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Exclusive: NHRC reminds FG of Draft Policy on protection of forcibly displaced persons

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC), to give needed attention to the Draft Policy on the Protection of Civilians and Civilian Harm Mitigation, which is currently awaiting the government’s ratification.

Mr. Benedict Agu, Special Adviser to the Executive Secretary and Director, Human Rights Monitoring at the NHRC, made the call on Monday in Abuja, while speaking exclusively to Nationwide Reports, on the sideline of the 3rd and 4th quarterly Media Briefing of the NHRC/UNHRC Project on the Protection of Forcibly Displaced Persons through Human Rights Monitoring in the North East (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States).

The policy on protection of civilians and civilian harm mitigation requires a commitment on the government to overhaul rules around protecting, mitigating and responding to civilian harm resulting from military operations. It has a three-tier approach which are Protection through dialogue and engagement; Provision of Physical Protection and Establishing a protective environment.

Agu praised the Federal Government for all the support it is giving to the Commission, leading to its various achievements in the area of human rights monitoring and protection as well as creating awareness on rights of citizens and the windows available to them to seek redress.

He also gave kudos to the UNHRC for providing the funding for the project on protection of forcibly displaced persons in the affected areas, through monitoring, saying however, that all necessary international conventions and laws, like the draft policy mentioned above, need to be ratified, to strengthen the fight against human rights violations in the country.

Earlier, while welcoming participants at the event, the Executive Secretary/CEO, of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said the Project on the Protection of Forcibly Displaced Persons through Human Rights Monitoring in the North East (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States), has recorded notable achievements, despite facing significant challenges devastating flooding that impacted NHRC office in Borno and made movements of personnel and monitors difficult.

Ojukwu, who was represented by the Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Mr. Henry Odeh said- “The flood caused substantial damage, disrupting operations and affecting the number of individuals reached during detention monitoring and awareness raising efforts in the 3rd quarter. Nevertheless, our Human Rights Monitors (HRMs) conducted a total of 1,423 visits to detention facilities across the BAY states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) during the 3rd and 4th quarters. During the visits, 891 individuals were reached during the 3rd quarter and 1,490 in the 4th quarter, bringing the year’s total to 4,304 individuals. While this was slightly below the target of 5,000, it underscores the resilience of our teams in the face of adversity.”

In the area of awareness raising campaigns, Ojukwu said teams engaged 26,553 individuals in the 3rd quarter and 27,518 in the 4th quarter through visits to camps, host communities and returnee locations, which brings to a total of 54,750 individuals which he described as an impressive 91% of the 60,000 targeted for the year. These figures, he said, demonstrates the dedication of the field teams to ensuring that forcibly displaced persons are not left behind.

“The project also achieved remarkable success for case management. HRMs identified and managed 3,096 human right cases, exceeding the annual target of 1,500 cases, by 106 percent. This exceptional performance highlights the commitment of our monitors, to addressing human rights violations promptly and effectively, despite the constraints of operating in a challenging environment. Additionally, a total of 80 security personnel were trained during the year on integrating humanitarian and human rights responses into counter-insurgency operations, achieving 100% of the annual training target. However, there is need for this training in Yobe.”

According to the NHRC boss, these accomplishments, underline the positive impacts of the joint efforts in protecting forcibly displaced persons and ensuring their access to justice, adding that they also reflect the strength of the partnerships and dedication of the teams involved in the project, even in the face of persistent challenges such as insecurity, limited resources and natural disasters.

“We remain steadfast in our dedication to transparency and accountability. These reports not only highlight progress but also serve as a platform for engaging stakeholders, generating conversations and inspiring collaboration to improve human rights protection in the BAY states,” Ojukwu stated.

He then thanked the UNHCR, Human Rights Monitors, Task Teams and community partners for their various contributions towards the success of the project, saying their dedication continues to be a source of hope and inspiration.

