Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency 1, Waheed Akintunde, has pledged to promote initiatives to make Oshodi safer and more attractive if elected.

Akintunde made the pledge during a walkshow and the grand finale of a football tournament he organised for youths in the constituency on Sunday in Lagos.

He said his priority would be to change perceptions of Oshodi and promote initiatives that attract more economic and social activities to the area.

‘I will change the perception of visitors and tourists about Oshodi and work to project the positive side of the constituency.

‘Oshodi would no longer be associated with insecurity or activities capable of discouraging residents, visitors and investors,’ he said.

Akintunde said youth empowerment would form a major part of his proposed development agenda, with emphasis on practical skills and self-reliance.

‘I will ensure that more youths in Oshodi acquire practical skills that can enable them to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

‘My approach is to teach the youths how to fish, rather than merely giving them food. I will equip them with the necessary skills and tools to earn a sustainable living,’ he said.

He also pledged to promote sporting activities to help young people discover their talents and stay positively engaged.

‘We must use sports, education and skills acquisition to create opportunities for our young people and give them reasons to believe in their future,’ he said.

The candidate said his proposed representation would focus on initiatives to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of residents of Oshodi-Isolo.

He called on residents, particularly youths, to support programmes promoting peace, enterprise, education and community development.

Akintunde said building a safer and economically vibrant Oshodi would require collaboration among residents, community leaders, government agencies and the private sector.

‘We can build the Oshodi we desire through collective responsibility, responsible leadership and programmes that directly improve the lives of our people,’ he said.

He said the football tournament was organised to promote unity, sportsmanship and youth engagement within the constituency.

Akintunde urged youths to remain peaceful and shun activities capable of undermining the community’s development and security.

‘Our youths are our greatest assets, and we must provide them with opportunities to become productive citizens and future leaders,’ he said.

He appealed to youths, residents and eligible voters to support his candidacy, promising to justify their confidence if elected.

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has unveiled 50 vehicles donated by Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, to boost the campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State.

A statement by the State Director-General, Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa said the vehicles were presented in Kano under the auspices of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Door-to-Door Movement to support mobilisation across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.

Unveiling the vehicles, Governor Yusuf said they would be distributed to the 44 local government areas to facilitate grassroots engagement and enhance the party’s mobilisation drive.

He noted that effective mobility was critical to political campaigns as it enables party officials to reach communities across the state.

The Governor added that his administration remains committed to implementing infrastructure and other development programmes aimed at improving the welfare and living standards of Kano residents.

Speaking on behalf of the donor, Chief Pondi Kestin, who represented Chief Ekpemupolo, said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Door-to-Door Movement was established to promote awareness of the policies, programmes and projects of the Federal Government.

According to him, the movement is focused on grassroots engagement and sensitising Nigerians on government initiatives, adding that it would sustain its mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Government Secondary School Otukpo Old Boys Association (OGSSOBA) has declared its support for its alumnus, Senator (Dr.) George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.

The association, which boasts over 10,000 members spread across the former Benue-Plateau and Gongola states, declared that it is queuing behind the SGF to enable President Tinubu to complete his ongoing developmental projects and economic reforms.

Speaking in Abuja, the National Convener of the support group, Okpe Oko, JP, described Senator Akume-who graduated from the institution in 1971-as a towering political leader whose direction the alumni body will follow unconditionally.

‘He is our father. Wherever he goes, we go; whatever he says, we follow him,’ Oko stated. ‘That is why we have decided to queue behind him to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term presidential bid, to continue with the work he started and bring it to completion.’

Defending the administration’s policy direction, Oko described President Tinubu’s removal of the fuel subsidy as a bold leadership step necessary to prevent hyperinflation and long-term economic collapse.

‘Now, we have a bold leader who decided to swallow the bitter pills and took the bullets on behalf of the entire nation,’ he added.

Corroborating his views, the National Coordinator of the group, Chief Ali Igboyi, acknowledged the current socio-economic challenges but emphasised that the subsidy removal was crucial to dismantling cartels that had long exploited the country.

Chief Igboyi highlighted key federal interventions driving economic recovery in the North-Central region, citing major road networks such as the Buruku-Logo Bridge, the Makurdi-Gboko Road, and the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, alongside the newly commissioned $250 million lithium processing facility in Nasarawa State.

