Expert identifies poverty, failed courtship as major causes of divorce

By Mujidat Oyewole

Divorce

Ilorin, Dec. 29, 2022 (NAN) An expert, Justice AbdulQadir Umar has identified poverty and failed courtship as major causes of divorce in the country.

He also said failure of couple to understand what they like and dislike during courtship before agreeing to enter marriage relationship as another factor.

Umar, a Senior judge at Area Court, Ilorin, explained the major causes of divorce in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ilorin.

He said that one of the major causes of domestic violence, which eventually leads to divorce was poverty, adding that hardship makes people to misbehave.

“People behave well when they have money, they do what is expected of them, especially husbands, they do all their responsibilities and ignore unnecessary issues that may arise.

“Some people however find it difficult to say they don’t have money, thereby turning their frustration to violence, which is one of the causes of divorce.

“There is this saying that when poverty enters through the door, love fly out through the window, which is the beginning of aggression, attitudes and violence,” the judge said.

Umar explained that poverty make couple to stop tolerating each other, especially when husband could not provide for the family, some wives leave the marriage, while others stay but give lot of trouble.

He revealed that judges usually find ways to delay divorce, thereby giving couples chance to reconcile, but when the marriage could not be mended they order for divorce, but to only applicants.

“Lots of divorce had occurred without appearing in court, the same thing with broken marriages, meanwhile some issues would have been resolved through proper justice,” he said.

The judge said that when husband and wife could no longer live together in peace, then it is better for them to separate than committing murder and various kind of grievous hurt on themselves.

He further said that there was need for people to understand marriage before venturing into it, because many failed marriages began with nonchalant attitude of couple during courtship.

“Marriage is not about age, status or financial capability, but the determination to make the relationship work through sacrifice and compromise.

“It is not possible to sacrifice always and one cannot compromise everything because marriage is beyond love, so there is need to know what you can and cannot tolerate before marriage,” he said.

Umar therefore advised youths to follow some steps before marriage, including physical appearance; especially women beauty, urging men to settle for women of their choice.

“Financial background is important before settling down for marriage, especially for women who like material things, then family background, in terms of religion, tribe, culture, civilisation, and method of celebrating and mourning.

“Educational background is also important, in terms of level of western education, skills acquired and his or her perspective about life generally,” he said.

The judge noted that there was no need to ask lots of question before one could know everything during courtship, major thing needed is attention and be sensitive to all happenings while together.

“Habits will definitely reveal itself, the only thing is that you may choose to ignore the bad side or believe you can change your spouse, which is dangerous and may affect the relationship,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

MOB/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

“Child mortality: How Katsina traditional rulers help in uptake of routine immunisation

By Zubairu Idris, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Undoubtedly, children below five years in African countries like Nigeria are lagging behind in vaccine uptake during child immunization compared to their counterparts in the developed nations.

Unimmunized children risk high morbidity and mortality. Such children are more exposed to attack by vaccine preventable diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles among others.

According to studies, immunisation helps children to grow up healthy, happy as well as enable them to walk, play and learn.

Experts identified many factors responsible for lower coverage of immunisation, some of which included misconception about the vaccines, distance, and security challenges, among others.

In order to boost wider coverage, government at all levels, and other relevant stakeholders, continue to collaborate to boost coverage for the betterment of children.

In Katsina state, the government has been up-and-doing to ensure that all eligible children received the required doses of the vaccines.

One of such initiative is the involvement of traditional rulers in the exercise to ensure wider coverage.

The State Immunisation Officer, Hajiya Sahura Muhammad, said that District and Ward Heads are being given feedback on regular basis to know performance of their Local Government Areas in terms of coverage.

“”Where we need their support, we usually engage them to support our vaccination teams in their areas for wider coverage, and we have been making progress,”” she said.

According to her, Katsina has 1,636 facilities, which is the state with the highest number of facilities offering immunisation services in the country.

Muhammad further said that the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) on conducting outreaches, dialogues, and data quality assessment on routine immunisation.

“”We usually have technical committees that go to the LGAs and take necessary action,”” she said.

Impact of involving traditional rulers in the system

The State Immunisation Officer said that the traditional rulers’ engagement has contributed immensely in boosting coverage, which resulted in improving the child healthcare services and consequently reduced infants’ mortality.

