Day: October 28, 2023

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday inaugurated a two-bedroom semi-detached bungalow constructed and furnished by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Government Secondary School, Gwagwalada, in Abuja.

The intervention was to meet the accommodation needs of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) being posted to the school for the one-year mandatory service.

The Director/Secretary, Secondary Education Board, FCTA, Dr Mohamed Ladan, while inaugurating the edifice at the school premises, said that the twin flat was constructed from the N3,000 PTA termly charges.

Ladan explained that the lodge was well equipped with modern facilities to ensure that the corps members were comfortable, to enhance their productivity.

He described the lodge as a “symbol of unity” that would foster a sense of togetherness and cooperation among Nigerians from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.

He said that the PTA’s support was due to the association’s unwavering dedication to enhancing the educational experience of their children and their support for the educational development of the community.

He thanked the PTA for the gesture, stressing that it would solve the accommodation problem being faced by corps members posted to the school.

“Since last week, I have been going from one school to the other, inaugurating intervention projects donated by PTA.

“The facility is one out of many others that are helping to improve the learning environment.

“As such, school principals need to do more through the PTA, as the government cannot do it alone,” he said.

The NYSC Coordinator in FCT, Mrs. Winifred Shokpeka, noted that the NYSC placed a premium on the welfare and security of corps members, irrespective of their locations.

She said that the laudable efforts underscored the need to improve the security and welfare of corps members and other NYSC staff to engender optimal service delivery to the nation.

“I, therefore, commend your foresight and urge other organizations and corps employers to emulate this kind gesture by prioritising corps members’ welfare and security to get the best out of them,” she said.

The Chairman of the PTA, Past. John Okolo, disclosed that the project was conceived in early 2022 while the construction commenced in March 2023.

Okolo said that the construction and furnishing of the apartments gulped over N17 million generated from the PTA’s charges of N3,000 per term.

“With the little token of N3,000 PTA charges, grace and fear of God, we were able to get this done and we will do more if we can pool the needed resources,” he said.

The Principal, Mr Victor Orifah, said the facility was crucial, considering the shortage of teachers and the critical role the corps members would play in closing the gap.

Orifah disclosed that lack of accommodation had made it difficult for the school to retain corps members.

“The PTA of this school has been very proactive. This project being inaugurated today is just one among several other interventions of the PTA in the state,” he said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board says plans are underway to improve revenue generation and reposition itself for better service delivery.

The acting General Manager of the board, Mr Daniel Salka, stated this in Abuja on Friday, while presenting computer hardware, software, and other accessories to five Area Offices and three Units of the board.

Salka disclosed that the board currently generates N300 million monthly, representing 52 per cent of the board’s annual target.

He commended the members of staff for the unprecedented feat and urged them to do better through rededication, professionalism and efficiency in service delivery.

Salka further called on the staff to redouble their efforts with the goal to increase the revenue base of the board.

He explained that the computers and the accessories were provided in partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Business Advisory Project.

According to him, the aim is to reduce non-revenue water, boost service delivery and enhance revenue generation.

He assured that all other area offices and units of the board would also get the computers in due course.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Area Manager of Jabi, Mr Yusuf Yelwa, commended Salka for the motivation and promised to use the computers for the purpose they were procured.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JICA partnered with the board to actualize it’s corporate status in line with the FCT Water Board Act, 2017.

JICA is assisting the board with capacity building, non-revenue reduction effort, development of legal framework, and Customer Service Charter

“The agency is also supporting the application of smart bill, cloud billing systems for ease of doing business,” he said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HostCom), have bemoaned deprivations and desecration by the activities of oil operators/settlors who short-change the communities and create divide-and-rule systems to flourish.

A Settlor is any holder of an interest in an Oil Prospecting Licence, an Oil Mining Lease, a Petroleum Prospecting Licence, or a Petroleum Mining Lease whose area of operations is in or appurtenant to any community or communities falling within the definition of host communities.

The HostCom also raised concern over inability of the settlors to finalise the Host Communities Development Trusts funds (HCDT), created to address the concerns of the host communities and stop the activities of the Shylocks and their collaborators.

Dr Benjamin Tamaranebi, National President, HostCom, made this known at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

“For over two years of the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the settlors remain comfortable.

“Till date, only 76 Development Trusts have been registered, only 45 accounts created, only 38 accounts funded and more than 100 Development Trusts yet not registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“What an irony is this, and it was even after the pronouncement of NUPRC’s revocation of Licenses notice in September 2023 that prompted this number,” he lamented.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that NUPRC had threatened to revoke the licences of oil operators or settlors who failed to remit the 3 per cent statutory fees to oil communities before the end of September 2023.

