Day: May 16, 2024

The unending political rift in Rivers has taken a fresh twist with five Commissioners resigning.

Their resignations were contained in separate letters addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the mass resignation is the second since Gov. Siminalayi Fubara became governor on May 29, 2023.

The first of such mass resignations led to the peace accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu which later led to the recall of the commissioners.

The crises in the state had since defied all interventions, climaxing in the fresh round of resignations.

While the Commissioner for Social welfare, Mrs Inime Aguma, gave ‘absence of work place progression’ as reason for her resignation, her Transportation counterpart, Dr Jacobson Nbina, cited ‘prolonged political crises’.

The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Gift Worlu, accused Fubara of ‘promoting toxic working relationship and attempting to fuse the legislative and executive arm thereby breaching the l
aw of separation of powers’.

Also, Mr Austen Ben, Commissioner for Environment, in his letter, said that he decided to tender his resignation ‘because of the political crises in the state’.

As for the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chinedu Mmon, the ‘absence of trust, animosity and division amongst colleagues’ forced out of Fubara’s cabinet.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

10,000 residents from four communities in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT have gained access to clean water thanks to the WaterAid Nigeria intervention project and its partners.

Mr Williams Kolo, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator for Bwari Area Council, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a WaterAid Project Close-Out meeting for the 14-month intervention project.

The meeting, tagged ‘Strengthening Water and Sanitation Delivery Project in Bwari Area Council,’ was organised by WaterAid Nigeria in collaboration with the FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other partners in the project included Bwari Area Council and were funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

While presenting an overview of the project’s outcomes, Kolo stated that 10,000 residents now have access to clean water, WASH management skills, and sanitation promotion messages.

‘10,000 people gained access to clean water, 647 people gaine
d access to safely managed sanitation facilities, and 3,500 people, including women and children, were reached with sanitation promotion messages.

‘The organisation constructed and rehabilitated 10,000-liter and 20,000-liter capacity solar/electric powered water boreholes in four communities and one school, including water kiosks.

‘Additionally, 115 members, comprising 67 males and 48 females of WASH management structures and hygiene promoters, were trained across the four beneficiary communities.

‘It is also notable that these water points have been certified to have zero coliform levels in the five water facilities procured in the four communities and the school.’

The beneficiary communities listed were Baran-goni, Zuma II, Sabon-Gari, Dakwa, and LEA Primary School, Tudun-fulani.

Kolo further stated that to sustain and replicate the intervention, an investment plan has been mapped out by the partners to help the council construct more infrastructure in other communities.

This, he added, was to ensure
other communities in the council gain access to clean water, while assuring that the WASH unit would help ensure funds for such projects were included in the council’s subsequent budget.

Speaking with NAN on the progress of the project, Mr Nanpet Chuktu, Head of Programmes, WaterAid Nigeria said that the 14 month project was aimed to strengthen WASH delivery in selected communities in the council.

This, he further said was designed to complement the efforts of government in addressing access to WASH services, while improving hygiene behaviours and outcomes among target population.

The project, he added, focused on increasing access to WASH services by constructing and rehabilitating water facilities in the selected communities and providing gender-inclusive public sanitation facilities and participation.

He said: ‘ Today’s meeting with partners and WASH committee representatives is to close out a one year mini project we currently have in the council.

‘It is to show accountability and say we started this
last year, this is what we promised and this is what we delivered.

‘Bwari Area Council is still a work in progress, the council and RUWASSA are the key institutions we are supporting, and therefore, we are still on ground with similar projects.

‘This is to first demonstrate a model they can use to improve the status of WASH in the communities and at the same time charge government to use the models to grow.

‘We will like to see that by the next budget cycle, the council has dedicated funding for similar projects in other communities and not just rely on donor organisations.’

He also praised the council’s inclusion of 40 percent women in the WASH committee, noting that their active participation was impressive.

