E-Business
WINET Builds PWDs’ Capacity to Access Justice via Courts
Women Information Network (WINET), a media focused, independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization in collaboration with Justice for All (J4A) Nigeria programme/ DFID, has continued its capacity building for People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Enugu State to Access Justice through the Courts.
Miriam Menkiti (Mrs.), executive director, Women Information Network (WINET) told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, that from June to July 2014, WINET studied PWDs in Enugu State to ascertain their level of awareness on how to approach the various courts covering the High, Magistrate and Customary and the gaps that exist.
Menkiti said that findings from the study show crave by the PWDs to have better understanding of the court system and how to commence cases in courts.
According to her, “The study determined whether PWDs either individually or as groups would require improved capacity for accessing and utilizing the courts. It also ascertained if the PWDs would like to be enlightened on how to utilize the courts to access justice.
“The four associations studied are the Deaf Youth Progressive Movement (DYPM) Enugu State, Enugu State Association of the Deaf, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and Enugu State Association of the Blind (Special Centre) Oji-River.
The ED, WINET disclosed another finding was the desire of the hearing impaired or deaf to have Sign Language Interpreters (SLI) when needed in Courts.
“According to them, lawyers do not easily accept them as clients because of the gap in communication, while others feel that the deaf are always angry. They explain that they are angry because people do not understand them. They however feel that they are equal with other human beings and should benefit from using the judicial system.
It is against this background that the project entitled ‘Building the Capacity of People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Enugu state to Access Justice through the Courts’ was designed by WINET. It is funded by Justice for All (J4A) Nigeria programme/Department for International Development (DFID). J4A is working towards ensuring that PWDs in Enugu State have access to justice and in keeping with this, very recently renovated a court complex in Enugu to include ramps for wheel chair accessibility,” she explained.
The project activities which they started in July 2015 included activities such as six (6) Advocacy visits to, Nigerian Bar Association Enugu State Branch; Magistrates Association of Nigeria Enugu State Chapter.
Meanwhile, Mr. Enuma Chukwu, chairman, Enugu State Magistrates Association, thanked WINET and J4A on this just cause.
He informed the advocacy team that it is constitutional and not a privilege that anyone who needs an interpreter gets one in court.
Other advocacy projects were carried out at Enugu State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice; Speaker Enugu State House of Assembly; Chairman Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges and Advocacy visit to Chief Judge of Enugu State represented by the Chief Registrar Enugu State High Court.
Aside paying mobilization visits to the PWD groups, Menkiti added that they have “published two training manuals for building the capacity of the PWDs to access justice through the courts they are; Procedure for Commencing Cases in Customary Courts in Enugu State – 2ND Edition 2015 and Justice Options through the Courts: A Guide for Persons with Disabilities.
At a recent capacity building workshop organized for the hearing impaired also in Enugu, with over fifty participants in attendance, Menkiti said her organization remains interested in providing the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) information to enable them to have a better understanding of the court systems and how to utilize them.
Presenting a paper on the occasion, Chief Tom Anyafulude, chief registrar of Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal, said the PWDs are like other members of the society who have the right to access justice through the courts.
Mrs. Ches Obiajulu, another resource person on the occasion and assistant secretary of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Enugu State, said that in a democracy, PWDs should be empowered to utilize the justice system.
Mr. Emeka Ude, chairman, Enugu State Association of the Deaf, expressed happiness that WINET and Justice for All (J4A) Nigeria/ DFID remembered the deaf and teaching them on justice options through the courts.
“The expected goal of the project is that people with disabilities in Enugu State have equal access to the judicial system
“The purpose is increased knowledge of justice options through the courts leading to more equal access to justice for PWDs in Enugu State
“Our objectives are to; influence ENSG to provide sign language facilities at courts for users that require them; increase understanding of a group of PWDs on how to access justice through the courts and make information on how to access justice through courts available in a form usable by PWDs.
Justice for All (J4A) programme Nigeria aims to improve the capability, accountability and responsiveness of the key organizations in the safety, security and justice sector, and supports them to work in collaboration with civil society and oversight institutions; as part of a coherent and coordinated sector.
J4A aims to improve access to justice and achieve equitable results for all, especially the poor and disadvantaged including women, children and people with disabilities.
The programme is funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and is managed by the British Council. Access to justice is a fundamental human right. Disputes are common in every society, creating the need for fair formal, informal and traditional justice systems.
While, WINET is gender sensitive and works towards the dissemination of information to promote gender equality, women’s rights, human and political rights.
The organization is for training of women, peace building, media advocacy and dissemination of information on all issues relating to the advancement of women rights in the society.
Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most regulated online gambling markets, even as illegal operators continue to dominate the continent, according to a new report by Gaming Compliance International (GCI).
The report, the first comprehensive assessment of online gambling across all 54 African countries, showed that Africa’s online gambling Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) reached $23 billion in 2025.
However, only $5.2 billion (23 per cent) was generated by licensed operators, while $17.8 billion (77 per cent) remained in the unregulated market.
In West Africa, total online gambling revenue rose to $4.8 billion in 2025 from $4.3 billion in 2024. Of the 2025 figure, regulated operators accounted for $1.5 billion (31 per cent), while $3.3 billion (69 per cent) flowed to unlicensed platforms, highlighting the region’s persistent enforcement challenges.
