By Oluwafunke Ishola

The Lagos State Government says it will create more awareness for the states one thousand days nutrition programme to enhance the health and wellbeing of babies in the state.

Dr Bunmi Iwayeni, the Assistant Director, Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), made this known on Thursday in Lagos.

She spoke during an advocacy visit of Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) to the boards office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the first thousand days, which is from conception to second birthday of a child, was considered critical to the wellbeing and development of babies with long lasting benefit throughout their life.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of infants life, followed by the introduction of complementary foods from six months with continued breastfeeding until two years or beyond.

Iwayeni said that the first one thousand days of a childs life offers a unique window of opportunity for preventing under-nutrition, promoting health and development of children.

According to her, the programme will be a holistic process that will require more focus and funding and expected to start in 2022.

She said that promoting awareness of the significance of the first one thousand days would assist to entrench good nutrition as a norm in the society.

Iwayeni said that the board had been promoting breastfeeding, complementary feeding, food fortification and healthy diets for babies in the state.

She said the state government was passionate about promoting nutrition among its residents, adding that the Lagos State Food and Nutrition plan would assist the state to achieve its goals.

Also, Dr Ibrahim Mustapha, Permanent Secretary, LSPHCB, said that achieving optimal nutrition status for all residents with particular emphasis on vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, women, and the elderly, was the priority of government.

Mustaphasaid that the board would work on improving the budget timeline for nutrition toward creating more impactful programmes.

He commended CS-SUNN, saying that its activities align with the states goal to promote nutrition, health and wellbeing of its residents.

Earlier, Dr Modupe Akinyinka, Lagos State Coordinator of CS-SUNN, appealed to the board to increase its funding for nutrition programmes.

Akinyinka said that CS-SUNN had been at the forefront of advocacy of good health, reducing malnutrition, ensuring accountability and implementation of nutrition policies and plans in Nigeria. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ijeoma Okigbo

Nigerias female cricket team is optimistic of a good outing at the Kwibuka T20 tournament in Rwanda, coach Onome Oghenekevwe says.

Oghenekevwe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the team was in high spirits ahead of the six-nation tournament.

NAN reports that Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria and hosts Rwanda have been grouped into two for the tournament which begins on Sunday.

We are all in very high spirits. The players are ready and we are also trying to harmonise and analyse all information we have gotten about our opponents.

This tournament is a form of preparation ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Womens World Cup Qualifiers in September.

At the end of this event, we would have gathered lots of experience and exposure as well as notice our weaknesses and strengths and prepare better for the qualifiers.

So, it is a challenging test for us, considering the countries we facing, but we are not going to rest on our oars. We hope for a good outing, the coach said.

Nigeria are in Group B and up against Kenya and Namibia, who are ranked 22nd and 23rd according to the ICC rankings released in April.

We are going to take it one game at a time. The other teams are ahead of Nigeria who are 41st on the world table.

We respect them but we are not afraid of any challenge. The players have been preparing long before now.

Some of them participated in the South South Women League, the PwC Under-17 national tournament as well as the National Sports Festival, all in the last few months.

So, we are prepared and we believe that the competition will be a good test for us, Oghenekevwe added.

On her part, Agatha Obulor, vice-captain of the team, said the team were happy to be back and competing since the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are happy to be back together and we are in very high spirits ahead of the competition.

Our training has beenintense and we hope we perform better in Rwanda, Obulor said.

NAN reports that the team are expected to depart the country on Thursday for the event which begins on Sunday and will end on June 12. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

The government of embattled populist Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is to face a vote of no confidence on Thursday.

Babis was criticised for having a conflict of interest as a politician and founder of a business conglomerate, and he has been threatened with prosecution for fraud relating to EU subsidies.

He was also accused of failure in the fight against the coronavirus.

Representatives of five opposition conservative and liberal parties earlier on Tuesday announced that they planned to bring the motion.

A simple majority of all 200 members of parliament is required for a successful vote of no confidence.

The five parties together have 68 MPs, and additional votes were expected from right-wing MPs.

The attitude of the communist KSCM, which has not yet decided whether its 19 MPs will vote against the government or leave the chamber, is considered decisive.

Theres only been one successful no-confidence vote in Czech history.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote, President Milos Zeman has announced that the Cabinet would remain in office until parliamentary elections in early October.

According to a recent poll by the Median agency, Babis ANO party would only come second in an election, with 23 per cent of the vote.

