The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Will social commerce ever overthrow eCommerce?

    Being an entrepreneur in this technology-driven world is no longer rocket science. Gone are the days when you require a physical store to transact business. Today, if you have a tangible product to sell, you can simply take good pictures of your product with a smartphone and share them on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc). As easy as ABC. Before you even finish posting the pictures, you might begin to receive orders. This is called or referred to as Social Commerce.

    Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce that involves social media, online media that supports social interaction, and user contributions to assist online buying and selling of products and services. More succinctly, social commerce is the use of social network(s) in the context of e-commerce transactions.

    The interesting thing about social commerce is that anyone can have access to it. This is probably why it is gaining momentum and begs the question, will social commerce ever overthrow eCommerce?

    Social Commerce and eCommerce

    Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce. Regardless, both are used to market a product targeted at potential buyers.

    As social commerce gathers momentum, eCommerce companies like Jumia and others are not lagging behind. Jumia (@JumiaNigeria) can be found on all social media platforms you could think of not only marketing a product or service but also interacting and engaging the customers and at the same time giving out freebies like it has been doing since the beginning of Black Friday.

    Fascinatingly, Jumia is an ecosystem. You can also buy food, book hotel and flights. All these services can be processed for you Jumia’s responsive social media teams.

    The emergence of social commerce is very much appreciated and it has afforded a good and significant number of Nigerians to become entrepreneurs. At the same time, the number of fraudulent social commerce platforms have also increased. This is because it is a free-for-all platform. Trust is lacking and it is very easy for you to lose your money. And when you do, who do you complain to? No one! However, note that this does not mean that there are no trustworthy social commerce platforms. It is just advisable to be careful and cautious if you decide to patronize one.

    Over the last six years, Jumia has built a solid and reputable eCommerce ecosystem. Buyers can easily return items as long as it meets the terms and conditions of the return policy and of course refunds are made no matter the circumstances involved.

    So will social commerce ever overthrow eCommerce? The answer to that is…But what we know is that eCommerce sites like Jumia and others use social media to sell products on the backbone of having built a structured eCommerce ecosystem. So, whether or not social commerce will ever overthrow ecommerce, the truth is that Jumia and others will continue to innovate to meet the demands of this fast-changing world so that they won’t be caught napping!

     

  • Why children are now leaders of today, not tomorrow

    In the spirit of the international children day, an event that is celebrated every 20th of November, it is important to note that children are no longer leaders of tomorrow, but leaders of today

    With the 2018 theme “Children are taking over and turning the world blue” , the United Nations encourages that children on this day “take over” key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment to voice their support for millions of their peers who are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted.

    The Children of today look forward to a great and awesome future that they have not gotten.  Despite their hard work to achieve greatness, the society is left with a generation that has little or nothing to show for their hard work

    All that occurs today are excuses and complains about the government, physical barriers, financial problems and societal limitations.

    It is important as leaders and parents to help bring out the giant in children through education, training, giving them responsibilities and others. Let there be no more excuses and regrets because all opportunities for a better life is open.

    As the cases of violence against children is becoming  rampant in the society, with unending defilement and brutal murder of children, our hearts bleed for victims as the society needs to take a stand to fight for the children.

    Silence will make no difference and indifference itself will make us eternal slaves to the unjust.

     

    Olusegun Esther is a student of Kwara State Polytechnic.

  • World Toilet Day: Toilet diseases and its preventive measure

    The World Toilet Day is celebrated annually on 19th November. It is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) to tackle global sanitation crisis. The day is set aside to inform, engage and inspire people to take action toward achieving the goal of ending open defecation.

    The theme for the 2018 day “When Nature Calls”, tells us of the need to use a good toilet, in answering the call of nature, and not to expose our waste publicly, as it causes environmental hazards, that can lead to sickness.

    Studies show that it is dangerous to delay defecation, countering the belief of some people that like to wait till they get to a comfortable place

    Research further show that holding defecation for a long period leads to death, which is the reason public toilets are available around for anyone who wants to use it at any time.

    A counter to the use of public toilets is that it is easy for people to get diseases from these toilets.

    Toilet diseases can however be prevented by observing total cleanliness and carefulness.

