By Ekemini Ladejobi

Several big budget Nollywood films including The Man of God, Blood Sisters and Chief Daddy 2 made their debut on streaming platforms in the first half of the year, carrying the audience along with them, a move which experts have attributed for the poor turnout in cinemas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that these films are part of the growing content docket spread across several streaming platforms, which have launched in Nigeria.

Netflix and Showmax joined home-based IrokoTV and in the last quarter of 2021, Amazon officially launched in the country and has begun commissioning its own slate of content.

Film business journal, The Industry by Inside Nollywood, has reported a decline in Nollywoods cinema market share in the first half of 2022.

It dropped from 39.3 per cent in the same period of 2021 to 28.5 per cent in 2022.

The journal notes that with the introduction of streaming, it is cheaper to bundle all your Nollywood gamble on one platform, which costs less than N5, 000 monthly than go through traffic and spend at least N2, 000 per film (outside other costs).

The audience is afraid to keep gambling and the economy does not make it easier to throw more money to the wind.

This is why when they find a film that is way less disappointing, they reward it with loyalty, hoping stakeholders in the industry will take hints, it added.

Speaking on the data, co-publisher of the Inside Nollywood journal Anita Eboigbe told NAN, there are two issues here.

The first is that the general film admissions is not growing. For the last three years, except 2020, about 1.5 million tickets have been sold in the first half of each year.

It is a stagnant number annually with slight variations in market shares between the players.

The second is the shrinking market share by Nollywood which is alarming given that it defeats the multiple sources of income debate and further slows down the process of customer acquisition for films in Nigeria, she said.

Eboigbe added that among filmmakers, there is a slow disenchantment with the cinema distribution process.

The primary reason is that the returns are not what they are hyped to be and secondly, they do not seem to be improving anytime soon. Yet, distributors and exhibitors do not seem alarmed enough to aggressively do something about it. (NAN/ www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Ekemini Ladejobi

Nollywoods market share in the cinemas is currently at 25.8 per cent, down from the 39.3 per cent it held in the first half of 2021, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

According to data analysed by The Industry by Inside Nollywood, a film data publication, the drop is despite the fact that in both years, total cinema admissions have remained in the same ballpoint of 1. 49 million with 7, 000 more admissions recorded in 2022.

The little increase in total admissions counted in favour of Hollywood titles leaving Nollywood films scrambling for an even smaller percentage of cinema goers.

The 2022 drop is an all-time low despite the stable streak in the last five years.

The journal, which is Nigerias first film business publication, noted that in the last couple of years, Nollywood had managed a market share within the threshold of 40 per cent with a large chunk of the remaining 60 per cent held by Hollywood.

In 2021, despite it being a pandemic recovery year, the industry still managed to hold 39.3 per cent in the first half of the year selling about 964,523 tickets out of the over 1,491,530 tickets sold.

Meanwhile, in the first half of 2022, out of the 1,498,934 tickets sold in the first half of 2022, Nollywood sold about 520,656 which is a 46 per cent decrease from the previous year.

Speaking on the data, co-publisher of Inside Nollywood, Anita Eboigbe told NAN that there are always about 10 Nollywood movies in the cinema, per time.

While some movies such as Omo Ghetto have thousands of admissions, others get only about ten people weekly.

Tickets range between N1,200 to N5, 000 depending on the buzz around the movie and the performance weekly.

There have been unicorns of some sort in the two years.

In 2021, it was Funke Akindeles Omo Ghetto that defied expectations and earned over N636 million in total gross before making it to a streaming platform.

In 2022, Femi Adebayos King of Thieves, ushered a new movement and made over N300 million in total cinema gross.

Eboigbe noted that the decline in market share by Nollywood calls for some introspection and stakeholders are constantly debating several possibilities but the over dependence of filmmakers on streaming have conditioned the audience as well as the laziness of exhibitors in growing the cinema culture. (NAN/www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Bridget Ikyado

The Youth Wing, Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), North Centralhas appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the voters registration to avoid disenfranchisement.

Owoyemi Olushola, the Chairman, North Central of YOWICAN made the appeal during a world press conference with theme: Say no to Muslim -Muslim Presidential Ticket on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, INEC should also move the registration centre close to people in the grassroots.

I want to be joining my voice with those clamouring that the registration exercise be extended. Please, INEC should try and extend it.

We are praying and hoping that they will do so because everybody has a right to be registered, he said.

He urged everybody, especially Christians to participate in the 2023 elections, pick the people of their choice and see how the country can be better.

Olushola also urged them to hold their representatives responsible at various levels.

The chairman saidthat INEC should obey the voice of the majority that was calling for an extension of the registration.

We hope that INEC will listen to our yearnings, he said.

We call in every youth to come out en mass to vote against divisive combination of any party to enthrone a government which unites the country and restored peaceful coexistence.

