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UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja

Published

1 year ago

December 8, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mohammed Fall on Saturday led some prominent women activists in a march on major streets of Nigerian capital city of Abuja to demand for the end of violence against women.

The march was part of activities marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) celebrated worldwide.

During the march which was organized in Abuja by the UN Women in conjunction with Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Medicaid Cancer Foundation, the UN Resident Coordinator alongside the women carried placards demanding for an end to violence against women and spoke against what they termed crime not only against women but humanity.

Addressing the media after the long walk, Mr. Fall said there was urgent need for an end in violence against women, girls and boys, insisting that everyone needs to be involved in the campaign as it affects the entire human race.

He lamented that the statistics of violence against women is still very much alarming and showed that it needed to be approached with all round strategies that would make people to know its harm and get offenders no hiding place.

Fall said there is still much told be done by government, law enforcement agencies and leaders in all sectors to build awareness against violence against women and to expose it for what it is: crime against humanity.

Speaking on the need to put an end to the crime, the former First Lady of Kebbi State and Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr Zainab Bagudu said with the law against violence against women in place, there is still need to fight on until the society shows it does not tolerate violence against women.

She said after the law, “then the next step becomes the implementation and general awareness, the mindset of the average, person from our environment, is that they don’t even understand what constitutes abuse. So we need to educate them, to make them aware, and most importantly, to combine the facilities that they need if abuse should take place, we focus on women and young adolescent girls, but boys are also victims of abuse, and they can turn out to be perpetrators once they have been abused.”

She said “there is continuous need
to organize educational classes in schools and different places, so that we can educate our boys and they can prompt be supportive.”

She noted that there is need for much more efforts at ending the violence against women, insisting that: “Well, it’s (campaign) never enough. We’re a very large country. The population is high, so we know the challenges that we have and different conflicting priorities. So it’s important that we don’t get tired, and one of the advocacies that we do, to call on government to provide more resources, and donor partners, to help us. The task can be quite big, and the police can sometimes not be as responsive as we would like them to be, due to other reasons, but we hope that they will be more acute to the trauma that this causes to women, children and some men when it happens, and that’s why we keep on advocating so it’s not enough. We need to have more. We need to have more action. We need to have more understanding. There are also programmes that focus on educating our security forces so that they really understand how they should be reacting. Every police station should have a desk against gender based violence and women should have the confidence, or abused victims should have the confidence to approach these desks, make their point without fear of stigmatization.”

On her part, the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the campaign was on in all parts of the Federal Capital Territory to drive the message to the grassroots.

She noted that: “We need to keep aggregating and scaling like what is happening today. We need to have more of this advocacy. We need to have more of the intentionality of collaborations between governments and private, public individuals, people who are able to invest and engage not just the interest, but in terms of the action and bringing interventions from messaging to the place of invested empowerment, of the mindsets of cultural traditional practices.”

Project Manager of WARIF, Adeola Potts-Johnson, on her part, said the campaign has been a success so far for it has grown from just being held in a city to many important cities of Nigeria and prominent cities across the globe.

She said WARIF would continue to push the bar until violence against women becomes history.

UN Resident Coordinator Leads March Against Violence Against Women in Abuja

News

Nigeria, Iran Pledge to Strengthen South–South Cooperation

Published

8 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Nigeria, Iran Pledge to Strengthen South–South Cooperation

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and Iran have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening South–South cooperation and expanding bilateral relations, as officials, diplomats, and subnational leaders gathered in Abuja to mark the 47th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

Speaking at the event, Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, described the anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on Iran’s journey since 1979 and to strengthen partnerships with friendly nations like Nigeria.

“The Islamic Revolution of Iran was not merely a transfer of political power; it marked the beginning of national sovereignty, popular governance, and the restoration of the dignity and independence of the Iranian nation,” he said.

Raja highlighted Iran’s achievements over the past four decades despite regional and global challenges, citing progress in science and technology, healthcare, industrial production, infrastructure, and non-oil exports. He also emphasized Iran’s commitment to balanced diplomacy, dialogue, and multilateralism, positioning the country as a responsible actor on regional and global stages.

On bilateral relations, Raja noted that Nigeria held a strategic position in Iran’s Africa policy, while Iran’s expertise in energy, industry, agriculture, healthcare, technology, and education made it a reliable partner for Nigeria’s development goals. “The deepening of friendly relations between Iran and Nigeria will not only serve the national interests of both countries but will also strengthen South–South cooperation and contribute to global peace and development,” he said.

Representing the Nigerian government, Ambassador Bukar Buni Hamman, Director of the Regions Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed goodwill to Iran on the anniversary. He acknowledged the growth of economic ties between the two nations in sectors such as energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and consumer goods, highlighting opportunities for further diversification under South–South cooperation.