Tamaranebi, therefore, said it was not surprised that they were fighting back, using every available means, including trying to confuse and deceive the public with concocted narratives, adding that it would not be swayed by their mischief.

However, he said, over the years oil operators and industry players had pumped millions of naira in the Host communities before the advent of PIA 2021, but it could not see any meaningful projects initiated by these players rather the communities remained in a sorry state.

He said the HostComply which was put on the firing line by industry players was the ultimate to checkmate the activities of the settlors and HCDTs both their annual OPEX due for every Trust.

He said the setting up of HostComply was in furtherance to the provision of the PIA 2021, Chapter 3, section 235 (1).

This, he said, mandated that: “The settlor shall incorporate HCDT (in this Act referred to as “the trust”) for the benefit of the host communities for which the settlor is responsible”.

“Section 235(4) of the Act states: “The settlor shall, for the purpose of setting up the trust, in consultation with the host communities, appoint and authorise a board of trustees which shall be registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission as a corporate body under the Companies and Allied Matters Act”.

“The HostComply is meant to offer comfort to the HCDT by providing them with a robust technological tool to interface and engage with the settlors and manage projects in their respective communities professionally while meeting global best practices,” he said.

The HostCom president expressed satisfaction over NUPRC’s effort as the regulator by putting everything in place so that the overall intendment of the PIA on this score is effectively realised for the benefit of those envisaged.

The PIA 2021 is a public document. All the Regulations enacted by NUPRC are in furtherance of the provisions of the Act. It is a public knowledge, which can be attested to by relevant stakeholders that all regulations issued by the commission derive from stakeholder consultations.

“They all passed through all necessary legal crucibles and were gazetted before inauguration for implementation,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackle tobacco use by children in Nigeria .

Dr Jamila Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development said this in Abuja on Friday when Ms Bintou Camara, Regional Director, Tobacco Control Programme (AFRO) Campaign for Tobacco – Free Kids paid her a courtesy visit.

Ibrahim said that tobacco smoking among children was a big challenge facing the country.

The minister said Nigeria needs to partner and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to educate Nigerian to understand the health implication of tobacco smoking among young people.

“We will focus on adolescent heath. It is the area we need to be proactive in putting mechanisms in place to achieve a preventive approach tobacco smoking among the kids.

“We must work with the act that bans tobacco smoking in public places especially to prevent second hand smoke,” she said.

Also speaking, Camara said that the organisation was in the country to campaign and educate Nigerians on the danger of tobacco smoking.

“We are the leading advocacy organisations in the world that advocate against tobacco smoking.

“We are focusing on tobacco control.

“Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths that is why is it important that we tackle tobacco prevention,” she said.

According to her, tobacco companies targets the young people in other to safe guard their profits.

Camara said that it was important to tackle tobacco control because the world was facing an incredible enemy that may affect public health issues.

She said that the organisation had been working for more than 25 years to educate the youths on the danger of tobacco smoking.

“The organisation has fought to protect children and save lives from cause of preventable death.

“Our vision is a future free of the death and disease caused by tobacco. Because tobacco has killed enough,” Camara said.

According to her, It is the tobacco industry that is searching confidently to target young people in other to safe guard the profilt over public health.

She said that Nigeria was the most important market in Africa and probably the world with beautiful, powerful and strong number of young people in the continent.

“Most important thing for us is to raise awareness, educate youths on the consequences of tobacco use.

“Tobacco smoking has killed eight million people a year and out of the number 1.2m die from second hand smoke which means you don’t have to be a smoker, you can die from it, suffer from it whether you want it or not,” she said.

Camara said that the country had passed the tobacco smoking law, saying that implementation and enforcing was most important, especially for the young people .

She described tobacco as the entering way to other drugs that generates negative consequence which include mental health, lost of productive life, lost of good health, and education among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State Government has inaugurated two agro-processing centres in Ikorodu area of the state to boost food security.

Ms Abisola Olusanya, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, during the inauguration on Friday called for partnership and support of farmers, especially the poultry farmers to end the importation of chickens and other food items.

The projects, a Cottage Broiler Processing Centre, located in Itamaga and an Egg Aggregation Centre, Erikorodo, Ikorodu, was facilitated by the Lagos Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project.