The strongest grouping would be the electoral alliance of the Pirate Party and the Mayors and Independents party with 24 per cent. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region has continued to be one of the best places in the world in terms of environment, maintaining a stable environmental quality in 2020.

This is according to a report released on Thursday.

The water quality of major rivers and lakes remained good while the air quality of the region continued to be excellent in 2020, noted the report compiled by the regions ecology and environment department.

By the end of 2020, Tibet had built 47 nature reserves measuring a total area of 412,200 square km, which accounts for more than one-third of the regions total.

A total of 214 species of rare and endangered wild plants in the region were listed in the appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the report noted.

The report says that the majority of the protected animal species has seen a significant recovery in their population. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Cecilia Ologunagba

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an agency of the United Nations says plant diseases rob the global economy of more than 220 billion dollars annually.

A study supported by FAO and published on Wednesday, indicated that 40 per cent of global crop production is currently lost to pests.

The UN agency added that invasive pests cost countries at least 70 billion dollars annually.

The study further said that the invasive pests were one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss.

Species such as fall armyworm, which feeds on crops that include maize, sorghum, and millet, have already spread due to warmer climate.

Others, such as desert locusts, which are the worlds most destructive migratory pests, are expected to change their migratory routes and geographical distribution.

Movements like these threaten food security as a whole, and small holder farmers, as well as people in countries where food security is an issue, are among those especially at risk, the study said.

Speaking at the launch of the report, FAO, Director-General, Qu Dongyu said preserving plant health was fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustaining plant health is an integral part of our work towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems, Dongyu said.

The authors of the study found out that climate change was making pests which ravage important agricultural crops even more destructive, heightening threats to global food security and the environment.

The authors outlined several recommendations to mitigate the impact of climate change, starting with stepping up international cooperation, as effective management of plant pests in one country affects success in others.

As half of all emerging plant diseases are spread through travel and trade, improved measures to limit transmission, while adjustments to plant protection policies are also critical.

They also stressed the need for more research, and more investments in strengthening national systems and structures related to plant health.

The scientific review looks at 15 plant pests that have spread or may spread due to climate change.

Risks are increasing, the authors warn, with a single, unusually warm winter capable of providing conditions suitable for insect infestations.

The review clearly shows that the impact of climate change is one of the greatest challenges the plant health community is facing.

The study was prepared by Prof. Maria Lodovica at the University of Turin in Italy, along with 10 co-authors from across the globe, under the auspices of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, which FAO hosts.

The report is among the key initiatives of the International Year of Plant Health, which ends in June. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olayinka Olawale

The Lagos State Government says it has dislodged 10 more illegal slaughter slabs and animal markets in four different areas of the state.

The areas are Ayobo in Ipaja; Mangoro in Old Lagos Abeokuta Expressway; Maya and Odogunyan in Ikorodu.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, who announced this on Thursday in Lagos, said that the exercise was in continuation of the state governments sanitisation and reform of the red meat value chain.

Olusanya said that the goal was to produce wholesome meat for the consumption of the citizens.

She said that the exercise was carried out by officials of the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The commissioner noted that during the exercise, 34 animals and 4.5 tonnes of meat carcass were confiscated.

She noted that the confiscated meat carcass were subsequently donated to the Bab-Es-Salam Home, GRA, Ikeja; the Real Woman Foundation, Magodo and the Love Home Orphanage, CMD Road, Magodo, Shangisha, Lagos.

Olusanya said that confiscated live animals would be auctioned at the Mobile Court of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Office with all offenders duly prosecuted.

She stressed that there would be no option of fine to serve as deterrent to others.

During the week, officials of the MEC team of the state, dislodged four illegal slaughter slabs and animal markets at Ayobo-Ipaja, Odogunyan and Maya in Ikorodu, as well as Mangoro, on Old Abeokuta Expressway.

During the operation, 21 live rams, 13 live goats and well over 4.5 tonnes of meat carcass were confiscated.

The meat carcass, after being certified safe for consumption, had been donated to orphanages and correctional homes.

It has been observed that animals slaughtered at these illegal slaughter slabs are not inspected by veterinary officials, as a result, the wholesomeness cannot be vouched for.

Hence, the need for officials of the MEC team to continue the dislodgement exercise, Olusanya said.

The commissioner also urged people, who breed animals within their residence, to restrain and prevent their pets from roaming the streets, noting that such animals constituted nuisance to public health.

She said the team also destroyed the aesthetics created by the state government to beautify the city, adding that any stray animal confiscated by the MEC team would be auctioned.

