The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna

  • Tambuwal expresses sadness over Kaita ’s death

    Tambuwal expresses sadness over Kaita ’s death

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal has expressed sadness over the death of elder statesman and former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita.

    In a statement issued by his Spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, the governor said Kaita made invaluable contributions to the development of the country.

    “He was an acclaimed pacesetter who, along with other patriotic Nigerians of his generation, fought for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria at the turn of the century.

    Read also: Ex-Kaduna governor, Lawal Kaita, dies at 85

    “His life is an example of dedication and commitment to democratic norms and values.

    “Nigeria will remember the deceased as a man who gave his best years toward the development of multi-party politics.

    “His contributions enriched governance process at both state and federal levels,’’ Tambuwal said.

    While praying to Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and his family the fortitude to bear the loss, the governor appealed to both Kaduna and Katsina State Governments to immortalise the deceased.

    NAN

  • Gunmen kill Chief of Numana, pregnant wife in Kaduna State

    A traditional ruler in the southern part of Kaduna State, the Etum Numana, Mr. Gambo Makama and his pregnant wife have been killed in Arak, his home town, in Sanga local government area of the Kaduna in the early hours of January 1.

    Makama, a second class traditional ruler had traveled to his village to celebrate new year.

    The Nation gathered that, gunmen who were said to be wearing masks invaded his residence few minutes after midnight, opened fire at the traditional ruler, his wife and 45 years old son.

    The chief and his second wife said to be some few months pregnant died on the spot, while the son sustained injuries and was rushed to the hospital.

    The bandits allegedly set the chief’s residence ablaze before escaping into the bush.

    Chairman of Sanga Development Association, Prince Bala Audu, told journalists that, the chief and his wife went to the village to celebrate the new year.

    According to him, “he was seated with his second wife who is pregnant, then suddenly gunmen which I was told covered their faces with masks invaded the house and opened fire at them, alongside his son who is about 45 years.

    “The chief and his wife died on the spot, the son did not die but he sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital.

    “The gun men set the house ablaze and burnt a vehicle which was recently given to the chief as a gift. Immediately they committed the dastardly act, they fled into the bush and escaping,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Kaduna State Police Command spokesman, Aliyu Mukhtar confirmed the incident, saying that, “We got a distress call about 4am that armed men stormed his house and shot him with his wife. Before our arrival to the house, the hoodlums set place ablaze and fled”.

    He said, no arrest has been made, but they were intensifying efforts to ensure that the bandits are arrested.

  • Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

    Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reiterated Federal Government’s determination to continually review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector “until Nigeria regains its pride of place as food exporting country.”

    The president said this when he received a delegation of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from Kebbi, led by the state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu in the Presidential Villa.

    He added that the country’s rice import bill had dropped significantly, noting, however, that “beyond self-sufficiency, Nigeria must strive to become net exporter of food commodities.

    “We are not doing badly in the agriculture sector: Nigerians and indeed the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will work harder until we start exporting food.

    “We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”

    The President said Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states had already reported remarkable turn-around in the agriculture sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.

    Buhari, who disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) from the inception of the administration, pointed out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some elite to deplete the foreign reserves.

    He said “when I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than 100 dollars per barrel for many years and production was 2.1 billion barrels per day, I did not believe them.

    “I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent, courtesy of the Nigerian elite.

    “Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elite worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”

    On security, President Buhari said the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, was a testimony to the relative peace that had been achieved.

    He assured that more would be done to check the mayhem of suicide attacks.

    The President said his administration would put in more effort to reposition the education and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.

    While introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, commended government’s policies toward reviving the agriculture sector.

    The Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said “the state government and the APC family was pleased with the performance of Federal Government in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.”

    Bagudu and members of the delegation, which included former Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari who was involved in a bike accident.

    NAN

  • Association decries high cost of transportation

    Association decries high cost of transportation

    The National Sesame Seed Association of Nigeria (NSSAN) has decried the high cost of transportation in the country.

    The National President of the association, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Friday.

    According to him, it costs more to move goods within the country than shipping goods from the U.S.

    Balogun said: “It costs between N800,000 to N1 million to transport a trailer of 30 tonnes of goods from Taraba State to Lagos.

    “But you will transport a 20ft container of goods from New York to Nigeria at just 2,000 U.S. dollars or about N600,000 at the official exchange rate and about 700,000 at black market rate.’’

    Balogun explained that the transporters justified their high charges on dilapidated Nigerian roads, which damaged their trucks and tyres and deplete their profit

    margin.

    He also complained about multiple taxes, whereby transporters would be forced to pay all kinds taxes before reaching their destination.

    “For instance, we pay for about 49 receipts moving goods from Taraba State to Kano and more, if you are moving the goods to Lagos.

    “The worst is Benue State where we collect over 20 receipts.

    “How can one make profit under such harsh environment?,’’ he asked.

    Balogun therefore called on the Federal Government to do something about the transport infrastructure to bring down the cost of transportation.

    “The issue of multiple taxes also needs to be tackled.

    “This is because high cost of transporting goods within the country, accompanied by multiple taxes lead to high prices of goods in the market.

    “It is a challenge because everything about business is about cost and profit.

    “If the cost is high, it means profit will be reduced. One will be forced to increase prices to remain in business,’’ the president said.

  • Kaduna is 100, hurray! + matters of the heart (2)

    Kaduna is 100, hurray! + matters of the heart (2)

    The centennial anniversary of Kaduna city took place recently, and from reports, it was a great outing.

    President Buhari was represented by the FCT Minister as the Governor MALLAM NASIR EL-RUFAI revealed the historic importance of Kaduna, the first Northern Administra-tive headquarters.

    Many dignitaries attended the durbar to mark the event; and do I wish I had been there!

    As a girl in Zaria then, our favorite weekend trip was to Kaduna: the week our Dad said we would be travelling again would be a whole week of joyful anticipation. Kaduna was (is) a city you cannot explore all in one weekend. Plus, my uncle in Kaduna had a horse – so horse riding and swimming were part of the bill! Some school friends lived in Kaduna too, so it was always a ‘visiting day’ as well.

    Today, when my sister and I tell the children that we used to drive down to Kaduna and have meat pies the size of the children [Idris Morrow Bakeries] – they laugh in disbelief, imagining we are exaggerating.

    But we’re not. Life was fun back then.

    The beautiful thing is that from sustained reports Governor Nasir El-Rufai is doing a great work to position Kaduna for its pride of place- in the future.

    Matters of the Heart (2) This series, Matters of the Heart, is for the light – hearted reader, it is all on a lighter note; it’s certainly not for the big-big professors of anthropology and scholars of archeology!

    Bianca & Ojukwu contd – Alright, I admit the Ojukwu/Onoh age gap was exaggerated but with Ojukwu coming in only 6 years later than Onoh’s righteous indignation was at the thought of giving his daughter’s hand in marriage to a very possible schoolmate! Or was Bianca to call both her father and her husband: Papa?!

    It took Bianca many years to convince her father. Love prevailed, the former beauty queen and the former Biafran leader were married and lived happily together for many years, displaying their love for all to see.

    Theirs was the Nigerian romance story till the end, when Ojukwu passed on at a ripe old age. He was given a state burial and Lady Bianca was thus widowed at her young age.

    Then it happened.

    PM News ran an article they titled Ojukwu and Bianca: The Secret not shared. To be more exact, that caption should have been Ojukwu: the secret Bianca never knew.

    This was Bianca whose father was on the verge of disowning her for daring to speak of wanting to marry Emeka Ojukwu.

    Bianca will probably never get over the shock she received when Ojukwu’s will was read. A secret love child was named, and given great property!

    Chief Ojukwu named Teni Haman in his will as his daughter (his other children were well known to Bianca). He willed Jubilee Hotel, Zaria to Teni, and also gave her a share of his landed property in Nnewi.

    Oh, the warnings of a father!

    With that singular act, Ojukwu proved right, the misgivings of C.C. Onoh.

    Note that its not the having of the child I detest: it is the deliberate failure to disclose crucial information of the existence of a whole human being: and the person is one’s child, one’s own flesh and blood!

