Nigeria's minister, BETTA Edu emerges ECOWAS' Chairman of Inter-Ministerial Committee on Social Protection

BY JUMOKE OWOOLA

Nigeria's Minister For Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,  Dr. Betta Edu who is now the chairman of the ECOWAS Inter- Ministerial Committee on social Protection, has harped on the imperativeness of member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa,  ECOWAS to work towards achieving maximum social protection in the sub-region.

Speaking in Banjul, the Capital of the Republic of Gambia, during the closing session of the hybrid inter-ministerial meeting to adopt the ECOWAS regional social protection framework and operational plan, Dr. Edu told the session that the adoption of the social protection framework by member countries and full implementation was key to overcoming humanitarian and poverty challenges in West Africa.

Describing the meeting as crucial and remarkable as it is expected to grow the great initiatives and long-term efforts of the ECOWAS Commission with the support of partners in birthing the social protection instruments in the sub-sub-region, Minister who chaired the event virtually argued that; 

"Social Protection is a fundamental human right and should not be regarded as a privilege. It is a social and economic necessity that has proven to be a stabilizer in times of crises and shock, and it is meant to be provided throughout  life circle"

Dr. Edu pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the yawning gaps in the social protection of the world, particularly in the West African sub-region, which has one of the lowest social protections in the continent.

Records, she disclosed, have shown that the coverage of Social Protection in the ECOWAS region is the lowest in the continent with an average of about 17%  of the population receiving at least one form of social protection benefits and spending is equally low as studies show that as little as 1% of the GDP of member States is spent on social protection benefits apart from health considered a far cry in comparison to international standards which should not be acceptable in West Africa.

Citing Nigeria as an example,  the Minister, however,  acknowledged that member states were making giant strides towards addressing issues of social protection at the national level by developing policies and structures/programs to change the narratives. Nigeria is presently implementing one of the highest social protection interventions that covers 15 million households and, by extension, 61 million individuals through conditional cash transfers. This is the first of this magnitude and coverage in Africa by President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS, showing leadership in social protection within the region.

"Furthermore Nigeria has a National Policy on Social Protection developed and other ancillary policies that will facilitate its operationalization, like the Cash and Voucher Assistance policy in Humanitarian context have equally been developed to guide actors in providing cash transfer assistance to the persons of concern in humanitarian setting.

"Also in terms of structures, we have Several Agencies and parastatals dedicated to providing various social protection assistance to different categories of the population of Nigeria to lift millions out of poverty through different Social Investment and intervention programs under the watch of the ministry of humanitarian Affairs and poverty alleviation.

"All interventions including humanitarian interventions are now redesigned through the lenses of the Humanitarian- Development-Peace nexus to ensure sustainable response. 

"Most importantly, a  Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund has equally been approved by the Federal Executive Council to ensure the mobilization of resources for social protection interventions," she said.

Dr. Edu who told the audience that  the time for action is now, stressed that the  Social Protection Framework for West Africa was intended to provide a broad set of guidelines and principles to ECOWAS and the Member States in the design and delivery of social protection interventions.

She was of the view that the effort was driven by the principle that the provision of comprehensive and adequate social protection would contribute to the improvement in the quality of life of the citizenry.

"In the light of the region’s exposure to a wide range of covariate shocks and common cross-border socio-economic challenges, the Framework aims at fostering higher levels of regional collaboration to broaden existing social protection systems and programs through a more coherent and effective approach to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and food and nutrition insecurity eradication (SDG 2) END HUNGER", Dr. Edu emphasized.

The Framework, according to the Nigerian Minister,  contributes to the achievement of several social protection-related SDG targets, especially SDG target 1.3, which seeks to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all.

Also, speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the ECOWAS Regional Session,  the Vice President of the Gambia, Muhammad Jallow, commended the commitment of the member states on social protection in the region.

"The framework seeks to address endemic issues such as financing, coverage, climate risk, and informality in our economies amongst others.

"One of the fundamental challenges in our region is that project-based social protection is ad hoc and unpredictable. As a region, we must move to mainstream social protection into our annual budgets. 

"The Gambia hosted an international Social Protection conference earlier this month on the theme “Accelerating Financing for social protection to increase coverage and reach. "

"I am particularly pleased to note that the experts have dedicated a similar objective “ Improve fiscal space for comprehensive and inclusive social protection, " he added.

The Closing Ceremony was attended by ministers in charge of social protection in eleven countries and the Nigeria Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who is the Chairman.

Woman arrested with decomposing new-born baby in polythene bag

By Dansu Peter 

A woman who threw a decaying infant baby into a plaza was arrested in the Sango Ota area of Ogun State on Sunday. 

According to media reports, the decomposing baby was allegedly thrown into the plaza by a 21-year-old lady identified as Esther Ojuko, whom some have alleged to be mentally imbalanced.

"Ojuko may have been mentally unstable at the time of the incident, according to the state police command," a reputational media source says.

According to reports, concerns started when some residents began a search for an item generating an offensive smell while it stinks in their vicinity. At a point, they discovered that the smell was coming from a sack behind a nearby compound, which a local later found out. As they unraveled the sack, their shock deepened upon discovering the tightly wrapped, decomposing body of the newborn.

A media report has it that a resident going by the name of Ogunmuyiwa allegedly went to the Sango-Ota Police Division to report the incident after making the discovery.

According to Punch Newspaper, Omolola Odutola, the public relations officer for the state police, verified the incident on Monday. She reportedly said that the mother had been found and was being held by the police on the murderous suspicion of the infant. 

Odutola added that a comprehensive inquiry has been started to determine the exact facts underlying the mother’s behavior.

Reports further indicate that the dead infant has been taken to the Ifo General Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.

Photo Credit: Punch 

UPDATED FULL LIST OF 147 APPROVED OR ACCREDITED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA BY NUC

By Dansu Peter 

According to data obtained from the National Universities Commission' website, Nigeria has a total number of 147 accredited private universities. Any university not listed below, is by implication not accredited 

Apart from the government (State and Federal) owned universities, the following are the approved and accredited private university in Nigeria. 

