By Emmanuel Afonne

One of Nigerias popular musicians, Oladapo Oyebanjo, popularly known as Dbanj has advocated the use of intellectual property as collateral for obtaining bank loans.

A statement issued on Friday, by Chief Damian Okoroafor, Dbanjs Manager, quoted the artiste as saying this in Abuja, at the inauguration of Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Banks Women and Youth Export Fund (WAYEF) platform for easy access to funds.

Okoroafor quoted Dbanj as saying that the creative industry was a bigger exporter of Nigerian products than the countrys crude oil and as such it deserved all the attention it needed to enable it grow.

Our creative industry is a bigger and better export than the oil industry. So, there is the need for more access to stress free funds for those in the creative industry, using their intellectual property as collateral.

When you look around the world, one of our biggest exports is the creative sector, thanks to our music, movies and photos.

So, WAYEF is another opportunity to fully throw some weight behind the creative industry, through capacity training or access to funds, Okoroafor quoted Dbanj as saying.

It would be recalled that Dbanj, had on March 26 rewarded five young talented Nigerians, in different fields, with one million naira each to develop themselves.

He extended the gesture through his foundation CREAM Platform, Nigerias premiere creative reward platform, supported by Heritage Banks YNSPYRE Initiative.

The monthly reward comes through draws organised for participants wishing to develop their talents in the creative industry. The next edition of the draws is scheduled to hold on April 30. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Olukayode Babalola

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has reiterated his administrations commitment to sports development in order to positively engage youths in the state.

Sule stated this when he hosted members of National Super Bike Clubs Association of Nigeria who paid him a courtesy call in his office, on Friday in Lafia.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Alhaji Othman Bala-Adam, thanked members of the association for the visit, assuring them of a fruitful stay in the state.

My administration remains committed to harnessing youths sporting potentials and tackling restiveness in the state.

I appreciate your decision to choose Lafia for your maiden Super Bikes Clubs competition and assure you of my support.

This is a timely initiative and a call for investment in others sporting areas, he said.

The governor expressed confidence that with the blueprint on diversification of sports, the state would soon be a sporting hub and attract investments across the country.

President of the association, Gomes Adebowale, expressed appreciation to the governor for hosting the association and allowing it to host the competition in the state.

Nasarawa has lots of sporting potentials, as the governor has recorded monumental strides in sports development.

We decided to orgainse the competition in the state to create awareness and promote sports generally, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition will hold on April 3. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Leonard Okachie

A total of 101 athletes from Abia will be competing in 16 sports categoriesat the 2020 National Sports Festival in Edo.

The Abia Director of Sports, Mr Isaac Ogbonnaya-Isaac, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia shortly before the team departed for Benin on Friday.

He said that the contingent also included 13 team managers, 17 coaches and 20 officials.

The director said that the athletes would compete in weightlifting, wrestling, kung fu, taekwondo, karate, kick boxing, para-power lifting, para-athletics, deaf athletics, darts, boxing, table tennis and others.

He said that the team set a target not to go below the fifth position, adding that Abia was expected to excel in at least 10 of the 16 categories the athletes would compete in.

He said, Our expectations are very high because we are a force to reckon with.

We are going to a sports festival that has suffered so many postponements; as a result, the interest of other states will be very high.

Our state is to be counted among the other states that have performed creditably well on the medals table.

Mr Friday Ikpoha, the Permanent Secretary, in the states Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, told NAN that the state government funded the team.

He said that the team was moving into Edo adequately prepared.

He hoped that the team would win gold and silver medals.

Earlier, Ikpoha, while addressing the athletes, charged them to go for victory, assuring them of proper remuneration.

He charged them to be disciplined and good ambassadors of the state.

The Team Abia Captain, Kalu Eke, promised that the athletes would do the state proud.

NAN reports that all the athletes and those going with them were vaccinated against COVID-19 before their departure. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Officials from Tehran and Washington will travel to Vienna next week as part of efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers.

Although they will not hold direct talks, diplomats said on Friday.

Even without face-to-face talks, which Tehran has ruled out, the presence of both Iran and the United States in the Austrian capital would mark a step forward in efforts to bring all sides back into compliance with the accord.