    To think that every day we were inundated with images of Ojukwu’s love displays with Bianca – not knowing there was something hidden so underhand, so deep!

    On this one I would give my thumbs up to the OBASANJO MODEL – no dramatic displays of affection:- straight up he would tell of his “battalion” (20 children from over 10 women): take it or leave it, shikena!

    (Well today, 5 years later, Bianca is in court contesting Ojukwu’s will. She is demanding more property – for her own children).

     

    1. ORJI UZOR KALU OUK – In his biodata, this Chairman of Slok Holdings, chairman of Daily Sun and New Telegraph Newspapers and former Abia State Governor has 3 children, listed as Neya, Olivia and Nicole. But I can tell you there are 7, all girls from his wife Dr. Ifeoma. The former Governor is a very engaging personality and a good conversationalist but for some reason he does not like to talk about his family.

    I had even asked him once about his wife (see picture).

    She’s fine, she’s in the U.S, she was here for Easter, – that was it.

    He was referring to his first wife Dr. Ifeoma Orji Kalu. She’s a reserved but brilliant woman, an A Student with multiple Masters’ degrees.

    She comes from a family which has 13 medical doctors; Dr. Tim Menakaya, one-time Nigerian Minister is her uncle.

    Something though, is not quite right; is very hush-hush there. My suspicion is she has Bipolar Condition. She lives permanently in the U.S now, not quite herself, I’m afraid.

    OUK has really managed the situation all the while, as best as any man could. But this has led him to find another – along with the obvious male-child syndrome!

    Today he is married to the really lovely, leggy beauty Ifunnaya. She lives in his beautiful house in London where her primary duty is: to bear him children! They have 2 sons and a daughter already and Ifunnaya is still as slim and elegant as any single girl!

    By the way OUK previously had American Residency; he gladly gave it up to contest political office in Nigeria. His house in the US then was in a neighborhood where everyone had their own helipad.

    OUK is one of the few Nigerian billionaires listed on Forbes, and owns Nigeria’s most expensive private jet. The Gulfstream G650 is said to be the fastest private jet in the world. OUK has 4 other jets besides – making him the Nigerian with largest fleet of private jets, more jets than Africa’s richest, Aliko Dangote. But just ask him his most prized possession and quickly he will tell you that nothing is – vanity of vanity, all is vanity, he says!

    • Last line – Merry Christmas to you, from Princess!

    07055547031 whatsapp / SMS

  • Government charged to be more accountable on reduction of maternal mortality

    Government charged to be more accountable on reduction of maternal mortality

    Government have been charged to be more accountable on reduction of maternal mortality and support for women’s maternal health. Speaking at a press briefing which was organised by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) and Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR) with support of MacArthur Foundation on ‘Assessing the efforts of government on Reduction if Maternal Mortality and promotion if Women”s maternal Health in Nigeria’ and held in Lagos yesterday, the Executive Director WARDC, Dr. Mrs Akiode Afolabi, described maternal mortality as one
    of the most neglected health problems and human rights abuse in the world. “Failure to address the continued needless deaths, has implication for us as a country and will continue to shape indicators on health, poverty and other development issues”, she said.

    According to Afolabi, it is important to address women’s health rights because of the alarming rate if maternal deaths recorded in Nigeria. “With
    most of our health facilities becoming a place where most indigent women die needlessly in a bid to perform their reproductive functions”, she said.
    This Afolabi said was based on some of the findings of the scoping assessment conducted by WARDC in Lagos and Kaduna States focusing on accessibility of health facilities to women, adequacy of the facilities to support maternal health, affordability and the response of health care givers of the facilities, particularly low income women.

    Giving her report on most primary health centers in Kaduna State, Bridget Joseph, a staff of WARDC said some of the PHC in the State are dilapidated, those with good facilities are without drugs. Joseph also pointed out that most Internally Displaced People Camps (IDPs) are in a deplorable state. “Most women prefer going to Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) than Primary Health Centres ” she said.

