By: Rukaiyatu Idris “ I now understand the effects of deforestation and the various ways of addressing climate change, which I personally believe that reforestation is one of the most suitable and sustainable solutions, especially in a community like our own." Those were the words of Abdullahi Usman, a 13-year-old junior student at Shehu Sanda Kyari Secondary School in Maiduguri, Borno’s capital, as he acknowledged the impacts of the climate-change campaigns that are spreading across public schools like his.  “When they first came to our school, I didn’t understand any of the things they were saying,” Usman recalled.  “I was just looking at them whenever they speak about climate change.” For more than a decade, Borno State has grappled with abnormalities in its rainfall patterns and overall weather conditions. Escalating temperatures, together with low rainfall, have taken a severe toll on agriculture, which accounts for at least 65% of the state’s GDP. With the Lake Chad Basi...

  BY: FAIZA JIBRIN The Being Human Foundation For The Less Privileged (BHFLP) has pledged immediate support for the victims of the recent floods in Borno State, which devastated homes and properties. In a statement by Hauwa Abdullahi Suleiman, the foundation commended the swift actions taken by the state government in response to the disaster. The foundation expressed solidarity with Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi, and the entire Borno community. BHFLP conveyed deep sympathy for the affected citizens and acknowledged the hardships caused by the flood. The foundation praised the Borno State Government for setting up temporary shelters at Bakasi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and Galtimari school, providing refuge to those displaced by the floods. BHFLP committed to supporting the state's efforts by delivering essential relief materials, including cooked food, to affected families. BHFLP emphasize...

Aliyu Abba, 12. PC: Adama Abubakar By: Adama Abubakar It was a breezy Sunday morning in Kano when I left for Borno, Nigeria. I was very excited because I had been wanting to visit Maiduguri for a long time. But the smile on my face and the amount of happiness I felt were cut short when I engaged in a strange interaction with the boys I came across, who appeared to be unlike many I had met in my life.  The boys sitting next to me had a mix of innocence and curiosity in their eyes, and I was curious to know who they were, so I asked if they were with their parents or guardians, given their ages, which could be between 7 and 11 years old, and they answered 'NO', letting me know that they are all by themselves. I could not speak, so I remained silent and began to ponder.  I remembered that earlier, as our bus was about to leave the park, an elderly man, probably in his 50s, approached our bus and gave some advice to the young children; from the advice given to them, I learned that...

  Photo:WuzupNigeria  

Hadiza Ibrahim Ngulde In a distressing development, eight students from the University of Maiduguri, were reportedly abducted while en route to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FCMDS) Annual Convention in Enugu State.  The group, which includes four members of the University of Maiduguri Medical Students Association (UMMESA), departed from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) on Wednesday morning, August 14, 2024. According to the press release signed by  General Secretary UMMESA, Abass Omotiti, the University of maiduguri  students passed the night University of Jos where they met 10 other students, making the total of 18 to attend the Conference in Enugu State. However, their journey was cut short when they were allegedly abducted while traveling along the Otukpo (Benue) - Enugu road on August 15, 2024. All efforts to reach them proved futile, after the last communication recorded from the students occurred at 3:24 pm, same day. Th...

A groundnut farm along Dalori community, Maiduguri PC: Adama Abubakar By: Adama Abubakar There have been several anomalies in rainfall in agro-climatic zones in Africa, with variations in the rainfall amount received during growing seasons in different agro-climatic zones in recent years, it has been observed that rainfall is more reliable from May until July, and less reliable in March, August and October, this is according to a research by CGIAR program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Climate change has become a major issue in Nigeria, particularly in the country's northern region, which is known for its arid zone and states affected by a decade-long conflict.  Borno, which was the epicenter of the insurgency in Nigeria is facing numerous challenges caused by climate change. However, climate change poses distinctive challenges towards several human activities, but predominantly, farming has been noticeably affected due to delayed rainfall. Farmers in Mai...