Author: Sani Idris

NGO mobilises students to drive climate change solutions in Kaduna
Climate
By Sani Idris
Kaduna, June 6, 2024 (NAN) The Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE) says it is mobilising students and young people in Kaduna state to drive climate change solutions in their respective communities.
WISE founder and Programme Director, Mrs Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, stated this during a one-day Green Awareness Walk in Kaduna on Wednesday, with the theme, “Generation Green: Taking the Lead in Tackling Land Degradation and Drought”.
The walk, which took place within the College of Environmental Studies, Kaduna Polytechnic, was organised by WISE, in Collaboration with National Association of Environmental Science Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic.
It was organised to commemorate the 2024 World Environment Day (WED) with the theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience”.
Olanike Olugboji said that the campaign became necessary considering the anxiety among young people caused by the chaos associated with environmental challenges and global warming.
She attributed global warming and other environmental degradation to the excesses of human activities and stressed the need for young people to join the campaign against climate change and environment degradation.
“It is, therefore, crucial to create awareness among young people on the need for them to begin to take the lead and think outside the box on issues affecting our climate and the environment.
“The goal is for the youths to drive solutions, take action and create initiative that will help reduce some of the environmental problems affecting humanity.
The founder said that sustainable development was only possible if everyone realised the need for collective responsibility in protecting the climate.
She said that the WISE had been mobilising women and young girls in Kaduna and other parts of the country to take part in providing solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges.
“We have realised, over the years, the wide gap in terms of women’s access to environmental resources, even when they are the most vulnerable to the impact of environmental challenges and climate change.
“Women are the most vulnerable and yet their voices were missing at the decision-making table.
“We will keep building the capacity of women and young girls to become authors of their own fate, as it concerns the environment and the climate challenges,” she said.
She stressed the need for policy makers and residents to begin to identify solutions and take actions to reverse environmental degradation and climate change.
She also called on the government and relevant stakeholders to equip communities with the needed knowledge and skills to plan trees and adopt eco-friendly technology in everyday life.
According to her, adopting eco-friendly technologies like clean cooking stoves and solar technology will significantly replace the use of traditional cooking methods and lighting systems.
“This will go a long way in preventing indoor air pollution caused by traditional cooking methods, kerosine lamps and candles in our homes.
“Climate change is real and not far away. It is close next door. Do something; tell someone to do something and we will be doing a lot to reverse climate change,” she said.
Dr Patrick Kigbu, Head of Department, Environmental Science, Kaduna Polytechnic, commended WISE for targeting the youths in its climate change campaign.
Kigbu said that climate change and other environmental challenges could be dramatic and might consume humanity if action was not taken.
He urged the government to be proactive, and outlaw activities that negatively impact the climate.
According to him, people need to know that when they destroy one tree, they should plant five more to sustain the environment.
Similarly, one of the students, Aishatu Ibrahim, said that the awareness was apt, and would motivate students and young people to take action towards climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other highlights of the event included a panel discussion and tree planting. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
SA/FDY
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Edited by Philip Yatai
June 6, 2024
UNICEF, NOA train 1,080 adolescent girls in Kaduna
Training
By Sani Idris
Kaduna, June 5, 2024 (NAN) UNICEF, in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), trained no fewer than 1,080 adolescent girls in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State in tailoring and hairdressing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was funded by UNICEF.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, Gerida Birukila, said during the graduation ceremony in Kaduna on Wednesday that the girls were exposed to violence, abuse and neglect, which prompted the idea to empower them with the training.
Birukila, who was represented by the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dr Wilfred Mamah, added that “the advent of COVID-19 brought the reality to light, where UNICEF found out that a lot of Almajiri and adolescent girls were on the streets.”
She said that the programme was conceptualised by UNICEF to know the number of children that are out of school in Kaduna, where a primary research revealed a lot of numbers.
“We are able to document 107,000 adolescent girls out of school and have nothing to do. They were exposed to physical, sexual and emotional violence.
“We went around asking questions on what the girls really want, and many of them were asking for skills acquisition. They said if they will be trained in tailoring and hairdressing, it will give them opportunity to perform.”
Birukila said it was based on that UNICEF came up with the programme to work with communities to train adolescent girls.
“In the course of the training, we used the opportunity to educate the girls about their rights. We educated them on what to do if they are abused sexually or physically,” she said.
The state Director of NOA in Kaduna, Malam Hamisu Abubakar, said that in November/December 2023, 50 community leaders were selected from five area councils and trained in strengthening community structures to provide child protection services at the community level.
At the end of the training, he said, it was agreed that two pilot community-based centres be equipped with child-friendly safe space and life skills training for out of school adolescent girls.
