Day: May 20, 2024

The Evergreen Musical Company has begun the construction of a musical museum in Ikeja, Lagos.

Its Managing Director, Bimbo Esho, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the museum upon completion would be called ‘Evergreen Music Heritage Foundation’.

Esho said that the museum would help to upscale the promotion of music of yesteryears with sound moral values.

She said the idea was to also bequeath to future generations a strong philosophy on music while appreciating the sheer artistic genius of Nigeria’s renowned musical talents, many of whom had been forgotten.

According to her, the project was birthed following the collaboration between Chief Femi Esho, Founder of Evergreen Musical Company and Dr Daniel Olukoya, Founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry.

She said the edifice would accommodate a music museum, music library, gallery showcasing head burst of artistes, display of over 1,000 pictures of Nigerian musicians from 1914 till date.

She explained that there would also be relics
of the musicians’ costumes, old musical instruments, an event centre for music concerts, cinema theatre, recording studio and so much more.

According to her, Olukoya, an ardent lover of good music had been of huge financial support to the project.

She noted that the founder of Evergreen Musical Company would remain the chairman of the foundation while Olukoya had been selected as the Patron.

‘The project is a massive one, it is a historic landmark project that will stand the test of time and outlive all of us.

‘Dr Olukoya has been more than supportive to our cause. He has been magnanimous and we remain eternally grateful to him for his love and support for this dream. But there’s still plenty of work to be done.

‘This magnificent edifice is situated at Oyedele Ogunniyi street, Anthony Village, Ikeja, Lagos. We are still calling on all music enthusiasts, lovers of Nigerian music all over the world to come support this dream.

‘It will be a contribution to a legacy that will be sustained for generations t
o come, all of the enduring morals and intrinsic values that our music of yesteryears taught us, all of which is lacking today.

‘The edifice is a place the youth can come to enjoy quality music and research into the past musical history of some of Nigeria’s most accomplished musicians of the 50s, the 60s down to the 90s,’ she said.

Esho said that the construction should be completed before the end of the year.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director, UBA, on Monday commended the role played by the bank’s Group Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu, in shaping UBA’s trajectory.

Alawuba gave the commendation at a world press conference in commemoration of the bank’s 75th Anniversary on on Monday in Lagos.

The event also showcased the bank’s history and outlined its future vision.

He also lauded the contributions of past and present leaders,

He said that under Elumelu’s visionary leadership, UBA had experienced significant growth and innovation, becoming a trusted financial partner for millions across Africa and beyond.

The UBA boss said that the bank’s years of existence had been of innovation, stability and customer-centric growth.

On UBA’s impressive achievements, Alawuba revealed the bank’s reach, with operations spanning 20 African countries and presence in four global financial nerve centres.

According to him, with over 25,000 staff serving more than 35 million customers, UBA stands as a beacon of stability and ex
cellence in the banking industry.

Alawuba said that the bank had been introducing several groundbreaking initiatives in the Nigerian banking landscape.

He noted that the bank had consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation, from pioneering mobile banking and installing the first ATMs in Nigeria to launching innovative chatbot banking solutions.

Looking ahead, Alawuba emphasised UBA’s commitment to digital transformation and innovation, with a focus on enhancing customer experience and driving operational efficiency.

The bank’s strategic vision includes expanding its presence, seizing growth opportunities, and deepening relationships with stakeholders.

Alawuba said that UBA was the first Bank in Nigeria to offer an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 1970.

Alawuba stated that the Bank was the first in Nigeria banking industry to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

According to him, UBA was the first Nigerian Bank to open a branch in the USA and London.

He said:’ UBA was the first bank in
Nigeria to install ATMs, the first Bank to open a campus branch at the University of Lagos(UNILAG) in Nigeria and the first Nigerian Bank to open a subsidiary in Africa, specifically, Ghana, in 2005.

‘UBA appointed the first female Board Chairperson in Nigeria and was a pioneer in introducing mobile banking in Nigeria.

‘The Bank introduced Leo, the first multi-lingual chatbot in Nigeria and was the first Nigerian Bank to launch the most successful prepaid cards across Africa.’

Alawuba noted that amidst economic challenges and market dynamics, the group has demonstrated remarkable financial strength and resilience.

He expressed that the performance of the group especially within the last year is a testament to its robust fundamentals and sound strategic decisions.

The group managing director further stated that UBA remained committed to creating value for its shareholders and capitalising on emerging opportunities in the market, as it navigate through the ever-changing landscape.

Also, Mr Muyiwa Akinyemi
, Deputy Managing Director of UBA, highlighted the group’s commitment to stability, reliability, and excellence in banking, emphasising its numerous milestones and positive impact on communities.

He attributed UBA’s success to its dedication to exceptional customer experience and financial strength

According to him, the group aims to continue offering value-enhancing services while solidifying its position as a forward-thinking institution.

As UBA looks to the future, Akinyemi expressed enthusiasm for the next chapter, saying, ‘We look forward to another 75 years, 100 years of impact; to our people, businesses, and communities across the globe.’

From its humble beginnings as the British and French Bank on Kakawa Street, Lagos Island in 1949, UBA has evolved into a global financial powerhouse with a presence in 20 African countries and four global financial nerve centers – New York, London, Paris, and Dubai.

The anniversary celebrations, which kicked off with a news conference, will feature a range of act
ivities, including the launch of UBA’s documentary.

Others include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)programmes, a global HACKATON online programme for youths, a legacy promo, and a grand finale in November, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) has commenced the screening of 600 candidates for its 2024/2025 overseas postgraduate scholarship programme for Nigerians in the South-South region.

The General Manager, Projects, Mrs Ifeoma Nwokike, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Nwokike said that the interview was ongoing simultaneously across the six geopolitical zones.

‘Port Harcourt is the centre for the 600 candidates that were selected from the South-South zone.

‘The annual overseas postgraduate scholarship is a well thought-out programme intended to bridge the skill gap in the oil and gas industry.

‘The scheme has been used over the years to train the best of Nigerians. PTDF scholars are known everywhere in the world,’ she said.

Nwokike said that for candidates from the South-South region, the 2024/2025 edition would give priority attention to engineering, geosciences, environmental sciences among others.

She further said that availability of fund would be key in determining
the number of candidates for the scholarship award.

‘Our mandate is capacity building in the oil and gas industry and we have been mandated to train Nigerians in the different skills and vocations in the oil and gas industry.

‘We use this scheme to train Nigerians in top universities abroad so that they can come back and contribute to the oil and gas industry in the identified skills gap,’ she said.

In his remarks, Mr Ere Iyalla, the Team Lead, Overseas Scholarship Interview Programme, Port Harcourt Centre, said the interview was for both Masters Degree and Ph.D candidates.

Iyalla listed some of the criteria for the scholarships to include good O’Level result, research proposal, membership of professional body, statement of purpose and its relevance to industrial needs.

Also speaking, one of the candidates, Mr Nwaobasi Caleb, said he applied for a Maters Degree programme in Civil Engineering at the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Caleb expressed his belief in the transparency of the selection pro
cess, saying, ‘I believe the process is fair and transparent’.

He pledged his resolve to take the programme seriously if given the opportunity.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Lagos State Government has concluded plans to organise a justice reform summit to address challenges facing its justice system.

Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), gave the assurance at a news conference on Monday in Lagos.

Pedro said that an efficient, modern, agile, responsible and effective justice system would ensure equitable access to justice, safeguard fundamental rights, protect property and investment while meeting evolving needs of the people.

He added that an efficient justice system would boost investor confidence and grow the economy.

He urged all stakeholders to participate in the summit and contribute their quotas to enable the state’s justice sector to address various challenges to effective justice delivery.

‘The summit shall be appraising the causes and consequences of delays in the justice system, exploring innovative strategies to expedite legal processes, fostering collaboration among justice sector owners and rebuilding public and investo
r confidence in the administration of justice.

‘The event will feature judges, scholars members of the Nigerian Bar Association – both inner and outer bar – the police, correctional officers, lawmakers, private sector representatives and others.

‘We will engage in constructive dialogue to evaluate our past, assess our present and chart the course for the future,’ he said.

According to him, the chief justice of Nigeria, chief judge of Lagos State, attorney-general of the Federation and Lagos State governor are among the dignitaries to participate at the summit.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The German Government is into partnership with Nigeria to combat climate change and related issues in the country, the Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Annett Gunther, says.

Gunther made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

She added that the perennial floods in parts of Nigeria is a global challenge, aggravated by the climate change phenomenon.

She noted that all hands must be on deck to tackle the root causes of climate issues, adding that decarbonisation, and zero emissions would help to solve the problem not only in Nigeria but globally.

The ambassador added that Nigeria has an ambitious goal in its energy transition plan, developed under the previous administration to ensure zero emission until 2060, adding that if properly implemented, it can be impactful.

She said that ‘in our cooperation talks, we are interested in how to help

Nigeria to achieve that goal.

‘We therefore have opened a hydrogen diplomacy office called German-Nigerian hydrogen diplomacy of
fice where experts organise meetings, conferences, discussions and bring together stakeholders in the area of renewable energies and particularly on hydrogen.

‘Even though gas is currently the primary source of energy and power, we have to chart the way forward. We need to have these discussions to reach our climate goals earlier or as soon as possible.”

The envoy explained that weather had become unpredictable and difficult for agriculture to thrive.

‘In our development cooperation, we have programmes to support farmers in developing drought resilient crops.

‘We are also aware that the effect of climate change reduces the sources of income for people, as well as durable land for farming.”

Gunther further disclosed that plans were underway to address the issue of shrinking resources, as the German Government work toward mediating conflicts between communities.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has begun screening exercise for 606 candidates in the North-East under its overseas scholarship scheme.

Mr Suraju Fari, Head of Overseas Scholarship, PTDF, stated this on the sidelines of the three-day screening and physical verification exercise, on Monday in Bauchi.

According to him, the Fund will offer scholarship to successful PhD and MSc students in the field of oil and gas as well as renewable energy.

On criteria for the selection of candidates, Fari said they looked at their O’level certificates and first degrees, as well as second degrees for those going for PhD.

Fari said the Fund also examined the level of competency of each candidates in defending their proposals, hence the resolve to invite panelists.

‘The process is okay because there is transparency in all what we are doing from the applications because we advertise and give the applicants six weeks to apply.

Screening/verification of candidates for PTDF Overseas Scholarship in Bauchi cent
re

‘The computer shortlisted the candidates and then our staff shortlisted what the computer had shortlisted because we know that some people can beat the computer.

‘Here in Bauchi centre, we have 606 shortlisted candidates and today, we are going to interview 204 compfising 102 PhD and 102 MSc.

‘The mandate of the PTDF is to develop capacity, competency, skills in the oil and gas industry and we can not go beyond our mandate.

‘PTDF candidates that normally study abroad are outshining. Our candidates are performing excellently because of the selection process which is transparent and based on merit,’ he said.

Also speaking, Dr Usman Hassan, a member of the panelists, said most of the proposals of the applicants interviewed are relevant to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Hassan is also the Head of Department, Petroleum Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi.

‘If the scholars become successful at the end of the programme, they are going to add value and make contributions to the
national oil and gas industry,’ Hassan said.

One of the candidates, Ijantiku John, who lauded the seamless conduct ofvthe exercise, said he applied for the PTDF scholarship to pursue his Masters Degree in Environmental Science in Germany.

‘The questions they asked are based on your field that you aspire to study and everything is very transparent and no manipulations whatsoever,’ said John, a lecturer with the Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi.

Corroborating earlier opinion, Hussaini Mohammed, said that he also applied for the PTDF scholarship online for his PhD in Chemical Engineering in Germany.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in the health sector have emphasised the role of vaccination in averting diseases caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

They also stressed the need to vaccinate girls aged nine to 14 years against the virus, and promote mental well-being of Nigerians.

They made these calls during an advocacy event held at the Anguwan Hausawa Community, Apo, on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), and the Nigerian Psychological Association, FCT chapter.

Mrs Chika Offor, the Founder of VNDC, highlighted the critical role of vaccination in averting HPV-related diseases, notably cervical cancer.

Offor emphasised the imperative of early immunisation as proactive measure against HPV-related cancers.

She acknowledged obstacles hindering high vaccination coverage rate in the country, citing lack of enough awareness, cultural beliefs, and logistic challenges.

She, however,
added that ‘we are steadfast in our commitment to educate communities about the benefits of HPV vaccination and dispelling misconceptions.

‘By targeting girls between the ages of nine and 14, Nigeria can optimise vaccine efficacy and substantially diminish susceptibility to HPV-related ailments.’

In addition to advocating for vaccination, the event addressed the issue of mental health in the community.

Dr Jurbe Bisji, the Assistant General-Secretary of the Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA), highlighted the role of community support in nurturing mental well-being.

Bisji advocated for open dialogue, supportive environment and resource exchange to foster emotional resilience.

He said ‘as individuals navigate the complexities of modern life, community support serves as cornerstone in promoting mental wellness.’

Prof. Emmanuel Alhassan, Nigeria’s Coordinator for Prevent Epidemics/Immunisation Programmes at GHAI, said that education, particularly for girls, is catalyst for societal progress and economi
c prosperity.

Alhassan, who is also an Associate Professor of Psychology at Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), encouraged the community to invest in girls’ education, noting its transformative impact to future generations and the broader community.

He added that ’empowering girls through education not only unlocks their potential but fosters societal growth and development.’

Meanwhile, Dr Mustapha Lecky, Coordinator of the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), emphasised the need to improve health insurance coverage in Nigerian communities.

He explained that ‘the Giftship Programme, highlighted in the National Health Insurance is ideal for community health coverage.

‘It’s necessary for officials of health insurance to engage communities through local leaders, schools and religious places to raise awareness.’

Lecky proposed leveraging senators and community resources to sponsor health insurance for communities.

He urged politicians to take practical steps in profiling communities and collaboratin
g with NHIA to bring health services to communities.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria