Bags of rice

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) has called on the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, to sustain ongoing initiatives on food production for economic development.

The Director-General of RIPAN, Mr Andy Ekwelem, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference was Strategies for Deepening and Strengthening the Nigeria Rice Sub-Sector towards More Sustainable Development.

According to Ekwelem, RIPAN is an association of investors in integrated rice processing, formed as a direct response to the Federal Government of Nigerias deliberate initiative to grow local capacity in rice.

Members of the association and indeed other actors in the rice processing and milling sub-sector are presently key players and major contributors to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Our processing and milling activities contribute several thousands of direct employments and millions of indirect employments to the various stakeholders in the rice value chain and other complementary sectors, he said.

He said that the rice industry was the single largest employer of labour in Nigeria, providing jobs for over 13 million people.

These include direct staff, casual worker, haulage service providers, agrochemical and input suppliers and of course millions of small holder rural farmers who are made up of majorly youths and women, he said.

According to him, the Nigeria rice industry has enjoyed considerable support from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Before the current administration, Nigeria officially allowed imported rice into the country.

As at the last quarter of 2014, official rice import into Nigeria from Thailand was about 1.24 million tonnes of rice; by the end of 2015, these imports had dropped to about 644,131meric tonnes, and by the end of 2016, it dropped to 58,260 metric tonnes.

In 2017, the imports further dropped to 23,192 metric tonnes but by 2022, it dropped to an all-time minimal of 438MT.

The reason for the drops which to us at RIPAN is a very positive development is nothing more than Mr Presidents hard stand approach against food importation, he said.

He commended Buhari for his agricultural development initiatives that had boosted food production over the years.

Recall that President Buhari is a strong advocate of grow what you eat and eat what you can grow.

To ensure that he walked his talk, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), he launched various programmes that encouraged local production and processing of rice.

Programme such as the Anchor Borrowers Programme, the Paddy Aggregation Scheme, the Private Sector-Led Accelerated Agriculture Development Scheme and the Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) were floated.

They where deliberate strategies that encouraged indigenous and foreign business concerns to invest massively in the rice value chain.

Today, Nigeria boasts of over 100 large-scale integrated rice processing facilities scattered across the country.

This is more than 700 per cent increase from the mere 13 integrated mills operating in the country between 2010 and 2014, he said.

He also commended Buhari for his various initiatives to encourage consumption of locally produced rice.

To ensure that product dumping and other forms of international trade malpractice do not affect the huge private-sector investments as well as the various programmes of government, the CBN placed restrictions on importation of food items including rice.

The apex bank did that by categorising them as not valid for foreign exchange from the CBNs Foreign Exchange Window.

To further protect and strengthen the industry, the administration introduced the Border Restriction Policy of 2020, he said.

He said that before the border restriction policy, there was a maddening proliferation of all manner of items and food stocks, even light arms and small weapons into Nigeria.

Fortunately, with the Border Restriction Policy of the Buhari administration, the menace was effectively stemmed between the period starting August 2020 and the end of 2021.

As a matter of fact, over 1.2 million metric tonnes of rice imported to Benin from India and Thailand between May 2019 and August 2019, became trapped in Benin.

This caused the imports of rice from India to Benin to drop from a monthly average of 75,000 metric tonnes between January and September 2019 to less than 2,000 metric tonnes in the last quarter of 2019.

Also, the volume of Thai rice imported to Benin Republic fell from a monthly average of 100,000MT to 5,000MT tons by November 2019.

The dividend of all these was that the demand for Nigerian home grown and locally processed rice increased quite immensely, causing an increase in both the production of paddy rice as well as rice processing facility, he said.

According to him, in 2020 during the COVID era, Nigerian farmers produced as much as 8.2 million metric tonnes of paddy rice and another 8.4 million tonnes in 2021.

At the time, all of the paddy produced were off taken by the rice processors/ millers who processed them and supplied good quality finished rice to Nigerians.

Even as the borders were closed and COVID Pandemic raged on, Nigeria did not suffer lack of food, particularly rice, he said.

He, however, said that the situation began to deteriorate again after the borders were reopened.

He called on the incoming Tinubus administration to emulate some of the laudable policies of the Buhari administration to boost food production.

The numbers in metric tonnes of paddy rice produced by Nigerian farmers began to decline after the borders were reopened in 2022.

Smuggling also commenced again in earnest, causing a drop in the volume of paddy offtake by the rice processors/millers.

Indeed, it is on record that upon the reopening of our borders, official rice import to Benin republic from Thailand rose from meagerly monthly average of 5,000 MT in 2019 to a monthly average of 26,861MT in 2022.

RIPAN hopes that the incoming administration will follow through some of the laudable policies of the current administration as well as design and launch new ones to further strengthen and sustain the Nigeria Rice Industry, Ekwelem said.

On prices, he said that Nigerian rice were most affordable, adding that the expensive rice were the imported ones which people wrongfully refer to as local rice.

No Nigerian rice costs more than N31,000 ex factory price, he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

NAN logo

By Maureen Okon

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday received a major boost in its operations with the signing of a working agreement with the Italian news agency, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) in Abuja.

NAN reports that ANSA, the leading news agency in Italy, is a not-for-profit cooperative, founded in 1945 whose members and owners are 36 leading news organisations in the European country.

Its mission is the distribution of fair and objective news reports.

