News
UNICEF Moves To Address Out-of-school Children Problem In Bauchi State
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office has taken measures to tackle the problem of out-of-school children in the state.
It is no news that Bauchi state had been tagged as one of the states of the federation with the highest number of out-of-school children, a development UNICEF found worrisome, hence its collaboration with the state government to tackle the problem headlong.
Speaking with journalists in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state on Friday, during a field trip organised by the international NGO, Mr. Raphael Aiyedipe, Education Officer, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, said it was necessary for both parties to understand the situation by going to the communities along with the media.
He explained that this would allow them to meet with some of the out-of-school children, interact with them, their parents and guardians as well as the community structures to understand their plights and the underlying factors as to why the children were out of school.
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“Over the years, UNICEF has been working with the state government and local government authorities to make sure that we reduce this number of out-of-school children.
“That’s why we decided to have this media engagement, if we do this, maybe we will be able to understand better, why the issue of out-of-school children is increasing instead of it to be reducing.
“Now we are also going back to use the traditional structure where every Emirate will understand the situation of out-of-school children within their own Emirates.
“They will talk with their District Heads and then, during the enrollment drive campaign, we will bring them into the structure and work with them effectively,” he said.
READ ALSO: Over 10 Million School-aged Children In Nigeria Out Of School – UNICEF Laments
According to him, this move would allow UNICEF to effectively reduce the high number of out-of-school children in Bauchi state.
Meanwhile, a cross section of Women in Masori Community in Alkaleri LGA, recommended that the state government should introduce a community driven empowerment programme for women to support their children in obtaining basic education.
One of the women, Mrs. Fatima Mohammed, said that women had no or limited resources to support the quest of their children to basic literacy in the interest of human development.
According to her, trades and skills were the backbone for human capital development, adding that most of their men have neglected their parental roles of the child’s rights to education.
Also speaking, Lami Ibrahim, a mother of six, revealed that all her children were out of school due to lack of educational materials to aid the learning process.
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She said: “Women are left with the responsibility of providing educational materials and financing their children’s education.
“We are full time housewives without a source of income. So, we send them on street hawking during school break time to get money for their educational needs.
In her contribution, Asabe Baba, a mother of four, lamented that despite several attempts to enroll her children, poverty was instrumental in denying the children access to school.
“Our husbands are mostly peasant farmers and this has made it difficult for us to send our children to school,” she said.
Our correspondent who spoke with some of the out-of-school children in the area, observed that most of them have passion for education but were left at the mercy of their mother who could do little or nothing at all for them to obtain their basic education.
Hauwa Ismailla and Amina Abubakar expressed sadness for not being able to go to school for the past three years due to lack of money from their parents.
They however, called on UNICEF, the Bauchi state government and well as all development partners to come up with plans or initiatives to help them get back to school.
News
N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.
Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.
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Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.
“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”
“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
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“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”
Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.
Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.
Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.
He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.
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“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.
“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.
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“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.
DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
News
IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.
Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.
Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.
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“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”
On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.
“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”
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