“We are committed to jointly addressing the challenges identified, including improving disaster responses to mitigate the impact of future disruptions, expanding community awareness campaigns and strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to further enhance our impact. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the rights and dignity of forcibly displaced persons are upheld. Moreover, we look forward to the actualisation of our proposal to UNHCR for 2025 for the continuous monitoring and protection of IDPs, asylum seekers, stateless persons, refugees and returnees in the 11 states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Taraba, Benue, Cross River and Akwa Ibom,” he stated.

 

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Dangote Refinery to supply 1.5bn litres of petrol monthly

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….Writes NMDPRA, Engages Marketers to Stabilise Fuel Market

Photo caption: L R: Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Vishwajit Sinha; Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird; President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, South South Development Commission, Usoro Akpabio, during the visit of SSDC members to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lagos on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced plans to supply one billion five hundred million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) monthly to the Nigerian market in December 2025 and January 2026, a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted nationwide fuel availability through the festive season and into the New Year.

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, disclosed the plans at the weekend, noting that the refinery will make available 50 million litres of PMS daily beginning December 1.

“In line with our commitment to national wellbeing, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month. This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment. We will supply another 1.5 billion litres in January and increase to 1.7 billion litres in February, which translates to about 60 million litres per day,” Dangote said.

Photo caption: L R: President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, South South Development Commission, Usoro Akpabio, during the visit of SSDC members to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lagos on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he stated that the facility currently has adequate stock and is producing between 40 and 45 million litres of PMS daily. He added that the daily supply of 50 million litres should dispel long-standing claims that domestic refineries lack the capacity to meet national demand.

Dangote also revealed ongoing engagement with petroleum marketers to strengthen distribution systems, including expanding the use of CNG-powered haulage.

“Our priority is to ensure Nigeria receives the products it needs. This is not driven by profit motives; it is about guaranteeing the availability of essential energy products. It is similar to the transformation we delivered in the cement sector,” he added.

He further noted that the refinery is progressing with its expansion plan to reach a capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day. More than 100,000 workers are expected to be involved in the expansion of both the refinery and the fertiliser complex. Dangote emphasised that the Group remains committed to its vision, driven by the strong public support for the company’s role in shaping Nigeria’s economic development.

During the visit, the Managing Director of SSDC, Usoro Offiong Akpabio, commended Dangote’s leadership and his continued contribution to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial capability, national energy security and long-term economic competitiveness.

She described the South-South region as Nigeria’s natural energy corridor, with vast crude oil reserves, gas infrastructure, maritime assets, agro-industrial activity and emerging industrial clusters. She noted that deeper collaboration between the region and the Dangote Group could unlock opportunities in product distribution, CNG infrastructure, petrochemicals, agriculture, and employment creation.

Akpabio added that such partnerships would advance the Federal Government’s energy stability agenda and position the South-South as a strategic growth hub for the Dangote Group.

“As the statutory development body for the South-South, SSDC is mandated to drive regional economic development, infrastructure integration, human capital advancement, and private-sector–led growth. In this regard, we stand prepared to support State-level policy and regulatory support for Ease-of-doing-business across our six states. Enabling environments for Dangote Group’s expansion into strategic sectors such as gas processing, agro-industrial value chains, renewable energy, logistics, and export-oriented manufacturing,” she said.

In a letter from the refinery’s Managing Director, David Bird, to the Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, the company reaffirmed its readiness to host NMDPRA officials onsite at the refinery from December 1st to verify and publish its daily supply volumes. The refinery also sought the Authority’s support to ensure unhindered importation of crude, feedstocks and blending components, as well as smooth vessel loading for product evacuation.

“In the spirit of full transparency to the public we are willing to publish our daily production and stock volumes (online and print media),” Bird stated. “We seek the full support of NMDPRA to allow Dangote refinery to import our crude, feedstocks and blending components unhindered as well as support the lifting of our products by vessel. We continue to experience delays in vessel clearance which impacts not only the refinery operations but also our customers, adding unnecessary costs and inefficiencies”.

