The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, OPEC , announced that it would stick to existing plans for a modest oil increase of 400,000 barrels per day.

The Organisation said on Wednesday that it would take effect from April in spite of surging crude prices.

OPEC reconfirmed the decision to adjust upward the monthly overall production by 400,000 barrels per day for the month of April 2022, according to a statement released after the 26th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting.

The 23-member oil alliance noted in the statement that the current volatility in the oil market is caused by geopolitical developments rather than changes in market fundamentals.

Current oil market fundamentals and the consensus on its outlook pointed to a well-balanced market, it said.

Meanwhile, oil prices have jumped to multi-year highs in recent days as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict prompted fears about supply disruptions from Russia, a major oil exporter.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at 103.41 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest settlement since July 2014, while Brent crude closed at 104.97 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange, the highest finish since Aug. 8, 2014.

The International Energy Agency announced earlier on Tuesday that its member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to ease any supply shortfall caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

However, analysts say the move has failed to ease pressure on oil prices with continued oil rallies on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Both WTI and Brent crude shot above 110 dollars a barrel on Wednesday.

In July 2021, OPEC agreed to rise oil output by 400,000 barrels per day each month to gradually unwind the production cuts made at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The oil-producer group has since been sticking to the plan in spite of calls from top consumers, including the U.S, to further boost supplies to rein in soaring oil prices amid demand recovery and geopolitical tensions.

OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo on Tuesday said that OPEC will remain proactive, nimble and attentive to changing market conditions.

The global oil demand is projected to rise by 4.2 million barrels per day in 2022, Barkindo said. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: NAN News

By Ibrahim Kado

The Adamawa Government on Tuesday launched Sexual Offenders Database (SOD) to ensure quick dispensation of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases in the state.

Speaking during the event in Yola, Justice Afraimu Jingi, Attorney-General and commissioner for Justice in the state said the database would help to give information about the number of times sexual offenders commit the crime.

According to him, with the database in place, there will be no hiding place for offenders as it is linked to the national register and can be accessed by all Nigerians so that offenders can be named and shamed.

He added that in line with the desire of the state to ensure violence-free, peaceful and prosperous society, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law on Aug. 30, 2021.

Im pleased to announce that full implementation of the VAPP law has started culminating in the launch of the sexual offenders database today.

The sexual offender database was designed and created with support from the European Union Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme, he said.

Hapsat Abdullahi, the Adamawa coordinator of RoLAC, commended the ministry of justice for its doggedness in ensuring the VAPP law came to fruition in the state upon which the launch of SOD rests.

According to her, the launching of SOD will provide succor for survivors of SGBV and will also serve as springboard upon which perpetrators will be brought to book.

Abdullahi said with the launch of the database, Adamawa was among the few states in which the database was in operation.

She thanked the chief judge of the state for the creation of four special courts where only SGBV cases are adjudicated, noting that such will ensure efficient and effective dispensation of SGVB matters in the state.

In his remarks, the Chief Judge, Justice Nathan Musa, lauded RoLAC for making Adamawa a trail blazer in the north east.

Musa who was represented by Justice Hafsat Abdurrahman said the launch would provide succour for the survivors of SGBV.

He called on investigating institutions to ensure diligent investigations for speedy dispensation of justice for all and sundry (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kelechi Ogunleye

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has generated N587.92 million from Private Guard Companies (PGCs) and related activities in 2021.

The NSCDC Controller General, Ahmed Audi, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during the World Civil Defence Day, celebrated on March 1 annually to create awareness on importance of civil protection and preparedness.

The theme of the 2022 celebration is Civil Defence and Management of Displaced Population in Face of Disasters and Crisis; Role of Volunteers and the Fight Against Pandemics.

He said that the money generated was remitted to the coffers of the Federal Government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CG issued operational licenses to eight PGCs during the event.

Audi said that the licensed PGCs were meant to support regular government security agencies with intelligence to curtail the spate of insecurity in the country.

He also said that in less than a year, the PGC Department of the Corps had renewed 752 licences and sealed 81 erring companies.

The Corps is presently carrying out the process of digitisation of the PGC Department for improved operational efficiency and productivity in the Private Security Industry.

The Department is also coordinating biometric data capturing of all private guards, while pressing on operators to make staff welfare and training its priority, he said.

The CG also pointed out that the dangerous trend by bandits to kidnap school children led to the establishment of the Safe School Initiative.

The Corps did a vulnerability survey of schools in Nigeria and has prepared a framework of proactive security measures to be taken towards addressing the dangerous trend of attack on schools in the country.

The survey identified 81,545 registered schools in Nigeria, about 44,297 of this number are Private Schools while 37,248 are Government Owned/Public School

Out of this figure, 35,112 are located in urban areas while 47,115 are located in rural areas. Also identified in the survey are 22,398 schools with perimeter fencing and 58,967 without perimeter fence, he sai

The NSCDC boss further revealed that only about 17,164 schools have a form of physical security presence with largely untrained personne

About 62,271 schools have no form of security presence, he adde

The CG commissioned 45 operational vehicles, including six ambulances and one Armoured Personnel Carrie

NAN reports that cheques worth millions of Naira were presented to families of deceased NSCDC officer

Awards were also presented to deserving officers and men of the Corps who excelled in different field

The Corps also launched its first newspaper, named The Defender. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Naomi Sharang

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has urged the Federal Government to domesticate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Director-General of the institute, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, made the appeal at a one-day stakeholders dialogue in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Sulaiman said that this was to provide the enabling environment for gender-inclusive trade engagements.

He also called on the government to domesticate the Buenos Aires Declaration.

The theme of the dialogue was; Gender and Womens Economic Growth: Implementing the Buenos Aires Declaration in the Context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The event was jointly organised by NILDS, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative (WADHI).

Sulaiman said that gender mainstreaming in free trade agreements was becoming an increasingly common practice.

This involves including provisions to address the specific needs of women and implementing agreements with gender-sensitive policies, he said.

The director-general said the preamble of AfCFTA recognised the importance of gender equality for the development of international trade and economic cooperations.

AfCFTA was created to promote trade and regional integration and development among African countries in line with the Africa Union (AU)s Agenda 2063 Goal of an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.

Article 27 of the Protocol on Trade and Services addresses the need to improve womens export capacity.

This provision targets women entrepreneurs and aims to ensure that they are not left behind in the process of trade liberalisation, Sulaiman said.

He said the Buenos Aires declaration (2017) on women, trade and economic empowerment committed its signatories to collaborate on making trade and development policies more gender-responsive.

Sulaiman said the legislature had an important role to play in ensuring the implementation of those agreements and also in addressing challenges that women and women-led businesses, faced in trade agreements.

Declaring the event open, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said that women had an important role to play in trade.

Lawan, who was represented by Sen. Saidu Alkali (APC-Gombe), called for more support for women engaged in various trades.

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

The Federal Government with the support of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has evacuated 128 more Nigerians from Libya under its continuous evacuation exercise.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Kabiru Musa, the Charge d Affairs, Nigerian Mission in Libya on Tuesday in Abuja.

They departed from the Misrata Airport, Libya on flight UZ0289 MRA and are expected to arrive the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

The Nigerian Mission in Libya under the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is engaging the Libyan authorities to ensure the evacuation of stranded Nigerians, he said.

Lamenting the situation of the stranded Nigerians in Libya, Musa said the Nigerian government would continue with the evacuation until no Nigerian is left behind.

The evacuated Nigerians include men, women and children who have been victims of human trafficking, forced labour, prostitution amongst others.

We have been on a constant engagement with the Libyan authorities and even checking detention camps to ensure no Nigerian is left stranded.

A lot of them have expressed willingness to return home but cannot because of how they were trafficked irregularly.

And, that is why the Nigerian government with the assistance of the IOM is doing everything possible to get the back home.

We have officials on ground in Nigeria who are waiting to receive them to help reintegrate them into society and reunite with their families.

This is our second evacuation within one week, we have carried out series of others in the past months and we will continue to carry out more until no Nigerian is left stranded in Libya, Musa said. (NAN) ()

Source: NAN News

By Felicia Imohimi

A veterinary doctor, Bala Muhammed, has urged the Federal government to establish veterinary laboratories for disease investigation in all abattoirs across the country to ensure effective diseases surveillance and public health service.

