ÀLKÉ debuts, aims to protect, monetize Africa’s creative heritage - ITREALMS

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A major continental institution dedicated to protecting, preserving, and commercially monetizing Africa's vast creative heritage has been unveiled, with Lagos confirmed as one of its primary tour destinations, reports ITREALMS.

Dubbed The ÀLKÉ Ball; named after Alkebulan, one of the oldest known historical names for the African continent, the initiative is designed to fundamentally reshape the global understanding of African fashion, fortify regional creative economies, and secure long-term cultural sovereignty.

Shell, Bayelsa State launch plan to protect Taylor Creek Forest Reserve - ITREALMS

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The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC Joint Venture) and the Bayelsa state government inaugurated the Gbaran Biodiversity Action Plan (Gbaran BAP), last week, in which more than 150 people from Taylor Creek Forest Reserve communities have been trained in alternative livelihood skills to reduce exploitation of resources at the forest. The trainees acquired skills in Aquaculture, Bee keeping, Goat rearing, snail and cassava/plantain farming and Grasscutter technology and were given packs to start their businesses.

“SPDC is well placed to contribute to the protection of Taylor Creek Forest reserve having successfully implemented similar programmes at Gele-Gele and Urhonigbe forest reserves in Edo State,” said SPDC Director and Head, Corporate Relations Igo Weli, in a speech delivered in Yenagoa by Corporate Relations Manager West, Amechi Ucheoma. “With the support of our joint venture partners – NNPC Limited, TotalEnergies and Nigeria Agip Oil Company – we have decided to embark on the latest biodiversity action plan to continue to support the government and people of Bayelsa State in order to maintain the balance of nature at Taylor Creek.”

African Anti-corruption Day: AFRICMIL urges FG on laws to protect whistleblowers - ITREALMS

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The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the Nigerian and other African governments that have yet to enact whistleblower protection laws to take urgent steps to do so to encourage their citizens to expose corrupt acts and other illegalities hampering good governance and accountability in the continent.

In a press statement to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day, Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, said, “We find it most disappointing that so far only about 10 countries including Ghana and South Africa, out of the 54 countries in Africa, have put in place initiatives such as legislations to promote whistleblowing.”

Segun Olatunji returns: Why we must protect free press, democracy against military misconduct - ITREALMS

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As the cheering news of the return of abducted the Editor, FirstNews, Mr Segun Olatunji hits newsroom, the trio of the International Press Institute (IPI), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have adduced reasons why Nigerians must protect free press and guide democracy against military misconducts, reports ITREALMS.

Sequel to the release of Segun Olatunji Wednesday, the trio had a joint press statement accusing the military of usurping the role of the media in a democratic era and violation of fundamental human rights of detention above 48 hours without any court warrant.

Working remotely @Summer 2023: Five steps to protect yourself from cyberattacks - ITREALMS

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With the arrival of summer, teleworking becomes the priority option for many workers, but it is necessary to take into account the risks and threats involved in moving the workspace to a new location.

Before the pandemic, cybersecurity started to be considered as a fundamental area in a company. But it’s really after the implementation of teleworking during confinement and the cyberattacks that many companies suffered, due to the exposure of their devices, that IT teams are increasingly focused on raising awareness among their workers. The objective is clear, shield each access point to the business network and monitor it to avoid active threats, making remote work a secure and flexible option.

NCC-CSIRT issues advisories to protect Nigerians against threat actors - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission's Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), in line with its mandate, has rolled out some advisories in the first few weeks of the year 2023 as cyber threat actors continue to devise means of compromising their targets.

The latest of such advisories urged users to be mindful after attackers use Microsoft OneNote attachments in phishing emails that infect victims with remote access malware, which may allow hackers to remotely access vital information on victims' devices.

Peter Obi: IGP Usman must protect Cosmas Okoli from threats by Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe says RULAAC - ITREALMS

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The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, to ensure urgent actions are taken to guarantee the safety and liberty of Chief Cosmas Okoli and to protect him from any threat or harm by one Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe on account of his political views, reports ITREALMS.

A press statement endorsed by RULAAC's Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma and available to ITREALMS in Lagos, the group said that it received information from one Chief Cosmas Okoli who had expressed fears of being attacked following alleged threats to his life by Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe.

