Mrs Julie Okah-Donli NAPTIP D-G

By Isaiah Eka

TheNational Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued132 victims of human trafficking in Akwa Ibom since the beginning of 2020.

The Director-General of the agency, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this during an interactive with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday.

She said 40 of the victims were rescued from sex exploitation, 28 from baby sellers, 23 from labour exploitation, while others were for other sundry exploitation issues.

Okah-Donli said that the ages of the rescued victims ranged from five months to 34 years.

She said 40 per cent of them were from the Oron axis of the state because of its strategic trade location as a gateway to the Atlantic

Okah-Donli said that the establishment of the State Task Forces on Human Trafficking was a component part of the agencys strategic thrust aimed at expanding its frontiers.

She explained that the task force was to enhance state and non-state multi-sectoral response toward combating human trafficking in Nigeria.

The director-general also said it was aimed at enhancing comprehensive prevention and coordinated legal and other services for trafficked victims through capacity building, technical assistance and institutional development.

The overall objective of the task force is the coordination and reactivation of technical inter-agency cooperation meetings with key stakeholders.

They include donors, development partners, law enforcement agencies, MDAs and NGOs to enhance the capacities of state and non-state actors as well as multi-sectoral response towards improving partnerships.

These partnerships are aimed at the prevention of human trafficking, protection of victims of human trafficking, offer access to justice for victims of trafficking, prosecution of traffickers.

The partnership is also aimed at enhancing the process of successful restoration of victims of trafficking to the state of physical, psychological, social, vocational and economic well being, she said.

Okah-Donli commended the Nigerian Navy and other sister security agencies in the state for their continued assistance to the agency in combating human trafficking.

She solicited for continued support, adding that more would be achieved with increased support from the media, religious and traditional institutions.

In his remark, the Project Officer, Counter Trafficking and Mixed Migration in the International Organisation for Migration, Mrs Betham Ngurum, said the agency had rescued over 17, 000 Nigerians involved in illegal migration in Libya, Mali and other parts of the world since 2017.

Ngurum said that over 6, 771 of them had so far been rehabilitated with 45 of them from Akwa Ibom. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with Nigerian born Kaycee Madu, appointed Minister of Justice and Solicitor General for the Government of Alberta, in Canada.

The presidents congratulatory message was conveyed in a statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Thursday.

Madu makes history as the first African born provincial Minister in Canadian history, and is also the Provincial Secretary and Keeper of the Great Seal of the Province of Alberta.

Buhari described the honour as landmark and historic, saying it once again pedestals people of Nigerian descent as go-getters, who distinguish themselves in different walks of life.

According to the president, as the first Black Justice Minister and Solicitor-General in Canada, Madu has written himself into history books.

He urged Nigerians, both at home and abroad, to remain good Ambassadors of their country.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal

By Muhammad Nasir Bello

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Thursday, requested the consideration of the state Assembly to re-appoint the Chairman and permanent members of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

The governor in a letter sent to the Assembly, said that the request followed the expiration of the appointees tenure.

This is as enshrined in the Public Service Rules and Regulations as well as other processes as required by the law pertaining to such appointment.

However, the appointment is with reference to the provisions of Section 197 and other relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Forward herewith are the names of Alhaji Shehu Suleiman as Chairman and Muazu Dundaye, Sidi Ibrahim, Umar Durbawa, Abubakar Dange, Musa Illela and Faruk Salah as members of the Commission for the Assemblys consideration, he said.

The Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, who presided over the sitting, ordered the House Committee on Public Service Matters to invite the nominees for screening and report back to the Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

In a related development, the Assembly had received a letter for the consideration of a resolution for the state and local government revenue codes from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Saidu Umar.

Umar said that the Revenue Codes is an addendum to the Revenue Integration and Consolidation Law earlier passed.

He appealed that the amendment be given speedy consideration in the interest of the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health

By Cecilia Ologunagba
Dr Bashir Yahaya, a facilitator at Asido Foundation, has urged youths to volunteer in raising awareness about mental wellbeing to fill the gap in provision of mental healthcare.

He made the call at the August Edition of Asido Foundation Online Interactive Monthly Community Engagement Series on Telegram with the theme Volunteering and Youth Engagement for Mental Health Action.