The Managing-Director (MD) of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle signed the agreement for NAN while the Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria, Mr Stefano De Leo signed fon behalf of ANSA at the NAN headquarters.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed virtually by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ANSA, Mr Stefano De Alessandri and the Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Mr Mfawa Abam.

Speaking during the agreement signing ceremony, De Alessandri said the event was timely and was made possible through the efforts of both the NAN management and the Italian mission in Nigeria.

He said ANSA has a cooperative of 26 publishers of newspapers and magazines and the most important national and regional newspapers.

According to him, ANSA has correspondents in more than 50 countries around the world.

We are a traditional news agency that disseminates information via news wire, photo and video services.

We do not publish only in the Italian language in Italy but we publish on five international websites in English, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

I am very pleased to sign this agreement with NAN. Nigeria is the country with the largest population in Africa and is one of the most important countries in the continent of Africa.

Starting in 2022, we have been renewing our collaboration agreements with international news agencies and we are also opening new partnerships, he said.

Also speaking, the NAN MD said that the signing of the agreement was a milestone in the history of the largest news content provider in Nigeria.

He added that the news exchange agreement with ANSA marked another defining phase in NANs continuous engagement with like-minded institutions.

It is my hope and belief that this landmark event will signal the beginning of a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship.

With ANSAs presence in more than 81 cities across more than 50 countries in the world, and a production capacity of 3,500 news items daily, this partnership agreement will no doubt offer the diverse clientele of both wire agencies enriched content and plurality of reading and viewership experience.

Since my appointment as MD in Sept. 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari, we have put in place programmes and processes to boost the editorial and operational efficiency as well as to enhance the visibility of the agency.

From a six-zone structure, the agency now has 12 zonal offices in the country while it is set to reopen its foreign bureaux in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and Abidjan.

This is in addition to its New York Bureau currently covering North America, he said.

Responding, Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Abam, commended the managements of both agencies for what he described as laudable agreement.

He said the event marked a milestone in Nigeria-Italy relations.

He expressed optimism that both agencies would take advantage of the new opportunities that abound in the media sector as both agencies enter into the historic era of the partnership.

I say this in acknowledgement of NANs reputation for media excellence and historic commitment that connotes international presence.

Likewise ANSA which has earned its pride of reporting fair and objective international news.

As the saying goes: no man is an island no matter how well-endowed.

In this era of globalisation and inter-dependence, cooperative partnership such as this with other institutions in the world is not an option but a necessity.

Thus, the signing of this agreement today demonstrates the importance of what our two countries attach to our relationship and our commitment to further strengthening it, he said.

On his part, the Italian ambassador to Nigeria described the agreement between ANSA and NAN as an important step in further proving both countries already existing relations.

He observed that the exchange of information and knowledge is key ex-specially when done with Nigeria, the giant of Africa and the most populous country in the continent.

This eventis the first positive sign of other events that we will highlight in the future such as the opening of the Italian Trade Agency in Lagos and hopefully, very soon, a direct flight between Nigeria and Italy. (NAN)

============
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Source: NAN News

Stakeholders of Inter-Governmental Affairs at the the stakeholderss conference on Tuesday in Abuja

By Jacinta Nwachukwu

The Federal Government says that plans are underway to establish a National Council of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs for sustainable national development.

Sen. George Akume, the Minister, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, said this at a three-day stakeholders conference on Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference is Harnessing grassroots potentials for service delivery and for sustainable national development: The proper place of Local Government Administration and Inter- Governmental Relations.

Akume said that the national council if established would be the highest policy advisory body to the nation on issues of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

According to him, the absence of a critical structure or vehicle of mobilisation of stakeholders for prompt action has hindered the pace of the Ministry in discharging its activities.

This realisation has thus informed my decision to establish the National Council of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

The proposed council in its form, structure and function would resemble national councils of other ministries.

It is also pertinent to state that the need for this council was mentioned as far back as 2008, during the bi-annual conference of key functionaries of local government administration in Kaduna State, Akume said.

He said the gathering was to enrich the process that would eventually lead to the formal establishment of the national council.

Akume urged the participants to utilise their experiences, backgrounds and professions during the deliberations to ensure a convergence of ideas and the eventual seamless take off of the council.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ibiene Roberts, while thanking the participants, expressed hope that the discussions would help birth a successful national council.

As seasoned administration that we are, our key responsibility is to ensure that government institutions work optimally in service delivery in an efficient and effective manner.

I recognise you as the pillars and as such, integral part of the ministry. It is the resolve of the ministry to work with you to enable us achieve our deserving citizenry, Roberts said.

On his part, Sen. Yusuf Yusuf, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, said that there was need for proper sensitisation on the local government potentials at the grassroots.

Yusuf said that there were lots of potentials at the local government areas, saying that harnessing the potentials would enhance national development.

The potentials must be unlocked through proper sensitisation; government has to create proper avenue, and mobilisation of the grassroots is the key for national development, he added.

Similarly, Sen. Abba Moro, the Chairman of the Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, said the local government administration was the foundation of government worldwide.

Moro, while commending the ministry for the initiative, pledged to support the ministry in its activities, saying that local government autonomy was the bedrock for national development. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

================
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Razak Owolabi

Source: NAN News

NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters addressing the new students

By Emmanuel Afonne

The Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, has enjoined the new students of the institution to strive to elevate Nigeria to its deserved place of greatness in Africa and the world.