Tinubu, APC election monitoring teams meet, charges them to protect party’s votes - ITREALMS

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All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met with the party’s election planning and monitoring teams in preparation for the general election on February 25 and March 11.

Addressing the party volunteers during the Train-the-Trainer session on Monday in Abuja, Asíwájú Tinubu appreciated their efforts in agreeing to work for the party’s success in all the elections.

Corruption: HEDA urges ICAN to protect image now - ITREALMS

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Worried like every other Nigerian over the ugly trends surrounding the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in recent time, the Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has written to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to swiftly redeem its image by investigating the alleged corruption case against one of its members- Mr. Nwabuoke Anamekwe Chukwunyere.

Recall that Mr. Nwabuoke Anamekwe Chukwunyere was appointed as the acting Accountant-General of the Federation, to oversee the management of the Federation’s Accounts in the absence of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Idris Ahmed who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegation of embezzlement to the tune of over #109Billion.

How to protect, monitor your children on Internet using Google Parental Controls - Part 1 - ITREALMS

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In the wake of underage children getting unduly exposed to the Internet, there are ways parents could help to protect and monitor their children from anywhere in the world, reports ITREALMS.

One of these is to set up parental controls on any devices, especially mobile devices which they, the children could take along beyond the parent sight.

Climate risks: Pula, ARC seal deal to protect African farmers - ITREALMS

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The Insuretech Pula has sealed deal with the African Risk Capacity Limited (ARC Ltd) to deliver best-in-class agriculture index insurance products to protect African farmers from climatic risks, reports ITREALMS.

Every farming season, African farmers are exposed to a wide range of climate risks including drought, excessive rainfall, pests and diseases, and several other perils that negatively affect their yields.

Northern government lacks commitment to protect children, women - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Stakeholders have decried the fact that governments across all states in the northern part of Nigeria lack the commitment to protect children and women, reports ITREALMS.

This was the highlights of the One-Day Consultative Meeting on Women and Countering Violent Extremism in the North East organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Abuja with the support of Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation (NORAD).

Speaking, a consultant on the matter, Prof. Patricia Donli, lamented that some children in the Northeast have known nothing but violence, explaining that the lack of implementation of relevant laws that protects that protects the rights of children has given rise to varying degrees of abuses.

"Rape cases are on the increase in the North East. We have four cases in Maiduguri IDPs alone last week. Just recently two sisters were raped by a teacher, a little boy was nailed on his head. General hospitals smell so bad because of girls suffering from VVF due to child marriage," Donli said.

She regrets that 11 northern states are yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act (CRA) enacted in 2003 and the VAPP Act and even in states which have, implementations have been very slow due to lack of coordination among actors and political will from government.

Donli urged states government not to see these policies as acts that promotes child rights but see it as policies that will he used to protect their children and place priority on them. She also called for increased awareness on the law among the populace.

Speaking further on the state of violence and conflicts across the country, Donli bemoaned the poor participation of women in Countering Violent Extremism, despite the unique role they play in restoring peace.

She recalled that Nigeria launched its second National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSC1235 and related resolutions on 9 May 2017, for the period between 2017 and 2020. NAP being one of the most powerful tools governments, multilateral organizations, and civil society have to increase the inclusion of women in politics and peacebuilding, and the protection of women and girls in times of war, was domesticated to State level State Action Plan (SAP) she said.

She however said only four states in the North East has the SAP to include Boronu, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa. This according to is due to a lack of political will in the part of government.

Donli also noted that the awareness level of SAP is very low hence the need for sensitisation. "even if this places have SAP, the implementation is very poor, you find out that people are not even aware of its existence."

She also highlighted a lack of planned budget as a constraint in the domestication and implementation of the law.

Speaking, the National Coordinator, WANEP-Nigeria, Ms. Bridget Osakwe, regrets that women and girls bear most of the brunt of violence, yet are excluded in the peacebuilding and conflict resolution processes.

Osakwe explained that, in the North East geo-political zone, violent extremism has increased in tenacity from unabated attacks from the violent extremist group Boko Haram.

"Since the inception of this Islamic extremist group in 1995, it has continued to intensify attacks in the North-Eastern States and other parts of Nigeria. Over 40,000 Nigerians have been killed in more than 2,300 incidents reflecting a wide range of ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions across large portions of the country.

"This accounts for almost 40% of the total deaths more than any other source of social violence in the country," she said.

