The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has inaugurated a statewide grassroots Gender-Based Violence (GBV) sensitization and advocacy campaign in Katsina State.

The campaign was unveiled on Wednesday at the Government Senior Secondary School Kofar Kaura, Tudun-Matawalle.

The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Sa’idu Ibrahim, said the aim was to eliminate GBV and promote gender equality in rural communities.

Represented by the Assistant Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Alhaji Aliyu Sani, Ibrahim emphasised the importance of collective action to eradicate GBV in the state.

The NYSC Coordinator further urged stakeholders, governments, and parents to join hands in promoting gender equality at home and public places.

Hajiya Hafsat Shehu, the Officer-in-charge of the Katsina NYSC Gender Desk, highlighted the scheme’s efforts to alleviate stigmatisation through gender desk offices, and the gender CDS Vanguard.

She said that the initiative demonstrated NYSC’s commitment to promoting gender equality and eliminating gender-based violence in Nigerian communities.

The event featured paper presentations, discussions, and also advice from NYSC officials and stakeholders.

Participating schools included Eldans Science and Arabic Academy, Danmasani International Academy, and Government Senior Secondary School K/Kaura Tudun-Matawalle.

Others were the Government Junior Secondary School Tudun Matawalle, and Sabuwar Unguwa Primary School Tudun Matawalle. (NAN)

The Lagos State Government has shut down five orphanages in the last one year for offences ranging from baby trafficking to violations of the State Child Rights Law of 2015.

The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, disclosed this in Ikeja on Tuesday during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate Gov.

He said that the closures were part of the ministry’s efforts to clamp down on illegal practices and safeguard the rights of children across the state.

“We have a duty to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, which is why our officers work round the clock.

“Any facility found to be engaging in unwholesome activities such as baby trafficking will be decisively dealt with; we have the records with us,” he said.

According to him, the ministry operates a dedicated monitoring unit tasked with ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and protecting the welfare of children in orphanages and similar care facilities.

“Our monitoring team is constantly in the field, ensuring that these homes are operating within the ambit of the law,” he added.

Ogunlende also highlighted the ministry’s broader social intervention efforts, noting that over 4,000 youths had been trained in various vocational skills in the past year.

“We are committed to empowering our young people. Through targeted skills acquisition programmes, more than 4,000 youths have been trained to become self-reliant.

“Training in vocations such as tailoring, fish farming, ICT; they are at liberty to choose any vocation of their choices,” he said.

He further revealed that more than 200 children had been rescued and rehabilitated during the same period, as part of the ministry’s child welfare programmes.

“Each rescued child represents a life saved from exploitation or neglect. That is what drives our commitment,” he concluded.

The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s zero tolerance for any form of child rights abuse and promised that enforcement efforts would be intensified going forward. (NAN)

For the first time since February 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has maintained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5 per cent.

CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso announced the decision on Tuesday in Abuja following the 300th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

Cardoso said all 12 MPC members voted unanimously to hold all key monetary parameters.

The committee retained the Cash Reserve Ratio at 50 per cent for Deposit Money Banks and 16 per cent for Merchant Banks.

The Liquidity Ratio remains at 30 per cent, and the Asymmetric Corridor was held at +500/-100 basis points around the MPR.

Since February 2024, the MPC under Cardoso had raised the MPR from 18.