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NCC emergency communications centers process 1,500 COVID-19 related calls – Danbatta

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IMO ECC PIX

Nasiru Yusuf

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has received and processed 1,500 COVID-19 related calls through its Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the peak of the pandemic in Nigeria.

Kano Focus reports that the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Umar Garba Danbatta, disclosed this during the commissioning of the ECC in Owerri, Imo State over the weekend by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami.

“During the total lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECCs played a remarkable role by providing a platform for members of the public to seek lifesaving information or support and reporting COVID-19 related cases by dialing ‘112’ from any of the networks.

“I am happy to report to you that over 1,500 COVID-19-related calls were received and processed by the ECCs in the peak of the pandemic.” Mr Danbatta said.

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The EVC said the ECC is equipped with necessary Information Technology (IT) tools and personnel to serve as a one-stop shop for citizens to access help from any response agency.

He explained that the center is essentially aimed at enhancing the security of lives and property of the citizens.

Mr Danbatta said the response agencies include the Nigeria Police (NPF), the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Fire and Ambulance Services, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and all its affiliate State Emergency Management Agencies, among others.

He said the NCC has activated 19 ECCs out of the 37 it is planning to open across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Mr Danbatta said the currently operational ECCs are based in Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Plateau, Enugu, Benue, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Oyo, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Adamawa, Kogi, Anambra and Imo States and FCT.

“We have no doubt that, if put to maximum use, and kept functional at all times, the ECC facilities will serve to complement the State Government’s efforts at enhancing the security of lives and property of citizens,” Mr Danbatta said.

Speaking during the tour of the ECC facilities, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami thanked Imo state government for giving the necessary support to the NCC to facilitate successful implementation of the project.

He assured of President Buhari’s commitment to support more initiatives aimed at achieving his government’s agenda addressing security issues, improving the economy and curbing corruption.

Mr Pantami noted that the country’s economy will reap huge benefits from effective implementation of more Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-driven projects across the country.

The Executive Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, thanked the Minister and the NCC for the ECC initiative.

Mr Uzodimma said  the ECC has  enhanced security of lives and property in the state.

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ACF inaugurates security committee in Kano

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

The Kano State Chapter of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has inaugurated a security committee aimed at strengthening community-based responses to insecurity in the state and wider northern region.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the ACF Secretariat by the Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees in Kano State, Brigadier General Haliru Akilu (Rtd), who said the initiative was a strategic response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

Gen. Halliru Akilu inaugurating Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau while Dr Goni Faruk Umar is watching

Akilu described the committee as a platform for strategic engagement, grassroots intervention, and policy articulation to support formal security institutions.

 

“This committee is envisioned to serve as a fulcrum of strategic engagement and community-driven security intervention. It symbolizes our collective resolve to restore order and peace to our communities,” he said.

 

He noted that the committee draws membership from various security and paramilitary agencies including the NDLEA, Police, Hisbah, Civil Defence, FRSC, NAPTIP, and vigilante groups.

Gen. Halliru Akilu delivering his address

According to him, the committee is tasked with assessing the evolving security landscape in Kano and beyond, acting as a bridge between citizens and security agencies, and developing actionable, data-driven recommendations to promote peace, vigilance and resilience across ethnic, religious, and political divides.

 

General Akilu stressed that the committee must operate beyond bureaucratic routines and ensure its insights influence national policy. He also urged members to demonstrate integrity, confidentiality, and dedication.

 

Chairman of the committee, General Idris Bello Dambazau (Rtd), pledged to uphold the mandate of the committee with seriousness and discipline.

Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau (Rtd) granting interview to journalists

“We’re bringing the seriousness of military service into this assignment. Time in service is life. One minute can cost lives. That’s how seriously we’re taking this task,” he said, adding that the committee was set to begin work immediately.

 

On his part, the NDLEA Commander in Kano, Ahmed Idris, commended the synergy among security agencies in the state and expressed optimism that the ACF’s initiative would serve as a model for other states.

Cross section of members of the security committee

“In Kano, we’ve built a strong culture of collaboration. This committee reflects that spirit and the quality of its membership shows the seriousness of the ACF,” he said.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the initiative comes as Kano and other northern states are facing security threats such as banditry, kidnapping, drug abuse, and youth radicalization. Observers say the ACF’s grassroots-focused approach could offer a much-needed complement to conventional security responses.

Gen. Halliru Akilu (rtd) inaugurating Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau (rtd)

Speakers at the event called for similar committees to be replicated across other states in the region, with hopes that the Kano model would become a blueprint for wider regional intervention.

Members of the security committee and ACF officials

General Akilu closed the event with a call for the committee to chart a new course for peace and security in the region, describing the inauguration as “a bold first step.”

