Strenghtening maternal health in Plateau: An appraisal of ANRiN
By Martha Agas
Mrs Khadijat Abubakar, from the Maiadiko community like most pregnant women experienced food aversion which threatened her health with that of her baby. She experienced weakness and was cautioned on her health status during her Antenatal Care (ANC) session at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Rayfield. She was educated on the dangers of lacking key nutrients which can cause anaemia, pre-eclampsia and also lead to stillbirth, low birth weight and delay in development for children.
“I have been attending ANC in this clinic, I have learnt a lot and we are taught the kind of food to eat in our condition and how to make them. There are some foods I do not like eating, but with the health talks they do in the clinic, I endure eating them because of their nutritional value to me and my baby, “ she said.
Similarly, Mrs Nancy Stephen, who attends ANC at PHC Bukuru says she looks forward to coming to the clinic for the ‘food demonstration` organised weekly for them. She admitted that she usually washes vegetables after slicing them, but learnt that the appropriate way is washing it with salt before slicing. She has also learnt how to ensure she eats a balanced diet.
“Through the food demonstration I know what to eat to increase my blood level such as vegetables and fruits, because I was told that i do not have enough blood in my system and taught the foods to eat to increase that, for my health and that of my baby. I advise women to follow all the procedures given to them at the clinic,“ she said.
This is the similar story of women in the 100 health facilities implementing the three -year Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project in Plateau. Its component includes providing increased knowledge to pregnant women on nutrition, for their well-being and of their babies, which is critical in improving maternal health in the state.
Maternal health has posed concerns following the records on high mortality rate across the globe especially in Africa. According to UNICEF, Nigeria`s 40 million women of child bearing age, which is between 15 and 49 years, suffer disproportionately high levels of health issues surrounding birth, which has contributed to 10 per cent of global deaths for pregnant women.
Reports from WHO says that between 2005 and 2015, an estimate of over 600,000 maternal deaths and no less than 900,000 maternal near miss deaths occurred in Nigeria, which is threatening its achievement of the SDG target of reducing global maternal ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Experts say social cultural factors such as age, religion, traditions, education, socio economic status and societal construction of gender are major determinants of maternal health outcomes in Nigeria, but the magnitude of its effect varies in different regions of the country.
Nigeria is estimated to have maternal mortality of 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, with the northern region as the highest contributor to the statistics.
Observers say that insecurity has further aggravated the already backward region in maternal health. Following the worsening situation, stakeholders have called for more concerted efforts by both the government and non-governmental organisations to find lasting solutions.
Many intervention programmes are being implemented in the region, and reports indicate some improvement in some states on maternal health and one of such states is Plateau.
There are indications that the state has recorded improvement in maternal health and a decrease in maternal mortality. The State Reproductive Health Coordinator, Mrs Hannatu Dung, revealed that maternal mortality has reduced as obtained from recent data from the Nigeria Obstetrics Quality Assurance platform.
“In 2020 maternal mortality was 64 per cent and in 2021, it reduced to 33 per cent, while it (Nigeria Obstetrics Quality Assurance platform) has data of only January to May in 2022 which is 3 per cent,“ she said. She explained that even though the data was mostly collated in the facilities, it is evident that efforts being made are yielding results.
Mrs Khadijat Abubakar, beneficiary of food demonstration
Food demonstration component of the ANRiN project
With a maternal mortality rate of Plateau at 905/100,00 live births, the state is implementing the ANRiN project in 100 health centres across its 17 local governments.
Launched in 2021, the project objective is to increase the utilisation of quality cost effective nutrition services among pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children under five years, which according to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (NDHS), 58 per cent of women age 15 to 49 years are anaemic.
Nutrition is critical to women of reproductive age as its chronic deficiency which they are vulnerable to, is a major risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. According to 2018 NDHS`s report, the proportion of women who consume five or more food groups is lower in the northern zones, with the lowest at 47 per cent in the north central zone. In addressing this situation, the project supports counselling of pregnant women on improving their nutrition practices and overall health outcomes, using food demonstrations at the weekly ANC sessions in addition to the provision of Iron Folic Acid (IFA).
The food demonstration involves disseminating nutritional information to the pregnant women, through preparing meals and explaining the procedures, while also using recipes that are accessible and affordable to them in the area, of which they get to taste. The demonstrator also discusses the different food classes and how they can be used to ensure balance diet.
Improved knowledge on nutrition according to a report , is one of the cost effective and sustainable methods for lowering cases of anaemia.
The State Nutrition Officer of Plateau, Mrs Lydia Ishaku, said that the women are encouraged during the health talks to do backyard gardening where they can plant foods which they can easily access, to complement their dieting which should consist of each food group.
She said the project had a target of reaching 6,750 pregnant women in the first year, and in 2020/2021 to reach 67,560 women which it all achieved.
“In 2022, 168,750 women were targeted at and we are presently on it, “ she said.
She said that the project has encouraged ANC attendance as revealed during its monthly review meetings, which shows that facilities implementing the project have more attendances compared to the non-implementing PHCs.
The Nutrition Focal Officer for Jos South LGA, Mrs Paula Hata, said that 10 health facilities in the area are implementing the project and are given a monthly stipend of N5,000 for the food demonstration, which is usually augmented by the Officers in Charge (OICs) of the clinic for its success.
“ANRiN gives us N5,000 monthly to conduct the food demonstration. So, we make a roster for the month to ensure a balanced diet for the pregnant women attending ANC every week, and usually give them health talks on the importance of eating healthy for mother and child.
“The roster also incorporates fruits because we encourage them to take fruits and vegetables too, it will help them as pregnant mothers“ she said.
Food roster of PHC Rayfield
The gains of food demonstration
Attendees of the food demonstration sessions have said that they have learnt many lessons especially on the nutritional values of many foods found in their locality, and processes involved to ensure retention of its contents after cooking.