    Some common toilet disease contracted is:

    1. Escherichia coli also known as Ecoli, which is normally found in the gastro intestinal tract, and is responsible for diarrhea. It is one if the commonest disease contracted in toilet. The symptoms of this disease include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

    2. Norovirus: This virus gets into the body through the faucets handles and door knobs as well as other surfaces. Signs of norovirus includes vomiting, fever, abdominal pain,diarrhea. This is why it is important to thoroughly wash the hands after using a public toilet

    3. Staphylococcus also referred to as staph is one of the most dangerous toilet disease because it is a bacterium that has the ability to live for a lengthy period on a surface. If anyone infected by staph must get thorough treatment because it can just result from a minor illness to a more serious illness like pneumonia

    4. Influenza is known to be a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passage that can be contacted in a dirty toilet surface and it causes fever, aching, catarrh, sore throat

    5. Streptococcus is mostly found arranged in the throat, It is said to be most contracted disease in the toilet seat. It cause several diseases with the symptoms of pneumonia, rheumatic fever,strep throat and so on

    6.  Shigella bacteria is a disease gotten when the infected surface in the rest room is touched such as the door handle, toilet seat, towel roller and tap. A person can also be infected when the water used is contaminated

    Shigella bacteria symptoms are diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain.

  • Seven ways to maximize your talent

    Everyone has talent but what makes a successful person is to realize the talent and develop it.

    All around us, there are many talented people that are poor. This is not because they are totally clueless of their natural abilities (talent) but they have not built on it.

    John C. Maxwell in his book ‘Talent is never enough’ said that “people spend majority of their time focused on strengthening their weakness when they should be maximizing their strength”.

    According to Maxwell, if you are on an average level on what you can do with ease there is a very high tendency for you to improve on it to become above average, which is doing better than most people.

    So here are ways to maximize your talent and be successful at it;

    • Follow your passion

    Go after anything that concerns your area of practice and continue. Find ways to establish it and don’t let limitations and barriers obstruct you. For instance, if you don’t have a computer or you can’t operate one, go to the extent of borrowing or using a café where you pay per time and get the opportunity to watch others operate the computer. Never trying something you love is the worst thing ever, because you will never get to know how good you are. Undiscovered talent is like an unidentified legend.

    • Believe in yourself

    Lack of trust in yourself and what you can do is the first limitation to your talent and success in life. This is because the belief you have in yourself will help you to make new improvements and reach greater heights in your area of focus. You need to see yourself as a person full of potential, have a ‘can do’ spirit and constantly try new things and expand your capacity. When you believe in yourself, it releases a positive energy that makes others confident in your abilities too.

    • Be creative

    Creativity, they say is life. Be committed to expressing your talent in divers’ ways not only to suit your taste alone or follow the trend but to make a new trend and be the topic. George Washington Carver said; “When you can do a common thing in an uncommon way; you will command the attention of the world”. Basically, norms are boring so try as much as possible to be unique because that is the only leverage you have as one in millions of people with the same skill.

     

    • Focus on your talent

    Build your strengths perfectly to be above other competitors than to be an average in so many areas just as the saying goes ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. Keep practicing to achieve excellence.

    Challenge yourself and follow up with results. Be persistent, don’t take no for an answer. Always keep your eyes on the ball.

    • Prepare for challenges

    Determination will help you to persevere as you face ups and downs. Don’t give up until it is done. Some have the lifestyle of giving up, some believe that life is easy and back out when it gets though. Life is tough, only legends make it through life, so don’t go dying on little confrontations. Pen down your vision, as this will give you direction when you are about to sway. Stop excuses.

    • Learn new things

    Furnish your skills, don’t be a mediocre because you will need to be able to handle a lot more when people begin to pay attention to your stuff. You need to be capable and people need to see that before buying into your idea. You might be able to draw attention to yourself but how will you keep it? So be teachable and have the passion to know more and go extra length to get things done (don’t go illegal).

    • Build relationships

    Don’t build skills alone, build character. When customers lose their temper you make yours stable because people are the key to success. Many treat people badly and pray to God for a supernatural turn around in their business, God uses people to bless not animals. Your talent is a piece of dung if you don’t have the character to sell it and make profit there in.

    In conclusion Irving Berlin’s words, “the toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point” Think about this.

     

  • Dyslexia: Symptoms and Treatment

    Dyslexia is referred to as a variable learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling and writing. It therefore entails the person learning disability where by an individual finds it difficult to read and write.

