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Adolescent Girls Face Risks Of Sexual Violence – UNICEF
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office, says that adolescent girls in a developing countries face the risks of sexual violence.
Dr Tushar Rane, the Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office made this known in his welcome address in Gombe during a media dialogue to commemorate the 2024 International Women’s Day.
According to him, if the trend persists, the number of girls and women living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase by 2030.
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Rane, who also stated that one in seven girls in developing countries is married before reaching the age of 15, said investing in the health, rights, and wellbeing of adolescent girls generates a transformative ripple effect that uplifts entire nations.
“Nearly half of adolescent girls in UNICEF programme countries suffer from anemia and lack access to essential health and nutrition services in the event of pregnancy,” he said.
The UNICEF Chief explained that by providing adolescent girls with the necessary support, access, and opportunities to realise their potential would enable them to become formidable agents of change.
He said “empowered girls can play a crucial role in tackling some of the most pressing global challenges, such as climate change, poverty, and conflict.
“Their contributions pave the way for inclusive and sustainable development, shaping a brighter future for generations to come.
READ ALSO: UNICEF Urges women To Shun Home Child Delivery
“The investment in women through the mama2mama initiative, including strengthening women’s knowledge of community health systems has contributed to positive health outcomes in UNICEF’s intervention states”.
He called on all and sundry to push for a world characterised by equity and inclusivity where girls and boys are empowered to access and benefit from the same rights, opportunities and protections, fostering a society where every person can thrive.
The International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women’s rights movement.
It gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
The 2024 IWD is themed: Invest in Women, She is the solution.
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News
OPINION: Toru-Ibe State, Aiyedatiwa’s “No Land Ceding” Remark, And The Ondo Ijaw
Published
3 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
Editor
By Icon-James Tam
The renewed push for the creation of Toru-Ibe State has once again brought the long-standing conversation around political inclusion and fair representation to the front burner particularly for the Ijaw people of Ondo State.
While I personally maintain a cautious stance on the possibility of state creation in today’s Nigeria, I cannot in good conscience dismiss the merit of the Toru-Ibe proposal. The uniqueness of the Ijaw story, their spread across multiple states, Ondo, Edo, Delta and the structural realities they contend with, all underscore the legitimacy of this demand.
Toru-Ibe State is not a new invention. It has a long and documented history, now receiving legislative attention as the National Assembly reviews the 1999 Constitution. Among the dozen proposed new states is Toru-Ibe, projected to include parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo particularly Ese-Odo Local Government Area and the Ebijaw Ward in Odigbo.
During a recent consultation in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review met with various stakeholders. The Ijaw delegation, led by respected elder High Chief F.J. Williams, articulated a strong and factual case. The gathering was passionate. From the placards to the chants of “Asawana,” the message was clear, Ijaw people in Ondo are ready to align with their kin across state lines under a shared identity.
READ ALSO: [OPINION] 2031: The Burden Of Hope And The Ijaw Expectation
As someone who identifies strongly with the Ijaw cause, I understand the emotions in that room. Since the creation of Ondo State in 1976, our people have remained on the periphery. Despite a growing list of achievements such as Arogbo Kingdom having at least a lawyer to each family and other professionals to it credit in the state, our political elevation has remained limited. The highest position ever held by an Ijaw in the state is that of Secretary to the State Government.
Despite being a critical contributor to the state’s oil wealth, we have never led OSOPADEC, the agency set up to manage that same wealth. We are routinely included as non-executive participants, not because of a lack of competence, but because of a political structure that struggles to accommodate us beyond tokenism.
It was within this already difficult context that Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa made a statement that many of us found disappointing. In his remarks at the Dome in Akure, the Governor stated that although he is not against the creation of new states, “Ondo will not cede its land to another state.”
That remark, in our view, was both unfortunate and unnecessary. The lands the Ijaws occupy in Ondo today are not borrowed,they are ancestral. If a new state is carved out to reflect the cultural and geographical realities of the Ijaw people, it is not ceding,it is realignment. The lands remain with the people; only the political boundary shifts.