    On the part, Bukola Osidibo another staff of WARDC in Lagos state while giving her report on her work with low income earners pointed out the
    following as some of her findings: Bad attitude of health workers; lack of bed space and chairs; Non availability of drugs/ expensive drugs; shortage
    of manpower, among others. Given the extremely high rate of maternal mortality, Afolabi therefore charged the three tiers of Government to take steps to strengthen the implementation and effectiveness of its many initiatives to reduce maternal mortality and increase access to quality maternal health care. Her words “Though government is claiming to play its part in this area, but a lot still need to be done as well as address the deplorable state of IDPs” she said.

    The group however gave they following recommendation: Implement the National Health Law 2014 in regards to maternal health care which was
    intended to provide National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for vulnerable groups including women;Remove Barrie that women face in accessing family planning and contraceptive information and services; Reduce unwanted and unplanned pregnancies among adolescents by addressing the barriers to reproductive health services and ensure that all adolescents in Nigeria receive comprehensive reproductive health education, among others

  • Power: NNPC plans 4,600mw plants in FCT, Kaduna, Kano

    Power: NNPC plans 4,600mw plants in FCT, Kaduna, Kano

    Nigerians may soon enjoy better electricity, courtesy of the three plants being planned for three cities by the the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the proposed expansion by a private company in Lagos, reports  AKINOLA AJIBADE

    WITH a plan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to establish power plants in Kaduna, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), there is hope for improved power supply.

    The NNPC put the megawatts (mw) capacity of the plants at 4, 600.

    If achieved, power generation may rise above 9, 000 megawatts.

    The development came yesterday  on the heels of plans by Egbin Power Plc, near Ikorodu, a Lagos suburb, to raise its generation capacity from 1,250mw to 1,800mw.

    According to a report by the Advisory Power Team in the Office of the Vice President, power generation figures in the first three weeks of this month were: 5, 156mw, 5, 077mw and 5,103mw.

    In a statement in Abuja by NNPC spokesman Ndu Ughamadu, theoil giant said additional 4, 600mw will be generated through the recently-approved contract for the construction of the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, dubbed the AKK Pipeline.

    According to the statement, the AKK pipeline has started yielding early benefits with the commitment by the corporation to build power-generating plants with combined capacity of 4550 megawatts in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano states.

    The power plant in Abuja is expected to generate 1,350 mw, Kaduna (900mw) and Kano (2,350mw).

    Quoting the NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr Maikanti Baru, Ughamadu said the corporation, in partnership with private investors, would build power-generating plants to support Federal Government’s effort to providing stable electricity in the country.

    The statement quoted the GMD as saying: “As part of the drive to establish power plants to augment the power supply to the nation, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has recently approved the AKK Gas Pipeline project to be financed through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

    “The project comes with other auxiliary ones which include: 1,350 megawatts, 900 megawatts and 2,350 megawatts of power generation plants in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano respectively.”

    It said the NNPC in partnership with private investors would also build fertilizer plants in some parts of the country, one of which would be located at Izzon, Niger State.

    The NNPC spokesman said that in line with the presidential mandate on oil exploration in all the frontier basins, the corporation was well-focused on the exploration in the Bida Basin.

    “We have contracted the geological mapping of the Bida Basin to Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai and the job would be completed in three months,” the statement said.

    Ughamadu said the corporation would go into more detailed seismic data acquisition in the Bida Basin by August 2018, to be followed by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) exercise.

    He said as part of the corporation’s effort to decongest the highways, the NNPC would encourage private investors to build tanker parking facilities around Minna Depot, Suleja Depot, Tegina, Mokwa, amongst others and charge the users of the facility appropriately.

    The statement said talks were ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing to re-introduce weight bridges on the highways to checkmate the issue of excessive loading by tankers above the recommended 46, 000 ton gross weight.

    “The NNPC on its part has already directed all its depots nationwide to stop loading tankers with loading capacity above 40, 000litres,” he said.

    In Lagos, the Egbin Egbin Power Plc, spoke of plans to shore up its capacity from 1, 250mw by 550 mw with through the use of modern technologies and renewable energy sources.

    Its Chairman, Chief Kola Adesina, said the decision to achieve the feat was part of the Phase II of the project, initiated and contained in the maiden sustainability report of Egbin in 2015.