    More than 1.5 million cases of dyslexia are recorded yearly in Nigeria, and it is very common among children. It however affects adults too. Although it is a neurological condition, Dyslexia is not linked to intelligence and it varies from one person to another.

    Below are some of the symptoms of Dyslexia:

     Difficulty in learning:  Many children with dyslexia have normal intelligence but they have difficulty in learning how to read and write.

     Delayed speech development:  A child with dyslexia may take long to speak and they may mispronounce words.

    Slow at learning sets of data:  Children may take longer to learn the letters of the alphabet and how they are pronounced. It may include days of the week, months of the year.

    Sequencing ideas: When a person with dyslexia expresses a sequence of ideas, they may seem illogical or unconnected.

    Auto-immune conditions: People with dyslexia are more likely to develop immunological problems such as fever, asthma, eczema.

    Although the outlook for people with dyslexia depends on the severity of their disorder, the treatment entails that early diagnosis and support can lead to long term improvements which involves psychological testing which develop a better targeted program for the child.

    Guidance and support can also help to minimize any negative impact on self-esteem and finally on-going evaluation which develops their coping strategies and identifying areas where more support is needed can be of advantage to those suffering from it.

     

  • Benefits of Bitterkola

    Bitter kola also known as Garcinia kola is a specie of flowering plant in the Guttifeae family. It has been used for centuries in “Folk medicine“ to treat aliments from fever and cough.

    According to report from the Center of International Forestry Research, Bitter kola trading is still important to the tribes and villages in Nigeria. It is used by African medicine.

    The seeds are used for treating cough, fever, head and chest colds, throat infections etc.

    Bitter kola has many benefits which most people are not aware of.

    Some of these benefits are:

    1. It improves the functions of the lungs: Bitter kola helps to treat chest cold and asthma. It also stabilizes the other counter effects in the system and helps to increase immunity level, thus making the lungs perform well.

    2. It fights Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball which can lead to loss of sight. It could lead to permanent blindness if not treated early. But, Bitter kola has been found to be the cure\remedy for the eyes. When Bitter kola is taken often it helps to reduce the eye pressure. It also improves the clarity of the vision.

    3. It improves Sexual Impotence: Bitter kola improves the sexual performance in men. Before sexual intercourse you are to take at least two or more Bitter kola.

    4. It fights against STDs: Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) is a dangerous disease that is contracted through Sexual Intercourse. This disease can be transmitted through passing of blood or other bodily fluids and sharing of sharp objects. But here, Bitter kola have serve as a medicine that will fight against STD. It also cleanses the effects, and enhances the function of the liver and gall bladder. Is seen as the anti-bacteria fighter.

    5. It is an anti-malaria agent: Bitter kola helps to fight against malaria in the system. Bitter kola has some chemical constituent that fights and make the system healthy.

     

     

     

  • Jumia kicks off 6th Black Friday campaign

    … aimed at promoting Nigerian SMEs

     

    …..says the campaign will offer customers up to 90% discount on over 4 million products

     

    Jumia Nigeria has announced the commencement date for its 6th Black Friday campaign, aimed at revolutionising the shopping habit of Nigerians, promoting the convenience of online shopping and growing small and medium businesses across the country.

    The chief executive officer of Jumia Nigeria, Mrs. Juliet Anammah who made the announcement during a press conference to flag off the campaign in Lagos said the campaign will run from Friday, November 2nd (midnight at 12.01am) through November 30th, 2018.

    Read Also:Jumia CEO speaks on ‘digital economy, consumerism’ in Singapore

    Anammah also stated that special deals such as flash sales, treasure hunts and special vouchers will be exclusively available to customers who shop on the Jumia App.

    “We expect to see an increase of 50% website traffic as a build up over last year’s Black Friday. The rise of mobile penetration in the country which stands at 84% is one of the factors driving our App and website visits; others being our amazing deals. Last year, 79% of our customers shopped on mobile phones (website & App), and we are looking to upturn the numbers to 100% at the end of 2018, in order to achieve the country’s goal of becoming a mobile-first country,” she added.