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Remarks of that nature can be avoided with proper vetting and sensitivity, especially at a time when the national conversation is focused on unity, justice, and equity.
The Ijaw people of Ondo have shown extraordinary patience over the years. But even patience has its limits. We cannot afford to allow sentiment or political caution to downplay valid concerns of marginalization. I call on Ijaw elders, leaders of thought, and community advocates to issue a dignified and unambiguous rejoinder to the Governor’s comment not out of hostility, but to set the record straight.
One of our consistent challenges as a people in this state has been the fear of political reprisal. Too often, leaders shy away from assertive positions for fear of being blacklisted or losing out on patronage. But silence has never been a path to justice. Speaking for your people should never be a political liability.
Our place in Ondo’s governance structure has remained secondary. Even at the level of traditional leadership, it took the intervention of good Samaritanlike Barr. Sola Ebiseni to challenge what was nearly a permanent exclusion of the Pere of Ijaw from becoming Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas. Though progress was made, even the forthcoming opportunity for that chairmanship due to rotate to the south remains uncertain for Ese-Odo, the only Ijaw local government in the region.
In all of this, Toru-Ibe State is not just an aspiration,it represents hope, equity, and a better future for a people long overlooked. It offers the Ijaws of Ondo a pathway out of structural sidelining and an opportunity for real self-determination.
As we await the decision of the National Assembly, I wish the Ijaw people strength, focus, and unity. May this be the beginning of a new chapter in our political history.
By Icon-James Tam
Convener, Social Crusade for a Sane Society
News
“May May The South Of Former President Bola…,” Uzodinma Trends After Public Gaffe
Published
11 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
Editor
The Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma is currently trending on Social Media over a gaffe he made while eulogizing late Ex-President, Muhammadu Buhari.
It was learned that Uzodinma, while speaking at the Constitution Review Zonal Public Hearings in Owerri Center for Imo and Abia State on Saturday, made the error during a prayer for late Buhari.
READ ALSO:Nigeria’s Economy Grew By 3.13% In Q1 2025 — NBS
The Governor said;” May the Soul of Former President Bola (pauses)…..Former President Muhammadu Buhari and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace”
Watch the Video Below:
https://x.com/PoliticsNGR/status/1947042215970111565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1947042215970111565%7Ctwgr%5E97d5beebb2dacda6422cd64f3c17c07d40488c07%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.phxfeeds.com%2FwebFrame%3Ftype%3Dtwitterwidth%3D100height%3D0value%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FPoliticsNGR2Fstatus2F19470422159701115653Fref_src3Dtwsrc255Etfw
News
Ex-Lagos Governor Fashola Gets International Appointment
Published
12 hours agoon
July 22, 2025By
Editor
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria (RTSL Nigeria), an international public health organization.
The appointment was announced on Friday by RTSL Nigeria, a health-focused body working to prevent cardiovascular diseases and epidemics.
The group, which opened an office in Abuja in 2022, partners with governments and communities to tackle some of the world’s deadliest health threats.
READ ALSO:FG Arraigns Man Who Accused Fashola Of Writing Presidential Tribunal Judgment
Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Fashola to the RTSL Nigeria Board of Directors. He has demonstrated a commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in Nigeria through more than two decades of public service.”
Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), previously served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing under President Muhammadu Buhari. He was also the Chief of Staff in Lagos State before becoming governor from 2007 to 2015.
During his tenure, Fashola was instrumental in managing Nigeria’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, earning him international recognition, including the Stephen J. Solarz Award from the International Crisis Group.
READ ALSO:Lagos LG Poll: Fashola Absent At Polling Unit
In his acceptance remarks, Fashola said he was honoured to join the board and pledged to support the organization’s mission.
“I look forward to helping continue the progress in stopping preventable deaths from cardiovascular diseases and infectious disease outbreaks,” he said.
Ibrahim Abubakar, a fellow board member and Dean at the University College London Faculty of Population Health Sciences, described Fashola’s inclusion as a valuable asset, citing his governance experience and leadership during health crises.
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