News Agency of Nigeria
Food Inflation: Group urges urgent action to protect FCT farmers
Agriculture

Food Inflation: Group urges urgent action to protect FCT farmers

By Felicia Imohimi

The Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) has urged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration to declare a state of emergency on insecurity to ensure the safety of farmers.

Mrs Olabisi Ogedengbe, SWOFON Coordinator for Gwagwalada, FCT, made this call at a news conference organised by SWOFON on Wednesday in Abuja.

The conference was titled “Emerging Challenges Affecting Smallholder Women Farmers in the FCT.”

According to Ogedengbe, such a declaration would address the looming food crisis and inflation in the territory.

She noted the alarming insecurity and farmer-herder clashes in the FCT, which have made smallholder women farmers vulnerable, hindering their access to farmlands and causing them significant losses.

She identified the security challenges as a major contributing factor to the current hike in food costs.

Ogedengbe warned that the livelihood conditions of most smallholder women farmers were deteriorating, making it increasingly difficult for them to provide food, access healthcare, infrastructure, and afford their children’s education.

“The conference aims to draw the attention of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Nigerian Government to the impact of the challenges affecting smallholder women farmers in the FCT.

“In light of the escalating economic challenges and concurrent food crises and inflation, SWOFON deemed it imperative to highlight the severe effects on smallholder women farmers in the territory.”

Ogedengbe cited recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics, indicating that the food inflation rate in January 2024 was 35.41 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

“The figure is 11.10 percentage points higher compared to the rate of 24.32 per cent recorded last January. Similarly, Cable News reported in May 2024 that the FCT experienced a food inflation rate of 38.38 per cent.”

“The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis began with the COVID-19 pandemic and was exacerbated by increases in the prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yams and other tubers, oil and fat, among others,” she said.

She called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the FCTA to invest massively in agriculture to ensure food and nutrition security.

Mrs Comfort Sunday, SWOFON Coordinator for the FCT Chapter, identified other challenges faced by the women, such as barriers to land ownership and control.

She noted that farmlands were often taken over by the government for commercial purposes, limiting women farmers’ ability to invest in and benefit from agricultural activities.

She criticised the disparities in access to and release of quality seeds, fertilisers, water pumps, solar boreholes, sprayers, and other inputs between male and female farmers.

According to her, these disparities make it difficult for women farmers to engage in dry season farming, leading to low agricultural production and food insecurity.

Sunday said women farmers were disproportionately affected by climate change impacts such as erratic rainfall, droughts, and soil degradation, which threaten food security and livelihoods.

She noted that farmers lacked resources to implement adaptive measures to these environmental challenges.

The coordinator called for reforms to land tenure policies to ensure equitable access to land for women, including legal support and advocacy for land rights.

“There should be a timely release of farm inputs to smallholder women farmers by all tiers of government for this rainy season farming.

“The Federal Government and FCTA should urgently provide subsidies and support to our farmers for easy access to inputs such as quality early maturing seeds, seedlings, feeds, organic fertilisers, and pesticides.

“This will help increase food production, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and stimulate economic growth in the agricultural sector.”

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

Sickle cell, worst of all health disorders– Group
Health

Sickle cell, worst of all health disorders– Group

By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu

Mrs Aisha Edward-Maduagwu, National Co-ordinator, Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder says that sickle cell is the worst of all health disorders.

Edward-Maduagwu made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, to mark the 2024 World Sickle Cell Day.

World Sickle Cell Day is observed every June 19, to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and highlight the challenges that patients and their caregivers face.

The theme of this year’s commemoration is ‘Hope Through Progress: Advancing Care Globally’.

She described sickle cell disease as a genetic disorder in which the red blood cells were shaped abnormally, thereby affecting blood flow, causing pain and tissue damage in the body.

She said: “Sickle Cell is the most serious and worst disorder out of all the health disorders but it is sad that it is not getting adequate attention in our society.

“How come more attention is given to cancer patients than sickle cell, whereas we go through the same pains?

“Our government and the society at large need to pay adequate attention to sickle cell disease.

“This is because the patients go through pain and spend so much to stay alive or survive the pains inflicted in them by others,” she said.

Edward-Maduagwu lamented the rate of stigma in the society as persons living with sickle cell disorder were seen as not marriageable, not adoptable and not employable.

“The society is mean and insensitive to the plight of persons living with sickle cell. They are intellectually and academically sound, but no job opportunities for them.

“Our organisation will continue to educate the public on the adverse effects of genotype incompatibilities, and ensure that people get tested for genotype, especially intending marriage couples,” she said.

She commended Gov. Chukwuma Soludo and his wife, for free enrolment of 71 persons living with sickle cell into the state’s health insurance scheme, to reduce the burden of medical bills on patients and their families.

She urged well-meaning individuals and the government to donate a permanent and central sickle cell centre in Anambra.

