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COVID-19: The dedicated few protecting children at north-east Nigeria’s frontlines
Shadrach, alongside other humanitarian workers like him, are ensuring children in north-east Nigeria are safe and kept together with their families, especially during emergencies
Making a difference can have its moments of peril. For Shadrach Adawara, one such moment came in 2016, when working to reunify children who had been separated from their parents due to the armed conflict with Boko Haram.
“Our NGO was the only organization cleared to conduct family tracing and unification in Borno State at that time. That meant that our work could extend beyond Maiduguri to Bama, Monguno and Dikwa – much more remote locations,” Shadrach recalled.
He and his team waited for months for clearance from the military to travel to the area. When it finally came, they discovered to their alarm that they had no military escort – key to protecting them in the conflict-ridden area.
They persevered, and at one point the team’s vehicle was hit by a landmine. Miraculously, nobody was hurt, and the mission ultimately resulted in 120 children being reunited with their parents.
For Shadrach, who now works for UNICEF as a senior state facilitator based at government-run Bulumkutu Rehabilitation Centre in Maiduguri, taking such risks is worth it for one simple reason.
“I love children,” he says. “I care deeply about ensuring children are safe and kept together with their families, especially during emergencies.” The emergency he is referring to is the 10-year conflict that has killed thousands in north-east Nigeria and uprooted millions of children, women and men from their homes.
The 32-year-old has been tracing parents of displaced and unaccompanied children and reuniting them for the past five years.
In addition to reunifying families, he also helps children who have been in forced contact with armed groups to rehabilitate and reintegrate with their communities.
“I love to help children survive and overcome the challenges life throws up against them in conflict situations,” he says.
Supported by UNICEF with funds from the European Union (EU), the Bulumkutu Centre in Maiduguri serves as a transition and rehabilitation point for children who have been in contact with or displaced by Boko Haram.
When children eventually leave the centre and are reunited with their parents or caregivers, Shadrach follows up with visits to their communities to see how they are faring.
But with the outbreak of COVID-19, Shadrach’s work at Bulumkutu has expanded to include ensuring the children know how to protect themselves from the virus.
“I teach them how to wash their hands with soap regularly, to avoid shaking hands, and to practice respiratory hygiene,” he says. “I also tell them to practice physical distancing by avoiding crowded spaces, including during meals at the dining hall.”
The work can be frustrating at times, and he and his colleagues on the frontlines often face hurdles such as vehicle breakdowns, lack of air transport, and detailed military protocols that must be followed when trying to get children released from IDP camps.
But Shadrach doesn’t worry about the hurdles. When things get tough, he draws on support from his “amazing and supportive” colleagues, and also from his faith.
Shadrach does, however, worry about the long-term effect on children from the prolonged conflict. Like many, he would like to see a quick end to it. While he finds his work rewarding, he would be happy to be made unnecessary and to instead spend his time playing chess.
But until that happens, he finds plenty to keep him motivated.
“That joy, that happiness you see on the face of parents who are reunited with their children — children they gave up on, thinking they were dead. The delight in such a scenario makes you feel like you’ve made a difference.”
The headquarters of Heritage Bank at Victoria Island, Lagos, was besieged on Thursday by members of the labour union, protesting the recent dismissal of 1,000 support workers.
The National President of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Comrade Anthony Abakpa, led the demonstration, condemning the bank’s management for what he deemed a lack of adherence to due process in the termination of employment contracts.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Abakpa asserted that the leadership of Heritage Bank failed to follow established protocols before executing the mass layoffs.
He emphasised the union’s commitment to pursuing justice for the affected workers, vowing to escalate their demands until the bank’s management rectifies the situation.
“We will intensify our demands for justice,” declared Comrade Abakpa, urging the bank’s management to take corrective action to address the grievances of the dismissed workers.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, clarified that Nigeria is not utilising its foreign reserves to bolster the naira, despite recent fluctuations in reserve levels.
Speaking from Washington DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings, Cardoso highlighted the influx of $600 million into Nigeria’s reserves account within the past two days.
While the naira has experienced a notable appreciation against the dollar in recent weeks, climbing over 40% from approximately N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been dwindling. As of April 15, reserves dropped to approximately $32.29 billion, marking the lowest level in over six years.
Cardoso emphasised that the shifts in reserves are typical for any country, where various financial obligations, such as debt repayments, necessitate withdrawals.
He stated, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where, for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made. They are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.”
Continuing, Cardoso underscored the dynamic nature of the market, advocating for a system driven by willing buyers, willing sellers, and price discovery.
He emphasised, “The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending the naira, and that is certainly not our objective.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has made headlines by announcing a further reduction in the price of diesel, dropping it from ₦1200 to ₦1000 naira per litre.
The refinery’s decision comes on the heels of its recent supply at a significantly reduced price of ₦1200 per litre, which was introduced three weeks ago, signifying a remarkable 30 per cent decrease from the previous market price of approximately ₦1600 per litre.
This substantial reduction in diesel prices at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to reiterate positively throughout various sectors of the economy, potentially serving as a catalyst in alleviating the persistently high inflation rate in the country.
In a statement last week, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual and the owner of the refinery, expressed his optimism regarding the potential impact of the price reduction on inflation in Nigeria.
“I believe that we are on the right track. I believe Nigerians have been patient, and I also believe that a lot of goodies will now come through. There’s quite a lot of improvement because if you look at it, one of the major issues that we’ve had was the naira devaluation that has gone very aggressively up to about ₦1900,” he remarked.
As anticipation builds around the implications of this move by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stakeholders and consumers alike remain hopeful for the positive effects it could bring to the Nigerian economy in the coming months.
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