The National Population Commission (NPC) says it is in  partnership with journalists on effective reporting of the 2023 population and housing census in Kaduna State.

Abdulmalik Durunguwa, Federal Commissioner of NPC, said this at the one-day capacity building workshop for journalists on effective reporting of the 2023 census, on Friday in Kaduna.

According to him, the media is integral to the sensitisation of the masses, which necessitated the training for journalists.

He said the census was a national event, and it was the responsibility of every citizen to participate by presenting themselves to be counted,

Represented by Adama Othman, a Director in the commission, he said the exercise would count on journalists’ support in educating, informing and sensitising the people of the state.

Durunguwa said the journalists would do this on the commission’s processes and methodology for the conduct of 2023 population and housing census.

” Census is everybody’s business, we cannot be sucessful without the media, so it is the duty of journalists to transmit the information to the general public.”

Gambo Santos, Secretary, Kaduna chapter, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), commended the commission, giving assurance that journalists in the state would effectively report the activities related to the census.

On his part, Suliman Ibrahim, Press officer, National Orientation Agency, said the training was timely in ensuring that journalists understood the important processes of the census for effective reporting.(NAN)

 By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

Nigeria being the giant of Africa’s economy has been chosen by the Heads of State and Government of the Sahel Region Climate Commission (SRCC) to host the Secretariat  of the Sahel Climate Fund.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday, February 17, 2023 declared Nigeria’s interest to host the headquarters of the Sahel Climate Fund and readiness to provide all necessary amenities.

A communiqué issued at the end of the second conference of Heads of State and Government of SRCC, held on the margins of 36th AU Summit, also approved the appointment of Issifi Boureim of Niger Republic as the Executive Secretary of the Commission.

Boureim, until his appointment, was the Coordinator of the Transitory Operational Framework of the Commission.

His appointment is for a non-renewable period of three years, without the possibility of candidacy for future terms of office.

The “Sahel Climate Fund” is the financial body of the Sahel Region Climate Commission (SRCC).

The body is one of the three climate Commissions for Africa created in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016 at the Summit of African Heads of State and Government, organised at the initiative of King of Morocco, on the sidelines of the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Among other decisions by leaders of member countries during the mini-summit in Addis Ababa include the adoption of the methods of contributions from the States for the financing of the operations of the Executive Secretariat and the Sahel Climate Fund as well as for the participation in the 1st recapitalization of the said Fund.

A panel of Heads of State comprising President Buhari, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, President Alassane Quattara of Cote d’Ivoire and General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno of Chad was established to support the work of the President of the Commission.

The communique also named eminent personalities as Ambassadors for advocacy and the mobilization of resources for the financing of climate related programmes and actions in the region.

The Ambassadors are Issoufou Mahamadou, former President of the Republic of Niger and first president of the Commission, Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Tidjane Thiam, Ibrahim Hassane Mayaki,  MO Ibrahim, Aliko Dangote, Ibrahima Thiaw, Paul Kammogne Fokam and Mossadeck Bally.

The Gombe State Government says it has concluded arrangements for the implementation of a 32 million dollars erosion control project, to address land degradation and other environmental challenges.

The Newsmen report that the project tagged “Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) is being implemented with the support of the World Bank.

The Project Coordinator, Mr Sani Jauro stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu-Abubakar III, on Friday in Gombe.

He said the visit was to seek for the royal father’s support ahead of the project launch, adding that the state had secured approval for the implementation of the project with the support of Gov.

The Coordinator said the World Bank aporoved 18-month work plan of the project at the cost of 32 million dollars, adding the state government had contributed its counter part fund to facilitate smooth execution of the project.

He that 31 kilometers of drains would be constructed to control gullies at Federal College of Education (Technical) – Arawa – Angwan Uku – Railway – Doma communities.

“In view of the fact that land degradation and erosion negatively affect food production, livelihoods and the soil quality.

“The Inuwa Yahaya’s administration prioritised projects aimed at addressing such environment-related challenges.

“Aside addressing the erosion challenges, there is the agriculture component of the project which seeks to engage key stakeholders towards harnessing the irrigation potentials of the state to boost food security,” he said.

The project, he said, would create job opportunities for the youths through this component as several hundreds of hectares would be cultivated.

He said that part of the requirement of the project was active engagement of community leaders to create awareness and mobilise support for its effective implementation at the grassroots.

Jauro commended the governor for his commitment towards addressing erosion, land degradation and other environmental challenges in the state.

“Under the Yahaya-led administration, the partnership of the state government and World Bank assisted project of Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) had addressed a N2.9 billion erosion project in Gombe State University.

“That particular intervention saved a lot of the state’s varsity infrastructures threatened by erosion; this is commendable and we appreciate the effort of the governor”.

Responding, Shehu-Abubakar pledged support to projects designed to address social, economic and environmental challenges to help improve the lives and livelihood of the people of the state.

He said with the impact of climate change around the world, it was important for such projects to be supported, “so I support the project 100 per cent.

“My doors are always open, and I will also send out the message to ensure the success of the project for the benefit of our people.” (NAN)