The YOWICAN chairman appealed to political parties to be sensitive and do everything humanly possible not to create or endorse any perception that could create fear and divisions amongst Nigerians. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Grace Yussuf

Source: NAN News

Copenhagen, July 19, 2022 (dpa/NAN) The European offices of the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that Coronavirus (COVID-19) case counts has tripled across Europe in the last six weeks.

This the organisation said, hinting at a huge challenge for the continents health care system for the rest of the year.

My message to governments and health authorities is to act now to prepare for the coming months, said Hans Kluge, the WHOs regional director for Europe.

Right now, the southern hemisphere, where it is winter, is experiencing a very active influenza season, which, along with COVID-19, is putting a continued strain on health systems.

We are likely to see a similar scenario in the northern hemisphere come autumn and leading into winter.

If health authorities act now, they can help reduce the anticipated disruptions to society, including health worker absences and overburdened health systems, struggling businesses and travel chaos.

Kluge noted 3 million new cases reported last week, though he added that intensive care admissions remain relatively low.

But he said he is worried that, as people return from summer vacations, schools reopen and people start socialising indoors due to colder temperatures, case counts could spike higher.

He noted that the situation is being exacerbated by the prevalence of new strains of the Omicron variant, which is making reinfection more likely.

Each new infection could lead to long COVID, he said.

To prepare, he said countries need to revive vaccination drives; support mask-wearing; strengthen laboratory capacities; prioritise contact-tracing; and bolster infection control practices in all health care facilities.

Just because a mask isnt mandated, doesnt mean its prohibited, he noted.

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to reducing the lifelong consequences of poverty in the country.

Agba gave the assurance at the National Validation meeting on the draft National Social Protection Policy on Monday in Abuja.

He identified poverty as a challenge in the country, noting that available statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that about 40 per cent of the population live below the poverty line.

Agba, who stated that poverty in Nigeria was multidimensional, however, said that government had put in place different interventions to reduce poverty and mitigate its impact in the country.

He listed some of the interventions programmes initiated by government to reduce poverty to include the National Youth Investment Fund and the N-power government enterprise empowerment programme.

And most recently, the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy among others to finds solutions to the issue of poverty.

He explained that the National Social Protection Policy covered a range of policies and programmes needed to reduce the lifelong consequences of poverty and exclusion.

The minister said that the review of the policy was expected to accommodate some emerging issues on social protection and poverty alleviation in the country, which include COVID-19, emergence of urban poor and shock responsiveness.

Earlier, Ms Temi Esteri Fetera, the acting Chief of Social Policy, UNICEF Nigeria and Co-Lead, International Development Partners Group on Social Protection, said UNICEF has been in support of the national social protection policy since the development process of the policy commenced around 2012.

Fetera said that social protection has always existed in Nigeria in some form but it existed in an adhoc and fragmented way, not fully coordinated within a policy framework.

This changed with the active development of the National social protection policy around 2015 and its formal approval in 2017. The policy completed its first cycle and was due for review in 2020.

This validation exercise today is a key step in finalising the draft revised National Social Protection Policy which has been revised to be more robust, while still concise and incorporating emerging issues.

Social protection system strengthening is one of the core focus areas of the work of UNICEF in Nigeria. And one of the things that we did beyond advocating and providing technical assistance for the initial development of the social protection policy framework in Nigeria and the current revision process is the provision of direct technical support to key stakeholders.

This includes support to the formation and recapacitating of technical working groups comprising key social protection coordinating and implementing ministries, departments and agencies at federal and state levels.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting attracted Commissioners of Finance and Budget from the 36 states of the federation and FCT as well as other stakeholders.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Grace Yussuf

Source: NAN News

By Rukayat Moisemhe

In its bid to promote environmental sustainability, Dangote Cement Plc has planted 7,205 trees across Africa to commemorate the 2022 Environmental Day.

The company made the disclosure in a statement signed by Mr Francis Awowole-Browne, Media and Communication Personnel, Dangote Industries Ltd., on Sunday in Lagos.

The 2022 World Environment Day celebrated June 5 annually focused on living sustainably in harmony with nature and raising awareness on environmental sustainability measures.

It said that the company also brokered a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and National Environmental Standards and the Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to reduce carbon emissions.

The company also collaborated with the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre, and Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) as part of its initiatives to mark the 2022 World Environment Day in all its 14 production plants in Nigeria and Africa.

The Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr Michel Puchercos, was quoted by the statement as saying that the company in demonstrating support for governments efforts was contributing climate solutions aimed at reducing Nigerias carbon emissions.

Puchercos said that the companys environment week programme supports African countries and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) joint venture agreement to invest in carbon avoidance and offsetting projects.

He said that to carry out the initiatives, Dangote Cement engaged experts to build the capacity of employees, local communities and other stakeholders on biodiversity conservation and progressive reclamation of mining sites.

Puchercos said that other topics addressed were soil rehabilitation and carbon mitigation with the company setting up a biodiversity garden at one of its mines in Nigeria to serve as model.

The World Environment Day centers on the need for humans to make deliberate efforts to save the earth by conserving biodiversity.

The forum brought together about 560 participants from the manufacturing and extractive industries, academia, government agencies, international agencies, civil society, media and environment enthusiasts across Africa, he said.

The Head of Sustainability, Dangote Cement Plc, Dr Igazeuma Okoroba, said the company was committed to complying with rehabilitation plans and exploring ways to protect the ecosystem in the communities where they operate.

The companys Head of Environment and Social Performance, Engr Tukur Lawal, said the objective of the initiative was to make mining sites safe for current and future land use.

Lawal said that specific goals include creating awareness amongst mining personnel, enabling mining stakeholders to understand the processes of identifying and evaluating species, flora and fauna for climate risk management.

The company is ready to engage with stakeholders to conserve biodiversity, mitigate carbon emission and make the environment safer.

In line with this years theme Only One Earth, not less than 1,708 Dangote employees volunteered in 46 different initiatives across 10 pan-African countries, he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its half-year report of 2022 has commended the reduction in piracy in the globe.

Bureau also expressed optimism that it was a new dawn for the shipping community globally.

This was coming on the heels of the Bureau receiving the lowest number of reported incidents for the first half of the year since 1994, evidencing its efforts in raising awareness to make the waters safe globally.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Edward Osagie, Assistant Director, Public Relations, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Sunday in Lagos.

The Gulf of Guinea Declaration (GoG) on Suppression of Piracy has confirmed that there has not been any case of Seafarers kidnap one year after the May 2021 declaration.

This is considered commendable progress in comparison to the 2020 statistics when 130 seafarers were kidnapped.

The status report from the GoG declaration also confirmed that there had not been any case of kidnap for ransom in 2022, as against 20 cases in 2020 and 12 in 2021.

Responding, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said that Nigeria was committed to sustaining the momentum of the success recorded in recent times in the fight against piracy in the region.

It is heart-warming that the international maritime community is acknowledging the progress made so far. It is a direct result of collaboration amongst national, regional and non-regional stakeholders.

It is our hope that this trend will be sustained and very soon, we will start reaping the benefits such as a change of status concerning the Insurance premium paid on Nigerian bound cargoes; the War Riskpremium being paid at the moment.

We hope this status will change very soon, he said.

Jamoh said that the Baltic and International Maritime Council, (BIMCO), worlds largest direct-membership organisation for ship-owners, charterers, shipbrokers and agents called for the effective and full deployment of Deep Blue Assets on Anti-piracy tasking.

Key to the successes in the war against piracy are efforts of the Nigerian Navy in clamping down on pirates camps, the Deep Blue project C4i coastal surveillance and collaboration with international Navies for law enforcement off Nigerian waters.

Others are the series of meetings under the umbrella of the Gulf of Guinea maritime coordination Forum, Shared Awareness and DEconfliction, GoG/SHADE, Jamoh quoted BIMCO as saying.

IMB Director, Mr Michael Howlett, also confirmed that no case of vessel hijack took place in Nigerian waters in the first half of 2022.

The ICC and International Maritime Bureau (IMB) have confirmed that the first half of 2022 witnessed the least cases of piracy globally in 28 years with only 58 reported cases as compared to 68 within same period in 2021.

Of the 58 incidents, two were classified as piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, with none of them occuring in Nigerian waters. While the reduction in reported incidents is indeed encouraging, the IMB PRC continues to caution against complacency, he said.

Howlett said that not only was this good news for the seafarers and the shipping industry, it was positive news for trade which promotes economic growth.

But the areas of risk shift and the shipping community must remain vigilant. We encourage governments and responding authorities to continue their patrols which create a deterrent effect, he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

Acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr Haruna Abdullahi(4th L) during a courtesy visit to Tax Appeal Tribunal

By Cecilia Ijuo

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has concluded plans to clamp down on erring taxpayers.

The Acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr Haruna Abdullahi, made this known in a statement by the FCT-IRS Head Corporate Communications, Mr Mustapha Sumaila on Sunday in Abuja.

Abdullahi, according to the statement, made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy call on the Coordinating Secretary of Tax Appeal Tribunal, Hajara Oniyangi.

The acting chairman expressed concern at the poor level of compliance by taxpayers in spite of the huge number of taxpayers in the FCT.

He stated that it would no longer be business as usual, adding that the service was determined to ensure all taxpayers in FCT were responsive to their civic duties.

He stressed that the service would not leave any stone unturned, saying it was empowered by law to recover all outstanding tax liabilities while penalising tax defaulters.

We are engaging the Judiciary, security agencies, the mediaand other relevant stakeholders on this matter.

I can assure you that before the year runs out people will be held accountable.

We have built our capacity and it is our intention to make our mark by ensuring that people do what they are supposed to do according to the law.

He said the Service would be guided by the Personal Income Tax Act, Finance Act, FCT-IRS Act and of course the constitution in its operation.