Also, the management of PHCs implementing the ANRiN project have lauded it for reducing anaemic cases through the food demonstration and free distribution of supplements.
The Deputy Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Rayfield PHC, Mrs Martha Gusomji, said that the project has been very impactful especially in rural communities. Gusomji, who is the former OIC of Gindiri PHC in Mangu LGA, said that many women in rural areas are constrained by finances to have healthy meals and get supplements.
“This project is of great help to the communities particularly women because many of them experience economic hardship and do not use the supplements or eat nutritious meals, while some maybe because of ignorance.
“The main purpose of this programme is to encourage women to make use of their supplements which are given to them free and have nutritious meals which are needed to assist them in child bearing and breast feeding, “ she said.
Similarly, the OIC of PHC, Central Bukuru, Mrs Monica Akyok, said that the women are always excited to attend the weekly ANC sessions, and it has encouraged the enrolment of those that were not willing to register for the antenatal.
“It has encouraged mothers to come out because it is money that prevent some women from attending antenatal clinic, because you pay money to get few things from the clinic, but since ANRiN started its support, they get free drugs and enjoy meals; they have benefitted from it a lot.
“We also encourage them to eat food that can help them boost their immune system because they need more blood during delivery. Not every facility is implementing this project, I think they should extend it to more facilities,’’ she said.
Food demonstration in PHC Bukuru Central
More gains of ANRiN to community
Experts laud the project for encouraging the adoption of nutritious meals as a lifestyle, and also reaching its host communities through step down talks of its benefits by the pregnant women, to other family members and the community as a whole.
Gusomji says women now understand that they should start preparing for pregnancy right from child bearing age.
Stakeholders say review for more budgetary allocation on reproductive health in the state could be as a result of intervention projects such as ANRiN in the state.
The Nutrition Focal Officer for Jos South LGA, Mrs Paula Hata,
Challenges/recommendations
Experts have called for more funding to sustain food demonstration in PHCs, as findings show that many OICs have to augment the paltry sum of the N5,000 monthly allocated to them for the food demonstration.
“Increased funding is needed as N5000 is not sufficient, management augment from their personal funds, “ says the Nutrition focal Officer in Jos South,
She says that the significance of food demonstration cannot be downplayed, as many pregnant women look forward to their ANC sessions where they can also gain knowledge while also enjoying healthy meals.
“Food demonstration is a big thing especially in rural areas. Pregnant women there travel long distances just to get to the clinics where these demonstrations are held to have healthy meals.
Hata also says many reports from the centres indicate that clinics who do not implement the project are abandoned leading to an influx of pregnant women at implementing centres whose officials often get overwhelmed because of the crowd.
Stakeholders have called for its expansion to more facilities especially in rural areas because of its gains. The State Nutrition Officer says the project which is being implemented in only 100 facilities in the state is not sufficient to cater for the needs of pregnant women.
Also, Gusomji says the inclusion of free birth kits to pregnant women in the project will encourage delivery in the facilities and address maternal and neonatal mortality.
“Some women do not see hospital delivery as necessity, they think if a woman can deliver at home, it is alright, but this situation comes with a lot of uncertainties and complications, “ she said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Little Naja’atu Gambo of Albarkawa community, Kwarbai B Ward, Zaria City in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State was one year old when her mother died and as such, did not get sufficient breast milk.
Her aunt, Mrs Fatima Aliyu, who raised her, said that Naja’atu at two years old was so skinny and too weak to do anything by herself.
“She cannot speak or crawl, but only sits in one place. Even crying was a struggle for the little girl who looked unhealthy from all indications.
“But this has changed when she was enrolled for the house-to-house delivery of nutrition services under the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN) project.
“Naja’atu, who is now two years and two months old, is now learning how to speak, how to crawl and can play by herself,” said her aunt.
Similarly, a year and a month old Sauwama Haruna at seven months was very skinny, quiet, and inactive, but witnessed a remarkable transformation when enrolled in the project.
“The now agile and playful little Sauwama started walking at 10 months,” said her 30-year-old mother, Mrs Faiza Haruna.
Also, Mrs Amina Awwal, the mother of one-year Muhammad Awwal, said her little boy was always sick, weak and could not crawl, until he started receiving the services.
Awwal said that her little boy was only not growing stronger by the day, but now crawling, learning how to stand and the recurrence of illness significantly reduced.
These children were among the more than two million pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children under five years reached with cost-effective nutrition services in Kaduna State under the ANRiN project.
One-year Muhammad Awwal with his mother, Mrs Amina Awwal
The disturbing indices of malnutrition in Kaduna State and the need for cost-effective intervention
Children under five years constitute 1.9 million, representing 19.2 per cent of the estimated 10 million population of the state, 22.1 per cent of which are stunted, according to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018.
The survey also indicates that 1.1 per cent of the children are wasted, 7.5 per cent underweight, while 17.2 per cent are born with low birth weight.
The report further shows that 1.5 of women of reproductive age are of short stature, while 8.2 per cent of them are acutely malnourished.
At the national level, Nigeria has very high rates of malnutrition with stunting, a measure of chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, constituting the highest burden since 2008.
According to the World Bank, the long-term nutritional problem in the country shows that two out of every five children under five years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition.
This translates into 14.5 million Nigerian children at risk of either dying or not developing to their full potential.
Micronutrient deficiencies– mainly in vitamin A, iodine, iron, folic acid, and zinc – are a serious problem and despite their high cost-effectiveness, coverage rates of micronutrient supplementation and fortification remain generally low.
It is estimated that 30 per cent of Nigerian children and 20 per cent of pregnant women are Vitamin A deficient, while 76 per cent of children and 67 per cent pregnant women are anemic.
Why nutrition intervention matters
Maternal and child undernutrition is estimated to be responsible for about 45 per cent of child mortality and 11 per cent of the global disease burden.