The head of programmes, WANEP, Ms. Patience Obaulo, however informed that the project seeks to promote women’s participation in countering violent extremism to advance the implementation of Nigeria National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 at the local level in North East Nigeria.

She stressed that the role of women relating to countering violent extremism (CVE) is a critical security issue that directly relates to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the eight supporting resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, most notably UNSCR 2242 and 2349.


Uju N. Dominic/Editor

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FG urges states to protect critical national infrastructure, allow facility maintenance - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Federal Government (FG) has urged states nationwide to protect Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) which includes telecom infrastructure to pave way for unhindered maintenance of facilities in their domain, reports ITREALMS.

Reacting to what it tagged as very serious, unpatriotic and corrupt activities of some criminal elements within the public service, who have continued to engage in acts capable of undermining the national security, FG through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) frowned at harassment and vandalisation of telecom infrastructure at the states.

“The office of the Honourable Minister has received several complaints from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) about the unfortunate incidences of forced closures or outright destruction of Telecommunications Infrastructure in some parts of the country. Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and other telecommunications facilities are reportedly being vandalised and MNOs, are hindered from delivering the requisite services to the consumer by state owned Agencies in some parts of the country,” he said.

ALSO READ: ALTON’s eight-point demands to Pantami - ITREALMS

Also in a press statement by his spokesperson, Uwa Sulaiman available to ITREALMS, the Minister noted that in a recent correspondence the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) confirmed and emphasised that, telecommunications infrastructure are a Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), and are central to national security.

In addition, he noted that these actions constitute a violation of relevant laws of Nigeria and are a threat to national economic development as most businesses nowadays, depend on services provided by telecommunications operators.

In line with the provisions of the Cybercrime Act of 2015, Telecommunications Infrastructure are designated CNI and therefore, any acts of vandalism or deliberate obstruction of service delivery is deemed unlawful and punishable by law.

Chuks Egbuna/DoP

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Insecurity: Ekhomu advises traditional rulers to protect communities

ITREALMS:

Renowned security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu has advised traditional rulers to provide effective leadership in the security of their domains, as a way of fulfilling their part of the social contract with their subjects, reports ITRealms.

He also said that exercising purposeful leadership in security management of their respective communities will enhance the legitimacy of the traditional rulership institution and contribute to national security.

Speaking at the national conference on “Culture, Peace and National Security: The Role of Traditional Rulers” organized by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation in Ibadan on 30^th January 2018, Ekhomu, providing a roadmap for security in Nigerian communities captioned “A-Z of the Role of Traditional Rulers in Security Management”, urged traditional rulers to take ownership of the security management of their domains.

He told them to harness the critical resources available including law enforcement, military, youth age grades, prominent citizens from the area, etc. in the security architecture of the community. “The missing link is leadership – which the traditional ruler can provide”, he added.

Dr. Ekhomu, who is the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) urged the rulers to embrace and support law enforcement authorities in their communities by building and donating police posts where possible.

He further advised traditional rulers in rural communities to support public security personnel by providing foodstuffs, rent-free housing and farm lands for subsistence farming.

“Traditional rulers should establish liaison with security agencies as a way of creating force multiplication in the community,” he said.

On intelligence gathering, Ekhomu tasked rulers to engage in information gathering and escalation to the authorities for action. The expert said that if information provided to the public authorities is neglected and a security breach occurs, the ruler can then take the authorities to task, so that information supplied to the authorities in future will be acted upon.

“Traditional rulers must use their influential and privileged positions to forge a symbiotic relationship between the security agencies and his subjects”, he added.

He urged the royal fathers to undergo training in security awareness so they can pass on such information to their subjects – using the town crier where necessary.

On the tactical level, Ekhomu urged rulers to conduct demographic mapping in order to keep a record of ex-service personnel in their domains. He urged the formation of Threat Assessment Teams (TAT) “that may enable your community analyze imminent threats and how to respond to them”.

He advised royal fathers to maintain a record of security incidents in their communities to enable them conduct probability analysis of the occurrence of loss events, and produce reports for the political elites.

Ekhomu urged rulers to name and shame families of confirmed armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists. He praised Obosi town in Anambra State where the traditional ruler determined that violent criminals who are killed will not be given proper burial.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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WannaCry: 5-way to protect your devices

Sponsored@ITRealms:

With the world reeling from the WannaCrypt attack –  an ongoing cyber-attack of the WannaCry ransomware computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system – fears are rife that the viral attack may soon spread to Nigeria, with dire implications for individuals and businesses whose devices are compromised.