    Speaking of the concerted efforts Jumia has put in providing customers with a wide assortment of quality products to choose from, the chief commercial officer of Jumia Nigeria, Shobhit Pandey said: “We have doubled our product assortment compared to 2017 Black Friday campaign. This year, with the support of our vendors, we are offering our customers discounts as high as 80% on categories such as men’s and women’s fashion, 70% on wristwatches and sunglasses, 65% on health and beauty products, 50% on mobile phones, electronics, and groceries, and 40% on fitness and automobile products. Unlike last year, these amazing deals will only be available every Friday of the week in the month of November.” He further thanked Jumia’s partners, such as Binatone, HP, Samsung, and Haier for offering the best rates during the campaign.

    Prasun Banerjee, managing director, Binatone Nigeria who spoke about why the partnership with Jumia for Black Friday will help deepen ecommerce penetration in the country, said: “has made the Black Friday sales event a wonderful opportunity for us to offer huge discounts to their customers, thereby enabling us to sell more items than we projected. This means that more Nigerians will shop during this period.” Banerjee also mentioned that the Black Friday campaign has become, through Jumia, the most anticipated shopping festival since 2013 in Nigeria.

    Although, logistics has always been the biggest challenge facing most eCommerce companies in the world and in Nigeria especially during special sales campaign such as Black Friday. However, the country manager for Jumia Services (Jumia’s logistics arm), Tolulope George-Yanwah has assured customers to expect excellent delivery services during and after the campaign. According to her, Jumia has identified some logistics challenges during Black Friday, and these have been fixed ahead of November 2nd.

    “We have a projection to process 50% more orders than last year’s Black Friday, and we have ensured to put in place an increased workforce, split across the major cities in the country. Our delivery associates have been trained on the best technologies that will aid the discharge of their duties. We have also provided a real-time technology that allows our customers to trace the fulfillment process of their orders from when they are shipped from the warehouse till they are delivered. This is besides necessary partnership that we have entered with other delivery companies to support our efforts towards ensuring orders are delivered on time,” added Anammah

    Head of Engagement Marketing, Jumia Nigeria, Olamide Amosu explained why the company is focused on driving its App usage, especially for the Black Friday period. She said: “We’re focused on encouraging our customers to make all their purchases on the mobile App due to the increasing number of customers shopping on our website via their mobile phones, and the easy access it provides customers to access bigger deals and enhance price comparison. Shopping on the App consumes less data which helps customers to save money, and to make it attractive for use, special deals such as flash sales, treasure hunts and special vouchers will be exclusively available to customers who shop on the Jumia App.

    On the other hand, Jumia’s all in one App – Jumia One – in the spirit of Black Friday, will be giving 10 lucky customers N10, 000 worth of airtime, 10 lucky customers N10, 000 worth of TV and internet subscriptions if they buy from at least 2 different services on the App, 10 lucky customers N10, 000 worth of airtime if they purchase a minimum of N1, 000 airtime, and 50% cashback for airtime purchase within the first one hour.

  • Buhari’s statement at handing-over of Seme-Krake Joint Border

    STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE HANDING-OVER CEREMONY OF THE SÈMÈ-KRAKÉ JOINT BORDER POST BETWEEN NIGERIA & BENIN BORDER ON October 23, 2018

    1. It is my pleasure and honour to address you today on this occasion of the official Handing-Over Ceremony of the SÈMÈ-KRAKÉ Joint Border Post between The Federal Republic of Nigeria and The Republic of Benin.

    2. Let me first begin by congratulating the people of Nigeria and Benin as well as the whole West African Community on this significant landmark handing over of the newly improved SÈMÈ-KRAKÉ Border Post.

    3. Indeed, the SÈMÈ-KRAKÉ Joint Border is one of the busiest boundary lines not only in West Africa but the whole continent, daily recording huge movement of persons, goods and services. Permit me therefore to congratulate my brother, President Patrice Talon of the Republic of Benin on the successful completion of this magnificent project. As we all know, Nigeria and Benin share many things in common. Hence, the establishment of the Joint Border Post will certainly promote our brotherliness and emphasize our common interest.

    4. I would like to express the appreciation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission for its contribution to this important project, which has made the completion possible.

    5. In the same vein, our profound gratitude goes to the European Union Commission for their financial commitment to the success of this laudable project.

    6. I am aware that the European Union supported two other Joint Border at Malanville (between Benin/Niger) and Noepe-Akanu (between Ghana/Togo). As the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I once again express our appreciation to the European Union for believing in our region.