“We are appealing for support to acquire a centre for moral, psychological and emotional management as well as rehabilitation of vulnerable sickle cell patients,” she said. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Cholera: Expert recommends intensified hygiene practices for schools
Environment

Cholera: Expert recommends intensified hygiene practices for schools

By Tosin Kolade

In response to suspected and confirmed reports of cholera outbreaks in some parts of Nigeria, a sanitation expert has called for improved hygiene practices in schools.

Mr Benson Attah, the National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that school management authourities need to immediately increase their level of alertness and intensify cholera awareness.

He urged local government councils with reported outbreaks to disseminate hygiene messages to pupils and students in affected areas.

Attah advised students to share the messages with their families, neighbours, and communities to ensure widespread awareness and preventive action.

“This outbreak should serve as an early warning to the councils and states yet unaffected,” Attah said.

He underscored the necessity for proactive measures even in regions not currently experiencing outbreaks.

“The recommended hygiene practices include; regular hand washing with safe, clean water and soap, especially before eating.

“We must all practice food safety by washing fruits and vegetables with salt and water, followed by thorough rinsing and ensuring that all cooking and eating utensils are cleaned with soap and water.

“Another issue is insect and rodent prevention through preventing flies and other insects from contacting food and keeping rodents out of homes, particularly kitchens and food storage areas”.

The national coordinator noted the importance of water safety, saying drinking only potable or boiled water should be encouraged at all times.

Attah said that school management authorities must immediately increase their alertness and cholera awareness efforts to mitigate the spread of the disease.

He urged everyone to maintain a high level of hygiene at home, in schools, on buses, and in other public places to prevent further outbreaks.

“The level of seriousness and commitment to hygiene practices must be heightened across all affected and unaffected areas, collective responsibility is essential in combating the cholera outbreak.

Attah also advised everyone to avoid buying and eating street food in areas with reported cholera cases, saying clothes and bedding should be soaked in soap, boiled water, and disinfectants, or bleach.

He said floors, walls, toilets, and bathrooms should be washed with disinfectants or bleach where cholera patients stayed or were treated.

“Everyone should drink boiled or potable water, additionally, people should adopt regular hand washing with safe water and soap or use hand sanitiser.”

NAN quotes the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as saying “as of 11 June 2024, 1,141 suspected cholera cases had been recorded across 30 states in Nigeria since January 2024.’’

The 10 states that recorded 90 per cent of the cases are mostly located in the South (Bayelsa—over 400 cases, Lagos, Abia, Cross River, Delta, Imo States), with some situated further north (Katsina, Nasarawa, Zamfara States). (NAN)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

U.S., Nigeria plan first energy security dialogue– Envoy
Foreign

U.S., Nigeria plan first energy security dialogue– Envoy

By Mark Longyen

Amb. Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, said the U.S. and Nigeria are working closely toward convening a maiden Energy Security Dialogue (ESD) in 2024.

Amb. Pyatt announced this at a digital news conference on Wednesday following a U.S.-Angola energy security dialogue to strengthen U.S.-Africa Energy Partnerships in Luanda, Angola.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Angola ESD was the first in-person dialogue in sub-Saharan Africa to be held during U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.

Pyatt said that the U.S.-Nigeria ESD would target a broad agenda, including decarbonisation of fossil energy production, acceleration of clean energy deployment, and liquified natural gas.

He said other issues to be discussed during the event would be the challenges of the global gas market, critical minerals, energy access, grid interconnections, and partnerships.

The U.S. envoy said Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, had discussed the prospective dialogue with Nigerian government officials during his recent visit to Nigeria, after which he took it up.

“And then I followed up at the Corporate Council for Africa summit meeting in Dallas just a few weeks ago, where I joined Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for our meeting with the Nigerian foreign minister.

“So, I think our governments are agreed that we want this to happen. We want it to happen in 2024, and I’m hopeful that we will have an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the specific timing.

“Much like the dialogue with Angola, our dialogue with Nigeria would be built around a broad agenda, including decarbonization of fossil energy production, acceleration of clean energy deployment, LNG and the global gas market, critical minerals, issues of energy access and grid interconnections,” he said.

According to him, the dialogue will also involve a business element, whereby U.S. and Nigerian companies come together to explore opportunities and push their governments to accelerate the deepening of their energy partnerships.

He noted that for most of Sub-Saharan Africa, the number one energy priority was energy access; how to deliver the expanded volumes of energy that citizens needed to meet the aspirations for uplifting their situation.

The envoy said the U.S. was partnering with Sub-Saharan African countries in providing massive access to energy, adding that American companies were already partners in that regard, operating in Angola, Mozambique, and Nigeria, among others.

He said the most crucial issues on the U.S-Africa energy partnership agenda include tackling climate change challenges and addressing energy transition through partnerships.

