Nigerian pupils taken by gunmen in a mass abduction in the north-western town of Kuriga earlier this month have been freed “unharmed”, officials say.

Kaduna state governor Uba Sani said they had been rescued thanks to the courage of the security forces.

The school authorities had said more than 280 children were taken, but the army said 137 hostages had been freed.

The operation took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, days before a ransom deadline.

Officials have not yet commented on the discrepancy in numbers. The children, aged eight to 15, and one teacher, were abducted on 7 March.

Kidnap gangs, known as bandits, have seized thousands of people in recent years, especially in the north-west.

There had been a reduction in targeting of schools over the past year, but this month six mass abductions have rocked parts of northern Nigeria.

Those kidnapped are usually freed after a ransom is paid.

This time, the kidnappers had demanded $690,000 (£548,000). The government had said it would not pay any ransom.

In his statement, governor Sani praised Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu “for ensuring that the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren are released unharmed”.

“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities,” Mr Sani said.

The mass abduction occurred on the morning of 7 March during school assembly.

According to witnesses, the pupils were in the assembly ground around 08:30 (07:30 GMT) when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles rode through the school, eventually taking away 187 students from a secondary school and 125 from the local primary school. Twenty-five later returned.

One pupil, believed to be 14-years-old, died after being shot by the gunmen.

Most of the kidnaps in north-west Nigeria, including Kaduna state, are believed to be the work of criminal gangs trying to make money from ransoms.

In an attempt to curb Nigeria’s spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a controversial law that made it a crime to make ransom payments was passed in 2022. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested.

Earlier this year, the family of a group of sisters kidnapped in the capital, Abuja, denied a police statement that the security forces had rescued the girls, saying that they had no choice but to pay the ransom.

There was global outrage when Islamist militants from the Boko Haram group seized nearly 300 girls in Nigeria’s north-eastern town of Chibok in 2014.

Most of the victims have either been freed or escaped since then, but dozens remain unaccounted for.

Simon Harris is expected to become the new leader of Fine Gael after nominations close later.

Mr Harris, who is currently Ireland’s minister for further and higher education, was the only candidate to seek the party leadership.

He is set to replace Leo Varadkar, who announced on Wednesday he was stepping down as party leader and taoiseach (Irish prime minister).

Nominations were to close on Monday, but were brought forward by 24 hours.

A memo sent to Fine Gael politicians on Friday said the announcement of the party leader would be made at the conclusion of the party’s Midlands North West European selection convention in Athlone on Sunday.

It added that if only one person is nominated, the returning officer will confirm that person as party leader.

Mr Harris has a clear run at the top job after other ministers who were viewed as potential competitors ruled themselves out.

He was the early favourite, with many backing the 37-year-old before nominations even opened.

Ministers Helen McEntee, Paschal Donohoe and Heather Humphreys were among those to throw their support behind Mr Harris.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Harris said he was “overwhelmed and honoured” by the support he had received over the last few days.

On Wednesday, Mr Varadkar caused shock when he announced he would be stepping down as Fine Gael leader immediately, and would resign as taoiseach as soon as his successor was selected.

He said he was resigning for “personal and political reasons” and was “not the best person for the job anymore”.

He also denied any “conspiracy theories” over the decision, telling reporters in Brussels there was no ulterior motive or new job on the cards.

Mr Varadkar’s resignation paved the way for a party leadership contest, but as he heads the current coalition government alongside Fianna Fáil and the Green Party in Dublin, his successor is also expected to take over as taoiseach.

A fire incident at the female hostel of Federal University, Gashu’a, Yobe State, has destroyed the building and burnt students’ property worth millions of Naira.

The incident occurred around 1:00 pm on Saturday, according to eyewitnesses.

It was said that the inferno was caused by a gas cylinder explosion.

It was learnt that many students were taken to hospital in the town for treatment after inhaling smoke.

A similar incident had recently occured at Yobe State University, Damaturu, where a female hostel was completely razed down by a late evening fire.

The university authorities are yet to react on the incident.

Nigeria’s male handball team on Friday defeated their counterparts from Benin Republic 38-20 in their third-place match to win a bronze medal at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The team also known as Golden Arrows lost to DR Congo in the semi-finals of the event to cut short their dream of a gold medal.

The team was determined to defeat Benin Republic to finish on the podium for the first time since the Abuja 2003 Games, and they did so in style.

They had fewer turnovers, scored more from the wings and defended better to earn a well-deserved victory over Benin Republic.

Coach Rafiu Salami expressed gratitude to the team for winning the third-place match.

“We really wanted to play the final match. Kudos to the boys for winning a medal and I congratulate them for a job well done,” he said.

The president of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Samuel Ocheho, said the team’s target was to pick a medal in their event.

He said, “Congratulations to the players for winning a bronze medal. They will continue to rule the continent in their subsequent competitions.’’

The team now have a record four handball medals in the African Games.

This followed their bronze medals in Cairo 91, Harare 95, Abuja 2003 and Ghana 2024.

The 13th African Games which began on March 8 will end on March 13 in Accra, Ghana.

Three students of Medicine and Surgery at the Abia State University, Uturu, have reportedly died in a crash in the Okigwe axis of the Enugu-Umuahia Expressway.

City Round learnt that the medical students were returning to Aba from the school’s induction when the incident occurred on Thursday evening.

Confirming the incident, the Abia State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Fredrick Ogiden, said officers of the corps arrived at the scene shortly after the accident, which he said involved an ash-coloured Toyota Camry.

However, an unconfirmed report claimed that some other persons were injured in the crash.

In a video circulating online, officers of the FRSC were seen at the scene of the incident while another video showed two injured persons and the corpse of a female victim in a hospital.

Antoine Griezmann, the Atletico Madrid forward, has clapped back at football pundits Mark Schwarzer and Jay Bothroyd who suggested on Optus Sport that he is not world-class and is merely a luxury player.

They also implied that his lacklustre performance with Barcelona demonstrated that he couldn’t perform at the highest level due to poor defensive work rate.

Griezmann took to social media to respond directly and firmly.

He wrote: “They know nothing about football!”

The Frenchman’s two-year stint at Barcelona is largely considered an unsuccessful one, in which he failed to make his mark on the team despite making 102 appearances, 35 goals and 17 assists.

Nigerian boxers dominated the boxing event at the African Games 2023 on Friday, winning a total number of eight gold medals.

10 Nigerian boxers made it to the final in different categories with only two having to settle for silver.

Nigeria registered 11 boxes at the 13th African Games and all of them went home with medals.

Adams Olaore won a gold medal in the men’s 92+kg, with Jacinta Umunnakwe (women’s 81kg), Blessing Orakwe (women’s 70kg) and Cynthia Ogunsemilore (women’s 60kg) also going home as winners in their different categories.

The quartet of Patricia Mbata (women’s 75kg ), Omole Dolapo (men’s 57kg) and Joy Nene Ojo (women’s 54kg) also won gold medals.

Shukurat Kareem (women’s 54kg) and Zainab Adeshina (women’s 50kg) went home with silver.

The Defence Headquarters said on Friday that a viral video clip has revealed a person claiming responsibility for the barbaric killing of 17 officers and soldiers in the Delta community of Ukuama.

The military personnel who were on a peacekeeping mission were murdered on March 14 in Ukuama community in Delta.

A statement issued on Friday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said the video is helpful in the ongoing investigation to uncover the perpetrators.

Buba said that clearance operations, as well as cordon and search, were conducted to, among other things, recover the weapons of the deceased soldiers.

He listed some of the communities in which troops had carried out operations, including Akugbene, Ukuama and Okoloba in Ugheli and Ugheli South of Delta. Others he listed are Amusamo, Akwagbe, Arhavwarien, Pirigbene and Igbomatoro communities, all in Delta State.

According to him, the decomposing hearts of some of the murdered soldiers were recovered during the search, while the manhunt continues with no significant arrests made yet.

“Significantly, there is a viral video of a person admitting to having perpetrated the killings. The video, among other things, helps narrow investigations to persons of interest and their cohorts. A

ccordingly, the state government and host communities of these personalities are required to assist the investigation in flushing them out.

