in line with his 10-point agenda for the state to justify the people’s trust in his leadership and administration.
Dr Girei further lauded President Bola Tinubu for his effort and strategy in addressing Nigeria’s challenges for and ensuring rapid development.
He said, “President Tinubu is very strategic in addressing Nigeria’s challenges and many now understood that Mr President meant well for this country and has turned the fortune of the country around for good.”
According to him, records have shown that the dollar has crashed, the economy stabilized, security improved, food is affordable and issues of strikes are no more among others.
Bakari-Girei said, all these are factors that naturally attract people joining the APC across the country for more development in the country.
He queried those saying that President Tinubu is turning the country into a one-party system, recalling that the PDP once had 30 governors and no one complained.
“Today people have decided to join APC because of many factors initiated by the President Tinubu administration that naturally attracted people to join APC and support Mr President.”
He pointed to President Tinubu’s history as governor of Lagos, where opposition platforms continued to function, as evidence of his commitment to multi-party democracy.
He also appreciated the foresight of the President for appointing Malam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser who has invested much in APC in the state.
He further urged unity and understanding of all APC stakeholders in the state for the progress and success of the party at all levels.
Gov. Fintiri’s defection will boost APC’s chances of winning in 2027 – Dr Girei
News
Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Moves to Boost Enforcement of Judgments with High-Level Talks in Republic of Guinea
Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Moves to Boost Enforcement of Judgments with High-Level Talks in Republic of Guinea
By: Michael Mike
The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS will hold a high-level bilateral meeting in the Republic of Guinea from March 2 to 4, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the enforcement of its judgments across Member States.
The three-day engagement, organised in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States, is expected to bring together the Court’s delegation, Guinea’s Competent National Authority (CNA), senior government officials, and representatives of civil society to address persistent challenges in implementing the Court’s rulings.
At the heart of the meeting is the push to close the gap between judicial decisions and their execution at the national level. While the ECOWAS Court continues to deliver landmark judgments on human rights, governance, and community law, enforcement remains a critical concern in several jurisdictions. The Guinea dialogue is aimed at building a more effective, coordinated, and transparent enforcement framework.
Discussions will focus on practical strategies to improve compliance rates, streamline procedures, and strengthen collaboration between national institutions and the regional court. Participants are expected to review existing bottlenecks, share best practices, and identify sustainable solutions that can enhance uniformity in enforcement mechanisms across the sub-region.
The programme will include a dedicated forum examining the current status of enforcement of the Court’s judgments in Guinea, alongside presentations on the Court’s enforcement processes and the national legal landscape. Civil society organisations will also engage directly with the Court in a bilateral dialogue designed to promote accountability and inclusive participation.
Beyond the technical sessions, the Court’s delegation will pay courtesy visits to key government figures, including the Minister in charge of ECOWAS Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, the President of the Supreme Court, and the Speaker of Parliament. Meetings are also scheduled with the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission and the President of the Bar Association.
The delegation will be led by the President of the Court, Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, and will include Vice-President Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Honourable Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara, as well as directors and other officials.
Similar bilateral meetings have previously taken place in the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, reflecting the Court’s broader strategy to institutionalise cooperation and reinforce the authority of its judgments throughout West Africa.
As ECOWAS marks five decades of regional integration, the Guinea engagement signals a renewed determination to ensure that the decisions of its judicial arm are not only pronounced but fully implemented—strengthening the rule of law and deepening trust in regional justice systems.
Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Moves to Boost Enforcement of Judgments with High-Level Talks in Republic of Guinea
12,000 Muslims, Christians get food, cash support in Adamawa
A renowned philanthropist, Diaulhaq Abubakar, has provided food stuff and cash to no fewer than 12,000 Adamawa residents as support to Muslims and Christians during the Ramadan and Lent fasting.
Abubakar who is a Gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, 2027 and President of Blue community Africa foundation for humanitarian interventions, urged beneficiaries to understand that the items given to them is not for sale.
He said his action for the provision of the items to beneficiaries is best on God’s command of assisting the less privileged during such times.
Abubakar listed the items being distributed to include Rice, sugar, Maggi and cash incentives to the beneficiaries.
According to him, these will go along way to reduce the hardship faced by some of the beneficiaries considering the economic situation of some families.
He added that his foundation has equipped thousands of beneficiaries with life skills in the areas of agriculture, ICT, painting and education among others years back.
“These aimed at nipping poverty and shoring up productivity along critical windows of human capital development cutting across all demographic strata.
”We are not only dishing out material empowerment but we do skills training and sensitization. A lot of those we trained have acquired talents and are doing excellently well in their various callings.
” We have partnered with the Indian institute of technology Madras to see how we can engage in knowledge transfer.
We have also partnered Modibbo Adama University (MAU) so that we can leverage on the platform to provide a lot of skills when it comes to training on any vocation,” he said.
Abubakar said that in the present age of hyper-technology, a country that aspires to progress will not emphasize white collar jobs at the expense of blue collar jobs.
Malam Malam Umar Baba and Grace Amo who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries appreciated the gesture and urged the wealthy individual to emulate the donor for more blessings in life.
They said, they were really in need of the items given to them and assured to take it for the benefit of their families.
12,000 Muslims, Christians get food, cash support in Adamawa
Gov. Fintiri’s defection will boost APC’s chances of winning in 2027 – Dr Girei
Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Moves to Boost Enforcement of Judgments with High-Level Talks in Republic of Guinea
12,000 Muslims, Christians get food, cash support in Adamawa
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