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By Bonaventure Phillips Melah

Photo caption: L R: Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Vishwajit Sinha; Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird; President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, South South Development Commission, Usoro Akpabio, during the visit of SSDC members to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lagos on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced plans to supply one billion five hundred million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) monthly to the Nigerian market in December 2025 and January 2026, a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted nationwide fuel availability through the festive season and into the New Year.

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, disclosed the plans at the weekend, noting that the refinery will make available 50 million litres of PMS daily beginning December 1.

“In line with our commitment to national wellbeing, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month. This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment. We will supply another 1.5 billion litres in January and increase to 1.7 billion litres in February, which translates to about 60 million litres per day,” Dangote said.

Photo caption: LR: President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, South South Development Commission, Usoro Akpabio, during the visit of SSDC members to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Lagos on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

 

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he stated that the facility currently has adequate stock and is producing between 40 and 45 million litres of PMS daily. He added that the daily supply of 50 million litres should dispel long-standing claims that domestic refineries lack the capacity to meet national demand.

Dangote also revealed ongoing engagement with petroleum marketers to strengthen distribution systems, including expanding the use of CNG-powered haulage.

“Our priority is to ensure Nigeria receives the products it needs. This is not driven by profit motives; it is about guaranteeing the availability of essential energy products. It is similar to the transformation we delivered in the cement sector,” he added.

He further noted that the refinery is progressing with its expansion plan to reach a capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day. More than 100,000 workers are expected to be involved in the expansion of both the refinery and the fertiliser complex. Dangote emphasised that the Group remains committed to its vision, driven by the strong public support for the company’s role in shaping Nigeria’s economic development.

During the visit, the Managing Director of SSDC, Usoro Offiong Akpabio, commended Dangote’s leadership and his continued contribution to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial capability, national energy security and long-term economic competitiveness.

She described the South-South region as Nigeria’s natural energy corridor, with vast crude oil reserves, gas infrastructure, maritime assets, agro-industrial activity and emerging industrial clusters. She noted that deeper collaboration between the region and the Dangote Group could unlock opportunities in product distribution, CNG infrastructure, petrochemicals, agriculture, and employment creation.

Akpabio added that such partnerships would advance the Federal Government’s energy stability agenda and position the South-South as a strategic growth hub for the Dangote Group.

“As the statutory development body for the South-South, SSDC is mandated to drive regional economic development, infrastructure integration, human capital advancement, and private-sector–led growth. In this regard, we stand prepared to support State-level policy and regulatory support for Ease-of-doing-business across our six states. Enabling environments for Dangote Group’s expansion into strategic sectors such as gas processing, agro-industrial value chains, renewable energy, logistics, and export-oriented manufacturing,” she said.

In a letter from the refinery’s Managing Director, David Bird, to the Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, the company reaffirmed its readiness to host NMDPRA officials onsite at the refinery from December 1st to verify and publish its daily supply volumes. The refinery also sought the Authority’s support to ensure unhindered importation of crude, feedstocks and blending components, as well as smooth vessel loading for product evacuation.

“In the spirit of full transparency to the public we are willing to publish our daily production and stock volumes (online and print media),” Bird stated. “We seek the full support of NMDPRA to allow Dangote refinery to import our crude, feedstocks and blending components unhindered as well as support the lifting of our products by vessel. We continue to experience delays in vessel clearance which impacts not only the refinery operations but also our customers, adding unnecessary costs and inefficiencies”.

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Gunmen abduct five in Enugu community

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Some women in Ezimo community, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, on Saturday, staged a protest over the alleged kidnap of five residents and the shooting of another during an attack on the community.

The protesters, who marched through major parts of the community, said the incident had heightened fear and insecurity in the area.

One victim of the attack is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

A social media influencer, ‘Sen.’ Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, made this known via Facebook on Saturday.

Ugwuanyi revealed that resident who confirmed the incident said recent cases of abductions and shootings had left the community unsafe, prompting the women to demand urgent government intervention.

In a video shared on Ugwuanyi’s Facebook page, the protesters called on the Enugu State Government and security agencies to step in and restore peace, warning that residents could no longer live under constant fear of attacks.

 

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