“We also understand, and this is painfully clear, in a country like Angola, where you see the impact that the climate crisis has on traditional agriculture and weather patterns.

“And so, taking climate action and being as ambitious as we can in our targets to reduce the carbon footprint of the energy that we produce, the energy that the world needs, is job number one.

“We want to ensure that we support, in Africa in particular, a just energy transition.

“Every country is going to have its energy mix and a unique endowment of natural resources,” he said.

Amb. Pyatt said that Nigeria and Angola as two of Africa’s largest oil producers, are important countries with a globally significant capacity to produce crude oil, hence their ESD significance.

“They are also countries whose crude oil economies have been significantly impacted both by Russia’s weaponization of its energy resources and also the role of China.

“When I was in Angola, we talked a lot about the fact that Angola owes about 17 billion dollars to China for years and years of checkbook diplomacy.

“So we want to talk to both governments about their role in the global energy matrix, our partnership, the role of the United States as a major oil producer, and how we see energy,” he said.

“Our energy security interests are impacted by the disruptions created by Russia’s weaponisation of its energy resources and how our producers are responding to that,” he added.

NAN recalls that the State Department had in June 2023 announced the formation of an energy security dialogue with Nigeria to advance collaboration on shared energy and climate goals, saying it would host it this year. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Appraising Nigeria’s health sector in 25 years
Features

Appraising Nigeria’s health sector in 25 years

By Folasade Akpan

As Nigerians revel in the nation’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, a cross section of citizens, including stakeholders in the health sector have expressed different views on how the sector fared.

Mr Chibuzor Akpa, a businessman, said the years of uninterrupted democracy has been good for the health sector as it has seen changes that would otherwise have been absent had the nation continued to tow the line of military rule.

According to Akpa, the re-birth of democracy in 1999 brought about health insurance for Nigerians, which has helped to reduce out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare.

He said “though that has only served civil servants, others in the private sector and who make up the bulk of Nigerians are yet to be captured.

“I am also of the opinion that those who are above 18 years, as well as other Nigerians in the private sector or who work for themselves should be captured too so that everyone can benefit.”

For Mrs Victoria Akande, a retired civil servant, democracy is the best thing that happened to Nigeria.

Dwelling on the health sector, she said that in the past, old people were made to wait long hours in the queue before being attended to in hospitals.

She said senior citizens now have their own section and they are promptly attended to, as medical personnel are friendlier with them now.

“I also noticed that there are more and better medical equipment than there were before and the outlook of the hospitals are better and neater than in the past.

“Also, the health insurance system is better now for retirees, we pay N15,000 to access services for one year, which is better than not having access to healthcare like it was in the past.”

As for Prof. Mike Ogirima, the former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the last 25 years was a departure from military style of planning and execution of policies.

According to him, the pre-democratic era witnessed diversed health policies acquired from the missionaries and colonial rule.

“However, with democracy, we witnessed health insurance scheme and authority to reduce out-of-pocket expenses on health.

“There were episodes of upgrade of selected tertiary hospitals though with less emphasis on Primary Health Care (PHC) with poor and total lack of secondary level of healthcare in many states of the federation.

“Overall, there is little improvement in the budgetary provision for health at the federal level (4.67 per cent of 2024 budget).

“Few states are however spending close to 15 per cent of their budgets on health with visible impacts”, he said.

Ogirima added that more than before, the health sector is witnessing massive brain drain.

He, however, commended the efforts of the present administration, adding that it is gradually turning the drains into gains through the attraction of specialists from developed centres to provide services in form of outreach and establishment of specialised care centres.

For him, medical tourism is slowly being discouraged, while epidemics are being effectively restricted although with heavy extra- budgetary spending with variable governance issues.

“The present administration will need to do more to saturate the labour market to stem migration by improving the training facilities and motivating human resource for health,” the former NMA President advised.

On his part, the Managing Director of Society for Family Health (SFH), Dr Omokhudu Idogho, said 25 years of unbroken democracy is a commendable step for Nigerians, judging from the benefits and the gains recorded over the years.

He said that prior to democracy in 1999, the health sector was just struggling, with the country being like a pariah nation.

This, he said, meant that a lot of the foreign donor support were not coming in and the resources that were available to respond to health challenges were mostly domestic.

He, however, said that since 1999, there has been significant growth in terms of inflow of resources to support the health sector in different areas.

“We must be honest with significant achievements in certain spaces. For example, infectious disease as a country, I would say, in the last 25 years, we’ve almost moved to epidemic control for HIV.

“We made very giant strides in tuberculosis control and those are things that are commendable and worth celebrating, while immunisation coverage has also gone up in this timeframe.

“We have also seen some moderate increase both in terms of contraceptive prevalence rate, as well as Safe Motherhood as the number of women who actually have care during delivery increased.”

Idogho said though there have been lots of improvements in the sector, there have also been areas of challenge.

He said that in 25 years, with the resources the country has, it could have done better if some of the resources were better coordinated.

“We could have done better if we have had maybe strong leadership within the health sector, in terms of clarity of direction.

“We also must celebrate the moment that at least some of that is slowly coming together with the leadership of Prof. Ali Pate and his team who are now at the helm of affairs in the ministry.”

On the issue of brain drain popularly referred to as ‘Japa Syndrome’ in the health sector, which seems to have increased unlike pre-1999, he said it is a global issue.

According to him, there is need to recognise that human resource is a global phenomenon.

“If you’re looking at the difference between 25 years ago and today, it is an increasing realisation that when you train your doctors, pharmacies, nurses, they become globally mobile.

“It is one of the outcomes of globalisation that you can ply your trade anywhere in the world, which was less so a couple of years back, but it may have been there.”

He, however, said that it’s a situation that should be converted into an opportunity.

“That is really where we should focus on, we have the population, we have the intellect. So, the idea is how do we build pipelines of healthcare workers that will save us as Nigerians?.

“Generate a surplus that would still serve the wider human resource market with a caveat that we do this in a proactive way, so that we get the value of that approach.”

For the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, a lot of the developments recorded in the last 25 years occurred in the context of sustained democratic system that allowed interface between different levels of government and everyone in government priority setting.

According to him, health is the responsibility of the federal, state and local governments.

Going down memory lane, Pate told NAN that in 2004, the first National Health Policy was enacted, assigning the responsibility of PHCs to local governments, the states attend to secondary care and support the local governments, while the Federal Government support the states, local governments and PHCs.

The minister said “that phase tried to rationalise the roles and responsibilities of various actors and kicked off the development of the National Health Bill and ultimately the National Health Act that was passed in 2014, signed by President Goodluck Jonathan.

“That National Health Act created a national health system that has continued to develop and with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, his Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the sectorwide approach that we are implementing in the health sector.

“This is the bulk of the reforms that preceded our time, but are now being executed to improve the health outcomes of Nigerians, using the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which allocates one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to PHC Centres to make them functional.

“In addition, with the democratic process that we’ve been implementing, the National Health Insurance Scheme gradually evolved and in 2022, became National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) that mandated insurance for everyone.”

Pate also said that the NHIA created the vulnerable group fund that is now expanding to ensure that healthcare services are affordable for the majority of Nigerians for the poorest and vulnerable to also be protected.

He added that there is also the expansion of the health infrastructure through federal teaching hospitals, with several of them being expanded, while institutions like the National Centre for Disease Control deals with public health crisis.

He noted that in terms of public health intervention, Nigeria has made tremendous progress in vaccination against critical diseases like polio and eventually eliminated the Wild Polio Virus.

He said that moving away from military rule has seen health policies being developed under a democratic dispensation, while in a non-democratic setting, it’s primarily by fiat and as directed.

He recalled that before 1999, many development partner support to Nigeria had exited the country, but with the re-installation of democracy, the confidence of Nigerians was enhanced.

He said “there is a sense of positivity that wouldn’t have happened if we had a dictatorship.

“This year, we have our president as Africa Union Champion for Health, Human Resources, as well as for community health delivery, chosen by the African Union Heads of States.

“We have the Africa Centre for Disease Control that has established office here in Abuja, and the President was gracious to give them a location.

“We have ourselves here representing the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, elected by the West and Central Africa to serve as representative of the region in the Global Fund Board in Geneva, Switzerland.

“These are all because we have a democratic dispensation.”

Envisioning another 25 years of the health sector in a democracy, Pate said he shares the President’s vision that in 25 years, Nigeria’s youthful population would be healthier.

He also said that the health system would have developed with a strong public sector, as well as a strong private sector and that the nation would be able to manufacture drugs, commodities, devices that it uses.

“We will have robust health infrastructure and equipment that other countries in the region and perhaps even globally can come to Nigeria and seek for healthcare services, and that many of our citizens that are in the diaspora will find it comfortable to come back home.

“Those who are leaving will find no reason to leave, and the country will be on its path to greatness, as envisioned by the President and the work that his administration is doing across sectors, including health and social welfare.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Enhancing treatment, care and support for persons with albinism
Health

Enhancing treatment, care and support for persons with albinism

By Abiemwense Moru, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Albinism is a rare genetic disorder where the person is not born with the usual amount of melanin pigment.

Melanin is a chemical in the body that determines the colour of the skin, hair and eyes.

Most people with albinism have very pale skin, hair and eyes. They are prone to sunburn and skin cancer.

An estimated one in 20,000 people worldwide are born with oculocutaneous albinism. The condition affects people in many ethnic groups and geographical regions. According to Medlineplus.gov

Albinism is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa with estimates of one in 5,000 to one in 15,000.

