By Lucy Ogalue

Workers of Sheraton Hotel Abuja, on Tuesday embarked on a peaceful protest within the hotel premises over nonpayment of severance package.

The aggrieved workers, under the auspices of the National Union of Hotels, Personal Services Workers (NUHPSA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it would be unfair for the management to ask them to quit their jobs without paying them off.

Mr Leke Success, the General-Secretary of the Union said, the protest is to ensure Marriott International pay the money that we jointly agreed to be paid as severance package in view of the new owner shutting down this place today.

We just heard about a week ago that the new owner, NIPCO, who just acquired this place, decided that they will short it down and commence renovations.

We tried to persuade them from shutting down based on the short notice, but that could not fly.

So we sat down as a responsible union to negotiate severance pay for our members and the agreement stipulated that before the close of business on Oct.17, the money will be paid.

But up until now, the management is still dilly-dallying and very soon they will lower the banner and shut this place.

So we cannot risk that happening. It is because the money was not paid that we are here to protest peacefully that this money should be paid or we will not leave this place.

Agreement is agreement, if the money is not paid, we will not leave. Each day that passes we will change our demands, after today we will demand for damages because they have breached the agreement.

Our mission is to be paid our money, we have end of year bonus and hampers which members enjoy and the general manager just said they will not pay.

The action is for both Marriott and the new owner who are here to wind up this place, to come out and tell us why our members should not be paid.

The unionists also demanded that some workers termed casual staff who were excluded by the management from the payment be treated equally as other staff.

Whoever works here deserves to be paid because they are workers. No condition of employment will make them (casual workers) not to get their pay, Success said.

Meanwhile, some of the casual workers while expressing their grievances told NAN that the news came as a shock and if they dont get paid, their families would suffer.

Mrs Blessing Moses, who said she is a mother of four children said, they did not have prior notice of the new development until two days ago.

According to her, they call us casual, yet they dont want to give us our money. They chased us out since yesterday but we are still working, you can see I am still in my apron.

By casuals, does that mean we are not human beings? we have families, we have children to take care of. So they should pay us, so that as we are going, we will go with joy and look for work in another place.

We cannot go and sit for six months without doing anything, what are we going to use in taking care of our children.

Similarly, Mr Vincent Ajiji, a university graduate who also works as a casual staff at the kitchen department, reiterated the importance for casual staff to equally be paid as regular staff.

Graduates in this country that are casual staff are being used as tools, we are being maltreated here, and that is why we are asking that they pay us our money.

When it comes to work we are all staff but when it comes to payment, we are called casual staff.

I want my money, I want my entitlements, they should take good care of me before I go home. I have been here since 2021 and still referred to as casual, it is paining me, Ajiji said.

Meanwhile, a Senior Staff of Sheraton who spoke under condition of anonymity said the Corporate Affairs Unit of the hotel would soon release the respond of the management in due course.

NAN recalls that Capital Hotel Plc bought majority shares in Sheraton from the Federal Government over 30 years ago and engaged the services of Marriot International in the management of Sheraton.

Its new owners, NIPCO, which bought 51 per cent majority shares in Sheraton, had planned to shut down the hotel in order to carry out a holistic renovation and repositioning of the hotel.

As at the time of filing this report, the leaders of the union and the management of Marriot International were holding a closed door meeting. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

Source: NAN News

By Abujah Racheal

BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation leading the advocacy for fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria, said Rivers State maintained its overall fiscal performance position, ranking first, just as in 2020 and 2021.

Mr Iniobong Usen, BudgITs Research and Policy Advisory lead, said this at the presentation of the State of States report for 2022, with the theme, Sustainable Governance Reforms for a New Era, on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the report assesses and ranks the fiscal performance of all 36 states, from the most sustainable to the least sustainable.

Usen said for the 2022 edition, all 36 states were ranked using five metrics.

Index A examines states ability to meet Operating Expenses (Recurrent Expenditure) with only their Internally Generated Revenue; Index A1 looks at the percentage year-on-year growth of each states Internally Generated Revenue.