Abdullahi, who assured the tribunal of the capacity of the service, charged members of the tribunal to justify the confidence reposed in them by bringing recalcitrant taxpayers to book.

The acting executive chairman expressed optimism that the exercise would prompt voluntary tax compliance, tax net growth and ultimately boost revenue generation.

The Coordinating Secretary, Tax Appeal Tribunal, Hajara Oniyangi, said the tribunal was established to settle disputes that could arise in the course of the duties.

She disclosed that the Tribunals processes were simple and clear with a reputation for prompt judgment delivery.

While lauding Abdullahis effort, Oniyangi highlighted the need for the service to intensify awareness, stating that taxpayers could not be entirely blamed for non-compliance.

She said there was a need for tax payers to be duly informed about tax processes, advantages of paying taxes as well as risks of non compliance.

The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Ahmed Aliyu, lauded the step taken by the service towards ensuring enforcement.

He pledged commitment of the tribunal to acting within the ambit of the law to ensure that cases from FCT IRS were given accelerated hearing.

He stressed the need for the FCT-IRS to harness all areas of revenue generation as permissible by law.

If for instance there are organisations that collect personal income tax and fail to remit, it is sometimes difficult to go in there and force them as a service.

That is why the tribunal was created by government and once judgment is delivered by the tribunal, even if a defaulter wants to appeal, he or she would have to first pay the money, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) was established byFCT Internal Revenue Service Act of 2015.

It is empowered by the National Assembly to administer tax and non-tax revenues accruable to the FCT.

It is responsible for collection of all taxes collectible by a state government in accordance with the Taxes and Levies (approved List of Collection) Act of 1998 as Amended.(NAN)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Angela Atabo

Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the hitch-free conduct of Osun governorship election, urging it to sustain the improvements ahead of 2023 election.

Prof. Victor Adetula, theSenior fellow and Election Analyst at the CDD Electoral Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) and a lecturer at Unversity of Jossaid this ata Post-Election statememt briefing in Abuja on Sunday.

Adetula said that CDD-EACissued the statement on its overall findings on the conduct and outcome of the keenly contested election.

He said that INECs logistics and preparations as well as the conduct of security agents represented a marked improvement on the June 18 Ekiti governorship election.

He said that the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was successful adding that CDD-EAC observers noticed that as at 6:00p. m., 84.3 per cent of polling units covered had transmitted their results via BVAS.

On the basis of data received from CDD-EAC observers, CDD confirms that the collation process leading to the declaration of the governorship election results by INEC, was smooth and free of hitches.

At the CDD-EAC, we hope to see the improvements recorded in the recent elections replicated in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

The INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) was in full operation for the uploading of results in most of the polling units. At about 10:00pm, 99.7 per cent of the results were available on the IReV.

This level of compliance is commendable and needs to be encouraged for future elections, he said.

Adetula added:With a few exemptions, BVAS worked perfectly in almost all the polling units across the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

He however, said that an important observation from the Osun election was the difficulty of the BVAS in capturing and accrediting the elderly.

He said that this was the case in the Ekiti election where it either worked after several trials and waiting by the elderly or did not work at all.

He said that in spite of the apprehension about the possibility of violence during the election, the process turned out to be peaceful.

He called on all political actors and contestants in Osun to maintain the peaceful and calm disposition during the post-election period and embrace the spirit of true sportsmanship.

Adetula said that CDD-EAC observers reported discreet vote-buying in the Osun election in contrast with the brazen vote-buying in the Ekiti electionbecause of the presence of anti-graft security personnel.

He said that CDD-EAC observers also reported substantial compliance with INECs guidelines as there was provision and equipment for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and people with special needs, such as pregnant women and elderly voters, to cast their ballots first.

Adetula added that CDD-EAC noted poor women representationas there was only six women deputy governorship candidates and no female governorship candidate in the election.

He said there were however ,several concerns relating to the conduct of political actors and the effects of their actions on the electoral process.

Of particular note, are the lack of internal party democracy, the unprincipled cross-carpeting of politicians from one party to the other, many litigations to disrupt the process and the attempts to buy voters instead of campaigning to win votes on the basis of issues.

According to him , CDD-EAC is of the view that the political parties need to make efforts to address these concerns as the country moves towards the general elections in 2023.

He said that the CDD-EAC Fake News Hub for the July 16, Osun governorship election closely monitored online and offline spaces and a number of fake news stories, misleading captions for images were tracked and checked.