According to a Cleveland Clinic report, people with albinism may experience any of the following complications: skin problems due to their light-coloured skin.

The report further said that people with albinism may be legally blind, but they can learn to use their vision over time.

One major concern about albinism is its genetics.

Cleveland Clinic said albinism is passed down through families. People are born with albinism when they inherit an albinism gene from their parents.

In oculocutaneous albinism, both parents must carry an albinism gene for their child to be born with albinism. The child has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with albinism.

If just one parent has an albinism gene, the child won’t have oculocutaneous albinism. But they will have a 50 per cent chance of being a carrier of the gene themselves.

In Nigeria, persons with albinism face numerous challenges such as discrimination, health issues which many of them complain about among others.

As a group and as individuals persons with albinism have protested against this discrimination.

The Association of Albinism in Kaduna State said that in some instances, the lives of albinos are threatened by some members of the society out of ignorance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an alarming rise in skin cancer has threatened lives of Albinos in Africa. In some instance there were fatalities.

“Two albinos in Kajuru Local Government Area and one in Zaria died. Their deaths were all linked to climate change-related issues, including skin cancer.

“People with albinism lack melanin in their skin, making them more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer.

“We are witnessing an increase in skin-related illnesses, adding to the challenges of our already difficult lives,” Mr Abubakar Adam, the Chairman of the Association of Albinism in Kaduna.

The rising weather temperature resulting from climate change has also had impacts of the plight of albinos, with risk of skin cancer becoming higher.

“We often seek refuge under trees or umbrellas to shield our skin from burning,” he further said.

Adam explained that the association also focused on raising awareness about the high cost of living affecting most adults with albinism who struggle to work during the day due to the intense heat.

But part of the solution remains public enlightenment both for general public and couples whose children and wards are albinos.

“The organisation is actively sensitising parents about the importance of ensuring their children wear protective clothing.

“This is to safeguard their skin from the sun. Moreover, we are intensifying efforts to raise awareness about cancer prevention among the albino community,” he added.

The chairman highlighted the need for more proactive measures against the harsh effects of climate change.

Similarly, African Climate Reporters, NGO, says it is committed to scaling up enlightenment on the nexus between climate change and the plight of albinos.

Mr Ibrahima Yakubu, the Head of Communication and Strategies of the NGO said the campaign would be carried out in collaboration with the African Institutes of Waste and Environmental Studies and other scientific institutions.

He said the campaign, among others, would seek to mobilise science, climate and environmental journalists and other stakeholders to raise awareness among the general public.

While public sensitisation is important in the mitigating the plight of persons living the albinism, providing treatment, care and support is equally paramount.

The Vivigold Foundation for Albinism Empowerment, Education and Healthcare, an NGO, has advocated the establishment of special health facilities with dermatologists and other skin care experts to increase access to health facilities for albinos.

Miss Vivian Ezeonwumelu, Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, that albinos had higher risk of developing skin cancer compared to other members of the population.

Ezeonwumelu said that five members of the Anambra State Albinism Association died of skin cancer in a space of four years.

She said such deaths could be avoided if albinos had access to healthcare service and experts in albinism-related conditions.

“It is essential to shed light on the challenges faced by the albinism community in Nigeria and the importance of addressing their plights and promoting inclusion.

“Skin cancer is a significant challenge for individuals with albinism in Nigeria. Due to the lack of melanin, their skin is extremely vulnerable to the damaging effects of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

“Most persons with albinism cannot afford the high cost of preventing skin cancer. Which is why we are calling on the governments, groups and well-meaning citizens to come to our rescue,” she said.

Ezeonwumelu said there was the need to establish specialised health facilities across the country, to provide comprehensive support to address the specific health needs of the albinism community.

She said that healthcare professionals should also receive specialised training on albinism-related skin conditions to improve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of skin cancer.

According to her, such specialised hospital will be a safe space to help combat stigma, provide emotional support, and facilitate access to healthcare services.

“The health facility will offer dermatological care and counselling to address the psycho-social impact of living with albinism, sun protection and skin cancer prevention, “she said.

Ezeonwumelu urged government agencies to collaborate with groups working with albinos to intensify awareness on skin cancer risks in the albinism community.

In the same vein, the Initiative for Advancement of the Albinism Cause (INAAC) has called on government to provide free sunscreen lotions for persons with albinism in the country.

Miss Joy Odigie, Executive Director, INAAC, told NAN that persons with albinism were dying from skin cancer, a disease that could be prevented through the application of sunscreen lotion.

She regretted that the high price of sunscreen lotions with high Sun Protection Factor (SPF) was preventing many persons with albinism in the country from using the lotions.

“Individuals with Albinism lack melanin and therefore are susceptible to the harmful effects of solar ultraviolet radiation, including extreme sun sensitivity, photophobia and skin cancer.

