News
UNHCR: About 7m persons forcefully displaced in West African… Nigeria hosts higher number of over 3.5m
UNHCR: About 7m persons forcefully displaced in West African
… Nigeria hosts higher number of over 3.5m
By: Michael Mike
The United United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has emphasized the need for the protection of refugee, lamenting that no fewer than 6,976,470 million persons have been forcibly displaced due to conflicts and violence within the ECOWAS sub-region.
The United Nations Refugee Agency, noted that of the total displaced persons, 624,124 are listed refugees seeking asylum.
Also included in the figure is 6,352,346 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UNHCR revealed that Nigeria and Burkina Faso are currently hosting the largest populations of displaced individuals, with 3,578,996 and 2,062,534 people respectively, with Niger currently accommodating the largest refugee population, totalling 325,419 individuals.
The was revealed by the Director of UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde during the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UNHCR and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission aimed at protecting the rights of refugees in the West African subregion
The revised MOU, which was initially signed between the two institutions in 2001, now adds new areas of collaboration, such as the identification and protection of refugees found in risky migration movements, statelessness, emergency management, and long-term solutions to forcible displacements.
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with the signing of the revised MOU have reached an agreement to enhance their cooperation in safeguarding the rights and well-being of refugees, stateless individuals, and internally displaced persons within the region.
The agreement was based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed between the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E Dr Omar Alieu Touray, and the Director of UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde.
Touray outlined some of the ECOWAS Commission’s initiatives to address the political and humanitarian crises in the region and said the organisation’s member states are assiduously working to address the underlying causes of the conflicts in the area through diplomatic and political engagements. The ECOWAS President expressed confidence in the Commission’s continued efforts in these areas to produce fruitful results.
Mr. Gnon-Konde, on his part said there is an ongoing occurrence of violent conflicts, disasters, and insecurity in various countries.
This, he said has forcefully compelled a number of individuals to leave their residences, both within the sub-region and beyond.
He therefore described UNHCR’s collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission as long-lasting, highly productive, and relevant in view of the current humanitarian context confronting the sub-region.
He noted that UNHCR also collaborates closely with other ECOWAS institutions, especially with the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Parliament, with which UNHCR has previously signed distinct MOUs to address forcible displacement issues within the ECOWAS sub-region, building on the specific mandates of each of these institutions.
UNHCR: About 7m persons forcefully displaced in West African
… Nigeria hosts higher number of over 3.5m
News
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
•••771 to Graduate in Nigeria in 2025
•••Otuaro Hails Scholars’ Performances
By: Michael Mike
Nine students awarded foreign post-graduate scholarships by the Presidential Amnesty Programme have graduated from their master’s degree rprogrammes in universities in the United Kingdom.
The successful scholars are the first graduates in the offshore post-graduate scholarship deployment to UK institutions by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic session.
They graduated from the Anglia Ruskin University, University of Dundee and The University of Law with master’s degrees in cyber security, data science and engineering, law, construction and civil engineering management, project management, and ICT.
Also, 711 undergraduate and post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries are expected to graduate from universities within Nigeria this year.
The PAP, on Wednesday, 3 December, 2025, organised a graduation reception for the scholars in London.
Otuaro has congratulated them on their successful graduation, stressing that they completed their programmes in record time which shows the seriousness they had put into their studies.
He said they have justified the Federal Government’s investment in their education with their successful graduation, and urged other beneficiaries not to be distracted in their academic pursuits.
“We congratulate these scholars on their successful graduation. It shows that they took their studies seriously. That is what we demand of every scholarship beneficiary, whether at the undergraduate or post-graduate level”, Otuaro said.
He reiterated his unwavering commitment to expanding the scholarship scheme to create more opportunities for indigent students of Niger Delta extraction to access higher education with a view to closing the human capital development gap in the region.
Otuaro said it was for this reason he deployed 3800 beneficiaries in-country in the 2024-2025 academic year, and increased the figure to 3900 in the 2025-2026 academic session with 200 for foreign scholarships.
Otuaro has so far deployed 7700 students for the PAP scholarship scheme within Nigeria in less than two years.
Within this period, also, he has also deployed 162 students from the region for post-graduate programmes in targeted disciplines in the UK universities.
According to him, this is in conformity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the Niger Delta, who has given unprecedented support to the PAP because of his sincere love for the area.
The PAP boss said, “Our decision aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the Niger Delta. We will continue to create more higher educational opportunities for students from indigent backgrounds in our region.
“We are also deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate in informal education and other areas for the sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement of the region.”
Nine PAP Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities
News
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
By: Michael Mike
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited has been incorporated to seamlessly allowed for the Refinery and Free Trade Zone in Ondo State.
A press statement on Thursday read that: “In furtherance of our commitment to the execution of these two major projects – Refinery and Free Trade Zone in conjunction with the Ondo State Government, the joint partners have taken another giant step by incorporating a joint company, namely – SUNSHINE JOINT VENTURE INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED – as the vehicle to be used in executing these projects. A move that further reinforces the sincerity of purpose and total commitment of the funding partners to move ahead together as a united front.
According to the release by Wale Adekola on behalf of the JV, the Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limitedwill, going forward serve as the vehicle to work with the Ondo State Government through the Ondo State Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) in the implementation of the executed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
The statement added that: “In moving the projects forward for implementation, the JV team met in Dubai to finalize the funding modalities and put in place structures and plans for the commencement of activities for ground breaking and community engagements. These initial activities are aimed at complementing the 50th Anniversary of the creation of Ondo State and the one year anniversary of the election of the Executive Governor of the Sunshine State, His Excellency, Chief Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa CFR.
At the Dubai meeting were key officers of the JV Company, including: Messrs SALEHI FARHAD; ZAHERI NAVID; EGHBAL KORDJAMSHIDI; SAHEED ZAHERI; DR. STEPHEN DIKE; HENRY OWONKA AND MRS. NAMVAR MARYAM.
The statement further informed that, plans have been concluded to mobilize the relevant contractors working with the locals and host communities to put up structures that will host the information center, architectural models to showcase the projects on offer and facilities that will serve the team. All these are being planned with ONDIPA to execute the relocation and accommodation of the host communities that are likely to be affected by the projects and create a seamless transition that will engender peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship with our host communities.
The JV company further reiterated its commitment to work with Ondo State Government (through ONDIPA) to change the infrastructural landscape of the Sunshine State and for mutual benefits.
Sunshine Joint Venture Infrastructure Limited Established for Realization of Ondo Project
Crime
Edo: Seven suspected bandits arrested along Benin-Agbor Road
Edo: Seven suspected bandits arrested along Benin-Agbor Road
By: Zagazola Makama
Seven suspected bandits were arrested along the Benin–Agbor Road in Edo State during stop-and-search operations, security sources confirmed.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects, all Fulani youths, were intercepted after being offloaded from a truck at about 1800 hours on 2 December 2025. A search revealed pictures of assault rifles, including AK-47s, on their mobile phones.
Upon interrogation, the suspects claimed to have travelled from Adamawa State. Investigations are ongoing for the possible recovery of actual firearms and to determine their involvement in criminal activities.
Security agencies have urged members of the public to report any suspicious movements to help prevent criminal acts in the area.
Edo: Seven suspected bandits arrested along Benin-Agbor Road
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