Nation
Group Seeks Better Future For Nigerian Children
A child’s rights group, Splendour Child Empowerment Foundation is to host political stakeholders in Abuja, to discuss child’s rights issues as the countdown to the 2023 general elections begins.
The founder of the group, Miss Splendour Joe-King, The Tide source in Abuja yesterday that the event would be used to discuss child’s rights issues in the emerging political dispensation.
According to her, the group will host a dinner to bring key political actors together to discuss the future of the Nigerian child.
She said the event, whose exact date had not been fixed would also seek ways to engender peace and harmony among political players, to make the country conducive for kids.
Joe-King described the planned peace dinner as an off-shoot of a peace project she had earlier initiated, to educate children and youths on the need to sustain peace in society.
She, therefore, pleads for the support and funding of the event, which she tagged: “Nigerian Children Call for Peace.
“As a kid, if you have a mindset of peace you will not want to join any terrorist group because it is extremely bad for the future of children.
“The peace campaign is because if you look at our world today, we are not hearing news that give us joy we are hearing about war and killings.
“We are hearing of death of children in schools. Are these things giving us peace? No. So that is why this peace project is coming at this point in time.
“As the 2023 elections is coming, youths would want to involve themselves in violent activities that is why this peace project is coming to tell them that violent activities are extremely dangerous.
“Sustaining peace and harmony will be the greatest legacy this administration and all lovers of Nigeria will give to us as children.
“We are appealing to our father, President Muhammadu Buhari, the vice-president, governors and other stakeholders to join us in this campaign.
“If America can do it we can do it too.
“America has diverse cultures and peoples from different parts of the world yet they still came together, keeping their differences aside to see that American unity is upheld.”
The peace ambassador said that she wanted to speak to the conscience of Nigerian leaders to understand that election was not a do-or-die affair.
Speaking on partnerships being made by the group, Joe-King said that she had taken her campaign to schools nationwide, establishing peace clubs in schools.
“I would also want international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO and other organisations to partner with me.
“I’m establishing peace clubs in schools all over Nigeria, so I need volunteers to join me and I also need funding because I’m just a child, trying to carry out a big project.
According to her, I want the project to go far. I want people to see it and I want people to understand the message I’m bringing out.
“But, I cannot do that alone without funding from people. We need to see that our peace campaign gets to every school in every community.”
Joe-King, who is16 years old, says she hopes to study law to enable her carry out her advocacy and humanitarian activities, noting that she also wants to build a hospital and a school for less-privileged kids.
She said that the foundation had also been sensitizing kids on the need to curb violence by speaking up when they notice violent acts against others because when they keep quiet they allow violence to grow and spread.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.