Muhammed, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blueblood Veterinary Service, a Nongovernmental Organisation (NGO) made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He described no availability of laboratories in abattoirs as major challenge to veterinarians and public health scientists.

According to him, viable laboratory is requiredin abattoirs to nip in the bud zoonotic diseases threatening public health in the country.

For our work to make the right impact in abattoirs we need laboratory services to stay ahead of animal-to-man transmission of diseases.

We need to install viable laboratories in our abattoirs for accurate and timely diagnosis of zoonotic disease.

We need empirical evidence to proceed with diagnosis and treatment, not to depend on physical examination of animals before slaughter.

Priority should also be given to setting up of standard veterinary laboratories across the country in order to stay ahead of infectious diseases particularly zoonotic diseases.

The only way to achieve this is thorough examination of animals and animal products for food in a viable laboratory before passing them for human consumption.

Therefore, it is strategic that we install laboratories in abattoirs foreffective public health services, Muhammed said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Solomon Asowata

Chinese technology company, Hauwei Technologies on Tuesday said it had developed an intelligent pipeline monitoring system to help tackle crude oil theft in Nigeria.

Mr Li Wei, Director of Huawei Nigeria Enterprise Business, made this known at a news briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Wei said: Huawei-developed fiber vibration intrusion warning system uses Artificial Intelligence to identify intrusion scenarios accurately.

With high identification precision, accurate positioning, and quick response, it will help to ensure pipeline safety and reduce theft and vandalism.

According to him, Huawei will continue to support the digital transformation of Nigerias oil and gas industry by developing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions.

Faced with the ongoing volatility of international oil prices, Huawei believes that the digital transformation of Nigerias upstream sector is a top priority.

In response to the strategy proposed by the Nigerian government and oil companies, Huawei promotes the digital oilfield Internet of Things and Exploration and Production storage solutions.

This will help oil and gas companies to achieve real-time visualised production, improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, and optimise production resource allocation to improve oilfield production.

Wei said in additionto providing high-quality ICT solutions and services, Huawei actively support the Nigerian government in building a talent ecosystem.

He said the company had signed ICT academy agreement with more than 110 universities and schools and had trained more than 1,000 civil servants and 40,000 young students in Nigeria.

We hope to build a strong talent base camp to promote Nigerias digital economy development, Wei added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ruth Oketunde

A former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed concerns over the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, saying the development portends a bleak future for the country.

Ezekwesili was speaking at a zoom meeting on Tuesday to mark the third anniversary of the UK-based charity, known as IA-Foundation.

She lamented that Nigerias future looked bad with about 13.2 million children currently out of school, saying that government must tackle the problem to forestall any fall out in the near future.

Recalling her tenure as a minister in 2006, Ezekwesili said that the number of out of school kids had doubled within a period of less than 16 years from 6.8 million to 13.2 million currently.

Quoting the 19th century French poet and essayist, Victor Hugo, she said that he who opens a school closes a prison door.

She said that the Federal Government ought to focus on meeting Sustainable Development Goal Four, which targets increasing access to education.

Speaking on Impacting Lives, Ezekwesili noted that Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, two of Africas most richly endowed nations, have the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.

She recalled that during her time as minister, she had involved the private sector in an initiative called Adopt-a-School, to get everyone involved in making school attractive for children.

Within one year 600,000 more children got enrolled in schools. But the initiative was short-lived, due to non-continuation in governance, she said.

According to her, the middle class should not leave the education of the populace to the government alone. Everyone should be involved.

Also speaking, a Cleric, Mr Itua Ighodalo, said that there was lack of commitment to pushing mass literacy in the country.

Ighodalo, however, cited what he described as serious efforts being made by the governments of Edo, Lagos, Anambra and Kaduna States to give education to the populace.

He also lauded IA-Foundation for its commitment to tackling the out-of-school problem, saying that posterity would remember current efforts of the group.

An education advocate, Ms Zuriel Oduwole, urged the Federal Government to adopt measures to open education access to every citizen.

Oduwole said that the fastest method to develop the country was to provide education for everyone, especially the girl-child.