According to Igboyi, these infrastructure, security, and industrial investments are laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth, job creation, and prosperity across the region and Nigeria at large.

The Federal Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are working on a plan to attract $10 billion in private investment over the next five years to communities affected by displacement and insecurity across Nigeria.

The proposed Leadership Alliance for Enterprise, Acceleration and Prosperity (LEAP) will initially focus on 10 states, with the aim of using private investment, development finance and government support to create jobs, rebuild livelihoods and strengthen local economies.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the Federal Government was ready to work with UNHCR, the private sector and development partners to develop the initiative and create sustainable economic opportunities for displaced people and the communities hosting them.

Bagudu spoke during a meeting with a UNHCR delegation led by its Representative in Nigeria, Arjun Jain, on the proposed LEAP initiative.

The minister said government intervention would be necessary to make investments in communities where insecurity, poor infrastructure and other risks make it difficult for businesses to operate.

He said public resources could legitimately be used to reduce some of the risks facing private investors, particularly where such intervention would unlock investment and create economic opportunities.

‘If a private-sector player wants to invest in a community facing security or infrastructure challenges, it is legitimate for the government to use public resources to help de-risk that investment,’ Bagudu said.

He listed security support, access roads and other critical infrastructure among the areas where government intervention could make a difference.

The minister also proposed the use of the National Credit Guarantee Agency and insurance arrangements to help reduce the risks associated with investing in vulnerable communities.

The initiative comes against the background of a large displacement crisis in Nigeria. Jain said UNHCR’s current operations cover more than 3.7 million internally displaced people, in addition to more than 140,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.

Jain said the scale of displacement made it necessary to move beyond short-term humanitarian assistance towards programmes that enable affected people to earn incomes, establish businesses and rebuild their lives.

According to him, UNHCR’s experience with displaced communities has shown that people generally want opportunities to become economically independent, particularly through employment and sustainable livelihoods.

He said the proposed LEAP programme would bring government, private companies, development finance institutions and development partners together to address the different barriers preventing investment in fragile communities.

Under the proposed arrangement, private companies would identify commercially viable opportunities, development finance institutions would provide suitable financing, while governments and development partners would help address risks that could discourage investors.

Jain said UNHCR had already held discussions with institutions including British International Investment and the International Finance Corporation as part of efforts to develop the initiative. ‘The only way we can succeed is to bring everyone around the table,’ he said.

The $10 billion investment target is expected to cover a range of economic activities across the participating states, with agriculture among the sectors identified as having significant potential.

Bagudu said opportunities existed in agriculture, including oil production and sugar, as well as other commodities.

He called for agricultural models that take account of the security and economic realities of communities affected by displacement.

The minister said displacement should not be treated simply as a humanitarian problem because it also disrupts production, destroys livelihoods and places additional pressure on local economies.

He explained that people forced to leave their communities because of insecurity or natural disasters often lose access to farms, fishing grounds, livestock and other productive assets.

‘Displacement, by its very nature, involves disruption. When people are forced to leave their communities, whether because of natural disasters or insecurity, their economic activities are automatically interrupted,’ he said.

Bagudu said returning displaced people to their communities without restoring their means of earning a living would not be enough to achieve sustainable reintegration.

He said government policy should therefore address poverty, restore productive activities and create opportunities for enterprise alongside efforts to facilitate the return of displaced people.

He also linked the proposed initiative to Nigeria’s long-term economic ambitions, saying the country’s planned $1 trillion economy must generate opportunities across communities rather than concentrate economic activity in a few locations.

‘Our objective is therefore clear: the $1 trillion economy we aspire to build must be inclusive and create opportunities across communities,’ he said.

Bagudu said prolonged displacement could also affect family structures, social cohesion and economic productivity, making economic rehabilitation an important part of rebuilding affected communities.

He recalled his experience as Governor of Kebbi State during a border delineation exercise involving the Republic of Benin following the implementation of a World Court judgment.

According to him, the relocation of communities during the process showed that displacement involved more than moving people from one location to another.

He recalled how a woman in one of the affected communities told him that the farmland available to men on the Nigerian side was much smaller, leaving them with limited productive activity after returning from their farms.

The experience, he said, demonstrated the importance of ensuring that displaced or relocated communities have adequate economic opportunities to support their families.