Index B reviews states ability to cover all operating expenses and loan repayment obligations with their Total Revenue (Internally Generated Revenue Statutory Transfers Aids and Grants) without resorting to borrowing.

Index C estimates the debt sustainability of the states using four major Indicators: A. Debt as a per cent of GDP, B. Debt as a per cent of Revenue, C. Debt service as a per cent of Revenue and D. Personnel Cost as a per cent of Revenue.

Index D evaluates the degree to which each State is prioritising capital expenditure concerning their operating expenses (recurrent expenditure), he explained.

He said Rivers maintained its overall fiscal performance position, ranking first, just like it did in 2020 and 2021.

According to him, two states, Kaduna and Cross River, made it to the top five on the overall fiscal performance ranking; Yobe dropped to the bottom five having fallen 13 places from 21st in 2021 to 34th position in 2022.

Usen said on Index A, two states (Lagos and Rivers) generated enough revenues internally to take care of their operating expenses.

Comparatively, the operating expenses of Yobe and Bayelsa (the least ranked states on index A) were more than seven times the revenues generated by both states internally, reinforcing the heavy reliance on federal transfers and budget support to fund their budgets.

On index A1, save for three states, which ranked the least Anambra, Kogi and Kebbi 33 states experienced an increase in their IGR from the previous year, with 13 states growing their IGR by more than 50 per cent.

Jigawa, Delta, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and Nasarawa ranked first to fifth respectively on Index C, which assessed the debt sustainability of the 36 states, he explained.

Furthermore, Usen said Cross River, Ogun, Imo, Osun, and Plateau were the bottom five states on Index C.

Lagos State, with a capital importation of 31.78 billion dollars between 2019 and 2021, received 99.19 per cent of the cumulative capital importation for 36 states of the federation.

Interestingly, 11 states received no capital importation between 2019 and 2021, he said.

Speaking on debt sustainability, Usen said the cumulative debt stock of the 36 states grew by 8.68 per cent from N5.86 trillion in 2020 to N6.37 trillion in 2021.

A more disaggregated view of the subnational debt shows that 11 states reduced their total debt liability, with Delta having the most impressive decline of 33.84 per cent.

Four states Oyo, Yobe, Ogun and Sokoto grew their total debt stock by more than 40 per cent from 2020, he said.

He added that the five most indebted states: Lagos, Kaduna, Rivers, Ogun, and Cross River were responsible for 37.09 per cent of total subnational debt.

Kogi, with a foreign debt year-on-year growth of 85.65 per cent ranked first among the 17 States that grew foreign debt in 2021.

The four states with the highest dollar-denominated debt (250 million dollars and above) Lagos, Kaduna, Cross River and Edo are the most susceptible to exchange rate volatility, he explained.

He said the cumulative expenditure of the 36 states increased by 27 per cent from N5.23 trillion in 2020 to N6.64 trillion in 2021.

Notwithstanding, while 31 states increased their total expenditure from the previous year, five states reduced their expenditure with Zamfara having the highest decline of 15.59 per cent.

However, the cumulative personnel cost of the 36 states grew by 5.38 per cent from N1.46 trillion in 2020 to N1.54 trillion in 2021.

Interestingly, nine states reduced their overhead cost from the previous year, signalling a reduction in the cost of governance.

Conversely, 11 states increased their overhead cost from the previous year by more than 40 per cent with Akwa Ibom having the highest growth, he said.

He said commendably, cumulative spending on capital expenditure by the 36 states grew by 52.52 per cent from N1.77 trillion in 2020 to N2.70 trillion in 2021.

Eight states increased their capital expenditure year-on-year by more than 100 per cent.

However, just five states including Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross River, Kaduna, Rivers prioritised capital expenditure over operation expenses, signalling the prioritisation of investments in infrastructure, job creation and human capital development.

On fiscal transparency, the 36 states of the federation currently publish promptly their proposed budgets, approved budgets, budget implementation reports, and audited financial statements for both the States and the Local Governments.

