NEWS
World Bank Disburses $1bn Zero Interest For Lake Chad Region
The crises ridden Lake Chad region is about getting some reprieve, in the areas that money can solve, because the World Bank has made one billion dollars, in zero interest financing available for affected countries to manage the situation.
Country Manager, World Bank for Chad, Rasit Pertesv, expressed optimism that the amount would help tame insurgency, while announcing the intervention on Thursday, in N’Djamena, during the Fourth Lake Chad Governor’s Forum meeting.
Biztellers gathered that the forum is a coming together of the affected countries, made up of Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria to synergise on solving the crises.
It is expected that they will take the opportunity to evaluate the dynamic patterns of the crises, which has given rise to widespread displacement, damaged the social fabric, and interrupted public services, in the face of weakened institutional capacities across the affected countries, which the $1bn is expected to address.
According to Pertesv the intervention is meant to assist the affected countries in stepping-up economic development, job creation, and improving the lives of people who had borne the brunt of the crises.
He maintained that the zero-interest financing from the International Development Association (IDA), provided support for two major regional development priorities which include the recovery of livelihoods to reduce the vulnerability of people living in Lake Chad
It would go a long way in expanding cross-border economic activity to spur greater opportunity and integration in the areas of agriculture, energy, transport, and regional trades, the country manager, added.
He commended the regional stability programme aimed at restoring and improving security in Lake Chad and called for redoubled efforts toward sustainable recovery in areas that were economically affected.
On his part, Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Amb. Mamman Nuhu stressed that prevailing poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy created a susceptible environment for the extremist group’s ideology to spread rapidly among communities in the Lake Chad region.
The ES pointed out that that the region’s majority youth population, traditionally reliant on farming and cattle rearing, had their livelihoods disrupted, making them vulnerable to Boko Haram’s propaganda.
“Since the development of the Regional Strategy for Stabilisation, Recovery, and Resilience (RS-SRR) in 2018, the strategy has acted as a regional architecture for responding to the complex security, humanitarian and development issues plaguing the region.
“It emphasises the need for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, and coordinated set of sub-national, national, and cross-border initiatives to achieve long-term stabilization, recovery, and resilience.
“As a result, several initiatives and programmes have sprung up to facilitate regional cooperation, respond to humanitarian needs, and foster peace and development in the region, one of which is the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum,” Nuhu said.
In the same vein, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission, Amb. Adeoye Bankole, described the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum is an essential platform for promoting sustainable regional peace and security in the region.
“The African Union encourages further collaboration among member states and international partners to support the forum’s efforts towards consolidating peace in the region and creating better opportunities for the people of the Lake Chad Basin,” he added.
The 15th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum (PNCF) is billed for Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from November 30.
This edition of the initiative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) would hold be in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government as disclosed on Tuesday when a delegation of the NCDMB and DMG Events met with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House, Yenagoa.
Leading the delegation, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, conveyed the appreciation of the Executive Secretary of the board, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, to the state government for its continued support for the forum.
He said, “We appreciate the Bayelsa State Government for its continued partnership and support for the PNC Forum”.
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According to him, the Youth PNC was designed to expose young people in the Niger Delta to emerging opportunities in the oil and gas industry and the competencies required to build successful careers in other sectors of the economy.
Ezeobi added, “We have introduced new initiatives into this year’s programme to ensure that the PNC continues to deliver greater value to participants and address emerging issues in the Nigerian content space.”
The Senior Manager, Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Mr Adebayo Joseph, spoke on plans for the Youth PNC, while the leader of the DMG Events delegation, Ms Olamide Oloko, outlined the major activities planned for the conference.
Oloko said the new initiatives would include a Local Content Roundtable and a two-day programme for Local Community Contractors aimed at helping them scale up their operations.
She added, “The 2026 edition will also feature a breakout session to collate stakeholders’ views on the future direction of Nigerian Content over the next decade.”
Responding, Akpe assured the NCDMB and DMG Events of the state government’s continued support for the PNC Forum.
Akpe said, “The Bayelsa State Government is committed to ensuring that the event is successful and that participants have a conducive and secure environment throughout their stay in the state.”
He said the initiative demonstrated the practical impact of the programme and urged the board to sustain efforts aimed at creating opportunities for young people in the region.
Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.
The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.
Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.
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“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.
Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”
“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.
The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.
Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”
The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.
“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.
The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.
They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.
“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.
“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”
The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.
Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.
No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.
Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.
Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.
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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.
“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.
According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.
“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.
Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.
He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.
The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.
Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.
He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.
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