By George Odok

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a non-profit organisation providing medicine and healthcare to individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, partnered University of Calabar (UNICAL) to have a safe space at the Youth-Friendly Centre for students.

The foundations Prevention Programme Manager, Mr Taofeek Adeleye, who led a team on a courtesy visit to the UNICAL
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi on Friday in Calabar, said the organisation was coming on board to implement a young peoples programme
at the centre.

Adeleye said that the centre would enable students to have access to information and services about sexual and preventive health.

According to him, young people face a lot of challenges beyond the classrooms, hence the need to guide them properly through intensive counselling.

He added that we will provide counselling services, HIV/AIDS testing, sexual transmission infection screening, cervical cancer screening, among others,
to students.

If need be and there is room for other support, we will render such accordingly to make sure that young people get the right information
and services to develop.

He added that when operational, the centre would serve students of the institution and young people within the university community.

Responding, Obi said young people needed thorough counselling and advocacy on preventive health because they were faced with a lot of challenges.

According to the vice chancellor, the coming of AHF to the institution is timely and most parents are shy to discuss certain sensitive issues with their children.

She said students would be free to talk to experts from AHF, since most of them relied on peer groups and the social media in learning new things.

She thanked the organisation for the choice of UNICAL, maintaining that the institution was ready to speed up the implementation process.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a Los Angeles-based organisation operating outpatient healthcare centres and pharmacies. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Source: NAN News

By Suleiman Shehu

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command, has warned parents and motorists in the state to stop putting children below 12 years in the front seat of vehicles.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Uche Chukwurah, gave the warning during the Childrens Day celebration organised by the command at its office in Eleyele on Friday in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the celebration is: A Greater Future For Every Child.

According to Chukwurah, it is against the law to put children under the age of 12 in front seat of vehicles because wherever there is a crash such; children may be throw out of the vehicles.

She said that it was better to put the children at the back seat of the vehicles to avoid putting their lives in danger.

Some people think it is love to put the children in the front seat while some even breastfeed their children while on the wheel, all these are wrong and FRSC is speaking against it, she said.

The sector commander said the essence of the gathering was for the command to be able to talk to the children on road safety tips and be cautious while crossing the road.

She said that the aspiration of the command was for the children to have a better future which could only be achieved when they are alive.

Chukwurah urged the children to always look at both left and right sides of the road before crossing in order to avoid being knocked down by vehicles.

The Chairperson of Road Safety Officers Wives Association (ROSOWA), Oyo State Chapter, Mrs Oluwasola Familoni, said as parents, they believed in the children and want them to have greater future.

Earlier, the Deputy Corps Commander (Operations), DCC Olalekan Morakinyo, called on parents and motorists to always obey traffic rules and drive to stay alive.

Morakinyo advised the children to always caution their parents not to speed while driving them to school.

Highlights of the event were: games, dance, riddles and presentation of gifts to students of various schools.(NAN)

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Doris Esa

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Credit Agricole Du Maroc (CAM), Morocco, toward the promotion of sustainable agriculture of both countries.

The Head, Corporate Communication, NIRSAL PLC, Anne Ihugba, said this in a statement on Friday, in Abuja.

Ihugba said this would be through the facilitation of finance and investment, trade and support systems across agricultural value chains with emphasis on smallholder farmers.

She said the Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL Plc, Mr Aliyu Abdulhameed and Mr Tariq Sijilmassi, the Chairman of the Management Board of Credit Agricole Du Maroc (CAM), signed the MoU on behalf of their institutions.

She said that by this MoU, they were committed to the mutual prospecting and implementation of agriculture-oriented projects that benefit both organisations and their host countries.

Speaking at the event, Abdulhameed elaborated on NIRSAL Plcs areas of need to include the development of financing products that suited the seasonality of agriculture and other farming contexts, and the difficulties smallholders experience in keeping to the terms of conventional bank financing products.

Abdulhameed expressed confidence that innovative financing products that speak to the peculiarities of agricultural primary production would be of immense benefit to the agriculture financiers.

He said that it would help financiers to maximise the benefits and incentives in the 75 per cent Credit Risk Guarantee (CRG) issued by NIRSAL Plc for primary production projects.

According to him, it will also help diligent borrower to enjoy Interest Drawbacks (IDB) of up to 40 per cent.

He said that leveraging NIRSALs CRG facility commercial lenders in Nigeria have injected over N152.8 billion into the agriculture sector in the last six years, with credit crystallization rate still below one per cent NIRSAL Plc.

A pacesetter in the modern, innovative use of blended finance to spur the growth of agriculture, has been a reference point for emerging Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) across Sub-Saharan Africa, he said.

According to Abdulhameed, CAM is a more experienced institution from which NIRSAL Plc is eager to learn.