The minister said the Federal Government was also working to make development planning more responsive to conditions at the local level.

He said the government wanted a clearer understanding of the needs and opportunities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards.

Such planning, according to him, would make it easier to identify communities affected by displacement, areas hosting displaced populations and the infrastructure and economic challenges that require intervention.

Bagudu said both displaced people and host communities could face serious economic pressure, making cooperation between the Federal, State and Local Governments, the private sector and development partners necessary.

He said the LEAP initiative fitted into the Ministry’s approach to locally driven development and should eventually provide a model that could be applied across the country.

The minister cautioned against limiting the programme permanently to the initial 10 states, saying displacement and vulnerability were not restricted to a particular region.

He said different forms of insecurity, displacement and longstanding community tensions continue to affect access to land, investment and enterprise development in various parts of Nigeria.

Bagudu said every state and governor should be encouraged to examine ways of supporting private investment in communities where security, infrastructure or other constraints might otherwise keep investors away.

He also called for practical projects to demonstrate how the proposed model could work before it is expanded. ‘We should perhaps identify three, four or five projects where we can work together and demonstrate what is possible,’ he said.

Jain said UNHCR was already testing partnerships capable of connecting vulnerable communities with private investment.

He cited the organisation’s partnership with Tropical General Investments (TGI), which is expanding agricultural livelihood opportunities in Benue and Cross River states.

The three-year partnership, announced in June 2026, is expected to support more than 5,000 farmers and create over 10,000 jobs, with refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities among the beneficiaries.

Jain said UNHCR was also discussing additional financing arrangements with development finance institutions and commercial banks to provide affordable funding to farmers, displaced people and other vulnerable groups.

Beyond financing, he said UNHCR was developing community-based early-warning and early-response systems to provide timely information about security developments and support intervention by relevant authorities.

Such information, he said, could also help investors make better decisions about communities that may be broadly classified as high-risk.

Jain noted that security conditions could vary considerably between local government areas and individual communities, meaning that investors could miss viable opportunities if entire states or regions were treated as uniformly risky.

The availability of better local information could therefore help investors assess risks more accurately and identify communities where investment could be undertaken with appropriate safeguards.

Bagudu said existing World Bank-supported programmes could also provide platforms for collaboration under the proposed initiative.

He cited programmes supporting internally displaced people and resilience-building initiatives such as NG-CARES and Nigeria for Women as possible instruments for strengthening private-sector partnerships.

The proposed LEAP framework is consequently being positioned as a shift from dependence on humanitarian assistance towards economic participation, with investment expected to provide jobs, restore livelihoods and strengthen local production.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29, after about four weeks in Europe, the Presidency confirmed on Sunday night, dismissing concerns about his prolonged absence and declaring that he is ‘hale and hearty’.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the revised return date to The Nation on Sunday evening, explaining that the two-day shift from the earlier weekend schedule was only a ‘slight adjustment’ to the President’s itinerary.

The revised schedule has also been independently reported.

‘Yes, it’s true, he will return on Tuesday. It’s just a slight adjustment to his schedule, so when he’s returning, he’ll be returning to Lagos where he will observe the Independence Day ceremony.

‘He will also join other dignitaries to watch the premiere of the documentary on June (MKO), which will show on October 1 at the National Theatre, Lagos, before returning to Abuja’, Onanuga told The Nation

Hours later, Onanuga reinforced the clarification in a post on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, amid questions raised by former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi over Tinubu’s whereabouts and his absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

‘President Tinubu is hale and hearty.

‘Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to. In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023’, Onanuga said.

Onanuga said Tinubu had continued to work during his stay in Europe, pointing to his investment engagements in France and the recent agreements for the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Special Economic Zone in Ogun State.

‘And we have seen that he has indeed been working, meeting investors in France, most recently facilitating a $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government’, he said.

The clarification followed questions by Obi about Tinubu’s whereabouts and absence from the UN General Assembly, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria and delivered the country’s national statement.

Onanuga, however, argued that Tinubu was not the only prominent African leader absent from the gathering, citing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

‘Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’, he said, adding that Tinubu had publicly announced his annual vacation and delegated the UN assignment to Shettima.

Turning to Obi, Onanuga said ‘yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X’.

Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for London to begin what the Presidency announced as a working vacation forming part of his annual leave.

After spending about a week in London, he moved to Paris, France.

The Presidency subsequently announced on September 21 that the vacation had been extended by a few days and that he was expected back in Nigeria at the weekend.

The President held meetings during the European trip, including engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

The State House also said Tinubu remained in contact with officials at home and continued directing government affairs while abroad, including ordering an independent investigation into the deaths of suspected illegal miners following their detention in Minna, Niger State.

Shettima represented the President at several official engagements before travelling to New York to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly, while Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented Tinubu at some domestic events.

With the earlier weekend return no longer holding, Onanuga said the President would now arrive in Lagos on Tuesday and remain there for activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on Thursday, October 1.

Tinubu is also scheduled to attend the national premiere of MKO, a documentary on the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the June 12, 1993 presidential election struggle.

The documentary is scheduled to premiere on October 1 before opening in cinemas nationwide the following day.

‘President Tinubu will return home this week to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and honour MKO Abiola, the martyr of the democracy we enjoy today, by attending the premiere of a movie in MKO’s memory in Lagos’, Onanuga said.

The President is expected to return to Abuja after completing his Independence anniversary engagements in Lagos.

Stakeholders have identified poor case reporting, cultural factors, absence of support services, stigmatisation and isolation of victims as major bottlenecks to justice for victims of child labour violations in Lagos State.

The concerns were raised at a stakeholders’ workshop on exploitative child domestic work held in Alausa, Ikeja.

The workshop, with the theme ‘From Report to Justice: Closing the Gaps in Accountability for Abuse and Exploitation of Child Domestic Workers,’ was organised by CeCe Yara Child Advocacy Centre.

Deputy Director, Legal, at the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Mrs. Yemisi Akhile, said the rights of child domestic workers must be protected. She listed lack of witnesses, prosecution delays and unprofessional conduct by first responders as factors aiding abuse.

‘Child domestic work is what a lot of people overlook, and the kind of violence and maltreatment that children endure in the course of offering work are under-reported. Some people trivialise it and a lot of families also hide it,’ Akhile said.

She called for stronger collaboration and greater attention to violations involving underage labour.

Child protection expert and lawyer, Mrs. Ngozi Arinze, who spoke on ‘Advancing Timely and Effective Justice for Children,’ highlighted the consequences of delayed, withdrawn or unresolved cases and stressed the need for credible convictions and lawful outcomes.

According to her, effective reporting and proper documentation are key to preventing recurring abuse of children forced into inappropriate domestic chores. She noted that many cases suffer setbacks because families are unwilling to proceed, children are traumatised by repeated interviews, or case files are delayed between investigators and prosecutors.

‘We are discussing how to close the gap between reporting and justice. As we know, reporting on its own does not bring about justice. Stakeholders are here discussing how we can bring justice to survivors through reporting, proper documentation and effective prosecution,’ Arinze said.

The Convener and Chief Executive Officer of CeCe Yara Child Advocacy Centre, Mrs. Bisi Ajayi-Kayode, said studies by the International Labour Organization, ILO, and the US-based Freedom Fund show that a high proportion of child domestic work is exploitative and violates Nigerian labour and child rights laws.

She said access to justice goes beyond the existence of laws and policies.

‘Accessing justice is different from laws and policies. One of our guiding principles is from reporting to closure of the case, we give 100 per cent support for the child, providing medical, psycho-social, forensic interview, we get the child’s statement and restore the child to a normal base,’ she said.

In her remarks, the Nigeria Programme Advisor for Freedom Fund, the civil society organisation sponsoring the campaign with funding from the United States Government, Mrs. Chika Nwabike, said all hands must be on deck to ensure that child labour violations go through the full process from reporting to protection and justice for victims.

Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has recalled how he drove former Vice President Atiku Abubakar out of cabinet meetings on two occasions during full Cabinet sessions.

In his article titled, ‘The Seventh Bid of Waziri’, Fani-Kayode explained that Obasanjo saved Atiku from the humiliation and appealed to him during the first encounter.

Fani-Kayode said, ‘Atiku betrayed Obasanjo to such a point that I, as Minister of Aviation at the time, was constrained to demand that he should be thrown out of Cabinet meetings on two separate occasions during full sessions of Cabinet.

