Headlines

UN allocates $20m to ramp up food security in Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

June 21, 2023

The United Nations (UN) has allocated $20 million to urgently ramp up the response to the alarming food security and nutrition crisis in the North-East of Nigeria.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York.

“With nine million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund and $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, we will support the Government-led response efforts across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

“Assistance includes ready-to-eat food, access to clean water, health care and agriculture support,’’ he said.

According to humanitarian partners, almost 700,000 children under five are likely to suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition this year in this region and more than half a million people may face emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season from June to August.

Haq said that the emergency funding would help jumpstart the response, but humanitarian partners need more to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition.

“The $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for Nigeria is only 26 per cent funded,’’ he said.

Updating journalists on Sudan, the deputy spokesperson said the humanitarian community continued to deliver life-saving support to the people.

He said that Tuesday, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had facilitated the movement of at least 388 trucks carrying life-saving assistance to various parts of the country.

Haq quoting the World Food Programme says that the agency has reached more than one million people with emergency food assistance in the six weeks since it resumed operations in Sudan.

“This includes reaching more than 375,000 people in North, South, East and Central Darfur.

“People continue to seek refuge from the fighting in Sudan in neighbouring countries. The UN Refugee Agency says that more than 500,000 people have now fled across Sudan’s borders to escape the violence.

“You may have seen that, yesterday, donors announced more than 1.5 billion dollars in support of the humanitarian response in Sudan.

“In the region, during the high-level pledging event co-hosted by the UN, together with the Governments of Egypt, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the European Union,’’ he said.

Headlines

FRSC records 108 deaths in 328 RTCs in Gombe

Published

17 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Gombe State Command, says no fewer than 108 persons were killed in 328 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) that occurred across the state in 2024.

The state Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Samson Kaura, disclosed this on Monday, in Akko, the command headquarters while briefing newsmen.

Kaura said that 1,078 persons were injured in the auto crashes within the period under review.

He added that there was decrease in number of crashes in 2024 compared with that of 2023.

According to him, in 2023, we recorded 351 road traffic crashes while in 2024, we recorded 328.

”The command was also able to reduce deaths from auto crashes within the year under review through collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies in the state.”

The sector commander also said that 2, 196 persons were involved the crashes within the period under review, with 1, 078 persons injured, and 1,010 unhurt.

He said that in 2023, 2, 588 persons were involved in various RTCs across the state, with 1,308 of them sustaining varying degrees of injuries while 1,161 were recorded unhurt.

Kaura also disclosed that 471 vehicles were involved the crashes within the period under review, against 515 recorded in 2023.

He explained that the command recorded a 6.6 per cent reduction in RTCs in 2024, compared to 2023.

He said that the major causes of crash in 2024 were speed, overloading, loss of control and wrongful overtaking, adding that the corps had stepped up efforts towards sensitising motorists in the state against these menace.

He said that the measures taken in 2024 had yielded positive results in terms of the reduction in the number of crashes and people killed.

”Therefore we will strengthen our collaborations with critical stakeholders towards sensitising more road users in the state as well as improving on enforcement of traffic rules,” he said.

The sector commander advised road users to cooperate with FRSC personnel in 2025 towards ensuring safety of lives and property of road users in the state.

Headlines

Death toll in Diko tanker explosion now 98 -NSEMA

Published

17 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

The death toll from the Dikko tanker explosion has risen to 98, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).

The Director-General, NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the updated figure in a statement issued on Monday in Minna.

Baba-Arah also said that 69 people were injured in the explosion, while 20 shops were burnt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the tanker explosion occurred on Saturday morning at about 9 a. m., along the Dikko-Maje road opposite Baddegi fuelling station in Gurara Local Government Area.

The incident occurred when a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) crashed, and an attempt was made to transfer its contents to another tanker.

In the process, the PMS came into contact with a generator used to power the transfer process, triggering an explosion that claimed many, injured many, and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

NAN reports that the incident had sparked widespread condemnation and sympathy from various quarters.

The Niger and Federal government had commiserated with the families of the victims and promised to provide support to those affected.

The state government had also called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the Minna-Suleja road project, which had been blamed for the frequent accidents in the area.

Headlines

Hajj: Jigawa secures accommodation for 1,518 intending pilgrims

Published

18 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board says it has secured a befitting accommodation for its intending pilgrims ahead of the 2025 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.

This is contained in a statement by the Spokesman to the board, Malam Habibu Yusuf, on Monday in Dutse.

He said the board has successfully secured a befitting hotel accommodation, a walking distance of about 800 meters to the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

“This achievement is a testament to the board’s commitment of ensuring a seamless and enriching Hajj experience for Jigawa state pilgrims,” he said.

The statement quoted the Director-General of the board, Alhaji Ahmad Labbo, as urging the intenting pilgrims to ensure prompt deposit of the Hajj fare.

Labbo underscored the importance of early payment to facilitate proper planning of logistics for the pilgrimage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the board fixed Jan. 30, registration deadline of intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise.

This is in line with directives of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the state pilgrim’s welfare boards to remit all collections by Feb. 1.

NAHCON has allocated 1,518 seats to the state for 2025 Hajj, while the board had directed intending pilgrims from the state to pay N8.4 million Hajj fare.