General News
Nigeria Needs State Police for Better Security Response -Deputy Speaker Kalu
…Rallies support for Reserved Seats Bill
By Saint Mugaga
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu,PhD, CFR has declared that Nigeria can no longer delay the creation of state police if it hopes to tackle its security challenges effectively.
Kalu, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on his return from Geneva, Switzerland, where he attended the 55th Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization/Inter-Parliamentary Union (WTO-IPU) Public Forum 2025, where he represented Nigeria said Nigeria’s current centralized policing structure was inadequate and far behind global standards.
Earlier hosted by Nigerian Students at Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts, United States, Kalu said the only way this can be achieved is to unbundle it from its current structure.
He said: “On the State Police bill that is before the parliament, we are thinking about the response time of policing in Nigeria which at the moment is below the global standard. The only way we can achieve this is if we unbundle it from the way it is centralized like what other countries are doing: Municipal police, State Police. And just the constitution is clear on what is on the concurrent and exclusive lists.
“Certain subject matters will now be handled by the State Police and Federal Police respectively if we set it up and break it down the way Nigerians want it and that’s why we are calling for the national public hearing on Monday. Let’s have this conversation on issues like this to know whether you want it or not, or should it be tailored in one way or the other. There may be fears of hijacking it but we cannot because of that deny the majority of Nigerians the security of lives and property that we promised them as a government.
“So, we should be looking at the bigger picture. Everyone in Nigeria may not be a politician but everyone needs security of lives and property. So, we are saying which one should we go for? The greater good or the fear of the minor threat? . I think we should go for the greater good so that the good in the majority will suppress the threat in the minority.”
Kalu said Nigerians demonstrated rare patriotism and resilience by standing with President Bola Tinubu in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal and other bold economic reforms, stressing that the difficult decisions were necessary to put the country on the path of sustainable growth.
He said the Nigerians in diaspora showed keen interest in the government’s reforms and in issues of representation.
“The engagement was to have an appraisal of what we are doing, bring them up to speed with what the government is doing in regards to reforms. How far the reforms have fared and where we are headed. You and I know that Nigeria needed this reform. There’s no two ways about it.
“We needed a leader with courage, a leader with boldness to be able to take the steps the President has taken. Some of us who are in the same administration with him, though we’re in the other arm of government, we are standing fully with him on this reform. Removing subsidy launched us into an era of seeing things the way they are, feeling the pain, and then adjusting so that we can enjoy better later on.
“And many may have hought we were going into recession and the rest of them. But we weathered the storm, and I want to thank Nigerians. As Nigerians, we are very resilient. And we were able to stand with him. Today, the dynamics have changed.”
The Deputy Speaker also commended the State governments for helping to diversify the economy, saying it will increase job creation and boost the economic well-being of the citizens.
He urged Nigerians to stay engaged, patient, and supportive of the reforms, while also participating actively in shaping policies such as the state police bill.
“Just imagine 36 States engaging in productive engagements, outings, whether it’s in agriculture, in production, and also rest of them, it will create more jobs, increase our wealth. And I think that is the intention of these reforms. I was happy when I saw the president saying in August that their target for revenue has been achieved for the year. It’s a step towards the right direction. It may not be so cozy, but it’s leading us where it’s supposed to lead us. And we needed a President with balls, a President with courage to do this. And we thank him for having the courage and Nigerians for supporting him to get this done the way it has been done.
We are looking forward to the benefits of these reforms, going forward.
“This is the time for everybody’s hands to be on deck. We cannot afford to be distracted. It is time to move Nigeria forward,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker also highlighted his role in shaping global discussions on digital trade during the Geneva Conference.
He revealed that Nigeria was among the eight countries represented on the WTO/IPU steering committee, which examined how to make digital trade an engine of inclusive growth.
Kalu argued that for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to succeed, digital trade must be embedded as a central pillar.
“Digital trade is taking the day across the world at the moment, increasing economic growth by about 25 percent,” he said. “We must fit into this space, both globally and as a continent.
“Our argument was that there should be a legislative tracking tool that would enable countries to measure how far they have gone with implementing laws on digital trade and compare progress. Sub-regional and continental bodies like ECOWAS, the Pan-African Parliament, and the IPU should take this up,” he explained.
