Each year about 1 million Nigerian children die before their fifth birthday. Malnutrition contributes to nearly half of these deaths. The multimedia presentation, Malnutrition: Nigeria’s Silent Crisis, presents the reasons why proper nutrition for women and children is so important, especially in the first 1,000 day period—from the start of a woman’s pregnancy until her child’s second birthday. This period represents a critical window of opportunity. Adequate nutrition during this period can avert malnutrition, ensuring that children have the best possible opportunity to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty. The presentation also features the consequences of malnutrition, how investments in nutrition can improve health and economic outcomes, and which interventions are known to be most effective
The chief purpose of this innovative tool is to strengthen support for nutrition as a priority health and development issue on national- and state-level policy agendas in Nigeria. The presentation can be used to educate, raise awareness about the consequences of a failure to act, and to mobilize political commitment and resources. Target audiences in Nigeria include high-level government policymakers, program officials, nongovernmental organizations, religious leaders, journalists, academics, district and community leaders, donors, and other global partners.
The multimedia presentation was produced under the auspices of the Division of Nutrition, Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria, with guidance from a Working Group representing more than 35 public and private sector organizations, local and international NGOs, and donors.
Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Catholic Diocese of Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, has warned that, the nation may experience famine in the coming year if the Kaduna State and federal governments failed to secure farmers in southern Kaduna from going to farm this planting season.
“This part of the state has recorded rain twice this year and indication that farming activities may resume anytime soon,” the Archbishop explained.
The Archbishop told newsmen shortly after he presented Pope John Benedict II awards to 13 distinguished Catholics comprising of a Priest and 12 others at Catholic Social Centre Kaduna as part of activities to celebrate 100 years of its Diocese, that in spite of efforts to address insecurity in the area, pokcet of killings was still taking place.
He called for more proactive measures to nip the menace in the bud.
According to him, a lot of farm produce are already been wasted and some lost to bandits due to inability of the farmers to go to farm to harvest their crops as at when due because of the fear of the unknown.
He said, “You don’t need a prophet to tell you that because it is a simple logic that, failure to go to farm is sure hunger. Already a lot of them even cannot even harvest crops they planted last year. They have lost everything to bandits and therefore if they are not secured to go to farm this time, there will be famine beyond Kaduna State.
“Last week, we heard there was killing there again. We pray and hope that the situation improves. The rain is coming now and that means very soon, planting will start and if people who are farmers are not secured, can they go to farm and plant? And if that happens you can imagine the consequences of that by next year.
“So something needed to be done and done drastically so people can live their normal live and do what they suppose to do in the interest of people who don’t farm but eat and the country’s GDP in general.
“Therefore it still a matter of concern for us and all we want is that peace should reign in that area. Government should do the needful. We know they are trying but they really need to ensure people are secured and they can go about their legitimate businesses.
“Arch Diocese celebrated 100 years of its Diocese in December 2016 and 13 of our members who have been working hard to the growth of the Diocese have been graciously rewarded today to encourage others.”
The Northern youths of Nigeria under the auspices of Arewa Youth Assembly, AYA, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to terminate the appointment of non performing ministers in his cabinet.
According to the Speaker of the AYA in a press statement issued and made available to newsmen in Kaduna Friday, Northern Nigeria, the youth group urged the President to assess the performance profile of his Ministers while he was away on vacation and take necessary action to avoid their non performance affect his good intension for Nigeria.
The group opined that, “He should go ahead and remove those who perform below expectation,” noting that “If there is one unique ingredient of quality leadership that is grossly missing from the pot pourri of our nation’s socio-political. Life today, it has to be that of selfless service to the nation.”
While recommending sack for non performing ministers, the youth assembly averred that Brigadier General Boroh (Rtd) deserves a special recognition for managing the presidential Amnesty program, adding, “He deserves a decent mention and attendant space in our society for ensuring peaceful co-existence among the militants and the government.
“AYA wish to pay tribute to Professor Benjamin Ozumba, a Quintessential scholar, a detribalize Nigerian, a man of vision and ideas whose vice chancellorship was an era of academic oriented leadership, firm and characterised by industrial harmony and stability.”