She pleaded with stakeholders in the country to work assiduously to reduce the high number of out-of- school children in Africas most populous nation.

The annual IA-Foundation charity is an initiative of Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, a chartered accountant, based in London, England.

The foundation has been providing amenities in some communities in Southwestern Nigeria, including Makoko, a slum settlement in the Lagos heartland. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Folasade Akpan

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has inaugurated a 14-member team to serve as its Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council.

A statement issued bythe AfCFTA secretariat on Tuesday said thatProf. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu andMs Jane Ezirigweof Nigeria are part of the team.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is the Special Advisor to the President of African Development Bank (AfDB) on Industrialisation.

He is a globally respected leader in the field of development economics, where he has contributed immensely to the social sciences of urbanisation and human settlement, industrialisation and economic development.

Dipeolu is the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Economic Matters, while Ezirigwe is a research fellow at the Nigerian institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) with research interests focused on food and agriculture, law, human rights and development.

According to the statement, one of the key mandates of the AfCFTA agreement is the promotion of industrial development through diversification and regional value chain development, agricultural development and food security.

This is imperative given the low levels of investments in industrial production, which is also a major contributor to the low percentage of intra-African trade.

Africa has 17 per cent of the global population and fastest-growing middle class but only accounts for 2.1 per cent of global trade and three per cent of the worlds Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It is against this background that Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene convened a brainstorming workshop to discuss the matters of trade and industrial development, which led to his proposal to constitute an Advisory Council.

The council is to provide advice on trade integration and transformative industrialisation as part of the implementation of the AfCFTA.

It added that the recent Summit of Heads of State and Government in February endorsed the proposal.

Other members of the council include Dr Arkebe Oqubay, a Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Dr Rob Davies, former South African Minister of Trade and Industry; Dr Taffere Tesfachew, former director of the Division on Africa and Least Developed Countries, UNCTAD.

Prof. Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa; Dr Celestin Monga, visiting Professor of Public Policy at Harvards Kennedy School of Government; Amb. Magda Shahin and Prof. Caroline Ncube are also part of the team.

The council also has as members, Prof. Fiona Tregenna, Dr Stephen Karingi, Dr Gainmore Zanamwe, and Prof. Faizel Ismail who served as Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and recently authored a book titled AfCFTA and Developmental Regionalism.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AfCFTA is the worlds largest free trade area and is expected to boost trade among African countries.

All African countries except Eritrea have signed on to the framework agreement, with 41 of them ratifying it. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Yakubu Uba

The Chairman Board of Trustees of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Alhaji Kashim Imam, has said that no fewer than 10,000 projects and over 30,000 trainings were done for staff of various tertiary institutions.

Imam, made this known on Monday in Maiduguri during a TETFund/FIRS Joint Interactive Forum with the theme: Improving Education Development Tax (EDT) Collection in the Post Pandemic Era.

According to Kashim, the projects are either completed or ongoing like auditoriums, laboratories, lecture theatres in 226 tertiary institutions across the country.

Last year alone, we designated 12 universities as centres of excellence and we funded those universities to the tune of N12 billion that is one billion each to fund research.

We replicated that with six polytechnics and six colleges of education. These are in addition to various other interventions, Kashim said.

Kashim said the interactive session was designed to put heads together with personnel of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) who are responsible for the collection of education tax and also an opportunity for the fund to give account of itself.

In his speech, the Chairman of FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami, who spoke on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected revenue generation affecting TETFund, assured that things have started improving.

Nami who was represented by Mr Kabir Abba, the Director Tax Operating Group, FIRS, spoke on major innovations to improve revenue collection and assured the service support to TETFund to deliver on its mandate.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Maiduguri, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, represented by Prof. Mohammed Laminu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, lauded TETFund for its support to tertiary institutions, adding that without the fund many institutions would have been crippled.

We dont know where we (institutions) we will be without TETund. We really thank government for TETFund, Shugaba said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlight of the occasion included testimonies by some lecturers who benefitted from TETFUND training.

There was also the presentation of paper on TETFund activities by Mr Erivwo Innenne, the Director Strategic Planning and Development in TETFund who represented the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro. (NAN)

Source: NAN News