She, therefore, urged all animal health practitioners, cold room operators and meat shop operators to registered with the Veterinary Services Department of the ministry and obtain appropriate license to operate within the state.

She said that quackery would not be tolerated in the red meat value chain. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismail Abdulaziz
The Aliko Dangote Foundation in partnership with Germanys VDMA (the German Association for Mechanical and Plant Engineering) and its Foundation for Young Talent in Mechanical Engineering (NWS) will train youths.

To this end, they have launched a technical training programme in Nigeria in a bid to significantly address the skill deficit in all the key sectors of the nations economy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the programme, the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote said that the landmark programme was a seven million Euro investment.

He added that a large percentage of the investment would be for the specialized, leading-edge equipment that has been shipped from Germany and installed in five workshops built for this programme at Dangote Academy in Obajana.

Dangote also said that the beneficiaries would be trained with the machines so they can learn practical transferable skills as they enter the work force.

This programme, according to him, is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and will be replicated in all the six geo-political zones of the country.

Noting that vocational and technical skills are key levers for economic growth, specifically in the manufacturing sector, Dangote said significant skills gaps exist in Nigeria, which is what this programme was seeking to address.

According to him: The trainees that successfully pass through the full vocational training will be prepared as well-rounded professionals. In addition to the technical training, they will also get personal effectiveness trainings of same quality as our staff.

Germanys minister for economic cooperation and development, Dr Gerd Muller, lauded the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA for the enviable programme that can transform and develop the economy of Nigeria.

He said his ministry has supported the initiative with 3.6 million Euro and would do more for the successful implementation of the initiative.

The VDMA past president, Dr Reinhold Fostge, stated that I am very happy that this has become reality eventually in Nigeria. We started six years ago. Four years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Nigerian German training project.

This programme is to raise the skill level of workers and make the youth employable. Our vision in VDMA is that, in future, we should be able to exchange highly skilled professionals between Nigeria and Germany and as a matter of fact, I have no objection to inviting Nigerian specialists to help me in Germany and vice versa

Meanwhile the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has enjoined both the Aliko Dangote Foundation and VDMA to consider citing the second training workshop in Lagos, with a promise to make funds available for the programme.

He said: I am truly excited to be part of this epoch and nation changing eventfor us in Lagos, I am happy to announce that we have six well maintained vocational training schools but we are going to not just talk here today, we are going to be making a public commitment that given what I have listened to now, we are not going to leave this to Dangote Foundation alone, we have to upscale our commitment.

We wont wait for him to replicate this in the six-geographical zones of the country. Lagos State will work with him and ask the VDMA what level of commitment is required from the state governmentto ensure that in no distance future, we can replicate and bring a full arm of the Dangote academy to Lagos State.

We do not want government bureaucracy to stall this, if it is to raise finance that is required, I can assure you that Lagos state is ready for that and why are we making this commitment?

It is because of where we see Lagos the amount of the teeming youth that we have in our country and our state. Lagos has continued to be the biggest economy in our country and even in Africa, and what this present to us is an opportunity to bridge that will help to significantly reduce the unemployment level in the state.

Congratulating the trainees, Dangote said: I understand that we chose only 120 of you out of over 4,000 applicants. This means you are smart, you are the best and the brightest, we believe in you, and expect great things from you. I urge you to make use of this wonderful opportunity and become productive for the well-being of our country.(NAN)
PR

Source: NAN News

By Folasade Akpan
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has concluded plans to establish its 500-bed African Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE) project in Abuja.

The bank said this in a statement on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.

According to it, the center will provide world-class care to both low and high-income patient groups across the continent.

It also said that it recently formalised its long-term collaboration with Kings College Hospital, London (KCH) on the project by signing an agreement appointing KCH as the Clinical Partner of the AMCE.

Construction of the Abuja AMCE is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2021 and commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

The AMCE will be implemented in four phases over a six-year period, starting off with a 170-bed specialist hospital before expanding to a 500-bed facility.

The bank said that the AMCE plans to offer a full range of medical services, such as diagnostics, treatment, nuclear medicine, surgery and post-surgical care, along with complimentary specialist services.

The specialist services would cover oncology, haematological diseases (including sickle cell and blood cancers) and cardiovascular ailments.

It would also offer education and clinical research services with a view to building leading talent and becoming a top tier quartenary-level medical facility.