1. Babcock University, Ogun State

2. Madonna University, Anambra State

3. Igbinedion University, Edo State

4. Bowen University, Osun State

5. Benson Idahosa University, Edo state

6. Covenant University, Ogun state

7. Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos State

8. American University of Nigeria, Adamawa State

9. Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State

10. Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State

11. AI-Qalam University, Katsina, Katsina State

12. Bells University of Technology, Otta, Ogun State

13. Bingham University, New-Karu, Nasarawa State

14. Caritas University, Enugu, Enugu State

15. Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State

16. Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State

17. Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State

18. Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State

19. Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Ogun State

20. Renaissance University, Enugu, Enugu State

21. University of Mkar, Mkar, Benue State

22. Novena University, Ogume, Delta State

23. Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State

24. Veritas University, Abuja, FCT

25. Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State

26. African University of Science & Technology, Abuja

27. Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State

28. Fountain University, Oshogbo, Osun State

29. Obong University, Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom State

30. Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State

31. Wesley University of Science & Technology, Ondo State

32. Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State

33. Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State

34. Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti – Ekiti State

35. Godfrey Okoye University, Ugwuomu-Nike, Enugu State

36. Nigerian-Turkish Nile University, FCT Abuja

37. Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State

38. Paul University, Awka, Anambra State

39. Rhema University, Obama-Asa, Rivers State

40 Wellspring University, Evbuobanosa, Edo State

41. Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State

42. Baze University, FCT Abuja

43. Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State

44. Glorious Vision University (formerly Samuel Adegboyega University), Ogwa, Edo State

45. McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ajebo, Ogun State

46. Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State

47. Southwestern University, Oku Owa, Ogun State

48. Evangel University, Ebonyi State

49. Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State

50. Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State

51. Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State

52. Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State

53. Hallmark University, Ijebu-Itele, Ogun State

54. Kings University Ode-Omu, Osun State

55. Michael & Cecilia Ibru University, Owhode, Delta State

56. Mountain Top University, Makogi/Oba, Ogun State

57. Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwalbom State

58. Summit University, Offa, Kwara State

59. Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo, Delta State

60. Hezekiah University, Umudi, Imo State

61. Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos State

62. Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State

63. Clifford University, Abia State

64. Coal City University, Enugu state

65. Ojaja University, Ilorin, Kwara state

66. Dominican University, Ibadan, Oyo State

67. Kola Daisi University., Ibadan, Oyo State

68. Legacy University, Okija, Anambra State

69. Spiritan University, Neochi, Abia State

70. Precious Cornerstone, Ibadan, Oyo State

71. PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State

72. Atiba University, Oyo, Oyo State

73. Eko University of Medical Sciences, Ijanikin, Lagos

74. Skyline University, Nigeria, Kano, Kano State

75. Greenfield University, Kasarami-Kaduna, Kaduna State

76. Dominion University, Ibadan, Oyo State

77. Trinity University, Laloko, Ogun State

78. Westland University, Iwo, Osun State

79. Topfaith University, Mkpatak, Akwa-Ibom State

80. Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, Kwara State

81. Maranatha University, Lekki, Lagos State

82. Ave-Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa State

83. AL-Istigama University, Sumaila, Kano State

84. Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo State

85. Havilla University, Nde-Ikom, Cross River State

86. Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, Imo State

87. Karl-Kumm University, Vom, Plateau State

88. Nok University, Kachia, Kaduna State

89. James Hope University, Lekki, Lagos state

90. Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Kano State

91. Capital City University, Kano, Kano State

92. Ahman Pategi University, Patigi, Kwara State

93. University of Offa, Offa, Kwara State

94. Mewar University, Masaka, Nasarawa State

95. Edusoko University, Bida, Niger State

96. Philomath University, Kuje, Abuja

103. Sports University, Idumuje, Ugboko, Delta State

104. Baba-Ahmed University, Kano, Kano State

105. Saisa University Of Medical Sciences and Technology, Sokoto, Sokoto State

106. Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State

107. Peter University, Achina-Onneh, Anambra State

108. Newgate University, Minna, Niger State

109. European University of Nigeria, Abuja, FCT

110. Northwest University, Sokoto, Sokoto State

111. Rayhaan University, Kebbi State

112. Muhammad Kamalud-Deen University, Ilorin, Kwara State

113. Sam Maris University, Supare, Ondo State

114. Aletheia University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State

115. Lux Mundi University, Umuahia, Abia State

116. Maduka University, Ekwegbe, Enugu State

117. Peaceland University, Enugu, Enugu State

118. Amadeus University, Amizi, Abia State

119. Vision University, Ikogbo, Ogun State

120. Azman University, Kano, Kano State

121. Huda University, Gusau, Zamfara State

122. Franco British International University, Kaduna, Kaduna State

123. Canadian University of Nigeria, Abuja, FCT

124. Miva Open University, Abuja, FCT

125. Gerar University of Medical Sciences, Imope-ljebu, Ogun State

126. British Canadian University, Obudu, Cross River State

127. Hensard University, Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State

128. Phoenix University, Agwada, Nasarawa State

129. Wigwe University, Isiokpo, Rivers State

130. Hillside University of Science and Technology, Okemesi Ekiti, Ekiti State

131. University on the Niger, Umunya, Anambra State

132. Elrazi University of Medical Sciences, Kano Kano State

133. Venite University, Iloro-Ekiti, Ekiti State

134. Shanahan University, Onitsha, Anambra State

135. The Duke Medical University, Calabar, Cross River State

136. Mercy Medical University, Iwara, Iwo, Osun State

137. Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, FCT

138. Iconic Open University, Sokoto, Sokoto State

139. West Midland Open University, Ibadan, Oyo State

140. Amaj University, Abuja, FCT

141. Prime University, Abuja, FCT

142. El-Amin University, Niger State

143. College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna, Kaduna State

144. Jewel University, Gombe, Gombe State

145. Nigerian University of Technology and Management, Apapa, Lagos State

146. Al-Muhibbah Open University, Abuja, FCT

147. Al-Bayan University, Kogi state