The aim was to reach an agreement within two months, said a senior official with the European Union, the coordinator of the deal.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to violate some of the pacts nuclear restrictions.

His successor, Joe Biden, wants to revive the accord, but Washington and Tehran have been at odds over who should take the first step.

Iran and the U.S. will be in the same town, but not the same room, a European diplomatic source said.

A Western diplomat said a shuttle diplomacy approach would be adopted.

The talks will seek to create negotiating lists of sanctions that the U.S. could lift and nuclear obligations Iran should meet, the EU official said.

Those lists should marry at some point.

In the end, we are approaching this in a parallel way; I do think we can do it in less than two months, the official said.

He was speaking after Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain all parties to the 2015 deal held virtual talks on Friday to see how to progress.

Aim: Rapidly finalise sanction-lifting and nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures, Irans Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter.

No Iran-U.S. meeting; unnecessary, he added.

An Iranian official said the U.S. Iran envoy, Rob Malley, and National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, would be in Vienna, but insisted there would be no direct or indirect meetings between Iranian and American officials.

U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment.

If we dont get there in two months we will see what happens, but it will be definitely bad news, the EU official said.

Under the accord, the U.S. and other economic sanctions on Tehran were removed in return for curbs on Irans nuclear programme to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon an ambition Tehran denies.

German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, said it was good that talks were resuming, but time was of the essence.

An agreement that is once again fully respected would be a plus for security for the entire region and the best basis for talks on other important issues of regional stability, he said in a statement. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

A Taiwan express train, with almost 500 aboard, derailed in a tunnel on Friday after hitting a truck that had slid down a bank onto the track.

The accident killed at least 50 passengers and injuring 146 in the islands worst rail disaster in seven decades.

Images from the scene showed some carriages ripped apart by the impact, with others crumpled, hindering rescuers in their efforts to reach passengers.

By mid-afternoon, no one was still trapped, though the fire department said it had found body parts, meaning the number of those killed, who included the driver, was likely to rise.

People just fell on top of one another, a woman who survived the crash told domestic television.

It was terrifying; there were whole families there.

Taiwans government said there were 496 people on the train, including 120 without seats.

Many were tourists and people heading home at the start of a traditional long weekend holiday to tend to family graves.

One French citizen was amongst the dead, officials said.

The train was travelling from Taipei, the capital, to the south-eastern city of Taitung.

It came off the rails north of the eastern city of Hualien after hitting a truck that had slid off a road from a nearby construction site, Feng Hui-sheng, the Taiwan Railways Administrations deputy director, told reporters.

Feng said the manager of the site, which was stabilising the mountainside to prevent landslides, visited around 9.00 a.m. (0100 GMT) and stopped his truck in front of the site office.

At present, it is suspected because the vehicle wasnt braked properly, it slid for around 20 metres along the site access road and entered the eastern trunk line, he added.

The official Central News Agency said the Police had taken in the manager for questioning.

The fire department showed a picture of what appeared to be the wreckage of the truck beside the derailed train, with an aerial image of one end of the train still on the track next to the construction site.

Survivors described their terror as the train slammed into the truck and ground to a halt.

It suddenly came to a stop and then everything shook, one of them told local television.

It was all so chaotic.

Passengers in some carriages still in the tunnel had to be led to safety, the railway administration said.

Images showed an injured passenger carried away on a stretcher, with her head and neck in a brace, while others gathered suitcases and bags in a tilted, derailed carriage as some walked on the trains roof to exit the tunnel.

The accident occurred at the beginning of a long weekend for the traditional Tomb Sweeping Day holiday.

Taiwans mountainous east coast is a tourist destination.

The railway that snakes down from Taipei hugs the coast and is known for its tunnels, in one of which the crash took place.

The link to Taipei opened in 1979.

Taiwans state-owned railways are generally reliable and efficient but have had a patchy safety record over the years.

The last major crash was in 2018 when 18 people died and 175 were injured when a train derailed in the islands northeast.

In 1948, 64 people are estimated to have died when a train burst into flames in northern Taiwan. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Leonard Okachie

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, has said that the use of thugs during elections portends great danger to the nations democracy.