Described as unprecedented in scale, the attack which started on Friday May 12 2017 has infected more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries, with the software demanding ransom payments in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin in 28 languages.

In this piece, the Research/Development Unit of Yudala – Nigeria’s fastest growing composite e-commerce outfit – shares five ways to stay ahead of the WannaCry attack which has been likened to a ‘pandemic’.

1.Update Windows as a matter of urgency: The world heaved a brief sigh of relief when the WannaCry ransomware was halted in its deadly tracks by a security analyst who discovered a kill switch in its code last week. Sadly, the ransomware has been updated without the kill switch, allowing it to spread. Apart from businesses, institutions and governments; individuals are equally at risk of this viral attack as WannaCry targets a Windows operating system flaw in older versions that have not been patched. If your system runs on one of the newer versions of Windows and you have kept up with automatic updates, you can protect yourself by updating your computer immediately with the software patch released in March 2017.

2.Invest in a ransomware blocker: The WannaCry attack is indeed an eye-opener to the growing global scourge of Ransomware – described in an earlier research piece as an increasingly popular mode of attack where attackers encrypt data taken from the victim and in return for decrypting the data, they ask for an acceptable amount from the victim as ransom. These victims include individuals, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporates.

Most anti-virus software hardly offers any protection against ransomware, especially if you are using the outdated version of the anti-virus. In view of the increasing prevalence of these attacks and if your checks reveal you are not protected, perhaps now is the time to consider investing in a dedicated ransomware blocker. Before purchasing one, please check out the features and cost. There are also a few free options you can download and install at no cost.

3.Turn Windows Update on if currently disabled

Most users can be forgiven for disabling Microsoft Windows’ automatic updates. This is especially considering the annoying tendency for earlier versions to auto-install even when one is in the middle of a pressing work schedule or tight deadline. Thankfully, Microsoft has, to a large extent, fixed that issue with the current version of Windows 10. So, if you currently have automatic updates disabled, please go back to your Control Panel to turn them back on and leave them on.

4. Stay alert for new strains/mutations

According to research from Heimdal Security, new strains or mutations of the WannaCry ransomware have popped up, with some bearing the name Uiwix. Also, the virulence of the ransomware can be seen from the way it rebounded from the initial attempt to deploy its kill switch. This clearly shows the need to remain on the alert for new strains or mutations. Suspicious links in emails and on websites should be regarded with caution to avoid becoming a victim.

5.Consider cloud storage and file back-ups

In view of the likelihood of falling prey, there seems no better time to consider cloud storage and other forms of back-ups for your sensitive files and other information. Cloud storage is particularly useful because in the event of an attack, you may be able to recover your affected files by accessing earlier versions of them. Some effective cloud-storage services keep snapshots of all changes made to files in the past 30 days. 

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FG promises to protect, reward whistle-blowers – Lai Mohammed

ITRealms:

The Federal Government (FG) is determined to protect and reward whistle-blowers who provide information that leads to the recovery of stolen funds or assets, reports ITRealms.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave this assurance in a public statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, saying the Federal Government will protect the identity of all whistle-blowers, whether in the public or the private sector, and also ensure that the information they provide is kept secret.

''For those who may have suffered any backlash as a result of the
information they provide, their cases will be reviewed and appropriate
mitigating actions taken,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the assurance followed the presentations made to the Presidential Assets Recovery Committee by concerned citizens and groups about the safety of whistle-blowers.

''Whistle-blowers have nothing to fear, because the committee has put
in place the necessary measures to safeguard those who give useful
information. As a matter of fact, whistle-blowers have everything to
gain and nothing to lose,'' he said.

The Minister said any whistle-blower whose information leads to the
recovery of up to 1 billion Naira will receive 5per cent of the amount; that
the reward for any amount between 1 and 5 billion Naira will be 5 per cent for
the first 1 billion Naira and 4 per cent of the remaining 4 billion Naira, and
that any amount over 5 billion Naira will attract 2.5per cent reward.

''For example, if a whistle-blower provides information leading to the
recovery of 10 billion Naira, he or she will receive 5 per cent of the first 1
billion Naira, 4per cent of the next 4 billion Naira and 2.5 per cent of the
remaining 5 billion Naira.