One of the committee members, Mrs. Safiya Rafiu from Baran-goni community, appreciated the effort by the partners and prayed for God’s blessings on all who worked to bring smiles to the faces of the people.

She said that the initiative had not only improved sanitation in her community but had als
o helped the WASH committee sell water at a subsidized rate to residents to maintain and sustain the facility.

NAN reports that the meeting, which had all partners and committee members of the project in attendance, also included the presentation of maintenance kits to representatives of all the beneficiary communities.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

PULA Advisors AG in partnership with Leadway Assurance Company Limited, Heifer International, and AFEX Commodity Exchange on Thursday began payment of N110 million agricultural insurance claims to Nigerian farmers.

In a statement in Abuja by Dr Mike Enahoro, country commercial manager, PULA Advisors AG, it is stated that the ceremony kick-started the 2023 Wet Season Insurance Claims Pay-out Ceremony facilitated by PULA.

The statement announced that the insurance payout forms the basis of the ‘Naija Unlock Signature Program’ coordinated by Heifer in conjunction with AFEX and her network of Rice, Maize, Soya and Ginger smallholder farmers.

Enahoro said the farmers are spread across Niger, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Kebbi and Jigawa States.

He added that Leadway Assurance, being the lead insurer of the programme is to make the claims payout of N110 million to AFEX.

Enahoro said this is on behalf of Ginger farmers in Kaduna State who suffered 100 per cent harvest loss due to the outbreak of the Ginger Blight d
isease.

He added that a total of 1,138 Ginger farmers were verified for compensation for payouts in respect of their harvest losses.

Enahoro says the payout ceremony has been made possible also because of the catalytic role played by Heifer International.

He says that Heifer is responsible for pre-financing the insurance premiums of farmers participating under the AFEX 2023 wet season farming programme at the start of the planting season.

Enahoro asserts that the Heifer pre-financing model allows for farmers to be insured during the farming season but deferred their payment for insurance services post-harvest when they are financially buoyant to pay for it.

He says the payout bears testimony to the impact of mitigating against agricultural risks that are currently experienced by the Nigerian smallholder farmers.

The PULA executive said losses which were due to pests, diseases, climate change, and other critical factors had necessitated the inclusion of insurance in the farming programme.

Enahoro said t
his is in order to protect farmers’ investments against crop or harvest failures emanating from climate change perils.

‘The partnership has been actively involved in ensuring that climate-induced challenges in the agricultural sector are tackled.

‘This is in order to ensure that smallholder farmers’ confidence is bolstered, food production guaranteed and food systems resilience is mainstreamed in the attempt to support the government’s ongoing drive to address food security challenges.

‘We are able to achieve this by ensuring that farmers’ claims are verified, catalogued and processed expeditiously anytime they suffer from harvest losses,’ he said.

PULA Advisors, a leader in agricultural insurance innovation, streamlined the claims assessment and payout process, ensuring transparency and efficiency in delivering financial support to aggrieved farmers that suffered losses.

Heifer Project International, a global non-for-profit organisation, pre-financed the insurance premiums for the farmers at the beginni
ng of the season, providing a post-harvest repayment option.

Leadway Assurance Company Limited, with over 50 years’ experience in protecting livelihoods through comprehensive insurance coverages has once again demonstrated its competence in servicing farmers’ claims.

By so doing, Leadway is providing climate resilience and sustainability for smallholder farmers’ businesses thereby contributing to the food security of the nation.

AFEX, one of the largest commodity players in Nigeria, works with an expansive network of farmers and processors, providing them with the capital, infrastructure and market access needed, to support food productivity.

AFEX’s innovative value-chain financing model leverages on insurance to protect their investments and indemnify their raw-material agricultural supply chain against crop losses.

The partnership has enjoined its collective aspiration towards expanding this engagement and ensuring that more Nigerian smallholder farmers are registered and insured during the 2024 farmin
g season.

