DAR AL ANDALUS CENTRE PARTNERS WITH CORDOBA PEACE INSTITUTE, CONDUCTS TRAINING ON PEACE JOURNALISM FOR JOURNALISTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN NIGETIA!

BY: YAHAYA MATO.

Dar Al Andalus Centre hosts two day training workshop and sensitization for Journalists and Social Media Influencers in the Northeast Nigeria.

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In its quest for conflict resolution and peace building , the Dar Al Andalus Centre Kano in partnership with Cordoba Peace Institute Geneva hosts training and sensitization workshop on, "Shariah Intelligence, Constructive Alternative Narratives and Ethical Journalism for Journalists and social media bloggers in the Northeast."

The workshop took place at Maidiguri under the Chairmanship of Professor Bala Abdallah Muhammad (Chairman, Dar Al Andalus Centre, Kano), where scholars and subject matter specialists presented various lectures on how to propagate peaceful coexistence through media. The first phase of the workshop consist of participants from Bauchi, Borno and Yobe States.

The first presenter, Dr. Mansur Isa Yelwa (Lecture BUK and Chief Imam ATBU Bauchi) makes his presentation on 'Constructive Alternative Narraives'. The second presentation was made by Dr. Nuruddeen Lemu (Da'awah Institute of Nigeria, Minna) on 'Shariah Intelligence'. The third presenter was Dr. Abubakar Alhassan of Mass Comm Department BUK whose topic's 'Ethical Journalism'. The fourth topic on 'Humanitarian and Peace Journalism' had been presented by Aliyu Dawobe (Communication Officer, ICRC). Other Scholars who chaired and graced the occasion include; Sheikh AbdulMutallib Abdallah of Yobe State University, Alhaji Umar Muhammad of Borno Radio Television. Others include Malam Isa Jaafar, Malam Mukhtar, Malam Nasir and other officials of DAAC and DIN. There were also two virtual meetings through Zoom, where  Scholars; Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti and Mr. Alston Wiston participated and contributed immensely towards the success of the training exercises.

The training have come up with ideas on peace journalism from Islamic perspectives and the role of media in information dissemination that will help in preventing violent extremism. In his remarks, the Chairman Dar Al Andalus Centre, Prof. Bala said; "Journalist are part of the frontliners in the war against extremism and insurgencies, because, their voices, pens and pictures plays significant roles in defending the people, and also paving way for the support of Victims of extremism and insurgencies altogether."

LET'S PREACH AND PRACTICE PEACE.

Yahaya Mato - Blogger

Participant.

04/09/2020.

NEAZDP AT A GLANCE; ACTIVITIES OVER THE YEARS.

NEAZDP AT A GLANCE:

NEAZDP is an Integrated Rural Development Programme initiated in 1990 by European Economic Community (EEC) now European Union (EU), in collaboration with Federal Government of Nigeria and the then Borno State Government. When Yobe State was created in 1991, the Headquarters of NEAZDP felt entirely under the boundaries of Yobe State. Presently, NEAZDP is being financed by Yobe State Government.

OBJECTIVES OF NEAZDP:

To assist the rural populace in improving their standard of living by proper use and management of their natural resources.

To increase the technical expertise of the communities, State and Local Government Organizations.

To improve the education and health of the rural population for sustainable development of the communities within the programme area.

To change attitude of the environment.

To increase agricultural productivity through improved ecologically and technically appropriate farming techniques.

COMPONENTS AND DEPARTMENTS:

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT UNIT (PMU)

This is the Central Administrative Department with some units under it. The Programme Manager is the Head of the entire Organization. These units are;

Administrative Unit

Finance Unit

Manpower Development and Training

Engineering Services

Workshop

Guest house, catering and Club services.

THE THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS AND THEIR UNITS:

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION COMPONENT:

This component has;

Natural resources Planning

Crop Production

Livestock Production

Agro-forestry and Desertification control

Fisheries and Appropriate Technology unit.

VILLAGE WATER SUPPLY COMPONENT:

This component covers;

Construction of tube well water points

Rehabilitation of water points

Drilling and installation of Solar Boreholes

Drilling and rehabilitation of cement wells

Water quality assessment.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT:

This Component covers the following activities;

Adult education, Primary education and junior secondary schools (supplying them with instructional materials, Textbooks, Teaching aid and furniture)

Primary Health Care; Trained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Village Health Workers (VHWs), supplying Medical equipments to Maternity clinics, Comprehensive Health Centres and assisting them with power generator for lightening.