‘I did this during the course of the meeting and in the presence of every single Cabinet member, and when I did so there was pin-drop silence in the Cabinet chambers.

‘The first time, Obasanjo saved him from the humiliation and appealed to the other Ministers and me to allow him to stay whilst he sat there looking daggers at me and clearly in a state of shock.

‘The second time, which was a few weeks later, I made another demand in our Cabinet meeting under ‘other matters’ that if he did not get up and leave the chamber as a consequence of his betrayals and treachery against our President, then we the Ministers would walk out and leave him to conduct the Federal Executive Council meeting alone with the President.

‘Obasanjo again appealed to us to allow him to stay but compelled him to apologise to the entire Cabinet there and then for his treachery and outrageous behaviour, all motivated by the fact that he wanted to topple the President and take his place.

‘Atiku apologised there and then to the entire Cabinet and consequently was allowed to stay at the Federal Executive Council meeting, but he NEVER attended another Cabinet meeting after that.

‘This episode proves how over-ambitious he was as Vice President and how he coveted the seat of the man who brought him out of obscurity in Adamawa State and made him his Vice President.

‘He repaid Obasanjo’s good with evil just as he later repaid Tinubu’s, Buhari’s and the old PDP’s good with evil in later years.

‘Today he is so desperate to win the presidential election that he has not only destroyed his old party, the PDP, by splitting it into two, but he also did the same to the ADC, his new one, by breaking it in two and driving the Obi/Kwankwaso faction out to join a new party called the NDC.

‘Atiku, on the other hand, revels in subversion and believes that Nigeria was established for his benefit alone. This is a man who has consistently opposed and fought against the idea of power shift to the South ever since he left office in 2007.

‘He enunciated that notion and willingly espoused that grave and grievous injustice. He challenged Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, stayed with the coalition that removed him from power in 2015, took the PDP ticket from Nyesom Wike in 2022, ran against Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi in 2023 and is doing so again in 2027.

‘Contempt for the South. What remains striking is that he has done this even in cycles when power shift to the South was the prevailing argument from much of the political class, including many Northern leaders who backed it in the name of rotation, fairness and equity.’

The Kebbi State Government has sympathised with residents of Jega over losses suffered during recent violence and destruction of property in the area, while condemning acts of violence, intimidation and criminality.

The State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Isah Assalafi, stated this on Sunday at a press conference at the APC Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi.

Assalafi called for a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident to establish the facts, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the full consequences of the law.

He said political differences should not degenerate into violence or destruction of property, stressing that political competition must be conducted through lawful and peaceful means.

The APC spokesman also cautioned political actors and their supporters against inflammatory statements and misinformation capable of escalating tension in Jega or other parts of the state.

He said Jega had a long history of active political participation and peaceful coexistence, urging residents not to allow the actions of a few individuals to tarnish the image of the community.

Assalafi urged security agencies to ensure accountability based on evidence rather than speculation or political affiliation.

He commended security agencies, traditional institutions, community leaders and residents for restoring calm, urging them to remain vigilant.

The APC spokesman also called on political parties to take responsibility for the conduct of their supporters and reject political thuggery.

He reaffirmed Governor Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu’s, commitment to development, saying peace and security remained essential to the implementation of government programmes across the state.

Forty-five per cent of women giving birth in Nigeria make fewer than four antenatal care visits, while 51 per cent do not deliver in a health facility, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The figures are contained in the institute’s Adding It Up 2024: Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, released ahead of World Contraception Day on September 26 and International Safe Abortion Day on September 28.

The report also found that 86 per cent of women in Nigeria do not receive the necessary care after a major obstetric complication, while 52 per cent of newborns do not receive needed care for complications.

According to the institute’s 2025 Nigeria country profile, based on 2024 data, 8.51 million women aged 15 to 49 use modern contraceptive methods, while 2.19 million use traditional methods.

The data showed that injectables and intrauterine devices and implants each account for 22 per cent of contraceptive use, while condoms account for 19 per cent.

Pills, patches and rings account for 12 per cent, other modern methods three per cent, while sterilisation accounts for less than one per cent.

The report estimated that 4.6 million women in Nigeria have unmet demand for contraception, while 3.7 million do not intend to use contraception.

