Author: The North Journals

By Aminu Adamu When Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March, the decision in Abuja quickly translated into silence in Kogi Central. The sealing of her office cut her off from the normal machinery of constituency work, letters unanswered, aides unable to function, and projects left in bureaucratic limbo. In Nigeria’s political system, where senators serve not just as lawmakers but as direct patrons for their districts, this absence was immediately felt. Constituents depend on their representatives for scholarships, small grants, jobs, and oversight of federal projects. The closure of her office was therefore more than punishment for a senator,…

By Aminu Adamu On a Tuesday in late September, a sergeant-at-arms unsealed a sealed label on the door and the sound that echoed through Suite 2.05 of the Senate wing was not merely the metallic click of a lock releasing. For a constituency in Kogi Central, for a column of women who had marched under the banner “We are all Natasha,” and for a nation still trying to reconcile the letter of law with the spirit of democracy, that click was a punctuation mark on a six-month argument over power, privilege and due process. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan barred from her…

By Leonard Chisi Social Cash Transfers (SCTs) are emerging as a lifeline for small-scale farmers struggling with the harsh realities of climate change in Zambia, a new study has found. According to researcher Leonard Chisi, who conducted the study in Ntulo community between January and March 2024, the program has “significantly enhanced small-scale farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change by improving food security, boosting agricultural productivity, and strengthening financial stability.” The findings show a sharp rise in food consumption among beneficiary households. Before receiving SCTs, only 10.5 percent of households consumed three meals daily. That figure has since grown…

By Trésor Daniel Mefire The global carbon credit market, valued at more than $2 billion today and projected to exceed $50 billion by 2030, offers Africa one of its most significant opportunities for green growth, according to new research. In a study titled “Carbon Credits: A Strategic Opportunity for Africa and Cameroon,” scholar Trésor Daniel Mefire argues that the mechanism — which allows companies and governments to offset emissions through verified projects — could deliver both climate protection and socio-economic development. “Carbon credits represent a transformative opportunity for Africa and Cameroon to simultaneously address climate change, safeguard nature, and promote…

By Trésor Daniel Mefire The creeping threat of desertification is emerging as one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century, stripping away fertile land, eroding livelihoods, and destabilizing vulnerable communities across Africa. In a recent research paper, “Desertification: A Global Threat with Localized Impacts in Africa and Cameroon,” scholar Trésor Daniel Mefire describes the phenomenon as a “silent socio-ecological crisis” that jeopardizes the lives of more than 3.2 billion people worldwide. “Addressing desertification is not merely an environmental issue but an urgent imperative for global economic stability, climate mitigation, and human security,” Mefire warns. Africa at the Epicenter…

By Aminu Adamu The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has wrapped up a series of high-level engagements at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, reinforcing Africa’s push for stronger multilateral cooperation to tackle peace, security, and development challenges. In a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the AU Commission Chairperson pressed for urgent reforms in the UN Security Council and international financial institutions, alongside joint efforts in preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution. Discussions also centered on pressing issues in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), funding for AU-led peace operations,…

By Aminu Adamu There are public figures whose power comes from title, influence or money; then there are those whose power is accrued in the particular, unglamorous work of movement-making: turning a protest into an organised demand, mapping a network and then picking up the phone until the person on the other end shows up. Balarabe Rufa’i belongs, emphatically, to the second kind. He is not a household name in every living room across Nigeria, but in the political currents of the North and in the corridors where youth organising meets formal politics, his fingerprints are everywhere. That combination, grassroots…

By Aminu Adamu As part of his ongoing initiative to strengthen youth participation in Nigeria’s democracy, the National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Comrade Balarabe Rufa’i, has paid a courtesy visit to Alhaji Bello Ibrahim SanGetso, the traditional head of Getso Town in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State. The visit, held on Thursday, was aimed at seeking the royal father’s blessings and urging traditional leaders across the country to lend their voices to the ongoing Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) registration exercise. Speaking during the visit, Rufa’i emphasized the critical role traditional institutions play in mobilizing…

By Aminu Adamu Africa is entering a dangerous new climate era, with extreme heat emerging as a silent but deadly threat. A groundbreaking report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, warns that the continent is warming nearly 1.5 times faster than the global average, leaving hundreds of millions vulnerable to life-threatening conditions . Authored by Anumita Roychowdhury and Sharanjeet Kaur, the report details how rising temperatures, rapid urbanization, and surging cooling demand are reshaping lives across the continent. “Extreme heat is a silent disruptor, undermining productivity, threatening food systems, straining water and energy supplies, and driving…

By Aminu Adamu One of the deadliest floods in Nigeria’s history struck in 2022, leaving more than 600 people dead, 2,500 injured, and nearly 1.4 million displaced across 33 of the country’s 36 states. A new study published in the Irish Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences describes the catastrophe as both a humanitarian emergency and a stark warning about climate vulnerability in West Africa. “The floods of 2022 revealed serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s disaster preparedness and response,” wrote Summer Okibe, a researcher at the University of Victoria. “Despite existing early warning systems and government policies, their implementation and effectiveness…