Women Development – Assisting with sewing machines, knitting and other quasi ventures.

In line with its objectives, NEAZDP has embarked and achieved its activities annually, among which are Health care delivery, Education, Agriculture, Desertification control, and also assisting/support to vulnerable groups; (Blinds, Leapers, Cripples, and Widows). Such support covers the supply of clothing materials and millet grains to each identified beneficiary.

HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SERVICES:

In the Health sector, NEAZDP has impacted positively in health service delivery. In this regard, the following has been achieved;

18 maternity/health centres have benefitted from either 8HP generating set, essential hospital equipments like Trolleys, delivery Bed or Ambuy bags.

Two hundred and seventy (270) Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Village Health Workers (VHWs) were trained and been provided with the practicing kits to curtail menace of infant maternal and mortality rates.

Considering 100 beneficiaries per health centre and 50 delivery support service per annum for every trained TBAs and VHWs, this implies that a total of 15,300 persons has enjoyed these facilities.

WATER SUPPLY:

NEAZDP has constructed and rehabilitated a considerable number of Hand Pumps, and Cement Wells in various communities.

A total of 185 Village communities benefitted from this project. Considering 500 to 1000 persons per village. This implies that a total of 92,000 to 1,850,000 inhabitants plus flora and fauna benefitted from portable drinking water.

EDUCATION:

Equally, a total of 117 primary schools, junior secondary schools and Islamiyya schools had benefitted from this support services. Considering 40 pupils per class, a total of 9,360 pupils had benefitted from conducive learning centres, instructional materials, seaters and textbooks.

AGRICULTURE:

NEAZDP has demonstrated a Pilot Irrigation Scheme and Land Reclamation Trials on different crops such as; Millet, Sorghum, Sesame and Cassava to boost Agriculture.

SUPPORT TO VULNERABLE GROUPS:

In order to support less privilege and disable persons among the society, 1,800 persons (Leapers, Blinds, Cripples, Widows, and Deaf people) were carefully selected and benefitted from food stuff and clothing materials free of charge including transportation of beneficiaries from the collection centre to their respective villages.

Each beneficiary received 1 bag of millet grain (100kg) and bundle of 10 yards of clothing materials. Taking into account that each beneficiary has 5 dependants in his household. This implies that a total of 9,000 persons has benefitted from this support services, and these people will lay their hands in terms of food on the table. This has drastically reduced lingering in street for begging and clothing during critical period.

NEAZDP APPROACH ON FOOD SECURITY MEASURE (FSM):

To cushion the effect of price of stable food stuff in the market, curtail the activities of middlemen/hoarders, ensure readily food stuff and ease the burden of high cost of transportation (total value chain), 4,500 bags of millet have been procured and sold to farmers at critical period.

This scheme together with grains recovered from ox-team recovery has addressed the aforementioned problems in 300 selected villages every year. Within the years under review, about 1,000 villages benefitted from these projects.

COMBATING DESERTIFICATION:

Within the year under review, NEAZDP has raised 350,000 assorted seedlings, viz; Neem trees, Prosopis, Acacia Albida (Gum Arabic) and has already distributed to extension service workers in development areas, interested groups on request and plantation activities. This has been since the inception of NEAZDP in 1990.

Within the years under review, 1km shelterbelt has been established at Bayamari. Similarly, 12.5 hectares of Gum Arabic was also established adjacent to the shelterbelt along Dapchi road. The earlier 4 hectares of woodlots at Jawa/Garin Alkali and 6 hectares of sandune fixation at Bukartin Gabas were maintained/nutured over the years. Twenty (20) primary schools were equally planted with Neem trees.

Scientific analysis shows that fuel wood will generate from these plantations to the community thereby reducing desertification process. Oxygen will be emitted to the atmosphere thereby also neutralizing carbon monoxide that affects the ozone layer for excessive heat transfer to the earth that leads to climate change.

NEAZDP PROJECTS IMPLEMENTATION FROM 1990 TO 2015

TYPES OF NEAZDP PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED AT PILOT VILLAGE AND CLUSTER VILLAGES FROM 1990 TO 2015.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION COMPONENT PROJECTS:

Animal Traction (ox-team) loan package (Micro-credit)

Small scale irrigation loan package (Micro-credit)

Small Ruminant Breeding (Micro-credit)

Fishing Gears loan package (Micro-credit)

Improved seed multiplication farms (Out-growers)

Annual Animal Vaccination (Free to Herders)

Community seedlings Nurseries (At village levels)

Community Woodlots

Sand Dune Fixation at Critical  Areas

Shelterbelt demonstration.

