News Rider

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Children watch the remains of a destroyed building in southern Gaza. Photo: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images.  As the Isreali-Gaza war rages, an International Non-governmental Organisation, Mercy Corps has supported over over 180,000 people with emergency food and non-food items in the last one year. News Rider reports that the Isreali‐Gaza war broke out in October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militant groups led by  Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli civilian communities and military bases. Officials revealed that 1,139 people were killed and about 250 were taken captive, following Israel’s devastating offensive on Gaza. A statement by Mercy Corps over the weekend revealed that its teams and partners responded by delivering 8,472 food baskets, 5,004 hygiene kits, 1,379 shelter kits, and provided psychosocial support to 4,422 individuals in Gaza, through donations by individuals.  "Through it all, our incredible supporters con...

BY HELEN OJI, Abuja                                       Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche The National Vice President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Zone D, Mrs. Chizoba Ogbeche has tasked governors of the Northcentral States and their wives, as well as the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike to make deliberate efforts toward boosting girl-child education and safety in schools. Ogbeche made this known in her message to commemorate  the International Day of the Girl Child 2024 on Friday in Abuja, with the theme: "Girls' Vision for the Future." She noted that the United Nations General Assembly had on December 19, 2011, adopted resolution 66/170 declaring October 11 annually as the International Day of the Girl-child to address the challenges faced by girls across the world,  promote girls' empowerment and fulfil their human rights. Ogbeche decried that 'Education Opportuni...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Ministers, representatives of state governors and other stakeholders at a two-day meeting on implementing agro-industrial zones in Nigeria recently. PHOTO BY AfDB.  The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has sealed deal with governors to speed up the implementation of a programme designed to develop eight new agro-industrial zones in Nigeria.  This formed the crux of discuss during a two-day meeting in Abuja from October 7–8, attended by senior government and bank officials, and representatives of financing partners and the private sector. Nigeria Special Agro Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme was launched in 2022, with the aim to create new hubs that would integrate the production, processing and distribution of targeted crops and livestock to achieve food security, increase incomes, improve livelihoods, and support economic diversification.  The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun noted ...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has extended its condolences to the family of Ukrainian journalist, Victoria Roshchyna.  Roshchyna, a 2022 Courage in Journalism Award recipient died while imprisoned in Russia.  A statement by IWMF's Deputy Executive Director, Nadine Hoffma on Friday in Abuja, revealed that Roshchyna disappeared on August 3, 2023 while reporting in Russian-occupied territory and was allegedly captured by Russian military forces. News Rider reports that Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed her detention in April 2024, nearly eight months after her disappearance. Prior to her imprisonment, Roshchyna spent more than a year reporting from the front lines of Russia’s war on Ukraine as an independent journalist for outlets including Ukrayinska Pravda, Hromadske and Radio Free Europe. Reacting, Hoffman described Roshchyna's death as not just the loss of a remarkable woman, but of an intrepid witness to history.  ...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja At least, 400 participants from networks of farmers' organisations, public institutions, civil society organisations, researchers, policymakers, and private sector have concluded arrangement to attend this year's Regional Forum on Agroecology (AE) and Organic Farming. The forum, which is organised by the West Africa Agroecology Alliance (3AO) and the West Africa Organic Network (WAfrONet), in partnership with ECOWAS and ActionAid Nigeria, is expected to reflect on financial policies and mechanisms towards strengthening food sovereignty in West Africa through sustainable food systems. Scheduled to take place in Abuja from October 21-24, 2024, the theme of this year's forum is: "Financing the Transformation of Sustainable Food and Nutrition Systems for Food Sovereignty in West Africa through Organic Farming and Agroecology: What Policies, Mechanisms and Instruments?" The event will feature six keynote presentations, eight panels, 11...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja VP Quaynor (center right) and Korea Customs Service (KCS) Commissioner Kwang-hyo Ko (center left) with senior KCS officials and members of the African Development Bank delegation. PHOTO BY AfDB The African Development Bank (AfDB) has enjoined African countries to embrace Public, Private, Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure development in the continent.  Group Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor disclosed this at the just concluded Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) in South Korea.  At the two-day conference, which lasted from September 9-10, Quaynor engaged with leaders from Korean government agencies and the private sector.  In his keynote address, Quaynor encouraged the leaders to  explore the vast investment opportunities in Africa, just as he highlighted the upcoming Africa Investment Forum, set to take place in Rabat, Morocco, from December 4-6. He noted t...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja                 Mrs Nnenna Nwabufo  African Development Bank Group has appointed Nnenna Lily Nwabufo as Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery. The appointment takes effec from October 4, 2024.  Until her appointment, Nwabufo, a Nigerian and seasoned executive, has garnered over 33 years of expertise in financial management, budget planning, human resource management, corporate services, and regional operations. A statement from the AfDB website on Wednesday revealed that Nwabufo joined the services of the bank since 1991, where she  held various managerial roles, including Acting Vice President for Corporate Services in May 2015.  Also, in January 2021, she was appointed the Director-General for East Africa, where she led the Bank's Group strategic objective of achieving developmental impact in the region’s 13 countries by ensuring the growth of sovereign an...