Yahaya, a medical practitioner and mental health advocate, said mental health was an aspect of health that was given less attention, noting that the development had led to a huge gap in the subsector.

Mental health gets far less attention than it requires and that has led to a huge gap in provision of mental healthcare with few available professionals and fewer facilities for optimal care delivery.

Regardless of the challenges facing the field of mental health in Nigeria, the youth population has a very pivotal role to play in improving their wellbeing.

They also have a role in improving wellbeing of the people around them and using their limitless potentials to turn the country and the world around for the better. Tiny drops make an ocean and very little actions can make the world a better place for us all, he said.

Yahaya, also a Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at Asido Foundation, urged Nigerians to join the foundation in promoting mental wellbeing by singing the #unashamed pledge online.

He said one in every four people will have one form of mental health challenge in their lives; and one in five people have an ongoing mental health challenge, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Although reliable data on mental health in Nigeria is unavailable, it is estimated that about 20-30 per cent of the population experiences one form of mental health challenge or the other.

With such estimates, it is particularly disturbing that in Nigeria, there are only eight Federal neuro-psychiatric institutions and a handful of others (Teaching Hospitals and FMCs).

They are few institutions equipped to handle mental health challenges with only about 300 psychiatrists to an estimated population of 200 million people.

That means to every psychiatrist, there are about 670,000 Nigerians; a number realistically impossible to be adequately catered for.

He said that in the past few years, there had been a drastic increase in the number of patients presenting at the few centres equipped to handle mental health challenges in the country.

With all the outlined deficits in provision of optimal mental healthcare, WHO believes that at best, only 10 per cent of all mental health challenges will get adequate attention.

If it is estimated that one in four Nigerians have mental health challenges (about 50 million people), this implies that about 45 million Nigerians with mental health challenges will never get optimal care.

A good number of these people are left roaming the streets termed mad, some tied down in religious homes and traditional healers and other places where they experience unspeakable degrees of inhuman treatment and human rights abuses, Yahaya said.

Answering question from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on what could be done to create awareness on mental health, he emphasised on public enlightenment.

The first and one of the most important thing would be talking more openly about the existence of mental health problems and how they are not spiritual attacks as most Nigerians would tag them.

Educating children from homes about the signs and teaching them to not discriminate against people with mental health challenges is also very important.

We also need to correct our friends, family members and colleagues when they say inaccurate things about mental health, he said.

Asido Foundation is an NGO founded by Dr Jibril Abdulmalik, a consultant Psychiatrist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

Source: NAN News

UNESCO

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has reiterated its commitment to ensure that Gender-Based Violence(GBV) is eradicated in the country through education of women, girls and boys.

Mr Mamadou Sow, Officer-in-Charge, UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office made the commitment on Thursday during the Family Life and Health Education (FLHE), manual presentation in Abuja.

The FLHE manual was conceptualised by Education Today for Sustainable Development Initiative (ETSDI), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), for the implementation of Spotlight Initiative.

Spotlight Initiative is a project of the UN and EU, a 600 million Euros global investment, to end violence against women and girls in 25 countries including Nigeria.

We will be working very closely with the CSO, we will pay monitoring visits to the field and part of the things we will be assessing is whether this material has been distributed and used.

We will also be assessing if the beneficiaries capacities are being developed and to which level the manual has helped reshape their capacities to fight against GBV.

We will assess if the manual has helped them acquire life skills, competencies and helping them know their rights and responsibilities, he said.

Accessing the manual, Sow said it was produced in consultations with relevant stakeholders, which was the best way of developing any teaching and learning material.

He, however, encouraged the CSO to ensure effective distribution of the manual to reach the targeted audience in their homes and communities.

Earlier, Mrs Brenda-Otuojor Glory, Head of Programmes, ETSDI said the FLHE/Life Skill Facilitator manual was developed with support from UNESCO to enhance non-formal education across the country.

According to her, the manual became imperative because non-formal education curriculum existing in the country does not accommodate teaching of FLHE and life skills.

She added that it was prepared to provide easy learning skills and enable facilitators to teach the modules with ease, according to local needs and interest.