To buttress that, the UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Mr Rahama Mohammed-Farah, said that Katsina has reduced under-five mortality by 29 per cent between 2011 and 2021.

He said that was shown in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 2021, launched on Dec. 5, 2022, in Katsina.

Though the state has made progress in that respect, he said there was still a need to do more to enhance child healthcare services in the state.

Furthermore, an investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on routine immunisation in Kankia local government area, indicated that Tafashiya community is among the wards with the highest immunisation coverage.

Alhaji Sani Yusuf, the Ward Head of Tafashiya, said that the efforts of the state government have contributed immensely in reducing high child morbidity and mortality.

He said that they met with Imams and village heads on regular basis to educate them on the importance of antenatal and child healthcare services.

“”There is a great improvement unlike before, both child morbidity and mortality has reduced drastically compared to five years ago.

“”Here, we recorded cases of these child killer diseases on daily basis, where parents spend a lot of money to treat their children, and sometimes, the illnesses lead to the children deaths.

“”We now hardly record cases of child mortality in our entire community.

“”Our people are now enlightened, husbands give their wives money to travel to Kankia for antenatal or child care services like routine immunization.

“”Even today, there was a woman who asked me to find out for her in Kankia, about the antenatal service being conducted.

“”We don’t have this before, but now everybody is aware of the importance of both antenatal and child healthcare services,”” he said.

Yusuf revealed that in the first instance, husbands sponsor their wives to Kankia for antenatal care because several tests would be conducted on them.

He said that they would later come back to Tafashiya health centre for regular antenatal service, unless if there is need for going back to Kankia.

According to him, there is a meeting on a monthly basis to discuss issues relating to women and children healthcare.

The meeting, he said, involved health experts, traditional leaders and other stakeholders, including Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and other stakeholders to discuss the way forward, and that has been yielding positive results.

Moreover, Malam Ibrahim Adamu, a resident of the community, said that he has a better understanding of the importance of child Immunisation.

He said that before now, they have been battling with child killer diseases and spending a lot on treatment.

Adamu said that since they embraced the exercise through the involvement of traditional rulers in the area, child morbidity and mortality have reduced drastically.

“”Hardly now you hear case of child killer diseases outbreak or deaths as a result of such vaccine preventable diseases in our community,”” he said.

Routine Immunisation in enhancing child healthcare

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunisation is the foundation of the primary healthcare system and an indisputable human right.

It said there are now vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages to live longer.

According to the WHO, in spite of the tremendous progress in the area, many people around the world – including nearly 20 million infants each year, have insufficient access to vaccines.

Experts say that insufficient access to vaccines is among factors responsible for high morbidity and mortality rate.

According to the available data from the UNICEF, infant mortality in Nigeria currently stands at 69 per 1,000 live births, while for under five, it rises to 128 per 1,000 live births.

More than half of the under five deaths, 64 per cent – result from malaria, pneumonia or diarrhoea.

According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, Katsina state also made a significant improvement in Penta 3 coverage of 41 per cent.

Also, the state immunization officer said that, the state was able to exceed the set target of 90 per cent coverage in the vaccines with the exception of three antigens.

“”The only areas we are having problem are Hepatitis B, IPV 2 and Measles 2.

“”We recorded less than 80 per cent coverage unlike the other vaccines where we recorded up to 100 per cent and above,”” she said.

She explained that a child was supposed to start immunization immediately after delivery, or before reaching two weeks.

“”If a child is brought two weeks after delivery, it means that child has missed some level of protection against vaccinated diseases, and as such, will be among unimmunized children,”” she said.

Challenges encountered

The immunization officer said that IPV2 was introduced recently, but up to now, some mothers and caregivers are not bringing back their children to receive the second dose.

Also, measles second dose is given after a child reached 15 months, “”the chance of bringing back their children to receive the second dose is low.

“”That is why we have been telling our service providers to enlighten caregivers during Antenatal care to start immunization immediately after delivery,”” she said.

Moreover, security challenges in some local governments are another major problem, because the vaccination teams cannot reach many communities in such LGAs, and they may have IDPs.

Muhammad further revealed that whenever people are displaced, there are tendencies of having a lot of vaccine preventable diseases outbreak such as cholera, gastroenteritis and whooping cough among them.

Again, sometimes there is a problem of supply of some antigens. This one is a nationwide problem.

“”If caregivers come to our facilities and we tell them that we don’t have vaccines, go and come back after some times, they usually fail to come back,”” she said.

Addressing the challenges

Muhammad said in terms of security challenge, they cannot do anything on their part.

However, she said, “”I know there are efforts being put in place by the government and other stakeholders to address the situation.””

She also said that the Georgetown Global Health Nigeria was in Katsina to support the LGAs in terms of immunisation and other healthcare services for both women and children in the front line areas.

“”We are even going to start outbreak response in the 11 LGAs. We list the settlements not being reached through our efforts.

“”They will engage Red Cross International and local people who can deliver services to women and children in such communities. So, this is part of our mitigation plans,”” she said.

Muhammad also said that they have what they called “”hit-and-run strategy”” in partially accessible communities in the state.

According to her, the vaccination teams deliver services in such areas and come back within a short period of time.

If such efforts are sustained, the state would have a wider coverage in routine immunization where its children would grow up healthy, happy and educated as well enable them contribute positively to the development of the society in the future. (NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“

Solidarity Day: How gender, equity and fairness play out in Aleyita Football Field

By Magdalene Ukuedojor

On a cool Thursday evening in Aleyita, 11 young players trade tackles with an opposing team; they dribble and defend their post, riding their team to a 1:0 victory.

The winning goal is scored by Vivian Jonathan, the only girl in an ‘all boys’ football team.

This game is one in a series of spectacular football matches the Aleyita Community, located along Airport Road in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, has witnessed in the last three years.

The community and other spectators troop in to watch Vivian match strength for strength with her male counterparts since 2019 when she joined the team at 10 years old.

At 13, she heads the team as captain of Green Soccer Academy.

The beauty of this football club is in the solidarity that Vivian’s teammates and her coaches, who are all male, exhibited to make sure she settles in to give her best on a field dominated by boys.

This is the spirit behind the celebration of the International Human Solidarity Day, declared by the United Nations in 2005.

The UN General Assembly, by resolution 60/209 identified solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relationship between peoples in the twenty-first century.

In that regard, it proclaimed 20 December of each year as International Human Solidarity Day.

The day promotes global cooperation and solidarity.

The day celebrates unity in diversity and raises public awareness of the importance of solidarity; wherein those who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most.

Solidarity is mutual support within a group; an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes.

It is the ties in a society that bind people together as one.

The young football players in Aleyita demonstrate solidarity at its best.

Since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, women have clamoured for inclusion, equity, fairness and gender equality in social and political sectors.

Women bills for affirmative action have been debated on the floor of the National Assembly for more visibility and leadership roles assigned to women.

On April 6, 2022, Nigeria’s judicial system granted 35 per cent allocation of all appointments to women.

The court ordered the Nigerian Government to implement the National Gender Policy which provides for the allocation of 35 per cent of all appointments to women.

The judgment was by Justice Donatus Okorowo, of a Federal High Court in Abuja, in favour of Women in Politics Forum, who filed the suit.

The situation is no different in sports, which is maximally male-dominated.

Although the national women football team- the Super Falcons have made the country proud by dominating their games in the African continent and other international games, there is still the need for more women players and women football leagues in the country.

While Nigeria still strives to project women and grant them more opportunities to soar, the Greenland Soccer Academy has led by example for three years, by working in solidarity with their only female team member.

How Vivian got to play in a boys’ team

“I love seeing boys play football and the ball they play gives me joy so I told my mummy I wanted to play football.

“She wasn’t happy at first because she had better career choices for me than football but she could not stop my interest in football, so she reluctantly let me play for fun,”Vivian said.

Vivian said she was about 8 years old when she exhibited her love for football, and as the last child in a family of 6, her parents let her play in the midst of other children while her siblings were given chores.

Now at 13 and a Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3 student of JSS Aleyita, she is proud to be a football team’s captain.

“I started playing till I got people that supported me to play in this club. I joined the Greenland Soccer Academy in 2019. I am a midfielder and over the years, I also rose to become the captain of the team,”she said.

Vivian’s coach, Chukwubuike Obona, also known as Coach Chike, said he started the Greenland Academy in 2013 in the Federal Capital Territory.

“I discovered Vivian when she was 10 years old on the streets when they were playing; I encouraged her to start coming to my team.

“I started coaching her, and then I met her parents as well. I let them know that I want the girl to play football because I saw potential and a great future in her.

“Initially they did not agree, they wanted her to do other things that females do but when they saw that she picked interest whenever football was mentioned or played, or instantly developed a fever if she wasn’t allowed to go to the pitch, they let her come out to play.”

Coach Chike said that Vivian’s presence in the male-dominated club had caused uproar in Aleyita Community in the early days of coaching.

“Members of her family and the community had to summon a meeting; they tried to dissuade her from football but after series of meetings and advocacy, her father stood his ground.

“What also helped was that her uncle is the present chief of the community; their influence created acceptance although half-heartedly at first, but now the community is very proud of her achievements and often gather to watch her dribble the boys,”Coach Chike said.

Why was Vivian made captain of the team?

“I saw her seriousness; she was much organised. Equally, a whole other people that were older than her listened to and respected her.

“I observed this for some time and then made her the captain. I have never regretted that decision because when I am not around she sets every programme for practice just as if I am there.

“Also, when I am not around, the team follows her every move and lead, there are no clashes,” Coach Chike said.

Her teammates say there are no discriminations or disparity on the football field and are free to tackle their captain irrespective of her gender.

Wisdom Wilson, 13, and a student of Junior Secondary School, Maitama also plays in the Greenland Soccer Academy.

“Vivian is very good with the ball and that is why she was picked as the captain and not because she is the only girl in the team.

“We all see ourselves as equals and not like she is a girl and we are boys.

“And because we are teammates, we protect her in the community; even if other boys want to fight her, she has a whole team of boys looking out for her in the community,” he said.

Another teammate, Mohammed Suleiman and student of Junior Secondary School Aleyita, says although they trade tackles on the field with their female captain, it is all healthy competition.

“It feels very good playing in the team, Vivian tackles me a lot in the field, I tackle her too; sometimes we put leg for her to fall if she tackles us too much although it is all healthy competition.

“We need other girls in the team because we are a unique team here.

“What we do as a team for our captain is that we make sure that other girls and boys do not tease, discriminate nor laugh at her because she is playing football with boys,” Suleiman said.

The solidarity displayed by these young players has impacted the community greatly; more families are seeing the need to introduce their female children to football.

Chiagoziem Nneji, a 9-year-old girl of Pilot Science School, Wuse, has just joined the team, now she looks up to the captain and other male teammates to horn her skills.

“Vivian encourages me to play more because I love football and I like playing it.

“I started playing in this team because I feel it’s the best place to play and I have a companion.

“My parents want me to be a doctor but footballers now earn more money than doctors and football is what gives me joy, what I like to play,” she said.

There are many benefits to playing ball and doing it in solidarity the young players say.

After their matches, they wash their jerseys and help each other complete their household chores.

Coach Chike says that football in Aleyita has curbed unruly behaviour as the young players have no time to indulge in vices after school hours and gruelling football practice in the evenings.

He, however, ensures that the game does not in any way diminish their educational prowess as he makes them practice only twice weekly on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

There are high hopes for these players with great potential in Aleyita.

Vivian hopes to follow in the steps of her hero- Asisat Oshoala, a Super Falcon star, who has continued to make Nigeria proud with her skills.

But for a community team to raise such shining stars, Assistant Coach of Greenland Academy, Coach Andrew Bangs, says the young players need sponsorship to replace worn out jerseys, balls, boots and other practice equipment.

“The coaches most times task themselves and the players to afford sporting gears and hire buses to play matches outside Aleyita,” Bangs said.

In spite of these challenges, the team looks forward to receiving more female players as it is very open to gender mainstreaming and with solidarity, they can achieve more just as they have with Vivian and Chiagoziem.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

By Magdalene Ukuedojor, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

At 18, every Nigerian who is registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and possesses a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is eligible to vote during elections.

However, when you can barely see to sieve through the write ups and logos of the different political parties vying for attention, that right is taken from you.

For the blind, braille is preferable at voting polls while for those with albinism, a different set of help is needed – a magnifying glass which is an instrument that can block sun rays and magnify the words on the ballot papers.

UN Albinism Ambassador, Mr Jake Epelle, turned 18 in 1979. Eligible to vote, but had to wait 40 long years to exercise this right.

“I never voted in Nigeria until I was 58 and the reason is not farfetched, it’s because the process was not conducive.

There was no introduction of solution devices like magnifying glasses so it was practically impossible for me to vote because I couldn’t see plainly the tiny logos on the ballot papers,” Epelle said.

Epelle was born with albinism, a group of inherited disorders characterised by little or no melanin production.

Most people with albinism have pale skin, eye conditions and are sensitive to the sun.

It is estimated that over 2million people with albinism live in Nigeria. Many are faced with stigmatisation and discrimination.

In Africa, research has shown that the prevalence of albinism generally ranges from 1 person in 5,000 to as low as 1 person in 15,000.

It has been reported that some selected populations in Southern Africa have high prevalence rates.

Prevalence as high as 1 in 1,000 were reported for selected populations in Zimbabwe and other specific ethnic groups in Southern Africa.

Just like Epelle, a good number of persons with albinism in Nigeria were disenfranchised due to lack of modalities to aid a smooth electoral process.

Epelle was able to cast his first vote in the 2019 elections at 58, using a magnifying glass.

In the Electoral Act of 2010, it was enshrined in Section 56, subsection 1, that:

A voter who is blind or is otherwise unable to distinguish symbols or who suffers from any other physical disability may be accompanied into the polling unit by a person chosen by him.

“And that person shall, after informing the presiding officer of the disability, be permitted to accompany the voter into the voting compartment and assist the voter to make his mark in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the commission.”

Also, subsection 2 of the same Act on blind and incapacitated voters stated that:

“The commission may take reasonable steps to ensure that voters with disabilities are assisted at the polling place by the provision of suitable means of communication, such as braille, large embossed print or electronic devices or sign language interpretation, or off-site voting in appropriate cases.”

The ‘may’ clause used in subsection 2 of the Act did not give stringent powers for the inclusion and insistence of the use of tools to aid persons with disability during election.

The advocacy that made the change in the Electoral Act

The Albino Foundation, founded in 2006, collaborated with other stakeholders to initiate strategic advocacy to prioritise the needs of persons with disability (PWDs) which include those with albinism.

The foundation engaged government agencies, the electoral body- INEC, National Assembly and various other stakeholders in talks and meetings to understand the need for the inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process.

It granted interviews to the press, featured on talk shows, made presentations during National Assembly retreats, engaged in lobbying to underscore the need to amend certain areas in the Electoral Act to favour PWDs.

The advocacy yielded results in 2021, when some clauses proposed by the foundation was part of the amended electoral law.

On Feb. 25, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, the new Act ‘2022 Electoral Act’ repealed the Electoral Act 2010.

In the new Act, in Section 54, subsection 2, the word ‘may’ has been changed to ‘shall’ which is more solid and binding for the provision of aids.

It states: “The commission shall take reasonable steps to ensure that persons with disabilities, special needs and vulnerable persons are assisted at the polling place by the provision of suitable means of communication, such as braille, large embossed print, electronic devices, sign language interpretation, or offsite voting in appropriate cases.”

The 2022 Electoral Act also depicts gender and name sensitivity in including ‘her’ and ‘visually impaired’ where otherwise it stated only ‘him’ and ˜his’ and captured ‘blind’ in the Electoral Act 2010.

“A voter with visual impairment or other form of disability who is otherwise unable to distinguish symbol or who suffers from any other physical disability may be accompanied into the polling unit by a person chosen by him or her.

“And that person shall, after informing the presiding officer of the disability, be permitted to accompany the voter into the voting compartment and assist the voter to make his or her mark in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the commission.” -Section 54, subsection 1, 2022 Electoral Act.

“Of course, it’s not a matter of semantics or use of words,” Epelle says.

“The latter gives more legal impetus and mandate to INEC, it is now a must. In 2010 you couldn’t take INEC to court because they did not factor in the disability in the electoral process.

“Now in 2022, I can take INEC to court if they do not incorporate disability in the electoral process.

“If they don’t use magnifying glasses, I can go to court and it can actually nullify the election so now it’s a legal issue.

“It’s binding on them to ensure that they make this provision and ensure that it is part of their operations, it is operationalised and the people that will use it will indeed use it,” Epelle said.

He advised any organisation or group that wants to advocate for certain rights to engage a legal team and consult widely.

“We brought the community together and all agreed we were going to do this; we put together a legal team and the legal team drafted the clauses.

“It was more than two but we got only two into the Act; we made amendments where wrong terminologies were used and all that and then we went to the National Assembly.