He further disclosed that Nigeria and other African delegations pressed for Afrocentric issues to feature prominently at the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled for Yaoundé in March 2026.
“As we talk about multilateralism, Africans and their problems must be on the table, not outside the room,” he emphasized.
Kalu also pushed for the passage of a bill reserving seats for women in Parliament, stressing that the exclusion of women from politics was holding back Nigeria’s democratic and economic progress.
“You cannot talk about advancing democracy when you’re leaving 50 percent of the population outside the room. It makes policies one-sided,” he said.
He pointed out that issues such as child rights, women’s rights, and humanitarian concerns often carry more depth when driven by women lawmakers.
“This is not compensation for women. It is an economic necessity. McKinsey and the World Bank have shown that countries with more women in decision-making grow faster. A country standing on one leg, relying on one gender, will lag economically,” he said.
Kalu explained that he and 12 other lawmakers had sponsored the bill and that advocacy efforts had begun early in this Assembly, with members increasingly supportive.
On the clamouring for diaspora voting, the Deputy Speaker reiterated his long-standing support but cautioned that Nigeria must first strengthen its local electoral system.
“Rome was not built in a day. It will happen, but we must first put our house in order. If Nigerians say during constitutional amendment hearings that they want it, we will look at the possibility,” he explained.
Kalu also shed light on his intervention in the crisis involving local contractors, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory, who threatened strike action over unpaid fees.
He said the approach of “legislative diplomacy” helped to calm tensions and secure commitments from government agencies.
“Though we are three arms of government, we are one government. The objective of the President is our objective too. We will not allow the executive to fail and then stand aside. That is not how to drive an emerging democracy,” he said.
He recalled that the meetings with the Ministers of Finance and Budget, Wale Edun, the Accountant General of the federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi and other stakeholders at the instance of the Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, penultimate week led to significant progress as payments have been made.
“We took the contractors off the streets. They kept their word not to return to protest, and government has kept its word by paying. We will review the situation again on the 21st to ensure progress continues,” Kalu said.
On the FCT-specific waste management issue, Kalu promised to personally engage the Minister of the FCT to avert any strike. “The FCT has no House of Assembly. We are their Assembly. We will not allow services to collapse,” he said.
Kalu emphasized that while he remains engaged globally, having been invited by Harvard and MIT for future discussions, his priority will always be Nigeria.
“My WTO program was still on, but duty called, and Nigeria comes first before the globe,” he declared.
By Saint Mugaga
Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR on Thursday spearheaded the adoption of a landmark resolution on post-conflict recovery at the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, placing global parliaments at the centre of building just and lasting peace.
Serving as co-rapporteur alongside Mr. A. Al-Zu’bi of Jordan and Ms. F. Belhirch of the Netherlands, Kalu, who also sits on the 12-member IPU Steering Committee overseeing the World Trade Organization, presented the draft resolution on “The Role of Parliaments in Establishing Robust Post-Conflict Management Mechanisms and Restoring a Just and Lasting Peace” at the Assembly.
The adoption of the resolution signals growing recognition that sustainable peace requires strong, inclusive, and accountable parliamentary institutions.
The document commits parliaments worldwide to a five-pillar framework for recovery: strengthened institutions, equitable economic reconstruction, social reconciliation, inclusive political life, and sustained international support.
It underscores human security and common security as key principles for achieving just, lasting, and inclusive peace.
The resolution also emphasizes people-centred and preventive approaches that address the root causes of conflict while advancing trust, dignity, and resilience.
Stressing the core of the resolution, Kalu reaffirmed that post-conflict recovery must be nationally led and owned.
He urged parliaments to guide recovery through holistic frameworks that ensure reconstruction strategies, legal reforms, and institutional strengthening are designed and approved via inclusive national processes.
He added that external assistance must align with nationally defined priorities and remain subject to democratic oversight.
Kalu said: “The 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union urges Parliaments in countries affected by or emerging from conflict to ensure strong national ownership of peace and recovery processes by leading inclusive nationwide consultations, defining priorities through democratic deliberation and legislation, and ensuring that any external support is adapted to local needs, constitutional frameworks and international human rights obligations.
“Parliaments responsible for implementing peace agreements are called upon to give full legal effect to their provisions by incorporating them into national legislation, establishing clear implementation requirements, and creating permanent, cross-party mechanisms to regularly review progress. These should include hearings with relevant actors, such as women and youth groups and representatives of affected communities, to coordinate parliamentary follow-up, ensure continuity, identify gaps early, and uphold commitments across political cycles.
“When addressing the legacies of conflict, parliaments are also urged to establish national transitional justice frameworks by adopting legislation that enables truth-seeking processes, victim-centred reparations, and fair and transparent vetting or amnesty procedures, as well as effective cooperation with national and international accountability mechanisms. This ensures that justice, recognition of past harms and institutional reform form an integral part of sustainable peace.”
Beyond that, the resolution charges parliaments in countries affected by or emerging from conflict to lead inclusive nationwide consultations and ensure external support adapts to local needs, constitutional frameworks, and international human rights obligations.
Through the IPU resolution, Kalu also urged parliaments to establish national transitional justice frameworks that enable truth-seeking processes, victim-centred reparations, and fair vetting or amnesty procedures, while encouraging the use of human security approaches in legislative, oversight, budgetary, and representation functions.
The document also encourages parliaments to rebalance national and international budgetary priorities in favour of peacebuilding and prevention, prioritize conflict-affected populations in reconstruction and financing, and strengthen transparency and anti-corruption safeguards in recovery funds.
It further charges parliaments to support national and community-level reconciliation through inclusive dialogue and trauma-informed initiatives, promote local dialogue processes that bring together communities and former adversaries, and institutionalize the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and youth across all peace and dialogue processes in line with UN Security Council resolutions 1325 and 2250.
The resolution also asked parliaments to strengthen inclusive political participation by ensuring all affected communities are represented in legislative deliberations, foster constructive political dialogue through cross-party platforms, and work with governments, regional organizations, the IPU, and the United Nations to strengthen international support and funding for peace agreements.
It likewise proposes that parliaments consider lawful mechanisms to facilitate reparations for victims and mobilize resources for reconstruction, including the use of frozen or otherwise immobilized assets where lawful.
The resolution requests that the IPU provide targeted technical assistance to parliaments engaged in post-conflict recovery, including advisory missions, capacity-building, peer-learning, and support in mediation and conflict prevention.
By Wumi Tewogbade, Abuja
Nigeria said it has concluded arrangement to host the 5th high level ministerial meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), in Abuja.
This was announced on Wednesday, at the virtual Global Media Briefing organised by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) in Abuja.
The theme for the meeting, “One Health — Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action”, the high level meeting would hold from 28th to 30th June 2026.
According to the Ministerial Global Envoy on AMR, Government of Nigeria, Dr. Ayoade Alakija, delegations from over 100 countries are expected to participate along with Presidents of a few countries, such as, Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria.
Dr. Alakija also disclosed that President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, would welcome participants and declare the meeting open.
“The 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR would be different because not just ministers of health but also ministers of agriculture, environment and finance are being invited to take part to address AMR in all sectors (such as, animal health and livestock, food and agriculture and our environment) – and not just human health,” said Alakija.
“AMR is not just about human health and protecting just our medicines but also about prevention and protecting our animals, plants and our environment. We need to ensure that not only humans are not harmed due to AMR but also our animals, agriculture and food systems and our environment are kept safe so that we all can live in harmony together,” she said.
She noted, “If we invest US$ 1 on AMR, return on investment is US$ 11 – 11 times.
“This upcoming 5th High Level Meeting in Nigeria would focus more on solutions to address the challenge AMR is posing. We also need to ensure AMR response is fully financed including prevention, surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene. It is strategic investments that our countries and our communities need.
“If we do not have money to fully fund our AMR multisectoral action plans, then how are we going to get the work done? So, we have to involve those who are involved with finances. Media is critical for accountability but also critical for awareness, and keeping the communities we serve involved,” she added.
Alakija cited Abuja Declaration 2001 where African countries committed to invest 15% of their annual budgets on health.
She hopes that the upcoming meeting will also play a historic role in sustainable financing for AMR response.
“Earlier in April 2026, I was at the One Health Summit in Lyons, France, hosted by President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron, where many of the people at the highest level, who were present there, have confirmed their attendance (for upcoming meet in Nigeria),” said Alakija.