This manual is primarily developed for non-formal education facilitators, it can be adapted by any groups in the formal education centres, faith-based organisations, among others.

The facilitators should be professional teachers with the knowledge of educational process and the manual is ideal for a group of 10 to 40 learners in an interactive manner, she said.

She added that it had to be reviewed and validated by relevant stakeholders and was already being implemented in Ebonyi and environs.

Also, Mrs Hadiza Aminu, Spotlight Coordinator in Nigeria, said the team was looking at addressing the gaps existing in ensuring effective eradication of GBV and the manual would help.

Aminu stated that they were also tackling the dearth of data for GBV, putting systems in place and providing centres where GBV survivors could access help.

For Nigeria we are looking at some strategic areas that will be impactful to the interventions and gaps.

It showed us that based on our assessment before the programme began that data on GBV was lacking.

We dont have data on GBV across the country and we are trying to do that, we have also put in place some structures within the Ministry of Women Affairs for data collection.

We are looking at system strengthening such as capacity building for ministries, departments and agencies, strengthening the voices of women, womens movement and CSOs.

We are looking at where survivors of GBV can access services, we are trying to set up centres across the country so that a survivor knows where to go, she said.

She added that they were also raising awareness on the social norms as a major cause of GBV, as well as laying emphasis on empowering women and girls.

Aminu emphasised that women and girls needed life skills that would ensure they were self reliant and help them to be assertive in situations that could lead to GBV.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that implementation of Spotlight Initiative is being piloted in six states of the geo-political zones of the country, namely; Sokoto, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross-River and FCT, for the next four years.

Source: NAN News

Mr Kaycee Madu

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has congratulated Mr Kaycee Madu, a Nigerian based in Canada, on his appointment as the first black Minister of Justice and Solicitor General for the government of Alberta.

A statement signed by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the commissions Head of Media and Public Relations unit, disclosed that the NIDCOM chief congratulated Madu in a congratulatory message, in which she expressed delight that the Nigerian had proved his mettle.

We are so happy for Mr Madu on his well deserved appointment. This confirms our saying that our Diasporans are our greatest asset making us proud globally, the statement quoted the NIDCOM chief as saying.

Dabiri-Erewa advised Madu to continue to give his best in the administration of justice, urging others to emulate such an excellent behaviour.

The NIDCOM boss said the appointment of Madu as Minister of Justice is a reward for consistent hard work, dedication, and determination to succeed in his chosen career irrespective of the fact that he is in a foreign land.

She prayed for his success in the new global assignment and canvassed for support and cooperation from all stakeholders to enable him to succeed in his assignment.

In this role, Minister Madu, as Minister of Justice will also be the Provincial Secretary and Keeper of the Great Seal of the Province of Alberta. the commission said.

In 2019, Madu made history by becoming the first African-born provincial Minister in Canadian history.

In the following year, he made history again as the first Black Justice Minister and Solicitor General in Canada.

We are proud of Madu and wish him success in his new role, Dabiri-Erewa added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

AfDB

By Mustapha Sumaila

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group with 100 per cent votes of all regional and non-regional members of the Bank.

The Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Bank, Mrs. Niale Kaba, announced this after the election conducted by virtual on Thursday.

Adesina was first elected as President of the Bank on May 28, 2015 and will begin his new term of another five years on September 1.

Kaba said she was delighted that the Board of Governors had re-elected Adesina for a second term in office as President.

As shareholders, we strongly support the Bank and will give him all the necessary support to carry forward and implement his compelling vision for the Bank over the next five years she said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adesinas first term focused on the bold new agenda for the Bank Group based on five development priorities known as the High 5s

The High 5s are Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

NAN recalls that the AfDB president had on Wednesday said the Bank achieved impactful results on the lives of 335 million Africans, including 18million people with access to electricity, 141 million people benefited from improved agricultural technologies for food security.

According to him, 15 million people have access to finance from private investments, 101 million people provided with access to improved transport and 60 million people gained access to water and sanitation.

The Bank has maintained its AAA-ratings by all major global credit rating agencies for five years in a row while the Board of Governors of the Bank Group approved a 125 per cent increase in the General Capital of the Bank.

The capital rose from 93 billion dollars to 208 billion dollars, the largest in the history of the Bank. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture

By Rotimi Ijikanmi
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Chief Executive Officers for nine of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a statement said the approval letter was conveyed to him by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President, on Tuesday.

The statement was signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant To The President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.

The minister said in the approval, Mr. Buki Ponle was appointed Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria while Mr. Nura Sani Kangiwa was named the Director General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism.

Mr Francis Ndubuisi Nwosu was appointed the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council; Mr. Ebeten William Ivara, Director General, National Gallery of Arts; Mr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Registrar/CEO of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and Prof. Sunday Enessi Ododo, General Manager/CEO, National Theatre.

Others are Mr. Ado Mohammed Yahuza, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation; Prof. Aba Isa Tijjani, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments and Mrs Oluwabunmi Ayobami Amao, Director General, Centre For Black And African Arts And Civilization.

He said the appointments take effort from Sept. 1, 2020.

Source: NAN News

By Ismail Abdulaziz
Mr Assem Elseify, Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, has urged African countries to take advantage of broadband internet towards making progress in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Elseify gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja on the sidelines of a Zoom webinar with the theme Made in Africa.

The webinar was about investment potentials of African countries, the various measures in place to attract investors as well as testimonies by investors in the continent.

He said that the huge African human capital had the potential to turn around the fortunes of the continent for the better in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Internet speeds in Africa are very poor compared to the rest of the world.

Data shows that 17 of the 30 countries with the slowest internet connections are located in Africa, seven in Asia, six in South America and one in Oceania.

None of the top 30 countries is in Africa.

To further identify the depth of this issue, a research has shown that it takes about 18.5 hours to download a 7.5 GB file in Malawi, 14 hours in Egypt, and 18 minutes in Singapore,fastest which considered to have the fastest internet speed in the world.

The envoy said that internet penetration would boost sectors such as education, which is the bedrock of any society.

He said that the level at which online activities helped strengthen relationships at the height of the pandemic was a way forward to explore in all sectors.

Elseify urged African governments to invest more in the internet sector for the benefit of the citizens, adding that it would heavily impact socio-economic development.

If affordable broadband internet is strengthened, its penetration in Africa will enormously help educate rural and urban students.

It will also increase financial inclusion of informal sectors which constitute the majority of our economies. The world will be able to meet up through internet use by citizens and governments need to encourage it, he said.

According to a 2009 World Bank study, a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration generates a 1.4 per cent increase in gross domestic product in low-income countries.

Recent studies also found that Internet users household income was an average of 19 per cent higher than non-users in several developing countries.

Source: NAN News

Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare has pledged that the Moshood Abiola national stadium main bowl pitch will be re-grassed and rehabilitated to world class standard by April, 2021.

The minister made the pledge on Wednesday in Abuja at the hand over ceremony of the pitch to the contractor for the re-grassing, fixing of score boards and rehabilitation of the main bowl.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister had in Nov. 2019 announced a partnership with Africas richest man Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the rehabilitation of the stadium.

The initial plan was to have the stadium ready by March but the outbreak of the global Coronavirus and some contractual details stalled the take off of the project.

Dare while handing over the project to the contractor said the feat will bring back the stadium to global reckoning as the citadel of sporting excellence.

It gives me great honour to welcome you all to the handing over ceremony of the main bowl pitch of the Moshood Abiola National stadium to the Contractor, Aron Nig. Ltd. for the rehabilitation works.

This is in fulfillment of our promise to restore this great edifice as a citadel of sporting excellence and an action spot for our sports men and women, he said.

Dare however called on more private corporations to take a cue from Dangote and chief Adebutu Kesington in a bid to renovate and maintain sporting facilities across the country.

He expressed optimism that the adopt a pitch/athlete initiative by the ministry will go a long way in developing and producing world class sports facilities and athletes in the country.

Earlier, Alhaji Mansur Ahmed, Group Executive Director, Government and Stakeholders Relations, Dangote Industries Ltd said the project will be executed in line with international best practice.

He said Dangote had expressed commitment to spend one million dollars to rehabilitate the stadium, thereby creating avenue for Nigerian youths to thrive and also stimulate the economy.