Gum Arabic Farm Demonstration

Superphosphate Manure Trials

Lab-lab/Sorghum Alum Trials

Improved Agronomic Practices (Thinning, Spacing & Timing operation)

Production of Development Area Maps

Oasis Development Trials on Agronomy

Sesame Seeds Trial Farms

Grazing Reserves at 3 strategic locations

Diagnosis of Animal Diseases and Human Ailment

Grasshopper Egg pot Survey.

TOTAL – 20 PROJECTS.

VILLAGE WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS:

Solar Powered borehole to Communities (Free)

Hand Pump Construction and Rehabilitation (Free)

Concrete Wells Construction and Rehabilitation (Free)

Flood Water Harvesting Structures (Free)

Water Quality Assessment (Free)

Tube-well and Water Pump Trials (Micro-credit)

Training of Drillers; Village Operation & Maintenance (VILOM)

TOTAL – 7 PROJECTS.

WORKSHOP AND ENGINEERING SERVICES:

Construction and Rehabilitation of Primary/Junior Sec. Schools

Construction of Temporary Islamiyya Schools (Free)

Construction and Rehabilitation of Dispensaries and Clinics (Free)

Maintenance of Programme Headquarters Infrastructures

Construction of Community Banks, Dev. Area Promoters Houses, Nurse Quarters and Generator Engine Rooms

Construction of Retailers Shops at Pilot and Cluster Villages

Training of Village Mechanics and Installation of De-husking, Grinding Machines and Generators at Pilot and Cluster Villages

Construction of Village Provisional Stores (Free)

TOTAL – 8 PROJECTS.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES:

Provision of Knitting and Sewing Machines (Micro-credit)

Petty Trading for Women Groups (Micro-credit)

Training of Village Health Workers (VHWs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAS) and provision of practicing kits (Free)

Establishment of Village Health Post (Micro-credit)

Training and sponsoring of Staff locally and Abroad (Free)

Establishment of Community Learning Centres (CALC) (Free)

Provision of Primary School Textbooks and Instructional Materials to Schools (Free)

Provision of Hospital Equipments and Generator sets (Free)

Provision of Library Services (Mobile)

Workshops and Seminars

TOTAL – 10 PROJECTS.

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER:

Testing, Introduction and Fabrication of Animal Drawn Equipment (Ridges, Cultivators, Plough, Time Harrows, Single and Double Drown Carts and Work Bulls) (Micro-credit)

Introduction of Work Bulls, Donkeys, and Camels Traction Technologies and Harnessing Techniques

Introduction and Production of Saw dust and Puko Mud Stoves

Introduction and Production of Roofing Tiles

Establishment of Burnt Bricks and Block Making Industries

Fabrication of Bucket Pumps and Water Cans

Construction of Fish Smoking Kiln

Construction of Flat Bottom Boat for Riverine Transportation

Fabrication of Tulu Multiple lift Pump

Establishment of Village Blacksmith Workshops

Establishment of Village Carpentry Workshops

Establishment of Urban Metal Fabrication Works

Construction of Milk Churner

Vocational Training of Artisan.

TOTAL – 14 PROJECTS.

MARKETING & CREDIT/MONITORING & EVALUATION:

Retailers Enterprises (Micro-credit)

Rice De-husking Enterprises (Micro-credit)

Grinding Machines Enterprises (Micro-credit)

Tractor and Unimog hiring (Micro-credit)

Soap and Pomade Making/Spaghetti Production (Micro-credit)

Flat Bottom Boat for Riverine Transportation (Micro-credit)

Seed processing and sales to Farmers (Micro-credit)

Socio-economic Survey (Free)

Food Stuff Price Survey (Free)

Monitoring of Village Projects.

TOTAL – 10 PROJECTS.

SUSTAINABIITY OF NEAZDP PROGRAMME:

NEAZDP sustainability right from inception in 1990 to date is due to several factors and strategies put in place earlier during its preparatory stage. These includes among others;

The use of Danagro Consultants/Advisers who have vast experience in Rural Development, globally.

Employment of indigenous Subject Matter Specialist, Development Area Promoters, Village Development Promoters and Field Technicians who are zealous and willing to discharge their statutory responsibilities to achieve the desired objectives of the Programme without thinking to disengage themselves to other Organizations/Institutions.

