NEWS
AHF Nigeria Urges Leaders, Policymakers to Promote Women Empowerment Initiatives
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
A global non-profit organization, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, has urged policymakers, leaders and communities to prioritize policies and Initiatives that protect and uplift women and girls worldwide.
The AHF Nigeria Advocacy & Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade made the call in a press statement on Thursday in Lokoja, as part of activities to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 10.
Aborishade stressed the need for leaders at all levels to turn commitments into action, stressing that a just and equitable world would only be possible when women and girls could claim their full rights, power, and potentials.
He restated the commitment of AHF to standing in solidarity with women and girls worldwide, celebrating their achievements while championing action to break down barriers to health, equality, and opportunity.
The statement further quoted, Dr. Echey Ijezie, the AHF Nigeria Country Program Director (CPD), as saying: ‘‘At AHF Nigeria, our desire is that we continue to uplift, empower, and advocate for a world where every woman has the chance to live healthy and prosper.
“Eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS is an important step to empower and uplift not just the women, but the family as a unit”.
On her part, the AHF Deputy Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy, Loretta Wong, said: “Women and girls everywhere deserve the power, knowledge, and resources to take control of their health, futures, and lives.
“Real change requires more than words, it demands concrete commitments, including expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment, sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and economic empowerment”.
Aborishade, therefore reaffirmed AHF commitment to ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind as the world celebrates this year’s IWD on March 10.
He assured that AHF would continue to prioritise women and girls by advocating for policies that protect and uplift them worldwide.
He added: “From distributing free menstrual products and combating gender-based violence to expanding access to HIV/AIDS services, AHF is dedicated to ensuring every woman and girl can lead a healthy, empowered life.
“For IWD 2025, AHF Nigeria will be hosting a forum that brings together women from Benue State Government Mentor Mothers’ program and mentor mothers from across AHF facilities in the Makurdi axis.
“The event will include young women and girls from AHF Nigeria community Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) cohorts and female members of the Community Advocacy Club from Adaka and Agwan Jukun, Makurdi, Benue state.
“AHF Girls Act members from the communities and facilities affiliated shall also be in attendance”.
Aborishade explained that the forum would examine the impact and efforts of mentor mothers while looking at ways at which they can also entrench age-appropriate sexuality education in their various communities.
He added that the forum would also be an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional champions at the forefront of eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2.2 million people in 48 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe.
AHF is currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world.
The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has called for a lasting solution to eradicate environmental pollution caused by plastic wastes.
In her message to mark the year 2025 World Environment Day, with the theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, in Abuja on Thursday, the first lady also advised people to curtail the way they consume food and drinks packaged in plastics.
“I join millions of Nigerians and the world in calling for urgent and united action to safeguard our environment.
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, affecting our health, our environment, and our future.“In Nigeria, we must rise to this challenge by changing how we consume packaged food items and how we dispose of plastic containers and bags.
“I particularly want to speak to our youths, the leaders of tomorrow, be it in schools or within our neighborhoods, each of you has a role to play in creating a cleaner, healthier and greener Nigeria,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu had recently promised to introduce environmental solutions clubs to schools through her NGO, Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
“I want to use this opportunity to introduce our students to two programmes that the RHI will be launching soon.
“First is the Environment Club for Secondary School Students and the Environment Society for Students in Tertiary institutions nationwide to help us clean up our environment and grow more trees.
“Second is the “Flow with Confidence” for our girls in rural communities.
“This programme is to provide one year’s supply of disposable sanitary pads to our adolescent girls to support them to remain in school during their menstrual cycle,” She said.
NAN further reports that some of the functions of RHI environmental clubs in schools would include raising environmental awareness; fostering social and life skills; empowering students to take action and promoting sustainable behaviours.
The clubs can also enhance critical thinking and creativity, encourage healthy lifestyles, and strengthen communities.
The club would encourage students to participate in various environmental projects, like tree planting, recycling, and garden projects, gaining practical experience and deeper understanding.(NAN))
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation on Wednesday evening banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States.The countries affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Nationals from these countries will be “fully” restricted from entering the U. S., according to the proclamation. Similarly, the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted.The proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am EDT (5:01am Nigerian time).Trump said the move was needed to protect the U.S. against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video posted on X.The U.S. President said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.He said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbour a “large-scale presence of terrorists”.He alleged others failed to cooperate on visa security and had an inability to verify travellers’ identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the U.S..“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump said.Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security”.Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.That order directed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”During his first term in office, Trump had announced a ban on travellers from seven countries, a policy that generated so much controversies before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.However, former President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.” (NAN)From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro has congratulated the traditional ruler of the Okochiri Kingdom in Rivers State, His Royal Majesty, King Ateke Tom on the occasion of his 61st birthday.Otuaro was among prominent guests that graced the colourful birthday celebration of King Ateke at his palace in Okochiri, Okrika Local Government Area, on Monday.
He described the Rivers monarch as “a respectable leader whose reign has brought about unity, peace, progress and development around his community. ”He stressed that King Ateke, who is also the ‘Sekuro of the Niger Delta’, was a great asset who had contributed immensely to the peace, stability, security and development of the region.Otuaro expressed his utmost regard for the traditional institution and the vital role of traditional rulers in the peace and development of communities in the Niger Delta.He noted that traditional rulers were among the critical stakeholders that the PAP was collaborating with to strengthen the programme’s peace-building process in the region.He reiterated that the programme was in safe hands, and strongly motivated by President Bola Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap through formal education scholarships and vocational training in aviation, maritime, agriculture, and other relevant trade areas.Otuaro said his policy of inclusivity had ensured the involvement of Niger Delta women in the programme’s initiatives, stressing that there were plans designed for their empowerment and contribution to the region’s socio-economic growth.He emphasized that he was focused on rendering quality service to the people of the region, and not distracted by the shenanigans of his detractors.Otuaro called on all stakeholders of the region to remain steadfast in the effort to sustain the prevailing peace in the region so that socio-economic and developmental activities could thrive around the communities.While expressing appreciation to King Ateke for his unwavering support to the programme, the PAP boss prayed to God to grant him long reign, longevity and good health.
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