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Humanitarian Crises:  Why Nigeria Needs Collective Response – UN Rep, Fall  … Identifies Obstacles, Solutions to Humanitarian Interventions 

Published

7 months ago

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Humanitarian Crises:
 Why Nigeria Needs Collective Response – UN Rep, Fall
… Identifies Obstacles, Solutions to Humanitarian Interventions
Mohamed Malick Fall is the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria. In this exclusive interview, he speaks on the need for a collective response to humanitarian crises in Nigeria, obstacles to humanitarian interventions, and the work of the United Nations, among others. UN OCHA Nigeria’s Head of Public Information, Ann Weru, and Public Information Officer, Dr. Chike Walter Duru, were there.
Excerpts:
What are the types of humanitarian issues in Nigeria?
Different types of crises exist in Nigeria; some are linked to conflict and insecurity; there are those that are triggered by insurgency in the north-east, some are linked to intercommunal violence, herders/farmers clashes, abductions, kidnapping, banditry, prevalent in many parts of the country.
In addition, Nigeria has a certain level of climate vulnerability. Sometimes, drought; sometimes, floods; sometimes heat wave, that impact the wellbeing of people and sometimes trigger the movement of people, loss of property or loss of livelihood and they exacerbate the hardship that the people are facing.
How the UN is responding to the challenges
The UN has a two-fold response. One is the humanitarian response, which, to me, is guided by the principle of saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities; helping people, not only to get back on their feet, but also to have hope that they can have a better future.
The second component is the one that tackles the root causes of these crises. Most of those root causes are linked to deficits of development, lack of basic services, lack of livelihoods, lack of skills for young people and lack of access to employment. Those require much deeper action, which is building, not only on UN humanitarian intervention, but also on development-related activities, which will be looking at short, mid and long-term projects for the development of those people.
What are the obstacles to humanitarian interventions in Nigeria?
We have several of them.
The biggest one is access, and sometimes, access is hampered by insecurity. There are many parts of the country without free and safe access because of the high level of insecurity that is still prevailing. This is valid for the north-east, where, despite all the efforts to push against the insurgency, you still see attacks like the recent ones in Konduga and Gwoza, which are sad reminders that it is not yet over. You have also insecurity prevailing in many other parts of the country.
Sometimes, access to the people in need is also difficult.
Funding gaps are also an issue, because, as you know, the world is overstretched by humanitarian challenges. For instance, we have gone past half of the year, but this year’s Nigerian Humanitarian Response Plan is funded below 50 per cent. We launched in May 2024, a Lean Season Plan, which targeted to address the most urgent needs of people affected by food insecurity and malnutrition, but we are in the peak of the lean season, and we have not even reached 30 per cent of the funding we need. If you look at humanitarian funding year by year, you will see that it is declining. The level of response from the donor community is getting lower because of the competing developments across the world. The wars in Gaza, Sudan, and other regions have completely changed the funding landscape for humanitarian response.
What further challenges are militating against this conflict?
The challenge of funding
There is a cost of doing nothing. People always look at things from the point of the cost of doing something. Let me take one example. In the Lean Season Plan, we are looking at addressing severe food insecurity and malnutrition. Today, look at the number of children that are malnourished. The survival of hundreds of thousands of severely acutely malnourished children and those at risk depends on urgent interventions.
In the Lean Season Plan, there is a projection of 230,000 children at risk of severe acute malnutrition during the lean season in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, alone. Their survival depends on the steps taken against the challenge.
The cost of inaction is that life is on the line. Children that survive acute malnutrition, from the fragile health conditions they have, may also face growth and development challenges throughout their lives. The cost of inaction is very expensive.
Way forward
What are the solutions to these challenges ?
I see several solutions around these challenges.
For funding, more innovative funding solutions are required. We must no longer rely on western countries as traditional donors.
A country like Nigeria is not poor. It is among the three biggest economies in Africa. It is increasingly urgent for the Government to allocate its own resources to the humanitarian response.
We also need to be more creative and see how we can make our humanitarian operations more efficient and more effective. There are many directions that need to be explored.
International Laws
Wherever you see conflict and war, it means that there are parties that do not believe in dialogue and in peaceful settlement of disputes.
For instance, the insurgents believe in extreme violence and terrorist actions. This is not peculiar to Nigeria. In the world, there are many wars taking place. Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, and these are coming on top of previous crises. You have Somalia and Syria. The notion that any difference should be settled through arms and through guns amounts to pushing back on the principles of international laws. Many of the parties to conflict do not respect nor respond to the call of international humanitarian law.
In what ways does the UN support displaced people and the most vulnerable?
Whenever you see a crisis, those that pay the highest prices are the most vulnerable – the women, children, older persons, people living with disabilities, and that is why we prioritise them in our interventions. There are provisions in our interventions that prioritize the protection of children. There are also provisions that specially protect women from grave violations of their rights and from sexual violence. The rights of people living with disabilities are also protected.
For me, the humanitarian space is one of the few spaces where humanity has its expression. It is a place where you see actors daily, risking their lives to go and save lives, reduce vulnerability, protect and help people get back on their feet. It is also a space where you see host communities that are lacking in everything sharing the little, they have with people who are suffering or displaced. It is a place where you see Government and non-state actors getting together, to reduce vulnerability and save the lives of people. The work of humanitarians saving lives etc. has just one name – humanity prevailing.
Message for stakeholders
What we need to reduce the humanitarian needs in the world is for the people to go back to the principle of humanity.
If we act on preventing conflict, stopping conflicts, we will take away a huge number of people in humanitarian need.
At the same time, humanitarian needs are not only triggered by conflict; unfortunately, the way we treat our planet; the way we treat our ecosystems, the way we respond to the climate crisis that we are facing are also important issues.
We also have increased poverty and deeper inequalities. All of these are among the factors that trigger human suffering.
How do address these issues?
We need to address conflict, increased poverty, the climate crisis, and inequalities. If world leaders continue to push to address these issues and more, we will see a better world.
Members of the public should support humanitarian action. They should understand that it is not about humanitarian organisations and workers alone. It is about the entire society. The call here is the expression of humanity. It is a call to every human being. It takes mobilization, commitment, awareness for every one of us to be part of that humanity.
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General News

WAEC, NECO to adopt CBT for exams 2026

Published

12 hours ago

on

April 28, 2025

By

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa
By Our Correspondent
 In a bid to ensure that Nigerian students compete favourably with their counterparts in West African subregion, the Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to adopt full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their examinations by 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the monitoring of the ongoing exams alongside JAMB officials, in Bwari on Monday.
Recall  that more than 2 million candidates registered for the ongoing examination in more than 800 centres across the country.
Alausa revealed that both the WAEC and NECO would start administering their objective papers via CBT effective this November.
According to him, subsequently adopting the CBT for the essay and objective components would commenced fully by May/June 2026.
”If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same.
“We are going to get WAEC and NECO to also start their objective exam on CBT.
“By 2026 exams which will come up in May/June, both the objectives and the essay will be fully on CBT. That is how we can eliminate exam malpractices.”
Alausa also disclosed that a committee is currently reviewing examination standards nationwide, with recommendations expected next month.
Earlier, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking on the early schedule of the exams, clarified that the board’s UTME exams had always begun at 8:00 a.m.
Oloyede said that candidates were only expected to be on ground by 6:30 a.m., to enable them get accredited before the exams.
He dismissed complaints about early arrival times, noting that it was necessary to screen candidates before exams begin.
“We have always started our exams at 8 o’clock. The first session is 8 o’clock, second session 10:30, third session, 1 p.m, and fourth session 3:30p.m.
Oloyede also debunked claims of candidates being posted to centres they did not choose, stating that investigations showed no such cases happened.
He confirmed that more than 1.6 million out of 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their exams, with about 50,000 remaining.
The registrar also disclosed that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for malpractice, including impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions with hidden cameras.
He declared that of the registered candidates, more than 41,000 were underage.
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General News

Construction Company debunks roof leakage in NASS . .says report driven by ‘bad belle’

Published

3 days ago

on

April 26, 2025

By

NASS complex

 

By George Mgbeleke
The Managing Director of Laralek Ultimate Construction Company , Olalekan Adebiyi has debunked media reports on purported roof leakage at the white house segment of the National Assembly on Friday during storming downpour .

An online platform had in the early hours of Saturday , reported that the violently storming rain that fell on Friday , made mince meat of renovation work carried out by one of the subsidiaries of Laralek (Visible Construction Company ) on roofs and other areas of the National Assembly complex from 2022 to 2024.

The online medium in the report alleged that some staff of the National Assembly lamented that if the N38billion renovation work was given to Julius Berger , there wouldn’t have been problem of roof leakage again during rain fall , positing that the Federal Capital Development Authority( FCDA) that awarded the contract to Visible Construction Company , compromised .

But hours after the publication , the Managing Director of Laralek Ultimate Construction Company , Olalekan Adebiyi in a telephone conversation with journalists covering the National Assembly said the report was fake as investigation carried out by them through their subsidiary company used to execute the contract ( Visible Construction),, revealed that there was no leakage from the roof at the White House segment of the National Assembly

According to him, Amothene , imported from United States of America ( USA) and applied to the points of leakages on the roof , is water tight and can never leak .

” The report to us , is unfounded and simply put , bad belle because if it was Julius Berger that carried out the renovation work , no such fake report , will be written against it .

” I wonder why some Nigerians always like to be enemies of their fellow country men for no good reason whatsoever .

“We checked and found out that it was an ingress of water that came through the Smaller windows at the upper part of the Chamber Building that flooded the floor and not roof leakage .

” The said story or report , has no single picture of points of leakages from the roof which to us , is very unprofessional and unethical .

“The report is fake as there was no leakage from any point on the roof. We did a good job and stand by it and shall surely be vindicated as more and more rains will still fall in the coming weeks and months “, he said .

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Imbibe the culture of humility, love, sacrifice Says, Apostle Godfrey Omodubor – as BMNA honours him

Published

6 days ago

on

April 23, 2025

By

Apostle Godfrey Omodubor being honored by BMMA

 

By David Owei, Baylesa

Pastors have been advised to imbibed the culture of humility, love and sacrifice towards their members and the society in general.

This was handed down on Sunday by Apostle Godfrey Omodubor at the Faith Gospel Revival Deliverance Ministries Worldwide in Eteqwe, Yenagoa the bayelsa state capital during an award ceremony in his honour.

The award which was bestowed on him by the organizers of the most prestigious award, the Bayelsa Media Network Award (B.M.N.A) as the “Prophet of the Year 2025″ due to his outstanding love and care for the people.

Prophet Godfrey Omodubor said, he was honoured by the award and it is a call to do more for the society.

” I was not expecting it neither did I solicited for it, but as it please God to honour me this way, I must say am very happy and God will empower me to do more”.

” If God called you, he will back you up and give you all that you needed to succeed. It only required patience, endurance and hard work. God is not a magician neither is God a debtor, he paid everyone at the right time and in due season”.

He thanked the organizers for deeming it fit to recognize his little contributions to the society.

Presenting the award, the Project Manager, Bayelsa Media Network Award Mr. Blessing Ozegbe said, the award was as a result of Apostle Godfrey Omodubor contributions to the development of society in general.

The Project Manager described the man of God as a faithful and hardworking man, saying despite being a spiritual Father he still reachout to people within and outside his domain.

“We have been observing him from far and from investigation and testimonies of people around, his is truly a man of God full of humility and respect for both young and old alike. His character is worth emulating and I pray that other men of God will learn from him.

“This is an award that is not commonly given and because we couldn’t find a worthy person last year, this category was suspended and by the grace of God this year, we discovered this man of humility, full of love and sacrifice to be given the award “.

He encourage the man of God not relent in doing good to people and to see his calling as a genuine call from God.

The award ceremony was witnessed by his large congregation and visitors which also happened to be his birthday.

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