Power Producers Sell ₦294.16 Billion Electricity In Five Months

Electricity generation companies in the country sold electricity worth N294.16bn in the first five months of this year to the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc.

The government-owned NBET buys electricity in bulk from Gencos through Power Purchase Agreements and sells through vesting contracts to the distribution companies, which then supply it to the consumers.

NBET received a total invoice of N294.16bn from the Gencos in the five-month period but paid only N57.98bn, representing 19.71 per cent of the invoice, according to data obtained from the bulk trader.

The Gencos gave NBET an invoice of N51.85bn in January; N51.42bn in February; N52.82bn in March; N70.03bn in April, and N68.04bn in May.

But the bulk trader only paid N15.61bn (30.11 per cent) in January; N13.09bn (25.46 per cent) in February; N5.84bn (11.05 per cent) in March; N10.19bn in April, and N13.25bn in May.

The total power generation in the country stood at 3,105.7 megawatts as of 6am on Tuesday, with 12 of the 27 power plants on the national grid being idle, according to the Nigerian Electricity System Operator.

According to NBET, the payment to the Gencos are based on receipts from the Discos.

“All the Discos are obligated to settle their market invoices in full as adjusted and netted off by applicable tariff shortfall approved by the commission,” the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said in its recent tariff order.

NERC said the Discos would be liable to relevant penalties/sanctions for failure to meet the minimum remittance requirement in any payment cycle in accordance with the terms of its respective contracts with the NBET and the Market Operator, an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“Where it is established that the TCN is unable to deliver load allocation, the TCN shall be liable to pay for the associated capacity charge,” NERC said in the document.

According to the regulator, where a Disco fails to take its entire load allocation due to constraints in its own network, it shall be liable to pay the capacity charge as allocated in its vesting contract.

It said, “The average tariff for each Disco was determined considering the projected energy offtake of the company based on its percentage load allocation in the vesting contract.”

It added that NBET would continue to invoice the Disco for capacity charge and energy based on its load allocation and metered energy respectively in accordance with the December 2019 Minor Review of MYTO 2015 and Minimum Remittance Order for Year 2020.

#nairaland #punchng

FG Approves Creation Of New Anti-Corruption Agency

The federal government on Wednesday approved the establishment of “ The Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Agency, to join the growing list of anti graft agencies established by the government

The government had in efforts to tackle corruption, established the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC Act of 2004, the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012.

Others include the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Code of Conduct Act, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Act, the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the Fiscal Responsibilities Act 2010, as well as the Penal Code Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The government also promulgated the Criminal Code Law of Federation of Nigeria 2004, the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act 1991 and the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks (Amendment) Act 1994.

At the virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council FEC presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, the Council approved the transmission of a bill named “Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Agency Bill,” to the National Assembly.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, explained that the agency is necessary to mange assets that constitute proceeds of crimes as he pointed out that previous proceeds of crime are scattered in different and multiple agencies.

“The Federal Ministry of Justice presented to Council a memo today. The Council memo is about a Bill which will seeks the approval of the Council to transmit to the National Assembly for passage. It is Proceeds of Crime Recovery and management Agency Bill.

“It is in essence a bill that is targeted and intended to have in place a legal and institutional framework. The legal component of it is having a law. And the institutional component of it is to have an agency that will be saddled with the responsibility of managing the assets that constitute the proceeds of crime in Nigeria.

“What happens before now is the proceeds of crime are scattered all over, and mostly in the hands of different and multiple agencies of government inclusive of the police, the DSS, EFCC, and ICPC.

“So, with that kind of arrangement which is ad-hoc, there is no agency of government that is saddled with the responsibility of data generation, an agency that can give you off-head the number of landed assets, number of immovable assets, the amount in cash that are recovered by the federal government by way of interim forfeiture overweigh of a
final forfeigture.

“So, it is indeed overtime a kind of arrangement that is not uniform and consistent.”

According to him, the new law seeks to move the fight against corruption to the next level.

He added: “Next level of transparency, next level of accountability in essence, will have in place an agency of government that is exclusively responsible for anything proceeds of crime.

“A one-stop shop arrangement by which all the assests that are recovered arising from crimes that are indeed vested in the federal government, you have a one-stop arrangenet where you can have an information. As it is for example, the Federal Ministry of Justice is only in a position to account and giving comprehensive account of what
recoveries were made by the ministry.

“But any recovery made by the police, DSS, the Ministry of Justice is not in a position to know. So, for the purpose of decision making and policy, the federal government is not in a position to have a wholistic appreciation.

“So, by the bill that is now presented for the consideration of the council, we’ll have a law that establishes an agency, and secondly, an agency.

“And as you rightly know, Mr President has sanctioned ever since he came on board, that there should be a budget line, a budget item for recovered assets.

“So, if you have a budget item for recovered assets, this agency will now be in a position to provide information to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning on demand as to what amount is available for budget purposes, thereby establishing the desired transparency, the desired accountability which has not been available before now.

“So, it is about a memo that seeks to establish a legal framework, that seeks to establish institutional framework, that seeks to further take the fight against corruption to the next level by way of establishing transparency, accountability and making the possibility of forfeiture a proceeds of crime easy through the sanctioning of non-conviction based forfeiture among others.”

When asked whether the bill stemmed from his experience with the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, he said it had been long in planning.

Malami further explained: “Let me take you through the history lane as far as the proceeds of crime bill is concerned. There was an attempt some time back in 2007 to present to the FEC, it was unsuccessful, the bill was not passed.

“There was further attempt in 2011 to present same bill with some material amendments, and then it did not succeed in getting the blessings of FEC. And there was a further attempt in 2019 to present the Bill and it wasn’t as well successful but it eventually
succeeded today.

“So, perhaps to now tie it to a particular institution or particular development of 2020, I think is unfounded taking into consideration the historical antecedents relating to the bill.“

On the controversy surrounding the new gazette he issued, which has been seen as an attempt to weaken the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), he said: “The first question has to do with rules of professional conduct with particular reference to a gazet in contention. My response is simple, that the matter is being interrogated and id make statement at the
appropriate time and id say no more as far as that issue is concerned.”

FEC also approved a new national policy on occupational safety and health, tagged: “National Policy on Occupational Safety 2020.”

Minister of Labour and employment, Chris Ngige disclosed this while briefing correspondents on his memo to FEC.

He explained that the new policy is aimed at ensuring that all workers are safe at their work places across the country, adding that it derives from provisions of the Nigerian constitution and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) convention.

Ngige added: “The Federal executive Council today approved a new policy on occupational safety and health-2020. This policy is designed to make for safety and health of workers at work places.

“It derives from the main ground norm norm law of the 1999 constitution as amended, which in section 17 (3c) prescribes that the Nigerian State shall make laws and bye-laws for preservation of the health and well-being of workers in the work places; men and women at work.

“It also derives form the ILO convention 155, which Nigeria has also domesticated. Again, that talks about making the work place conducive and ensuring the health and well-being of workers.”

The Minister said the last time the policy was reviewed was 14 years ago but the new one has a review period of three years.

He stated: “The last policy we have was approved in 2006 which makes it exactly 14 years since that was approved by the Federal Executive Council and that is the policy we have been working on. But you know that 14 years is a long span in the life of any law so in the course of operation, certain issues have been thrown up, the world has gone digital, work place mechanism and hazards have been changing and it was therefore necessary that we do a new policy.

“This policy we did now is what you call repeal and replace and it takes care of all that is needed for now, for the health of Nigerian workers.”

Continuing, he said: “It gives specific roles to agencies, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA,) Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA,) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Health.

“Everybody has his own role now because it’s a cross-cutting situation as most Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government are involved.”

On the seven-day ultimatum given by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) threatening strike action, the Minister maintained that it is misplaced because it was addressed to the President of Nigerian, which he said, contravenes labour laws.

