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UNICEF, NEMA, NOA Engage Flood-Prone Communities In Niger

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3 years ago

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United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facilitators in Lavun and Edati local councils of Niger State, alongside the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and National Orientation Agency (NOA), have engaged flood-prone communities in the councils to understand their perspectives on emergency preparedness.
UNICEF facilitators in Lavun and Edati, Bashir Abdullahi and Mrs. Abiola Ogundare, over the weekend, educated religious leaders, women, youths, children and elderly in the communities on the need to prepare ahead of flood emergency.
400 meetings were simultaneously held with communities in 13 local councils, namely, Edati, Lavun, Katcha, Agaie, Lapai, Gbako, Mokwa, Bosso, Shiroro, Rafi, Mashegu, Wushishi and Borgu.
According to the UNICEF facilitators, members of the communities were enlightened on the need for early preparation for possible relocation to safer and higher grounds, prepare for foods, clothing, shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation, security, continued education for the children, as well as protection for women, children, the aged and support for the most vulnerable in the event of flooding.
Abiola explained that UNICEF and partners resolved to engage the flood-prone communities directly to prepare them ahead of natural disasters.
In their separate remarks, Turaki Muhammad of NEMA, and NOA desk officer, as well as volunteer, Samuel Yisa and Amina Abdullahi, respectively, noted that the engagement with the people living along river banks yielded result, adding that it afforded UNICEF and partners the opportunity for on-the-spot feedback from the flood victims; hence, the need for routine sensitisation.
Spokesman for Batako Community in Lavun, Mohammed Musa, and the village head of Lalo in Edati, Mohammed Ndazhitsu, said the engagement was first of its kind, pointing out that no authority had ever taken awareness to their doorsteps as such.
They, however, expressed displeasure that their communities had never been captured in the distribution of relief materials.
The community leaders lauded UNICEF, NOA and partners for their humanitarian gesture, assuring that they would embark on regular sensitisation in their communities to avert flood disaster.

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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5 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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5 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

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5 days ago

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January 2, 2026

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Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
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