Peters said this on Tuesday, at the 24th matriculation of the university, which took place virtually across its various study centres nationwide.

As you pass through our university, I am hopeful that you will acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills, as well as the requisite strength of character and tenacity, to sail through the challenges of global competition, he said.

Peters said knowledge and skills were the weapons needed to make positive mark to elevate the country to its deserved place of greatness in Africa and the world.

The vice-chancellor also urged the new students to utilise the opportunities offered by the flexibility and openness of their study in NOUN to excel more than their peers elsewhere.

For those that are engaged in a vocation and or employment, it is an opportunity to excel in your career.

It is also an opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of continuous education through open and distance learning, in adding value to your competence at work, to the delight of employers, Peters said.

The new entrants, comprising of 12, 954 undergraduates, 4, 716 postgraduates and four Ph.D students in various faculties, would join an already existing population of over 150,000 students studying for various degrees in the university.

The uniqueness of the university should evoke special interests in the students especially from people who are eager to know how qualitative academic training is in the university.

I enjoin you, therefore, to be dedicated to your studies and be good ambassadors of this university, he said.

Speaking on the marked attributes of NOUN, Peters said the universitys mode of teaching and service delivery cannot be restricted by the barriers of distance, location, or the bias of race and creed.

He said: I am particularly glad to inform you that your university is privileged to operate in sync with the emerging world order of a global village in the information age.

NOUN takes the Gown to the Town dictum by providing equal access to quality education for all citizens, irrespective of their social circumstances, their creed, and wherever they are located.

He advised the new entrants to form peer groups where common issues relating to their study can be shared and discussed.

Peters added that the university had provided an e-ticketing feedback system to resolve complaints encountered during the course of their studies.

He also said that other delivery applications, including the simplified assessment processes (tutorials, tests and examinations) would make study at NOUN a most rewarding educational experience for the students.

The Registrar of the university, Mr Oladipo Ajayi, administered the matriculation oath on the students via the Zoom platform.

Ajayi urged them to abide by all the rules and regulations of the university in order to avoid expulsion. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=========
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Source: NAN News

Executive National President of RTEAN, Dr Musa Maitakobi

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Chairmen of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in 36 states and FCT have reaffirmed their support and commitment to the President of the association, Dr Musa Maitakobi.

The Chairman, Kwara State Chapter of the association and its National Principal Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abdurrahman Olanikijipa made this known in a statement on behalf of the 36 states chairmen, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Olanikijipa also said that the RTEAN Chairmen pledge their total loyalty to Maitakobis leadership in his effort to carryout positive reform in the transport sector and tackle all forms of thuggery and touting in the motor parks,

Olanikijipa congratulated Maitakobi on his re-election at the 10th RTEAN National Delegate Conference held in Abuja and assured him of their total commitment.

He recalled that RTEAN delegates from 36 states and FCT converged on Abuja recently and unanimously passed vote of confidence and re-elected Maitakobi and 45 others members of the associations National Executive Council (NEC).

We are satisfied with the leadership style of Maitakobi which he embrace all and sundry irrespective of religion, tribes, gender and recorded a lots of success in the organisation like providing Headquarters of RTEAN within two years of assumption to office.

Maitakobi also launched Travellers Insurance Scheme and Travellers cashless Application knows as Karrygo to enable passengers pay Transport fares inline with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy.

Under leadership of Maitakobi RTEAN has successfully launched RTEAN Marshall that contributed immensely to sanity and good conduct in all its Motor parks across the nation, in addition to tackled transportation of illegal and harmful items in the motor parks.

He recalled that on Aug. 18, 2022 RTEAN Marshall intercepted eight guns billed to delivery to Kano at Zuba Motor Park and immediately reported the matter to Zuba police station.

These are the achievements of RTEAN under Maitakobi from October, 2022 which Industrial Court of Nigeria ruled that he was the authentic National President of RTEAN. (NAN)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Taiye Baiyerohi

The International Womens Society (IWS) has pledged to continue to empower the disadvantaged in the country, particularly women and children.

The President of IWS, Mrs Izabella Abia-Okon,
said this during the associations April meeting and cultural exchange programme in collaboration with the Nigerian-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, on Tuesday in Lagos.

According to Abia-Okon, IWS in 1999 established a skills acquisition centre in Lagos State, to elevate the socio-economic status of women in the state and country at large.

She said an average of 100 students graduate annually from the centre which offers vocational training in catering and events management, sewing and fashion designing; makeup; adult literacy; and computer related courses, among others.

Abia-Okon said that the exercise had helped to promote the springing up of more micro enterprises, thereby addressing the scourge of unemployment in the country, especially among the womenfolk.

She noted that the skills centre was NABTEB certified, which enables graduates to work anywhere in the world.

She, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the association so as to continue its mission of empowering the underprivileged in the society.

As an NGO project, we face significant financial challenges in sustaining our operations and providing quality hands on training, scholarships, and start-up support for our graduates.

We rely on the support of generous donors, and together we can make a difference in lives of the less privileged in our society, she said.

IWS was founded in 1957 in Lagos by a group of public-spirited women set out to champion womens courses using its cut clear programmes that generally focus on providing for the less privileged; supporting widowed women financially; and providing avenues for acquisition of productive skills toward financial independence and development of their respective communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlight of the meeting was networking and understanding the opportunities of a Nigerian and Hungarian collaboration. (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

Source: NAN News

Prayer session for release of Chibok School girls, nine years after the abduction by Boko Haram.

