By Emmanuel Oloniruha

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for scholarships for talented African youths who are disadvantaged by low incomes.

Jonathan made the call in his remarks during the 11th graduation ceremony of the Cavendish University Uganda (CUU), Kampala, Uganda.

Jonathan, who is the Chancellor of the University, in his remarks made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, assured the University of his continued support.

We will continue to focus on removing barriers to access of higher education for many African youths who are talented but disadvantaged by low incomes.

We will therefore need to look for scholarships for the talented but poor youths, even if it means connecting them to loan schemes where they can pay later, Jonathan said.

The former Nigerian president also advocated for collaboration between academia and industry within African continent to address some of the challenges facing the region.

We need to engage industry across the region and the continent with a view to creating meaningful and productive academia-industry partnerships.

This will work better if the academia supports industry with action research to strengthen production, distribution and marketing while industry supports the university.

Jonathan commended the CUU leaderships efforts to surpass the school pre-pandemic performance at a time when other universities were still struggling to recover from the effects of COVID-19.

He also commended CUUs collaboration with other universities and institutions, saying I know this leads to exchange of ideas and creation of opportunities for students and faculty in the collaborating institutions.

Progressive institutions know that collaboration is better than competition; and that there is a lot we can do together to take our universities to greater heights.

Jonathan who congratulated the 2022 class granduands and their parents, also advised the students to embrace success.

To succeed, you must be intentional in embracing success, anchor habits such as time management, planning and executing your plans, continuous learning and reflection

He urged them to be Committed to excellence, taking personal care to avoid causes of preventable diseases or death and networking with other resourceful persons.

It is important you develop big goals and a determination to realise them.

Understand that what differentiates the powerful from the powerless in the 21st Century is mindset.

The powerful have understood that they can create a lifestyle they desire.

They are driven from within; they apply relevant wisdom to fill gaps and solve challenges of society. They are able to do all these because they utilise the power of their mind.

Todays accomplishment is already a sign that you can achieve more if you continue to work hard. You have no excuse to fail.

I charge you to go out and change the world beginning with your person, families and communities, he added.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The North Central Coordinator of the institute, Mr Abdul Mamman said this at the 2022 Group B Induction Ceremony of new members in Abuja on Friday.

Mamman said that professionalising procurement would make people opened to the vagaries and complexities of procurement and understand the technicalities and as such when challenged, they would be able to offer services effectively in line with international best practices.

In Nigeria today, there are people who are doing this particular job by way of man-know-man and they never understand the fundamentals of dignity involved than carries the integrity in procurement.

And, there have been several calls that procurement activities in Nigeria are areas where much of the corrupt activities are done.

But as it is, most of our members who are professionals are usually not allowed to do what they are to do but rather those who are first to get it are not qualified, he said.

According to him, the ethics of the profession is taught and endangered in the practice of procurement and supply chain in Nigeria.

As at the time we wanted to carry out this reform, we decided to domesticate the law as obtained in other countries and other spheres.

But the first chapter of that law that has to do with national council of public procurement has been violated; it has not been inaugurated till this moment.

It is only the current administration that tried in 2017 to inaugurate the council, the council is supposed to be a board to the Bureau of Public procurement (BPP) as the BPP is supposed to be a secretariat.

But now it has no board overseeing their activities which is inimical to utilising the content of that particular law which was passed in 2007 by the government of late President Umaru Yaradua , he said.

According to him, as a result of that, what we have today is that people tend to believe there are no sanctions that can be meted on them.

He, therefore, called on the government to inaugurate the council to oversee and take up their respective positions as embedded in the law so as to intervene in the activities of the bureau.

Also, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the institute, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, called on government at all levels to adopt good principles and standards for procurement and public financial management.

Aliyu also called on government to implement procurement guidelines to ensure compliance with Public Procurement Act 2007 to ensure maximum transparency in bidding processes or public contracts.

He said that there was need to domesticate and apply the principles of procurement in the system for probity and accountability.

Procurement is a peculiar case that everybody wants to do the job without the knowledge but the issue still remains that an area where you dont have knowledge, you do it wrongly.

The institute is working very hard to ensure that best practice is domesticated in our country.

That is the bane of the problem we have in our country where everybody thinks that resources have to be mismanaged because resources of this country is into procurement of contracts and services, he said.

According to him, based on a studycarried out bythe World Bank in conjunction with the institute, it clearly stated that 80 to 90 per cent of the entire budget goes to the procurement contract and services.

He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to give proper recognition to the procurement practice in the schemes of service.

He said that doing this would not create tussle and the current opportunity for the usurpation of the functions of procurement professionals at any given time.

Also, the President of the institute, Alhaji Jibrin Ado, said the country was losing resources due to leakages caused by unprofessional.

