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Yobe State: EU, British Council Commended for Peace Efforts

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Yobe State: EU, British Council Commended for Peace Efforts


•MCN closes the 5-year humanitarian program
•Provided legal aid services to over 30,000 people
•Trained over 1,000 community leaders on conflict resolution, peacebuilding

By: Omirin Joshua

The European Union (EU) and the British Council have been commended by stakeholders in Yobe State for their efforts in restoring peace in the region. The commendation came as the EU-funded Managing Conflict in North-East Nigeria (MCN) Programme of the British Council rounded off its five-year humanitarian intervention in Yobe. The Representative of the Chairman Yobe State Council of Chiefs, Baba Hardo Zarma, praised the MCN Programme for its positive impact in restoring peace and harmonious coexistence between local communities.

The MCN Programme, which was launched in 2017, aimed to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East region of Nigeria. The programme was implemented by the British Council in partnership with local organizations and government agencies, and focused on improving access to justice, security and basic services for affected communities.

At the close-out event held in Damaturu, the Yobe State Team Lead, Mr. Sambo Abdulkadir, announced the official closure of the MCN Programme. He highlighted the key achievements of the programme, including the provision of legal aid services to over 30,000 people and the training of over 1,000 community leaders on conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

In his speech, Abdulkadir emphasized the importance of sustainability and urged all stakeholders, including government officials and other organizations, to continue building on the programme’s achievements for the benefit of the people of Yobe State. He also expressed his gratitude to the EU and the British Council for their support and partnership throughout the five-year programme.

The MCN Programme’s efforts have contributed significantly to the restoration of peace and normalcy to communities in Yobe State, which was one of the North-East states worst affected by the insurgency. The EU and the British Council’s support has played a crucial role in addressing the humanitarian crisis and improving the lives of those affected by the conflict.

Yobe State: EU, British Council Commended for Peace Efforts

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USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children

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USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children

By: Michael Mike

The United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Nigeria, through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), have agreed to collaborate on mitigating lead poisoning in the country.

By this arrangement, they plan to enhance surveillance, regulation, and enforcement of standards related to consumer goods and paints in Nigeria.

Lead can affect individuals of any age, but children are particularly vulnerable due to their behavioral patterns and susceptibility to toxicity at lower exposure levels.

Globally, an estimated one-third of children have blood lead concentrations that impair cognitive development and contribute to learning disabilities and attention deficits. A 2011 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that unsafe mining and ore processing are the leading causes of lead poisoning in Nigeria.

USAID/Nigeria Mission Director, Melissa Jones in a meeting with SON Director General Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said: “USAID is committed to leading the Government of Nigeria’s mitigation efforts to save Nigerian children from further risk of lead exposure.”

A statement on Thursday said USAID will provide technical assistance to SON to raise awareness about the safe use of products that contain lead, support Nigeria in joining the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (Lead Paint Alliance), and aid SON in enacting legislation to identify lead-containing products and its manufacturers. SON will lead engagement with other federal agencies working on lead removal in high-risk communities.

SON Director-General Dr. Okeke said that to limit lead in consumer goods and paints, SON adopted global and regional standards prohibiting the production and importation of paint products with lead concentration beyond 90 parts per million.

In April 2024, SON will participate in the United States and Nigeria Bi-National Commission meeting, contributing to technical discussions on policy framework, regulation, and sensitization on lead mitigation in Nigeria.

USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children

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FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum

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FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has been advised to include sign language in the nation’s education curriculum.

The call was made on Thursday by a
Non Governmental Organisation, Beta Nigeria at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja.

The Federal Lead Beta Nigeria Campaign (BNC), Abdulsalam Badamasi, made the call while taking questions from news men on Thursday in Abuja. Where various Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other stakeholders came together to strategise on the best way to advocate for improved education in Nigeria.

Badamasi who took questions from newsmen after the event said they only want to amplify the voices of existing NGOs in the education sector. And ask for a curriculum review that will accommodate excluded persons.

Responding to the demand by the Disability Rights Advocate, Janet Talbat, that sign language be included in the nation’s education curriculum, he said: “Part of the performance bond that the (23 agenda) has something to do with review of curriculum and I think that’s the opportunity where we can put this request into place. And of course we are going to make sure that we put the issue of exclusion in the front burner so that everybody can be able to put in and support the excluded persons in the education conversation

He also said: “We are looking at a more improved advocacy for education through increased advocacy for education resources. We are bringing in new voices and in the process we are going to ensure that we call on our politicians, service providers, we will also call on partners and others to come together and see how we can increase Nigeria’s commitment and investment to education to a certain level.”

Maryam Uwais, who was the Special Advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments, advised Beta to be cautious of the people’s culture and religion in their campaign to bring more children and out of school children back to school.

She noted that: “The approach to engage in this issues is critical; when for instance we give the impression that Islamic education is not education is going to alienate the people who will want to bring the children into formal education. So we need to find words, the sensitivity, the culture and bring it into our own advocacy and campaign to engage with them and make them understand that it is just a different kind of education and that it’s critical for the children to go and thrive in this world.

Speaking on the importance of formal education, she said, “Today’s context insists that we must have the numerics and the alphabets. And a good understanding of that if we are going to even have skills. We need to sell our products in the market.

“So if we leave our children to just one form of education then they are going to be the ones that have been left out behind. There is so much to gian from formal education because the children will people to fall back to, they will build networks. A few year of formal education make a lot of difference in the life of a girl child, her family and her community.”

Janet Fasatan Talbat of Disability Rights Advocate (Ability Plus Initiative), used the opportunity to call on the organisers to convey her demand of including sign language in the nation’s basic education curriculum to the Minister of education to enable the deaf and those who can speak to communicate with ease.

She said: “As a deaf person I went to a primary school without sign language Teachers and today I have children who are going to school (without sign language teachers); we cannot communicate effectively because they are not being taught sign language. Please when you meet the Minister tell him to include sign language in our educational curriculum.”

FG Asked to Include Sign Language in Education Curriculum

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NAF obliterate scores of Bandits in Tsafe, Zamfara

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NAF obliterate scores of Bandits in Tsafe, Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Airforce have naturalized scores of bandits in damaging airstrikes in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara state.

Military sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama that the airstrikes were conducted
in two locations on Wednesday March 27, 2024, at Magazu Village, Gidan Giye and Kachallah Hassan Nabamu camp, in Tsafe LGA.

Sources said that the gunbattle began with ground troops of Operation Hadarin Daji who repelled the bandits as they attempted to infiltrate Gidan Giye in Tsafe. After their defeat by the the troops, the bandits immediately called for reinforcement.

Soon, the bandits started converging at Tabanni, Magazu and Kachallah Hassan Nabamu villages in an efforts to carry out attacks in Tsafe from different front.

The sources said that NAF assets was detailed to conduct aerial patrols where its identified the terrorists moving in a large convoys of about 50 motorcycles conveying two fighters around Magazu.

The sources said that the attack aircraft delivered at least four full packages of shawarma, Zobo and Sausages, which scored a divaststing hits, leading to the neutralization of scores of the fighters.

The sources said that the surviving bandits were visibly seen scampering for safety in different directions while the strike was taking place.

The aftermath of the strikes later revealed the obliteration of almost 37 motorcycles and the terrorists on them while dead bodies were seen all over the places at Kachallah Hassan Nabamu camp in Tsafe.

Zagazola understands that some of the bandits leaders and fighters are currently at Asola village for a condolence visiting following killing of their fighters by the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji.

NAF obliterate scores of Bandits in Tsafe, Zamfara

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