From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Non-Governmental Organisations and other Humanitarian Groups on Tuesday, organised a children’s day celebration at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Mega Camp located in Mbayongu, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State where educational materials including mobile school was donated to children of internally displaced persons.

Humanitarian organizations including K2U Games Limited, Smile Doctor Foundation, Offshore Lab, and their partners, carried out the gesture to mark the 2025 Children’s Day.

The event, filled with fun activities and educational support, was aimed at uplifting the spirits of displaced children and emphasizing their right to a hopeful future.

Mr. Martins Oloye, co-founder of K2U Games Limited, producers of African games and K2 African Offshore puzzles, explained that the team returned to the camp after an earlier visit where they conducted a puzzle competition.

The goal, he said, was to expose the children to Africa’s rich heritage and provide tools that would inspire intellectual and personal growth.

“We noticed the children needed a few things,” Oloye said. “We reached out to our partners, including the Oando Foundation, and were able to establish a small library stocked with books. This isn’t just about fun. It’s about letting the children know they matter. They are not statistics or numbers. We want them to glimpse the world beyond this camp and believe in their potential.”

He emphasized that the group’s efforts went beyond donating materials. “We brought thousands of notebooks, textbooks, and exercise books, but what matters most is the change in mindset. We want a child from this camp to say one day, ‘I passed through this library and became a doctor, a lawyer, an artist.”

In line with this mission, Emeka Obiwulu, CEO of Offshore Lab, introduced an innovative education solution known as Schoolbox.

He described it as a rapid-response infrastructure system designed to combat the growing crisis of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“With over 10.5 million children out of school, we are facing a national emergency,” Obiwulu stated. “Schoolbox uses recycled shipping containers to quickly set up classrooms, ICT labs, and sanitation facilities in areas where education has been disrupted. Within 7 to 14 days, we can equip any local government area with functional educational spaces.”

He thanked the Benue State government and other partners, including K2U and NNPC Limited, for supporting the pilot deployment at the camp.

“The classroom here seats only 22 but serves over 1,000 children. It clearly isn’t enough. We’re hoping to scale this solution across all IDP camps and underserved areas in Nigeria.”

Also contributing to the event was Dr. Olufemilayo Adeniyi, Executive Director of Smile Doctor Foundation and founder of Luxe Dental Clinic, Lagos. She led an oral health outreach, distributing over 500 dental kits and teaching children how to maintain hygiene.

“As a foundation, we believe everyone deserves access to oral care,” she said. “It has been humbling to see over 3,000 families in this camp, in a country not at war. We must all rise to stop the root causes of this displacement. We are doing our bit, but this is just a drop in the ocean.”

Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Mr. Aondowase Kunde, disclosed that IDPs were already returning home despite rising insecurity, stressing that there is ongoing reintegration efforts including the construction of boreholes in communities like Tatyough and the development of large-scale rice and maize farming for IDPs.

“Return, resettlement, and reintegration are the three pillars of our durable solution strategy,” Kunde said. “We are not resettling them in clusters but in structured communities where they’ll have access to social amenities and livelihoods.”

When asked if these efforts would be sustained amid recurring attacks, the commissioner said some communities remain secure and viable for return, adding that not all areas are under threat.

On his part, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, said Governor Alia is committed to education, even within the camps.

He highlighted the use of the Accelerated Basic Education Program, a federal initiative that offers learning in informal settings.

“It’s a stopgap that ensures our displaced children are not left behind,” Ikyaan said. “They’ll be able to reintegrate into the regular school system once they return home. It’s already shown promise in other regions.”

However, when pressed for data on how many schools had been shut down due to insecurity, Ikyaan declined to provide a specific figure. “The situation is fluid, and the numbers change rapidly. But we know that several local governments including Gwer West, Guma, Kwande, and Agatu have been badly affected,” he noted.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. James Iorpuu, represented by Mr. Donald Komgbenda, assured the IDPs of continued support. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to their welfare and safe return to ancestral lands.

Highlights of the celebration included cultural dances, March past puzzle game and other activities.