By Justina Auta

Minister of Women Affairs Pauline Tallen has urged Nigerians to stand in solidarity with security organisations by providing information that will help to rescue the remaining Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity.
She made the call in Abuja on Friday during prayer session to seek the face of God to rescue the girls, nine years after the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno, by Boko Haram.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 276 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno were abducted by Boko Haram sect on April 14, 2014.
Tallen said government had been working consistently to ensure the release of the remaining schoolgirls, as well as ensure the welfare of the rescued girls and their families.
She said let the release of these children be the parting gift of this administration because I know how we have made every effort to ensure that.
I know Mr President had pushed and got the security to do all they could; let God just wipe our tears and let the remaining 97 girls in captivity be released and that is why Nigerian women are crying to God today.
Earlier, Col. Obinna Ezuipke, Head of the Intelligence Unite of the Joint Military Taskforce in the North- East, Operation Hadinkai, said out of the 276 abducted girls, 57 girls escaped in 2014, while 108 girls were released in 2018.
He added that three Chibok schoolgirls were recovered in 2019, two in 2021 and nine in 2022, with a total of 178 girls rescued and 96 still in captivity.

Also, Mrs Ene Obi, Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria, said Nigerian women believed in the capacity of the military and urged the force to redouble the efforts to secure the release of the remaining girls.
We want to say well done to the Federal Government for all the efforts so far, but more needs to be done to secure the release of the remaining girls.
We do believe in the capacity of the security of this country, the lives of our children should not be politicised. We need our children back, she said.
Also, Mrs Ladi Bala, National President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), stressed the need for drastic change from the political leaders to address challenges affecting the nation.
Bala called on the in-coming administration to give priority to women in appointive positions to ensure the safety of women and equity in all sectors.
Also, representatives of the women wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Mrs Hope Daniel and the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Amina Abdulganiyu, prayed for the release of the remaining chibok girls and other girls in captivity.
They also prayed for peace and security in the country.
The prayer session also featured prayers from other women faith associations for wisdom and guidance to the in-coming administration to judiciously steer the affairs of the nation and grant comfort to the families of the abducted schoolgirls. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Source: NAN News

By Deji Abdulwahab
The Wikimedia Foundation has advised teachers to use the knowledge they acquired from Reading Wikipaedia in the Classroom programme to improve their students digital and content writing skills and reading culture.

Ms Melissa Huert, Senior Programme Officer, Education Wikimedia Foundation, gave the advice at the Graduation Ceremony for the Reading Wikipaedia in the Classroom Programme in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that train-the-trainers programme was organised for 70 teachers selected from the Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in Abuja and Nasarawa State by the foundation.

The theme was entitled: Using Wikipaedia to Foster Media and Information Literacy Skills.

Huert said that the programme would assist in sustaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on quality education for all.

According to her, the programme is also aimed at supporting students to become critical thinkers to innovate digital technology and information literacy skills.

She expressed hope that relevant stakeholders could not educate in isolation and that was why Reading Wikipaedia in the Classroom programme was imperative to teachers and students digital skills.

Also, Mrs Oby Ezeilo, the Certified Trainer, Reading Wikipaedia in the Classroom Programme, said that the programme was designed for teachers to help in integrating Wikipaedia as a learning tool into their classrooms.

The curriculum of this programme is aligned with UNESCOs Media and Information Literacy framework and it connects different approaches and methodologies used in the classroom to leverage the power of Wikipaedia as a learning tool.

The programme also addresses teachers research skills, such as the ability to make sense of information, the ability to verify, evaluate and sift reliable information from information chaos and the ability to use the information to create new knowledge.

By tying Wikipaedia to the components of UNESCOs Media and Information Literacy (MIL) framework, it assists instructors to understand and use Wikipaedia as a learning tool, Ezeilo said.

Also, Mr Noah Emmanuel, the National President, Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services, said the training programme could only be useful when the participating teachers apply the knowledge in their classrooms.

Emmanuel urged the participants to build on the lessons and experiences gained from the training to promote digital literacy skills in the country.

In his remarks, Dr Olagunju Idowu, the Secretary-General, Nigerian National Commission for United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), said that the Reading Wikipaedia in the Classroom programme was apt and commendable.

Idowu, represented by Mrs Tessy Amayo, UNESCO Aspnet National Coordinator, Nigeria, said that the programme would help educators to understand, connect diverse methodologies and leverage Wikipaedia as a learning tool.

According to him, it is also aimed at developing vital media and information literacy skills for the 21st century. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Olagoke Olatoye

Source: NAN News

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has commenced capacity building of artisans and craftsmen in the built industry to address skills dearth and skill importation in the country.

The NIOB President Prof. Yohana Izam said this at the 2 Mandatory Continuous Professional Workshop for External Quality Assurance Managers on Saturday in Abuja

Izam represented by 2nd Vice President, NIOB, Mr Bimbo Kolade said that the the two-day capacity workshopwas organised by the Artisans and Craftsmen Qualification Awarding Board of NIOB

Izam said the workshop was inline with the National Skills Qualification programme of the Government.

The nation is coming up with the skill qualification. Our youth rather than just going to acquire an education they should alongside with the education acquire a skill.

And under the National Skill Qualification framework, the Nigerian institute or building is the awarding body that awards skill qualification certificate for the construction workers.

There are levels with which you go through before you can be and you get qualified in this various levels of training.

According to him, there are seven trades and these include plumbing, piping jobs, carpentry, aluminum framework, masonry and roofing.

So we have three levels of assessor, there is the Quality Assurance Assessor. The Internal Verifier Assessor, those ones superintend over the QAA.

In this training that you are doing now, there is a specialized training for those who are at the highest level of the skill acquisition society which are the External Quality Assurance Assessors. These are quality assurance is managers.

The participants come from all over the Federation, for now within the construction industry sector, we have 25 of them that are already qualified.

We have seen some of them going into Morocco or the United Kingdom from where they are recognised and they can practice as quality assurance assessors even in those countries, Izam said.

Dr Christopher Belonwu, Chairman Artisans and Craftsmen Qualification Awarding Board, said the essence of this training was to bring the participants, up to speed with current practice National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

At the end of the training you know that so many intervention projects linked to this NSQ, you have the n-power project, the n-skills project, the world Bank ideas project, project teamers, are all on NSQ.

We want to make sure that all these various intervention projects, the ones that are construction related are executed better in the right way they should be.

It means that era when certificates are given when people are not qualified, is gone. At the end of this workshop we expect that the skillsmanship of our craftsmen will be sharpened.

Explaining further on the essence of the workshop on skills importation Belonwu said it would be an end to such practice because Nigerian craftsmen would also do better jobs.

In doing better it means they have a predefined step of doing the work, they understand the steps, there are actual trade secrets that they try to carry out to do that better.

So under this NSQ, we now have the standard which other countries do we call it the National Operating Standard.

It is what all the artisans follow so that they can reach that point that foreigners have reached, they should actually know how to do better jobs and not jump any process.

Mrs Folashade Laja, former Vice-chairman, Artisans and Craftsmen Qualification Awarding Board a participant said it was an avenue for continued professional advancement.

This is very important that we that are going to the field should ensure that the end product of the NSQ are competent people to be used in the construction industry.

We also should be abreast of what is going on, so this is like, a kind of peer review, rubbing of knowledgeable minds, Laja said.

The immediate past President of NIOB, Mr Kunle Awobodu decried the lack of aspiration to greater heights that was prevalent in the present crop of artisans and craftsmen.

This, he adduced to the lack of motivation in the wages being paid to most artisans because of their lack of improvement and expertise in the crafts.

Awobodu, therefore, urged the youth and other professionals to take advantage of this type of mandatory professional development to sharpen their skills and aim for greater heights in their endeavours. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

========

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) says its 30th Annual Meetings will take place in Accra, Ghana, to mark the high point of the Banks year-long 30th anniversary celebrations.

The event will take place from June 18 to June 21, 2023, under the theme Delivering the Vision. Building Prosperity for Africans.

The meetings will include the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and an extensive seminar programme, featuring plenaries and side events, a statement from the bank said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade.

The 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings and 30th Anniversary celebrations will bring together on one platform thousands of people, including African and Caribbean leaders and senior government officials, African, Caribbean and other policymakers, corporate leaders, bankers, academia and other thought leaders.

Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, thanked His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Government for graciously accepting to host Afreximbanks 30th Annual Meetings.

Thirty years ago, the founding fathers of Afreximbank launched a bold initiative for Africans.

The hard work of the past three decades, in pursuit of that vision, has shaped what Afreximbank has become today.

Member States, clients, customers and partners, the business and international trade community, all those in Africa and the diaspora who strive for the prosperity of African people are invited to join us in Accra to celebrate the Banks achievements.

And reflect on its future in an increasingly turbulent world, he said.

NAN also reports that Afreximbank Annual Meetings are open to all those interested and/or active in promoting African trade and supporting the socio-economic development of African economies.

In 2022, Afreximbank Annual Meetings took place in Cairo, Egypt in June.

Ghanas Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, said: It is only fitting that the commemoration of this milestone for Africas key Trade Finance institution is co-organised by the host of AFCFTA Secretariat, the Government, and people of Ghana.

who are determined torch bearers for Africas quest for trade expansion and integration.

This is another opportunity to deepen cooperation and seek African solutions to Africas challenges. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

Source: NAN News

Late Mrs Funmilola Ojelade

By Aderogba George

Mr Tasiu Gidari-Wudil, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has advised members of the society to emulate the stewardship service of late Mrs Funmilola Ojelade, who was a member of the society.

The president gave the advice on Friday in Abuja at the funeral service organised in honour of the deceased by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), a division of the NSE.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ojelade, a staff of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPM), died on March 22 after a brief sickness.

Gidari-Wudil described Ojelade who was the 16th President of APWEN, as a woman who dedicated many parts of her live while on earth to the service of NSE.

He said that the deceased was a very strong woman, innovative in her leadership role with APWEN, and by extension NSE.

We cannot say we wont have a replacement of her but it will be difficult to have somebody like her, very innovative, her leadership was seen in running the APWEN, and by extension NSE, I will appeal to those of us who are still alive to emulate her.

Ojelade was a detribalized Nigerian, a devoted Christian because I always received her Friday prayers every Friday, this tells you how nationalistic she was, how patriotic she was.

I will urge everyone of us to emulate her and pray for her to be on the right side of the throne of God. I pray for the family because it is a sudden shock to us when we learnt of her demise.

We pray to God to give the immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss, the President stressed.

Mrs Elizabeth Eterigho, the current President of APWEN (17th), described the deceased as a humorous person whom everyone would like to be with, because she express her mind on issues straight.

She also described Ojelade as a woman who provided answers immediately to challenging issues, adding that many members of APWEN have drawn from her wealth of knowledge.

According to Eterigho, the deceased was a very close person to her because why she was the president of APWEN, herself was the vice-president, and by this they are always close together where she learnt a lot from her.

During COVID-19 when everything was silent with most associations, Funmilola never allowed our association to be silent, she was up and doing in the associations activities, her death was a huge lost to us, Eterigho stressed.

Mrs Valerie Agberagba, the Ninth President of APWEN who disclosed that she had known the deceased for almost 25 years, described her as her IT tutor whom she would miss a lot.

She also described Funmilola as a fellow of the NSE who mentored young Engineers, by impacting knowledge into them, and prayed to God to continue to be with the young peers of the society who will miss her most.

According to Agberagba, the deceased had always advised young engineers to be strong and to be ethical in the profession of whatever they are doing.

Mrs Comfort Emenyonu, a fellow of NSE and member of APWEN who gave the first Christian sermon, advised members to live a life that they would be remembered for.

Emenyonu who titled her sermon as What will you be remembered for, taking from the book of Ecclesiastes 9:5 and Hebrew 9:27, stated that everyone must die, but they should be remembered for something.

According to her, Funmilola played her role before she left this sinful world, and prayed to God for everyone to be able to walk in the way that will bring impact to peoples life.

You must live an indelible mark on this earth before you go, lets learn how to forgive one another, lets care for each other, concentrate on Gods works.

Also, Pastor Dan Ogu of Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), Jesus Embassy Parish, Province 18, admonished Christians to prepare to meet God after death.

The pastor who titled his sermon as Truth be told, said all Christians need to know about death, adding that death is a constant and frequent occurrence which happens everyday.

He said that the holy book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 2 had testified that there are time to be born and there are time to die, saying that every living must taste death hen the time reaches.

He therefore encouraged everyone to prepare for death and prepare to meet their creator, and that after death, judgement follows. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

========
Edited by Vincent Obi

Source: NAN News

Focal Person, Good Deeds, Kaduna State, Mrs Itama Okhuelegbe, addressing participants during the commemoration of 2023 Good Deeds Day in Kaduna on Thursday

By Philip Yatai

Good Deeds, a global movement of people dedicated to doing good, on Thursday, sensitised civil society organisations and humanitarian workers on mental health and self-care while providing humanitarian services.

The Focal Person of the group in Kaduna State, Mrs Itama Okhuelegbe, said at the event in Kaduna, that the exercise was to also appreciate civil society and humanitarian workers for their selfless service to humanity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised in collaboration with Thinkers Children Foundation, as part of activities to mark the 2023 Good Deeds Day.

Okhuelegbe explained that the Good Deeds Day sought to promote people giving back to their community, thereby promoting harmonious relationships among people.

She said that since 2007, Good Deeds Day had been uniting people from around the world with the aim of spuring them to help others and do good for their communities.

The act of charity and good deeds towards people in need, or communities in despair, is never forgotten by their recipients.

Today, we are celebrating civil society organisations, individuals and groups rendering humanitarian services as first responders to people in need, putting smiles on peoples faces and keeping families together.

We want to thank groups and individuals that have been rendering selfless help to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, marginalised, neglected, and exploited groups.

We want more people to become ambassadors of doing good things to those in need in whatever way they can feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless, and clothing the poor, among other good deeds, she said.

While acknowledging the good deeds of humanitarian service providers, Okhuelegbe, however, stressed the need for humanitarian and development workers to also care for themselves to avoid mental breakdown.

On his part, Mr Peter Ebeh, Senior Psychologist with Neem Foundation, Kaduna Office, described mental health as emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of people.

According to him, mental health affects how people think, feel, and behave.

It particularly determines how people handle stress, anxiety, depression, and insecurity; how they relate to others and the kind of choices they make, he said.

He pointed out that with too much demand on the humanitarian workers, they could encounter stress, which in the long run, would affect their mental health.

People need to know that in the attempt to do good and extend a helping hand without taking care of themselves, they may end up in a dysfunctional mental state.

There is, therefore, the need for people to balance their work with self-care, to be able to function normally and maintain stable mental health, he said.

One of the participants, Mr Sunday Awulu, Secretary, Kaduna State Branch, Nigerian Red Cross, acknowledged the absence of a balance between humanitarian work in the field and the workers self-care.

Awulu identified psychological stress due to pressure to meet set targets as one of the major causes of mental breakdown among humanitarian workers. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

===========
Edited by Maureen Ojinaka

Source: NAN News

Cross section of participants at Nigeria off Grid Acceleration Programme (NoMAP) meeting in Abuja.

By Cecilia Ijuo

The

Mr Adedotun Eyinade, the Programme Director, NoMAP

The event was organised in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) with funding from Shell Foundation, UKAid and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Oice (FCDO).

Eyinade said in view of the electricity gap in Nigeria, the institution had been working on ensuring access to energy.

He said this would help address barriers around access to finance, data and helping unbanked customers pay for solar.

He said the meeting was organised to find out how best to finance productive use assets,

According to him, productive use assets are appliances that consume electricity and also help improve livelihood.

The programme director said, in communities that are newly electrified, you have already existing businesses like shops, saw mills, and agro processing mills among others.

So, the question is, how do you provide access to financing for people who want to buy new assets like refrigerators to sell drinks, irrigation pumps to water their farms and the likes.

The idea is to bring all stakeholders, commercial banks, investors, mini grid developers, appliance distributors to reduce barriers to financing.

Eyinade said people do not only use electricity to power their homes but to power economic activities that would increase their income.

We are particularly interested in conversations around gender, internally displaced people and all of that.

So, we are happy that for the first time, some people are accessing financing and it has potential for jobs to be created, he said.

According to him, NoMAP is carrying out a pilot programme in three states, Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa to assist customers have access to finance for appliances.

He said the pilot was being undertaken in 21 communities in the three states.

Mr Ahmad Salihijo, the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), commended efforts made by NoMAP and other stakeholders in helping to bridge electricity gap in Nigeria.

He said NoMAP had impacted lives by investing resources in the productive aspect of energy access.

The managing director, who, delivered the keynote address, said the agency on its part had explored projects that would have direct impact on end users.

Under the Nigeria Electrification project, we have successfully inaugurared full roll out of our productive use equipment component.

Under this project, we offer up to 60 per cent grant for cost of equipment.

We have projected potential disbursement of 2.4 million dollars in the first round of application to four shortlisted firms.

This will impact the lives of end users across eight existing mini grid sights, he said.

Salihijo said the agency would continue to support stakeholders to accelerate off grid electricity, particularly in rural areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that various stakeholders in their goodwill messages said they would continue to support access to renewable energy to meet growing demand.

Mr Wim JonkerKlunne, Household Solar Funders Group Coordinator, Shell Foundation, and Mr Akachukwu Okafor, UK PACT Senior Climate Change Officer, UK FCDO, said the meeting was apt.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

=======

Edited by Ese Eniola Williams

Source: NAN News

Census officials

By Aminu Garko

The National Population Commission (NPC) has clarified that the Census questionnaire has no column for religion and ethnicity.

The commission made the clarification on Friday in Kano when the National Publicity Committee on the 2023 Population and Housing Census paid an advocacy visit to Nigerian Television Authority, Kano.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit was led by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Chairman of the committee and Minister of Information and Culture, represented by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari.

Speaking on the speculations that Nigerians would be asked questions on their faith and ethnic affiliation, a member of the committee, Dr Isiaka Yahaya, said the commission was not interested in such data.

Yahaya, who is also the commissions Director of Public Affairs, maintained that issues of religion and ethnicity being peddled on social media were mere distractions and without foundation.

Since 1991 when the National Population Commission has been conducting census, we have never asked questions on ethnicity and religion.

We didnt do it in 1991, we didnt do it in 2006 and we wont do it now.

The reason is obvious. The two issues are very sensitive and have the capacity to divert attention from the main issue of the census, he said.

Similarly, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu, urged Nigerians not to see the census as a contest among ethnic groups.

He said the census was only for planning purposes and not to confer advantage on any group.

For planning purposes, President Muhammadu Buhari said before he leaves office, he wants to deploy digital technology to conduct a headcount.

The incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, in planning with our resources, will know exactly how many Nigerians he is planning for, Okechukwu said.

Abari on his part commended the authorities of NTA for playing a critical role in the sensitisation campaign for the headcount.

He reiterated that the headcount was solely to obtain data for national development purposes and urged the media to help tackle the twin scourge of fake news and misinformation.

The General Manager of NTA Kano, Sani Yusuf, expressed the readiness of NTA to support the sensitisation campaign on census.

He gave an assurance that the media house would produce jingles to aid the campaign as well as provide coverage on the exercise.

NAN reports that the committee also visited Pyramid FM, Kano, Radio Kano and Triumph newspapers. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Mufutau Ojo

Source: NAN News

Buhari prays at Grand Mosque Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Source: NAN News

By Muhammad Nur Tijani

The Federal Government on Thursday urged Nigerians to make themselves available for the National Population and Housing Census billed for May.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the call at a townhall meeting in Kano organised by the National Publicity Committee on the census.

The minister, represented by the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, said the census was aimed at collating data for effective national planning.

He dismissed insinuations that the census questionnaire would ascertain the religion of respondents as falsely portrayed on some social media platforms.

Mohammed insisted that the data obtained were solely for national planning and development purposes as well as help in improving the nations security architecture.

The town hall meeting, he said, was organised to create the requisite awareness about the forthcoming exercise.

He stressed that the stakeholders were invited to obtain information and feedback from the grassroots in order to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

The minister also said that the publicity committee was working hard to tackle fake news and misinformation on the exercise.

Some of the participants, who spoke with NAN, advised the National Population Commission to embark on more sensitisation programmes.

The National Housing and Population Census would begin on May 3. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

(Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Mufutau Ojo)

Source: NAN News

Conference on promotion of African women rights

By Justina Auta

Baobab for Womens Human Rights (BAOBAB), an NGO, has called for the promotion of the human rights of women in Anglophone West-African (AWA) countries.

BAOBABs Executive Director, Ms Bunmi Dipo-Salami, made the call during a virtual regional convening of state and non-state actors in AWA with the theme, Changing the course of womens rights in West Africa with the Maputo Protocol.

Dipo-Salami noted that the Maputo Protocol (MP) recognised all human rights as womens rights including the right to life, dignity, integrity, security, health and reproductive rights, access to justice, womens political participation rights, among others.

The Protocol is against all forms of gender-based violence such as limited access to properties and Child marriage.

It also helps in access to education and health care for women in Africa.

The protocol has done much since it came into force. However, there is still much to be done to ensure that womens rights are fully protected and realised in practice, she said.

She added that to achieve the ultimate goal of the protocol which is that women and girls in Africa can fully enjoy their rights, it should be incorporated in domestic laws to enable its full implementation in the region.

Similarly, Ms Olamide Falana, Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor on Gender, attributed some of the challenges in acceptance and implementation of the protocol to issues around cultural divides.

Falana, while referring to Article 14 of the protocol on the rights of womens health, said that the discussion around safe abortion in Nigeria stemmed from cultural and religious perspectives where women did not have full autonomy over their bodies.

She said: It is one thing to have the protocol accepted, it is another for it to be a tool that everyone is willing to work with and use across cultural divides within a nation.

As such, women still require consent from a man over issues pertaining to their bodies.

Though the protocol also speaks to the right of access to medical care, several factors affect a womans access to medical care.

You can only demand medical care when it is available within your community. When it is not available, your right is limited, she said.

Also, Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba, Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, recalled that the MP was introduced to Nigeria by the African Union (AU) as an attempt to protect and promote womens rights in West Africa.

Adelugba stressed the importance of political will in domestication and implementation of laws that improved the lives of women and girls.

She noted that Ekiti had established some forms of laws for the protection of women as contained in the provisions of the MP.

These laws are always active but the only problem they face is lack of reporting by the victims of injustices who are mainly women and girls.

And this happens due to religious and cultural beliefs stigma. It is only when a case is reported that such laws will be in effect, she said.

Ms Hanna Forster, Executive Director, African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) from Gambia, said lack of technical knowledge and expertise on reporting was a challenge that persists across the five AWA countries.

Forster, therefore, urged CSOs to sharpen their skills and become conversant with the guidelines developed by the African Commission for shadow reporting.

She also stressed the need to simplify and translate the protocol, as well as litigate and bring cases to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights or the ECOWAS Court of Justice if member states fell short of their commitments.

Also, Ms Lilian Ibeh, Programme Officer, Alliances for Africa (AFA) Nigeria, harped on the need for more strategies that would help the domestication of the protocol leveraging data, the media, and partnerships to address the issues.

NAN reports that the meeting was organised by Baobab with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) through Equality Now and the Solidarity for African Womens Rights (SOAWR).

The project is being implemented by the Initiative for Gender Equality and Development in Africa (IGED-Africa), Ghana; Young Liberian Women Organisation for Improvement (WOFIM), Liberia.

Others are Alliances for Africa (AfA), BAOBAB for Womens Human Rights and Womens Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), in Nigeria.

The virtual conference was part of a Joint Cluster Advocacy Campaign by the AWA member organisations of SOAWR, a coalition of over 80 civil society organisations working across 33 countries in Africa.

The regional convening had in attendance 50 participants from the five AWA countries The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

================
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Vivian Ihechu

Source: NAN News

Prof. Alewo Johnson-Akubo, VC Salem University Lokoja

The members of staff, students and Alumni Association of Salem University Lokoja on Thursday, lauded the pragmatic transformative visions and drive of their Vice Chancellor , Prof. Alewo Johnson-Akubo.

The Universitys Registrar, Dr. Emmanuel Adejoh, gave the commendation in a statement in Lokoja, to celebrate the records of Akubo who celebrated his 50th birthday.

The registrar said that the huge infrastructure development of Salem University was solely due to the visions and pragmatic efforts of the young and energetic Vice Chancellor.

Adejoh described Akubo as a fine administrator, disciplinarian and quintessential leader of tremendous impact, not only to Salem University, but to Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.

We, today felicitate our Vice Chancellor, whose Golden Age can best be described as Gods divine gift and grace upon him, looking at what he has so far attained in life.

Aside being a young administrator, Akubo is a Pastor in Gods Vineyard, working assiduously at spreading the gospel of Truth for the salvation of souls from the societal ills ravaging the entire globe as well as impacting on students by transforming them into global change agents.

At joining Salem University Lokoja, Akubo served as the pioneer Coordinator, Mass Communication Programme, Deputy Dean, College of Management and Social Sciences and Deputy Director, Academic Planning between August, 2016 and July 2017.

He said that with impactful leader, the institution had been able to have virtually all its courses accredited by the National University Commission (NUC).

The registrar, however, said that it was a thing of joy that the entire staff, students and Alumni Association of Salem University Lokoja joined other well wishers in celebrating such a man in Akubo.

He is truly a shining example to all Nigerian youths, the registrar said.

Adejoh said, on behalf of staff, students and Alumni Association of the Salem University Lokoja, I wish Prof. Akubo, more divine wisdom, knowledge, sound health, peace and joy as he celebrates his 50th birthday. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

Source: NAN News

By Ikenna Osuoha

The National Population Commission (NPC) has postponed indefinitely, the training for Enumerators and Supervisors earlier slated for April 13.

Dr Ipalibo Harry, Chairman Census Committee told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Harry assured that the postponement would not affect the conduct of the Population and Housing Census scheduled to hold from May 3 to May 7.

He said that the commission was ready to conduct a credible census, adding that they had already concluded the training of Quality Data Managers and others.

The census committee chairman said a new date for the training of the enumerators and supervisors would be communicated as soon as possible. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News