How the Magnifying Glass was introduced

Armed with the Act to provide suitable means of communication, the foundation set out to propose to INEC the use of magnifying glasses for those with visual impairment and persons with albinism.

Different brands and types of the magnifying glasses have been tried remotely since the 2015 elections and have continued to evolve after use with input from the users.

In the Nov. 18 Anambra Elections of 2017, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, told the EU Observer Mission to Nigeria led by Mr Santiago Ayxela, that the provision of the magnifying glasses was part of the commission’s efforts to ensure inclusiveness in the elections.

In 2019 general elections, the tool was also used by some persons with albinism and other visually impaired.

But with the victory of a more vibrant clause for PWDs in the 2022 Electoral Act, the foundation boldly engaged with INEC to procure a more user-friendly magnifying glass for its elections going forward.

This highly effective model was used during the Ekiti Governorship Election in June and Osun Governorship Election in July.

Its outstanding features are the high definition HD lenses, lighting effects with knobs to increase or decrease light shades to adjust to the user’s eyes and a smart handle with a solid grip.

The attendant result of this, has spurred more persons with albinism to confidently register for their PVC, knowing that they will, without stress, vote smoothly in the 2023 General Elections.

This is affirmed in the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)’s analysis and results, after the validation of eligible voters with disabilities for the 2023 General Elections.

“Total Number of Persons with Disabilities registered for 2023 Elections using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) are 84,072.

“Of this number, registered persons with albinism are 20,345, making 24 per cent of the registered voters, the analysis showed.

This user-friendly magnifying glass is also branded to avoid it getting into the open market. “Not for sale, property of INEC is inscribed on it.

Stakeholders have commended INEC for championing inclusion and improving on ways to ensure that PWDs participate maximally during elections.

INEC, on its part, has pledged to continue to promote the inclusivity of persons with disabilities in electoral processes by advancing their rights and participation.

“I must say from the outset that PWDs are citizens and have the right to participate in all areas of human activity without stigma or discrimination.

“Their systematic exclusion on account of disability has affected a significant part of the Nigerian population from effective participation in many areas of human endeavour, especially political and leadership roles at all levels. This is unacceptable.

“The National Population Commission estimates that at least 19 million Nigerians are living with disabilities.

“From our records, many of them are registered voters.

“We owe it a duty to our democratic and electoral processes, as well as national growth and development, to encourage their active participation as citizens with equal rights, INEC Chairman Yakubu said.

The Albino Foundation maintains that the magnifying glass used for the electoral process is not only for the use of people with albinism but for any visually impaired at polling units.

In spite of many successes, many limitations exist, the numbers of people with albinism and their clusters in local government areas and polling units across the country are still outstanding.

20,345 eligible voters, spread across the country, needing magnifying glasses may be a herculean task to achieve in the short space of time.

A fair knowledge of which locations and voting units is needed to measure the number of assistive devices like the magnifying glasses to be deployed by INEC for use in polling units.

Although the Albino Foundation is in the process of creating a database and app to assist INEC locate clusters that would need the magnifying glasses, Nigeria’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections billed for February 25, 2023, is in less than three months.

It is, however, hoped that the 2023 census which Nigeria has scheduled to undertake after the elections, will ensure an accurate database for all sectors.

It will put an end to conflicting figures and lack of accurate data for PWDs, including those with albinism.

That way, resources will be equitably distributed and accountability assured.

**If used please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The difficulties girls go through to get sanitary pads can only be imagined, especially so in rural communities or slums.

One of such areas where this challenge manifests is Rigasa; is a densely populated urban slum in the south west of Igabi Local Government Area in Kaduna State.

Mr Yusha’u Abubakar, Founder and Executive Director, Enhancing Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative (E-CAPH), said the issue of sanitary pads was a challenge in the community because of poverty and lack of economic empowerment.

“When the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) called for an application for a project to support adolescent girls and boys, we decided to apply with focus on this area because it is a challenge.

“We sent our proposal and UNFPA found it worthy and supported us to train young girls in our community.”

He said 200 girls were trained on making reusable sanitary pads, adding that the initiative has improved school attendance of girls in the community as well as taken care of their menstruation hygiene challenges.

Impact of the training on the girls

Fatima Abdullahi, 18, is one those trained by E- CAPH and described the experience as overwhelming because she now produces it for her personal use and for trade.

“I was used to begging for money to buy pads or forced to use other materials in spite of its discomfort for my period. Now I help myself and others with my trade,” she said.

Similarly, Asma’u Mohammed, 18, said she was happy for the acquired skill that has made her self-reliant.

“With this, I don’t have to ask my parents for everything I need, because I can now earn little money by making sanitary pads for my peers.”

Sanitary pad boosting economic empowerment of the community

Albabatu Musa, Manager and Coordinator, E-CAPH Skills Acquisition Centre, said the accessibility of the reusable pad has made it a preferred choice for most girls in the Rigasa community.

“The reusable pad is made up of cotton-based materials because of its absorbable nature and easy access in the market.

“So far, 15,000 packs of three pieces each, have been produced at the centre and sold for N3.5 million to a client in Borno State.

“At the open market, a pack is sold for N500 and for every pack, there is a gain (profit) of N150. The product is in high demand,” she said.

Musa said the pad was highly profitable and cost effective because it can be used for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months.

“A pack of three go for N500 with a profit margin of N150. The trained adolescents were currently making the reusable pad for their personal use and sales.”

Support by the UNFPA in the Rigasa pad project

Ms Mariana Darboe, the Programme Coordinator and Head of Office, UNFPA Decentralised Office for Northern Nigeria, said the reusable sanitary pad project was part of the livelihood support training as a COVID-19 response to alleviate poverty in communities.

She said the project was supported by the funds Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) project under the UN Basket Fund support for COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

Darboe added that the RCCE initiative was to curb the risk and impact of gender-based violence and interconnecting sexual and reproductive health consequences.

A mother’s burden lifted

A mother of four, Sadiya Ibrahim, said the reusable sanitary pad had reduced her stress “because most times during their menstrual period I am helpless to help my four girls with the needed money to buy sanitary pads.

“Sometimes they feel uncomfortable saying that they are on their period, so they just use available pieces of clothes to help themselves.

“Whenever they use clothes, they spend most of their time in the room because it makes them uncomfortable.”

How we got the buy-in of the communities considering the religious and cultural challenges

In most communities in northern Nigeria, talking about reproductive health issues among women and young girls is considered a no-go area. E-CAPH executive director Abubakar said the initiative surmounted this major limitation and got the buy-in of the community through advocacy.

“We were able to make people understand what sexual and reproductive health issues are all about and the need for parents to talk to their children about sexual reproductive health issues.

“The religious and community leaders provided the platform for us to talk to young girls in Islamiyah schools, women groups gathered their children and invited us to talk to them.

“This strategy helped in increasing the acceptance of talking about the issues in communities where it is hitherto difficult to do so.”

How the girls monthly dilemma turns to joy

Some users of the sanitary pads narrated their experiences on how it changed their monthly dilemma to joy.

Kadijah Salis, 17: “I use pieces of clothes due to lack of money to buy a pad. Sometimes I am forced to stay at home to avoid embarrassment in school because most times the clothes leak and stain our uniforms.

“The reusable pad is the best thing that has happened to some of us from poor households.

Sadiya Aliyu, 18, said she only got to hear of the reusable pad recently, adding that it is “better because I can use it for six months and it is very comfortable. I only need two for a whole year”.

The way forward for menstruation hygiene in Rigasa

The Founder and Executive Director of E-CAPH said that the initiative was able to overcome the challenges of non-acceptance by the community that was religiously inclined not to discuss matter relating to women and especially women monthly menstrual cycle.

This, he said, was due to the various trainings personnel of his organisation went through.

From these training “we were able to understand the role of religious leaders, community leaders, women and youth groups in advocating for reproductive health and family planning.

“There was equally a book produced by NUHRI on religious (Islamic and Christian) perspectives to family planning.

“We used the book in partnership with religious leaders and women groups to advocate for the acceptance of the family planning and reproductive health issues in communities.

“We were able to help them understand more about sexual and reproductive health issues. This led to the acceptance by parents to talk to their children and wards about sexual reproductive health issues.

Abubakar said that with the achievement so far recorded in helping the girls to better manage their menstrual hygiene, development partners, state government and local government areas should support the initiative to increase access by the poor and vulnerable adolescent girls in urban and rural areas. (NAN)

Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Water, which entitles its citizens to sufficient, affordable, safe, and acceptable water for personal and domestic uses.

While 75 per cent of the urban population is served by improved water supply, often people will collect water from vendors and carry a long distance after collecting it in containers.

In rural areas, only about 42 per cent of households have access to safe water according to the World Health Organisation UN” Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water 2014 Nigeria Country Highlights.

It is not different in the Ruga Sauka community, a Fulani settlement located along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Malama Zainab Sani, a resident of the community, said they have been managing with water from a dug well for their household chores, drinking and sanitation as well as for their cattle.

“Our husbands dug this well to take care of our water needs. We know this is not good enough, but we have little choice. We use it along with our cattle. And overtime, we were told our children were having skin diseases, stomach upset, and other water related illnesses because of our source of water,” Sani said through an interpreter.

Listening and collaborating for change

To address this country wide challenge, the community and an Israeli Aid Organisation collaborated to build a motorised electric borehole to take care of both the water and sanitation needs of the over hundred families of herders living in the settlement for the past 35 years.

The initiative started with the annual donation of food items to the community by the Israeli group, the ChabadAid. With this humanitarian opening, the community reached out to them and requested for a borehole.

A Centre for Disease Control and Prevention report says contaminated water can transmit diseases such as Diarrhoea, Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid, and Polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.

Sani, who supports her family selling “Fura da Nono”a highly nutritious millet and milk drink, said boiling the already contaminated water to drink could only do so much.

“The water in the well goes down during the dry season and we go in search of water in dirty ponds many kilometres away,”she said.

Ruga Sauka community opted for an electric borehole because of its advantage over manual boreholes says Malam Bature Adamu, the community’s secretary.

“We chose the borehole that has to be pumped with a generator because we have seen in other communities how children quickly spoil the handles of manual boreholes,”Adamu said.

He added that with the numbers of years they have stayed without water, they didn’t want to be taken back to using water from the well. So they wanted something more sustainable.

“Pumping with electricity is also faster for us; the tank is high. So, opening a tap from the tank is better and we have good control over the pumps and generator,”Adamu added.

In April 2021, an electric borehole with two overhead water tanks and a generator set to pump the water was provided for Ruga Sauka residents.

The negotiation with ChabadAid began in 2020 but was stalled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

One of the reasons why the project succeeded was because the foundation listened and acted on the needs of the community instead of assuming what they wanted.

In drilling water points, the organisation always ensured that the community contributed its resources to encourage ownership and maintenance of the equipment, Rabbi Israel Uzan, Co-founder of ChabadAid said.

“We usually rate the village before intervention. We tries to know why they have not had the infrastructure before now and how they need us to intervene; either to repair an infrastructure or start one from scratch,”Uzan said.

This is followed by asking for permission before going to work. In the case of Ruga Sauka, they got permission from the village before commencing work.

“Usually, if we provide pumps and drill, the community provides the tank or manpower; if we build a school, the community has to build the fence or provide furniture,”Uzan said.

With the urgent need of Sauka with ailing members, especially in a pandemic period, the organisation asked for an open space for the borehole that could cater to all families.

It also requested for manpower to aid the drillers and a commitment to fund fuelling of the generator and maintenance of all the equipment provided.

With the acceptance of these conditions, a new challenge of sustainability now emerged for residents of the community; a steady means to provide funds for petrol to pump water.

The water, pumped in the morning and evening, requires four litres of petrol per day at N163 per litre.

The community spends N652 daily on fuel, N4,564 weekly and an estimated N18,256 for fuelling the generator. This is besides the cost of maintaining the equipment.

Also, as the price of petrol rises, the cost of sustaining this water source surges; scarcity of fuel will also affect it unless the community installs more water tanks to preserve water during fuel scarcity.

The community, however, said they are up to the challenge.

“Our men agreed to contribute N100 weekly for fuel; we gather the money and any other monetary gifts we get to maintain the facility and ensure the generator runs well,”Adamu said.

Despite this, the benefits of the borehole far outweigh the costs the community must bear.

For Ruga Sauka, the children, women and cattle have been given a new lease of life with this life changing potable water after several years of making do without.

Mrs Aisha Iliyasu, a housewife, who spoke on behalf of Sauka women, thanked the organisation for coming to their aid in spite of the difference in religion.

****This article is with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, USA and the Nigeria Health Watch.