Politics
NANTS, ECOWAS Empower 300 IDPs, Share Success Story
Three hundred internally displaced persons (IDPs) empowered with agricultural inputs in Kuje and Durumi camps by the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has said the support had improved their livelihoods.
They said this on Friday in Abuja when the Spanish Cooperation Agency in Madrid, led by its Director, Mr Anton Leis visited NANTS office.
It would be recalled that in 2019, NANTS in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) embarked on an empowerment programme.
The programme, which is with the support of the Spanish International Development Agency (AECID), is aimed at providing succour to IDPs in Abuja.
Representatives of the beneficiaries said that the project had built their capacity for improved productivity in selected crops such as maize and groundnut.
The Chairman, IDPs camp Kuje, Mr Chiroma Isaiah, said they were traditional farmers before they were displaced from their communities.
Isaiah said the project, however, rekindled their hope by fostering access to agricultural tools, thereby, improving the livelihoods of the IDPs.
“By the time I came to Abuja, I had nothing but this programme has facilitated the return of my eight children to school.
“Currently, three of them have finished secondary school while one has graduated from the college of education.
“Now I have built my house and I have bought land and through this project many of us have motorcycles they use for commercial purposes,’’ he said.
Malam Umar Gola from IDPs Durumi commended NANTS, ECOWAS and SIDA for the support.
Gola who lost his wife and two children to insurgency, said the project helped his capacity beyond what he originally knew of farming by providing training on improved technology that resulted in improved productivity.
“Now, I have about two tonnes of beans I kept. This project has impacted so much on us and has expanded to other commercial activities apart from farming,’’ Gola said.
He, however, expressed concern that they were still faced with the challenge of herders’ attack on their farms.
Similarly, Mrs Rufkatu Peter, said the project promoted her gradual exit from IDPs status.
Peter described the project as a landmark approach toward ensuring that food security was taken to the next level in terms of sustainability.
Earlier, the National President of NANTS, Mr Ken Ukoha said research showed that 90 per cent of people in IDPs camps were traditionally farmers before they were displaced from their communities.
Ukoha said that the project had enhanced food and nutrition security mechanisms for IDPs and host community households through agronomic training and agriculture extension service.
“We developed farms and took them there where we trained them agronomically and 300 households regained their livelihoods.
“We also have 1,800 tons of maize that we have produced and we also have about 1,000 tons of groundnuts then we have some lessons that we learnt.
“We procured farms where we did demonstrations for them to learn.
“They were originally farmers before they were displaced so we needed to buy everything they needed to start life so as to move them from the roads where they were begging.
“So, we bought hoes, machetes, fertilisers, groundnut seeds and maize seeds; we bought all that they needed including the sprayer,’’ he said.
Ukoha, however, solicited continued support for the project to capture more IDPs.
According to him, records show that there are 6,348 IDPs in Abuja and this project captured 300 IDPs.
The Spanish director, Leis said that Spain would continue to strengthen its cooperation with Nigeria.
According to him, this will enable us to finance and support more projects such as this one.
“Thank you to everyone involved for making a difference to the project as we have seen and we have the opportunity today to hear from the beneficiaries,’’ he said.
While recalling some challenges facing the world in the last four years, Leis urged the beneficiaries not to lose hope.
According to him, Nigeria is a country of hope.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.
In a viral video on Wednesday, Governor Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.
The Governor stated that TuFace can do more.
He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State Government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advice as well.
“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entertainment and Community Outreach.”
Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with The Tide’s source.
Similarly, the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was announced on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager, following a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Senator Manager said all PDP members in the State, including the Governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, and all local government chairmen, had agreed to join the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and was made in the interest of Delta State’s long-term development.
Governor Oborevwori, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau, Borno, Benue, Niger State and most recently, Kwara State, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide.
Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Rt Hon. Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, said the gruesome killings had led to tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable trauma for thousands of Nigerians.
“We are alarmed by the escalating insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness with which these attacks are met. The time for mere condemnation and rhetoric has passed; urgent and coordinated action is now required at all levels of government to end these bloodbaths and restore peace and order.
“While we acknowledge that defence and national security fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, we must stress that every level of government bears responsibility for the security and welfare of the people. State governors, in particular, must rise to the occasion and fully understand that governance is not limited to road construction and ceremonial functions. True governance is rooted in the protection of lives, the preservation of order, and the alleviation of suffering,” he said.
He called on state governments to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by making and enforcing enabling laws for community policing and other grassroots-driven security models.
According to him, States must develop proactive frameworks that integrate local intelligence, social support systems, and youth engagement in the fight against insecurity.
The conference also urged the Federal Government to meaningfully engage the citizenry and introduce bold, practical measures to cushion the hardship caused by its current economic policies.
“Millions of Nigerians are groaning under the weight of inflation, unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis. It is imperative that relief initiatives—targeted, transparent, and impactful—are rolled out without delay. Dialogue, not distance, must define the relationship between the government and its people at this critical time.
“The Conference of Speakers affirms its commitment to supporting all legislative actions necessary to restore security, promote justice, and foster inclusive governance across the country. The killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kwara, and any part of Nigeria must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Justice must prevail, and peace must be restored.
“Let it be known: the safety, dignity, and well-being of every Nigerian must remain the top priority of all arms and levels of government,” Rt Hon. Ogundoyin said.