By Tobi Oyetunde

The Sholly Serenity Place, a haven offering accommodation and multifaceted support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), has been recognized for its exceptional work by the Lagos State Government.

The shelter, run by the Shola Adefolalu Gaska Foundation, was recently awarded the “Most Responsive NGO” in the state at the Governor’s Award ceremony.

This recognition comes as a boost for the Foundation to do more, as the world commemorates the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” (November 25 to December 10). The ceremony and award were part of the climax marking the ‘Domestic Violence Awareness Month’ by the State’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).

The Sholly Serenity Place, also known as Sholly’s Safe Home, is a testament to the dedication of Bola Salt Essien-Nelson, who established the Shola Adefolalu Gaska Foundation in honor of late sister, Shola Gaska.

Driven by the mission to bring smiles to the faces of those in need, particularly women and children, the foundation has extended its reach far and wide. Since April 2017, their impactful initiatives have included providing monthly allowances to vulnerable women and families, rehabilitating a wheelchair-bound beggar, offering COVID-19 relief packages, and awarding academic scholarships.

“Our goal is to make the world a happier place, one smile at a time and since April 2017 we have done that in different ways: providing monthly allowances to vulnerable ladies and families for period ranging from six to 12 months; the rehabilitation of a wheel-chair bound beggar from the streets of Lagos Island back to his family home in Abeokuta and the provision of Covid-19 relief packages to several families in need every month since September 2020 to date. We have also awarded two academic scholarships”, said Mrs. Essien-Nelson.

In June 2021, the Foundation opened the doors of the Sholly Serenity Place, a safe home for vulnerable women and survivors of domestic abuse/violence. The shelter also known as Sholly’s Safe Home provides temporary accommodation and feeding totally free of cost for its residents. It seeks to create an enabling environment where residents feel loved and cared for in a way that re-ignites hope in them for their future.

“We pour out God’s love over our residents and as we take care of them, slowly but surely, their hope is restored. They are now able to think and work out their next steps with the NGO or Church that referred them to us. It is a thing of beauty to see the power of God’s love in action and while it is very emotionally demanding, the smiles we see on their faces after being with us for a while make it all worth it”, she added.

Betty Abah, a prominent women’s rights activist, commends the foundation’s efforts, calling them “God-sent.” She highlights the foundation’s unwavering support, not just through financial means but also through donations and collaboration with other shelters like Hearts of Hope, which Abah herself administers.

“The Shola Gaska Foundation has been of tremendous benefit to many of our women and children from day one. The support is indeed unquantifiable.

“Madam Salt has been one of our major pillars of support. She continues to be an amazing symbol of someone who took her lemons and turned to lemonade, benefiting countless people in the process. The award from the Lagos State Government is very much deserved. Our world is certainly better and more beautiful with people like Salt”, said Abah.

Essien-Nelson expressed her gratitude for the recognition and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration. “We look forward to greater collaboration as we continue in our service to the vulnerable members of our society, God helping us,” she affirmed.

By David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.
United States Embassy Abuja

OP-ED

Nigeria is on track to be the world’s fourth-most populous country by 2050. It already has the largest economy in Africa and, with 60 percent of its population under the age of 25, it stands on the threshold of a demographic dividend that can dramatically transform its economy for the better. Nigeria’s strategic partnerships are essential in harnessing this potential, and the United States is playing a leading role. As we near the six-month mark of President Tinubu’s administration, our relationship has emerged as a key for success. One year ago, at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC, President Biden renewed our commitment to deepening engagement across the continent. Here is how we are doing that in Nigeria – working in areas that matter most to everyday citizens, such as growing the economy, strengthening democracy, improving health outcomes, ensuring security, and addressing the climate crisis.

Nigeria’s economic potential is vast, and with the right macroeconomic framework, a sound fiscal strategy, and a strong commitment to rooting out corruption, it can become a preferred destination for foreign direct investment. American investors and companies are eager to engage with Nigeria, and the United States government is doing its utmost to build our bilateral trade and investment ties.

Consider these examples: We have joined forces to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation, with investments from U.S. tech giants such as Microsoft, Cisco, Meta, Google, and Starlink. This partnership has built a platform to train unemployed and underemployed women and youth. Moreover, it has been a catalyst for quality investment, accounting for more than a quarter of all venture capital flowing into Africa.

Collaborative efforts in agriculture further underscore our commitment. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently dedicated $22 million to strengthen Nigeria’s cocoa value chain, supporting more than 60,000 cocoa farmers, processors, marketers, and other agribusiness service providers in what is Nigeria’s #2 foreign exchange-earning export. From tech to agriculture, these steps go beyond statistics. They translate into tangible outcomes: good jobs, seed money for new ventures, and higher-value agricultural exports.

The United States is also a steadfast partner in strengthening Nigeria’s health sector. With World AIDS Day – December 1 – approaching, it is worth recalling that over the past two decades, PEPFAR, the leading U.S. initiative to address HIV/AIDS, has invested nearly $8 billion in Nigeria, providing more than 1.6 million individuals with life-saving HIV treatment. In response to COVID-19, the United States donated more than 44 million vaccine doses, helping the Nigerian government approach its target vaccination rate of 70 percent of the eligible population. Partnerships like the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, with an annual budget of more than $71 million, have reduced child death rates and strengthened health systems.

Those investments are just part of our overall development assistance to Nigeria. In fiscal year 2022 alone, the U.S. government allocated over $1.2 billion dollars in such support. These funds provide humanitarian assistance, and improve health, economic development, education, social services, democracy, human rights and governance, and peace and security.

In the latter two areas – democracy and security – we aim to support an inclusive future where Nigerian citizens’ votes count and translate into responsive governance, and where they can live in peace. We are a steadfast partner in seeking to strengthen election processes that will enhance accountability to meet citizens’ expectations, and pursuing innovative projects to help communities resolve differences without violence. Through cooperation with and training of Nigeria’s military and police, we are building more capable forces. Collaborating with civil society, law enforcement, and the judiciary, we are confronting the security challenges that stand in the way of economic growth while upholding a shared commitment to human rights. Initiatives include building Nigeria’s counter-terrorism capacity, bringing technology to courtrooms and case-management systems to help in the administration of justice and reduce pre-trial detention, and supporting efforts to enhance accountability and transparency in police forces.

Our partnership to address the climate crisis reflects our mutual recognition of this challenge, and our respect for Nigeria’s role as both an energy producer and a country profoundly impacted by the effects of climate change. In the leadup to COP28 – the 28th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change, which begins this week – the United States and Nigeria are aggressively seeking solutions. For example, U.S. support for Nigeria’s leadership as a Global Methane Pledge champion has led to action that is reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of all.

These programs and cooperative efforts advance a joint agenda that is built and driven by the highest levels of our leadership. President Biden met with President Tinubu in September, and numerous senior U.S. officials have come to Nigeria in recent months to confer on meeting Nigeria’s energy needs, driving U.S. trade and investment in Nigeria, and strengthening our law enforcement cooperation. These engagements strengthen our ties, address Nigeria’s pressing needs, and tackle shared challenges.

Ultimately, realizing Nigeria’s potential hinges upon enhancing its fiscal and economic health – and capitalizing on its strategic partnerships to build on that foundation. The opportunity has never been greater. Nigeria, with its youth, energy, and entrepreneurial spirit, is poised to seize this moment. We commend the government for its bold actions thus far to try to move the economy to a more solid footing. The United States is your partner in that effort – through investment, better security, a stronger workforce, and resilient institutions – that benefits all Nigerians and expands prosperity for both our peoples. Our journey ahead has its obstacles, of course. But together we will find a path toward a shared prosperity.

By Funmi Falobi

Financial expert, Mr Tilewa Adebajo has raised concern on the adverse consequences to the economy of the securitisation of Nigeria’s Ways and Means advances.