He said: “The TUC issue, the seven-day ultimatum was misplaced because they were writing the President and issuing ultimatum to him.

“The President is not recognised by ILO. The competent authority for this nature of dispute in Nigeria resides in the man who oversees them, which is whoever is the Minister of Labour and Employment.”

#Nairaland

NOGTECH: 3-Day Hackathon Begins, 5 Teams To Get US$10,000 Grant

The Nigerian Oil and Gas Technology (NOGTECH) sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDM will enter the 3-day hackathon stage from Thursday, September 17 in Lagos, with 15 teams contesting for the opportunity to emerge among the top five finalists.

Upon emergence, the top five teams will undergo a 3-month incubation program, where each group will get a US$10,000 equity-free grant, a work-space, expert mentors, global partners and unprecedented market access to the nation’s oil and gas industry over three-months, ensuring they become commercial and investor-ready.

NOGTECH is the first ever technology hackathon in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry and it is being organized by the NCDMB in partnership with Learners Support Consultancy Company.

The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr Simbi Kesiye Wabote explained at the unveiling in June that the Board decided to sponsor the contest with the aim of fostering innovations in the oil and gas and ancillary industries as well as creating a platform for the proliferation of Local Content and digital technologies.

The 3-day hackathon will connect 15 selected teams to industry experts, mentors and entrepreneurs who will provide close guidance to teams throughout the duration of the hackathon.

The objective of the bootcamp is to help build and refine the prototypes by providing further insights on the challenges, develop implementation plan for scaling the venture, and to select the most feasible ventures that will receive the seed funding.

The contest began in June with call for entries in seven thematic areas, some of which are health, asset security, tackling cyber threats, renewable energy, skills and talent management and supply chain, with a total of 630 entries received at the close of submission in the third week of July.

The entries were subjected to two stages of review, first from internal NCDMB Judges and then from external judges, before the top 15 teams were selected. The top 15 teams will now go through a 2-day venture hackathon and 1-day grand finale where they will be pitching to Judges and from which the top 5 teams will be selected for the incubation stage.


At the end of the incubation, the teams will participate in a showcase day to demonstrate their progress. This showcase will aim to connect them with investors and industry stakeholders where they can further amplify their market access.

Some of the top 15 entries included Automated Vehicle Identification and Fuel Management System; Providing simulated active practice environments using Virtual reality technology; End-To-End Anti-counterfeiting & Product Authentication; and Producing fuel-grade ethanol from sugarcane which can be used for pharmaceuticals and in blend with gasoline in internal combustion engines to reduce the greenhouse gas emission.

Other submissions offered an online web and mobile based community platform that connects students to industry professionals and instructors to share knowledge and mentor students; provision of customers real time access to storage conditions of temperature sensitive medication both stationary and transient; and Gas360 monitors LPG use through LPG cylinders, safety status of cylinders (to enable them take appropriate action), transmit such information to customers.

The submissions also included Decentralized distribution of custom built smart environmental & optical sensors; An artificial intelligence-based pipeline vandalism detection using aerial surveillance image data, acquired using long-duration balloon lifted satellite; Surveillance drones that enables oil & gas companies monitor their assets both onshore and offshore as well as inspect oil rigs and pipelines and Detection of the earth vibration signals unique to ground digging by pipeline vandals, using custom designed sensing units (SUs)

Other top entries are offering to make use of a piezoelectric sensor to detect and monitor vibration on the oil pipeline; Technological suite that incorporates a modularized asset management system for surveillance, prevention, early detection, intervention and tracking of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft; and Anti-theft/anti-tamper valve lock system using GPS and OTP (One Time Password) technology to authorize operation.

#orientenergyreview

FG Launches Solar Intervention Fund, With N500m Maximum Access Limit

Nigeria, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a solar intervention fund that will grant obligors access to credit facility not exceeding N500 million maximum. The CBN said the objective is to provide affordable electricity to rural dwellers in the country.

In a document released on Monday, entitled, ‘Framework for implementation of the solar connection facility,’ the apex bank said it is introducing the solar connection intervention facility to complement the federal government’s effort of providing affordable electricity to rural dwellers through the provision of long-term low-interest credit facilities to the Nigeria Electrification Project pre-qualified home solar value chain players that include manufacturers and assemblers of solar components and off-grid energy retailers in the country.

CBN said the working capital amount would be determined as a percentage of the average of three year adjusted projected cash flows subject to the maximum of limit of N500 million.

It also said the pathways to energy access, financial inclusion and poverty reduction were closely linked and required rapid scale of pay-as-you-go off-grid technologies that would create a $2 billion (about N7.5 trillion) annual market opportunity, with penetration currently less than five per cent of total market potential.

According to the apex bank, the federal government launched the initiative as part of the economic sustainability plan to achieve the rollout of five million new solar-based connections in communities that were not grid-connected. The programme was expected to generate an additional N7 billion increase in tax revenues per annum and $10 million in annual import substitution.

The solar connection scheme is a federal government initiative, which aims to expand energy access to 25 million individuals (five million new connections) through the provision of solar home systems or connection to a mini grid.



Other objectives are to increase local content in the off-grid solar value chain and facilitate the growth of the local manufacturing industry; as well as incentivize the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the energy sector.

The facility would be administered at an “all-in” interest rate of not more than nine per cent per annum. As part of its COVID-19 relief package, the interest rate to be charged up to February 28, 2021 would not exceed five per cent per annum, the apex bank explained.

The Bank warned however that the fund cannot be used for other purposes, including to finance activities such as sales or deployment of fully (100%) imported solar home systems components with no proof of existing local content or credible plan for near-term integration of local content.

#orientenergyreview

W/Bank To Disburse Approved $750m Nigeria’s Power Sector Fund In 2021

The World Bank has said that it would start the disbursement of the $750 million it approved for Nigeria’s Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP) next year and complete the exercise in 2023.

Nigeria’s Power Sector Recovery Programme is designed to improve the reliability of electricity supply, financial sustainability, as well as enhance accountability in the country’s power sector.

The World Bank said in a recent document that it would not pay out any money from the fund in 2020.

According to the programme, it would start disbursement in 2021 with $426 million, while the sum of $162 million would be disbursed each in 2022 and 2023 respectively, to bring the total to $750 million.

With the government’s revenue projected to drop by three per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or more in 2020, the World Bank said it is expected that Nigeria would experience some fiscal pressure, necessitating urgent reforms in its power sector.

It said also that the programme would help the government redirect large fiscal resources from regressive power tariffs subsidies towards critical crisis-responsive and pro-poor expenditures.

The multilateral institution said in 2019, Nigeria’s electricity tariff shortfalls reached N524 billion or $1.72 billion, equivalent to 0.4% of her GDP and more than N428 billion spent on health care delivery.

“The federal government financing gap in 2020 is currently estimated at $8.1 billion and it would increase by $1.0 billion in the absence of implementation of Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP) and Power Sector Recovery Operation (PSRO).

#orientenergyreview

Again, NNPC Extends Oil Swap Contracts For 6 Months

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has extended for six months its contracts with private companies to swap crude oil for fuels, two sources familiar with the contracts told Reuters yesterday.

In July 2019, in order to continue its exchange of crude oil for refined fuel, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) contracted about 34 companies to carry out the deal. According to some oil industry sources, the 34 firms are under a total of 15 groupings, which received the award letters issued by the country’s state oil firm.

The 15 groupings said to have won the contract are: BP/Aym Shafa, Vitol/Varo, Trafigura/AA Rano, MRS; Oando/Cepsa, Bono/Akleen/Amazon/Eterna, Eyrie/Masters/Cassiva/Asean Group, Mercuria/Barbedos/Petrogas/Rainoil, UTM/Levene/Matrix/Petra Atlantic, TOTSA, Duke Oil, Sahara, Gunvor/Maikifi, Litasco /Brittania-U, and Mocoh/Mocoh Nigeria.

Reuters said in a report that the initial one-year contracts to exchange more than 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) with 15 company pairings were due to expire in October, but the companies renegotiated the price agreement due to changes to fuel prices in Nigeria.

The contracts supply a large portion of Nigeria’s gasoline, and some of its diesel and jet fuel, as it has not been profitable for private importers to bring in fuel.

Nigeria recently stopped setting pump pricing of petrol, a decision the NNPC said is expected to eliminate costly subsidies and enable the private sector to begin importing again.



The NNPC subsidiary, the Petrol Products Marketing Company (PPMC) however still sets an ex depot price for fuels imported by the national oil company.

This, combined with dollar shortages, has thus far made it difficult for some importers to bring in fuels outside the contracts. With the new development, the firms which are now shouldered with the responsibility of carrying out the NNPC crude-for-oil exchange deal have grown by 120%.

#orientenergyreview

Nigeria Must Strengthen Local Content To Achieve Economic Growth – Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said for Nigeria to experience exponential growth in the economy, efforts must be made to strengthen the country’s local content capacities particularly against the backdrop of realities that are fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawan made this known yesterday at the virtual opening of the Nigerian Content Summit jointly organised by the Senate Committee on Local Content and House of Representatives Committees on Content Development and Monitoring.

According to him, the Summit, which is the first of its kind as a pre-public hearing stakeholders’ engagement, seeks “to stimulate understanding on the short- and long-term implications of relevant Bills before the two houses.”

He added that, “the Bills, including the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (SB.417), Nigerian Local Content Enforcement Bill, 2020 (SB. 419), and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Act, 2020 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2020 (SB. 42, are obviously to increase composite value addition.

Sep 17, 2020
“This value addition expectedly developed from within, with the aid of local services and resources in the petroleum industry, should contribute to local capacity building, with considerations for the elements of health, safety and quality,” he said.

While underscoring the need to develop the nation’s local capacities, he said the country needs to appreciate that its social and economic conditions need continuous reviews for development, with a good quantum of home-grown fundamentals, and especially considering the new realities, brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic reminds us of the need for resource independence, the strengthening of local capacity, and the importance of increasing indigenous variables in the Oil and Gas production, and in other areas.

“The overall aim of this is the promotion of industrialization of the nation’s all-important oil and gas sectors, for enhancing the wellbeing of those in the industry and the overall growth of the Nigerian economy.

#orienteneryreview

COVID-19: German Team Loses 37-0 After Social Distancing During Match

German amateur side SG Ripdorf/Molzen II paid the price for watching their health as they went down 37-0 due to their fears of contracting coronavirus.

Ripdorf were scheduled to take on SV Holdenstedt II on Sunday in the 11th tier of German football, Lower Saxony’s 3. Kreisklasse.

But preparations for the match were complicated when it emerged that the Holdenstedt team, according to Ripdorf president Patrik Ristow, had been in contact with an individual infected with Covid-19 during a previous match against Eddelstorf.


While the squad later tested negative for the pandemic illness, their opponents contended that guarantees were not in place to play as 14 days had not passed since that first conact.

Ripdorf requested the game be postponed, but saw their plea rejected by the local association, although Holdenstedt’s first team were excused from their own clash due to fears of contagion.

Forced to either play or face a hefty penalty for abandoning the match, the side decided to take the field while respecting social distancing protocol.

Holdenstedt were therefore left to run rampant while their opponents watched on from a safe distance, scoring goal after goal in the absence of opposition.


“Several players on our second team told us that they would like to avoid contact with SV Holdenstedt players to be safe,” Ristow later explained to AZ.

“Also because the 14 day incubation period had not yet finished. The Holdenstedt first-team game was cancelled, the second team game unfortunately was not.

“The coaching staff and club directors are responsible for the team and, naturally, accept the situation in today’s world. To contain possible chains of infections, this should be in everybody’s interests.