Olusanya reiterated the commitment of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to food security in the state.

She also stressed the importance of supporting Nigeria’s agricultural food chain and the farming community to meet the demands of Lagos, the most populous state in Nigeria.

The commissioner noted that the Lagos APPEALS Project had impacted thousands of farmers in the state in the aquaculture, poultry and rice value chains.

Olusanya said the Lagos State Government would work collaboratively with farmers in different sectors, value chains, and clusters to address the needs of Lagosians and provide substantial support to local farmers.

According to her, agriculture is a business, and profitability is essential.

“The focus of the government is on establishing the right food system and market infrastructure to empower farmers to create the right commodities for exchange.

“Thereby, addressing price fluctuations and price fixation.

“We import more than we export. We consume from outside more than we produce internally.

“We need to support the agricultural food system of Nigeria and the farmers at large.

“We need to support farmers to produce enough to cater to the needs of Nigerians and Lagosians, which is why Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes in the food actors,” she said.

Earlier, Mrs Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, the Lagos State Coordinator of the APPEALS Project, said the centres were provided for farmers based on needs assessment to improve their productivity.

Sagoe-Oviebo said the broiler processing centre would address the issue of foreign exchange in importation chicken and reduce the cost of production locally.

She urged the farmers to make good use of the facilities provided by the Lagos APPEALS Project.

Also, Mrs Ibitoye Juliana, Chairperson, Erikorodo Poultry Estate Farmers Association, described the inauguration as a historic milestone for farmers in Erikorodo and Ikorodu at large.

She expressed her gratitude to the Lagos State Government and APPEALS project for the improvement of the road network in the Erikorodo Estate, which had enhanced their businesses.

“This aggregation centre is another evidence of your support for we farmers in adding value to our produce and contributing more towards the food security of our dear Lagos State,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Bartholomew Akhigbe, the Chairman of the Cluster group, said the processing centre would boost their productivity and assist farmers in their quest to phase out imported chicken.

Akhigbe commended the Lagos APPEALS Project for helping the poultry farmers with the processing centre, adding that it would improve and enhance their productivity.

Meanwhile, Olusanya had earlier inaugurated the Eko Farmers APPEALS Cooperative Multipurpose Society and Frozen Catfish Cottage Industry.

The APPEALS Project also supported Lagos State Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria with blast freezer, deep freezer and generator to boost farmers’ productivity and ensure food security in the state. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development have voted $1billion to deliver Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across 24 states in Nigeria.

This is in addition to an initial $520 million voted by the development partners for the development of eight SAPZs projects in the country.

President of the AfDB, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, stated this in a statement by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President.

Adesina spoke at the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, World Food Prize 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.

In a speech titled: “From Dakar to Des Moines,” Adesina said that the decision to pump such huge funds into Nigeria’s agribusiness was part of the resolve to develop SAPZs in 13 countries.

“We are investing heavily in the development of SAPZs to support the development of agricultural value chains.

“Food processing and value addition, enabling infrastructure and logistics to promote local, regional, and international trade in food.

“The African Development Bank Group is investing $853 million in the development of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones.

“The bank has mobilised additional co-financing of 661 million dollars, for a total commitment of $1.5 billion,” Adesina was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to Adesina, the bank is deploying effective partnerships at scale, adding that currently it is implementing 25 SAPZs in 13 countries.

“The AfDB and the International Fund for Agricultural Development provided $520 million for the development of eight SAPZs in Nigeria.

“The second phase of the programme aims to mobilise an additional $1 billion to deliver SAPZs in 24 States of Nigeria.”

Adesina regretted that 283 million people still go to bed hungry, about one third of the 828 million people that suffer hunger globally in spite of the progress made in African agriculture.

He described the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue World Food Prize 2023, as a journey and narrative combining the power of science, technology, policies and politics to ensure that Africa fully unlocks its agricultural potentials and feeds itself with pride.

Adesina thanked Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, for participating in the global event.

Their presence he said, was an indication that Africa had the political will and fully ready to tackle food insecurity as well as make hunger history on the continent.

Shettima, who is attending the event in pursuance of the food security and diversification policy of the Tinubu administration, had on Wednesday delivered a keynote address at the ongoing dialogue.

While speaking on President Tinubu administration’s initiatives for food security, Shettima said the quality of present leadership in Nigeria and the rest of Africa would drive transformation in agriculture and other sectors.

He said that: “A nation falls or rises fundamentally due to the quality of its leadership.