The event brought smiles, hope, and a renewed sense of purpose to hundreds of children, reminding all stakeholders that in the face of crisis, compassion and collaboration remain powerful tools for transformation.

 The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says young people are being engaged in the anti-corruption war to equip them with knowledge and empowerment against the temptations of corruption.

The ICPC Resident Anti-corruption Commissioner in Osun, Mr Yusuf Olatunji, made the remarks on Wednesday in Osogbo at the maiden edition of anti-corruption drama and spoken words competition organised  for secondary school students.

The competition with theme “Corruption: A Virus That We Must Eradicate”, was organized by ICPC in collaboration with the state government.

According to Olatunji, young people are the torchbearers of a new nigeria where honesty is honored and corruption is shamed, and they are not too young to make a difference.

“The competition was organised to get secondary students involved in the fight against corruption and make them agents of change in the society.

“Like a virus, corruption mutates, it adapts, finds new hosts, and spreads across generations, if left unchecked.

“And like a virus, it requires a deliberate, strategic, and well-coordinated response involving both prevention and enforcement.

“ICPC is at the forefront of this response, but we cannot fight alone. That is why programmes like this are of utmost importance.

“This event is more than a competition, it reflects a strong and shared commitment to raising a generation bold enough to say “NO” to corruption in all its forms.

“It is a strategic platform for youth engagement in the anti-corruption movement, a deliberate effort to raise a new generation of citizens who are informed and ethical,” he said.

The commissioner also said the competition was part of a broader strategy and mandate of the ICPC in tackling corruption and other related offences in the society.

“By using creative platforms such as drama and spoken words, we are not only educating our students, but also giving them a voice to shape public values and challenge corrupt norms from an early age.

“Corruption is not a cultural trait, inheritance, error or destiny, but a choice and a disease that can be cured.

“We have taken a firm step towards that cure by listening to our young people, learning from their insights, and committing ourselves anew to the cause of national reformation,” he said.

In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Education, Mr Eluwole Adedipo, applauded ICPC for organising the competition in their efforts to eradicate corruption in the country.

He said the move to get young people involved and aware of the need to eradicate and fight corruption was very important.

The commissioner, however, stressed the importance of parents nurturing their children to have integrity and always do the right things.

According to him, parents need to set good examples and be role models to their children.

The competition was won by Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School in Osogbo. (NAN)

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has inaugurated the 2025 National preparedness and response campaign on flood disaster and related hazards in Taraba.

The campaign has as its theme “Strengthening Community Resilience for Flood Risk Reduction in Nigeria”.

Hajia Zubaida Umar, Director General, NEMA, while inaugurating the campaign in Jalingo in Wednesday, said the initiative focused on proactive community-based disaster risk reduction

Represented by Mr Abbani Garki, Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Umar identified early warning systems for early action as well as coordinated emergency responses.

She noted that the Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) respectively, had provided NEMA with valuable insights into rainfall pattern and flood scenarios for the year.

She said that this was through the rainfall and flood forecasts contained in the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO).

The director general said that in view of the above, the agency had developed the 2025 Climate Related Risk Management Implication, Preparedness and Mitigation Actions.

According to her, this will serve as a guide to reduce the impacts of floods during the year.

Umar said that NEMA had also developed disaster mitigation strategies which include capacity building of local emergency responders and simulation exercises.

Others, she said were rain water harvesting, adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting by farmers, irrigation as alternative source for agriculture among others.

She called on stakeholders and communities to remain vigilant and actively participate in local preparedness efforts as the 2025 rainy season unfolds.

In her remark, Dr Echuse Audu, Executive Secretary, Taraba Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), described the stakeholders meeting as a strategy in collaboration towards response to flood disaster.

Audu, identified logistic challenges as major problem facing quick response to disasters, but added that Gov. Agbu Kefas was providing the agency with needed funds in responding to disasters.

According to her, the governor is passionate whenever it comes to saving of lives.

The key participants at the meeting include representatives from federal and state agencies, security outfits, and humanitarian organizations, among others. (NAN)