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Oluremi Tinubu Highlights Merck Foundation’s Health and Education Initiatives in Nigeria

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First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, speaking virtually during the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary and Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit 2026   The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says the Merck Foundation, an international non-governmental organization and philanthropic foundation has significantly strengthened healthcare capacity, and expanded educational opportunities for vulnerable girls in Nigeria. She stated this at the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary and Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Summit 2026, held virtually with the participation of  Africa and Asia FirstLadies in collaboration with Tata Memorial Foundation India.  She made this known at the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary – Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Summit 2026, held virtually, which brought together First Ladies from Africa and Asia, who serve as ambassadors of the Foundation’s “Mor...

FG, BOA deepen collaboration on women's economic empowerment

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Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, and his management team on a courtesy visit. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Bank of Agriculture, BOA  have expressed commitment to strengthening collaboration on programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of women, expanding access to agricultural finance and boosting Nigeria's agricultural sector. The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated this in Abuja while receiving the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, and his management team on a courtesy visit. The Minister said women remain central to Nigeria's agricultural value chain and must be provided with the necessary support to scale their businesses, improve productivity and contribute more significantly to national economic growth. Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that experiences from the Nigerian for Women Programme Scale-Up ...

PWAN Empowers Journalists on Police Reform, Accountability

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  By Hadiza Abdulrahman  A non-governmental organisation, the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), has trained journalists to strengthen their reporting on police reform and accountability issues. At a one-day workshop for journalists, the Executive Director of PWAN, Kemi Okenyodo, said the training forms part of the organisation’s project titled “Enhancing Public Trust and Gender-Responsive Policing in Nigeria Through Effective Implementation of the Police Act 2020.”  Supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the initiative seeks to improve citizens’ trust in the Nigeria Police Force and promote institutional accountability, gender responsiveness, and professional policing across the country. According to Okenyodo, the workshop would equipped media practitioners with knowledge, skills, and tools for accurate, ethical, and impactful reporting on police reform. She added that the engagemen...

Calls Rise to End Breast Ironing in Abuja Community

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by  Hadiza Abdulrahman Picture AI Generated  Watch: Teni Powa explains how breast ironing is carried out  VIDEO: Hadiza Abdulrahman Teni Powa admitted that she once practised breast ironing on her daughter but stopped after awareness campaigns reached Pigba. For her, it was simply a tradition passed down by her grandparents, something she believed was meant to protect. It wasn’t until she learnt the medical risks that she realised the pain she could have caused her daughter. However, her daughter, the victim, was not home at the time of the interview “As a girl child, they don’t want you to spoil, they don’t want you to follow men, and they don’t want you to be attractive to men,” said Ruth Ibrahim, secretary of the Pigba Sama Community. “They believe when your breasts start coming up, it will make men come closer to you and make you disrespect your parents. That’s why they carry out this practice.” Ruth recalled the case of a woman in the community who complained that br...

Closure of Only Clinic Leaves IDP Women Vulnerable

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  By Hadiza Abdulrahman  Front view of the abandoned mobile clinic, now used as a spot for relaxation and a dumping ground for waste and farm produce. Photo: Hadiza Abdulrahman Since November 18, 2022, the only operational clinic serving thousands of displaced people in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp Wass on the outskirts of Abuja has remained shut. The closure followed an altercation between camp residents and a healthcare worker accused of diverting donated drugs for personal gain. “We had issues with the health worker. My people wanted to beat him because they believed he was stealing and selling the drugs. So, AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council) removed their health worker and locked the clinic,” said Usman Ibrahim, Secretary of the Wassa IDP Camp. “We found records that confirmed the allegations were not true. Some drugs were still in the clinic, but they had expired,” he noted. Adding, “Though tensions were eventually resolved and the same health worker occa...