“Right now Africa is blessed with quite a handful of quality leaders that have the drive, passion and skills set to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership.

“President Tinubu, my boss, is a good example, Macky Sall of Senegal and of course, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt are doing wonderfully well.

“Just to mention a few of the African leaders that are distinguishing themselves in leadership”.

Shettima assured the investors and stakeholders in the agricultural sector that Tinubu was a quintessential 21st century modern African leader, who is determined to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership.

“Be rest assured that there will be a change in the fortunes of the Nigerian nation and by extention, the African continent in the next couple of years because Nigeria is an anchor nation”.

He said that the target of Nigeria towards wheat production was to achieve 50 per cent self sufficiency in the next three cycles.

“It is inconceivable that we are the second largest wheat importer in the world. Luckily, we have already procured the heat tolerant variety of wheat seeds.

“And we are going to drive that process by supporting the farmers with the heat tolerant variety, agricultural extention services, fertilisers and also hope to increase the irrigation areas to one million hectares in the next cropping cycle.

“We need to produce about 2.4 million tonnes of wheat grain in Nigeria. We are going to reach out to our farmers through small irrigation schemes and digitalisation.

“All the actors in the value chain will be sufficiently taken care of through innovative finance, partial credit guarantees and crop insurance,” Shettima said.

On rice production, Shettima said the major challenge for Nigeria was the insufficiency of paddy rice.

He said that Nigeria had adequate milling capacity, stressing that the country needed to produce three to four million tonnes of paddy rice to meet the requirement of about 2.5 million tonnes per annum.

“We have 75 million hectares of arable land and most of it suited for rice cultivation.

“We will provide our farmers with certified seeds, fertilisers, extension services, the digitlisation of services, inputs, finance and market information.

“Our target is to achieve self sufficiency in rice latest by 2027.”

The vice-president, who spoke on SAPZs, reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for investors in the zones.

He said government would create a SAPZs development authority that would operate like a one-stop shop where regulatory and associated issues would be addressed.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Nigeria , Mr Hidayet Bayraktar, says Nigeria is a rising power in Africa due to its population and large economy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the envoy said this at the celebration of the country’s 100th year anniversary marked on Friday in Abuja.

Bayraktar said that Nigeria and Türkiye relations was established since 1960 and was developed on the basis of friendship and mutual benefits.

He added that in strengthening both countries’ bilateral relations, both President Tayyip Erdogan and former President Muhammadu Buhari paid mutual visits to each country in 2021.

Bayraktar said,”These reciprocal high level visits provided the opportunity to underline our shared goal of strengthening our bilateral ties in every field.

“We sincerely believe that we will continue to build and reinforce our partnership with Nigerian government which was newly established after the election in February.

“The challenges Nigeria and its immediate region face today such as terrorism and organised crime, are not just local problems of the region, but subject to international concern.”

According to him, Türkiye supports Nigeria in her fight against terrorism, climate change and is ready to undertake the necessary responsibility to contribute to Nigeria’s efforts to combat the menace.

Bayraktar added, “Similarly, we expect from all our friendly and brotherly countries, including Nigeria, to show more solidarity in our fight against terrorist organisations.

“Besides the fight against terrorism, our bilateral trade and economic cooperation trend upwards. Furthermore, our cooperation in the field of defence industry is improving.”

Bayraktar noted that Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar paid a visit to Türkiye this week and met with Mr Yasar Güler, the Minister of National Defence of Türkiye.

He said, “We are glad about the ongoing cooperation on T-129 ATAK helicopters and other deals in the field of defence industry.

“First of two Offshore Patrol Vessels

constructed by Dearsan Shipyards for the Nigerian Navy was launched yesterday in Gebze, Türkiye.

“The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu, also attended and honoured this event.

“I am so happy to inform you that the delivery of the first batch of T-129 ATAK

helicopters are planned to be handed over next week. We also have a model of said helicopter.

“Turkish aerospace company was kind enough to send this model to our Embassy for exhibition, which

Turkish investors are showing growing interest in Nigeria.”

Bayraktar said that there were more than one hundred Turkish companies operating in Nigeria, providing jobs and contributing to the economy of Nigeria.

He added that Turkish Airlines flies to Abuja and Lagos nine times a week.

“We attach utmost importance to the cultural, educational and humane dimensions of our relations. In our country, last year 3,669 Nigerian students were studying in higher educational institutions.

“Some of these students benefit from the scholarship our government grants every year to foreign students studying in Türkiye,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria