NEWS
AHF Launches Comic Book on Menstrual Health Education in Abuja
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, has revealed that nearly 2 billion people menstruate, with 500 million experiencing period poverty globally.
The Foundation disclosed this during the unveiling of a magazine that focuses on the girl child’s menstrual education and hygiene in Abuja, Thursday.
The 26-page comic magazine, produced by the AHF, depicted the challenges that the girl child faces in Nigeria regarding menstrual education and the stigma attached to it in communities across the country.
The Foundation noted that one of the things needed to change the tide is the provision of easily relatable information that can attract attention of young women and girls.
It further stated that in many communities, taboos prevent open discussion about menstruation, limit access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information, and discourage people from seeking care.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Steve Aborisade, Senior Advocacy & Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, intimated that there is need to spread the awareness on menstrual education among the adolescence and young women in the country, especially with a view to removing the stigmatisation that has posed challenges to the campaigns over the years.
He insisted that addressing menstrual health must go hand in hand with efforts to normalize periods, which this book is set to achieve.
“This book takes readers through some salient issues in menstrual health management, particularly as it concerns access to accurate information and correcting the misinformation which is at the root of the stigma associated with menstruation in our society.
“The book provides the basic steps to keeping healthy and well during periods, while also making boys and men allies of menstrual health management.
“We reckon that the target audience for the comic magazine would find the message in it interesting and easily embrace it for their benefits and they too can help share the message accordingly,” Dr. Aborisade said.
The AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, Dr. Echey Ijezie, who presided over the launch at the Abuja office, said efforts would be geared towards producing the magazine in many Nigerian languages in order to further broaden the core message to the targeted audience.
“It is imperative to ensure that our target audience are reached in no distant future. We would work with the Federal Ministry of Education and explore the outreaches to use them as education and awareness tools,” Dr. Ijezie said.
Mrs. Osaro Osa-Jarikre of the Child Development Department at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, who represented the Minister of Women Affairs, disclosed that the ministry would capture the AHF programmes in its elaborate policy to be launched soon, stressing that the ministry had found the foundation as a worthy partner in furthering the cause of the girl child in Nigeria.
“Our ministry has resolved to carry the AHF along in the various programmes we have designed for the girl child in Nigeria, and we are also ready to offer needed support to the foundation in its quest to upgrade the Nigerian young generation,” Mrs. Osa-Jarikre said.
Among those who attended the magazine launch include Dr. Charity Awunor, Nursing Manager, AHF; Dr. Ugochi Ajaero, State Clinical Coordinator, AHF; Binta Suleiman Jalo, Programme Officer, Kids & Teens Resource Centre, Abuja; Taiwo Ajani of the Lawyers Alert, Abuja; representatives of civil society organisations and members of the Girls Act.
NEWS
They Planted Juju in my Jacket at Davido’s House – Peruzzi
Singer Peruzzi has narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket during his stay at Davido’s house.
Peruzzi was signed to Davido’s record label, DMW, in 2017.
Davido dissolved the label in April 2024.
However, discussing his experience during his stay at Davido’s house, Peruzzi narrated how a charm was planted in his jacket.
Speaking in a video interview online, he said, “I took a shower one evening, like at 6 pm. Just a shower and then went to go and meet them back downstairs because I was chilling there before I went upstairs in David house when I was still living there.
“And then I was done taking the shower. I go to my wardrobe to get my clothes, and then one of my jackets is just telling me, ‘Pull me, wear me, wear me, wear me.’ I don’t know how to explain it, but I was just having the urge to wear it.”So, I carry am (the jacket), and something just dropped inside, and when I looked, it was jaz, better juju inside my room. A jacket that just came from the laundry.”
NEWS
AFSNET Business Conference Kicks off in Calabar
From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
The 6th African sub – sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference has started in Calabar the cross river state capital as Afreximbank opens a $2 billion tap for Cross River State and other African sub-sovereign governments for the financing of bankable projects that can turn around their economies.
Making the disclosure in Calabar in a press briefing, The Director, Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion, Afreximbank, Dr.
Gainmore Zanamwe, said the 6th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network Investment Conference (AfSNET 2026) is going to be a three day event, running from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November, 2026.Dr Zanamwe stated that, the Bank has the facility ready to finance. According to him, “Some people say funding is a problem. From Africa we say no. The $2 billion is there,” Zanamwe said. “Go and tell your people. You people in the media, go and tell people that money is there,” stressing that the bank is fully prepared to spend the next three days, November 12, 13 and 14, in Calabar enlightening states on how to access the fund. “How do you then access the funding? He asked.
“That is what we’ll be telling everybody in the course of the next three days. We’ll be showing you how you can tap into the $2 billion to do your projects. We’ll make it very simple.” He maintained.
Zanamwe stated that only states that present properly packaged, bankable projects will benefit. “We’ll start tomorrow with a training on how to identify projects in your states. Some normally start by saying there’s a project in this, they then run to the investors. It doesn’t work that way. We’ll be breaking it down,” he said.
“We would like, under the leadership of your Governor, to be able to start from the vision and say this is the vision in terms of promoting trade investment in your states. Once you start from that big vision, you cannot do everything. You need to focus. Identify two or three sectors that you really need to focus on and promote,” he added.
He explained that capital can be raised in two ways: by preparing a project and making it bankable for financial institutions like Afreximbank, or by preparing a pitch deck to generate interest from potential investors.
He also promoted Africa Direct Investment, saying an investor from Lagos or South Africa can as well enjoy the same privileges and incentives given to an investor from America.
He stressed that governors will pitch their projects on November 13 and 14, adding that in the last five years, the initiative has facilitated opportunities worth more than $3 billion, trained over 2,000 people, and worked with 21 African countries.
Also speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, welcomed investors to the state.
“With Cross River State’s agrarian economy being rejuvenated by this administration, for the first time a very deliberate attempt is being taken to be able to make sure that our diverse products are being properly processed to meet international standards,” Cobham said.
NEWS
RMAFC Advocates Fair Share of 13 Per Cent Revenue Derivation Among Oil Producing States
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has advocated a fair distribution of the 13 per cent derivation revenue among states that produce oil and gas.
The Chairman of the commission, Mohammed Shehu, made the appeal on Thursday in Owerri during the inauguration of an oil and gas wells verification exercise.
Shehu explained that the commission’s constitutional responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, include monitoring revenue generated into and disbursed from the Federation Account, including funds allocated under the 13 per cent derivation arrangement.
He said the exercise would focus on identifying and confirming the geographical coordinates of disputed oil and gas wells, alongside newly drilled wells between 2017 and 2026.
According to him, an Inter-Agency Technical Committee established for the assignment would carry out physical inspections of the affected wells, verify their locations and ensure that their coordinates were accurately recorded using officially approved maps.
He added that the committee would also take relevant court judgments into consideration when addressing disputes involving oil and gas well locations.
Shehu said the committee would forward its technical findings directly to the commission for review, ratification and eventual adoption.
He described the verification exercise as essential to ensuring that revenue allocations from the Federation Account are accurate and fairly distributed, explaining that the geographical positions of oil and gas wells determine the financial entitlements of producing states.
“This exercise represents a crucial phase in establishing statutory accuracy, technical fidelity, and fiscal equity within the Federation Account allocation framework,” he said.
He further explained that the precise coordinates and geographical positions of oil and gas wells have direct implications for the legal and financial rights of the respective states.
The RMAFC chairman urged officials participating in the exercise to adhere strictly to professional surveying procedures, recognised maps and relevant legal requirements in carrying out their assignments.
He reiterated that the technical committee’s report would be submitted solely to the commission for administrative review and formal approval.