AYA further said Professor Ozumba was highly reputed as an academic giant with a promising agenda which is action oriented, democratic based and achievement motivated by taking a bold steps of introducing Hausa department at the prestigious UNN, first of it kind in South-East, South-South.
Meanwhile, the youth group has condnmed in strong terms the xenophobic attack of Nigerians in South Africa and the unwarranted killings of Hausa community in Ile Efe.
”We condemned the spate of xenophobic attacks by South African on fellow Africans, while many Nigerians have been murdered within the last two years in inexplicable circumstance either by South African citizens or even officials of the state. Certainly, governments of Nigeria and South Africa as well as others need to look beyond verbal darts and move from rhetoric to reality cheeks or actions that can defuse tension on all fronts.
”We wish to condemn the wanton killing of Hausa community in Ile-ife for no just reasons, government should bring those behind this ugly trend to book because this issues is dirty to public acceptance,” the group said.
Kaduna State government, Northern part of Nigeria, has set out machineries to enhance community participation in government programmes meant to ensure rural development.
A meeting organized by the state government through the office of the Special Adviser to governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai on Social Development and Civil Society Organizations discussed extensively on various areas that could lead to total overhaul of the present situation among the youths and rural dwellers in the state with a better framework towards enhancing their standards of living.
Declaring the meeting open, the Special Adviser to governor El-Rufai on Social Development, Hajia Rabi M. G. Abdulsalam, said the door of her office was widely open to receive constructive ideas that could lead to team work among the youths and rural dwellers.
She explained that emphasis should be focused on rape and other social vices with a view to reducing them to the bearest minimum in the state, while urging the Civil Society Organizations to rise to the task of ensuring they contribute possitively towards eradicating the ills in the society.
The Special Adviser noted that the Civil Society Organizations were close to the people especially the youths, urged them to play vital roles towards realising the government set objectives on Social and Community Development. “We cannot fail in our assignment to make the youths realise that they are leaders of tomorrow and therefore they should be trained on leadership instead of indulging themselves in the use of substance abuse that could be detrimental to their future.
The discussion which centered on social and community development, stressed that there was the need for the youths to work together in achieving meaningful development order than taking substances that affect their progress and future leaders in the country.
The meeting deliberated on the need for the state government to involve members of the community and Civil Society Organizations for effective implementation of its health programmes in the state, while advising the youths to take training programmes seriously for them to live meaningful lives in futire.
Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hafsat Mohammed Baba
By Iliya Kure
The new Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, Hafsat Mohammed Baba has lamented the deplorable condition of the State Rehabilitation Centre.
Baba frowned at how the centre was neglected despite presence of children residing there who needed assistance and care from government.
Speaking after paying unscheduled visit to the facility she said, “As you know the rehabilitation centre is under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. It is my first time of visiting the centre to see things for myself since I assumed duty as the Commissioner.
“I’m not happy with what I saw because these are special children that need to be taken good care of. Some of them are blind, some crippled and the centre lacks borehole close to their hostels.
“So imagine how they cope without water close to them. I saw them holding jerricans going to fetch water. Their toilets were not friendly; particularly for blind and crippled, during rainy season what happens.
“Their classes lack chairs, which means, they sit on the floor to receive lessons. The hostels lack security guard.
“This is not ideal, So, we need to write a comprehensive report to the Governor on their challenges because they deserved better,” she said.
The Commissioner said she will continue to visit other agencies under her ministry unannounced so as to acquire first hand information about their activities.
The Centre Manager Jushua Akut, who took the Commissioner round the Centre appealed to the ministry to provide better life to the children in the centre.
According to her, providing a conducive environment will encourage other parents to send their disabled children to the centre, and that will help end street begging in the state.
Since the assumption of Muhammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has focused her attention on issues that affect Women and children who are the most vulnerable in the society.
Mrs. Buhari understands that the role of women in every society cannot be over emphasized, therefore, their health and well being should be enhanced in order for them to make meaningful contribution both in political and economic participation for national development. She has for many years made her contribution in this regard through the Aisha Buhari Foundation.
Her realization of the depth of health challenges faced by women and children prompted her to found a platform called FutureAssured. Through this platform, she has been travelling from state to state across the country to build partnerships with stakeholders, and to contribute in providing an enabling environment for the implementation of basic public health programmes and awareness creation on health issues.
As a result of the partnerships she has entered into, it became easier to identify what health problem is prevalent in each state, and what contribution a platform like hers can offer. Future Assured has so far identified many of these medical problems which are women killers. These include breast cancer, cervical cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, malaria, and sickle cell anaemia. The morbidity and mortality rate is very high in the country due to these preventable diseases.
Diabetes is one of the critical health challenges identified, it is a chronic disease of high blood glocuse which can result in serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Cases have been on the increase in the past few years. In Nigeria, about 5 Million people are still living with diabetes, while more than 1.5 Million cases of diabetes were recorded in 2015. Also, 40,815 deaths due to diabetes were recorded in adults in 2016. These figures are sure to drop with adequate awareness, especially among those that are vulnerable.
Another women killer is Cancer. In Nigeria about 10,000 cancer deaths and 250,000 new cases are recorded annually. Cancer results from abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to spread to other part of the body. There are many types of cancer. But of all the types, breast and cervical cancer affect women the most.
Take breast cancer, for example; the first notable symptom of breast cancer is a lump that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue; one breast becoming larger or lower than the other; a nipple changing position or its shape becoming inverted. There could also be some discharge from the nipples, or constant pain in parts of the breast, or even rashes on or around a nipple.
Screening of the breast regularly can help in early detection which, in-turn will help achieve early prevention. The mission of Future Assured is to alert women to be conscious of their bodies and train themselves to perform simple self-examination of their breast in order to stay safe.
Cervical cancer is another type that affects the cervix. It has no early symptoms; later symptoms may however include vaginal bleeding. Therefore, cervical cancer screening would help in early detection using Pap smear or acetic acid, quick intervention usually prevents its spread.
Late detection in both types of cancer is still a major challenge, Therefore awareness creation is still the way out.
Hepatitis, sickle cell and other related ailments are blood-related. It is therefore important that people have knowledge of their genotype. Genotype is the collection of genes passed from parents to children. In order to avoid these killer diseases, it has been advised that couples check their genotype before marriage; this will help them avoid having children who may live very sick lives or even die in infancy. Parents should also check the genotype of their children during pregnancy and also after birth.
High blood pressure also known as hypertension is another killer that puts people at the risk of stroke and kidney failure. The disease is on the rise in Nigeria and is a massive killer. The major challenge of hypertension is that people are not aware of the necessity for, or cannot afford regular blood pressure checks.
Another is Malaria, which is endemic in Nigeria with 300,000 deaths per year and 100 million cases. Nigeria bears up to 25% of malaria disease burden in Africa, making the country the highest in malaria mortality. Malaria is a treatable and preventable disease that remains a major killer of children. Malaria in pregnant women causes anemia and other complications in both mother and newborn. Malaria is caused by blood parasites from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
It is because of the gravity of these diseases that Future Assured decided to advocate for government to pay more attention to these killers, and to conscientize women on the need to understand the danger of these diseases and screen themselves from time to time. In order to show example to the stakeholders and pass the message to women, screening exercises were planned, organized and conducted in states, in collaboration with local NGOs. So far, screenings have held in eight states; these are Cross River, Adamawa, Katsina, Enugu, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo and Kogi. It is intended that such screenings will hold in all states of the country.
In consideration of the important of the sense of sight, and the rate at which people are becoming blind, Eye examination was included in the list of ailments for which women were screened. Doctors have recommended tests at least every 2 years. The Eye examination provides accurate assessment of the ability to see, and gauges the general health of the eyes. Eye examination can result in early identification of other eye -related problems.
In each of the states listed above, an average of 2000 women have benefitted from these screening exercises; and these are bound to change their own lives and the lives of their friends, spouses and children. Gradually, the practice of self-screening will become the norm, while the number of women lost to these killers will drop considerably.
In fact, Mrs. Buhari has secured two mobile clinics in order to ease access to the most difficult to reach areas around the FCT for the purpose of these health screenings. The plan is to have these mobile clinics deployed to all the six geo-political zones of the country.
When this happens, Future Assured and Mrs. Aisha Buhari would have succeeded in their purpose of making a difference in the lives of women in Nigeria.
Aisha Bunu writes from the Office of the Wife of the President
The Nigerian Army has arrested six soldiers allegedly involved in the brutalization of a woman in Ikorodu, Lagos state in south-western Nigeria.
Ag Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. O M Dauda, in a statement noted that the incident occurred in Odoguyan, Ikorodu area of Lagos state involving soldiers of 174 Battalion on Sunday 12 March 2017.
According to him, “The alleged incident is highly regrettable, even as the Division under the Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for inhuman treatment. Discipline remains the bedrock of the Nigerian Military Profession.
“It is quite disheartening when such incidences occur even though isolated will not be treated with any laxity. Consequently, a Board of Inquiry has been constituted by the Commander 9 Brigade, Brigadier General Elias Attu to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident, determine the level of the soldiers involvement, submit its findings and recommend appropriate disciplinary measures which will be communicated.”
While thanking the media for timely information in bringing such incidences to fore, he said, the Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army got to know of the incidence through reports on the social media and online Newspapers.
He further noted that the female victim has been taken to hospital where she is responding to treatment.
Two Russian spies are among four individuals indicted by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over a huge theft of Yahoo user accounts.
The members of the FSB, the Russian intelligence agency, conspired with criminal hackers, according to DOJ officials announcing the charges.
Previously, Yahoo said “state-sponsored” hackers were behind the 2014 breach affecting 500 million accounts.
The suspects are also alleged to have targeted Google accounts.
Hacking was directed at Russian and US government officials, including security, diplomatic and military personnel, according to the DOJ.
The indictment also alleged that 30 million Yahoo accounts were commandeered without authorisation for use in a spam campaign.
FBI ‘most wanted’
“We will not allow individuals, groups, nation states, or a combination of them to compromise the privacy of our citizens, the economic interests of our companies, or the security of our country,” said acting attorney general Mary McCord, announcing the charges.
Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, a Russian national and FSB officer
Igor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43, a Russian national and FSB officer
Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan, 29, a Russian national and resident
Karim Baratov, 22, a Canadian and Kazakh national and a resident of Canada
Baratov was arrested on 14 March in Canada.
One of the alleged hackers has been on of the FBI’s most wanted cyber criminals for more than three years, according to acting Att Gen McCord.
The suspect in question, Alexsey Belan, was aided by the FSB who – according to the DOJ – provided him with “sensitive FSB law enforcement and intelligence information that would have helped him avoid detection by US and other law enforcement agencies outside Russia”.
“We would hope [Russia] would respect our criminal justice system and respect these charges,” said acting Att Gen McCord, acknowledging the fact that the US does not have an extradition treaty with Russia.
“The United Kingdom’s MI5 made substantial contributions to the advancement of this investigation,” added FBI executive assistant director Paul Abbate.
Personal data stolen
Yahoo was criticised for the delay in informing users about the 2014 breach.
The stolen data included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and encrypted passwords, but not credit card data, according to Yahoo.
Last year, users were advised to change their passwords.
Around eight million UK accounts were believed to have been affected – including some users of BT and Sky email services.
“The indictment unequivocally shows the attacks on Yahoo were state-sponsored,” Yahoo said in a statement, responding to the DOJ announcement.
“We are deeply grateful to the FBI for investigating these crimes and the DOJ for bringing charges against those responsible.”
The DOJ said that the charges have no connection to the hack on the Democratic National Convention last year.
Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Catholic Diocese of Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, has warned that, the nation may experience famine in the coming year if the Kaduna State and federal governments failed to secure farmers in southern Kaduna from going to farm this planting season.