It added that the facility would not only enhance access to healthcare services for 50,000 people every year, but also provide 3,000 jobs during its construction and operational phases.

Thus, in setting up the AMCE, Afreximbank aims to assist in the provision of quality healthcare, enhanced service offerings, training, expanded employment, conservation of foreign exchange in Africa and promotion of intra-African medical tourism.

The bank said that Nigeria was selected in 2017 as the host country for the first AMCE following a competitive bidding process in which Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania also participated.

It added that the four countries had previously been identified as prospective host countries by a pre-feasibility study commissioned by Afreximbank and conducted by KCH in 2015.

The statement said that the on-boarding of KCH was an important milestone, as it boasts almost two centuries of experience in healthcare service delivery and health systems strengthening.

It said that KCH would support the development of the AMCE in terms of clinical expertise and protocols, governance and administration support, facility and service set-up as well as recruitment, education and training.

Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said that the center was a landmark project for Africa, designed as an initiative under Afreximbanks Fifth Strategic Plan.

He added that with successful delivery, the bank would be well prepared to implement its continent-wide plan of developing a network of AMCEs across Africa and contribute its quota in improving the quality of lives of the African people.

According to him, the facility will tackle the rising burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, with general care capabilities that will serve the entire West African region and beyond.

It is a demonstration project that will trigger similar medical centres across the continent.

We are grateful for the significant support from the government of Nigeria and are pleased to have Kings College Hospital as our partners.

We look forward to benefitting from their world-class expertise in medicine, medical, research and training, he added.

Sir Hugh Taylor, Chair of KCH NHS Foundation Trust, said KCH had a long history of providing specialist healthcare locally, nationally and internationally.

We are proud to be extending our clinical expertise in services, such as haematology and cardiology to benefit the people of Nigeria, and Africa more generally.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the implementation of the project was also supported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

This is to ensure that the AMCEs services met the African Unions aspirations for healthcare delivery under its Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army says the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, have on Wednesday, inflicted heavy casualty on Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

The army also claims that more than 50 of the terrorists died in the encounter in Damboa, Borno.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, in a statement, said the operation was carried out in conjunction with Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai.

Yerima said the terrorists launched a futile attack on the town in multiple waves with Armoured Personnel Carriers and 12 Gun Trucks all mounted with Anti Aircraft Guns, as well as Locally Fabricated Armoured-plated Vehicles loaded with explosives and motorcycles.

He said the troops successfully defeated the attack, destroyed the locally fabricated armoured-plated vehicles and neutralised more than 50 ISWAP terrorists.

He said that the surviving terrorists were forced to run in disarray under heavy gun fire from the resilient troops and Nigerian Air Force attack platforms.

The so-called suicide bombers had to abandon their vehicles primed with explosives as they could not withstand the overwhelming fire power from the highly motivated troops.

Several weapons and ammunition were recovered from the depleted terrorists.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, congratulated the troops including the Air Component for this great achievement.

The COAS restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army in his leadership to ending terrorism and other violent crimes in the North East and the rest of the country.

He further enjoined the troops to sustain the ongoing offensive under Operation Tura Takaibango until the noble goal is attained, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh

The Police say no fewer than 84 suspects have been arrested for illegal manufacturing and distribution of vehicle number plates, kidnapping, banditry, robbery and homicide related cases.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba announced this at a news briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said some of the suspects were arrested for alleged gun running, illicit possession of weapons, unlawful possession of firearms and other offences.

Mba said the suspects, including three females were arrested in different parts of the country in April and May.

He said the arrests were major achievements recorded by the police key operational and investigative units, the Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad

He also said that the achievements had nothing to do with other landmark investigative and operational breakthroughs at the various zones and state commands across the country.

He said that 45 assorted firearms, consisting of one GPMG riffle, 17 AK-47 riffles, 20 locally fabricated AK-47 riffles, two pump actions and three single barrel guns were recovered from the suspects.

Mba noted that other exhibits recovered from the suspects were 9,899 live ammunition, consisting largely of AK-47 and GPMG live ammunition.

He said kidnap syndicates operating between the borders of Sokoto State and Republic of Niger were among the suspects.

Mba said the suspects had carried out several operations on both sides of the border.

He said that check revealed that the leader was also a convict from the Republic of Niger.

Mba said that two suspects, including a student of the University of Jos, were arrested over culpable homicide.

He said that three suspects were arrested for manufacturing and distribution of illegal vehicle number plates.

Mba said all the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation. (NAN)

Source: NAN News