“There can be no hiding place for perpetrators of such dastardly acts against our nation. This is a clarion call to duty by members of those communities and the state government,” he said.

The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria, on Friday, released results of the first-ever Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination for Private Candidates, 2024–First Series.

The council commenced migration from traditional paper-based examinations to Computer-Based Examinations for its private candidates’ examinations.

A statement by the council made available to PUNCH Online added that the novel CB-WASSCE entailed using a hybrid method where all questions were projected on the computer.

It said answers to the multiple-choice questions were supplied on the computer in real-time, and answers to the essay and test of practical questions were supplied in booklets given to the candidates.

The statement revealed that the examination was conducted between Wednesday, January 31 and Saturday, February 17, 2024.

The analysis of candidates’ performance showed that out of the 8,139 candidates that sat the examination, 3,424 candidates representing 42.07 per cent obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics).

“2,519 candidates representing 30.95 per cent obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

“The coordination of examiners and marking of candidates’ scripts were carried out at three marking venues in Lagos, Enugu and Kaduna from March 1 to 16, 2024. A total of 459 Examiners participated in the Coordination and Marking Exercise.

“The entry figure of 8,362 candidates showed a 4.30 per cent decrease in candidature when compared with the 2023 entry figure of 8,738. 8,139 candidates sat the examination at 140 CBT centres spread across the country.

“Amongst the candidates that sat the examination, 21 candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, were registered for the examination. Out of this number, nine were visually challenged, two had impaired hearing and two were Albinos.

“All these candidates with special needs were adequately catered for in the administration of the examination,” the statement read.

The German Football Association’s (DFB) decision to switch the supplier of the national team’s kit away from Adidas has been blasted by politicians.

The contract will pass from the German company to US firm Nike from 2027.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he would have “liked a bit more local patriotism”, while Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the decision “wrong”.

The DFB said the deal made financial sense and would support grassroots German football.

Adidas has supplied the kit for the German national football team for more than 70 years.

However, according to reports in the German press, Nike agreed to pay about €100m (£86m; $108m) per year to supply the kit, doubling Adidas’s payment of €50m.

The deal, announced on Thursday, was greeted with dismay by German politicians on the left and right.

“I can hardly imagine the German jersey without the three stripes,” Mr Habeck said. “For me, Adidas and black-red-gold always belonged together. A piece of German identity.

“Mr Lauterbach said on X, formerly Twitter, it was “a wrong decision where commerce destroys a tradition and a piece of home”.

And Bavarian premier Markus Soeder said the national team always plays in the three stripes of Adidas.

“That was as clear as the fact that the ball is round and a game lasts 90 minutes,” he said.

“The success story began in 1954 with the unforgettable World Cup victory, which gave our country self-confidence again. That’s why it’s wrong, a shame and also incomprehensible that this story should end now.

“He said German football should not be “a pawn in international corporate battles” and that “commerce isn’t everything”.

The DFB said on X that it understood the emotional reaction to its decision, saying switching supplier after 70 years was a “drastic event” that “doesn’t leave us cold”.

However, it said the grassroots of German football, with “more than 24,000 football clubs, 2.2 million active players, the numerous volunteers and almost 55,000 referees”, is financed by the DFB.

“Against this background, the DFB has to make economic decisions,” it said. “Nike made by far the best financial offer in the transparent and non-discriminatory tender process.”

“The future partnership with Nike ensures that we can continue to carry out our central tasks for football in the coming decade,” it added.

Adidas said it would not comment on contractual details.The row over the German kit comes as politicians in England criticise a Nike design for the England team kit.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the St George’s Cross should not be “messed with” after Nike used different colours, adding navy, light blue and purple to the traditional red.

Barely one week after the Nigeria Customs Service opened the Illela land border between Nigeria and Niger Republic, the government of the neighbouring country on Friday opened its border in Konni for operations.

A source, Nuhu Samaila, from Konni, in Niger Republic, who briefed newsmen, said the border was declared open at exactly 12:00 pm on Friday.

He applauded the decision of the leadership of the country, the military junta, for giving a listening hearing to the yearnings of the people by ensuring the border is open.

“It is a commendable effort, at least by the government, to have done the needful at last.

“It was our collective prayer that this border too should be reopened after the Nigeria side was declared open.

“I want to believe that this will definitely help a lot in the improvement of the economy of these two countries, as it will facilitate more trading activities between Nigeria and Niger Republic,” he added.

The Nigerian government had last week Wednesday restored the supply of electricity to the Republic of Niger following the directive of President Bola Tinubu that Nigeria’s land and air borders with the neighboring country be opened.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has led the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to Senegal on a mediation mission ahead of the country’s presidential election on Saturday.

This was disclosed in a statement signed in Yenagoa on Thursday by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation communications officer, Wealth Ominabo.

According to the statement, Mr Jonathan, also the chairperson of WAEF, and other forum members left Abuja on Thursday for Dakar, where they will remain until next Wednesday.

The statement named Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former special representative of the secretary-general and head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, as a team member.

The team will meet with key stakeholders, including outgoing President Macky Sall, opposition leaders, civil societies, security authorities, and the country’s electoral commission.

The statement noted that the executive director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and head of the WAEF secretariat, Ann Iyonu, said the foundation was a “forum primed for mediation”.

According to Ms Iyonu, the forum expects to perform advisory and conflict resolution roles to reduce election-related conflicts to the barest minimum in the West Africa sub-region.

She described the forum as a composition of former presidents and statesmen who had volunteered to deploy their enormous leadership experience and wisdom toward promoting peace and progress in the sub-region.

In the statement, Ms Iyonu said that while in Dakar, the forum would observe electoral processes and continue to engage political leaders and other stakeholders until the election was peaceful and successfully concluded.

“WAEF, going by this mandate, had played similar roles during elections in The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia,” says Ms Iyonu.

The Ogun House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling on the state government to reposition the state’s Amotekun Corps for greater effectiveness in securing residents’ lives and property.

Babatunde Tella (APC-Abeokuta North) opened the debate on the motion during Thursday’s plenary, which was presided over by the speaker, Oludaisi Elemide (APC-Odeda).

In his submission, Mr Tella reported the Amotekun Corps’ ineffectiveness following the demise of the state commander, David Akinremi.

He noted that it was important to immediately appoint a new state commander to oversee the agency’s activities and the need to recruit more capable personnel to strengthen the corps’ operations.

The lawmaker noted that this would help to tackle the incessant security breaches, especially kidnappings and armed robberies in some parts of the state.

Mr Tella said there had been reports that insufficient funds were hampering the agency’s operation.

He said the corps needed more personnel, who should be localised in the communities, as well as ammunition and vehicles.

Other members who contributed to the debate recounted incidents of insecurity, especially kidnappings in their respective constituencies, which needed to be addressed headlong.

The resolution also sought to equip the Amotekun Corps with modern ammunition, up-to-date communication gadgets, and other security apparatus and procure additional vehicles.

The debate later led to the motion for the resolution, moved by the majority leader, Yusuf Sheriff (APC-Ado Odo Ota 1), seconded by the minority leader, Adeleye Lukman (PDP -Odogbolu), and supported by the whole House.

The Ado Ekiti Division of the Ekiti High Court on Thursday sentenced 28-year-old Ayodeji Alomoge to death by hanging for killing his wife’s lover.

The convict was arraigned before Justice Jubril Aladejana in April 2023 on one count charge of murder.

Delivering judgment, Mr Aladejana said, ”To me, rivalry between men over the affection of a woman should not be grounds to justify provocation.

“I consequently find the defendant guilty of the murder charge against him and therefore convicted as charged.”

The judgment of this court upon you is that you, Ayodeji Alomoge, shall be hanged by the neck until you die.

“According to the charge, Mr Alomoge, on June 21, 2022, at Ikere-Ekiti within the court’s jurisdiction, did murder Ayomide Ogunleye for having an affair with his wife.

The police said the offence contravenes section 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

In his statement to the police, the father of the deceased, Ige, said, ” My wife called me on the phone around 12:30 a.m. crying profusely.”

She told me that my son was attacked and beaten by Alomoge and his gang; I rushed down to the place where I met my son in a pool of blood.

I saw Alomoge and asked him the reason for his action; he said Ayomide has been having an affair with his wife, and he told me that he warned my son to stop or else he would kill him.

“I took him to a nearby hospital and later to the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara, where he later died.”

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called five witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, pictures of the deceased and medical report of the cause of death as exhibits.

The defendant spoke in his defence through his lawyer, Adeyinka Opaleke, who pleaded to the court to temper justice with mercy. He called no witness.

Kano State Fire Service says a fire has razed 37 shops at Zawaciki in Kumbotso LGA.

The spokesman for the service, Saminu Abdullahi, said the fire occurred about 1:37 a.m. on Wednesday.

Mr Abdullahi said, “We received a distress call at about 1:37 a.m. from one Malam Baba that there was a fire outbreak at Zawaciki.

“We quickly mobilised our personnel to the scene at about 1:47 a.m. and put out the fire so as not to spread to other shops.”

Mr Abdullahi said the 37 shops were on the ground floor of a multi-purpose building.

He added that the fire slightly damaged three other shops.

He said no life was lost, and the cause of the fire was being investigated.

An early morning fire on Monday razed some shops in the Nnamdi Azikwe and Docemo section of the Idumota Market in Lagos State, destroying goods worth millions of Naira.

The fire affected three buildings, including two two-storey structures and one three-storey building in the market popular for clothes, bags and shoes.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LSFS, confirmed the incident on its X handle and said firefighters have been deployed to the scene to salvage the situation.

A statement by the Director, LSFRS, Margaret Adeseye, read: “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has been alerted to a fire emergency at the intersection of Nnamdi Azikiwe and Docemo in Idumota, Lagos. At 07:41 hours, the call was received, and emergency services swiftly mobilized.

“Upon arrival at 07:58 hours, it was discovered that the fire encompasses three buildings, including two 2-storey structures and one three-storey building.

“Currently, firefighting efforts are underway at the scene.

“The fire stations at Ebute Elefun, Ilupeju, and Alausa have deployed resources to mitigate the situation effectively as the firefighting operation is ongoing.”

Adeseye further stated that the cause of the fire is yet to be known, and no casualties have been recorded.

“The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and investigations are ongoing. Casualties have not been confirmed at this time. We urge residents to cooperate with emergency personnel and avoid the area for their safety,” she said.

The Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, in the Federal Capital Terrritory, FCT, says its Special Task Team impounded 1,408 motor vehicles, 3,712 commercial motorcycles and 1,112 tricycles between January and December 2023.

DRTS Head of Public Relations and Enlightenment, Kalu Emetu, said the 3,712 commercial motorcycles impounded have been crushed while some of the vehicles were released to their owners after payment of fines and effecting necessary repairs.

He said that the agency generated more than N127.541 million in 2023 from fines paid into government coffers by owners of impounded vehicles and tricycles.

Emetu explained that motor vehicles impounded that were no longer road worthy were usually unbundled into scrap and handed over to their owners, to prevent them from being put back on the road.

He explained that destruction of the motorcycles and vehicles was in line with the FCT regulation on the ban on commercial motorcycles and unworthy vehicles within the city.

The spokesman added that by law, all the motorcycles impounded for violating traffic rules were automatically forfeited to the government.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 217 vehicles, 836 commercial motorcycles, and 298 tricycles were impounded between January and March 2023 across the FCT.

The DRTS also impounded 270 vehicles, 964 motorcycles, and 268 tricycles in the second quarter of the year under review, while 482 vehicles, 931 motorcycles, and 353 tricycles were impounded from July to September.

In the last quarter of the year, the DRTS data indicated that 425 vehicles, 832 commercial motorcycles and 186 tricycles were intercepted in the territory for various offenses.

Pelumi Nubi, a Nigerian lady, who embarked on a solo trip from London, the United Kingdom, to Lagos Nigeria, has been denied entry at the Sierra Leonean border.

Pelumi had on January 30, 2024, commenced the two month solo trip in a car.

However, updating her over 40,000 followers via her Instagram page on Tuesday, Pelumi explained that the country’s officials denied her entry, noting that “right-handed drives” are not allowed in Sierra Leone.

“Access was denied so close to the finish line and I’m facing a tide of challenges that feels relentless. Each border crossing, a battle against multiple red tapes. This time Sierra Leone, they don’t want my ‘right-hand’ drive car to come into their country.

“This is a call to all my virtual family, to send words of encouragement because your support truly means so much to me, and I hope they let me in. For now we are here waiting for some good news.”

After driving for nearly two months, Pelumi is scheduled to arrive in Lagos on March 23.

Nigeria’s Faith Usoro has won a gold medal in the women’s triple jump at the African Games 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

Usoro clinched the medal with a mark of 13.80m.

It was the elegant athlete first-ever African title.

She will also compete in the women’s long jump event.

In the shot put event, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi successfully defended his title.

Enekwechi won the gold medal with a throw of 21.06m.

In the men’s 100m, Usheoritse Itsekiri won silver after coming through in a time of 10.23s.

Olayinka Olajide clinched the bronze medal in the women’s 100m.

The quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Patience Okon-George, Sikiru Adeyemi and Omolara Ogunmakinju won gold in the mixed 4x400m relay.

The Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCT Administration, Dr Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, have promised women in the FCT accelerated economic progress.

They made the promise at a virtual side event during the celebration of the UN Commission on the Status of Women@68 in New York, U.S.A on Tuesday.

The side event tagged, “The Abuja Accelerator” with the theme, “Unifying Women for Global Impact,” was organised by the Office of the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat in collaboration with the UN Women.

The duo said that FCT women’s economic progress and full potential would be achieved under the Abuja Accelerator Programme, designed to invest in women to accelerate their progress through collaboration and partnership.

Mr Mahmoud reiterated the commitment of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to advance women’s economic growth and unify their potential for national and global impact.

She described the theme as a powerful concept that underscored the potential for collaboration and solidarity among women worldwide.

The minister of state said that the Abuja Accelerator programme would serve as a beacon of ‘renewed hope,’ offering a platform for women to come together, share their experiences and amplify their voices for meaningful change.

She added that the programme embodied the spirit of empowerment and progress for FCT women from all walks of life.

She said, “It will provide a space where women from various backgrounds can converge, exchange ideas and strategise on how to address pressing issues facing women globally.

“The strength of the Abuja accelerator lies in its ability to foster collaboration among women, by bringing together individuals with different perspectives and expertise.

“The accelerator creates a fertile ground for innovation and collective action, through workshops, seminars and networking. Under the programme, participants will be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to carry out positive change in their communities and beyond.’’

Mr Mahmoud added that the initiative equally served as a catalyst for advocacy and awareness creation that highlighted the achievements and challenges faced by women.

She expressed optimism that the programme would help to elevate the status of women in society and push for policies that promoted gender equality.

According to her, the Abuja Accelerator programme is a shining example of how women can come together to make a difference in the world.

She stated, “By preparing women for global impact, the accelerator is not only changing the lives of individual women, but also shaping a more inclusive and profitable future for all.”

On her part, Benjamin-Laniyi said that women in the FCT would be empowered through innovation, inspiration, collaboration and cooperation under the Abuja Accelerator Programme.

She said that the convergence in New York was to mobilise all and sundry to join ongoing efforts towards amplifying the voices of FCT women and to champion their cause.

She said that the programme was designed by her office, in line with the vision of the FCT Minister, Wike, and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to her, the goal is to create a future where every woman will realise her full potential, because no one was left behind.

“The programme represents a platform for proffering solutions to global challenges – from climate change to sustainable development – solutions born out of our unique perspective and gender experiences.

“The Abuja Accelerator is our offering for collaboration. Invest your pilot project in Abuja, whatever it is, we are ready,” the mandate secretary said.

Also speaking, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria, Beatrice Eyong, described the FCTA’s efforts towards unifying women from all walks of life as a laudable initiative.

She commended the minister of state and the mandate secretary for always building partnerships and bringing women together to uplift their lives.