    Distinguished Guests;

    Ladies and Gentlemen;

    7. As you are aware, our region is suffering from inadequate transport infrastructure and inefficient services, which is one of the major bottlenecks to the attainment of socio-economic development and integration. ECOWAS is a region where Ports, Roads, Railways and Airports still remain a constraint despite significant recent progress made.

    8. Nigeria has embarked on major investment programmes covering these sectors to improve the competitiveness of our economies and accelerate growth. We are therefore delighted to welcome such initiatives aimed at boosting the economic integration of our member States in West Africa.

    9. In order to take up the challenges described, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government had adopted in 2003, the road transport and transit facilitation programme, including the construction of Joint Border Posts across the sub-region.

    10. These investments were launched to facilitate cross-border transportation and movement of persons and goods by removing non-tariff barriers.

    11. The objective is to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of the main transport corridors in West Africa so as to boost international trade which is a key factor of growth and contributor to poverty alleviation.

    Ladies and Gentlemen;

    12. The purpose of Joint Border Post implementation by the Community is to achieve greater trade facilitation by combining border clearance activities in a single location, to benefit from economies of scale, to simplify clearance procedures, to increase cooperation and coordination of controls, to foster data and intelligence sharing and to improve control against fraud and corruption.

    13. I am delighted that the improvement in the SÈMÈ-KRAKÉ infrastructure that commenced in 2011 has been completed in an area which is approximately 17 hectares.

    14. The Border Post is strategically important and lies on the Lagos-Cotonou-Lome-Accra-Abidjan corridor, which accounts for about 70% of the entire transit traffic in the sub-region. The corridor is also part of the Trans-African Highway network. This Joint Border Post with modern enabling facilities is a flagship project in ECOWAS and a good example of regional public assets with a spill-over range of benefits.

    15. This Seme-Krake joint Border Post is a symbol of integration that brings together the peoples of Nigeria and Benin. I would, therefore, like to reassure you that Nigeria is committed to the operationalization of the Joint Border Post and will work closely with the Republic of Benin to ensure the success of this set of Border formalities.

    16. I believe that this edifice would further enhance border officials working condition and would make them more efficient and effective in carrying out their duties. Though the operation on this facility shall be carried out jointly, I will like to urge them to ensure that their operations are carried out within the guiding principles of ECOWAS.

    17. I am aware that a Joint Committee with membership from Nigeria and Benin has been established for the coordination and management of this facility. I would like to call on the members of the committee to note the complex task ahead of them. The committee must ensure that border officials are sensitized on the mode of operation of the Joint Border Post concept which is a big departure from the traditional mode of operation. I call on the ECOWAS Commission to continue to provide the needed support to this Committee.

    Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    18. Let me conclude by congratulating officials from the two countries for their commitment and active participation throughout the feasibility, design, construction and to now this operational stage of the facility. Your valuable contributions during these stages resulted in this beautiful infrastructure we have today. I hope to see the use of this border facility to enhance the free movement of persons and goods in our region.

    I thank you for listening.

  • Celebrating World Food Day 2018 – Amid rising global hunger

    The United Nations World Food Day, celebrated every year on October 16, is a day of action dedicated to tackling global hunger.

    Nigeria joined the rest of the world in celebrating the UN World Food Day on October 16, 2018 – amid growing concerns of rising global hunger, and mounting evidence of the links between conflict, poverty and food insecurity.

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Office in Nigeria joined hands to mark the World Food Day with a series of activities spread through one full week.

    The events included a 5km road-walk; a symposium on Zero Hunger; a book / photo exhibition, and on the actual day itself an agricultural fair. The road-walk, on October 9, turned out to be a truly fun-filled event, and attracted scores of farmers displaying their agricultural produce; directors and staff members of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; WFP and FAO staff members; journalists and hundreds of men and women – some with their children.

    The road-walk was an opportunity to salute the courage of Nigerian farmers who produce most of the food for a population of nearly 200 million people.

    At a symposium on October 12 titled: “Our Actions are Our Future: A Zero Hunger World by 2030 is Possible,” the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Nigeria to achieving Zero Hunger within the next few years. “In the next 12 years, Nigeria will join the league of nations who would be able to feed the world,” Senator Lokpobiri said.