Mr Adeola Adenuga, Managing Director, Aron Nigeria Ltd assured that the stadium will be completed in 24 weeks.

Sen. Obinna Ogba, Chairman Senate committee on Sports commended the initiative but stressed on the need for maintainance of sporting facilities across the country.

NAN reports that the occasion was graced by sports stakeholders including NFF officials, ex-internationals like Daniel Amokachi Kanu Nwankwo, Tijani Babangida, Garba Lawal.

NAN reports that the main bowl of the stadium has been abandoned for some time, because of the poor state of the pitch.

The Super Eagles who hitherto played their home matches there have since relocated to Uyo and Asaba because of the poor playing turf.

Source: NAN News

Court Symbol

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

President Muhammadu Buhari says there is need to put in place rules stipulating that criminal trials up to the Supreme Court must end in 12 months.

Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said Buhari virtually declared open Nigerian Bar Associations (NBA) Annual General Conference.

News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Virtual 2020 Annual Conference with the theme, Step Forward, coincides with the NBAs bodys 60th anniversary.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari said that such reforms had become necessary given the current and pre-existing challenges confronting the system.

Why cant we have time limits for all cases?

Why cant we put in place the rules that will say that a criminal trial all the way up to the Supreme Court must end in 12 months, and that a civil trial must not exceed 12-15 months? I think that, for me, will be stepping forward.

Step forward means taking responsibility. It may also mean making progress, boldly taking on the challenges of the future.

I believe we need to step forward and resolve some of the nagging problems of our systems of administration of justice.

The president referred to his experience at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunals in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2019.

He said until recently, court trials had been terribly slow and capable of frustrating genuine efforts aimed at promoting general progress of the society.

I am not a lawyer but I have been both a casualty and a beneficiary of the judicial process. I was before the courts for two and a half years- 27 months from 2003 in the now famous case of Buhari and Obasanjo.

It took me two and a half years to fight for a four-year Presidential mandate.

In 2007, I was again in court for 20 months, almost two years, also as petitioner and later then appellant in the case of Buhari and INEC.

And in 2011, again as petitioner in the case of CPC and INEC. I spent another eight months in court. At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict.

In 2019, my status improved, I was now no longer petitioner, I became first respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely six months.

Buhari said that his second concern was the multiple and sometimes conflicting orders of courts.

He said that recently, his party had an internal crisis, addingthat in the six-week period he chaired meetings to resolve the crisis, there were at least 10 different conflicting rulings of the courts across the country.

Again, I am not a lawyer, but surely these sort of multiple and conflicting rulings of courts sometimes ex parte, really make a mockery of the judicial process.

Third issue is the seeming bias towards technicality over the clear common sense justice of cases.

If justice is to be seen to be done, then the outcomes of cases must make sense to the average person and not just to the refined minds of learned persons alone. Justice must make sense to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.

My fourth issue is on the appointment of judges. I believe that we must continuously improve on the selection processes for appointment of the men and women who serve as judges.

According to him, there is need to cast the nets wider in search of judges, especially at the appellate level.

He said that primarily merit-based selection processes including mandatory tests and interviews for all applicants for judgeships must be put in place.

While our Constitution urges Federal character for balance, this is not an excuse for mediocrity.

If a particular zone is to produce a judge why cant we find the best talents in that zone; our country has excellent men and women everywhere.

Reform is urgent because the fabric of our society is stitched together by our system of justice and law enforcement; we cannot afford to have the stitches come undone, he said.

Buhari urged stakeholders in the sector to further leverage technology.

Earlier in his remark, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, restated the commitment of the judiciary to adapt to changes within and around its environment, citing the adoption of virtual court proceedings as an example.

He said the judiciary under his watch would not condone practices that had, over the years, negatively impacted the image of the justice sector.

Muhammad added that abuse of court processes, among others would no longer be tolerated.

Source: NAN News

By Jacinta Nwachukwu

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), says it has approved a 400-million dollars revolving global credit facility agreement for the Export Trading Group (ETG).

The Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated agricultural conglomerates in Africa.