As Nigeria marches towards the highly anticipated 2023 general elections, all stakeholders must sustain the synergies, which have contributed to the vast improvements recorded in Osun and Ekiti, he said.( NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

Source: NAN News

By Olawale Alabi

Below is the final standings in the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), following the conclusion of Match Day 38 and final weekend fixtures played on Sunday:

Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

Rivers United 38 23 8 7 58 24 34 77

Plateau United 38 21 4 13 50 29 21 67

Remo Stars 38 18 8 12 43 26 17 62

Kwara United 38 17 7 14 43 45 -2 58

Rangers International 38 15 11 12 41 30 11 56

Nasarawa United 38 15 8 15 42 48 -6 53

Enyimba International 38 15 7 16 39 36 3 52

Gombe United 38 14 10 14 39 39 0 52

Akwa United 38 13 13 12 35 36 -1 52

Wikki Tourists 38 15 7 16 34 35 -1 52

Sunshine Stars 38 14 9 15 30 30 0 51

Niger Tornadoes 38 15 6 17 32 38 -6 51

Abia Warriors 38 13 11 14 50 44 6 50

Dakkada FC 38 15 4 19 42 49 -7 49

Lobi Stars 38 14 7 17 36 48 -12 49

Shooting Stars 38 12 12 14 41 45 -4 48

Katsina United 38 15 3 20 34 42 -8 48

Heartland FC 38 13 8 17 32 48 -12 47

Kano Pillars 38 15 6 17 32 36 -4 45

MFM FC 38 9 9 20 26 51 -25 36

Rivers United win title, and qualify alongside Plateau United for 2022/2022 CAF Champions League

Remo Stars qualify for 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup competition

Katsina United, Heartland FC, Kano Pillars and MFM FC are all relegated to the lower league.

Kano Pillars had six points deducted from them for disciplinary issues. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawale Alabi

Source: NAN News

By Bridget Ikyado

Pastor Chris Olukolade of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has urged men to trust and believe God for assistance in the face of prevailing challenges.

Olukolade who is in charge of Province 16 of the RCCG in the FCT, made the call during the redeemers Men Fellowship 2022 mens convention with the theme: In his Image on Saturday in Abuja.

The pastor described fathers as the backbone of every home and as such, should be patient and full of wisdom.

He urged men to be quick in making amends and taking corrections to ensure things went right in the homes, society and the country at large.

He said the mens fellowship and the Church were blessed with knowledge which was the reason for the annual gathering.

The convention sharpens and shapens the interest and joys of families beyond mere gatherings on Sunday.

We are given insight to life generally as if affects health, finances and our social life.

Pastor Paul Adebisi, Coordinator of the Redeemers Men Fellowship, RCCG Region 10, said the theme of the convention was apt.

He urged Christians to be a light in the society, to eliminate evils that had befallen the society.

Change from evil to good; it attracts good health, longer life and better society and country.

He also advised all men to participate in the upcoming elections by voting and be voted, for the change we deserve.

Pastor Michael Oluwole, President of the Redeemers Men Fellowship, said God was set to reenact His original purpose for man in our lives and families.

According to him, it is the prayer that the convention will enlist men to the realms of fruitfulness, authority and dominion as ordained for mankind from foundation of creation.

As men we will have to arise to obtain our portion of Gods provisions for our destiny

I pray this convention will launch us into the required fulfilled purpose as leaders in our various homes and ministries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convention featured programmes on health talks on the causes of prostate cancer, symptoms, risk factors and treatment.

It also featured lectures on security awareness and managing family finances.

The three-day convention ends on Sunday with a thanksgiving service.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

BTT/JPE/IA

Edited by Joseph Ede/Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Adebola Adegoke

Financial experts have stressed the need for the Federal Government to implement the National Development Plan 2021-2025 (NDP) to spur the countrys economic growth.

The experts said this at a webinar on Saturday with the theme: Resetting Nigerias Economic Growth Trajectory.

They said that practical measures should be adopted to implement the plans to enhance revenue generation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDP which succeeds the Vision 20:2020 introduced in 2009 and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan is a bridge for the countrys long-term plan currently being developed, Nigeria Agenda 2050.

The vision of the plan is to unlock the countrys potential across all sectors of the economy for a sustainable, holistic, and inclusive national development.

Mr Lamido Yuguda, the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said that the implementation of NDP would boost productivity, employment and the standards of living.

Yuguda, represented by Mr Dayo Obisan, Executive Commissioner of Operations, SEC, said that the successful execution of the NDP was critical to achieving economic growth since its objectives cut across all sectors of the economy.

The Federal Government already has several laudable economic plans and the focus should be on increasing the level of implementation of these plans.

The NDP is one of such plans that the government can focus which is aimed at fostering economic growth and enhancing productivity.

One of its broad objectives is on economic diversification to improve non-oil revenue and increase the dollar earning power of our non-oil export.

It also focuses on investment in infrastructure; security and good governance; education and a healthy population; poverty alleviation; economic and social development across states, he said.

Mrs Chizor Malize, the Managing Director, Financial Institution Training Centre (FITC), emphasised the need to transit from a consumer nation to production for increased export capacity.

According to her, the government should take cues from Asian countries on how they develop their economies, especially in the areas of public health, transportation, technology and housing.

Malize said that the best way to drive large-scale employment was by reviewing policies on education and curriculum to equip and stimulate youths to become employers of labour.

