National News
WFP Says 1/8th Nigerians in Acute Hunger
WFP Says 1/8th Nigerians in Acute Hunger
By: Michael Mike
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has lamented that a total of 24.8 million people, or 1 out of 8 individuals, are experiencing acute hunger this year in the country.
The UN agency while disclosing that this situation is prone in 26 states of the country and the capital, Abuja, said it is scaling up to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to 2.1 million people affected by conflict and in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the Northeast.
A statement on Saturday by the organisation read: “WFP is gravely concerned that years of armed conflict in northeast Nigeria is driving hunger and malnutrition, with millions in need of life-saving assistance and facing the risk of famine.
The statement added that the March Cadre Harmonisé projects that 4.3 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states face severe hunger during the peak of the lean season between June and August 2023, with almost600,000 are on the brink of catastrophe, insisting that these people will face emergency levels of food insecurity, with extremely high rates of acute malnutrition and mortality in the absence of a sustained scale-up of humanitarian assistance.
WFP lamented that ongoing conflict has affected the nutrition status of children on several fronts, with 2 million children in the region projected to suffer from acute malnutrition and cases of severe acute malnutrition among children have quadrupled to 700,000.
The UN agency said: “With more than 4.3 million people also in need of food assistance in northwest Nigeria, resources for the northeast have been increasingly squeezed.
“A total of 24.8 million people, or 1 out of 8 individuals, are experiencing acute hunger this year in Nigeria’s 26 states and the capital, Abuja.
WFP said: “The more people in need of urgent food aassistance who go unassisted, the greater the risk of starvation and death among the most vulnerable, and the more people will be forced to resort to coping mechanisms such as survival sex, selling possessions and child labour.”
It added that: “A lack of assistance also increases the risk of youth recruitment into armed groups, as well as displaced populations returning to inaccessible areas where they are beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance and other social services.
“Chronic Insecurity is preventing many people in the north-east from growing the food they need or earning an income. In the last year, conflict has left households unable to leave their homes due to an increase in movement restrictions, killings and abduction of civilians, particularly in Borno where the violence is concentrated.”
It insisted that: “Thousands of people are left with only one month’s food supply as households in conflict-affected areas rely on minimal income to purchase food. The hunger crisis worsens an already bad situation for many families struggling with economic hardship, surging inflation, impacts of Russia-Ukraine war, the currency redesign policy, slow post-COVID-19 recovery and unprecedented floods in 2022 which limited agricultural production and overall food availability.”
WFP however disclosed that it requires US$190 million over the next six months to provide lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable people, while raising the alarm that: “If urgent action is not taken, funding gaps mean that approximately four million people in the northeast will go without food assistance during the peak of the lean season.”
WFP Says 1/8th Nigerians in Acute Hunger
National News
Investments in circular economy have the potential to increase forex earnings- NESREA DG
Investments in circular economy have the potential to increase forex earnings- NESREA DG
By: Michael Mike
The Director General of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor has affirmed that investments in the circular economy value chain have the potential to increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Barikor made this statement recently during a meeting with the management of a plastic packaging recycling (rPET) company, Sonnex in Lagos.
He assured the team that the Nigerian government prioritizes circular economy, noting that the draft National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations soon to be gazetted is one of the efforts to strengthen the legal framework for circular economy implementation in Nigeria.
He said: “Circular Economy falls under the Presidential priorities for the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Minister is very keen on the success. Apart from tackling the problem of waste, green jobs have been created .
“The pellets and flakes you produce and export also generate foreign exchange. The Plastic Waste Control Regulations are awaiting official gazette and once gazetted, we would have connected the dots of the framework to implement circular economy in the plastic sector. We are deeply committed to ensuring the success of Circular Economy.”
Earlier, the Managing Director, Anil Mohinani intimated the NESREA boss on the process for the production of recycled PET bottles (rPET), whilst also highlighting the challenges faced by investors in the sector .
He listed some of the setbacks to include lack of a legal instrument to compel manufacturers in the food and beverage sector to embrace food-grade rPET, unfriendly policies by some foreign companies, and insufficient awareness .
“Europe and America create barriers to protect their international recycling business. There is unfair competition. In some countries such as Kenya, there is encouragement to invest in rPET recycling because there is a regulation in place,” he added.
Investments in circular economy have the potential to increase forex earnings- NESREA DG
ISWAP Terrorists Kill Hunters’ Leader in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected ISWAP terrorists have killed the chairman of the hunters’ group in Garjang village, Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 5 a.m. on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Habu Dala, 53, was abducted from his home by the terrorists, who took him through Mulharam to Forfot villages in Damboa LGA.
Villagers mobilised in search of Dala and later found his corpse bearing gunshot wounds.
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), and the hunters’ group visited the scene.
The remains were evacuated to the General Hospital, Damboa, where he was certified dead and later released to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
ISWAP Terrorists Kill Hunters’ Leader in Borno
Nine Injured in Kwali Farmers–Herders Clash
By: Zagazola Makama
Nine persons sustained machete injuries in a clash between Bassa farmers and Fulani herders in Gomoni Village, Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the fight, which broke out on Aug. 9 at about 3:30 p.m., followed alleged destruction of melon and maize farms belonging to the Bassa community by cattle.
It was gathered that the Nigeria army troops
along with joint team of operatives, and vigilantes were deployed to the scene following a distress call.
Six Bassa and three Fulani victims with varying degrees of machete cuts were taken to Rhema Foundation Hospital, Kwali, for treatment.
Authorities confirmed that the situation had been brought under control and normalcy restored, while investigation was ongoing.
Nine Injured in Kwali Farmers–Herders Clash
Investments in circular economy have the potential to increase forex earnings- NESREA DG
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