We are losing resources through a lot of leakages and the major reason has to do with procurement, so there is need to professionalize procurement so that offices that are supposed to handle the procurement are professionals, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. Mohammed Yunusa, said that the issue of purchasing and supply chain was an age long practice that required given value for money.

Yunusa said that the development process of any given country was driven by procurement process and as such must be accorded priority.

He said that the National Universities Commission (NUC) realised this and created six centres to close the knowledge and skills gaps in procurement and supply chains.

He, therefore, urged the inductees to take advantage of the centres in the universities to increase their various skills.

One of the inductees, Gabriel Goodwill, expressed optimism that the problems caused by lack of professionals in the area of procurement would be addressed.

I want to actually appreciate God for the time spent to be inducted today as an associate member of this great institute .

What I am going to put on the table is to ensure that what I have been taught is brought to bear in my works by ensuring value for money in all transactions and contracts proceedings and following the due process as enshrined in the act, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the institute had so far inducted over 3,000 graduates into the institute with over 400 graduands inducted in the group B batch of the ceremony. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Tosin Kolade

Dr Edwin Isotu-Edeh, National Consultant, Public Health and Environment, WHO Nigeria, has called on Nigerians to shun unhealthy and unsustainable practices that destroy the nations ecosystems, forests and wildlife.

Isotu-Edeh, who made this call at the ongoing 5th International Medical Geologists Association (IMGA) National Conference in Abuja, said there was the need to promote a one-health approach in implementing health programs.

He said to live healthy and free from pandemics, unhealthy behaviours such as poor sanitary practices, deforestation and consumption of bush meat and endangered species should be halted.

He noted that the effects of climate change were reflecting in our daily lives with occurrences of extreme weather conditions, floods and droughts.

Many zoonotic diseases thrive in the increasingly warmer, wetter conditions sparked by human-induced environmental degradation.

When there is a depletion of the ecosystem, it affects plants, animals, and man. This effect cannot be wished away because man is part of the environment and needs it to survive, he said.

According to him, civilization depends on human health, flourishing ecological systems, and the wise stewardship of natural resources.

He commended the current leadership of WHO Nigeria, led by Dr Walter Mulombo, for his unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability in health programmes.

He called on relevant stakeholders to understand that health meant complete wellbeing and beyond the absence of diseases and infirmities, we must adjust our behaviors towards prevention; and invest in environmental and planetary health.

The WHO Lead Public Health/Environment Health Expert in Nigeria said to have a healthy society, the nation must fix and regulate food production system, water and sanitation.

He said switching to sustainable agriculture, included safe management of dead bodies, and promote ecofriendly approach to mining of minerals, saying they were things that mattered.

Prof. Akinade Olatunji, the Chairman (Geology), IMGA, said the earth had the tendency to regenerate itself from mans pollution and all other unwholesome activities.

According to him, if humans desire to halt indiscriminate destruction of the environment, the environment was capable of restoring itself to order.

We can assist the depletion of the ozone layer by planting trees, recycling consciously, and looking out for resources that will help us to sustain the environment from damage.

We must do everything within our power to slow down the destruction of the climate before it is too late, he said.

Also, Dr Larai Salau, CEO, Initiative for Advancement of Mining, Earth Science and Environmental Protection (IAMESEP), said there was no mining activities that cannot be reclaimed.

She said,Therefore, we should plant both cash crops and food crops to balance the difference between carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange.

If we dont do this balancing, there will continue to be pandemics. We have to understand the environments effect on health and the socio-economic importance of the mining industry.

She added that the country could not wait to see how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere can handle before an environmental disaster occurred.

Prof. Abiodun Odukoya, Co-Chairman (Geology) IMGA said it was more expensive to cure diseases than to prevent them.

Conferences like what IMGA has organised today are to enlighten people on how to prevent future pandemics like COVID-19 that ravaged the world, she said.

She called on doctors, nurses, policy formulators, and all professionals in different fields to partner in building a pandemic-free environment. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Mark Longyen/Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Edith Ike-Eboh and Emmanuel Afonne

The NNPC Limited started its activities last week on a cheering note as it bagged the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Outstanding Partnership Award.

The award was for its robust adoption of technology in its business operations while the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Malam Mele Kyari was honoured with the Champion of ICT Award.

Speaking at the 2022 Awards and Dinner by the Abuja Chapter of the association which took place recently, its president, Mr Emmanuel Omoke, said a key factor that drives NNPCs business success was its adoption of technology.

NNPC Group CEO, Kyari, who was represented by Lukman Giwa, General Manager, IT Policy and Strategy, said ISACA had contributed immensely to process automation and enhancement of business sustainability and human capital development not only in the oil and gas industry, but in the country in general.

On his part, Chairman of the occasion and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isah Pantami commended the Abuja Chapter of ISACA for its support for the ministrys programmes, including the digital economy solutions.