As a follow up, Abubakar said, the NOA, funded by UNICEF Kaduna Field Office in compliance with agreed criteria selected Sabon Tasha community in Chikun Local Government Area to conduct the training of 1,080 young girls in tailoring and hairstyling.
He explained that among the many communities visited, Sabon Tasha met the requirements of having a standard community centre where it could serve as a child friendly safe space and also serve as a place to learn skills.
“We met a community that is highly organised and enjoys the leadership of its leaders who accepted the idea of providing a place to conduct the training for the young girls.
“This is a deliberate attempt to strengthen community structures for child protection services at the community level. Two months down the line, we are here today to witness the graduation
ceremony of dedicated young girls who are now equipped with skills in tailoring and hairstyling for survival.”
He thanked UNICEF for the support in ensuring the project became successful, while also appreciating the host community for embracing the intervention, particularly the governance team of eight selected community leaders.
He also commended the master trainers, stressing that they played commendable roles throughout the two months of training.
Also, Chairman of Chikun, Mr Salasi Nuhu, commended UNICEF for the gesture, saying it would go a long way in enhancing the girl’s livelihood.
Some of the beneficiaries, Exceptional Abel and Sarah Solomon, also thanked UNICEF for the gesture, while pledging to use the skills to earn a living.
NAN reports that highpoints of the event were traditional dances, fashion parade and issuance of certificates to the adolescent girls.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
SA/HA
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

June 5, 2024
WED: NGO distributes tree seedlings to 400 residents in Zaria

Trees
By Sani Idris
Zaria (Kaduna state) June 5, 2024 (NAN) An NGO, Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED), has distributed economic tree seedlings to no fewer than 400 residents of Palladan community in Zaria LGA of Kaduna State.
The gesture was in commemoration of the 2024 World Environment Day, with the theme ‘World Environment Day is ‘A Journey to a Greener Future’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trees distributed were guava, mango, moringa, soursop, sweet apple, Brazilian cashew, paw paw, orange and mango.
Speaking to newsmen at the sideline of the event on Wednesday in Kaduna, the CWED’s Programme Officer, Mrs Lydia Saleh, said they had kept to the tradition of carrying out their ‘green project’ every year in different communities.
Lydia said CWED had successfully carried out such activities in 10 different communities in the state, with Palladan making it the eleventh.
The programme officer explained that the green project, which was community-driven, was aimed at enhancing, and sensitising communities on climate change, and also to have mitigating mechanisms to protect the environment from climate change.
She, therefore, said one of such ways was tree planting, which they had carried out in various communities over the years.
The programme officer explained that their choice of distributing economic trees was for the health, economic and food security benefits embedded in them.
Saleh explained that the people of Palladan in the past had many economic trees in their environment, which had ceased to exist due to the human factor of urbanisation and cutting down the trees for fuel purposes.
“When they cut down the trees, they don’t replace them; this is why we want to restore the communities in Palladan which were known for giant trees in the past.
“Doing this, we hope to build resilience against climate change and drought,” she said.
Saleh urged the beneficiaries to nurture the plants to maturity for their benefit.
David Roven from the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Department of Water Resources, said climate change has affected the seasons in which some crops were grown.
He added that, in the past, such periods were filled with sustained rainfalls, but the case had changed due to climate change.
Doven urged the beneficiaries to nurture the trees to maturity for their benefit and community.
Addressing the beneficiaries, an expert, Aminu Salihu, the Branch Manager of Teku Farms in Kaduna, said apart from the benefit of fruits, all the trees have medicinal value.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Malam Ismail Dalhatu, the Ward Head of Palladan, said the Government had in previous years made efforts to revive the community with the trees they lost to various human activities.
He said to deter human activities especially those who cut down trees, forest guards were involved to help keep watch, sensitise and create awareness of the effects of deforestation.
“The forest guards sometimes ensure stiff sanctions on those found wanting,” Dalhatu said.
NAN also reports that in ensuring feedback on the trees, CWED opened a Whatsapp group as a mechanism for the beneficiaries to ask questions or seek assistance regarding the well-being and sustenance of their trees. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
SA/NNO/BRM
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Edited by Nick Nich/Nicholas/Bashir Rabe Mani
June 5, 2024
ANRiN project revives 30,000 malnourished children in Kaduna – Coordinator
Malnutrition
By Sani Idris
Zaria, (Kaduna State), June 5, 2024(NAN) The Coordinator of Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria Project (ANRiN) in Kaduna, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said it has revived about 30,000 malnourished children in the state through myriad of interventions.
Muhammad-Idris, who said this at a one-day stakeholders’ debriefing workshop on Tuesday in Zaria, Kaduna, stated that they have assisted the state in the management of the children who were acutely malnourished.
She equally said that the ANRiN project was largely a preventive intervention against the onset of malnutrition.
According to her, the project has in the past three years reached out to over four million beneficiaries comprising children, lactating mothers, pregnant women and adolescent girls.
As the ANRiN project in Kaduna ends by the end of the year, Muhammad-Idris hoped that all the good work, learning model, key successes and approaches that were used in delivering the project would be sustained and the expected practices sustained across the state.
She also hoped that the knowledge, awareness created and the information that were provided would be put to proper use.
Muahmmad-Idris said, ”We believe a lot of efforts and investments have been made.
”In doing that, we expect the institutions whose capacities have been built and personnel who were trained, especially community service providers and health workers delivering the services to continue even after exit of the project.
“We expect to see better food choices and maternal infant and young-child nutrition practices being upheld in homes and also families and individual imbibing better health seeking behavior in terms of nutrition and other health services
“We expect to see improvement in the health services being provided at the facility level.
”This is why we partnered with the State Primary Health Care Board so as to strengthen our family health care facilities to deliver the services.”
The coordinator stressed that everyone, including families, communities, and any stakeholder that has benefited from the project has a role to play in sustaining the efforts made by the ANRiN project.
She. therefore, said it was expected of every stakeholder especially those at the community levels to play their respective roles.
Muhammad-Idris pointed out that faith-based leaders have been supportive in using the Scriptures in passing information on how families should maintain healthy and nutritious lifestyles.
She added that they were poised in seeing that Kaduna state has no single case of any malnourished child or mother.
“It is doable, and this we aspire to see. At the end, we want to do away with chronic malnutrition which is exemplified by stunting and micro nutrients deficiencies,”she said.
Also speaking to newsmen at the sideline of the event, the Commissioner for the State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), Mukthar Ahmed, restated its commitment to continue to coordinate all the nutrition stakeholders and MDAs.
Ahmed, represented by Hajiya Aisha Muhammad, the Director, Development Aid Coordination, said the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN), which is domiciled at the PBC, cannot afford to neglect the invaluable contributions made by ANRiN project in the state.
He thanked them for their support, while pledging to sustain their legacies for the betterment of nutrition indices in the state.
Earlier, Hajiya Hauwa Usman, the Nutrition Specialist for ANRiN project in Kaduna, said the workshop was aimed at presenting the progress they have made so far in its implementation.
She equally said it was to critically discuss sustainability plans as the ANRiN project comes to end in the state by end of the year.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders at the workshop included Society for Family Health, the State Primary Health Care Board, National Orientation Agency and Nutrition Desk Officers from various MDAs.
Others were: Kaduna Agriculture Development Agency, Kaduna Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) and the Ministry of Local Governments, among others.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
SA/BRM
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
June 5, 2024
Anniversary: Northern group lauds Tinubu, Ministers
Anniversary
By Sani Idris
Kaduna, June 3, 2024(NAN) A group, Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), has lauded President Bola Tinubu and his Ministers for their dedication as the administration marked its one year in office.
The group particularly commended the ministers for continuously prioritising the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda initiative.
The group gave the commendation during a press briefing to appraise Tinubu’s administration as it marked one year in office in Kaduna on Sunday.
The National Vice Chairman of the CNF, Muhammad Aminu, commended the Minister of Steel Development and his counterparts in the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, Works and Interior, for their unwavering commitment.
He congratulated Tinubu and the ministers for ensuring an impactful one year in office, saying, ”their performances thrilled and gave Nigerians hope for a better nation.”
Aminu said celebrating the ministers was the group’s modest way of encouraging Nigerians to imbibe the virtue of hard work and excellence.
“Having done our due diligence and evaluated all the Ministers under the administration in the period under review.
“We have identified true patriots who have served President Bola Tinubu and indeed Nigerians as excellent Ministers and worthy ambassadors of the Federal Executive Council,” he said.
According to him, based on the group’s scorecard, the minister who topped the list was FCT Minsiter, Nyesom Wike.
Aminu said,”He has revolutionised the provision of infrastructure and land administration in the FCT within his short period of assumption of office.”
He equally praised Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works, for his giant strides in road construction, especially the usage of cement for road construction.
According to him, that has drastically cut down the cost of road construction and reduced pressure on the nation’s foreign exchange.
He listed Umahi’s achievements to include the Lagos to Calabar coastal highway as well as the Badagry to Sokoto highway.
“Another top performer is Bunmi Ojo, whose Interior Ministry employed innovative technology and cost saving means to clear the backlog of passport application, thereby ushering in an era of instant passport application and collection,” he said.
Aminu, however, said the group’s spotlight was on the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, whom he described as a ‘focused youth’ who has demonstrated enormous capacity in the ministry.
According to him, Audu has pioneered policies and projects which have the potential for the industrialisation and rapid economic development of the nation.
He appreciated Tinubu for deploying technical parameters to measure the performance of all the ministries using key indicators.
Aminu maintained,”Even though the government has done well, the people who are the direct beneficiaries of the policies are equally in position to give their perspectives on the performances of the ministers.
“Hence, our spotlight on the Minister of Steel Development, Audu as our star performer amongst all the Ministers.
“To make our position known on the historic developments in the steel sector within the last one year.
”And to also bear witness to the fact that the Minister has performed well as he strives to revive the hitherto moribund steel sector including the comatose Ajaokuta steel complex.”
Aminu described as critical, the plans towards the establishment of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) park at the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.
This is in order to tap into the ₦100 billion fund set-up by the Federal Government.
He pointed out that the plan was a major step to bring back to life the economically-viable industry as well as the revival of steel facilities and research centres in Jos, Plateau and the National Steel Raw Materials Agency in Kaduna.
He assured Tinubu of their continued loyalty to his administration, which according to them, has proven to be progressive and youth-centred especially in the areas of industrialisation and job creation.
“As critical stakeholders and youths who are actively involved in the political and social development of our communities.
“We have great confidence in this administration’s capacity to create jobs and end youth unemployment.(NAN) (wwwnannews.ng)
SA/ISHO/BRM
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Edited by Yinusa Ishola/Bashir Rabe Mani
June 3, 2024
Anniversary: PWDs seek appointment of Tejuosho as Humanitarian Affairs Minister
Anniversary: PWDs seek appointment of Tejuosho as Humanitarian Affairs Minister

By Sani Idris
Kaduna, June 1, 2024 (NAN) A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has expressed concern with the vacancy of Minister at the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry.
This is just as the coalition mostly consisting of groups of People Living With Disability (PWDs) are also making a case for the appointment of one of them, Halimat Tejuosho, to fill the vacancy.
The coalition, which comprised no fewer than 100 CSOs, spoke as part of activities marking the one year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu.
They addressed newsmen on Saturday in Kaduna as part of the commemoration of the 2024 Democracy Day.
Some of them included PWDs across the 36 states and FCT, APC PWDs’ leaders in the 36 states, APC stalwarts, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and youth parliaments, among others.
The Chairman of the coalition, Aliyu Sani, said that their call was to align with other groups and individuals to drum support for Tejuosho.
According to him , she has over the years distinguished herself as a true humanitarian to be appointed as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of Nigeria.
Sani said, ”Tejuosho is a selfless patriot who has been using her personal resources to bring succour to senior citizens, PWDs and the less-privileged through her NGO, the Queen Adenike Tejuosho Foundation (QATFoundation).”
He said the foundation gave her a position of responsibility in line with her passion and interest to do more for the downtrodden in the society.
“As a mark of true philanthropy, the quintessential lady recently celebrated children’s day with vulnerable and indigent children where over 500 school books, bags, shoes, water bottles, foodstuffs and writing materials were shared.
“Her Ramadan largesse to over 1,000 PWDs as well as Sallah packages to hundreds of households who could not afford to celebrate the festivities cannot be forgotten,” he said.
Sani, therefore, said judging by all the individual sacrifices and the sheer passion to touch lives, it triggered the coalition to appeal to Tinubu to consider filling the vacancy by appointing Tejuosho.
This, he said, would enable Nigerians to enjoy the dividends of democracy in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda especially in the area of poverty alleviation.
“It goes without saying that since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has been without a Minister, the government has not been providing succour to the less-privileged as it is supposed to do.
“From Tejuosho’s antecedents and if given the opportunity, she will continue to extend her generosity and passion to bring a turn around in the fortunes of the less privileged and downtrodden in Nigeria,”he added.
He reiterated the support of the PWDs community in Nigeria to Tinubu, while appealing to him to grant their only wish by appointing Tejuosho who is one of them.
Also, the Chairman, Arewa Youths Disability Forum, Muhammad Zaria, said the length of time the ministry was left vacant, poses danger to the smooth running of government affairs.
“Mr President, we are united with one voice without any external influence in making this appeal and prayer.
‘It will be a privilege to appoint this selfless woman as a Minister because we are very sure she will deliver.
“This is our collective resolve born out of the conviction that with the support she has been giving people in the community for over 10 years, she is the right person for the job.
”Politics, region and other considerations should be put aside to allow competence and merit to prevail,”Zaria said.
He congratulated Tinubu for a meritorious one year in office, while commending him on his progressive policies, support to PWDs and the senior citizens.
Zaria also thanked the First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu, for her firm support to Tinubu, while commending her for the agricultural support she has recently extended to women, youths and PWDs across the country. NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
SA/BRM
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Edited by bashir Rabe Mnai
June 1, 2024