Metro

Sustainable Development Cannot Be Achieved Where Gender Bias Thrive – Don

Published

6 years ago

March 9, 2020

A university don, Professor Ifufro Osamwonyi, yesterday, said the seventeen action points of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved in Nigeria without reducing gender inequality.

Prof. Osamwonyi of the Department of Banking and Finance, University of Benin, disclosed this in a keynote address on the occasion of this year’s International Women Day celebration organized by Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Business Women Group, Edo State chapter.

A cross section of NACCIMA Business Women Group, Benin Branch

Speaking on the theme : ‘Each for Equal’, Osamwonyi noted that gender bias has been seriously militating against the development of the country.

While noting that Nigerian politics is one of the areas in great need of gender-focused inclusion, the university don revealed that Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female representation in parliament across Africa.

He said, “Nigeria is ranked 181st out of 193 countries.”

Osamwonyi, however, eulogised Nigerian women for their hardwork and entrepreneurship, stressing that they have contributed significantly to national advancement and are doing well in formal business with technological advancement and innovation.

On her part, Co-ordinator of NACCIMA Business Women Group, Edo State chapter, Pharmacist (Mrs) Aina Omo-Ojeonu, disclosed that the group was set up to facilitate women’s participation in commerce and governance as well as facilitate access to loans and business information for women.

“We are encouraging women especially from the grassroots to be up and doing. And that is why I mentioned better life for rural women because we intend to take our access to loan to the grassroots. We want to take it to our women farmers in the grassroots, to the MSME because we believe that it is women that mostly do all these things.

“When you look at the subsistence farmers, they are majorly women. If you look at the people selling pepper in the market, they are women.In commerce, women are doing well. In agric, women are there.”

She added that plans are on to facilitate trade amongst women in the chamber and within the ECOWAS region and the world at large.

Metro

I Provide Four Square Meals A Day For My Wife, Man Tells Court

Published

7 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

A commercial mototrcyclist, Malam Isma’il Abubakar, has told a Shari’a Court sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna State, that he provides ‘four square meals’ for his wife every day.

Isma’il made this known while responding to his wife, Zainab Saleh’s allegations that he does not provide food for her.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), she also alleged that her husband does not respect her parents.

She said she was done with their 10-year marriage and wanted divorce.

Isma’il, however, prayed the court to give him time to settle the dispute with his wife.

The judge, Malam Malam Anas Khalifa, asked Zainab to provide witnesses who can testify to her claims.

He ordered the couple to present their parents or guardians in court.

Metro

Court Dissolves Marriage, Orders Man To Pay N30,000 Per Month For Kids’ Food

Published

7 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

An Area Court at Centre-igboro, Ilorin, Kwara State, has dissolved the nine-year-old marriage between a woman, Bilikis Abake and her husband, Kehinde Bintin, over claims of domestic violence.

Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Mr Idris Etsu, held that the respondent, had sent a letter to the court through the bailiff, releasing his wife.

Etsu, consequently, dissolved the marriage between both parties, but ordered the woman to observe three months iddah (waiting) period, before she could remarry again.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the court awarded custody of the two children of the marriage, who are eight-year-old and six-year-old, to their mother.

The court ordered the respondent to pay the sum of N30,000, as monthly maintenance fee.

He held that the father should be responsible for his children’s school fees, and should be allowed unrestricted access to his children, except at odd hours.

Metro

‘My Husband Kept Coffin Under Our Bed, Planned To Use Our Child For Ritual’

Published

7 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

In a chilling case that shocked Matero Local Court, Zambia, 36-year-old woman from Chisamba has been granted divorce from her husband, whom she accused of attempting to sacrifice their two children.

Bertha Mumbi told the court that her husband, Abel Ngoma, 46, of Chibombo, allegedly plotted to kill their two daughters—aged 11 years and 7 years as part of ritual instructions he received from a witchdoctor in 2021.

According to Zambia Observer, testifying before the magistrate, Lewis Mumba Bertha said that Abel even made a small coffin in preparation for the supposed death of their firstborn and kept it in their bedroom for four consecutive nights after she refused to participate in the scheme.

“By then, he had already made a small coffin in readiness for the death of my firstborn. He never told me about the coffin he made. We slept for four days with it under our bed,” she said.

Bertha said the plan was brought to light by the witchdoctor’s informant, who approached her to demand compensation for cancelling the agreement, since she had refused to consent to the sacrifice.