Malnutrition, in all its forms, imposes unacceptably high costs – direct and indirect – on individuals, families and nations.
According to a technical brief, “The Cost of Malnutrition: Why Policy Action is Urgent” by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, malnutrition is a major impediment to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The brief estimated impact on the global economy could be as high as US$3.5 trillion per year, or US$500 per individual.
It highlights that adult earnings are reduced by 2.4 per cent for every 1 per cent loss in potential attained height and affects human capital, leading to losses in national economic productivity and economic progress.
Further costs are decreased cognitive ability, poor school performance and educational outcomes, compromised adult labour productivity, and increased health care costs.
Overnutrition also bears a significant cost; at least 2.6 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
The recent Lancet series on early childhood development estimates that, every year, Nigeria loses about three per cent of its GDP as a result of not addressing the developmental needs of children in the first 1000 days of life.
At the individual level, chronic malnutrition in children is estimated to reduce a person’s potential lifetime earnings by at least 10 per cent.
Mr Sunday Okoronkwo, Executive Secretary, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) also said that investment in nutrition would build human capital, adding that early nutrition programmes can increase school completion by one year.
Okoronkwo equally said that investment in the sector would raise adult wages by five to 50 per cent, stressing that children who escape stunting were 33 per cent more likely to escape poverty as adults.
“Also, reduced stunting among children under five years can increase GDP by four to 11 per cent in Asia and Africa,” he said.
Providing cost-effective nutrition services to households in Kaduna communities
Responding to the challenge, the five-year World Bank-supported ANRiN project was designed to increase utilisation of quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age.
Two non-state actors – eHealth Africa and the Society for Family Health (SFH) were contracted in 2021 to deliver integrated Basic Package of Nutrition Services (BPNS) and Adolescent Health Services (AHS) to the targeted groups at community level.
Other beneficiaries are also being reached at health facilities and currently the services are being provided in 100 facilities across 12 LGAs in the state.
The BPNS involves increasing knowledge of mothers and caregivers of children from zero to 23 months of age on improved behaviours related to maternal, infant, and young child feeding practices.
Other services include provision of micronutrient powders to children from six to 23 months to improve the quality of complementary feeding and iron-folic acid tablets to pregnant women during pregnancy and counseling during ante-natal care sessions.
There is also the provision of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during ante-natal care to pregnant women, zinc and oral rehydration solution for treatment of diarrhea among children from six to 59 months.
The project also provides semi-annual vitamin A supplementation to children from six to 59 months of age and semi-annual de-worming among children from 12 to 59 months.
The AHS on the other hand, involves counseling for increased birth spacing amongst married women of reproductive age, particularly adolescent girls, 15 -19 years and provision of a full range of short-term and long-acting reversible birth-spacing methods.
Interpersonal Communication Agent administering Vitamin A to children during service delivery at community level
One of the Interpersonal Communication Agents (IPCA), Ms Samira Ahmed, Limancin Kona Ward, Zaria LGA, who delivered the services directly to the beneficiaries in their homes, described her experience as “life touching”.
“I am going house to house to deliver the services to the beneficiaries, some of the services like Vitamin A and deworming are every six months, while iron-folic acid for pregnant women is every month,” she said.
Her supervisor, Ms Salaha Sambo, Adolescent Health Supervisor, SFH, said that each of the IPCA was given a specific number of communities to provide the services and make referrals to health facilities.
“We are working with community structures like Village Head and other community leaders to ensure that the IPC are doing their job and delivering the services to the targeted beneficiaries.
“The project has also put in place a Grievance Redress Mechanism in communities for beneficiaries to report concerns, complaints, dissatisfaction, and claims or make requests or enquiry,” she said.
Impact of the project on the targeted population
The Project Manager, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, described the ANRiN project as a “key preventive measure” that helps to stem the tide of malnutrition in the state.
Muhammad-Idris said that so far, more than 3.6 million contacts of the targeted groups across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state have been reached with BPNS and AHS in their homes and health centres.
According to her, the objective of the project is to reduce chronic malnutrition, maternal and child mortality rates and in the long run, increase school completion, performance and improve labour force productivity.
“Through strategic partnership, ANRiN is reaching more children and women and saving lives by providing nutrition services to children under five years, and adolescent mothers during pregnancy.
“2022 has particularly been a remarkable year for us because we have been able to reach over three million beneficiaries through the non-state actors and healthcare facilities.
“We will make further inroads this year to ensure that all the beneficiaries enrolled received the complete service packages.”
She added that the project also carried out stakeholders’ mapping of all nutrition programmes and interventions being implemented by partners and government ministries, departments and agencies, and local councils.
She said that the mapping has become a reference document for all partners in deciding where a nutrition intervention should be sited in the state,” she said.
“The project also secured 2.7 million dollars (about N1.1 billion) in 2022 for procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition,” she added.
RUTF is an energy-dense, mineral- and vitamin-enriched food specifically designed to treat Severe Acute Malnutrition.
From Left: Project Director, eHealth Africa, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project, Dr Aminu Abubakar; Project Manager, ANRiN Kaduna State; Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris; Director Public Health, Kaduna State Ministry of Health Dr Hajara Kera; and Project Director, Society for Family Health ANRiN Project, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, after a one-day Quarterly Stakeholders Meeting on ANRiN Project in Kaduna
The project’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr Musa Abubakar, said that out of the 3.6 million contacts reached between July 2021 to Jan. 22, 2023, 815,483 children received Vitamin A and 787,734 received deworming tablets.
He added that 320,155 children received micronutrient powder, 564,028 received zinc/ORS while 477,334 mothers and caregivers of children were counselled on MICYN practices.
“Also, 295,144 pregnant women received iron folic acid, 261,295 others received intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during ante-natal care, while 108,783 adolescent married women received short-term and long-acting reversible birth-spacing methods,” he said.
Also, the State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Haruna, said that the number of children under five years dying of malnutrition has decreased from 323 in 2019, to 142 in 2020, and further dropped to 58 in 2021 and 37 in 2022.
The Multiple Indicators and Cluster Survey 2021 also shows some remarkable improvement in exclusive breastfeeding practice which increased to 41.1 per cent in 2021 from the 19.7 per cent recorded in 2017.
The report also indicates that children six to 23 months who received minimum dietary diversity had also increased to 28.4 per cent from 15.8 per cent.
Also, at the recent event held in Abuja, Kaduna State emerged the ‘Best Performing State’ out of the 11 states assessed for the ANRiN project’s community-based nutrition service delivery.
The state emerged as the Best Performing State on Social Behavioural Communication; Partner Mapping and Coordination; Safeguards; and the Most Innovative State.
Kaduna State also emerged the Second Performing State on Fiduciary, and Service delivery at PHC level, while the project manager received the Question Asker Award and Note Taker (documentation) Award.
Leveraging faith-based institution for social behavioural change communication
On Social Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC), the Project Manager said that beneficiaries, particularly the mothers and caregivers of the children were being counselled on how to adopt good Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MICYN) practices.
She added that the SBCC also involves secondary targets including traditional and religious leaders, husbands of the women, fathers of the children and other community members through various communication channels and faith-based approaches.
This, according to her, is very important because everyone has a role to play in contributing to promoting breastfeeding and other MIYCN practices.
To this end, the ANRiN project contracted the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) to implement the faith-based component of the SBCC.
Malam Ibrahim Abubakar, State team Lead, CCSI, said that the centre was leveraging on the dignity of faith actors – religious leaders, faith-based groups, organisations, schools, and faith-based institutions to raise awareness on MICYN practices.
Abubakar said that the messages focus on five key areas namely maternal nutrition, early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and hygiene and sanitation.
According to him, the strategies of demand creation include sermons during services in Church programmes and Friday Juma’a prayer, and other occasions like naming ceremonies, weddings, graduations, and other public gatherings.
“So far, we have trained 115 pastors and imams, and 108 Community Volunteers to assist them and in December 2022 alone, we have reached an estimated 131,000 people with MIYCN messages.
“They include pregnant women, married and unmarried men, women with children under five years, breastfeeding mothers, and mother in-laws.”
State team Lead, Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), Malam Ibrahim Abubakar; Rev. Giwa Kanda of the Assemblies of God Church, Television, Kaduna; Senior Mobilisation Assistant, CCSI, Mr Sunday John; and ANRiN Community Volunteer, Wheapadu Emmanuel, at Assemblies of God Church, Television, Kaduna.
One of the clerics, Chief Imam of Kaduna Polytechnic, Abubakar Yusuf, acknowledged the prevailing ignorance among mothers and caregivers on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and other complementary feeding practices.
Yusuf said he was using the mosque and during naming ceremonies, marriages, and other public gatherings to enlighten mothers, caregivers, including fathers on MICYN practices.
“It was difficult at the beginning because of people holding on to their cultural practices but using religious perspective and provisions in the Quran has helped in changing the mindset of the target groups.
“Currently I am receiving calls from mothers and fathers seeking for more information on what to do in respect of appropriate feeding of the child when in doubt,” he said.
Chief Imam of Kaduna Polytechnic, Abubakar Yusuf
Also, Rev. Giwa Kanda of the Assemblies of God Church, Television, Kaduna South LGA, said the ANRiN project has increased his knowledge on the importance of breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding.
Kanda said that the faith-based initiative was providing critical information to parents and caregivers using the pulpits during church service and other religious gatherings.
“Due to ignorance, some parents and caregivers link the death of children to witchcraft, but this is changing due to access to critical information on how to adequately feed children,” he said.
Addressing challenges for better results
Stakeholders noted that while progress has been recorded over the years, there is much that needs to be done considering the retrogression in some of the nutrition indicators in the MICS 2021 report.
CS-SUNN has said that Kaduna State needs N6.4 billion to treat 96,488 severely malnourished children in the state, noting that funding remains the critical challenge to addressing malnutrition in the state.
Stakeholders pointed out that although the price of addressing malnutrition can be huge, evidence shows that the cost of doing nothing is immeasurably greater.
They call for more attention to the costs of inaction and urges policymakers, particularly those in economic planning and finance ministries, to invest in nutrition and in actionable food and agriculture policies.(NAN)
edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
***If used, credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
How entrepreneurs are fighting unemployment among women through social media
By Aisha Gambo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Employment is essential to every adult who have needs and responsibility to cater for. It is what makes one self-reliant and help reduce or completely eradicate poverty in the society.
Skill acquisition is the art of learning to do something in order to earn a living and or to survive. There are different types of professionals e.g. fine artists, mechanics, potters, vulcanizers, etc. from whom one can learn trades in order to earn a living. Learning to read and write is a skill you acquire at school.
Unemployment rate in Nigeria has increased to 33.30 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 27.10 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, according to the National Bureau for Statistics.
The unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed, those aged fewer than 15 years or retired persons.
It is in this vain that a group of entrepreneurs from the northern part of Nigeria, named Entrepreneurs Connect (EC) organized and conducted skill acquisition training for over 1,500 women across Nigeria using the WhatsApp social media platform.
The co-founder of the group, Mrs Inna Mamman-Bukar, said the training was organised to arrest the high number of women and young ladies sitting idle at home doing nothing due to either lack of skills, motivation or poor finance.
“Well, the initial or rather main purpose of the group was to support each other’s business by patronizing, sharing and creating awareness of other business vendors.
“So along the line, we were discussing in the group of how a lot of Arewa women are into business nowadays, yet a lot are sitting idle at home doing nothing due to one reason or the other, maybe due to financial constraints, maybe lack of inspirations and motivations.
“One of our members suggested, why don’t we organize a free online skills acquisition programme for women, at least the little we give might make a very big positive impact in someone’s life.
“We all agreed to teach what we know and decided to teach 16 different skills such as incense production, baking, make-up, soap and detergent production, skin care products among others across the nation.
“Many women are interested in running or starting a business, but lack the basic knowledge of business and online marketing as well, while others are already doing the business but lack motivation and inspiration to carry on.
“We believe that skill acquisition will help a lot, and bring out the hidden talent in them and we executed the plan which has recorded success as many have started running their businesses with the little they have”, she said.
Tackling the challenges of participants access to the programme
Mrs Mamman-Bukar, who reside in Abuja and an incense and perfume dealer, said the challenges recorded from the training was from the participants as most of them complain of lack of capital to start a business.
She said that others complained of available data to download video tutorial for the class, adding that text, images and videos were used to teach and illustrate a given skill.
“Despite the fact that we have non capital intensive skills like graphic design, but you know there are some certain businesses that are not environment friendly, there are businesses you need to run them based on your audience.
“Initially we planned to train 500 women, but we ended up training 1500, which is a huge success to all EC members, and a lot among these women have already started running their businesses from the skills they learned, others are motivated, inspired.
“The cooperation we got from the participants, the prayers and well wishes is just overwhelming. What success could be better than this to the entire members of Entrepreneurs Connect, because it gives us joy to see others benefitting from us for free.
What criteria were taken by the group to select participant?
The training was done online using the WhatsApp social media app with links of the group broadcasted for any interested female to join.
” The criteria was very simple, we just ask any interested woman from our contact to repost the flyers containing details of the training, so as to give room to other interested women to join.
“We adopted the one to tell 10 approach, and before you know it, it cut across, went viral and a lot joined, and even after the training, people are still joining due to the valuable trainings they received at no cost.
” Even though the training is free, a token of N300 is paid for certificate ; which is optional for any interested participant”, she said.
Some Participants share their experiences
Shamsiyyah Yunusa, a married woman residing in Gombe state, stated that she had learnt how to produce local cologne known as Humra along with making other perfumes and incense.
“Immediately after the online class, I went to the market and bought N4,500 worth items for the cologne production just for a start as well as to see the outcome.
” Since I live in a suburb area where people prefer cheap things, I decided to sell the Humra at N200 per small bottle and to my surprise I sold half the products in few days.
Another beneficiary, Nafisa Sani-Daneji, from Kaduna state, said she joined the training group because it was free, saying she had been looking for such opportunities to learn a skill as she was a student who cannot afford paid trainings.
“I was viewing a friend’s status on WhatsApp one day and I saw a flyer stating skill acquisition for free, so I clicked the link which directed me to the group.
” We were taught many skills but I only tried the budget friendly and locally made perfumed body cream known as Kulleccham in which the outcome was great; I sold two creams in a day.
” I plan to add body mist and other locally made perfumes as the business prosper; I appreciate the EC group for this selfless service in empowering women and I pray God uplift them more.
“Skill acquisition training like this would assist greatly in reducing poverty and dependency on spouse among women because many women are tired of being idle, but have no idea of what business to engage in,” she said.
Zainab Haruna, another resident of Gombe and a student, said she had learnt graphic design from the group, adding that it was a skill that does not require much capital.
” With a smart phone and data, I was able to design invitation cards for friends and family where I charged them N1,500 to N2,000; I hope to improve in the skill so that I can start earning high,” she said.
On her part, Fatima Gambo, a married woman residing in Azare, Bauchi state, said she had gained knowledge and experience with regards to business, marketing and sales in the group.
“We were trained on different skills but I chose to venture into skincare business due to the passion I have for skincare; now I know how to produce different skin product.
“I thank God, I have made N12,000 sales in few days and I am getting positive feedback from my first customers who tried the product.
” I started with N30,000 only and I hope to expand on the business and teach other women interested in skincare products”, she said.
Making the programme a sustainable point for the women
”We are looking at a bigger and better entrepreneurs connect in the nearest future,” Mrs Bukar-Mamman said.
“We are planning to conduct the training twice a year, that is after every six months. Because, after the success of the first training, we got to realize that a lot of women in Nigeria, particularly Northern Nigeria, need to be empowered and enlightened on the importance of been financially independent.
“While some just need emotional support, others still need financial support which is the key to starting any business.
“Already some foreign partners are interested in partnering with us in this our initiative. We are planning on training as many women as we can in the future.
” Not only train them, but also support them emotionally and financially if need be. Even as of now, the group is still actively engaging the participants with so many activities,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
***If used, credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Jeremiah Oluseto is one of the 218 children and adults released from Borstal Training Institution located in Ilorin Kwara State in November 2021.
Some of the children were taken to the institution by their parents for being stubborn, abusing drugs and smoking among other juvenile excessive and unacceptable behaviours.
Oluseto described his freedom from the detention facility as the “beginning of a new journey” to a life of fulfilment.
The 24-year-old lad, like many other children his age, was sent to the Borstal institution for abusing drugs and causing a series of problems for his family, with the hope he will be rehabilitated.
However, Oluseto said he and the other children in the facility were just locked up with no form of rehabilitation, skills training, or any form of educational support.
“I could not believe my ears when I heard that I am free to go home, free from bondage and the life of agony we were going through in the Borstal institution.
“Although I was delighted to be released, I was still unsure of what was out there for me.
“Then came a sigh of relief when I learned that UNICEF, the Kwara government and other partners have packaged a programme to enable me to rebuild my life again.
“I already gave up on life until a team of social workers came to my house and announced the plan to support me to rebuild my life so that I can be useful to myself and my community,” he said.
Why the youngsters were released from the Borstal facility
A total of 218 children and adults were released from the Borstal Training Institution of the Nigeria Correctional Service, located in Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
Their freedom was facilitated after a visit to the facility by the Federal Ministry of Justice, Presidential Committee on Correctional Reform and Decongestion, and Nigeria Correctional Service, supported by UNICEF and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC).
The children and adults were released because they were at the facility without a remand order by a court of law, while some of them were beyond the age of 18 as stipulated by the law establishing the institution among other factors.
According to the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dr Wilfred Mamah, child justice provides that when children commit offences, they should be treated differently and not like adults, but change the behaviour and reintegrate them back to the community.
Mamah explained that the Borstal institution, created under the Children and Young Person Law, was designed to look at the best interest of young person’s when they commit offences.
He, however, said that the situation at the Ilorin Borstal institution was full of anomalies, where children and adults were placed in the same institution, contrary to the provisions of the law.
According to him, the children are exposed to what he described as “structural violence”, where the system is actually not taking care of them as it is supposed to.
“Some of them were brought in by their parents and abandoned without passing through the court, so there was nothing like a remand order.
“They were left there, locked up, coming out only to eat. There is also the issue of drug abuse, leaving many of them in psychological trauma.”
Freed but rejected by their parents/caregivers
Expressing a deep concern, the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Country Office, Abuja, Ms Nkiru Maduechesi, said that beyond the release, was the problem of psychological trauma, abuse, mental health issues and other challenges.
More disturbing, Maduechesi said that most of the children were rejected by their parents.
“Rather than celebrate their return, a significant number of the parents wrote to the state Ministry for Social Development, requesting that the released children should remain with the government,” she said.
One of the parents, Mrs Bosede Oluseto, the mother of Jeremiah Oluseto, a petty trader, could not hide her excitement that her boy would be supported to live a meaningful life.
“When I heard that my child was released, I spent the whole night crying because I do not know what to do with him.
“I personally took him to the Borstal institution because he was out of control, and I was told he will be educated and reformed after a period of three years, only to release him after six months.
“I initially rejected him, because I do not know what to do with him or how to handle his drug abuse and the recurrent mental instability due to excessive drug abuse.
“But with UNICEF support, I am looking forward to seeing my child learning skills and going to school so he can be self-sufficient and independent and grow to become whoever he wants to become,” she said.
Oluseto in yellow t-shirt with social workers during case management assessment visit
UNICEF and the European Union to the rescue
In response to the challenge, UNICEF stepped in as part of its global mandate to work for the rights of children, protect their interest and ensure they grow up to become better persons.
Maduechesi said that UNICEF, in partnership with an Ilorin-based NGO, Save the Future of Children Initiative (SAFIN) and the Kwara State Government had tracked 113 of the children residents in Ilorin, out of the 218 released from the Borstal institution.
She said that the move was to rehabilitate the children and provide counselling support to the parents and reintegrate them to their family and communities.
She said that the effort was under the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Justice for Children on the Move and other Vulnerable Children project.
Maduechesi had explained that the project seeks to strengthen the capacity of the Kwara government, social workers, NGOs, parents, and caregivers to provide adequate care to the children.
According to her, the project will also help critical stakeholders to provide the children with the needed mental, health and psychosocial support in addition to the vocational and educational opportunities they need.
“This will enable them to live a meaningful and productive life and will contribute to the growth and development of their families and their communities, free of violence, abuse, and neglect.”
Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna, Dr Wilfred Mamah, during a four-day Training Workshop on Child Protection Case Management in Ilorin
Reiterating her point, Mamah had described child protection as the prevention and response to violence, abuse, and neglect.
He said that most times children commit offences due to lack of parental care, poverty, and some because they were out of school.
He pointed out that even those that were above school age do not have any skills or trade that would make them useful, so they commit all kinds of offences.
He said that the project would link the children to where they will acquire skills for trade and give them little start-up capital to help them start their lives.
“Eventually, many of them will emerge as entrepreneurs and because they are economically engaged, they will not commit offences,” he said
The European Union and UNICEF have joined efforts to improve access to justice and support the provision of child protection services for 41,389 children on the move, child victims of violence, abuse and exploitation, and children in conflict with the law.
The three-year programme, 2021 to 2024, covers Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.
“Access to justice is a major issue for children on the move and other vulnerable children in Western Africa.
“The practice of detention continues despite it being contrary to children’s rights, and evidence that shows it has negative effects on girls’ and boys’ development.
“The detention of children, whether unaccompanied or travelling with their family, is never in their best interests and is a violation of their rights.
“This must, therefore, be avoided at all costs,” says Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
Building the Capacity of Social Workers to provide effective services to the children
In line with the concept of child protection, as the prevention and response to violence, abuse, and neglect, UNICEF under the EU-supported project had conducted a series of trainings for social workers, NGOs, and other service providers in the state.
The training was on child protection and case management, to enable the social workers to follow up with the children, identify their needs, provide some of the needs and reintegrate them into the society.
“UNICEF is hoping that going forward, Kwara will have an improved child protection system where case management is very effective.
“This is because the support isbeyond the 113 children but integrating case management in response to all children in need of all kinds of child protection services in the state.
“UNICEF is also supporting the state government to use the Child Protection Management System (CPIMS) to help social workers undertake systematic and professional child protection case management.
“This will enable the government to effectively track the services they are providing in a user-friendly way which will ensure accountability to the government, families, and the children themselves,” Maduechesi had said.
Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Abuja (Right), Ms Nkiru Maduechesi taking participants through Consent and Assessment Form, while a participant reads through, at a four-day Training Workshop on Child Protection Case Management holding in Ilorin.
The changing narrative of social workers
Mr Bamigbad Oluranti, Public Relation Officer, Borstal Training Institution, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State, who participated in the training commended UNICEF for improving the capacity of welfare officers in tracking progress of the rehabilitated children.