    For the World Food Programme Country Office in Nigeria, the World Food Day is a renewed commitment to fighting hunger. Within two years of establishing its presence in Nigeria as a full-fledged Country Office, the World Food Programme has shown its commitment to working with the government and people of Nigeria in line with its mission of “Saving Lives, Changing Lives”.

    Since the summer of 2016, WFP has been providing life-saving assistance to families affected by the conflict in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. An average of 1.1 million people have relied on WFP food trucks to arrive in their area, or on cash distributions enabling them to purchase basic foods. Tens of thousands of pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as children under the age of five have received preventive nutritious foods as a supplement to avoid malnutrition. Families in the northeast appreciate the efforts of the WFP. As Mr Kalli Ali, a displaced person in Borno State, summed it up recently, “Yes, I know WFP; they are the people giving us food and money”.

    In 2018, while continuing to meet emergency needs, the WFP Country Office is increasing its focus on resilience, self-reliance, protection, and the empowerment of women and girls.

    “Relying on food aid for survival is not a long-term solution for anyone. We all need to work together to find ways for people to support themselves”, said Mrs. Myrta Kaulard, WFP Country Director for Nigeria.

    In the strategic plans for the next four years, WFP will therefore re-focus its efforts. WFP has started a transition journey addressing both humanitarian and development needs. This means working hand in hand with relevant government entities and other partners, supporting the overall efforts of Nigeria to produce more and higher quality food. The goal is to meet food needs of the entire and rapidly growing population in a way that equally benefits men and women. WFP strategies are in full alignment with the consensus on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus and the Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

    Although the number of people estimated to be facing food insecurity in the three most conflict-affected states in the northeast of Nigeria has reduced considerably in the last one year, the food security and nutrition situation remain very fragile. A full return to peace in the northeast will, no doubt, go a long way in ameliorating the situation.

    The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, David Beasley said in his 2018 World Food Day address, “Affordable food and peaceful societies go hand in hand. But millions of our brothers and sisters enjoy neither; the presence of near-constant conflict makes it almost impossible to cook the simplest meal. We must do everything in our power to reduce conflict and rebuild economies, so markets can thrive and communities can prosper.”

    The United Nations World Food Programme – saving lives in emergencies and changing lives
    for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

  • UN day of the girl: Nigerian youth call for N50,000,000 to end FGM

    UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:00 THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

     

    Young Nigerians have on Thursday, International Day of the Girl come together, to urge Federal government to allocate much-needed funding for the end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) agenda.

    A number of young activists have signed an open letter to Ministry of Health official Dr Chris Ugboko which calls on his department to create a specific budget line to fund NGOs working to end FGM in Nigeria.

    Nigerian youth campaigner Chiamaka Uzomba delivered the letter to the official in person to ensure the youth’s rallying cry is heard ahead of the UN’s International Day of the Girl. Each year this day provides a platform to raise awareness of the unique challenges girls face globally and promote the fulfilment of their human rights.
    “We are raising our voices and making a stand to end FGM for our sisters and future daughters” the youth say in their letter, “Will you join us?” they ask Dr Ugboko.

    Leading the charge today is Chiamaka Uzomba, who said: “We want reduced dependence on donor agencies and increased country-driven commitment.

    “We need the government of Nigeria to create a specific budget line to fund projects furthering the end FGM Agenda in-country.”

    The activists are part of the Youth End FGM movement, a grassroots campaign that has made waves across the African continent and worldwide in recent months. The campaign has seen thousands of young Africans pledge to make theirs the generation that ends FGM by launching a global social media campaign – #IHaveSpoken – that breaks the silence that allows the harmful practice to prevail.

    The Youth End FGM campaign has already reached over seven million people online alone and has secured the support of celebrities and influencers across the continent. Now campaigners hope their collective clout will encourage decision-makers to help them make their goal of ending FGM a reality by bringing about meaningful, long-lasting change at government level.

    The campaign is being supported by The Girl Generation, the world’s largest Africa-led global collective of partners brought together by a shared vision that FGM can – and must – end in this generation.

    Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, Global Director for The Girl Generation said: “On such an important day like today where we come together to empower girls around the world, it is inspiring to see such passionate young people directly engaging with leaders.

    “I sincerely hope Dr Ogboko will heed their call of creating a much-needed budget line for projects that seek to end FGM in Nigeria.

    “In doing so, he will be taking a huge leap forward in making the world a place that is safer for our girls.”