Kalu said this on Friday, while inspecting the ongoing construction of the two-kilometer Akama and Ugwuavor Roads in Arochukwu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the road was one of the 19 constituency road projects the lawmaker attracted to Abia North Senatorial District.

He spoke against the backdrop of last Saturdays Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency bye-election, which was reportedly marred by thuggery and violence.

He called on Nigerians of good conscience and believers in democracy to condemn thuggery in its entirety in the nations political system.

What happened in Aba was a shame to our democracy because thuggery is not part of democracy.

It should not be tolerated. It should be condemned by every well-meaning Nigerian. It is not the right thing to do in a democracy.

Even security operatives were overwhelmed by what happened, he said.

He said that he never resorted to thuggery during his administrion as governor of the state.

Kalu, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the party allowed it and conceded defeat because we value human life.

He, however, said that the party had learnt its lesson from the experience and would not allow it to happen again.

The former governor (1999 2007) also decried the post-election protest by a cross-section of Ukwa/Ngwa nationality of Abia against his political influence in the area.

Reacting to the protest, Kalu said: They should rather protest against bad roads, governments inability to pay workers salaries and pension.

When I was governor, I never owed salaries and pension.

People should demonstrate against governments failure to provide the dividend of democracy for the citizenry.

He recalled that as governor, he provided free education and healthcare for the people.

He contended that roads built in Aba by his administration had dilapidated due to the lack of maintenance.

I challenge the state government and political office holders in the state to show proof of what they have done for their people.

Sen. Chris Adighije, who was part of the project tour, paid glowing tribute to Kalu for the numerous constituency projects he had attracted to his people in barely two years in office.

Adighije said: It is unusaual and unprecedented for a senator to build roads. I wish that the people will not take this for granted.

I was once in the National Assembly and never in the history of Nigeria had any senator been able to attract this level of infrastructure to his constituency.

Prominent indigenes of the area, including Dr Mike Ukoha, representing Arochukwu State Constituency, the Group Managing Director of AITEO, Mr Ike Okoronkwo, and renowned politician, Mr Nnanna Ugwu, thanked Kalu and APC-led Federal Government for the road projects.

Kalu was received by visibly excited and appreciative natives, especially youths, who accompanied him round the tour, dancing and making merry.

NAN reports that Kalu also inspected work on the ongoing construction of the two-kilometer Itumbuzo-Bende Road. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh

The Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has ordered adequate deployment of police personnel across the country to ensure hitch free Easter celebration.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Mba said the order was in line with the commitment of the force to ensure crime free Easter celebrations nationwide.
He called on all State Commissioners of Police (CPs) and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) to ensure total security of all public spaces and critical national assets.

Adamu said the deployment would involve both covert and overt operatives, and other operational assets to areas of security interest within the Areas of Responsibilities (AoRs) of the CPs and AIGs.

They are also to ensure confidence boosting, proactive and high visibility patrols are carried out along the highways, motor parks, train stations, airports, worship centres, banks and other financial institutions.

Adequate measures must also be taken to provide a peaceful, crime free and enabling environment for religious, cultural and other socio-economic activities to thrive, he said.

The I-G also directed CPs and their supervising AIGs to ensure proper supervision of the men assigned for these assignments.

According to him, they must be professional and courteous to law abiding citizens but firm and ruthless to criminals.

To this effect, the I-G Monitoring Unit and X-Squad have been given marching orders to monitor and police activities of police officers policing the highways.

This is to ensure respect for the rights of citizens and operational conformity with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Rules of Engagement (RoE) of the Force, he added.

The I-G felicitated with Nigerians, particularly, the Christian community on the commemoration of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He commended Nigerians for their support and called for continuous cooperation with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies by providing timely information that would help in the prevention and detection of crime.

Adamu pledged that the police would continue to do all within their powers to ensure safety and security of Nigerians. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Rita Iliya
Niger State Government has assured communities of Bassa, Zumba and others in Shiroro and Munya Local Government Areas under siege by bandits that the Joint Military Taskforce Bases in the area have not been deserted.

The statement by the state government is coming amid fears that the taskforce camps were been deserted and security agents leaving the communities after the recent invasion of military base in Allawa during which six soldiers and a Mobile Policeman were killed.

Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger, who decried the deadly attack and killing, urged the communities to remain calm as the security agents have retreated to re-strategise and not left them completely.

The Military have evacuated the corpses of the gallant officers who died in the faceoff with the bandits and have retreated for a while to re-strategise. They have not left or abandoned the communities, he assured.

He said the increasing banditry and kidnapping in some parts of the state calls for constant re-strategising, stressing that government and the security agencies have remained steadfast and would ensure that the criminals are eliminated.

The Governor commiserated with the Military, the Nigeria Police Force and the communities affected by the activities of the bandits over the death of the six security agents and all the people killed in the area thus far.

The presence of the security agents in the areas have, most recently, frustrated activities of the bandits before the invasion of the military base in Allawa.

The bandits, numbering about 200, attacked the military base, killed six soldiers and a Mobile Policeman, burnt down the base before moving into the communities where they also killed seven people and abducted several others. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ahmed Abba

The Commander, Sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole, Brig.-Gen. Adamu Nura, has appealed to journalists to prioritise Nigerias national interest in their reporting.

Nura made the appeal, on Friday, while hosting members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who paid him a courtesy visit in Damaturu.

National interest is more important than any other interests, including public interest; because when you protect national interest, public interest will automatically be covered, he said.

He, therefore, enjoined journalists to always cooperate with security agencies, to protect the national interest in their reporting and avoid giving any form of publicity to terrorists.

Security is everybodys business, without security nothing can be achieved. he said.

He added that the sector was ready to build the capacity of journalists within its jurisdiction, in order to have a harmonious relationship and effective coverage.

Nura added that his doors were open for journalist to report to him any issue that would assist the command in its effort to end insurgency.

The NUJ Chairman, Yobe state council, Mr Rajab Muhammed, commended the Nigeria Army for its relentless efforts at restoring peace in the state.

He also emphasized the need for the army and journalists to strengthen the synergy between them for effective and smooth operation.

Muhammed also appealed to the Army to invest in building the capacity of journalists, being on the front line of the war against insurgents.

The chairman said the state council of the NUJ would soon organise media games, that would incorporate the army public relations unit to symbolise restoration of peace in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Ariwodola Idowu

Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has lauded the military for its plans to establish a Defence Space Communication Satellite Centre in the state.

Fayemi said this while receiving Chief of Defense Space Administration (DSA), Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda in his office in Ado Ekiti.

Mr Olayinka Oyebode, Chief Press Secretary to the governor said in a statement on Friday in Ado Ekiti.

According to him, the governor said the benefits of the initiative to the state was enormous, adding that the state could not afford to miss the opportunity.

Fayemi said that his administration was working towards establishment of a Knowledge Zone where about 1,500 hectares of land has already been procured, adding that the proximity of the satellite centre to the zone was an added advantage.

What I can assure you is that for us, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that this works.

Anyone who has seen the benefit to which institutions like NASA had been put to beyond military utilisation will understand the reason why the State must embrace the initiative.

The military had always been a pioneer in scientific development. The internet came from the military and other big time initiatives have always come from the military.

So if we have an institution that is dedicated to utilising information from space in order to aid our security and also research and development, there is no better place to have it than Ekiti.

At the moment, we are almost finalising, even for our own security here in Ekiti, he said.

Fayemi added: Weve recognised the use of technology and one of the things that weve been doing lately with the office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Air Staff is to get their support for end-users certificate for Orbital Drones.

The Orbit Drones had just been procured and fits into your initiative and hopefully, our vision is that these drones would be produced locally on the basis of the work that you have already embarked on.

Earlier, Kayoda said his command was mandated to drive the military aspect of the state requirements to provide space products in support of operations of the armed forces along with other security agencies to protect the Nigeria cyber space through the Cyber security Centre.

He also commended Fayemi for his various efforts aimed at tackling security challenges facing the nation saying the peculiarity of Ekiti topography helped in the choice of the state for the project.

According to the Chief of Defence Space Administration, the benefits accruable to the state from the project would include employment of over 300 civilians from the state as well as opportunity for the state to host the dedicated satellite military base.

He said the satellite military base would control all armed forces satellite or orbital presence, thereby allowing for more military presence in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News