Mr Kanayo Awani, the Managing Director of Afreximbanks Intra-African Trade Initiative, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Awani said that the three-year revolving global credit facility would strengthen African agricultural networks and bolster the continents food security.

He said that the agreement would also enable the Group to keep playing its vital role in the agri-foods supply chain of efficiently connecting African farmers to markets.

It will also expand access to key inputs to boost agricultural productivity in a continent with tremendous but yet unrealised potential.

According to Afreximbanks estimates, Africa spent more than 90 billion dollars on food imports in 2019, even though it possesses up to 60 per cent of the worlds remaining arable land.

Moreover, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that up to 50 per cent of Africas agricultural production is lost every year from farm-to-market.

This is due to problems ranging from sub-optimal use of inputs to improper post-harvest storage, processing and transportation facilities.

Awani said that these challenges had been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had disrupted supply chains, heightened price volatility and could further undermine household consumption.

He noted that the facility provided by Afreximbank would address key bottlenecks faced by African agricultural exporters, aggregating large values of produce in order to give small and medium-scale enterprises access to regional and international markets.

According to him, expanding the groups work in this area will reduce post-harvest losses through better access to yield-enhancing inputs and more robust networks to get output to regional and international markets.

while helping boost the scale and productivity of African farmers to position Africa as the worlds bread basket.

It will also support the vital flow of food supplies across the continent amid the disruption triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ETG is focused on uplifting farming communities by connecting smallholder farmers with international markets, expanding mechanisation and processing capabilities.

It will also increase knowledge around quality inputs, irrigation, post-harvest techniques and yield-enhancing practices, Awani added.

According to him, Afreximbank remains committed to supporting African nations navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, at the same time focusing on boosting agricultural productivity and accelerating the diversification of exports to strengthen the resilience of African economies.

This facility will not only support African farmers through the disruption caused by the pandemic but will provide added impetus to ETGs vital work connecting the continents small and medium businesses to the agricultural networks and avenues critical for growth.

He said that with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on the horizon, the timing was right to shape a more productive and resilient agricultural sectordelivering both prosperity and food security for the continents future.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution with the mandate of financing and promoting intra-and extra-African trade

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the priority in Republic of Mali now should be securing the country, which is largely occupied by terrorists.

A statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Wednesday said the president spoke when he received briefings from ECOWAS Special Envoy to the West African country, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The meeting came ahead of an extraordinary virtual summit by ECOWAS heads of state and leaders, scheduled for Friday.

Buhari stressed that: About two-thirds of Mali is occupied by terrorists, and it makes common sense to secure the country, rather than pursuing individual interests.

He said the sub-region would take a common position on the issue when the leaders meet on Friday, hoping that an amicable and generally acceptable position to all interested parties would be arrived at.

Jonathan brought the president up to speed on dialogue with the military coup leaders, who are seeking to stay in power for three years, before holding elections.

He said: We asked them to allow ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to return to his personal residence, where he would be given tight security, but they said he could travel abroad, and not return to answer questions they may have for him.

We also told them that what would be acceptable to ECOWAS was an Interim Government, headed by a civilian or retired military officer, to last for six or nine months, and maximum of 12 calendar months.

The Interim Government would then organize elections to restore full constitutional order.

Jonathan disclosed that his team was allowed to meet with the ousted President, who confirmed that he resigned voluntarily, adding that he was no longer interested in returning to his former position.

According to him, the military leaders want ECOWAS to lift sanctions put in place, as it was already affecting the country, but we told them that for the authority to do such was only in the hands of ECOWAS heads of state.

Source: NAN News

By Mustapha Sumaila

President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina says 141 million people have benefitted from improved agricultural technologies to enhance food security in the last five years he assumed office.

Adesina made this known during the opening of the banks Annual General Meeting (AGM) held virtually on Wednesday.

He said about 18 million people now had access to electricity, while 15 million people had access to finance.

According to him, 101 million people can have access to improved transport, while 60 million Africans gained access to water and sanitation.

He noted that as president of the Bank in the last five years, it was a great honour and responsibility placed on his shoulders.

According to him, working together has always been the strength of the AfDB and shareholders worked together in Abidjan to approve the largest capital increase in the history of the Bank.

He added that the shareholders increased the capital base of the Bank by 115 billion dollars.

Adesina said that the shareholders also pulled together yet again in Pretoria, South Africa, and gave the African Development Fund 35 per cent increase in financing which is so crucial to low income countriesand fragile states.

I promised to work hard to accelerate Africas development. My vision for the High 5s was my bond and my oath of office, my compass!

Time has gone so fast. Fast also has been our impacts in those five years for Africas progress.

I thank the Board of Directors and my extraordinary staff at the Bank for working so hard and for strongly supporting us to get this done.

But we will have no rest. The price of good work is more work. We have our work cut out for us now more than ever to help Africa rebound, and to get back on a stronger pathway of economic growth and resilience.

Today, I stand before you with gratefulness for your strong and collective support overthe past five years.

We succeeded together and together we must also go forward, reaching for what lies before us to help fast-track Africas development building on our collective achievements, strengthening weaknesses and deepening our impacts.

At this Annual Meetings, I offer myself to you our governors for your consideration for election for a second term as President.

I do so with humility, with a strong sense of duty and commitment and a call to serve Africa and our Bank selflessly, to the very best of my God-given abilities, he said

Source: NAN News

Hollywood

The hopes of Hollywood riding on the opening of Tenet on Wednesday as the Christopher Nolan spy thriller tests the appetite of movie fans to return to cinemas and rescue an industry hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The biggest release since schedules were torn up in March and the only one of 2020s potential summer blockbusters to make it to the screen in the holiday season.

Tenet launched in 70 countries on Wednesday ahead of the U.S. next week.

The movie has already won over some critics, but fans could be a harder sell given changes to the movie-going experience.

The actor Tom Cruise, whose Top Gun: Maverick was pulled from a release earlier this summer, donned a face mask to attend a preview showing of Tenet in London.

Great to be back in a movie theatre everybody, he said on Tuesday. I loved it.

Film critic Kaleem Aftab said Tenet, which cost AT

Scene of Afghanistan the flash flood

Flash floods kill more than 100 people in northern Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday, with the death toll expected to climb, as an operation to recover more bodies was under way.

The disaster in Parwan province has wounded more than 250 people, destroyed more than 500 houses and washed away streets in the provincial capital Charikar.

The Afghan National Management Authority and the Defence Ministry have helped 5,000 families with food and non-food aid packages, a spokesman for the agency, Hasibullah Shaikhani, said.

A provincial council member, Mohammad Khalil Fazli, said the speed of the floods caught everyone off guard.

When people tried to get out of their homes, to escape for their lives, they faced heavy floods that were already filled the streets and roads, he said.

Another councillor, Aminullah Shakori, said that the high waters rushed into the city from several different locations, destroying everything in its path.

Acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid arrived in the province in a bid to help coordinate the rescue operation.
Parwan province is one of the most flood-prone provinces in Afghanistan. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a waiver of the import levy on meters, so that those that do not have meters can be supplied as early as possible at reasonable costs.

He also directed the commencement of a nationwide mass-metering programme as part efforts to put an end to estimated and arbitrary billing for electricity.

Prof. James Momoh, Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the presidents directive was in response to yearnings of Nigerians.

Momoh also urged the public and all stakeholders in the power sector to disregard any reports of an arbitrary tariff increase affecting Nigerians.

He said that measures had been put in place to protect the poor and vulnerable in cases of tariff reviews.

The chairman explained that tariff reviews would only follow service-based principles.

Under these service-based principles Distribution Companies (DISCOs) will only be able to review tariff rates for customers when they consult with customers, commit to increasing the number of hours of supply per day and quality of service.

In all cases poor and vulnerable Nigerians will not experience any increase; in line with these expectations, DISCOs are directed to engage with their customers on a Service Based Tariff structure.

Under the Service Based Tariff Structure, DISCOs can only review tariffs for customers under the following conditions:

Customers are consulted and communicated a guaranteed level of electricity service by the DISCOs based on hours of supply

No estimated billing through the strict enforcement of the capping regulation; this means that unmetered customers will not experience any cost increase beyond what is chargeable to metered customers in the same area, he said.