She added that Nigeria had been involved with the integrated approach for a while as it was important for all sectors to speak to one another and work in concert with one another:
“AMR has typically been seen often from the lens of high-income countries. We need to address AMR recognising the gaps in all countries and contexts especially low- and middle-income countries – and ways to bridge the gaps in prevention of infectious diseases as well as gaps in stopping misuse and overuse of medicines in food and agriculture sector, animal health sector and environment along with human health sector. AMR commitments like UNGA Political Declaration 2024 needs to be translated into not just actions but local actions which are critical”, the expert said.
Speaking on the severity of AMR, Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, Dr. Jean Nyemazi stated: “AMR is a big threat and continue to kill many people, especially in LMICs and the Global South.
“AMR is among top 10 global health threats and threatens our animals, food systems, economies and our environment. All Quadripartite agencies are supporting the upcoming high level ministerial meeting on AMR in Nigeria including the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme, and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)”.
Dr. Nyemazi added that the task for this upcoming 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR in Nigeria would be to enabling the acceleration of implementation of multi-sectoral national action plans on AMR, enabled by effective governance at all levels, sustainable investment at all levels, and walk the talk on the theme of One Health for advancing global AMR commitments through local actions.
He reiterated the role of the Media, stating that it was a strategic partner to “inform, connect and hold us accountable”.
“Evidence-based reporting ensures that AMR is visible as a development, equity and sustainability issue, it shapes the public understanding, support, behaviour change, and sustains pressure for measurable progress”, he said.
Dr. Nyemazi pointed out that the 1st and 2nd High Level Ministerial Meetings that took place in 2014 and 2019 had mostly ministers from European regions in attendance.
Now, ministers of over 100 countries were expected to take part in the upcoming meeting in Nigeria and majority comes from the Global South.
“We see the focus changing from health to One Health – which means we are having more representation from ministries of animal health, food and agriculture, and environment along with human health. When we talk about AMR prevention, we are talking about preventing AMR across all the sectors (and not just in human health)”, he said.
Speaking further, Dr. Nyemazi disclosed that one of the targets of Political Declaration adopted at UN General Assembly High Level Meeting 2024 was to reduce AMR deaths by 10% by 2030 (compared to 4.9 million AMR associated deaths recorded in 2019).
“Simple strategies that are cost-effective and impact public health such as washing hands can help. We also need to ensure equitable access to essential antimicrobials. These are few steps governments can do now”, he said.
On her part, Chairperson, Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), Shobha Shukla explained that AMR or drug resistance was a problem driven by misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines – including antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitics and antifungals – and results in critical medicines losing effectiveness to treat infections.
Shukla added that as result of drug resistance, medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat:
“All of us are at risk of AMR. But in absence of strong public systems, those in low- and middle-income countries – and especially those who are underserved are at a much-heightened risk of AMR. We have to do better in protecting the medicines that save us.
“We also have to do better in saving lives from preventable infections as well as ensuring right and timely diagnosis and right treatment, care and support for everyone, leaving no one behind.
“Misuse and overuse of medicines is rampant in animal health and livestock, food and agriculture, human health, as well as polluting our environment”, she said.
By Felix Umande from Makurdi
Following the public outcry due to recent spate of attacks on innocent rural dwellers by terrorist herders across Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia, has directed security agencies to launch full, coordinated operations to dislodge herder terrorist camps identified in forests across Apa, Otukpo, Gwer-West and other flashpoints in the state.
Specifically, Edikwu-Ankpali, Ikobi and Adija in Apa Local Government Area, as well as Upu village in Otukpo LGA, were attacked with multiple residents killed.
Governor Alia described the renewed wave of violence against innocent communities as “unacceptable and increasingly hydra-headed,” adding that the decisive directive was necessary to halt the bloodshed.
According to the governor, in a statement issued Tuesday, the criminal elements have exploited forested areas as operational bases to launch attacks, and must be flushed out without delay.
He reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remains the “foremost responsibility” of his administration, and mandated a “sustained, intelligence-driven security crackdown” to neutralise all threats and restore confidence among citizens, particularly in the affected LGAs.
The governor disclosed that the state government is working “in close synergy with federal security agencies” and will not relent until lasting peace is achieved.
He urged residents to remain vigilant, cooperate with operatives on the ground, and provide credible information to aid ongoing operations.
While commiserating with families who lost loved ones in the recent attacks, Alia restated his administration’s resolve to “confront criminality head-on and ensure that Benue State is safe for all.”
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