YOSPIS

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kano State Network of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) recently organized an event to foster dialogue on the critical importance of strategic investments in youth as a pathway to sustainable development in Kano State.

The event took place on Thursday at the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) in Nassarawa GRA, Kano. It was titled “Investing in Our Youth: Strategic Pathways for Sustainable Development in Kano State.” It saw the attendance of many important personalities.

Dr. Musa Abdullahi Sufi, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of KANET, emphasized that the event is part of their commitment to youth development in the state.

Speakers presented papers on key issues surrounding youth development and the potential benefits of meaningful investment in young people in the state.

Zainab Nasir Ahmad, the Executive Director of the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases & Social Vices (YOSPIS), addressed the menace of youth irresponsibility posed by drug abuse and lack of education. 

Presenting her paper titled “The Situation of Youth in Kano State and Neglect in Investing in Their Future,” Zainab lamented the reluctance to solve local problems, adding that she is currently writing a book about the menace.

She highlighted that the lack of access to capital, limited job opportunities for graduates, and substance abuse contribute to the deterioration of youth and hinder their development in the state. 

Zainab stated, “Again, poor parenting and lack of supervision also contribute to hindering youth development. However, it looks like we are not ready to address our problems because some parents are also into drug abuse.”

She urged government intervention through law enforcement and establishing youth initiatives to address these issues.

Hauwa Muhammad, the Chairman of the Kano State Children Parliament, also decried the menace of child labour that hinders children from pursuing their studies and sometimes results in them becoming victims of rape and maltreatment. 

Hauwa urged the Kano state government to support families and households by providing a sustainable minimum income to ensure financial barriers do not prevent children from going to school and unveiling their talents.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Youths Society for the Prevention of Infectious Deseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) has urged the relevant stakeholders in Kano state to declare a state of emergency over a lingering issue of phone-snatching that has been taking the lives of people in Kano on a daily basis.

Zainab Nasir Ahamd, The YOSPIS Executive Director, stated this passionate plea on behalf of the Kano state people in a press conference by the organization on Tuesday.

Phone snatching has become a major security threat in the state. The armed thugs involved in the practice have murdered several innocent people and left hundred others with minor or major injuries.

An increase in the number of the cases recorded has continued to strike terror in the mind of the residents as the intoxicated thugs spare no one during their “phone or soul” operation.

Ahmad lamented that, “Phone snatching has become a major security concern among Kano residents of the state as nobody escapes it, over the past few months, the issue has become increasingly prevalent, causing a serious insecurity situation in the state.

“The problem has reached an alarming stage, with reports of armed thugs mostly on Keke Napep especially attacking innocent individuals and snatching their phones daily.

“The phone snatchers are now alleging turning to armed robbers and vampires using dangerous weapons to attack innocent souls inform of robbing and stealing their phones and other valuable items.

“However, countless people were stabbed to death by the phone snatchers. The situation has recently grown to the level that the snatchers operate in the daytime invading houses in various communities. This is said to be alarming and pathetic to the history of the Kano state.

“The youth of Kano State recognizes the critical roles security plays in ensuring peace and stability within our communities. We acknowledge the importance of youth engagement in security matters and commit ourselves to promote security and peaceful coexistence within communities,” she stated.

According to her, an effective communication and coordination between the police, traffic police, and other security agencies are crucial in combating phone snatching in Kano State.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to forestall the recurrence of the mistakes that pervaded the Kano State gubernatorial election. 

YOSPIS made the appeal in a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Zainab Nasir Ahmad, on Wednesday. 

In the statement, the group outlined their observations of the election and recommended what INEC should do differently in subsequent elections. 

Some of the group’s recommendations include reducing the number of party agents at the polling unit, addressing the technical issues of BVAS, and the security of electoral materials, amongst other things. 

The group congratulated the Kano governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf and wished him the best in his administration.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Ahead of the March 11 governorship election, the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) has commended the FG’s cashless policy towards the election and the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting one of the freest and fairest elections in the country.

The Executive Director of YOSPIS, Zainab Ahmad Nasir, who made the call on Thursday, said, “We would like to commend the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government for conducting a free, fair and credible Presidential election in Nigeria. We hope and pray the same will happen next week for gubernatorial elections across the country.

“The vote buying was hugely reduced due to the new naira policy implemented by the Federal Government. However, despite its readiness, the commission [INEC] failed to provide some materials on time, like cubicles, among other materials. Many polling units in the State experienced the faults of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), late arrival of INEC officials and materials, change of polling units, absence of cubicles, violence and overvoting in some areas.”

The Director also urged the general public to remain calm and peaceful during the elections process and report any suspicious act to the security personnel.

She said, “We hope the electorates will continue to remain calm, peaceful and confident in the electoral process and report any wrongdoing they witness.”

The Daily Reality gathered that the Presidential elections last week had left many families in deep mourning of their relatives who were burnt to ashes or sustained gunshot wounds on election day in Kano.

Several reports indicated how Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the Majority Leader of the House of Representative of Nigeria, had allegedly shot three people and instructed thugs to set ablaze the Campaign Office of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP) in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano.

The development had allegedly led to the death of no fewer than fifteen innocent souls who happened to be inside the building when it was set on fire.

Miss Nasir concluded that “We hope the perpetrators of this dastardly violence will be brought to book and face the consequences of their actions.”

By Aisar Fagge

Dr Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG) has donated the sum of one million naira to a Youth Academy Initiative (YOSPIS) Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022.

Zainab Nasir Ahmad, the YOSPIS Executive Director, disclosed this during the first anniversary of the Youth Academy Initiative.

Speaking at the event, Ahmad unveiled some of the achievements they recorded so far to include a popular live radio program, Hasken Matasa, which targeted more than two million audience.

However, she added that it was part the achievements they so far recorded the collaborative empowerment of 150 women, celebrating World NGO Day in partnership with Kano State Special Adviser on Non-Governmental Organisations.

Other achievements include; Sensitizing 14 Communities in Kano on Menstrual Hygiene and donating sanitary pads to seven hundred adolescents girls in commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, initiating a monthly seminar series to the civil society organisations, supporting persons living with disability with sanitary pads at Tudun-Maliki Special Education School among others.

Yet, we have lot of challenges – Zainab

It is no longer bizarre that successes and challenges go hand in hand. Zainab also went on to mention some of the challenges she faced since her resuming duty as the Executive Director.

She decried inadequate source of funding, lack of permanent office space and official vehicle as part of the challenges faced by her organisation in the last year.

She added that YOSPIS is seriously engaged in writing and submitting proposals to potential donors, mobilise resources from members and other stakeholders.

Dr Aminu Magashi has also called on the stakeholders to engage and contribute more for youth development for the better Nigeria.

By Aisar Fagge

The Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG) in collaboration with the Department of Skills Acquisition and Training and Centre for Technology Development (CTD) have commenced the training of 10 dropout youth in Kaduna.

The program which started Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022, aimed at giving the dropout youth, within the age of 12-15, a skill on automobile repairs.

The dropout youth were sponsored by the AMG Foundation to undergo eight weeks training and four weeks internship at Panteka market.

It was gathered that the sum of N1.2million was paid by the foundation to give the training to the youth.

AMG hold on the belief that the skill will give them automatic job, improve their economic status, promote peace and help in addressing the challenge of insecurity in our society.

The Daily Reality recalls how AMG Foundation donated the sum of one million naira to the Youth Academy Initiative (YOSPIS) Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022 for similar activities.

Among the people that graced the event were: Engr. Auwal S. Anwar, Director, Centre for Technology Department Kaduna Polytechnic, Mallam Bashir Lawan, Manager, Out-Of-School program of the Centre and Hon. Muhammad Usman, former Commissioner of Education.

Others were: Kaduna State and former member House of Reps, Maimuna Abdulrahman, Admin and Finance Manager, AMG Foundation, Senior Program and Partnership Officer, AMG Foundation among others.

At the end of the event, philanthropists from Northern Nigerian states were urged to emulate Dr Aminu Magashi in rescuing the future of the youths who are now the major culprits of phone-snatching – a menace that ravaged many states in Nigeria.

By Aisar Fagge

Population explosion can be a boost or a doom. If resources are not well managed in a country with rapid population growth, illiteracy, divisive politics, unemployment, hunger, crime, insecurity, poor standard of living will be the topics of discussion.

Dr. Musa Muhammad Bello, a community physician consultant and also a lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, mentioned this during a maiden monthly seminar organized by the Community Health Organization (CHR) in collaboration with Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), held on Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 at CHR’s conference room, Kano.

In his paper titled: “Rising Population and Demographic Transition: Effect on Health and Sustainable Development” Dr Bello said “If Nigeria’s population continue growing at this pace, by 2050, it will double to over 400 million. Nigeria will become the 4th largest country on Earth.”

“There is a cause for alarm because, population increase or explosion can be a boom or a doom.”

“If the population is rapidly increasing and resources are not well managed then it will greatly affect the availability of these resources across all sectors – health, water, education, security, etc. It will stretch them to the extent that majority of the population will be suffering in misery – there will be poverty, hunger, starvation, malnutrition, there will be unemployment and poor living standard.”

“All sectors of life will suffer. Take for example Kano State government’s decision to ban tricycle movement from 10 pm to 6 am is an effect of population concentration. The rate of crime has increased. Phone snatchers are everywhere. Some of us here are their victims,” The speaker lamented.

Speaking about the preparation for 2023 census in Nigeria, Dr Bello said, “Census is very important. In fact, according to a United Nations Economic Council, the population census should be done in every country every ten years. But unfortunately in Nigeria, the last census we did was in 2006. So we are far behind.”

“Census gives you the exact number of people and ther demographic structure: gender, age, education, income, location, etc. and that will be a very good tool for planning development in the country. Lack of this statistics will negatively affect the government planning.”

“When it comes to health, you first look at it from disease possession. When there is a population explosion, there is increase risk of disease. People will interact with the environment, their daily activities will pollute the environment; air pollution, water pollution and so many other things. So there is likely going to have increase in disease that are transacted through air because of over crowding,” he concluded.

One of the discussants of the paper, Musa Abdullahi Sufi argued that “Nigeria is not over populated because of its available vast resources.” He urged the academics to do more research to engage policy makers. Another discussant, Zainab Nasir Ahmed countered that “Nigeria is over populated because the resources are in the hands of few people” while majority of the population wallow in squalor.

The seminar received both physical and virtual participants ranging from academics, health workers, journalists and members of Civil Society Organizations (CSO).

By Aisar Fagge

Over 2 million people die every year across the globe as a result of zoonotic diseases that people get from food, water and mostly from their contacts with animals such as dogs, cats, cows and the meat they eat.

Dr Muhammad Adamu Abbas, Head of Department, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bayero University, Kano stated this during a monthly seminar organized by the Community Health Organization (CHR) in collaboration with Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), held on Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 at CHR’s conference room, Kano.

The aim of the seminar which was sponsored by Dr Aminu Magashi, the Coordinator of Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) is bring members of the academia, Civil Society Organizations, Non-governmental organizations and media practitioners to interact and proffer solutions to lingering problems around health, population and youth matters.

In his paper titled: Zoonotic Diseases: What are they & their effect on Health and Socio-economic Development,” Dr Abbas said zoonosis is an infectious disease that jumps from animals to humans in the form of virus, fungus, bacteria, parasite or from human environment. Deadly diseases such as Covid-19, Ebola, SARS, Anthrax, bird flu, Lassa fever are all zoonoses family.

Touching infected animals, mosquito bite, eating contaminated food, eggs or meat, polluted air or kissing sick pets such as dogs and cats are all means of transmission.

“Pregnant women, children of 5 years old or younger, people with weakened immune system and people who have regular contacts with animals have high risk of zoonotic diseases.”

According to the speaker, “Of every 4 emerging and re-emerging diseases, 3 are zoonoses while 60% of zoonoses are from animals – wild and pets. Similarly, 80% of bio-terrorism agents are pathogens of animal origin.”

Dr Abbas affirms that zoonoses force more danger to poor and vulnerable societies in Africa and Asia. But unfortunately poverty, poor health system and facilities worsen the situation.

In Nigeria, majority of the people are farmers. They have regular contacts with their animals. “North [for example] is the major supplier of meat to other parts of the country. In those days, there were people who check the health of an animal before and after it was slaughtered in order to protect people [from zoonotic diseases]. But nowadays because of too many slaughter houses and butchers, many animals are being eaten unchecked,” he lamented.

In order to tackle zoonotic diseases in countries like Nigeria, the speaker said, “educating the people and mass awareness, poverty reduction, collaboration between health workers and early detection of these diseases are of paramount importance”.

Many questions were asked by the participants and some of the ways to go forward is to sensitize people about the importance of hygiene and take the campaign to the slaughter houses, farmers and hunters.