In the same vein, many states have enacted an Audit Law that grants operational and financial autonomy to the Offices of Auditors-General of the State and Local Governments, thereby empowering their supreme audit institutions to effectively hold governments accountable, he said.

He stated that 35 states, excluding Taraba, had captured the biometric and BVN data of at least 70 per cent of the civil servants and pensioners on their payroll, and linked the captured data to their payroll management system.

Cumulatively, 35 states (excluding Taraba), have a total of 848,483 civil servants and 498,097 pensioners on their payroll. As a result, at least 15,397 ghost workers have been identified and eliminated in 13 states across the federation.

On the flip side, only a few states have been able to establish and operationalise a state-level functional Treasury Single Account (TSA) to ensure that it covers at least 70 per cent of all its finance, he said.

Similarly, he stated that some states were yet to ensure that all the schedules of contracts awarded for the year were published online as required under the Open Contracting Data Standards and in line with the procurement laws/guidelines. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Salif Atojoko

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Afonne

An integrated agro-business company, First Aquagrico Farms Nigeria Ltd., is perfecting arrangements to establish Africas largest farmers market in the country.

The company said this in statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The statement quoted the companys Managing Director, Mr Kolapo Talabi, as saying that the market when established would among other things solve the problem of transportation techniques in agric business.

Talabi said the firm had approached the Bank of Agriculture for support to boost the establishment of the market which would also be a solution to the problem of modern preservation aimed at eliminating post-harvest losses.

The primary objective of setting in motion Africas largest farmers market in Nigeria is to create an all-in-one agricultural market-hub which encompasses gathering, re-distributing, storing, processing and exporting of agro-products.

The concept is to enhance the promotion of large scale commercial agriculture in Africa through a process that maximises profit while sustainably satisfying the needs of consumers.

In addition, the concept will assuredly make a great impact in the countrys agricultural sector by boosting food supply, creating jobs, raising incomes, reducing malnutrition and contributing to the progress of the continents agro-economy.

First Aquagrico Farms which focuses on galvanising agriculture for national economic development through the creation of markets for farmers both locally and internationally, believes in large scale agriculture produce merchandise, Talabi said.

According to him, study and survey show that one of the major causes leading to the decrease in growth of the agricultural sector is poor merchandise of the agricultural produce.

He regretted that agricultural sector performed badly especially in the second quarter of 2022 with a growth of 1.20 per cent as against 3.16 per cent in the previous quarter.

Talabi noted that flood had of late ravaged parts of the country such as Kogi, Niger, Anambra, Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa, Delta, amongst places known for large production of agriculture produce with hectares of farmlands washed away.

It is reckoned that the situation will worsen with the hazardous climatic changes and flooding which have major impact on the distribution and marketability of agricultural produce.

He was optimistic that the farmers market would help the country achieve industrialisation and restore the agricultural value chain in the nearest future as major bridges were cut off by flood, submerging trucks and trailers carrying food stuffs. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Government has urged traditional rulers to use their influence and closeness to the people in their communities to curb sexual, gender and domestic violence.

Mrs Titilola Viviour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) gave the advice on Thursday, in Lagos.

She spoke during a One-Day Roundtable With Traditional Rulers On The Prevalence Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Viviour-Adeniyi urged the traditional rulers to use the proactive measures and practices adopted by the state government to ensure that SGBV, if not completely eradicated, was brought to the barest minimum in the state.

She said that the engagement was deliberate due to the prevalence of SGBV in the society, which required a timely intervention.

In the context of preventing and ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, traditional rulers are one of the strategic groups that must be considered, because our Royal Majesties, the custodians of our culture, have access to different segments of the population, including those who are marginalised and harder to reach.

In many regions of the world, traditional rulers, by virtue of their long-standing presence and service in diverse communities, have come to command the trust and respect of local population.

We understand that in certain instances, traditional rulers sometimes serve as the first port of call immediately after a case of domestic or sexual violence occurs.

Certain times, such cases end up being resolved at the palaces, without adhering to the state governments referral pathway, she said.

According to her, this non adherence to government referral pathway, therefore, promotes the culture of impunity as perpetrators are not held legally accountable for their actions, even as survivors are not able to access holistic support.

It is, therefore, of utmost importance that traditional rulers are promptly and regularly engaged on these issues, their role in preventing and responding to incidents reported and most importantly, the need to have interface with government, she said.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that in the past one year, the agency recorded a total of 4,860 cases via the Virtual Referral and Response Service (VRRS), and physical report.

She said that those cases include domestic violence, rape, lack of parental care, threat to life, sexual assault by penetration, emotional abuse, child neglect/abandonment, among others.

The executive secretary said that breakdown of cases showed that there were 2,710 adult and 2,150 children, showing that within emergency settings, SGBV on women and young girls was critically heightened.

In her presentation, Mrs Omolola Rotimi, the Administrator-General, Public Trustee, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, said that in order to protect people from people, on the issue of SGBV, the law had to be in place.

Rotimi said that people must learn to speak out against SGBV, as it would help to reduce the occurrence of the cases.

Mr Emmanuel Oladele, President, Institute of Marriage Administrators and Counsellors of Nigeria, said that all hands must be on deck, both the rulers and the ruled, at mitigating the incessant occurrence of SGBV in the communities.

Oladele called on traditional rulers not to hesitate to apply the full weight of the customs and traditions against the perpetrators of SGBV, as long as such was not repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.

Oba Asumo Abdul-Ganiyu Aderibigbe, paramount ruler of Odo-Ayandelu Kingdom, Ikosi-Ejinrin, Epe, commended the state government for its efforts at curving SGBV.

Aderibigbe urged the police to always respond appropriately, whenever issues of SGBV were reported.

We are glad to have this kind of training today, it imparts more knowledge on us, so that we can go back to our various communities and educate the people the more.

There are some cases we can treat in the palace and there are some that are criminal. We dont have to harbour or indulge people that involve in violence or criminal activities. We have to expose them, he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Source: NAN News

By Vivian Emoni

Stakeholders on Thursday collaborated to examine economic and social opportunities that would be beneficial from Energy Transition Plan.

Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) called on Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to intensify effort in tackling environmental issues in the country.

GIFSEP, in collaboration with Lift Humanity Foundation (LHF), also called on other stakeholders to support Federal Government for effective implementation of of the ETP.

The stakeholders made the call at a one-day workshop in Abuja, organised by the organisations on Examining the Economic and Social Opportunities from Energy Transition Plan (ETP), programme.

The Programme Manager of the GIFSEP, Mr Joseph Ibrahim, said that the essence of the workshop was to assess the transition plan and determine the economic and social prospects and the opportunities.

Ibrahim said that recently the Federal Government inaugurated the ETP, adding that the objective of the programme was to achieve universal energy access by 2030.

He said that the aim was also to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2060.

The programme manager called on government to involve NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for effective implementation of other environmental programmes and policy.

According to him, more importantly, we need a system of accountability to encourage people who are willing to support and strengthen the system in the implementation of the programmes.

He advised that government should take environmental issues serious, adding that unhealthy and unsafe environment could lead to poverty and increase spread of diseases.

Mr Pius Oko, Executive Secretary of LHF, said that the workshop brought together Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to examine the economic and social opportunities and benefit drive from the ETP in the country.

Oko said that the inauguration of the ETP was a pathway to Nigerian contribution to address emission from fossil fuel and other non-renewable resources.

Oko said that it was time for Nigeria to take ownership of transition pathways and design climate-sensitive strategies that would tackle peculiar growth objectives.

He said that President Muhammad Buhari had made a commitment that Nigeria would achieve zero-net by year 2060 and ensuring that energy, poverty and climate change crisis was tackled.

He said that the effort would help to deliver Sustainable Development Goal seven (SDG7) by 2030 and net zero by 2060.

According to him, the plan will, among other things, lift people out of poverty, reduce Nigerias carbon footprint, drive economic growth and create jobs.

The Director, Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Abuja, Prof. Shuaibu Hassan, said that the evidence-based net-zero compliant energy transition pathway in Nigeria, offered investment opportunities across the value chain.

Hassan said that the value chain was in multiple sectors, regions, and industries in the country.

He said that the Federal Government was committed to a robust and timely inclusive energy transition.

The director said that the transition focused on job creation, growth, and sustainability which seeks to
support its net-zero by 2060 ambition. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

Source: NAN News

By Felicia Imohimi

Prof. Victor Chude, Registrar, Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS), has emerged the President-elect of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) from 2023 to 2026.

Chude is the first President of the union from an African country elected into the coveted position in the IUSS since its establishment 98 years ago.

IUSS is the global union of soil scientists that promotes all branches of soil science and supports all soil scientists across the world in the pursuit of their activities.

The union said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Chude, on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, he was elected by the governing council of IUSS at the World Soil Science Congress in Glasgow, United Kingdom held in August.

The president, according to the statement, provides leadership, focus and direction both within and outside of the IUSS.

Within the union, the president, working together with the other Presidential Committees and in consultation with the Executive Committee and Council, is expected to develop and implement strategic directions and actions to take IUSS forward.

It is to ensure that IUSS is recognised as the pre-eminent international body in the field of soil science.

Externally, the president represents the union in international fora, such as the International Science Council.

He acts as its spokesperson when dealing with the media, national members of the IUSS, sister organisations, UN entities and government departments as required,

Chude, who hails from Onitsha, in Anambra, holds a Doctoral and Master of Science degrees in Soil Science from the University of Ibadan, and a B. Science in Plant/Soil Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He is a scholar of repute with profound leadership experiences that traverse the academia, politics, and professional consulting at national and international levels.

Chudes professional interests are Soil fertility and Plant nutrition with a strong affinity for Integrated Soil Fertility Management of tropical soils.

He had represented the Soil Science Society of Nigeria in the unions council for 15 years.

The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) won the 2021 King Bhumibol Word Soil Day Award (WSDA) under the stewardship of Chude.

Chude had served as a Senior Research Fellow in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and was a Professor at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==============
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Director General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, says countering terrorism and violent extremism is everybodys responsibility.

Wahab said this at the closing of the Second Strategic Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency (CTCOIN) Seminar organised by NARC in collaboration with Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on Wednesday in Abuja.

The two-day seminar has the theme, Conducting counterterrorism/counterinsurgency: Utilising a Whole of Society Approach.

He said the seminar brought together relevant stakeholders from the military, security and intelligence agencies as well as the civil society.

Garba added that it was to elicit discussions and recommendations that would shape counterterrorism and counter-insurgency operations in the country.

According to him, the aim is to build the security architecture that will serve the interest of Nigeria.

It is going to take a long time before we see the effect of this module and we are going to ensure that the report of this seminar is well circulated.

And I will follow up, ask questions from those who received the report; we are going to do that and we will get people to start working on those things, he said.

Wahab commended the participants for their commitment throughout the duration of the seminar as well as their contributions and recommendations.

Prof. Christopher Ogbogbo, Director of Research, NARC, who presented the recommendations, said the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach was required in taming insecurity.

Ogbogbo said the seminar assessed and then emphasised the place of the whole of society approach in combating terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

Clearly, we have been able to brainstorm on that and we have concluded and resolved that there is need to intensify and deepen that whole of society approach as conceptualised in the course of the seminar.

All hands need to be on deck, it is not just that of security agencies only, but also civil society groups and all relevant stakeholders must come together to be able to combat and resolve this insecurity that threatened the country, he said.

Ogbogbo said the civil society and other stakeholders should play active role in the activities of Operation Safe Corridor.

According to him, the military will be taking repentant insurgents who are surrendering and still be taking care of them and deradicalising them.

The civil society should come in and play its own role, and that type of role should be mainly by the civil society, not the military, he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News

By Joshua Oladipo

Vice-Chancellor, Redeemers University (RUN), Ede, Osun, Prof. Anthony Akinlo, has said that the institution would continue to invest more in world-class infrastructure and human development.

Akinlo, who said this on the sidelines of the universitys 16 convocation ceremony in Ede, said that this would make the institution to stand tall in its ranking by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He attributed the ranking of the university by the NUC as the second best in Nigeria to hardwork and commitment of staff and management of the instruction.

We are the best private university and the second overall best in Nigeria due to our hard work, according to the 2022 National Universities Commissions latest ranking, he said.

He said the award and recognition had been dedicated to those considered to have performed their responsibilities creditably within the past one year.

Also, some deserving non-members of staff of the university will be honoured for their unprecedented contributions to the progress and development of the institution.

He added that no amount of gift or encomium offered would compensate for what many of the staffers had given to the university.

According to him, the university will continue to strive higher in a competitive academic environment, especially in research breakthroughs and infrastructural development.

Akinlo congratulated the recipients of various awards and also implored them to continue to improve in what might have been considered for nominating them for future awards.

Speaking with newsmen, Mr Dele Alabi, Chief Executive Officer , Ecobank Pan African Center and Chairman, Redeemers University Convocation Diamond Set 2002, said that the university had continued to demonstrate excellent track record in terms of performance.

Alabi said that the culture of recognising best students and lecturers was in line with global best practices.

He said that the awardees must maintain high degree of commitment in raising the bar higher in their various places of work, without any complacency.

Alabi explained that integrity, commitment and dedication were key ingredients of greater achievements, which the university had displayed.

According to him, the reward for hard work is more work, adding those who were not given awards should persevere to strive and compete with their equals in a competitive academic environment.

Alabi appreciated the university for recognising the awardees, saying that this was in line with global best practices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while 48 students bagged First Class honours, representing 7.6 per cent of the graduands, 223 had Second Class Upper Division, representing 35.1 per cent.

Also, 251 students made Second Class Lower Division, representing 39.5 per cent, while 66 fell under 10.4 per cent.

NAN also reports that Miss Esther Yemisi emerged the best graduating student for the 2022 diamond set, having scored a cumulative CGPA of 5.0. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by AbdulFatai Beki and Wale Sadeeq

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Twenty Bucks Creative and an NGO, Jalo Okwor Foundation, have launched a campaign to discourage youth from indulging in electoral violence through sports development.

The founder of the group, Mr Charbel Jarrouge made the disclosure during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the foundation, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the goal was to host a football tournament in Dec. where the youth directorate of all the political parties would take part to promote peace in the country.

While describing sports especially football as a unifying factor, Jarrouge said it would go a long way to deepen love and peace within the youths that were mostly used as tools to perpetuate violence during elections.

I would like to start my speech by reminding us all about World War 1 event. During 1914 Christmas Day, when both parties decided to cease fire and played football peacefully. Unfortunately, due to political reasons they went back to war.

,Our focus is to campaign against violent elections in Nigeria come 2023 and our goal is to host a football tournament in Dec. and the teams include all political parties in Nigeria,he said.

On his part, the National Coordinator of Sports for Peace Initiative, Mr Stephen Okwor, said that the initiative would also support youth to overcome the temptation of being used as thugs and tools of electoral violence by some political office holders and seekers.

He said that the NGO was determined to help youth to develop their cognitive, physical tools and skills through advocacy, sensitization and education.

We have identified sports as a vehicle which accommodates everyone regardless of your age, tribe, ethnic, religious, economic and social status.

In view of this, we are using sports and football in particular to identify and redirect youth who could otherwise have followed false paths.

The aim is to leave youth with the concrete possibility of a social and economic life, devoid of violence and rancour, thereby promoting peace for themselves, their families and dependants.

The trickle down effect is felt also by the wider society and by Nigeria in particular, Okwor said.

He said that the signing of the MoU marked the beginning of a new phase in the quest for finding lasting peace in Nigeria.

Okwor said: We celebrate the birth of a partnership we have entered into this partnership with Twenty Bucks Creative, which is an advertising and marketing agency.

We believe that they operate using very high standards and have a reach that we desire, in order to create the level of impact that will be most effective in educating and sensitizing youths to promote peace and shun violence.

We are optimistic that this partnership will result in better exposure to the message we are bringing, which is the message of zero violence before, during and after elections.

He called on all Nigerians, especially the youth groups of the various political parties, candidates and their supporters, security agencies, the media and CSOs to be deliberate about preaching the message of peaceful elections.

Okwor commended the efforts of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, led by Prof. Bakut Tewah, as well as all other civil society organisations promoting peace in Nigeria.

We remain resolute in encouraging all youth to shun violence and be peaceful during the forthcoming elections and try to avoid violence as much as possible,he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

By Sylvester Thompson

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said it has become necessary to use advanced technological tools in crop production to generate yields.

Mustapha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said using advanced technological tools like genetic engineering in crop production would increase yields at economically viable scales for Nigerian farmers and resuscitate ailing industries as well.

The NABDA D-G explained that the last three to four decades had seen biotechnology worldwide shifting from being a strategic emerging industry to one of the mainstays of most advanced nations strategic industries.

According to him, this is a confirmation that biotechnology is one of the key pillars of development of any nation.

Using cotton as a crop in point, he said that Nigeria commercialised its first genetically modified crop, Bt cotton in 2018, with the aim of revitalising the comatose textile industry and boost economic development.

Recall that the textile industry in Nigeria was a major employer of labour and revenue-earner in the 70s.

Statistics indicate that at its peak, between 1970 and 1990, it comprised about 130 modern factories and supported numerous other ancillary firms.

The industry provided about 350,000 direct jobs and 1.2 million indirect jobs among farmers, suppliers, transporters dealers, traders and exporters.

Today, however, only about 33 factories remain standing and the local cotton industry is comatose, primarily due to lack of good seeds, low yields and high production costs associated with insect damage, Mustapha said.

He said that these pests reduce yields by up to 60 percent which has implications on farmers profits and have also been found to be detrimental to the environment.

The D-G said such development motivated NABDAs collaboration with the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria, Bayer and Mahyco Agricultural Nigeria Ltd, for development, commercialisation and deployment of new varieties of transgenic hybrid cotton.

Accordingly, the cotton was then genetically modified to include a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis; a soil bacterium used extensively for insect pest control in organic agriculture to provide pest resistance within the plant itself.

The NABDA Boss said that Bt Cotton plays a critical role in reviving the nations economy.

It can produce 4.1 to 4.4 tonnes per hectare, compared to the local variety which yields just 600 to 900 kilograms per hectare.

Since Bt cotton can resist the devastating bollworm and tolerate sucking insects, it will help farmers reduce their use of pesticides, thus minimising environmental impacts and lowering production costs, he said.

According to him, these varieties of Bt cotton are suitable for cultivation in all of Nigerias cotton growing zones, and they also offer early maturity, fiber length of 30.0 to 30.5 millimeters among others.

He said Bt Cotton varieties would save farmers the trouble of contending with the local conventional variety, which was no longer acceptable at the international markets.

Mustapha added that recent initiatives to improve the contribution of the agricultural sector to economic growth in Nigeria have emphasised the importance of cotton production in stimulating the economy.

He said that Bt cotton offered the hope that the textile industry in Nigeria could be revived as the commercialisation had started a revolution that would help Nigeria in its cotton shortage.

Mustapha said, the stage has been set for self-sufficiency in the production of cotton as industrial raw material with the subsequent transformation of the textile industry.

The productivity data of the improved varieties of cotton obtained from farmers fields has raised the hope that the moribund textile industry in Nigeria would soon come alive.

Nigerian farmers who would be involved in the Bt cotton business would be empowered to enjoy increased productivity.

Similarly, he said the value chain of cotton from the farmers to processors, cottage industry workers, to the spinning and textile industry would also create job openings that the government was clamouring for.

The D-G assured that jobs would be created, wealth generated, the ginneries reactivated, and Nigeria would be able to export cotton to other countries of the world as well as become a global trade player. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News