He noted that such an act by the Senate validates the conversion of Nigeria’s huge Ways and Means indebtedness to further loans as bonds and other securities. “Securitisation means the government now issues treasury bills and bonds to pay off the Ways and Means.”

Securitisation of the Central Bank’s ways and means advances was a feature of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. The Senate approved President Buhari’s request, sources say, without including it in the Order Paper. It was intended to restructure N22.7trn loans which the Federal Government took from the CBN under the ‘Ways and Means Provision.’ Securitisation increased Nigeria’s Debt to GDP ratio to 38.4 per cent in the public debt balance.

“Ways and Means was never supposed to exceed N1 trillion, yet now it has surpassed N30 trillion, which is against section 38 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act. Under Section 38 of the CBN Act, the government is granted the authority to borrow from the apex bank, but such overdraft should not surpass five per cent of the government’s revenue from the previous year. It should also be repaid by the end of the financial year the loan was obtained,” he said.

Speaking at the Audit Reporting Training organised by FrontFoot Media Initiative held in Lagos, Adebajo said that such an action has compounded Nigeria’s indebtedness.

“Ways and Means financing is now 30 times more than is legally allowed. Securitization of Ways and Means is an illegal act. Nigeria’s deficit is increasing annually. Now 95 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue goes for debt service,” he said.

Adebajo noted that while regular citizens cannot do much to stop the spendthrift direction of the Federal and State governments, the media and professional groups should be more active in calling out any misbehaviour and wrong direction.

“Unfortunately, the citizens are too busy struggling with survival. The key responsibility falls on the media and the elite. The elite have compromised. The media are not pulling their weight,” he noted.

While urging the citizens to pay close attention to the country’s financial management, Adebajo advised, “Anytime you have a budget, ask for the audited accounts for the same year. What did you say you would do? What did you really do? What revenue target did you project? What was the actual revenue? What was the expenditure projection? What was actually spent and on what?”

On his part, Emeka Izeze, Director and Partner, FrontFoot Media Initiative said the “Audit Reporting Training: X-Raying State Government Audit Reports” is a flagship capacity development programme.

“It is a targeted training of journalists which we are undertaking under the auspices of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism and the sponsorship of the MacArthur Foundation,” Izeze asserted.

The Lagos workshop is the fourth in its series to train the media to pay close attention to the audit report for its significance. Earlier workshops were in Benin, Awka, and Abuja.

By sdnonline

As the world celebrates the 2023 International Girls’ Day, Initiative for Social Impact and Sustainable Development has called on the government and stakeholders to invest in leadership rights and remove every barrier to digital literacy for girls to be able to compete favourably in the technology age.

Speaking on this year’s theme, “Invest in Girls Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” ISISD Coordinator, Funmi Falobi said that girls cannot be left behind in the era of leadership and technology innovation if we want gender equality to thrive.
” No doubt the world now evolves around technology and it is important our girls are not left behind in this innovative drive to thrive and fulfil their potential.
We must invest in leadership rights for girls and they must be encouraged to take up leadership roles early in life which will boost societal well being.
“Although we have reached a point that we recognise this day as International Girls’ Day, much still needs to be done to improve lives for girls”, she added.

She noted that digital literacy will enable girls to use digital platforms and resources to find, evaluate, and obtain information which would help students become lifelong learners and help to engage them in the process of acquiring academic skills as well as stay connected and be informed about the things that are revolving around society.

“Digital literacy enhances both formal and informal learning, and it is of great importance that young girls are capacitated with digital literacy information so that they are empowered and their confidence and self-esteemed is boosted in decision-making, and healthy-conscious living, among others.”

Falobi however noted that as good as technology is to the good of all, there are some challenges with it, which may be inimical to the growth and development of the girl child.
“Investing in the rights of girls helps to boost their leadership skills and their well-being. While technology brings an open window for development of potential of the girl child, care should be taken to guide the girl child from being a victim of manipulated tendencies through online gender-based violence”, Falobi warned.

International Day of the Girl Child is an annual and internationally recognised observance on October 11 that empowers girls and amplifies their voices. Like its adult version, International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, International Day of the Girl Child acknowledges the importance, power, and potential of adolescent girls by encouraging the opening up of more opportunities for them. At the same time, this day is designated to eliminate gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world, including child marriages, poor learning opportunities, violence, and discrimination.

By sdnonline

As the world commemorate International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), it is ironic that Nigeria has no plan in place for the realisation of the goal for its own citizens.

This was contained in a joint statement by three freedom of expression and media development organisations on Thursday, 28th September, 2023 calling on Federal and State Governments to take urgent measures to facilitate access to the Internet for all Nigerians in accordance with the government’s international obligations. They stressed that access to the internet is no longer a matter of mere convenience but a fundamental prerequisite for full citizenship and participation in modern society.

In a joint statement signed by Dr. Akin Akingbulu, Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO); Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC); and Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) in commemoration of this year’s International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), the organisations urged the government to take immediate and comprehensive action to bridge the digital divide by exploring innovative solutions to provide universal and affordable internet connectivity to all citizens, regardless of their location or economic status.

According to them, universal access to the internet has become imperative in the digital age “with many countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world already providing or ensuring high quality Internet connectivity for all their citizens free of charge”, which makes it “unacceptable that millions of Nigerians continue to wallow in digital wilderness”.

The organisations are the Nigerian members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global network of freedom of expression organisations, and its continental network, the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), and are collaborating under the banner of the Partnership for Media and Democracy (PAMED).

They recalled in their joint statement that Nigeria was a co-sponsor of the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/20/L.13 of July 5, 2012, wherein the global human rights body called on “all States to promote and facilitate access to the Internet”.

They argued that having worked with a handful of other countries, namely the United States, Brazil, Sweden, Turkey and Tunisia, to initiate and propose the idea to the world for all States to facilitate access to the Internet for their citizens, it is ironic and reflects negatively on Nigeria that more than 11 years after the resolution was adopted, it has no policy or plan in place for the realisation of the goal for its own citizens.

The organisations also cited the provisions of Paragraph 37 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which imposes a mandatory obligation on member States of the African Union to, “in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, adopt laws, policies and other measures to provide universal, equitable, affordable and meaningful access to the internet without discrimination.”

The organisations noted that while a significant portion of Nigeria’s population enjoys the benefits of the online world, there remains a sizable segment of the society that is excluded, marginalized, and disadvantaged due to their lack of access to the internet, arguing that such exclusion raises critical questions about the status of such people as citizens in the digital age where many public services and other benefits are now available only to those who are online.

Observing that this year’s celebration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information is focusing on the importance of the online space for access to information, they argued that the digital age has transformed the way we live, learn, work, and communicate and that access to the internet had become a necessary means for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and other human rights online.

The organisations insisted that those who are currently not online are being unjustifiably denied their full citizenship rights and benefits, including access to critical public services and other benefits that exist online in the digital age and urged Federal and State Governments to take advantage of this year’s celebration of the international right to information Day to commit themselves to redressing this undesirable reality.

They also called on Federal and State governments to take urgent steps to boost public trust and confidence in the internet, including by putting an end to attacks on journalists, bloggers and other citizens for expressing themselves online, describing such practices as a violation of the right to freedom of expression as well as the spirit of the 2012 UN Human Rights Council resolution co-sponsored by Nigeria, which affirmed that “the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online.”

The organisations also urged the government to ensure that all members of society, including vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents, are protected online by adopting appropriate policies and legislation, undertaking media and digital literacy programmes, among other measures.

They appealed to the government to take special care as it launches 5G telecommunication networks and services in Nigeria to ensure that the introduction of the technology in the country bridges rather than exacerbates the digital divide, including by ensuring that the services are affordable for ordinary citizens.