Nigeria, Iran Pledge to Strengthen South–South Cooperation

News

NiDCOM Hails Nigerians’ Historic Triumph at 2026 Grammy Awards

Published

8 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NiDCOM Hails Nigerians’ Historic Triumph at 2026 Grammy Awards

By: Michael Mike

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has congratulated three Nigerians of global acclaim — Shaboozey, Tyler, the Creator, and Cynthia Erivo — on their landmark victories at the 2026 Grammy Awards.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dabiri-Erewa described the Grammy wins as a moment of immense pride for Nigeria, noting that the achievements underscore the far-reaching impact of Nigerian talent and heritage on the world’s biggest cultural stages.

She said the success of Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze; Tyler, the Creator, born Tyler Gregory Okonma; and award-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, born Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanazu Amarachukwu Owezuke Echimino Erivo, reflects the creativity, resilience and excellence deeply rooted in Nigerian identity.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, their recognition at one of the world’s most prestigious music awards goes beyond individual accomplishment, representing a collective celebration of Nigerians and people of Nigerian descent across the global diaspora.

She also acknowledged the continued global influence of Nigeria-based artistes such as Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr and Wizkid, whose works have helped elevate Nigerian music and culture on the international stage.

The NiDCOM boss stressed that despite being based abroad, the Grammy-winning artistes remain unmistakably Nigerian in heritage, family history and cultural identity, adding that their success continues to amplify Nigeria’s rich cultural footprint worldwide.

Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, as well as the media and cultural institutions, to embrace a more inclusive definition of national pride — one that recognises Nigerian excellence wherever it emerges.

She noted that celebrating the achievements of Nigerians in the diaspora strengthens national unity, enhances Nigeria’s global image and serves as inspiration to younger generations aspiring to make their mark internationally.

The 2026 Grammy Awards saw several milestones for artistes of Nigerian heritage, further reinforcing Nigeria’s growing influence in global music and entertainment.

NiDCOM Hails Nigerians’ Historic Triumph at 2026 Grammy Awards

News

ECOWAS Launches Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Peacebuilding Pilot in Benue

Published

8 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

ECOWAS Launches Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Peacebuilding Pilot in Benue

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a pilot initiative aimed at strengthening economic empowerment and digital peacebuilding among women in Benue State, as part of efforts to address the prolonged humanitarian and displacement crisis in North-Central Nigeria.

The project, implemented through ECOWAS’ Directorate of Trade and the Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs in partnership with the Benue State Government, targets women-led community-based organisations working on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in conflict-affected communities.

The launch coincided with the start of a five-day capacity-building programme running from February 9 to 13, featuring a Training of Trainers (ToT) for 12 participants drawn from community-based organisations, civil society groups and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.

The trained participants are expected to cascade the knowledge through step-down sessions that will reach at least 60 women and girls in selected IDP camps and host communities across the state.

The initiative responds to the persistent displacement and humanitarian challenges in Benue State and aligns with the state’s Durable Solutions Action Plan, which prioritizes sustainable reintegration of displaced persons through livelihood recovery, peacebuilding and community resilience.

ECOWAS said the pilot recognises the critical role played by women-led grassroots organizations in mobilising communities, promoting social cohesion and advancing peace in areas affected by conflict. The project is designed to strengthen their institutional capacity while equipping conflict-affected women and girls with practical economic and digital skills.

Anchored in ECOWAS Vision 2050, the Trade and Gender Action Plan and the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy (2023), the pilot integrates economic empowerment, digital literacy and digital peacebuilding through a cascade training model. Trained WPS organizations will deliver step-down sessions directly within IDP camps and host communities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, ECOWAS Director Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe described the initiative as a strategic intervention that empowers women-led organizations to drive durable solutions at the grassroots while harnessing digital tools to promote inclusion, resilience and peace.

She noted that strengthening women’s economic agency and digital capacity is essential to building sustainable peace in fragile and displacement-affected communities.

In her remarks, the Secretary to the Benue State Government, Barrister Aber Serumum Deborah, commended ECOWAS for the initiative, saying it would reinforce grassroots peacebuilding efforts and enhance women’s participation in implementing the state’s Durable Solutions Action Plan.

According to her, the project will also contribute to livelihood recovery for women and girls affected by conflict, while strengthening community ownership of peace and reintegration processes.

The pilot will be implemented over a two-month period, beginning with preparation and adaptation of training modules, followed by training delivery, monitoring and documentation. ECOWAS said the initiative is expected to produce a scalable model that can be replicated across other Member States in the region.

The launch ceremony was attended by representatives of the Benue State Government, humanitarian and displacement-response agencies, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, internally displaced persons, as well as officials from ECOWAS and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

ECOWAS said the initiative underscores its commitment to placing women and girls at the centre of durable solutions and sustainable peacebuilding in West Africa, leveraging digital innovation to address immediate recovery needs while laying the foundation for long-term regional impact.

ECOWAS Launches Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Peacebuilding Pilot in Benue