By Oluwafunke Ishola

Lions Club International says it has impacted over 274 million people globally as of February 2022 through its various interventionist health, environment and empowerment programmes.

The clubs former International Director, Mr H.O.B Lawal, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos during the Lions Day celebration with the theme: NGOs Impact on Global Health.

According to Lawal, Africans account for 15.4 million of the 274 million people reached by the club, adding that 3.12 million people were served in the areas of diabetes disease interventions.

He said that 1.2 million were reached with childhood cancer interventions, 12 million were served with vision programmes, 2.56 million for hunger relief; environment accounted for 2.57 million, while youth empowerment accounted for 4.7 million.

The above narratives are just a summary of the impact of one NGO (the Lions of MD404) on Health in Nigeria.

This, therefore, leads us to the conclusion that the scope and intensity of global health challenges are so enormous that no single country or agency can work alone to meet them, he said.

According to him, the theme of the event is apt, considering the plethora of COVID-19 induced deaths and health challenges bordering on poverty and hunger.

Here in Nigeria, apart from COVID-19 induced challenges, we have also experienced the seemingly intractable Boko Haram insurgency and other social unrest like kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, cultism, in the last 10 years, he said.

To contribute to shared global health objectives, Lawal said NGOs should partner with various international agencies and institutions to shape, fund, implement and evaluate global health policies and programmes.

Also, Mrs Omolola Anobili, Multiple Council Chairperson, Lions Club, said that Lions collaboration with the UN dated back to 1945 when Lions leaders assisted to develop the UN NGO Charter.

Anobili said that since then, both organisations have cooperated on many humanitarian ventures including Sight First and the School-in-a-Box programme.

According to her, the club had served humanity for over 100 years in areas like sight preservation and restoration; measles eradication, diabetes awareness, pediatric cancer, among others.

She said that the club would continue to be a beacon of inspiration, hope, and a supporter that makes a difference in the communities and lives of people globally.

Prof. Wale Oke, Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said that global health focused on research and practices that prioritise health improvement, reduction of health disparities and protect against global threats that disregardnational borders.

Oke noted that global health emphasised problems that transcended national budget, but had political and economic impact globally.

He noted that in 2020, Lions Club in different countries assisted with COVID-19 response through the provision of medicine, foods and relief packages.

According to him, the club donated N5 million to the Lagos State Government COVID-19 response against the pandemic.

Oke noted that NGOs in many countries had become alternatives to public sector service delivery and brought solutions to longstanding development issues arising from governments inefficiencies.

Similarly, Dr Memunat Esan, Cluster Consultant, World Health Organisation (WHO), Lagos Office, said that Lions Club had partnered in several WHO programmes on sight prevention, childhood cancer, among others.

Esan said that the club had given about seven million dollars in grant to establish pediatric eye centres in several WHO regions, noting that 46 of such centres were functional globally.

Also, the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said that no government had the resources to undertake all its developmental projects.

Salako-Oyedele commended Lions Club for its strides in improving access to healthcare for citizens, noting that Ogun state had benefited immensely from its medical outreach and interventions.

She added that the state would strengthen its partnership with the club to make life easier for its people. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

The parents of a Scottish garage owner said they found out their son was fighting in Ukraine after he failed to meet them at the airport on their return from holiday.

Adam Ennis, 35, from Biggar, southwest of Edinburgh, has reportedly left Scotland to join 50 men from around the world to defend the streets of Kyiv.

His father Brian, who was in Thailand with his wife and daughter for three months, told BBC Scotland it was a shock to discover their son had gone to fight.

Adam was due to pick us up at the airport, he said.

But his friend picked us up instead.

His friend wasnt going to say anything until Adam spoke to us.

So we were not aware until he phoned us that evening. He was already in Ukraine at a camp.

Adam Ennis has no military experience, but his father said he knows how to handle weapons and is a crack shot.

Ennis said he was worried for his sons safety but also proud of his decision to go and support Ukraine.

As any parents, you never want to see a loved one in any danger, and it has caused us a lot of anxious nights.

We are worried, but he has done it for the right reasons. He hasnt done it for glory, he is not silly. He is a level-headed person and when he got there he said he had no regrets, he said.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that any Scot wishing to fight should think carefully about what we can do to support Ukraine that is actually helpful and meaningful.

She has previously said she would not encourage people with no military experience or training to go and fight.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has also urged Britons not to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting as he said the very dangerous situation could lead to them being killed.

He said there were better ways to contribute to the security of Ukraine. (dpa/NAN) ()

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says former Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra is currently in its custody undergoing interrogation after his arrest on Thursday.

Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFFC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

He said Obiano who arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, was brought to Abuja on Friday morning.

The EFCC spokesman said the former governor had not been released as being speculated in some sections of the media.

The former governor is currently in our custody undergoing interrogation and I can not say exactly when he will be released. I dont know how long the exercise will take.

All I can tell you now is that he is still in the EFCC custody in Abuja, he said.

Uwujaren further clarified that he was not aware of the arrest of the wife of the former governor, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, as also being speculated in the media.

NAN reports that Obiano was arrested by the EFCC on Thursday night, hours after his handover to the new Anambra governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

Source: NAN News

By Deji Abdulwahab

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) says it plans to build a befitting edifice that will house art works and visual artists in order to enhance art exhibition and revenue generation.

The Director-General of NGA, Mr Ebeten Ivara, made the disclosure on Thursday at the maiden International Art Fair in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Art Fair was organised by the NGA in collaboration with the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA).

Ivara said that the edifice would help in housing the national collection and hosting events such as the International Art Fair.

According to him, this will project Nigerian art, satisfy local and international art enthusiasts and ultimately generate good revenue for the government.

Indeed, since I assumed office, I scaled up efforts towards getting a gallery edifice for NGA.

I wish to state clearly that Nigeria is one of the few countries in Africa and in the world at large that do not have befitting edifices as their national galleries of Art.

The result is that most of the art works in our national collections are kept in un-conducive environment. This situation cannot continue.

I am determined to ensure that NGA gets a befitting edifice at the shortest possible time.

Besides having a conducive environment to display our art works, visual artists will now have alternative spaces to exhibit their work, he said.

According to the director-general, government will begin to make money as fees will be charged visitors who come to view the art works.

He added that a sculpture garden will be available for sculpture to do their work.

Ivara, who commended the SNA for its contribution towards the completion of the harmonised NGA Establishment Bill, said that the bill would be re-presented to the National Assembly for re-enactment.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who declared the art fair open, urged stakeholders in the creative sector to replace oil revenue earnings with earnings from arts, crafts and the creative sector.

Mohammed, who was represented by Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), said oil will finish one day. So, we need to replace oil with arts, crafts and creative sector

The minister praised the NGA for exhibiting and promoting local content.

Let me first and foremost commend the organisers of the exhibition which is very explanatory on its own to show the strength of our people in terms of creativity.

In every part of the world, there is a special window to sell all of these art works.

Most people dont see the artists but what they see is the good jobs and money transmitted to them which is what we are planning to do now, he said.

According to him, this first international art exhibition is to set up the platform and to make sure that we are promoting local content.

You can see everything that is exhibited here is produced in Nigeria by Nigerians, the minister said.

The President of SNA, Malam Muhammed Suleiman, described art as visual and everything people see.

He urged the participating students to take it seriously as it helps in employing many people in the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Women Agro Processors Agricgen and Exporters Initiative (WAPA-GEIN) has urged the Federal Government to modernise and transform the nations ports management system.

The President of WAPA-GEIN, Mrs Esther Adebayo, made the call at the inauguration of the Initiative and National Export Centre, on Thursday, in Abuja.

I am of the opinion that the Federal Government should not be decongesting the ports in Nigeria, but engage in transforming them.

This must start with the cleaning up of administrative bottlenecks; most of which are unnecessary with multiple government agencies at the port, high transaction cost, or even plain extortion from illegal taxes, which do not go into the coffers of the government.

Nigeria should rapidly modernise and transform its ports. Ports are not there for equipment revenue generation. They should be for facilitating business and exports, and stimulating industrial manufacturing, and competitiveness of local business and exports.

Papers and other documents are to be forwarded on Internet to other country of destination, and according to the sector operators.

The cost of exporting 100 tonnes of cargoes in Nigeria is 35,000 dollars compared to 4000 dollars in Ghana.

Today, the leading ports for West Africa are in Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic. All these countries have modernised their Port Management Systems, leaving Nigeria far behind, she said.

She also emphasised the need for the Federal Government to increase the training and employment of extension workers and other supportive services to boost increase in agricultural production.

We must unleash the potential of the youths of Nigeria. Today, over 75 per cent of the population is under the age of 35.

More decisive actions are needed to turn this demographic asset into an economic dividend.

A young productive, youthful population with access to education, skills, social protection, affordable housing, and medical care will power Nigerias economy now and well into the future.

We must move away from the so called youth empowerment programmes. The youth do not need hands out.

They need investments. Agro business is well loaded with millions of job creation for the youths.

Adebayo urged state governments to establish farm settlements, clusters of agro producers including women and youths.

She also enjoined the three tiers of government to work together to promote operation feed yourself by helping households to access information, and inputs that would encourage them to produce food around their houses to feed their families.

According to her, sustainable household food security is the bedrock of successful export business.

With sharp focus, relentless execution, fairness, equity, public accountability and transparency, we shall drive for a much better and economically stronger Nigeria.

Earlier, Dr Funmilola Daudu, the Chairperson, Planning Committee of the event, said the initiative would develop a better agricultural and business management practices.

This will result in improved competitiveness, productivity, income, gross marginal yields for smallholder farmers and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises.

She stressed the need for increased women potential to participate in high level businesses that could foster high level empowerment, job creation and social development in their communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Women Agro Processors, Agricgen and Exporters Initiative (WAPAGEIN) is a non-governmental and not-for profit organisation established to promote agric businesses, entrepreneurships, youth and women development careers.

WAPAGEIN is a network of agribusiness marketing professionals from across Nigeria with chapters located in the six geopolitical zones including the FCT. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kelechi Ogunleye

Samson Karebo, Acting Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), says fire fighters are exposed to Post Traumatic Disorder Syndrome (PTDS) due to their experiences on the job.

Karebo said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

The controller said that the personnel across the country are exposed to high hazards as first responders to fire emergencies.

The degree to which our men are exposed to hazard on a daily basis each time they combat fire or are out on a rescue operation is phenomenal.

From the field, we have had reports of exposures of our men to what can trigger PTDS.

In some cases, they get away with serious respiratory challenges, near death explosions of gas cylinders among others, he said.

The Ag.CGF said that the hazards do not only affect efficiency but destroys productivity, hence the need to improve staff welfare.

According to him, for a fireman to risk his life, stay up round the clock attending to life threatening situations without a commensurate reward system is flawed.

He advised citizens to desist from buying petrol in gallons, storing in cars and homes, as this could lead to fire outbreak.

Nigerians know the hazards attached to fuel storage so they should buy the fuel quantity ready for immediate use and need, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Usman Aliyu

Dr Joan Osa-Oviawe, Edo Commissioner for Education says the basic education reform in the state has improved the literacy and numeracy of pupils in public schools.

Osa-Oviawe made this claim on Thursday in Benin while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The commissioner said that the reform tagged Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) 1.0, which was launched in 2018 by Gov. Godwin Obaseki administration, was very holistic in its process.

Osa-Oviawe said the reform covered all areas of management of education system; building the capacity of the non-teaching staff that managed the education system.

According to her, over 11,000 teachers in the state were trained on pedagogy and provided with tablets for effective teaching.

Osa-Oviawe said that in Edo today, kids in Early Child Care Development Education (ECCD) III through the primary 1-3 classes could read effectively.

The commissioner said this was a sharp contrast to the situation at the inception of the reform, where pupils in primary 6 could hardly read.

Before we started EdoBEST, we did pupils diagnosis, and discovered that time, that a lot of our kids were behind grade level.

Some were in primary 6 and did not know how to read, Osa-Oviawe said.

She said that the reform had resulted in positive impacts on literacy as a result of the huge investment.

We have also standardised the lesson plan.

Prior to the EdoBEST 1.0, every teacher in our primary school system wrote his/her lesson plan and it was never clear whether those lesson plans conformed with the dictate of the national curriculum.

So, by centrally designing lesson plan for every class level, it became clear that we are able to standardise quality and ensure that the curriculum is covered, she said.

According to her, by introducing technology, we are able to track teachers attendance, track their preview; how much time they spent previewing.

This is because a teacher who is not prepared cannot teach effectively and that helps a great deal to sanitise our system.

Technology also removed the human factors to a large extent.

With the introduction of this technology, I can put on the dashboard in my office and see school by school, teacher by teacher, who is in school and who is not, she said.

She said that the decision about sanctioning of a teacher is no longer reliant on the report of the head of the school; it comes from my office, and the governor also has access to the dashboard.

The governor used that to summon me in the past to ask some specific questions about a school.

Because teachers are now more in schools, they are now teaching more; pupils are also now coming to schools because school is becoming more exciting.

Teachers were taught new classroom management techniques; new method of pedagogy; delivery method at emboldening, empowering and transforming the learners, Osa-Oviawe said.

The commissioner, who is a former Executive Chairman of the state Basic Education Board (SUBEB) stated that the reform had been expanded to junior secondary education due to its success. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Deborah Coker

The National Agency for the Prohibition in Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has rescued no fewer than 17,443 survivors of human trafficking since its inception in 2003.

The Zonal Commander, Benin Zonal Command comprising Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, Mr Nduka Nwanwenne, disclosed this on Thursday at a sensitisation programme in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo.

Nwannwenne also said that the agency had secured no fewer than 502 convictions since it came into existence.

He said that the sensitisation programme was to seek the collaboration of traditional institutions in combating the menace of human trafficking.

The zonal commander said that the sensitisation programme would be carried out in two other communities in the state.

He said the programme was organised in collaboration with the lawmaker representing Bekwara/Ogbudu/Obanliku Federal Constituency in Cross River, Mr Legor Idagbo.

He told the people that the traffickers always came under the guise of helping their victims seek better opportunities abroad.

Nwanwenne said that the victims, mostly transported abroad through illegal and dangerous means, were often left traumatised.

Some others even die before they get to their destination, he added.

He lamented that some parents even forced their children to embark on such journies not knowing the inherent danger involved.

The reason for this advocacy is to create awareness of the danger of illegal migration and human trafficking because most victims have come to say they never knew before embarking on the journey.

They come to the victims with the notion that Europe or their destination is where you pick money on the streets only to end up using them as slaves, prostitutes or drug peddlers.

It will interest you to know that the victims do not benefit from this menace as much as the traffickers.

This is why we have come to you, our traditional rulers and parents, to let you know that we must all come together to stop this menace.

Lets spread the news against human trafficking in our communities, he said.

The zonal commander further disclosed that 20 states including Edo have set up task forces against human trafficking and illegal migration, and urged the remaining states to do so.

Responding on behalf of the chiefs, the Aigbedion of Benin Kingdom, Chief Godspower Irorere, said that the advocacy was an eye opener to most of them.

He urged the agency to carry ou the programme in more communities across the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sylvester Thompson

Dr Yemisi Asagbra, the Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos, says indigenous technology offers significant opportunities for Nigerias economic transformation.

Asagbra, who said this at the ongoing 2022 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) expo on Thursday in Abuja added that it could to some extent create opportunities for global competitiveness.

She said that indigenous technologies could offers significant opportunities for transformation if those technologies were improved and standardised through the deployment of STI.

She noted that as a developing economy, Nigeria was better positioned in growing its economy and compete globally if the country looked inwards to develop science, technology and innovation (STI) in specific areas of comparative advantage.

According to her, with a focus on small and medium term enterprises, businesses could be developed around these technologies which will foster national innovativeness, create employment and generate wealth.

The FIIRO director-general said that FIIRO was home to Nigerias indigenous technology and the readiness to industralise the nation was its mission.

Asagbra said researchers of the institute were all about value addition with an increasing urge to contribute to national growth and excellence.

She enumerated various investment opportunities available in FIIRO via mechanised cassava processing technologies, cereals and legumes, fish and meat processing technology among others.

Asagbra said training programmes were also available in cassava flour production, instant pounded yam flour production, bread and confectionery baking among others. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Maureen Okon

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for humanitarian no fly-zone to stop Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.

Zelensky made the call while addressing U.S. Congress on Wednesday via webinar from Ukraine amid Russian attack on Ukraine on multiple fronts.

He said that when he sees the war in Ukraine he remembered Sept. 11, adding that the war declared on Ukraine is a terror that Europe has not seen in 80 years.

Zelensky also called for aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons from the U.S., saying right now the destiny of our country is being decided.

U.S. should sanction all Russian politicians and all companies must leave Russian markets flooded with our blood, he urged.

He said that for the U.S. to be the leader of the world was also to be the leader of peace.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Zelensky was addressing the U.S. congress he showed a graphic video on the current situation in Ukraine that war has ruined.

NAN also reports that many Nigerians and other nationals have fled Ukraine into nearby countries since Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine.

The Nigerian Government approved the release of 8.5 million dollars for the immediate evacuation of at at least 5,000 Nigerians fleeing the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone to Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News