Farmers and investors involved in the production value chains are therefore advised to take advantage of this partnership and have their projects insured against climatic and other risks during the 2024 wet season and beyond.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Swap Station Mobility Ltd. has signed a partnership agreement with Glovo and Siltech World to deploy electric vehicle accessories across the country.

The accessories include motorbikes, smart swappable batteries, and a network of quick interchange stations across Lagos State.

It may be recalled that the company, signed partnership agreements with GlovoApp Nigeria Ltd. (Glovo) and Siltech World.

The partnership will provide Glovo couriers with two-wheel electric motorbikes that offer lower cost, clean mobility alternative to the internal combustion engine (ICE).

The Electric Vehicles (EVs) are provided on a lease-to-own model whilst also offering riders a unique ‘pay as you ride’ or ‘weekly subscription’ to access SSM’s battery swap and charging facilities.

It will also give technical support and cover for insurance, licensing, and routine maintenance services.

This is part of efforts to increase adoption to build out a network of solar powered automated quick interchange battery stations along major de
mand routes and logistics bases starting in Lagos and surrounding states over the next 24 months.

Blackaion Capital and FundCo Capital Managers who are the co-sponsors of Swap Station Mobility, believe the operational cost of battery swapping per kilometre (km) will remain substantially lower than the fuel cost per km for the ICE counterpart.

‘This is the main value driver which has been catalysed by the Federal Government’s near elimination of fuel subsidies.

‘The products are designed to exceed the performance of petrol alternatives whilst significantly improving CO2 emissions, local air quality, and cost efficiency for users over the life of the asset,’ said Obiora Okoye, Director at Swap Station and Partner at Blackaion Capital.

Okwu Njoku, who sits on the Board, said ‘We are very excited about signing with Glovo who operates one of the most prolific food delivery platforms in Nigeria.

‘Our EVs and swappable batteries are in-country, and Siltech World, one of our key technology and technical partners
, supported us with the procurement, testing, and certification of the EVs, and so, we are now ready to start operations.

‘We plan to spend the next few months securing additional swap locations, building our technology platform, and expanding our team.’

Abiodun Oni, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FundCo Capital Managers, and former Regional Sales Director, Energy, for Tesla, stated, ‘e-mobility is critical to our sustainable infrastructure investment strategy, and this agreement with our partners enables us to kick start that process’.

On his part, Head of Operations at Glovo, Ify Adah stated, ‘ By 2030, our goal is to have about half of our orders delivered by non-combustion vehicles.

‘So, we are very excited and look forward to working with Swap Station, and supporting our couriers with cleaner and more cost-effective transport solutions.’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the company is an integrated EV financing and battery charging infrastructure development company that has built a b
usiness-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) platform.

It provides access to electric two-wheel and three-wheel vehicles, swap station infrastructure, swappable batteries, and a hub for repairs and maintenance services to fleet owners, businesses, and users operating in the logistics and last mile connectivity in Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, on Wednesday in Abuja urged Nigerians to be diligent at their places of work and business.

The Minister gave the advice at a dinner tagged ‘Industry Evening of Honours’ organised in honour of Ms. Kachollom Daju, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Perm Sec. was honoured at the dinner by the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists with an Honorary Fellow of the college.

Alausa said that diligence, commitment, hardworking and transparency are the prominent virtues of every man, while calling on all Nigerians to possess these qualities.

He said that Daju, who was honoured with Honorary Fellow, possesses those hence the award.

‘These qualities are things people should aspire for, Daju also has cerebral capacity, the way she attends to things in a very fair manner; she doesn’t discriminate against any profession”, he said.

Alausa also described the Perm Sec as a t
eam player and urged the younger ones to emulate her.

‘Hard work, honesty, truthfulness and credibility matters in all what we do, we should maintaining high level of credibility in everything we do”, Alausa said.

Dr Ibrahim Kana, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, described the award bestowed on Daju as recognition of her hard work, fairness and dedication to duty.

‘The group of Pharmacists has found her worthy of the honour because of her level of fairness and equity in the discharge of her duties in the ministry.

‘I join in congratulating her, she is always dedicated to her work and ready to learn and she has been doing that and she will continue with that.

‘With Daju in the ministry of health, our journey to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will be easier,’ Kana said.

Dr Fidelis Ayebae, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fidson Healthcare Plc, also said Daju has performed excellently in improving the health sector.

Ayebae commended the West African Postgraduate College of Pharma
cists for finding Daju worthy of the honour.

He reminded the pharmacists of their crucial role in the development of the health sector.

While responding, Daju, thanked the organisers for the honour saying that it was not for her alone, but for those who believe in Nigerian’s health sector.

She said the Award would inspire her to do more, adding that government was ready to unlock the value chain embedded in Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Health experts have called for increased investment and digitisation of Primary Healthcare Centres(PHC) for quality service delivery.

Dr Chidjoke Kaduru, Public Health Physician at Corona Management Systems (CNS), made the call at a Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting on Assessing Primary Healthcare in Nigeria through a State Scoring System in Abuja.

The meeting organised in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI)., is aimed at looking at the quality of PHCs in Nigeria and to seek ways for possible improvement.

Kaduru said the ‘One Campaign’ group and other stakeholders came together to do the scorecard assessment around primary health care systems and their capacity to deliver services.

According to him, the objective of the assessment is to bring to limelight issues around PHC for the new administration that has shown keen interest in delivering an improved PHC system to navigate the system.

‘The focus then for us, is to generate intelligence that can support that process as much as possi
ble.

‘That way we can also come back a year or two from now to say well we did provide some intelligence to support the process but how well have we fared ?.’

Kaduru said that the key things that were realised at the course of the assessment was that the primary health facilities did not have the capability at the moment to receive and manage funding well enough.

‘We have to find ways of supporting them better around that and also find ways to hold them accountable for it.’

Kaduru said there was a need to improve the involvement of communities with the primary health care system for accountability

because at the moment it is lacking.

He said that at the moment , primary healthcare facilities do not show any capabilities to take on technology and use it well.

‘So we have to build from the ground up not just do on the surface things to say we are using technology.

‘ Otherwise we will not reap the benefits of the technology age you know for our health system. We also have to find ways of improving the co
mmunity health worker landscape.

‘The reality is that no matter how beautiful the infrastructure and the structures are, if the workers are not there to give people the services we will still be missing you know a lot. ‘

Kaduru said that there was a need to improve infrastructure , like potable water, sleeping quarters, electricity in the health facility, those things are bare minimum and putting in a refrigerator to store some of the drugs in the cold chain.

He called for better investment from state governments as well to improve health and a deliberate digital health plan.

Also speaking, Nigeria Country Director of One Campaign, Stanley Achonu said members of the campaign visited three facilities in each Senatorial district of the country on assessment.

Achonu said the next step is to finalise the report and share the findings with government .

He said the findings would be made public adding that objective is to set the baseline for the government and to influence policies.

Source: News Agency of
Nigeria

An NGO, Restore Hope for the Boy-Child Initiative, has said that boys are particularly vulnerable and subjected to torture during violent conflicts and other insecurity situations.

The Executive Director of the organisation, Dr Babatunde Kayode, said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja to mark the International Day of the Boy-Child.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day is celebrated annually on May 16 to advocate for the well-being of the boy-child, and the need to feel happy, healthy and valued in families and communities.

The observance day was founded by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a university lecturer from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to highlight the unique challenges and pressure faced by boys.

The 2024 theme of the international day is ‘Boys Health and Well-Being.’

The NGO director, who said that boys also face sexual abuse, added that such incidences were hardly reported because of the pressure on the boy-child to show masculinity.

Kayode said ‘societal expectatio
ns of male strength and emotional resilience often result in a culture of silence among male children, even in the face of danger.