“At the same time, as a club, we have to be careful not to incur unnecessary punishments for not showing up during his difficult corona period. That would make the financial situation of the club even worse. So we are in a bind.”Article continues below

According to the Holdenstedt coach, however, Ripdorf exaggerated the risk of infection. “There was no reason not to play this game,” Florian Schierwater explained.

“None of our players had contact with the Eddelstorf player [who tested positive]. I said hello to him, but like others I also volunteered to be tested.

“According to the health department, half of the team didn’t even have to go for a test.”

#orientdailynews

Court Okays Okorocha’s Plea To Amend Suit Against EFCC

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, granted a request by the immediate-past Governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, to amend his suit filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and different panels set up by the state government to probe his eight-year administration.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in his ruling, dismissed the objection by the Imo Government to the proposed amendment.Justice Mohammed, who noted that the proposed amendment, which sought to correct his lawyer’s mistakes in the the processes earlier filed, was not to change the substance of the suit.According to him, it is not an abuse of court process as alleged by the respondents’ lawyer.

The judge ruled that in line with the precedent set by Supreme Court, the preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case could not stop the plaintiff from carrying out the amendment of an error noticed in his processes.


He added that when the court was confronted with two competing applications with one seeking to breathe life into the suit and the other seeking to kill it, the court must first hear the one seeking to breathe life.“A party who notices defects in his processes can correct it and the preliminary objection will not stop the correction.

“The application for amendment is well founded and it is accordingly granted as prayed,” Mohammed ruled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Okorocha’s lawyer, Mr Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, had said the amendment sought to correct the mistakes committed by his secretary while typing the document filed in court.But the Imo Government, through its Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa, opposed the application.

Akaolisa argued that by virtue of judicial authorities, since he had filed a notice of objection against the suit, the plaintiff was not permitted to amend the suit.He added that the plaintiff failed to point out the aspects of the suit sought to be amended.However, EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, did not oppose the application for amendment.

Okorocha, who currently represents Imo West in the Senate, had, on May 18, filed his suit seeking an order stopping the 48 respondents in the suit from probing “purported financial infractions” said to have been committed during his tenure as Governor of the state between May 2011 and May 2019.

NAN reports that while the EFCC is the 1st respondent, the 2nd to the 48th respondents are the Attorney-General of Imo State and members of the five panels set up by the Imo Government to probe previous administrations in the state.Justice Mohammed, therefore, adjourned the case until Oct. 15 for mention.(NAN)

UNICEF Urges FG To Reverse Prison Sentence On 13-Year-Old Boy

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Federal Government to reverse the sentencing of a 13-year-old boy, Omar Farouq, to 10 years’ imprisonment with menial labour for blasphemy.

UNICEF’S Representative in Nigeria, Mr Peter Hawkins, who made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday, said the sentencing negated all core underlying principles of child rights and child justice that Nigeria, and by implication, Kano State had signed on to.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Farouq was on Aug. 10, 2020 convicted of blasphemy and on Aug. 18, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Kano State Sharia Court at Feli Hockey.


Hawkins said: “The sentencing of this child, 13-year-old Omar Farouk, to 10 years in prison with menial labour is wrong.

“The sentence is in contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Nigeria ratified in 1991.

“It is also a violation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which Nigeria ratified in 2001 and the Nigeria’s Child Rights Act 2003, which domesticates Nigeria’s international obligations to protect children’s right to life, survival and development,” he said.

The representative expressed appreciation for the strides recently made by the Kano State Government to pass the Kano State Child Protection Bill.

He however, called for an urgent need to accelerate the enactment of the bill so as to ensure that all children under 18, including Farouq, are protected.

He also urged the government to ensure that all children in Kano are treated in accordance with child rights standards.



“UNICEF will continue to provide support to the Federal and Kano State Governments on child protection system strengthening, including justice sector reform, to ensure that states put in place child-sensitive measures to handle cases involving children.

“This includes adopting alternative measures, in line with international best practices, for the treatment of children alleged to have committed offences that do not involve detention or deprivation of family care, ” Hawkins said. (NAN).

#orientdailynews