Established in 1961, CAM is a universal bank that finances all sectors, with agricultural expertise as a particular vocation within the framework of national investment programs.

CAM works to enhance agricultural activities and stabilise rural populations by sustainably improving their standard of living beyond its agricultural expertise.

It is also involved in several other financing projects, particularly in rural areas, through its network of 543 branches across the Kingdom of Morocco.

In his remarks the Chairman of the Management Board CAM, Sijilmassi lauded the MoU, which he said would be beneficiary to to both countries. (NAN) ().

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Kazeem Akande

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly,Mr Mudashiru Obasa,has securedthe All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to run for the sixth term in the 2023 Lagos State House of Assembly Election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obasa, representing Agege State Constituency 01, contested against another aspirant, Mr Dada Olusegun, at the primaries held on Friday at Maternity Centre, Iloro, Agege.

Twenty-five delegates voted with five delegates from each of the five wards in Agege Local Government.

Mr Yinka Durosinmi, the partys Electoral Officer, who announced the result, said Obasa secured 25 votes to emerge winner of the election.

Durosinmi said that five delegates represented the five wards in the local government to make the 25 delegates who voted.

Twenty-five of them were accredited before voting and we ensured that the voting exercise was conducted peacefully.

Though we had two candidates, Mudashiru Obasa and Dada Olusegun, but we only saw one agent representing Obasa. The other aspirant did not show up, he said.

On his part, Obasa, while addressing newsmen after the exercise, described the victory as proof of acceptance by his constituents.

He said he won the primary election because of the belief the constituents had in him as their true and passionate representative.

I thank the constituents for the trust they have in me, as I am confident that I will win in the main election.

Through this victory, we can continue with the dividends of democracy we have attracted to Agege, he said. (NAN)

Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Martha Nyam

Mr Caleb Mutfwang, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s governorship candidate in Plateau, has said that there was hope in the horizon for the North-Central state.

Mutfwang stated this in an interview with newsmen in Jos on Thursday shortly after he defeated 14 others to clinch the ticket.

It is quite humbling to be entrusted with the responsibility of being the flag bearer of the PDP in Plateau state. I do not take this for granted.

I want to assure the people of Plateau that there is hope in the horizon; by the grace of God, when PDP returns to power, we will lift the state to a higher level than where it is today.

I believe the people of Plateau are yearning for the return of PDP. We will work to ensure this happens, he said.

Mutfwang said that the outcome of the primaries would be best described as a no-victor no-vanquished contest, while calling on other contestants to work with him toward ensuring victory at the polls in 2023.

He added that the primaries, which he described as free and fair, represented a sign of good things the state would soon experience.

He called on the Plateau PDP family to unite and go into the 2023 election as a united force. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by AbdulFatai Beki and Ephraims Sheyin

Source: NAN News

By Angela Atabo

Principal Officers of State Childrens Parliament and Girl Ambassadors have called on the Federal Government to make them part of the decision-making process in Nigeria.

They asked the authorities to always allow them to air their views on issues affecting them.

The children made the call on Thursday in a communiqu at the end of a two-day Capacity Building Training for Principal Officers of State Childrens Parliament and Girl Ambassadors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised by Save the Children International (SCI) in Abuja for the SCI implementing states of Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina and Yobe .

Others are members of the Child Rights Advocacy Club of GJSS Gwagwalada, FCT.

The communiqu jointly presented by Mr Ibrahim Sunoma, Speaker, Borno State Childrens Assembly and Miss Etukudo Abasi, also said that positive behaviours and decision-making should be taught in families and schools.

The children said that the call became necessary because of some identified challenges affecting them which included child labour, child marriage, out-of-school children, insecurity, healthcare, mental health and child abuse.

Others are gender inequality, limited access to education, school dropouts and discrimination .

They tasked the government on provision of medical supplies and compensation for doctors to address health challenges of children.

They also called for a child-friendly justice system and an increase in budgetary allocation for childrens healthcare.

The children called for stronger laws against children sexual abuse while rehabilitation should be provided for affected ones.

They urged the government and NGOs to campaign against all forms of abuse on children to help prevent molestation.

The children said that report centres should be effective so children could talk about abuse that affected them and there should be intervention for children who were victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

They said this would strengthen child protection systems, including childrens homes where they could receive care.

There should be legislation and implementation of the Child Rights Act (CRA) and free education for all.

Awareness on the consequences of early marriage which alters the course of a girls life and her potential should be raised.

Parents should be encouraged to take their children to school and false myths on western education should be shunned.

Leaders should create an enabling environment for education and government should invest more in education for out-of-school children.

The children said that quality of education should be improved while parents needed to improve knowledge and commitment to contribute to enrolling their children in school at the right age and time.

They said that security agents should be equipped with tools to protect children from attack and stronger security strategies should be carried out in affected areas.

They added that to help in preventing attacks on schools, cattle ranching policy should be implemented to prevent cattle-herder crises and more security personnel should be deployed to affected areas.

The children said that there was need to raise awareness in rural areas and religious leaders about educating girls with the provision of enough schools for girls to attend .

They called for free education and adequate teaching personnel to be provided as well.

They also said that an agency should be directed to ensure attendance of children in schools during school hours while there should be provision of disability care canters and discrimination should be discouraged.

They appealed to the Nigerian government to fulfill its commitment to increase education funding and ensure that states and their local government also invested in education.

Mr Amanuel Mamo, Director, Advocacy and Campaigns, SCI, Nigeria said that Childrens Day celebration was another opportunity for the organisations to celebrate children.

Mamo called upon stakeholders at Federal, State and Local Government Areas (LGAs) to renew their commitments to protect, respect and fulfil the rights of the child as articulated in the Child Rights Act (2003).

Having the opportunity to listen to these children over the last two days is a reason, more than enough, to celebrate children.

If the future is at hand, therefore, we are given historical opportunity and responsibility to shape and paint the futures as bright as we want it to be.

The smart thing to do to paint the future is to invest in children.

Mamo called upon the states yet to pass the Child Protection Bill to prioritise the adoption and enforcement of the Child Rights Act (2003).

He called for a stronger collaboration, coordination and cooperation between all relevant stakeholders, including the government, the private sector, donors, civil society organisations, NGOs, communities and the media.

This is to ensure no child is left behind or excluded from the opportunity to survive, learn and be protected from all forms of abuse and violence, simply because of gender, disability, cultural practices or other structural barriers.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Oboh Linus

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended the State House Assembly primaries in Nasarawa state over alleged tampering with the authentic list of delegates in the state.

Dr John Mamman, Nasarawa state APC Chairman, in a press conference on Friday in Lafia, said the party was sad after discovering that the authentic list of delegates sent the national Secretariat for the party primaries has been tampered with.

Mamman said following the development, the national Secretariat had directed the primary committee to stop the state Assembly primaries in the state.

The state chairman said that the party would not tolerate this unwarranted distortion of the official delegates list sent to the national Secretariat.

He also warned that the party would not accept any list outside the authentic list of delegates.

Mamman enjoined the national Secretariat, in the interest of peace, unity, harmony and the progress of the party, to ensure that wishes of the law-abiding party members are respected.

The numbers of delegates across Local Government areas in the state were doctored or completely changed.

we consider this undemocratic, and this is capable of breeding disaffection, tension and disunity in the party.

The APC in Nasarawa should not be made to lose its status and prestige as a model, he said.

Mamman, however, called on relevant party organs, members and supporters to remain calm, noting that necessary steps are being taken towards addressing the matter.

He commended the national Secretariat, under the leadership of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, for setting machinery in motion for the conduct of primaries across the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Douglas Okoro

Chief Elias Mbam, former chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election, held on Thursday in, Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

Mbam polled 741 votes to defeat Mr Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, who polled seven votes, Sen. Julius Ucha four votes, Mrs Rosemary Ofoke who polled one vote.

Mr Egwu Inya, Returning Officer (RO) who announced the results, said that the election was peaceful, credible, free and fair, adding that a total of 22 invalid votes were recorded.

He added that the process met all the required guidelines prescribed by the partys constitution, the Electoral Act and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

With these results, I hereby declare Chief Elias Mbam, who polled 741 ballots, winner of the election and is hereby returned as the APC gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi, Inya said.

Mbam, in his post-election speech, thanked the delegates for the peaceful election and for finding him worthy to bear the partys governorship flag in the 2023 general election.

The former RMAFC chairman promised to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming general elections.

I thank party members and delegates from the 171 wards in the state for finding me worthy to fly the partys flag.

I want to assure you that I will not disappoint you, I will carry this flag to victory; I want to assure you that in 2023, APC will emerge winner in this state.

I want to thank you for the peaceful conduct of this primary and I want to say with full humility and honour that I accept this mandate happily.

We will all work together to lead the party to victory not only in the gubernatorial election but also in all the elections, Mbam said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

Source: NAN News

Rafael Nadal recorded his 300th grand slam match win by easing into the third round of the French Open, beating Corentin Moutet in straight sets on Thursday.

The King of Clay is in search of a record-extending 22nd major title at Roland Garros, where he was dethroned by Novak Djokovic last year.

On this evidence, Nadal is in the form to re-establish his dominion of the tournament.

He overcame a spirited home hope, who enjoyed the benefit of vocal support from the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday evening.

Nadal will see room for improvement having failed to serve the match out in the third set, but a 6-3 6-1 6-4 win was never in doubt.

The tone for a procession was established when Nadal raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set, and Moutets dream of playing his idol soon appeared to be turning into a nightmare.

Nadal won the second set in commanding fashion behind an excellent first serve, but found Moutets resistance more stern in the third.

That spirit was exemplified by Moutet breaking Nadals serve with the Spaniard ahead 5-3.

However, Nadal immediately responded in kind, dominating Moutet from the back of the court.

He wrapped up a landmark victory when the Frenchman sent a lob long at the end of an entertaining rally.

Nadal will face Botic Van De Zandschulp in the third round.

Data Slam: Nadal 107-3 opponents

As well as being his 300th grand slam match win, Nadals triumph was his 107th at Roland Garros.

He has still only tasted defeat in Paris three times.

The fifth seed won all 11 of his first-serve points in the second set of another impressive display.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Nadal 27/22
Moutet 16/24

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Nadal 1/2
Moutet 0/3

BREAK POINTS WON
Nadal 7/12
Moutet 2/4 (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Olawale Alabi

Source: NAN News

By Rotimi Ijikanmi

The Federal Government says the conducive business environment created by President Muhammadu Buharis administration has led to formation, flourishing of more than five indigenous blue chips companies.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Thursday during a media tour of the five-million tonnes per annum (mtpa) BUA Cement Factory in Sokoto.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister is touring the facility in company of more than 30 journalists drawn from the print, electronic and social media.

The minister said the blue chips businesses included the BUA Cement Factory being inspected and the 2.5 billion dollar Dangote Fertilizer Plant expected to produce three million tonnes of Urea every year.

Others are the Dangote 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery due to open later in the year, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, one of the most modern sea ports in West Africa and the 5,000 barrels per day Modular Refinery in Ibigwe, Imo.

Mohammedsaid the indigenous business ventures established or whichbecame flourished during the tenure of Buhari were stable, profitable, long-lasting and safe for investments.

All these projects are beneficiaries of the conducive business environment created by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, under the auspices of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

PEBEC has implemented more than150 reforms since 2016, as well as the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020) Nigerias most significant business legislation in three decades, he said.

Specifically, the minister noted that the conditions that made BUA cement to flourish since 2015 when the Buhari administration assumed office included the pioneer status granted to the company.

According to him, the ban on importation of cement, governments divestment from the cement industry and backward integration policy helped the company to flourish.

Thanks to these conditions, BUA Cement has recorded a 300 per cent increase in production between 2015 and now.

Thats from 3.5 million Tonnes per annum in 2015, to 11 million tonnes per annum presently.

For its part, the Sokoto plant is operating at over 90 per cent of installed capacity.

Because of its location, which is just 100 kilometers to Niger Republic, the plant exports to Niger and Burkina Faso, earning Nigeria much needed forex, he said.

Mohammed, however, clarifiedthat only excess of the cement production were exported, especially during the raining season whilemajority of the product were for local consumption

He said the cement factory produced all year round, loading between 250 and 270 trailers per day, while the plant had 700 trucks fordistribution of its product.

The three million tonnes per annum line (IV) of the BUA Cement facility that we have just visited was commissioned by Buhari in January this year.

This is one of the most modern cement plants anywhere.

The plant is the first cement plant inNigeria to use Liquefied Natural Gas to generate 50MW of power, thereby, replacing coal in its kiln.

This has made the plant environmentally friendly to also curb climate change, he said.

Mohammed said the plant was also a job creator with 443 permanent members of staff and, together with all other ancillary jobs, totaling 10,000 workers.

He commended the Chairman of BUA Cement, Alhaji Abdul-Samad Rabiu and his entire team for their undying belief in Nigeria.

Corroborating the ministers position, the Managing Director of BUA Cement, Mr Yusuf Binji said the factory, which foundation was laid by Late Sir Ahmadu Bello, started production in 1967 with installed capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes per annum.

He said as at 2015, before the Buhari administration took over power, the installed capacity of the factory was 3.5 million tonnes per annum.

Binji said following the conducive business environment created by Buharis government, the company as at 2022 had grown to installed capacity of 11 million tonnes per annum.

He said of the total 11 million tonnes annual installed capacity, five million tonnes of cement was produced in Sokoto factory while six million tonnes was produced in Edo state.

This is a 300 per cent increase over the last seven years and it is by no means a small increase.

We have invested close to two billion dollars in this Sokoto factory alone and today, we are the second largest cement manufacturer in Nigeria with about 25 per cent market sharing, he said.

According to Binji, BUA Cement is one of the biggest companies listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of N2.4 trillion as at March 2022.

He, on behalf of the chairman of the company and other management staff thanked the Buhari administration for its vision and the minister for the visit. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

Source: NAN News