    The report had “Securing the Future” as its theme. It contained the highlights of the efforts of made by the company to ensure a satisfactory management of its assets, operations and relationships and to achieve growth.

    According to Adesina, the report has helped the firm in putting in entrenching solid structures towards becoming the biggest thermal plant in the sub-region.

    He said: “Sahara Group (owners of Egbin Power Company), has in conjunction with Korea Energy Limited, acquired majority shareholding in order to complete Egbin’s privatisation in 2013. Following its privatisation, Egbin has invested in human, capital and infrastructure upgrade to enhance efficiency.

    “This is evident in its planned investments in additional gas pipelines, the proposed Floating Storage & Regasification Unit (FSRU) project, Egbin Phase II project with an estimated capacity of between 1,350mw and 1800mw, using modern technologies as well as the deployment of renewable energy sources to boost the Plant’s productivity.”

    According to him, Egbin Power Plc, has collaborated with other stakeholders, with a view to drive the adoption of a strategic direction that would reposition the sector for optimized performance.

    The chairman said the company was leveraging on the recently declared eligible customer regime and mini grid regulations to advance system stability and improved service delivery.

    He said the plan would enable power sector operators establish various resolution mechanisms to deal with critical challenges within the system to increase generation capacity.

  • VVF sufferers appeal for help in Kaduna

    VVF sufferers appeal for help in Kaduna

    No fewer than 20 women in Kaffin Gwari, a community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State suffering from Vesico Virginal Fistul( VVF ), on Monday, appealed for government assistance.

    The women attributed the high VVF prevalence in the community to absence of state-of-the-art health care facility for antenatal services in the locality.

    VVF is a condition that allows continuous involuntary discharge of urine.

    The Mai Unguwa (head) of the community, Malam Danjuma Ali, said the absence of quality health facility in the community, with a population of more than 150 people, subjected the women to unimaginable pains during childbirth usually with prolonged labour.

    According to Ali, the nearest health care centre is in Kawo, about 10 killometres away from the community.

    He added that women were transported by motorcycle to Rigachikun before they could get vehicle to Kawo because of the bad roads.

    “As a result, our women record incessant miscarriages while attempting to visit healthcare centres.

    “Not only that, we equally loss children under five years due to absence of healthcare services.”

    He lamented that the 100-year old predominantly Gbagyi community, still lacked basic healthcare facilities that would ensure quality life and the survival of their children.

    “There is no form of development taking place in our community; but we hope that with your visit, we will get response from the government.”

    One of the women suffering from VVF, 35-year old Jummai Joseph, said she got the condition following long labour to have her fifth child.

    She said “I had complications due to prolong labour and was taken to Kawo hospital for delivery.

    “I lost the baby which had to be removed via Caesarian Section; but my greatest shock was when the doctor told me I have VVF.

    “My life has never been the same ever since. I spent a lot of money to get treated.”

    Read also: Free VVF surgery for 30 women in Niger

    She called on husbands to be patient with their wives in such condition and urged them to be loving and caring, noting that child bearing was responsible for many VVF cases.

    She appealed to government to assist the community with state-of- the art healthcare facility to save women and children in thge locality.

    Another woman with the condition simply identified as Martha said she also got the condition after long labour.

    She added that the absence of health facility in the community made her to patronise old women with little experience, noting that the women had no knowledge of how to tackle complications during child birth.

    A resident of the community, Esther Marcus, a mother of one, also said the lack of health facility in the area was endangering lives of women and children and called on the state government to do something about it.

    “We do not have anything in this community, not even a patent store to buy medicine. We have to go to Kawo for everything. One can only imagine what we go through during medical emergency.

    “We do not even have traditional birth attendants. We have to fall back on old women with a bit of experience about child birth whenever our women want to deliver and we have lost quite a number of children in the process.”

    NAN

  • 800 to benefit from ENT medical outreach in Kaduna

    800 to benefit from ENT medical outreach in Kaduna

    The National Ear Care Centre on Wednesday said it had targeted 800 rural dwellers during its three days medical outreach camp in Kaduna State, tagged “That all may hear’’.