She called on the government and other relevant stakeholders to consistently create an enabling environment to foster micro, small and medium-scale enterprises.

In China, we see a lot of strength and sophistication around technology but it will interest you to know that China started its reform through agriculture.

China recognise the importance of food security and alleviating people from poverty, so they leveraged investment in agricultural policies to create change and catalyse growth and empowerment.

One of the biggest things that drove Singapores success is visionary leadership because they deliberately tied political stability to economic growth.

Singapore was deliberate about infrastructure in public health, transportation and housing as well as free market principles where businesses can thrive and attract foreign investors without the huge tax burden.

Japan was crushed after World War 2 but now, manufacturing has elevated Japan and allowed them to command respect across the world, she said.

Malize added that the FITC was doing a lot to empower the youth with its development-focused projects in the areas of innovation, environment, agriculture, technology and health.

Also speaking, Mr Johnson Chukwu, the Managing Director, Cowry Asset Management Ltd., urged the government to do more in growing the manufacturing, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and trade sectors, as these were key drivers of economic growth.

Chukwu said that growing the manufacturing sector involved addressing factors such as infrastructure, power supply, logistics, seaports for import and export of goods, transportation and availability of development finance initiatives.

He also stressed the need to develop human capital in the sector by ensuring the availability of quality education to build skills and capacity as well as produce quality goods for competitive advantage to attract investors.

The ICT sector contributes about 16.2 per cent to the economy. It is the new and digital economy and the government must do everything to encourage the sector, he said.

On his part, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader, PwC, called on the government to harmonise taxes and demonstrate value for it to citizens; to encourage tax morale, and boost governments revenue.

Oyedele said that tax evasion in the public sector also posed a great challenge for the government as it was losing revenue.

The biggest tax evasion in Nigeria is in the public sector, with Ministries Departments and Agencies not remitting taxes to the government.

Government has to think about harmonising taxes because the number of taxes and number of agencies collecting it is too many.

Nigerians are paying taxes but the government is not getting it due to corruption, leakages and inefficiency.

Therefore, to solve the revenue challenges, the government should address these leakages with automation, intelligence and data, he added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

====================
Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

By Vivian Emoni

The Cardinal John Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) says it has trained and empowered no fewer than 100 drug addicts on various skills within four years.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Rev. Sister Agatha Chikelue, disclosed this at graduation/presentation of empowerment tools to the latest beneficiaries on Saturday in Abuja.

Chilelue explained that the programme which started in 2018 is called: Young People Living Above Drugs Addiction and Substance Abuse (YOLDA).

She said the programme was designed and initiated by the foundation to help the young people come out from drug abuse and reckless living.

According to her, between 2018 and 2019 we trained about 40 people, the second set was about 45 people.

This year has been the lowest, because last year we couldnt continue due to some issues we experienced.

When we came back, we realised that many of them had gone back to the act. Then, we went back to them and continued from where we stopped.

Today we are graduating 23 people. So, over 100 people have been trained, graduated and equipped in the last four years.

She noted that the foundation was aware of the effects of drug abuse to the society.

Aside the fact that drug abuse increases crime rate in the society, it has also damaged the lives of those who indulge in it.

Several persons who are into criminality act under the influence of one drug or the other.

So, having understanding of the negative impact of drug abuse, the foundation decided to partner National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to help these young people come out of the situation, she said.

Chikelue also explained that the foundation designed the programme into three phases, adding that the first phase was counselling section.

The second phase is the period when the foundation works closely with the people one-on-one, educating them on tips that can help them to desist from the addiction.

It is the period we educate them on the dangers of drug abuse, we encourage them and let them know that they can get out of it.

This phase used to last for a long period of six months, we give them instances of people that have been freed from the act and tell them that their lives can also be restored, she said.

The executive director disclosed that the third phase was the period the foundation involved medical experts, who would counsel and run series of medical tests and screenings to drug addicts.

According to her, the experts test the people on Herpetitis B, Herpetitis C, HIV/AID, liver/kidney problem to ensure that health wise they are sound.

She explained that the medical experts also commenced treatment on those who needed to be treated or any other medical attention as well as educated them on the dangers of drug abuse after treating them.

We realised that 85 per cent to 90 per cent of them go back into drugs abuse due to economic hardships.

Some had encountered disappointment, others their family cannot afford their needs and they cannot help themselves.

So, we enrolled them in some skills acquisitions of their choice and at the end we empower them.

It is actually a year programme. We have been doing it every year, since its inception.

She encouraged the graduates to be focused, adding that some of those that had graduated years past were doing well.

Mr Peter Njoku, from Department of Drug Demand Redirection Directorate, NDLEA, said that the agency was partnering the foundation to ensure that its objectives and mandates were achieved.

Njoku urged the graduands not to go back to the act as well as ensuring that they made good use of the equipment offered to them by the foundation.

Rev. Fr. Boniface Nebo, also a fellow of the foundation in his goodwill message, advised the graduands to be more vigilant and say no to drug abuse.

Similarly, Dr Francisca Eneh, also a Fellow of the foundation, congratulated the graduands saying that it was never late for them to achieve whatever skills they had equipped themselves on.

Eneh advised them to make good use of their talents and gifts God had bestowed in their lives.

Mr Dickson Eneje, one of the graduands, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked the foundation, the NDLEA and others who supported the programme by ensuring that their lives were restored.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the foundation trained the graduands in tailoring, hair dressing, catering, make-up and cosmetics, among others.

NAN also reports that the graduands were empowered with tailoring machines, dryers, hair extensions, generators, oven as well as cooking gas, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Deborah Coker/Donald Ugwu

Source: NAN News

By Victor Adeoti

Gov. Agboyega Oyetola of Osun has appealed to his supporters to remain calm after he lost his re-election to Sen. Ademola Ademola.

Oyetola said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Ismail Omipidan, on Sunday in Osogbo.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had taken cognisance of the results of the governorship election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

The governor, however, noted that the party would be responding appropriately after studying the results and consulting with critical stakeholders of the party.

Oyetola called on his supporters to remain calm, and the people of the state to go about their businesses without let or hindrance.

The governor also called on security operatives to ensure maintenance of law and order.

Oyetola also directed security operatives to take adequate charge so as to prevent breakdown of law and order.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday morning declared Adeleke as the winner of the Saturdays governorship election in the state.

Announcing the results at the INEC Collation Centre, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who was the Returning Officer, said that Adeleke polled 403,371 votes to defeat his closet rival, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 375,027 votes.

NAN reports that the PDP won in 17 local government areas, while APC won in 13.

The 13 local government areas won by APC are; Ilesa East, Ayedaade, Boripe, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Boripe, Ola-Oluwa, Iwo, Isokan, Irewole, Atakumosa East and Ife East.

While the 17 local government areas won by PDP are; Boluwaduro, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Ifelodun, Ilesa West, Odo-Otin, Obokun, Orolu, Olorunda, Ife North, Irepodun, Oriade, Ede South, Ejigbo, Ede North and Egbedore. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

By Stephen Adeleye

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD), said it had employed and trained 7,452 Independent Monitors to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the integrated National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP) across the country.

The Minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, disclosed this at the inauguration of the training and onboarding of 3,000 Stream 2 Independent Monitors of the N-SIP in Lokoja.

The minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mrs Bilikisu Dauda-Damisa, said the training and onboarding of the Stream 2 monitors took place on June 9 in Abuja.

She noted that the Stream l, had 4,452 Independent Monitors trained and enrolled in February and March 2021, while Stream ll had 3,000, totaling 7, 452 Independent Monitors across the country.

Umar-Farouq added that the ministry had provided working tools in the form of Tablets for them to carry out their monitoring activities on the field.

She said the NSIP was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 with the mandate of lifting citizens out of poverty through a number of Social Interventions.

According to her, the NSIP include Job Creation NPOWER, National Home-Grown School Feeding (NHGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

She said that since NSIP commenced in 2016, over one million youths had been employed under N-POWER, two million beneficiaries under CCT, 10 million pupils under HGSFP and 230,000 under the GEEP intervention programmes.

She said the Independent Monitors were responsible for monitoring the NSIPs in their various communities in schools, households, and market clusters with the focus of ensuring that its primary objectives were achieved.

Monitors are one of the most important components of the NSIP and the ministry lays special emphasis on ensuring its programmes were closely monitored.

We have monitors in every local government area, where the NSIPs are being implemented, she said.

She urged the independent monitors to work hand in hand with the state NSIP team, and cautioned them against intimidation or harassment of beneficiaries.

Any Independent Monitor found intimidating or harassing a beneficiary will be taken off the programme.

Be informed that we have officials of the EFCC and DSS working with us on this programme, and those found culpable will be handed over to relevant authorities, she said.

The minister urged the participants to use the resources and working tools given to them judiciously.

Earlier, the states Focal Person of N-SIP, Mr Suleiman Onyekehi, said the social intervention programmes had achieved a tremendous success in alleviating poverty in the state.

Onyekehi, who doubles as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, said 177,000 of the 258,000 enrolled pupils from Primary 1 to 3, were currently being fed, and over 3,000 cooks recruited in the state.

He appealed to the Federal Government for improvement in budgetary allocation of N70 per child, saying inflation rate had rendered the N70 inadequate to feed a child.

He added that over 74,000 CCT beneficiaries currently receiving N10,000 each bi-monthly; over 26,000 Npower beneficiaries of both Batch C, Stream 1

Sen. Adeleke while casting vote

By Joshua Oladipo

The Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has won his polling unit at the ongoing election in the state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) reports that Adeleke who cast his vote in ward 2 , unit 9 , Abogunde /sagba area, in Ede North Local Government, polled 218 votes to defeat the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola , who polled 23 votes .

NAN further reports that the Accord Party had only one vote at Ward 2, unit 9 at Abogunde /Sagba area, in Ede North.

Adeleke had earlier cast his vote at 8:39 a.m, at ward 2 polling unit 9 in Ede North, under tight security and confidence of winning the election.

Also, Ede north has a total registered voter of 71,750 for the governorship election, with 151 polling units and 11 registration areas, while Ede South has 54, 880 registered voters, with 89 polling units and 10 registration areas.

The governorship candidates for the election are Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, PDP and Oyegoke Omigbodun, Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Other key candidates are Dr Akin Ogunbiyi of Accord (A); Mr Yusuf Lasun, Labour Party (LP ); Munirudeen Atanda, Action Democratic Party ( ADP) and Busuyi Ayowole, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). ( NAN ) (www. nannews.ng)

JOO/IA

Source: NAN News

By Olajide Idowu

Iragbiji (Osun), July 16, 2022 (NAN) Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun on Saturday, won the election at his polling unit at Unit 2, Ward 1, LA Primary School Popo, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun, polling 545 votes out of a total 622 valid votes cast.

INEC ad hoc official that announced the results, Presiding Officer, Valentine Awoegbe, gave the breakdown of the results as : Accord party-one vote, AAT-one vote, ADP- five votes and YPP- one vote.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant second with 69 votes while eight votes were voided.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting at the polling unit, that had 1,457 registered voters, ended at about 3:23 p.m when the last person in the queue cast her vote.

Sorting of the ballots, however, commenced at 3:37 p.m in the presence of political party agents and voters waiting around to hear the outcome of the vote count.

The counting later started by 4:25 p.m. with the final results announced by 4:55 p.m.

Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun and his wife Kafayat, had earlier been to the polling unit to cast their votes, with the governor commending the turnout of the electorate at the polling unit.

Oyetola, however, admonished INEC to provide more Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the polling centre, because of the number of registered voters at the area, saying it would make the voting process faster (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has wished Vice President Yemi Osinbajo speedy and full recovery, after the latter went through a surgical procedure on Saturday to treat recurrent pain caused by a fracture in his leg.

The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Saturday in Abuja, expressed glory to God for a successful surgery, and prayed for speedy and full recovery.

He commended the medical team at the Duchess International Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, for their competence, and a job well done.

Buhari assured the Vice-President of the prayers of Nigerians, and that of his family. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Medical doctors, who performed surgical operation on Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, to treat a recurrent pain caused by a fracture in his leg have concluded the procedure, describing it as successful.

Osinbajos Spokesman, Mr Laolu Akande, posted a statement from the hospitalconfirming that the vice-president had a successful leg surgery on Saturday at the Duchess International Hospital, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

The vice-president was admitted to Duchess International Hospital, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, today on account of a fracture of his right femur (thigh bone), possibly related to a longstanding injury associated with a game of squash.

He had a surgical operation performed by a team of specialist doctors, including Dr Wallace Ogufere, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Om Lahoti, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Dr Babajide Lawson, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Others were Dr Ken Adegoke, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care,Dr Oladimeji Agbabiaka, Consultant Anaesthetist and Dr Adedoyin Dosunmu-Ogunbi, Consultant Physician and Medical Director.

The operation was successful and Osinbajo is expected to be discharged within the next few days,Dosunmu-Ogunbi said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Silas Nwoha

Source: NAN News

By Bashir Rabe Mani

Dr Zayyanu Tanko, a winner of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Award, has solicited for grants and soft loans from the Federal and State Governments.

Tanko, who is also the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Tanko Furniture Factory Ltd, Sokoto, was among the 10 entrepreneurs who received the 5th edition of the awards.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he was the only awardee from the North West region of Nigeria.

The award was presented to him and nine other winners by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on June 27.

Reacting to the development in an interview with NAN on Saturday in Sokoto, the awardee also sought for patronage of the national awardees by the three tiers of government.

This, he noted, should be done in the execution of their various contracts related to furniture products.

Tanko also called on the governments to prevail on various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to make their purchases from them.

The entrepreneur further urged wealthy Nigerians to patronise Made-In-Nigeria furniture and other related wood products.

This, he said, was imperative in improving the nations economy, rather than buying such products abroad, thereby weakening the Naira.

By doing so, the factories would be bolstered, hence, boost the economy of the country, reduce the rising unemployment as well as create more job opportunities.

Patronising the national awardees would help to further shore up the foreign reserve of the nation, he said.

The entrepreneur however commended the Federal Government for instituting the yearly awards.

Tanko said: I really felt too elated to have been among the only 10 entrepreneurs in the entire country chosen for this award.

This will really spur me and my co-awardees from other parts of the country to continue to do our possible best to ensure that Nigerias economy blossomed.

We will also continue to use local materials to produce more Made-In-Nigeria products, for Nigerians and for export.

Tanko also lauded Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State for providing an enabling environment for enterprises and other economic ventures to thrive. (NAN)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Source: NAN News