The institute defines unmet demand as women who want to avoid pregnancy but are not currently using contraception and express a desire for future family planning.

The findings were highlighted during a virtual SHE and Rights session organised ahead of World Contraception Day and International Safe Abortion Day by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion, Guttmacher Institute, Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, International Planned Parenthood Federation, CNS and partners.

Speaking at the session, Elizabeth A. Sully, Director of International Research at the Guttmacher Institute, presented evidence on the health and economic implications of investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The institute’s analysis estimates that meeting the full need for modern contraception, maternal and newborn care, abortion services and treatment for four curable sexually transmitted infections in low- and middle-income countries in Asia would require increasing annual spending from $5.87 to $8.61 per person.

This represents an additional $2.74 per person, or $12.4 billion annually, the report said.

It also estimated that every additional dollar invested in family planning and contraceptive care could save $1.97 in pregnancy-related and newborn care costs.

According to the analysis, meeting sexual and reproductive health needs across Asia could reduce unintended pregnancies by 26 per cent, maternal deaths by 65 per cent and newborn deaths by 62 per cent.

The report further noted that investment in contraception could have broader economic effects, including increased workforce participation and greater control over earnings and savings.

Sully said the institute’s analysis was designed to move beyond simply measuring ‘unmet need’ by considering women’s preferences and choices in assessing contraceptive requirements.

The session also focused on the gap between policy commitments, budget allocations and actual delivery of sexual and reproductive health services.

Riju Dhakal, Programme Officer at ARROW, said governments should be assessed not only on commitments made to sexual and reproductive health and rights but also on whether funds are budgeted, released and ultimately reach health services and communities.

She said ARROW was working with partners in 12 countries to examine financing for sexual and reproductive health and rights and engage governments on investment and impact.

In Kenya, Jane Nyanjom, Associate Director, Advocacy and Partnerships, Reproductive Health Network Kenya, said shortages of contraceptive commodities, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities, remained an access concern.

She also identified youth-friendly services, accurate information, referral systems and informed choice as important components of reproductive healthcare.

Nawmi Naz Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights, said access to reproductive healthcare was affected by factors including shortages of trained providers and medicines, weak referral systems, administrative requirements, cost, geographical barriers, stigma and misinformation.

Dr Imran Pambudi, Director of Vulnerable Groups Health Services at Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, called for sexual and reproductive health services to be integrated into primary healthcare.

He identified persons with disabilities, remote island populations, survivors of violence, older people, women and adolescents among groups requiring particular attention.

The experts said financing alone would not guarantee access, stressing the need for adequately staffed and equipped facilities, medicines, referral systems and services responsive to vulnerable populations.

The Guttmacher Institute also provides a Family Planning Investment Impact Calculator and Safe Abortion Calculator designed to estimate the potential health and financial effects of investments in reproductive health services.

The calculators allow users to assess potential outcomes including contraceptive access, unintended pregnancies prevented, unsafe abortions averted and health-system costs saved.

A House of Assembly candidate for Ikole Constituency 1 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kayode Arewa Sanni, has called on his constituents, party members and supporters to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Arewa Sanni made the call in Ikole-Ekiti while addressing party faithful and supporters at a stakeholders’ meeting convened to strengthen grassroots mobilisation in the constituency.

He said the 2027 elections present a defining moment for the people of Ikole Constituency 1 to chart a new course of inclusive representation, people-oriented legislation and accelerated development.

The candidate noted that disunity among party members and supporters remains the greatest obstacle to victory, stressing that only a united front can dislodge entrenched interests and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

‘I appeal to all our party leaders, members, supporters and well-wishers across Ikole Constituency 1 to put aside personal differences and work together as one family. Our strength lies in our unity,’ he said.

Sanni said his candidacy was driven by a desire to give Ikole Constituency 1 a vibrant and responsive voice in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, with a focus on youth empowerment, education, healthcare and rural infrastructure.

He assured constituents that if given the mandate, he would prioritise quality representation and ensure that government presence is felt in all communities within the constituency.

He also called on supporters of the ADC across Ekiti State to rally behind the party’s vision of good governance, transparency and accountability as preparations for the 2027 polls gather momentum.

The aspirant expressed confidence that with unity, commitment and collective effort, the ADC would emerge victorious in Ikole Constituency 1 and other constituencies across the state.