He said that under the aforementioned conditions, there would be no change in tariff for the most vulnerable as tariffs for those consuming 50KW or less remained frozen.

According to Momoh, customers receiving less than 12 hours of supply will also not experience any change in tariffs.

Source: NAN News

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu

By Stanley Nwanosike

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is preparing for a bye-election to replace a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, late Chijioke Ugwueze, who died recently.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu.

Ononamadu said that the commission had fixed Oct. 31, 2020 for the conduct of the bye-election to replace the late lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency.

For now, we are preparing for the bye-election to replace the state lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency.

More details on the preparation will be communicated very soon, he said.

NAN reports that Ugwueze died of heart failure, according to family source, on June 19 at age 49. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala

Sweden forward Fridolina Rolfo put the Germans ahead against the run of the play in the 58th minute.

She fired in from close range as Barca, beaten finalists last year, failed to clear the danger.

Barca had 16 attempts on goal but only once managed to test Wolfsburg goalkeeper Friederike Abt, who saved a header from Oshoala in the first half.

The ball had appeared to deflect off the hand of Wolfsburg defender Kathrin Hendrich, but the Spanish sides appeals for a penalty kick were ignored.

Oshoala headed narrowly over the bar soon after Rolfos goal while Spain internationals Mariona Caldentey and Jennifer Hermoso also missed the target.

Wolfsburg saw the game out to book their place in the final on Aug. 30 against either holders Olympique Lyonnais or Paris St-Germain (PSG), who meet on Wednesday. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Philanthropists Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote have hailed the declaration of Nigeria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being polio-free.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the global health body on Tuesday certified Nigeria and the rest of Africa polio-free.

The WHO Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) said the major milestone was achieved four years after the last recorded cases of wild polio in the country.

In a tweet, Gates said that the remarkable achievement was a step closer to global polio eradication.

Today, we move one step closer toward a world without polio. This is an incredible milestone thats worth celebrating. It is also an important reminder of what can be accomplished when we work together toward a common goal, he wrote on his Twitter handle @BillGates.

In his remarks, Africas richest man, Dangote, said that the polio-free Africa was an indication that the fight to end polio globally was possible.

Today we celebrate a polio-free Africa, the result of decades of vaccination, hard work, collaboration. Tomorrow we get back to work, to ensure wild polio does not come back. Together, we all can #EndPolio globally, he tweeted.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antnio Guterres, tweeted via his official Twitter account @antonioguterres, that the declaration filled him with optimism that a lot could be achieved through global efforts.

Africa has been declared free of polio today.

This historic milestone fills me with hope and optimism.

We can achieve so much when we work together as a global community.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Board Chair, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), felicitated with the President, Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessors.

A great day for Nigeria and Africa. Nigeria receives polio-free Certificate from WHO.

Africa declared PolioFree. Congratulations Nigerians on this great achievement. Congrats to President
M Buhari, President GE Jonathan, President Obasanjo, PHDA, GAVI, Gates Foundation, she tweeted via @NOIweala

A virologist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Dr Olubusuyi Adewumi, who lauded the historic achievement, said that Africa had indeed successfully eradicated the wild polio virus.

Adewumi said that while the wild polio virus was responsible for most infections, there was also the rare form called vaccine-derived polio virus.

Today marks the end of any circulation of wild type poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa.

There are three subtypes of polio virus which are poliovirus type (PV1), type 2 (PV2), and type 3 (PV3).

Also, we have the vaccine and wild type of each subtype of poliovirus, he said.

The vaccine type is referred to as Sabin strain because it is derived from oral polio vaccine (OPV).

The wild type poliovirus is responsible for most infections.

Paralysis resultant vaccine strain of poliovirus occurs but are very rare, thus we can as well say Nigeria and indeed Africa is free of polio with the eradication of wild poliovirus, he said.

NAN reports that the WHO had in September 2015 removed Nigeria from the Polio-Endemic countries list following its successful interruption of transmission of wild poliovirus for a year.

With the WHO declaration of a successful eradication of polio in Nigeria, the devastating disease remains endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, globally.

Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to irreversible paralysis and sometimes death.

Source: NAN News