News
Africa Bears 20 per cent Global Disease Burden -Osotimehin
The Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, yesterday, said that with barely 11 per cent of the world’s population, Africa bears 24 per cent of the global burden of diseases.
Osotimehin made the disclosure while addressing the ministerial session at the ongoing Regional Conference on Population and Development in Addis Ababa.
He urged leaders to step up efforts in addressing the overwhelming health challenges facing the continent.
He said “Africa accounts for just one per cent of the world’s financial resources for health and three per cent of the global health work force, which results to limited and inequitable access to health services and very poor health outcomes for our people, particularly the most vulnerable of us.’’
The UNFPA boss said 450 African women and girls die every day in childbirth, accounting for more than half of all preventable maternal deaths worldwide.
“The region also accounts for half of all child deaths and roughly 75 per cent of all HIV-related deaths globally,” he added.
Osotimehin, who was former Nigeria’s health minister, urged leaders to increase funding to tackle challenges related to extreme poverty and income disparities, social exclusion and inequalities and address the needs of the young and the old.
“We also need to address challenges related to the status of women and girls, and to ensure universal access to basic health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, as well as address the unmet needs of some 47 million women in sub-Saharan Africa for family planning,” he added.
According to him, challenges related to urbanisation, migration, complex emergencies and conflict, the environment, food insecurity and climate change also need to be addressed.
“These challenges are linked in a vicious self-perpetuating cycle that must be broken.
“It is unacceptable that in the 21st century, girls are still subjected to harmful practises such as female genital mutilation and child marriage, which violate their rights to health, physical and mental integrity and life.
“Of the 10 countries worldwide with the highest rates of child marriage, eight of them are in Africa, while pregnancy complications remain the leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 in our region.’’
He appealed to stakeholders for measures to tackle gender inequalities and critical barriers that prevented women and girls from exercising their rights and empowering themselves through a secure, sustainable, prosperous and resilient societies.
“We know that when countries invest in girls and other young people, and in their access to reproductive health information and services, household incomes rise, disease burdens fall, child survival improves and their economies thrive.
“The challenges of responding to the needs of Africa’s more than 50 million adolescent girls are linked to the youth bulge.
“We know that our continent is in demographic transition and there is much anticipation and excitement around the demographic bulge and its potential demographic bonus.
“ We must, however, be strategic, innovative and forward looking if we are to harness this demographic dividend and transform the region.’’
On his part, the Chairman of the AU and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Dessalegn, assured of improved efforts to ensure that the outcome of the conference and the recommendations of the African common position were implemented.
The chairman said “if properly managed, the so-called youth bulge will represent a golden opportunity for many African countries to experience the demographic dividend, mainly in the form of accelerated economic growth and development.’’
He, however, urged governments to ensure effective implementation of policies that would take advantage of changes in the population structure.
Our correspondent reports that the conference is being attended by government agencies, civil society organisations and experts in population, health, women, gender and children matters across Africa and beyond.
Other participants include leadership of the AU Commission (AUC), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) being the host and several UN agencies.
The conference, which will end on Friday, is expected to evolve strategies and action plans beyond the 2014 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda.
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
-
Rivers2 days ago
HOS Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP … As Project Sensitization Team Visit Degema, AKULGA
-
Politics2 days ago
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar
-
Opinion2 days ago
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
-
News2 days ago
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
-
News2 days ago
2027: I Stand With Southern Presidency -Ortom
-
Politics2 days ago
Lagos LG Polls: Police Restrict Movement, Tightens Security
-
News2 days ago
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman
-
Opinion2 days ago
Checking Herdsmen Rampage