Nigeria stood out as the region’s strongest performer, recording the lowest unregulated market share at 56 per cent, compared with the West African average of 69 per cent and the African average of 77 per cent.
The study also found that online gambling participation across Africa increased from 198 million people (13 per cent of the population) in 2024 to 215 million (14 per cent) in 2025.
Despite this growth, GCI estimated that illegal operators deprived African governments of about $3.55 billion in tax revenue in 2025. The number of unlicensed gambling platforms targeting African consumers also rose to 4,129, up from 3,644 in 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Matt Holt, chief executive officer, GCI, said the report provides regulators with the first continent-wide benchmark for strengthening oversight and consumer protection.
Ismail Vali, president, GCI, urged governments to develop competitive and well-regulated markets that encourage consumers to patronise licensed operators, boost public revenue and attract greater investment.
Online gambling in Nigeria is regulated by the Nation Lottery Regulatory Commission.
At the height of the Northern Hemisphere tourist season, demand for communications and mobile Internet services rises sharply. Kaspersky’s security experts have uncovered scams that target anyone purchasing mobile connections or SIM cards worldwide.
Fraudsters create counterfeit websites that look like the portals of major regional and international telecom providers to trick users into revealing their phone numbers, personal details or banking information.
Kaspersky is sharing several examples of these fake login pages that mimic legitimate telecom operator sites and giving recommendations on how not to be deceived.
In the first case, scammers exploit the brand name of an international telecommunications company operating services in Asia, Africa and Europe. Fake authentication pages encourage users to put in their phone number and credentials.
While the first example shows the different design, the second scam site closely mimics the original log in page, making it hard for users to tell the difference and spot a fake. Entering authentication or payment data on fraudulent web sites may result in money or data loss and become a reason for more frequent spam and fraudulent calls.
Another example is a scam page which poses as another international communications company, working in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In this scheme scammers encourage users to top up their mobile data/Internet plans by entering their personal information and bank cards details.
Kaspersky experts have also identified a scam when cyber criminals suggest users enter their personal data to check and pay a bill inquiry. Such scam schemes are usually aimed at gaining victims’ personal data for further fraud or account hacking and stealing money.
“Because of the active use of AI, scammers can now create fake pages with ever increasing accuracy and speed, targeting the most popular user interest areas. We constantly see scams revolving around sports events, music concerts, seasonal sales and holidays. Unfortunately, the telecoms industry is no exception.
To keep your data and money safe, be vigilant when purchasing mobile or Internet plans online. Using an eSIM – purchased through an official app – is one way to avoid fake telecom sites, as it eliminates the need to enter personal details on questionable web pages.
If you’re unsure about a site’s legitimacy, search for the brand name directly in a search engine and enable a security solution that blocks phishing links for you,” comments Tatyana Kulikova, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
In a strategic push to bridge the gender digital divide, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to advance women’s digital inclusion and drive the nation’s transformation agenda.
Dr Aristotle Onumo and some NITDA staff, pose for a group photograph with the President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Aisha Ibrahim, and members of the delegation following a strategic engagement at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja.
The partnership was cemented during a courtesy visit to NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, by a NAWOJ delegation led by National President Comrade Aishatu Ibrahim, who introduced the agency to the forthcoming Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit & Awards 2026.
Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the Director of the Stakeholders Management and Partnerships Department, assured the association that NITDA would not only participate in the conference, but also support the success of the conference.
Inuwa hailed the NAWOJ for creating a platform for peacebuilding, dialogue on security and women’s inclusion, which he described as one of the critical areas NITDA is focused on to ensure that more women obtain digital literacy and skills under the National Gender Inclusive Strategy.
Beyond NITDA’s plan to participate in the conference, the DG noted that a robust partnership between the organisations would engender meaningful opportunities and initiatives through which many more women can access digital literacy.
“Inclusivity is the key to everything we do at NITDA. We clearly defined that 40 per cent of our programmes must recognise the issue of gender. We ensure that women are adequately represented and positioned to benefit greatly from the programmes that we organise in the agency.
“We graciously accept to participate actively in that conference. Apart from acquiring skills among journalists themselves, partnership with NAWOJ will also serve as a platform through which we can also reach out to various women’s groups across the federation,” Inuwa said.
Earlier, Comrade Ibrahim commended the DG for his visionary and transformational leadership which has continued to position NITDA as the catalyst for Nigeria’s digital economy through its various programmes.
She explained that the Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026 is an initiative of NAWOJ designed to promote collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, technology experts, the media, and other stakeholders to address contemporary security challenges.
According to Comrade Ibrahim, the association also aims to recognise outstanding individuals and institutions that have demonstrated excellence in security, governance, and innovation while fostering meaningful dialogue on the role of technology in building a safer and more resilient Nigeria.
“We deeply appreciate your exemplary leadership, passion for innovation, and unwavering commitment to building a digitally empowered Nigeria. We respectfully invite the agency to partner with NAWOJ in making this landmark initiative a success.
“We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with NITDA that will empower women journalists with cutting-edge digital skills, support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development,” the NAWOJ president added.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the meeting would lay a solid foundation for a rewarding partnership agreement with specific and clearly defined objectives that will support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development.
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