    The Acting Medical Director Of the Kaduna-based institution, Dr Umaru Grema, said that the outreach was to assist residents in Brinin Yero Community of Igabi Local Government Area.

    Grema said the tertiary health institution targeted 800 beneficiaries during the three days medical outreach.

    “We chose to give services to this community because it is part of our mandate to ensure we extend services to areas like this to assist the less privileged.

    “Aside celebrating the World Hearing Day in March, we want to look at December too as our month for medical outreach in order to assist the less privileged in the state.

    “This is the maiden edition but hope to sustain it and make it yearly because it is organised only by our institution,’’ the medical director said.

    Read also: Aged woman regains sight at Army medical outreach

    He said the first day will be used for consultations, dispensing of drugs, screening of potential patients for surgeries and the last two days would be used for the various degrees of surgeries.

    Grema said the hospital wanted to help society that was free of diseases as well as to re-orientate the public on the sacredness and sanctity of human life as a divine gift and a fundamental human right that must be protected and preserved.

    According to him, the community is chosen as an intervention site by the hospital because of the perceived and identified needs of medical healthcare.

    Also, the Chairman of Open Air Camp, Dr Garba Mainasara, said there were 30 medical personnel comprising four doctors, 16 nurses and 10 supporting staff in the team.

    “I want to encourage you all to visit the nearest health centre for early detection of sickness before it becomes complicated.

    NAN

  • UNICEF, NOA mobilises journalists to fight HIV in Kaduna

    UNICEF, NOA mobilises journalists to fight HIV in Kaduna

    The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund ( UNICEF ) and the National Orientation Agency ( NOA ) have mobilised 43 journalists to check the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Adolescent and Young Persons ( AYPs ) in Kaduna State.

    The Officer in charge of UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, Dr Idris Baba, said at a One-day Media Dialogue on AYPs HIV Intervention held in Zaria, that the move was necessary to curb the increasing HIV related deaths among AYPs.

    Baba said that UNICEF had committed significant resources to supporting AYPs HIV intervention in the state, noting that much would not be achieved without support from the media.

    “For various reasons ranging from gender, biological to socio-economic; young women have a higher HIV prevalence rate and were infected earlier in life than men of the same age group.

    “So far, only about seven per cent of AYPs in the state knows their HIV status due to lack of HIV/AIDS awareness and because HIV services in health facilities are not youth-friendly.

    “This is why UNICEF in collaboration with the state government launched the AYP-HIV intervention project, a combination of HIV counselling, testing and treatment.

    “The project is being implemented in seven local government areas of Chikun, Igabi, Lere, Kagarko, Birnin Gwari, Jaba and Jema’a,’’ he said.

    Baba explained that youths were not comfortable discussing HIV related issues with elderly people, adding that they felt comfortable with their peers and open up more.

    “This means that we will break more grounds when we engage youths to sensitise their peers about the virus to increase demand for the services.

    Read also: UNICEF spends N200m to tackle HIV in Kaduna

    “It is for this reason that we trained 624 AYPs as demand creators, counsellors and testers for the project.

    “468 are creating demand for HIV services, while 156 are providing HIV counselling and testing services in the seven LGAs,’’ he said.

    Baba said the project had reached out to 147,196 AYPs with HIV information in the seven LGAs from August to date of which 39,927 were tested and received result.

    “Our goal is to ensure that 90 per cent of HIV positive AYPs know their status, 90 per cent HIV positive placed on treatment and achieve 90 per cent viral load suppression among the HIV positive by 2020,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Media and External Relation Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Malam Rabiu Musa, had said the meeting was organised to discusse issues affecting AYPs in the state.

    Musa said that the meeting provided the needed avenue to interact with journalists in Kaduna and design effective ways of reaching out to the AYPs through media reportage.

    Also, Malam Lawal Haruna, a Deputy Director, NOA Kaduna Office, also said that media was crucial in winning the war against HIV in the state.

    “This is because the media informs, educates and influences peoples’ opinion and decisions with the potential of reaching a large audience.

    “We therefore, need the media to continue with their support of providing the needed awareness on HIV/AIDS among young persons on how to remain HIV free,’’ Haruna said.

    NAN