Oluranti told NAN that the mandate of the institute was to rehabilitate and reintegrate delinquent children back to the society.
The spokesman said that the training has equipped the welfare officers and other social workers with the needed skills to carry out their tasks of tracking the progress of rehabilitated children in communities.
“We have learnt a lot, particularly on how we can do follow-up visits after rehabilitation of delinquent children to ensure they are making progress in their new life.
“The training has equipped us with the needed skills for documentation and follow up with the children to make sure that they are well reintegrated into the society and become useful citizens,” he said.
Mr Bamigbad Oluranti, Public Relation Officer, Borstal Training Institution, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State
On his part, Mr Jimoh Kazeem, a social worker with the Kwara State Ministry for Social Development, said he has been in the field in the last seven years providing one form of social services or the other.
“But I have never felt so equipped to deliver my tasks efficiently and effectively until now.
“The series of capacity building training has exposed me to real cases that have changed my approach to social work completely.
“The project has given me the opportunity to understand the depth of social work by exposing me to practical aspects and real-life situations, beyond the theoretical aspect that we are all used to.” Kazeem said.
Another social worker in the ministry, Mrs Dangana Yetunde, said that the capacity building training has been very impactful.
“I have learnt a lot about how to handle children, how to interview them and how to handle information about children that would not expose them to certain risks.
“It has changed my perspective on how to relate with children as a social worker; the project has opened my eyes to certain things I need to pay attention to, and what I should not do when interacting with a child,” Yetunde said.
Yetunde added that the child protection and case management training has taught her a lot, particularly the crucial role of data in case management and how to track the support being provided and the impact it is creating on the lives of the children.
Dr Alebiosu Emmanuel, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Save the Future of Children Initiative, sharing experience after a case management visit to some of the freed children in Ilorin
Also, Dr Alebiosu Emmanuel, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, SAFIN, described the project as a “game changer” in the delivery of social work in Kwara.
“The project has placed me on a level that I can give my best in making Kwara a better and safe place for children.
“I am not only equipped with the rudiment of social protection and case management but also how to work for the best interest of the children as a non-state actor working in the child protection sector.
“Now I know how to better communicate with children to build the needed trust and how to work with children while noting the protective concerns and risk level during assessment,” he said.
Addressing the challenge of government ownership and sustainability
To ensure adequate prevention and response to violence, abuse, and neglect, stakeholders stressed the need for government ownership of the support being provided by UNICEF.
Mr Olufemi Oyedeji, Chief Executive Officer, SAFIN, particularly called on the Kwara government to sustain the support UNICEF was currently providing to cover other children in need of help.
Oyedeji insisted that the state government must fully implement its Child Rights Law 2007, to make any significant progress in the protection of the rights and welfare of the child.
Responding, the State’s Commissioner for Social Development, Mrs Abosede Aremu, thanked UNICEF, SAFIN and other partners supporting the state to reintegrate the children to their families and support them to live productive lives.
Aremu reiterated the government resolved to work towards sustaining the protection of the interest of children for the development of the state.(NAN)
Reducing burden of out-of-school children among orphans, less privileged in Kaduna community
By Aisha Gambo
The number four goal of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is quality education. It aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education by 2030.
Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. It also empowers people everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to fostering tolerance between people and contributes to more peaceful societies.
Education is an essential right of every child no matter the location or circumstances, but many children have been deprived of this right in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
According to a recent report by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), about 20 million Nigerian children are out of school in 2022.
The figure is a far-reaching increase from the 10.5 million recorded by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in 2020.
UNESCO had in the report stated that the number of out of school children increased due to the challenge of insecurity and kidnapping of school children in the country.
According to the UNICEF, 40 per cent of Nigerian children in the North aged between six and 11 years, especially girls, do not attend any primary school.
In Rigasa ward of Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna state, about 100 orphans who have been out of school due to the death of their parents had the opportunity to study for free.
The orphans are not required to pay school fees, text books or writing materials except school uniform.
Also, children whose parents were low income earners or persons living with disability had access to subsidized education paying N500 only monthly.
Mrs Rahma Umar, a 25-year-old woman and the founder of Rahma Adam Community School, says the school was established to assist orphans and the less privileged with free and affordable education.
“I was raised in Rigasa and I know how the locals view education; most of them don’t know the value of education and those who know the value cry of high school fees.
“Of course, there are public schools that provide free education but the population is enormous and you will find more than hundred pupils in a class.
“These schools are not enough to cater for all Rigasa children, many parents cannot afford private schools and orphans who lost their breadwinners find it hard to go to school.
“When I finished secondary school , I couldn’t further my education because my parents couldn’t afford it. I was not happy but my grandmother spoke to someone whom knows a state assembly member who paid for my JAMB examination.
“And I when I got admission to study Science Laboratory Technology at Kaduna Polytechnic, that same man paid for the registration fee; I was happy because I got help when I never expected it.
“This is what motivated me to help children who want to go to school but have no means and when I completed my National Diploma, I decided to establish this school for orphans and the less privilege”, she said.
Mrs Umar says it was a difficult task finding a suitable location for the school as many landlords refused to give out their place for rent due to the charitable nature of the school.
“When I told my mother about my plan to establish a school for orphans and the less privilege she told me that it will be hard and advised I forget the plan.
“The school was launched on October 9, 2022 and I was lucky to have teachers who volunteered to teach for free for a month and I paid them subsequently with the gains I made from my food business.
“Apart from teaching, we make sure we monitor the attendance of learners; in cases where a pupil is absent, we call parents or guardian to enquire of the child’s whereabouts”, she said.
What criteria does the school engage to enroll students?
The school is open for orphans and less privileged children whose parents are earning low. The school has about 160 pupils and 30 students consisting of nursery one to three, primary one to six and J.S.S one to three classes.
Each child has to pay N100 for school form where his or her data will be documented and submitted to the school.
“Only children whose parents are not alive and those whose parents are either disabled or low income earners are accepted.
“We make sure we carry out test before sending them to a class because some children who attended public school may say they are in primary four but when you test them, you will have to send them to primary one.
“Since it’s a community school, we accept children from the community to enroll so that we can know their residents and their care givers”, she said.
Students share their experiences about Rahma Adam Community School
Maryam Abubakar a J.S.S 1 student said she had to drop out of school after finishing primary six because her father died.
“I couldn’t further my education because I have to help my mother with her tofu business; I have to hawk everyday so that we can eat.
“I had to spend a year without school until my mother heard about Rahma Adam community school and registered me there to continue my education for free.
“I thank God for this opportunity and I am happy to be back in school; when I finish school, I will want to become a customs officer”, she said.
Jafar Ibrahim, a primary four pupil, said he had lost his father when he was a baby which made his mother to send him to a public school.
He said he find it hard to learn and comprehend effectively due to the population in his former school, saying he understands maths and English better in his present school.
Another pupil, Zulaihat Ismail, said she was attending a private school before her father lost his job, adding that she was staying at home before the community school was launched.
“My father paid N500 school fees and I was given exercise books and pencils to write; they teach us English , Maths, Social Studies, Basic Science and the rest”, she said.
Has the school reduced the burden of education on low-income families?
Caregivers said that with the free education for orphans they can concentrate on hustling for what to eat and feed their wards.
Other parents who pay N500 monthly fee said the amount was affordable and had given them opportunity to enroll more of their children in school.
Amina Usman, a grandmother to one of the pupil of Rahma Adam Community School said her son was killed and left her with his two children.
“I was able to enroll the elder one in a public school and the junior one has been enrolled into the community school and I am happy it is free and she’s learning fast.
“These are the kind of schools NGOs and wealthy individuals are supposed to support, so as to bridge the gap in education between the poor and the rich”, she said.
Halima Muhammad, a house wife said she had enrolled six of her children in the community school because their father couldn’t afford to pay high school fees for all the children.
“We want quality education for our children but we can’t afford it; with schools like this, I am sure many poor children would have access to education.
“The school’s founder has really tried in this era where everyone is looking for how to make profit but she established a school to help the poor; we pray the school grow bigger and the quality sustained”, she said.
Meanwhile, the community head of Police Station Road, Rigasa, Mai Unguwa Usman Bagobiri said the school will help children in the community get access to quality education at a low cost.
“Parents have no excuse of not sending their wards to school; lack of education is the main cause of the social ills of theft, drug abuse, unwanted pregnancy among others.
“This school is a welcome development to the community, if we can have more schools like this then Rigasa will be better”, he said
How Rahma Adam Community School teachers cope with volunteering.
Abbas Yahuza said he and other people willingly volunteered to teach orphans and less privileged children with the small token some parents pay.
“The school is young , so we are giving our best to ensure our junior ones are educated hoping that in the nearest future, aids will come and the school will be bigger than this.
“Some of us go to public schools and teach as volunteers, so when this school was established for orphans and the less privileged, we thought it wise to contribute our quota.
“Even though the founder had paid some of the teachers, some of us refused to collect anything because we know that the school is not profit oriented.
Faiza Salis, another teacher, said the passion to help the poor made her to serve as a volunteer in the school, saying she go back to her business after school.
“We hope that NGOs, CSOs, corporate bodies and philanthropists will support the school with a permanent place, reading and writing materials,” she said.
How does the school hope to sustain this venture?
Running a non-profit organisation like a community school is not an easy task for a young woman like me, Mrs Umar said.
“Our main challenge is to have a permanent site where we don’t have to deal with the fear of being evicted or paying rent.
“We want to continue giving free and quality education to orphans and we need more funds to do this because those paying N500 monthly are not consistent.
“We have contacted some NGOs and politicians to assist the school with reading and writing materials.
“Some have given us books while others have made pledges; we are hoping that by next term, we will have tables and chairs for our students to learn effectively.
“Though I have teaching experience as I have taught in private schools, I will pursue my degree in the field of education to have better understanding on running a school,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
**If used, credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Firm develop software to promote strategic service delivery in MDAs
Software
By Dorcas Jonah
Abuja, Dec. 30, 2022 (NAN) Mrs Offiong Anyanwu, Chief Executive Officer of STRANSFORM, a Strategy Consulting Firm, says the firm had developed a software to promote strategic and focused service deliveries in Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAs)
Anyanwu stated this in a statement by the firm’s spokesman, Mr Anthony Anyanwu on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the software known as Issues Identification Resolution Mechanism (IIRM) is a root cause analysis tool for solving problems.
NAN also report that the software is aimed at facilitating achievement of deliverables and consequently Mandate optimisation in MDAs.
Anyanwu said that the idea was muted in the Presidential delivery unit in 2017 for identification and resolution of issues in the Social Investment Programmes.
”In 2019, STRANSFORM expanded its capabilities and developed the mechanism into a Software.
“It deploys logical iteration and critical thinking for issue identification, subsequent resolution and knowledge management,” he said.
Anyanwu said that the objective of the software was to ensure proactive identification of issues and challenges that could impact negatively on attainment of deliverables of MDAs’ mandate.
”This software was successfully deployed in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development to facilitate optimisation of its mandate.
”The resultant effect was the all green score card achieved by the Ministry in the recently concluded Ministerial Mandate Review Retreat 2022.
”The software has been deployed across the agencies of the ministry,” he said.
She said the software is the game changer for intentional achievement of not only ministerial deliverables but also attainment of Governments priority area objectives.
”Interaction with the software will result in a new breed of strategic result focused civil servants that will change the narrative associated with the level of productivity in the service.
Anyanwu said that the software was deployed in October through November 2022 at the instance of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development.
She said plans are in place to deploy the software across various MDAs.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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)
“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.
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)
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