NEAZDP RURAL EMANCIPATION IN YOBE STATE.

“NEAZDP RURAL EMANCIPATION IN YOBE STATE, PHASE II”

A paper presented

By

Dr. Hussaini K. Hassan

Programme Manager, NEAZDP

ON THE OCCASION OF DISBURSEMENT OF SUPPORT/ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO 450 PHYSICALLY DISABLED MEN AND WOMEN INCLUDING WIDOWS IN NEAZDP CATCHMENT AREA; HELD IN GEIDAM, GASHUA AND NGURU CENTRES ON 22^ND 23^RD AND 25^TH MAY, 2012.

Once more, I thank Almighty Allah for making this laudable event a reality as promised last year around this critical period of the year.

Fellow mankind, the philosophy of philantropism is ordained by Almighty Allah upon all those who do not have in a form of charity, support/assistance, zakat, donation and/or foundation.

It is in line with this stipulated philosophy that NEAZDP came up with this laudable programme to address the yearning of the teaming vulnerable groups among the society we live and survive.

Hon. Commissioner Sir, Chaimen of 9 local Government Areas of NEAZDP Catchment Area, invited Guests; it is not out of place for me to quickly recap what I said last year during this occasion. In Islamic Jurisprudence, Preaching and Development is a continuous process throughout the life. That is why it is imperative to propagate such ideologies throughout our existence until mankinds are fully acquainted with the ideology of being their brothers keepers.

I did said that ‘‘ Emancipation” simply means setting someone free from slavery, legal, political or social restrictions in terms of hunger, malnutrition, starvation, diseases or essential amenities of live in general. Based on this definition, therefore the most deprived persons are those people subjected to abject poverty. This implies that, the poorest among mankind are non productive individuals who entirely depend on begging and charity to survive.

It is in line with this scenario that NEAZDP have embarked upon critical analysis of the most poorest among human beings and have found that blind, leapers, cripples, as well as widows are mostly subjected to this ailment called poverty. Sincerely speaking, majority of these people are unproductive at all, therefore require support/assistance services only. However, very few of them can be productive when given the chance. Invited Guests, let me share with you at this occasion by saying that anybody who is unable or lacking the essential amenities of life is poor. These includes; food, shelter, clothing, portable drinking water, literacy. Electricity, etc. To sustain oneself in the provision of these amenities, implies that majority of us here are poor. But the poorest are these groups of vulnerable we are assisting today. Poverty is lack of essential amenities of life, while poverty line or index is the level of income adequate for a person to sustain a living. Let me reveal that more than 80% of Nigerians lives below poverty line, as well as majority of Sub-Saharan Africa. This perhaps is the greatest reason why most Africans are in crisis coupled with corruption and poor leadership.

The administration of Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, The Executive Governor of Yobe State have underscore the prevailing circumstances and came up with various laudable programmes to address this pervasive situation.

These include among others;

Provision of free drugs and medication to children under 5 years and their mothers.

Provision of clothing and food materials to needy persons among the society.

Provision of cheapest housing unit scheme to teaming civil, private and cooperative bodies within the state which earned him National Award.

Prompt provision of relief materials to affected areas/persons.

Scholarship and free education to gifted children within the state.

NEAZDP’^s efforts in provision of essential materials to blinds, leapers, cripples as well as widows is a compliment to Ibrahim Gaidam’^s objectives of ‘‘ Rural Emancipation In Yobe State” therefore deserves applause. Today, each of the 450 beneficiaries of the vulnerable groups will receive 1 bag of millet (100kg) and 10 yards of clothing materials free. Assuming that each person has 5 dependants within his household, this implies that 2.250 individuals will lay hands on this gesture in terms of food on the table.

NEAZDP in a similar manner do extend this type of services to Orphans, widows and Mosques freely apart from its statutory functions and responsibilities. This year 2012, widows are fully co-opted with vulnerable groups to benefit from this laudable programme.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today is a historical day of humanity service that needs to be remembered throughout our existence.

I therefore urge able persons (the fortunate ones) among the society to honestly provide their quarter of support/assistance in this direction.

In the end, let me assure you that this gesture will remain part and parcel of NEAZDP programme throughout its lifespan as I proclaimed last year.

Once more, I welcome you again and wish you safe journey to your various destinations, Ameen.

DR. HUSSAINI K. HASSAN

(Programme Manager, NEAZDP)