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NEEM Foundation advocates more attention, humanitarian interventions in North-West
NEEM Foundation, a leading crisis response organisation, has advocated for more attention and equitable humanitarian interventions to be given to the North-West region as the North-East has enjoyed.
The call was made in a new research highlighting the disparities in humanitarian response across Nigeria’s Northern Regions carried out by NEEM Foundation in collaboration with the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI.
The research was presented at an event tagged ” Aid Beyond Politics and according to Need: Overcoming Disparities in Humanitarian Responses in Nigeria ,organised by NEEM Foundation on Friday in Abuja.
Dr Fatima Akilu, Executive Director of NEEM Foundation , said that the research revealed the discrepancies in humanitarian responses between Nigeria’s North-East and North-West regions.
Akilu said this was in spite of facing similar levels of humanitarian need, the North-West remains critically underserved compared to the North-East.
“The study highlights that acute malnutrition in the North-West nearly triples that of the North-East, with 64 per cent of surveyed Local Government Areas .
“This This is reporting ‘serious’ acute malnutrition, compared to 22 per cent in the North-East .’’
Akilu said that these disparities according to the report largely due to differing narratives and perceptions of the conflicts in these regions.
“The North-East’s conflict, framed as an ideologically-driven insurgency, has attracted significant domestic and international humanitarian attention.
“In contrast, the North-West’s crisis is often described as ‘endemic banditry’ or ‘lawlessness,’ leading to its deprioritisation.
“Here, we understood that while the landscape of aid provision in Nigeria is saturated with positive forces that help make the lives of people better, we also recognised that factors internationally and locally often leave certain demographics marginalised and underrepresented.’’
According to Akilu ,NEEM Foundation sought to understand why this happens, whether aid providers are aware of it, how aid beneficiaries feel about it, and how they can improve it.
She said that the research underscored the urgent necessity to address the root causes of crises and to provide equitable, needs-based humanitarian aid across all regions of Nigeria.
Presenting the findings of the report, Mr John Bryant, Research Fellow at the Humanitarian Policy Group and co-author of the new study, said while the North-East has had a major humanitarian response spanning more than a decade, humanitarian efforts in the North-West have been almost entirely absent.
“The stark differences are primarily a consequence of how respective conflicts are understood in both regions by the state and humanitarian actors.
“ The North-East is commonly framed as an ideologically- driven insurgency of Islamic extremism, a compelling narrative of an understandable threat that helped galvanise domestic and international attention, including an international humanitarian response.
“In contrast, the framing of the conflict in the North-West has worked to effectively depoliticise and deprioritise the region’s crisis. State and international actors commonly describe the crisis as one of ‘endemic banditry’ or ‘lawlessness’ drive fundamentally by underdevelopment.
“ Both of these characterisations are incomplete and simplistic, but have shaped the perceptions of donors and other actors that in turn drive discrepancies.’’
Bryant said that the research underscored the need for the global humanitarian system to reassess its prioritisation mechanisms, especially as donor budgets shrink and fewer people were being targeted in humanitarian appeals.
He added that the study emphasised that the solution for the North-West should not mirror the North-East response, instead, it advocates for leveraging local humanitarian capacities and supporting state-level authorities to develop more sustainable and effective interventions.
He said the study recommended that state authorities should be the central actors in delivering protection, services and development interventions for affected people.
Bryant added that the study called on humanitarian actors to uphold humanitarian principles, and assistance must be provided on the basis of need.
He said that lessons could and should be learned from the North-East on the responsibility for facilitating a needs-based and principled humanitarian approach among others.
Ms Meghan Diagle ,Senior Research Fellow at Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI, said that the organization is one of the world’s leading teams working on humanitarian issues.
“ We are dedicated to improving humanitarian policy and practice through a combination of high-quality analysis, dialogue and debate.
“The partnership we had with NEEM Foundation has produced a stronger, more interesting and more relevant piece of research that we could not have produced on our own.’’
Diagle advocated the need for international organisations to support local organisations to address the crisis locally by prioritising the adoption of localised approach to encourage local ownership in addressing the crisis and strengthening response among others.
(NAN)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.