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UNICEF asks Kano Govt to declare state of emergency on polio, routine immunisation

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Mr Michael Banda

 

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Kano State Government to declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunisation due to the resurgence of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) in the state.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that with18 polio cases recorded across nine states, including three in Kano, UNICEF Acting Chief of Field Office, Michael Banda, emphasized the need for urgent action. “Polio knows no boundaries. An outbreak anywhere threatens children everywhere,” he said.

 

Senior Education Manager and Officer-in-Charge, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Michael Banda, made the revelation during a media dialogue on polio and routine immunization in Kano.

Mr Michael Banda

According to Banda, Kano accounted for three cases uncovered in Warawa, Nasarawa, and Bunkure local government areas of the state, amid zero immunization and misconceptions against the deadly infection.

 

cVDPV refers to a type of poliovirus that arises from the oral polio vaccine (OPV), used in the prevention of polio.

 

According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), on rare occasions, the weakened virus in the OPV can mutate and begin to circulate within a community, causing infections and potentially paralysis, similar to wild poliovirus.

 

Although Banda reminded that polio has been the leading cause of paralysis and death among children, he affirmed the disease is on the brink of eradication with vaccination of 3 billion children globally in the last 37 years.

 

The UNICEF boss, however, worried that the fight against polio is not over in some countries, including in Nigeria, because of low vaccination rates, thereby paving the way for polio outbreaks.

 

Banda explained that there is a collaboration with the Kano State Government through the Primary Health Care Management Board to broaden public knowledge on the potency of the vaccination.

 

He added that the media dialogue was targeted to solicit media support in raising awareness and mobilizing parents on the polio vaccination campaign in Kano ahead of World Immunization Week, beginning from 24th and 30th April 2025.

 

On her part, representative of Kano state Primary Healthcare Management Board, Hajiya Saadatu Ibrahim, identified challenges of hard-to-reach settlements, missing houses, zero-dose vaccination, and poor healthcare workers as major setbacks.

Hajiya Saadatu Ibrahim,

She reassured that the government has a renewed strategy to overcome the challenges, including a new method of recruiting immunization workers and the involvement of external supervisors

 

She said Kano State Government will immunize 4.1 million under five children.

 

A polio vaccination campaign is scheduled for April 24-30, 2025, coinciding with World Immunization Week. UNICEF is collaborating with the state government to raise awareness and mobilise parents.

 

 

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AGILE partners ICEADA in promoting girls education in 6 Kano LGAs

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Aminu Abdullahi

 

The ICEADA AGILE partnership, aimed at promoting girls’ education at the grassroots level, has organized an Activity Feedback Workshop and Quarterly Meeting to assess the successes and challenges of the project across six local government areas in Kano State.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the local governments areas include: Bebeji, Kiru, Karaye, Madobi, Rogo, and Warawa.

Prof M. B Shittu presenting IEC materials to Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Speaking at the event, Prof. M.B. Shitu, Team Leader and Project Manager, explained that the project was designed to engage key stakeholders in the selected local government areas to sensitize communities on the importance of enrolling girls in school.

Cross section of ICEADA/AGILE mentors

He noted that participants of the workshop are Community Engagement Mentors selected from the six local governments.

 

“Their role is to engage directly with community members to promote girls’ enrollment in schools,” he said.

 

“Part of their responsibility is to carry out sensitization and mobilization campaigns within their communities. Our main concern is increasing the enrollment and retention of girls in secondary education. That’s why we introduced the Community Engagement Mentors—to collaborate with parents and local organizations in support of girls’ education,” Prof. Shitu added.

Cross section of ICEADA/AGILE mentors

He also revealed that the project has recorded significant progress across the six LGAs, although a few challenges still persist and are currently being addressed.

 

“One of the aims of this workshop is to review the activities carried out in the last quarter and set new community goals to strengthen our campaign. We’ve also launched house-to-house awareness campaigns to tackle the issues affecting girls’ education in these communities,” he stated.

 

Participants expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress. Lami Idris, a Community Mentor from Karaye LGA, shared her experience.

 

“We are going from house to house to educate people on the benefits of girls’ education. One of the major challenges we face is the lack of schools in some villages. Some girls have to walk long distances to reach school,” she said.

Review meeting in session

Abdullahi Balarabe Kiru, Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kiru LGA, reported that data collected from the area showed over 40 girls are currently out of school. He affirmed that efforts are ongoing to address the issue.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim presenting IEC materials to community mentors

In his remarks, Malam Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim, Communication Officer of the AGILE Project, disclosed that 130 new schools will be constructed in Kano State to tackle the problem of out-of-school children.

 

He also highlighted insecurity and the destruction of school infrastructure as major challenges facing the education sector.

 

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