By Ijeoma Popoola

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says President Bola Tinubu‘s Renewed Hope Agenda presents a unique opportunity to place children’s well-being at the heart of national development.

The outgoing UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate, made the remark at the presentation of the UNICEF Nigeria 2024 Annual Report, in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by UNICEF in partnership with the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Diamond Award for Media Excellence.

Munduate said Nigerian Government made significant strides to advance children’s rights in 2024.

UNICEF, in collaboration with development partners, private sector and civil society, strategically supported these efforts.

“This strong partnership led to notable achievements including acceleration of birth registration, with 10.1 million children under the age of five receiving birth certificates,” Munduate said.

The representative said UNICEF also played a key role in supporting the government’s procurement of life-saving vaccines for over 59 million children and adolescents.

She noted that about one million malnourished children received critical treatment across northern states.

Munduate, however, said that in spite of the achievements, challenges remained.

According to her, millions of children are still out of school, while poverty and malnutrition continued to rise.

“Conflict and economic instability disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, leaving 4.5 million children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,” she said.

Munduate said that addressing the issues would require sustained investment in essential services, ensuring that every child would have the opportunity to survive and thrive.

The representative said that UNICEF would remain committed in tackling the challenges.

“Key priorities include eradicating polio, reducing the number of zero-dose children, accelerating birth registration, ensuring more children return to school, combating malnutrition, and ending open defecation,” she said.

She said the achievements of UNICEF in Nigeria in 2024 showed the power of collective action.

“These achievements will not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of the Government of Nigeria – at federal and state levels – alongside development partners, the private sector and civil society,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Mark Longyen

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it has secured an understanding with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to collectively confront terrorism and violent extremism in the subregion.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, disclosed this at the 94th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on Thursday in Abuja.

He said ECOWAS and the three Sahel States had also agreed on the need to sustain the gains of their various protocols on economic integration, development programmes and social cohesion.

Touray also said that the commission had resumed discussions on political transition in Guinea, and working to create the right environment for its citizens to determine their country’s political future.

He said: “On the issue of security and political stability, we have secured an understanding with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on the need to work together to build confidence to collectively confront terrorism and violent extremism.

“We have also converged on the need to sustain the gains made under various ECOWAS protocols relating to economic integration, development programmes and social cohesion.

“With Guinea, discussions have resumed on political transition, and we are working to create the right environment for the people of Guinea to determine the political future of their country.”

The president of the commission, therefore, urged the council members to use their wisdom, collective engagement and regional solidarity to examine the issues and provide necessary orientation for accelerated regional integration and development.

Touray said the commission would present various memoranda to the council relating to progress made in the promotion of regional integration and development.

One of the memoranda, he said, was the outcome of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, where the minister recently validated key regional instruments, including regional and continental issues relating to trade, industry and investment promotion.

He added that the ministers examined the question of non-tariff barriers within the framework of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He said the ministers also approved the bloc’s trade and investment promotion strategy, and urged member states to accelerate the ratification of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) fisheries subsidy agreement and AfCFTA.

“Non-tariff barriers have become obstacles to boosting regional trade, investment, industrialisation, competitiveness and economic growth of our region.

“Despite numerous initiatives, including the Presidential Task Force on Trade Liberation Scheme, the problems persist.

“The result of these and other efforts toward strengthening our regional market and economic integration will be presented to you in this session,” Touray added.

Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, said the two-day event represented a significant milestone in the bloc’s journey toward attaining economic integration.

He said it came at a time of critical reflection and decisive action, and a reminder to the founding reasons of ECOWAS, which was essentially the fight against neo-colonialism.

“This session should be defined not only by the depth of our deliberations but by the courage of our decisions. I encourage us all to engage in open, constructive and foresighted discussions.

“Let us draw on our diverse expertise, share best practices and work collaboratively to ensure that the decisions we make here will translate into meaningful outcomes for our member states and citizens of our community,” Tuggar said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, which comprises ministers from each ECOWAS member state, is one of the main decision-making bodies of ECOWAS.

Its primary role is to make recommendations, mostly from ECOWAS Parliament resolutions to the Authority of Heads of State and Government, on any action aimed at achieving the bloc’s objectives. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

By Fortune Abang

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, has reiterated the need for strategic dialogue that delivers more meaningful outcomes for ECOWAS Member States and their citizens.

Tuggar, who is the host minister and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, disclosed this during the two-day 94th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held on Thursday in Abuja.

The two-day session which ends on Friday, is centred on tackling issues that border on non-tariff barriers and facilitate economic exchange across the ECOWAS region

Tuggar said, “The session comes at a time of critical reflection and decisive action, to remind ourselves of founding reasons of ECOWAS and other African Regional Economic Communities, essentially the fight against neo-colonialism. 

“It has become necessary, whenever the opportunity arises, to remind ourselves that ECOWAS and Regional Integration in Africa was borne out of our yearning for economic decolonisation and not the other way round.

“Over course of our deliberations, we will consider and reflect wide range of reports, and proposals, concentrating on thematic and sectoral matters that are central to the development and stability of our region. 

“These include critical issues related to economic integration, infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture and manifold institutional matters aimed at strengthening our community.”

The minister underscored the need for strategic integration processes that were extensive and multifaceted, to reflect the complex realities of the region.   

He urged the council to approach such discussions with an ethos of collegiality, compromise, and flexibility, guided by a broader vision of a strong, united, and resilient regional economic community.

“This session should be defined not only by the depth of our deliberations, but also by the courage of our decisions. I encourage us all to engage in open, constructive and foresighted discussions.

“Let us draw on our diverse expertise, share best practices and work collaboratively to ensure the decisions we make here will translate into meaningful outcomes for our member states and the citizens of our community,” he said. 

He revealed the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), an initiative by President Bola Tinubu, scheduled to hold from Friday to Saturday in Abuja, would bolster private enterprise’s participation as the bonafide regional development partners. 

According to him, this will draw participants from private and public sectors, policy makers, national and regional regulatory agencies, domestic and international investors, development financial institutions, banks and startups.

Earlier, the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, called for holistic approach in tackling issues that bordered on non-tariff barriers, in the bid to facilitate economic exchange across the region.

He decried the non-tariff barriers to often pose difficulty for advancing trade within the region, saying more needed to be done to achieve meaningful growth.

He said although ECOWAS institutions continued to pursue mandates towards integration and development of the region, more should be done to tackle regional and continental issues relating to trade, industry and investment promotion. 

Touray said, “The ministers examined the question of Non-Tariff Barriers within the framework of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the AfCFTA. 

“Non-tariff barriers have become a perennial obstacle to boosting regional trade, investment, industrialisation, competitiveness, and economic growth in our region.

“Despite numerous initiatives — including the Presidential Task Force on the Trade Liberalisation Scheme — the problem persists.

“In May, I travelled by road from Lagos to Cotonou to see the situation along the regional corridor and joint border post established at the Seme/Krake border between Nigeria and Benin.

“And saw firsthand challenges posed by non-tariff barriers along the corridor.

“We must do everything to put an end to this and facilitate economic exchange across the region,” Touray said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa

By Fortune Abang

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the emergency evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Israel and Iran, as tensions escalate between the two countries.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.

The statement comes in the wake of ongoing calls by the ministry for a cessation of hostilities in the conflict, now in its seventh day, as part of efforts to promote peace between both nations.

Tuggar stated that, in response to the worsening crisis, the government was finalising arrangements for the emergency evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Israel and Iran.

He urged all affected Nigerian citizens to adhere to necessary security protocols and to contact the nearest Nigerian foreign mission for registration and further instructions.

The minister commended the efforts of Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv and Tehran for their dedication and commitment in reaching out to the Nigerian community during the difficult period.

“The government remains committed to the safety and welfare of all its citizens, both at home and abroad,” Tuggar said.

He added that the government was working closely with relevant international partners and local authorities to ensure proper coordination for the timely and secure evacuation of Nigerians in affected areas.

In the same vein, the government renewed its call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties involved to embrace dialogue, respect international humanitarian law, and prioritise the protection of civilians.

Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong support for peaceful conflict resolution and reiterated the country’s longstanding commitment to regional and global peace and stability. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yinusa Ishola/Abiemwense Moru

The Dutch government has released its official guidelines aimed at limiting children’s use of smartphones and social media.

The new guidelines recommend that children under 15 avoid social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to promote healthy and responsible screen.

Additionally, it advises delaying smartphone use until age 11 to 12 final year of primary school.

The guidelines were introduced by State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sport, Vincent Karremans, who warned of the growing risks linked to excessive screen exposure.

“Social media can be fun and connecting, but it’s addictive nature also has a significant dark side,” Karremans said.

“Nearly 13 per cent of young people are at risk of problematic social media use.”

The guidelines provide age-specific recommendations for parents and educators.

It said that for children under two years old, screen exposure is entirely discouraged.

While for adolescents aged 12 and above, daily screen time should be limited to not more than three hours.

Although the guidelines are not legally binding, the government plans to launch a nationwide awareness campaign later this summer to support parents in navigating the digital environment with their children.

The publication follows growing concern among Dutch parents and experts.

The parents of more than 30,000 children, through the organisation Smartphonevrij Opgroeien Nederland (Growing up Smartphone-Free Netherlands), sent an open letter to the government in May, urging a clear age limits on children’s use of smartphones and social media.

The letter was endorsed by over 3,000 experts and professionals in medicine and education.

In addition to releasing the guidelines, the Dutch government is calling for greater European cooperation, urging efforts to strengthen digital legislation-particularly through effective implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

It is also advocating for uniform age standards for social media use across Europe, in order to simplify compliance and enhance enforcement. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Halima Sheji