He tasked them to come up with initiatives on how to develop the digital economy sector.

ISACA Abuja is one of the 222 Chapters of ISACA International with head office in Chicago, USA and has over 148,000 members in 188 countries.

Members of the ISACA community span the breadth of the information and technology worlds, and include information systems audit, risk, compliance, governance and cyber security professionals.

Others are consultants, educators, regulators, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief Information Security Officers and internal auditors.

Also last week, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva set up a committee on National Petroleum Policy development fund.

This was in a bid to reposition the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to enable it function within the framework of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja, Chief Sylva noted that there was need to professionalise the ministry to make it attractive to the right caliber of professionals to enable it service the industry.

The Committee is headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Kamoru Busari, with other members drawn from all the departments in the ministry.

Visit us on www.nannews.ng for more details. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Dorcas Jonah

Mr Adewole Adebayo, the presidential flag-bearer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has ruled out the option of alliance with any political party as the countdown to the 2023 presidential elections begins.

Adebayo made the statement while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

He said that the party had no plan whatsoever, to merge or forge alliance with any other political party, although the SDP appears to have limited scope and influence in the current political landscape.

Were underdogs but we will never enter alliance or merge with any other party in the current scheme of things, he said, disclosing that the party would soon spring surprises that would amaze political watchers.

He said that the party had come a long way, having won a previous presidential election that was later annulled by a former military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in 1993.

According to Adebayo, the SDP is the best party to rescue Nigeria out of its current economic, political and social woes, urging Nigerians to support the party to make the difference for the country.

Commenting on the face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the presidential hopeful argued that poor governance and endemic corruption were central to the continued inability of the feuding parties to resolve their differences to save the education sector.

Adebayo said that if elected president, he would ensure that government would have no business running the universities, noting that running of universities should be the sole responsibility of universities councils.

According to him, universities funds should be controlled by governing councils of the universities, a development he said, would give the universities freedom to run their affairs in learning and research.

Adebayo described the recurring ASUU strikes as a showdown between ASUU and contractors in government, lamenting the negative impact of the endless strikes to the future of the nation.

The presidential candidate said he would increase the number of Unity Schools in Nigeria to 360, to ensure that every Federal Constituency had a unity school to provide quality education to the masses.

On the pervading insecurity in the country, Adebayo said that Nigeria needed good governance to tackle the problem decisively and end the wanton killing of Nigerians in various communities in the country.

What Nigeria needs is good governance. We should elect a good government that understands our diversity as a nation, he stated, pointing out that anarchists were currently using terror to create confusion nationwide.

Adebayo lamented what he described as the persistent stealing of Nigerias crude oil offshore, saying that money made from oil sales would be housed as special funds to discourage corruption and stealing of such resources.

He said that he would give special attention to ginger farming in the country to generate up to million annually from the product and give employment and sustained livelihood to farmers and the teeming populace. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Silas Nwoha

Source: NAN News

By Taiye Olayemi

The Lagos State Government has partnered with Euro Vision Ventures to market and project the artistic products as well as the tourism potential of the state to the global world.

Mr Dozie Atueyi, Programme Director, Euro Vision Ventures, disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Lagos.

Atueyi said that the partnership would ensure proper harnessing of Lagos music, arts, dance, crafts, cuture and tourism potential to be projected to the world.

He said in the process of executing this project, the state tourism and cultural potential would be trasported for exhibitions in cities like Toronto, Istanbul and London.

He noted that the exhibition which would be tagged Lagos Arts and Tourism Expo, would go a long way in attracting tourists to the country as well as boosting Nigerias foreign exchange earnings.

We are out to project Nigeria, most especially Lagos to the world, we want to reverse a trend of people wanting to go abroad but there are lots of opportunities here.

We will be projecting Lagos aquatic offerings, tourism potential, cultural assests, fabrics of adire, artworks and all manner of crafts.

This is to make Lagos the most preferred destination for tourism, leisure and business.

These tourism, cultural potential, arts and crafts will be exhibited in Istanbul from Oct. 5 to 9, in London from Nov. 16 to 20 and in Toronto from Dec. 14 to 18, he said.

Atueyi appreciated the state government for the support enjoyed so far.

He also commended Seamless Travels, Nigerian Breweries and CIT Micro Finance for their support.

Also, Mr Ayoola Sadare, Founder, Lagos International Jazz Festival, one of the partners for the project, said that authentic music from the city of Lagos would be projected cutting across Fuji, Jazz and Afrobeats.

According to him, the project is not a relocation plan for Nigerians to travel abroad but an opportunity for the products of their creativity to be exported for patronage.

He said the exhibition would create viable marketing platforms for Nigerian music, arts, tourism and culture.

Mr Todin Olukuade, Creative Director, FC Accessories, who specialises in turning storytelling of cities to works of arts, said he would be relaying the stories of Lagos in some works of arts which would be exhibited as accessories.

Olukuade said these accessories would be coming in form of household materials and souvenirs.

Ms Triumph Dominon, the sponsorship consultant, expressed her love for the rich and diverse culture of Lagos State, urging Nigerians to take pride in their culture.

I love Nigeria and specifically Lagos State with huge wealth of culture, we should learn to appreciate ourselves.

People said Lagos is crazy but New York is crazier, we must learn to appreciate our Lagos, she said. (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Folashade Adeniran

Source: NAN News

By Taiye Olayemi

The Voice of Nigeria (VON) has pledged to support the Centre for Black Arts and African Civilisation (CBAAC) in the commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the Festival of Arts and Culture held in 1977.

VONs Director-General, Mr Osita Okechukwu, made the pledge at a meeting with Chief Oluwabunmi Amao, Director-General, CBAAC, who was on a courtesy visit to VON office on Thursday, in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement by Amao on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 45th commemoration of FESTAC77 has been slated to hold from Dec. 5 to Dec.11, with the theme Celebrating Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Reliving the Memories of FESTAC77.

Okechukwu said that the two agencies share similar mandates which scored a high point for CBAACs voice to be heard on a global platform such as VON.

He assured the CBAAC team of his organisations full support and participation.

He promised that the event would be publicised in different languages as VON would also work toward creating a portal for CBAAC on its official website.

Earlier, Amao said her visit to VON was orchestrated by the need to intimate the organisation of the plans by CBAAC to host FESTAC77 @ 45 and to request for VONs partnership and collaboration toward a successful outing.

Sh, however, sought VONs support to project the event to the world at large from the planning stage to the eventual execution in December.

Okechukwu in company of members of his management board had also paid a visit to the Centres Black and African Hall of Fame, where he was warmly received by Amao and some other members of staff. (NAN) (nannews.ng)

Edited by Folashade Adeniran

Source: NAN News

Source: NAN News

The Deputy Mission Director USAID/Nigeria, Sara Werth, says untapped potential in the nations agriculture can help in achieving food security and economic growth.

Werth said this at the launch of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022 2027 on Friday in Abuja.

She said that agriculture is important to the growth and development of the economy, adding that in 2020, agriculture contributed over 25 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

She said the new policy is a deliberate effort by government to deploy knowledge and good agricultural practices to fast-track agricultural development.

Werth said it would provide a roadmap for some of the most pressing challenges the agriculture sector is facing.

She added that the policy outlined opportunities to attract public and private investments into agriculture and agribusiness to modernise the industry.

According to her, the approach will lead to a diversified economy that guarantees access to nutritious food, growth and employment opportunities.

She said the policy came at a critical time as Nigeria and the world are facing the worst food security crisis in years.

She said, Food, fuel, and fertiliser prices have risen sharply over the last year.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating the issue, and we are now seeing indications of a growing global food crisis.

Dr. Bedru Balana, Acting Chief of Party, Feed the Future Nigeria Agriculture Policy Activity and Research Fellow International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)-Nigeria, said the policy would guide efforts to improve food and nutrition security.

He said, As a long-term collaborator and having engaged extensively in development of the NATIP, we are very pleased to support this launch event.

Rep. Amos Magaji, Rep. Member Zango, representing Kataf/ Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, said there is need to reduce the level of unemployment among the youths with innovative agriculture. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng).

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has temporarily suspended the shutdown of the indebted broadcast stations across the country.

The Director-General of NBC, Malam Balarabe Ilelah, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NBC, had on Aug. 19 revoked the licences of the AIT/Ray Power FM (DAAR Communication L.td., Silverbird TV Network and 50 other stations over N2.6 billion debts.

The commission ordered the affected stations to shutdown in the next 24 hours and directed NBC offices nationwide to collaborate with the security agencies to ensure immediate compliance.

Consequently, the commission, on Aug. 20, extended the period which all outstanding debts are to be paid from 24 hours to Wednesday.

It explained that the extension of the enforcement date was due to an appeal by the affected broadcast stations, relevant stakeholders, public spirited individuals and organisations.

However, the NBC boss said following the ultimatum, the commission received positive responses from the debtor licensees, including big players in the broadcast industry.

Sequel to a follow-up meeting held with Executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and other critical Stakeholders in the industry.

The commission has decided to temporarily suspend the shutdown of the indebted broadcast stations all over the country.

We express our profound appreciation to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the affected licensees and broadcast Stakeholders for their responses and interventions.

We specifically thank DAAR Communications Ltd., and Silverbird TV/Rhythm FM for their responses, Ilelah said.

He said that the commission was not unaware of the difficulties the shutdown would have caused the operators and other stakeholders.

The D-G stated that the commission would always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004. (NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Source: NAN News