''What we have done by making this information public is to reassure
potential whistle-blowers that the plan to reward is real. We are not
just saying we will pay all whistle-blowers, but we are letting them
know in advance what they are entitled to, once the information they
provide leads to the recovery of looted funds,'' he said.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Ojobo reiterates NCC resolve to protect subscribers from unsolicited messages

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Communications Commission has reiterated its readiness to protect subscribers from the nuisance and irritations of unsolicited text messages and calls from mobile network operators.

Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs, noted in a statement, that in spite of earlier warnings to telecommunication service providers to activate their Do-Not-Disturb facility which gives subscribers the freedom to choose the messages they receive, the Commission is still inundated with complaints by subscribers of continuing text harassment by operators.

The Direction issued to industry operators to activate the 2442 Do Not Disturb Short Code took effect from July 1, 2016. Ojobo explained that the Direction mandates the operators to take immediate action which will allow the subscribers to take informed but independent decisions on what messages to receive from the networks.

He observed that industry compliance doesn’t seem to have matched the seriousness of the Direction thus, compelling the Commission to issue a final warning to the operators.

According to him, the Direction takes into cognizance the broad range of services, which include: Banking/Insurance/Financial products, Real estate, Education, Health, Consumer Goods and Automobiles, Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, Tourism and /Leisure, Sports, Religion (Christianity, Islam, others), and directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/services/none at all.

In fact, a Full DND which is SMS ‘STOP” to 2442 does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited messages from the operators at all.

Below, he said, are the various options:

“SMS 1” for receiving SMS relating to Banking/Insurance/ Financial Products to 2442

“SMS 2” for receiving SMS relating to Real estate to 2442

SMS 3” for receiving SMS relating to Education to 2442

“SMS 4” for receiving SMS relating to Health to 2442

“SMS 5” for receiving SMS relating to Consumer Goods and Automobiles, to 2442

“SMS 6” for receiving SMS relating to Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, to 2442

“SMS 7” for receiving SMS relating to Tourism and Leisure to 2442

“SMS 8” for receiving SMS relating to Sports to 2442

“SMS 9” for receiving SMS relating to Religion to 2442

Ojobo called on the service providers to immediately comply with the Direction as further complaints from the subscribers would be taken as serious infractions to a major regulatory intervention by the Commission.

Pix: Tony Ojobo

Exclusive: Boko Haram effect: N7.9bn needed to save lives across West Africa

ITRealms:

An estimated N7,900,300,000 billion is currently required to save lives and protect those affected by the insurgency attacks by Boko Haram across the four West African countries, reports ITRealms.

The United Nations’ Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, Mr. Toby Lanzer made this disclosure, Friday to ITRealms, saying that the humanitarian teams within the Economic for West Africa Community (ECOWAS) region needs $397 million, about N7,900,300,000 to save lives and protect those affected by Boko Haram insurgency in four countries.

Mr. Lanzer listed these countries to include Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, all members of ECOWAS.

He also disclosed that the required amount is expected to take care of the Humanitarian Response Plans and Regional Refugee Response Plans.

Citing for instance, that in Chad, two response plans have been launched since this year to address successive waves of displacement in April and September, that is, worth $26million about N5,174,000,000 and $11.5million, about N2,288,500,000 respectively.

Mr. Lanzer revealing this via his Twitter handle @tobylanzer, lamented “Humanitarian teams need $397 million 2 save lives & protect those affected by #BokoHaram in 4 countries.”

ITRealms recalls that the Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south.

Although ITRealms gathered, the Sahel is widely French-speaking, Islamic and takes its name ("shore") from Arabic. But the region, one of the poorest and most environmentally damaged places on earth, has deep troubles.

Sahel, Arabic Sahil, according to Encyclopædia Britannica is semiarid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to the Sudan, thereby forming a transitional zone between the arid Sahara desert to the north and the belt of humid savannas to the south; thus Sahel stretches from the Atlantic Ocean eastward through northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, the great bend of the Niger River in Mali, Burkina Faso formerly known as Upper Volta, southern Niger, northeastern Nigeria, south-central Chad, and into the Sudan.

Noteworthy is that in the 1970s, the Sahel captured international attention when drought and famine killed nearly 200,000 people.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +United Nations
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