“The use of sunscreen lotions and creams, wearing appropriate clothing and spending limited time under the sun can reduce the incidence of skin cancers in persons with albinism.

“Unfortunately, the price of sunscreen lotions and creams ranges from N10, 000 to N18, 000 150ml per tube and are not readily available.

“Persons with albinism are advised to apply sunscreen lotions with high SPF at least three times a day and this will amount to an individual with albinism using more than one tube every month’’, she said.

She called for continued public education about albinos and albinism as well as advocacy for the rights of albinos.

“Although they may look different from the rest of us, people with albinism have the same rights and deserved to be shown love, treated with respect and dignity’’, she said.

The executive director also urged the government to come up with policies and laws that protect the rights of people with albinism.

“The government should also ensure that those who perpetrate violence against people with albinism are brought to justice,’’ she said.

In the same vein, Mr Jake Epele, Founder/CEO of TAFAfrica, formally known as Albino Foundation, urged President Bola Tinubu to reinstate free cancer treatment for persons with albinism at the National Hospital, Abuja.

The scheme was introduced by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As a skin cancer survivor, I know how expensive it is to treat persons with albinism who are suffering with skin cancer.

“I think the time has come for the current administration to revisit this free treatment that has been applauded by the international communities as best practice.

“So, let me use this opportunity to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to instruct for this laudable programme to be revisited and reactivated.

“So that there will be hope in the Renewed Hope Agenda for persons with albinism in Nigeria, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said. (NANFeatures)

 **If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Harmonising Nigeria’s public service retirement age discrepancies
Features

Harmonising Nigeria’s public service retirement age discrepancies

By Mark Longyen, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Mr David Adebayo and Ms. Ngozi Chinedu were two hardworking Nigerians with divergent career paths.

Adebayo, a senior administrative officer in the public sector, dedicated his life to the civil service.

By the age of 60 which coincided with his 35 years in service he retired, according to government regulations.

In contrast, Chinedu, a senior marketing executive at a multinational corporation, continued working until the age of 65, benefiting from the stability and perks of her private sector job.

Upon retirement, Adebayo encountered several challenges. His pension, often delayed and not adjusted to inflation, was insufficient for a comfortable post-retirement life.

Losing his employer-sponsored health insurance forced him to rely on the National Health Insurance Scheme, which barely covered his basic healthcare needs.

Not having enough leisure time during his service years, post-retirement financial strain and inadequate healthcare support took a toll on his well-being.

Chinedu’s experience was however markedly different. Working until 65 allowed her to amass a larger pension fund, ensuring financial security on her retirement.

Her private health insurance continued into her retirement years, providing comprehensive coverage.

The extended work period also meant that she enjoyed a better work-life balance and job satisfaction, marked by professional growth and substantial earnings.

In retirement, Adebayo and Chinedu’s lives further diverged.

Adebayo, without a solid post-retirement plan, struggled with social isolation and mental health issues.

Chinedu maintained her professional network and engaged in community activities, finding a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

This narrative reflects the impact of retirement age discrepancies in Nigeria.

It underscores the relentless call by stakeholders on the federal government to accede to the demand for the review and harmonization of the retirement age of all public servants across-the-board.

Many public analysts believe that harmonising Nigeria’s retirement age discrepancies by addressing the variations in retirement ages across all sectors in the country, is long overdue.

According to them, inconsistent policies that culminate in retirement age disparities in the workforce is discriminatory, counter-productive, and a morale killer.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has, for instance, persistently demanded that the retirement age and length of service in the entire public service be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service, respectively.

Reinforcing this standpoint, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, during the 2023 and 2024 May Day celebrations, reiterated that the organised labour was resolutely committed to its demand for the upward review and harmonization of public servants’ retirement age.

He said that increasing the years of service should be done uniformly across all sectors, instead of being selectively done in favor of just a few sectors of the public service in the country.

“Only a few establishments, including the core civil service, are now left out.

“We are, therefore, demanding that the age of retirement and length of service in the entire public service, including the core civil service, be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service,” Ajaero said.

Concurring with Ajaero, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), an NGO that is committed to strengthening democratic governance in Nigeria, also called for the immediate upward review of the retirement age of civil servants.

PLAC argued that this would facilitate an efficient pension administration process for the welfare of core civil servants, be they judicial officers like retired judges or public servants in any sector.

It was against this backdrop that former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 12, 2021, approved the upward review of the retirement age of health sector workers from 60 to 65, and catapulted that of consultants from 65 to 70.

The former President also signed a Law in 2022 increasing the retirement age for primary school teachers to 65, with no fewer than 15 state governments currently implementing it already.

On June 8, 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed a Constitution Alteration Act to amend Section 291 of the Constitution, to ensure uniformity in the retirement age and pension rights of judicial officers of superior courts.

This Act, the Fifth Alteration (No.37) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, eliminates disparity in the retirement age of judicial officers by harmonising it at 70 years.

It also reduces the period of service required to determine a judicial officer’s pension from fifteen to ten years.

Also, the Nigerian Senate recently passed a Bill to increase the retirement age for civil servants working in the National Assembly to 65 years or 40 years of service.

The Bill, which was initiated by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), has set tongues wagging across socio-political and ethnic divides.

PASAN has argued that increasing the retirement age would help fill the vacuum caused by retiring experienced officers and better utilize their experience while building the capacity of younger employees.

According to Sunday Sabiyi, PASAN chairman, the Bill is expected to be signed into law by President Bola Tinubu soon, and when signed, national and state assembly workers will retire at the age of 65 years and 40 years of service, respectively.

Similarly, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has been upbeat in its call for an upward review of the retirement age for employees in the core civil service.

Joshua Apebo, ASCSN Secretary-General, while reiterating the association’s position, urged the trade union movement to ensure uniformity in retirement age in the public service.

Apebo argued that since judicial officers, university lecturers, health workers, and primary school teachers now enjoy the new retirement age hike, and with that of the legislature in view, it was only fair that it also benefitted other core civil servants.

Dr Gboyega Daniel, a public affairs analyst, picked holes in the discrepancies in retirement age in Nigeria, and called for immediate policy reforms to harmonise the benchmarks.

Daniel said that these discrepancies create perceptions of inequality, favoritism, and strain the pension system, which affects service morale and productivity, culminating in imbalances and potential sustainability issues.

According to him, varied retirement ages complicate workforce planning and disrupt the systematic transfer of knowledge and experiences.

“The civil service mandates retirement at 60 years or after 35 years of service, while the academia sees professors and other academic staff retiring at 70 years.

“Judges and justices in the judiciary retire at ages ranging from 65 to 70, depending on their positions.

“Ditto for teachers, who have since had their retirement age jacked up by the Buhari administration,” he said.

He, therefore, suggested immediate legislative actions to amend existing laws and implement policy reforms that would establish unified retirement age across all sectors.

Dr Tunde Balogun, a UK-based Nigerian, said the current debate about reviewing the retirement age and length of service was not limited to Nigeria.

“Recently, the UK Government said it was considering raising the retirement age of public servants from the current 60 years to 68 years.

“At the moment, retirement at age 65 years is common in many EU member states. Many countries have already decided to raise the retirement age to 67 years,” he said.

Experts say that reviewing the core civil servants’ retirement age to 65 years and 40 years of service as well as harmonising the discrepancies across the board, is a policy that is long overdue.

Although some critics argue that the policy would be inimical to the career progression of their younger colleagues and affect fresh employments, its proponents say the benefits far outweigh its demerits.

According to them, achieving uniformity in retirement age policy can leverage experience and expertise, enhance fairness, efficiency, and sustainability in workforce management and pension systems.

They believe government should demonstrate sincerity of purpose and apply a holistic approach to the issue. (NANFeatures)

2023 Abia APC candidates seek party unity
Politics

2023 Abia APC candidates seek party unity

By Femi Ogunshola

The 24 members of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2023 Abia State House of Assembly election have demanded an end to the factions in the party.

Mr Anderson Akaliro, the leader of the group, led the candidates on a reconciliation mission to Abuja, according to a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting.

The reconciliation meeting tagged `Abia APC Crisis Peace Initiative’, was anchored by Mr Anderson Akaliro, the only APC lawmaker in Abia State House of Assembly.

Akaliro who signed the communiqué, urged the national leadership of APC to, as a matter of urgency, convoke a meeting of all leaders and stakeholders of the party to resolve the impasse.

The meeting, he said, should include the zonal leadership and the 2023 House of Assembly, Abia APC lawmakers in the National Assembly, to get their commitment to a peace accord.

“All factions within the rank and file of the party should be resolved and all factions should fall back into the party as one indivisible unit.

“We are aware of the forthcoming Congress, and we employ the party leadership to commit to ensuring that all interest groups are duly represented in the state, LGA, and ward party positions’’, he said.

This, according to him, will be a prelude to free and fair party primaries in 2026.

He, therefore, called on all gladiators in the crisis to sheath their sword and embrace peace and unity in APC in Abia State.

“We want peace in the Abia APC because there are multiple factions, which is the reason why we lost the election.

“24 of us contested for the State Assembly election and 23 lost; the faction challenge contributed to our loss. We only have one person as an APC member who won the election” he said in the communiqué.

He said issues responsible for the factions, including imposition of candidates, greed, and pride anchored on personality clashes of interests were not good for the progress of the party.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu as the leader of the party and the National Chairman to call all stakeholders, including Assembly candidates, and Abia APC lawmakers in the two chambers of National Assembly for truce.

“The facade of unity is but a veil over the fissures that have led to our collective losses in political contests, and it is time for introspection and action.”

“The potential within our ranks is immense, with leaders of influence and respect.

“It is our firm belief that through reconciliation and unity, the APC in Abia State will emerge stronger and victorious in future electoral endeavors’’, Akaliro said.

He said the influx of new members into the party was a clarion call for reconciliation and to establish a harmonious environment that would foster alignment and promote the spirit of togetherness. (NAN)www.nannews.ng

Edited by Uche Anunne

UNICEF trains 500 corps members on digital learning in Adamawa LGAs
General News

UNICEF trains 500 corps members on digital learning in Adamawa LGAs

By Talatu Maiwada

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has trained 500 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to promote digital learning in schools across 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Mr Abdurahman Ibrahim, said this on Saturday during a two-day training session for the corps members on the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP) in Yola.

Ibrahim explained that the NLP, a digital learning platform, was developed to enhance digital learning for both in-school and out-of-school children.

“The NLP platform offers over 15,000 learning materials. Our goal is to ensure that every child enrolls, registers for courses, and completes them.

“During COVID-19, educational activities were halted, prompting us to create an alternative learning program.”

He noted that engaging 500 corps members, who serve as teachers in schools throughout the state, aims to address the shortage of teachers on the NLP platform.

“We are leveraging the one-year service experience of corps members, particularly those in schools, to enhance learning among children,” Ibrahim said.

“Each corps member will be introduced to the NLP, enabling them to register more learners and guide them through their courses.”

He added that this initiative will increase the number of teachers and improve learning outcomes for children in the state.

The NLP includes various components that address the educational needs of schoolchildren, including non-formal education and integrated Quranic education, targeting both primary and secondary levels.

“We have begun implementing the program in some schools, distributing tablets, routers for internet access, and projectors to support the NLP platform in classrooms,” Ibrahim said.

“We encourage parents to engage their children with the learning platform and reduce their time spent playing games.”

Addressing the distribution of tablets and internet access in rural schools, Ibrahim mentioned that various partners are supporting the programme.

“We have partners in Adamawa providing essential items like tablets, routers, and projectors to schools to bridge the educational gap in the state,” he said.

(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

Group advocates justice, gender reforms in politics
Gender

Group advocates justice, gender reforms in politics

By Justina Auta

A Non-Governmental Advocacy Group, Feminism Lab, has called for social justice and political advancement of women to ensure gender development in Nigeria’s politics.

The group,  in conjunction with Friedrich-Ebert-Stitung Nigeria,  made the call during an inter-generational dialogue to promote political gender progress and social justice on Friday in Abuja.

Leonard Oestergaard, Resident Representative, Friedrich-Ebert-Stitung Nigeria, encouraged women to demand for favourable gender principles that would promote social justice and create access to gender justice.

Oestergaard urged leaders in the feminist struggle to articulate compelling vision of inclusive governance and gender parity.

According to him, this will give women opportunities to occupy key policy-making positions, as well as access to essential service.

“Gender justice is both a question of representation in government and political spheres.  It is not only about number or percentage of women in parliament, it is more than that.

“Over the years we realised that it is not necessarily skills that are lacking in the struggle for gender development but more of the political economy that is not correct.

“For us to make impact on this journey is to create alliances, not only to work with similar people but to form an alliance or create an alliance that fights for gender and social  justice,” he said.

Austin Aigbe of West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network, during the panel session,  affirmed the need for equal representation and opportunity for gender equality.

Aigbe called for reforms that would address the issue of feminism appropriately.

According to him,  each time women are empowered without creating a place for the man, it creates disaster for the future.

“This will create a situation where men will have no knowledge about the conversation on feminism,” he said.

Aigbe said there was need for  affirmative action, adding that “if there is no law in place, it will be extremely difficult to address the issue of gender equality in politics.

“But by passing a single gender and equal opportunity law, this will increase participation of women in governance and that is the way to go,” he  said.

Earlier, Vina Adams of Feminism Lab, said the dialogue brought together diverse and dynamic coalition of feminists and community leaders to discuss, understand and promote progressive feminist discourse.

Adam said the dialogue was a deliberate effort to pass down feminist skills and knowledge to the younger generation in confronting and overcoming discrimination, building resilience, and engaging in protests and activism for emancipation.

“One of the most significant aspects of this initiative is its emphasis on bridging the generational gap by bringing together feminists of all ages and backgrounds, to foster a rich environment of mutual learning and support.

“We decided to host this intergenerational dialogue to interrogate the misconception and misunderstanding of feminism, and to connect the theory and practice of feminism especially in Nigeria.

“The dialogue will lay emphasis on the importance of feminism, the history of different feminist movements, and some of the most famous types of feminism.

“Also, it will help us to understand how continued engagement with feminist theory and practice will mitigate the challenges of misconception and misunderstanding of feminism in Nigeria, ” he said. (NAN)

(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

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