The Kaduna State Government has signed a Contribution Agreement with UNICEF for the Reaching Out-of-School Children Project, aiming to reintegrate 200,000 out-of-school children into the classroom.

At the signing ceremony, Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe emphasized that the project addresses one of Kaduna State’s most pressing challenges – the high number of out-of-school children.

Dr. Balarabe noted that many children, particularly girls, children with disabilities, and adolescents, are excluded from educational opportunities, and the project seeks to reverse this trend and bring transformative change.

The project’s benefits will extend to various stakeholders, including out-of-school children, primary school pupils, teachers, head teachers, and local education authorities.

UNICEF Country Representative Cristian Munduate highlighted the successful enrollment of 49,000 children in the Nigeria Learning Passport, significantly expanding access to quality education across Kaduna State through this collaboration.

The partnership demonstrates the commitment of Kaduna State and UNICEF to improving education outcomes and reducing the number of out-of-school children.

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish blood collection centers in all 774 local government areas, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This initiative aims to ensure a steady supply of blood for medical emergencies and transfusions.

According to a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by Abdullahi Haruna, Head of Media and Publicity for the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), the move is part of the government’s efforts to address blood shortages in the country. Prof. Saleh Yuguda, Director-General of NBSA, emphasized the government’s commitment to saving lives through this initiative, which will help bridge the gap in blood availability during critical situations.

“We are working tirelessly to ensure that blood needs are adequately addressed, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

“NBSA has partnered with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish a formidable blood bank at the Corp’s medical facility.

“This collaboration aims to mitigate blood shortages during medical emergencies and provide critical support to sister security agencies,” he said.

He explained that to kickstart the blood collection project, the FCT will host strategic blood collection facilities in easily accessible locations.

This move is expected to increase blood donation rates and ensure a steady supply of blood for medical purposes.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed that there are no cases of Mpox in any of its 256 custodial centres across the country. This was disclosed by the Assistant Controller of Corrections and Service Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Umar, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

According to Umar, the NCoS has maintained a clean bill of health within its facilities through rigorous preventive measures. His statement comes amidst concerns about the Mpox outbreak, which has seen 48 reported cases across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Fortunately, no deaths have been recorded in the current outbreak, and efforts to contain the spread are being strengthened.

On August 27, 2024, Nigeria received 10,000 vaccine doses from the U.S. government to help combat the outbreak. While the country has dealt with isolated cases of the virus in the past, the current situation has highlighted the need for a more coordinated response.

In his remarks, Umar attributed the NCoS’s success in keeping Mpox and other diseases at bay to several proactive measures implemented across custodial centres. He stressed that maintaining strict compliance with medical directives, robust sanitation systems, and ensuring access to clean water have been central to their strategy in disease prevention.

“One of the numerous steps is ensuring health hygiene in our custodial centres by adhering strictly to medical personnel’s directives,” Umar said. “We have a well-established system in place that allows us to take swift action when we notice outbreaks outside our facilities. This includes preventing staff or inmates from coming into contact with infected individuals.”

The NCoS has worked closely with state governments and the Ministry of Health to ensure that Mpox and other potential health threats are kept under control in all custodial centres. Umar noted that this collaboration has been key to ensuring that the service remains proactive, rather than reactive, to health risks.