‘The suppressed pain can lead to psychological problems and trauma.’

He noted that the growing incidence of single parenthood had also created a void in mentorship and positive role models for boys.

According to him, boys from a young age carry the burden of being providers, shaping their choices and often diverting them from pursuing their passions to meet financial expectations from family and society.

He said that the situation could lead to rise in toxic masculinity, mental and physical challenges, ritual killings and involvement of boys in internet fraud and violent conflicts.

An awareness walk organised by the Restore Hope for the Boy-Child Initiative, to mark the On Day of the boy-child on Thursday in Abuja.

He added that the situation could also lead to an alarming rate of school dropouts and drug abuse among boys.

He said a study had found that teachers had observe
d low attention spans and declining educational performance among primary and secondary school-age boys.

He said that addressing the situation required concerted efforts from critical stakeholders, noting that ‘addressing these issues require collective efforts of parents, schools, society, government and private individuals to find holistic solution.’

Kayode, who pointed out that issues of the girl-child were given more attention, added that

bringing boy-child issues to the fore would lead to a healthy society.

‘Our mission is to bring to the fore, the emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing of male children, just like the girls,’ he said.

He explained that the NGO’s activities aligned with the Child Rights Act and would involve conducting needs assessments to identify the most pressing requirements of the boy-child.

The organisation conducted an advocacy walk around Garki in Abuja to create awareness for the boy- child.

Destiny Tada, a student who spoke on behalf of the boy-child, said he is
happy about the renewed attention to boys through the celebration of the day, and expressed hope for a better future.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

U.S. sports envoys, B-Girl and Lyons, have called on the Nigerian youth to embrace Breakdancing, to enhance their dancing skills and enable them participate in future Olympic breakdancing sport events.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that breakdancing is an officially recognised Olympic sport, set to debut at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.

The duo stated this during their grand performance hosted by the U.S. embassy’s public diplomacy section, in collaboration with FAME Foundation, on Wednesday night, in Abuja.

B-Girl, whose real name is Ms. Macca Malik, stressed that through breakdancing, Nigerian youngsters could demonstrate their creativity and skills and represent their nation on a global scale.

Being a leading female competitor in the breakdancing community, B-Girl noted that Nigeria had a rich cultural heritage, and advocated for the active involvement of young women in the dance sport.

According to her, Nigerian youth participation in breakdancing will align with global standards in Ol
ympic sports events.

‘As an officially recognised Olympic sport set to debut at the upcoming Olympic Games, Breakdancing’s dynamic movements and creativity present a significant opportunity for Nigerian youth,’ she stressed.

Also speaking, Lyons, whose real name is Jacob ‘Kujo,’ and who is a representative of the deaf and hard of hearing community in breakdancing, urged the Federal Government to invest in breakdancing, as a sport.

‘We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to consider investing in breakdancing infrastructure and training programmes.

‘The substantial positive impacts of such endeavours will be felt in youth empowerment, skill enhancement, and international representation are undeniable,’ he said.

He said that fostering a robust breakdancing community in Nigeria could enhance the country’s global sports presence and strengthen national pride and unity.

Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, Executive Director, FAME Foundation, expressed gratitude to the U.S. sports envoys for providing Nigerian Breakda
ncers with valuable guidance to pursue success.

‘We believe that through this training, Nigeria can progress towards meeting international standards in Breakdancing and prepare its youth for Olympic participation.

‘The encouragement from the U.S. sports envoys reminds us of the transformative impact of investing in diverse artistic expressions and athletic pursuits.

‘While the Nigerian Breakdancers may not partake in this year’s Olympic competition, this training equips them to compete effectively in future events,’ she said.

Ogunleye-Bello also called on the Federal Government and stakeholders to furnish facilities that would help dancers realize their ambition.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, John Enoh, represented by Orok Effanga, pledged the ministry’s unwavering dedication to promote and facilitate the growth of Breakdancing in Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria