By Patricia Amogu

The Federal Government has urged more private sectors, corporate organisations and government outfits to embrace green bond projects that will develop the economy and reduce global warming.

Hajia Halima Bawa-Bwari, Director, Department of Climate Change, made the call during a one day
stakeholders engagement on the green bond implementation program organised by the Ministry of Environment in Abuja.

Bawa-Bwari, represented by Mr Jonah Barde stated that the meeting was initiated as a sort of sensitization to everyone including federal outfits to understand better how they could embrace green bond projects.

We also want to access the progress made so far on green bonds. The Federal Government so far has issued two sovereign green bonds to the private sector between 2017 to 2018.

The Federal Government Green Bond Policy is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement,
Nationally Determined Contributions,
as well as Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, she said.

Bawa-Bwari said that the green bond was in line with the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Its goal is to reduce the emission of the green house gas that causes global change, to reduce global warming.

MDAs should come up with activities that are sustainably viable, she said.

Daminabo Emmanuel,
Team Consultant, said the stakeholders engagement was with the objective of bringing together the sovereign and the private sector segments of the market to discuss.

The Federal Government so far has issued two green bonds. Implementing the projects requires creation of jobs for schools. Post implementation also helps to create jobs.

The project so far has helped to create jobs and there are taxes which are indirect returns for the government.

The green bond project is an open market, if the Federal Government borrows, it borrows to fund their projects, the projects create a lot of jobs and also grows the economy, Emmanuel said.

Mrs Bernadette Ejiofor, the Desk Officer, Climate Finance unit presented a paper titled Retrospective- Green bond issuance in Nigeria.

Ejiofor said that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) needed to make green their budgets and make them more viable for green bond issuances.

Nigerian Government taps into the growing markets for green bonds as part of funding its national development, the economic recovery and growth plan, and the targets in its nationally determined contribution.

We should take into cognisance the environmental criteria that would promote access to green bonds.

We are trying to create awareness, especially amongst the private sector to go ahead and explore the green bonds, she said.

Ejiofor added that if more MDAs would come up with environment friendly projects they could access more green bond issuances.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has reiterated its belief in the safety of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

This is contained in a communiqu signed by NGF Chairman and Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State at the end of 28th meeting of the forum held physically and virtually on Wednesday in Abuja.

The communiqu said that the governors deliberated on issues affecting the country, particularly on the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines and the attendant issues.

It said that Fayemi congratulated his colleagues for accepting to be vaccinated, declaring that so far the vaccines had not shown any signs of side-effects as widely speculated.

The communiqu added that the NGF COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group (CTAG) led by Prof. Oyewale Tomori briefed the governors on the status of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out across the states.

The CTAG notes the increasing concerns of the public on the safety of Astra Zeneca vaccines.

CTAG recommended that Nigeria should continue to vaccinate all eligible persons with the AstraZeneca vaccine in line with the latest WHO recommendations.

The group said that available evidence, including findings from research in which some CTAG members are involved show that the Astra Zeneca vaccine is safe.

Governors reiterated their belief in the safety of the Astra Zeneca vaccines and commit to continuously encourage uptake of the vaccines by all eligible persons in their states.

The governors also encourage the public to report any adverse effect noticed following COVID-19 vaccination, it added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Folasade Akpan

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says there was an increase in active internet subscribers from 151.5 million in the third quarter to 154.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.

It said this on Thursday in Abuja in its just published Telecoms Data: Active Voice and Internet per State, Porting and Tariff Information (Q4 2020).

According to the report, this represents a 1.84 per cent growth in internet subscriptions Quarter-on-Quarter.

The report also said there was a -0.32 per cent decrease in active voice subscribers in the Q4 from 205.2 million in Q3 to 204.6 million.

The NBS said Lagos State with 24.8 million had the highest number of subscribers in terms of active voice per state in the period under review, closely followed by Kano which had 12.6 million and Ogun 12 million.

However, Bayelsa with 1.45 million subscribers and Ebonyi with 1.81 million had the least number of subscribers.

Similarly, Lagos emerged the state with the highest number of subscribers in terms of active internet per state in Q4 with 18.9 million subscribers.

This was closely followed by Kano with 9.5 million and Ogun 9.08 million, while Bayelsa with 1.09 million and Ebonyi with 1.28 million had the least number of subscribers.

The bureau added that MTN with 146.11 million subscribers had the highest share of subscriptions for both active voice and internet.

This was closely followed by AIRTEL with 96.92 million subscribers, GLO 94.94 million and 9Mobile 20.04 subscribers, while Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS) recorded 800,044 subscribers. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Police killed two suspected bandits on Wednesday in Saminaka town, Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State and recovered five AK-47 rifles from them.

Police spokesperson in Kaduna State, ASP Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the incident in a statement he issued on Thursday in Kaduna.

Jalige said a combined team of security operatives, acting on a tip-off traced the suspected bandits to their location where they were planning to launch an attack on law-abiding citizens.

He said that upon sighting the security operatives, the suspects began to shoot sporadically at different directions.

Thisresulted in a fierce exchange of fire between the suspects and the security operatives, he said.

Jalige added that the suspects were overpowered; two were killed while several others escaped into the forest abandoning their weapons.

Five AK-47 rifles, one G-3 rifle,17 AK-47 rifle magazines, 1,658 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm AK-47 live ammunitions and one Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle were recovered during the operation, he stated.

There was no casualty on the side of the security operatives, he said, adding that the corpses of those killed had been deposited in a mortuary.

Investigation has since been initiated while concerted efforts are being intensified with the view to getting the injured and other fleeing bandits to face the full wrath of the law. Jalige added.

He urged residents of the area to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons with injuries to the nearest police formation. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Mmaduakolam Gregory, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Since the Nigeria Airways ceased operation in 2003, the country has not floated another national carrier. Nigerias international air transportation is therefore dominated by foreign airlines, while private airlines hold sway on the local routes.

An attempt was made in 2018 to float a national carrier. The Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika unveiled Nigeria Air, at Famborough Air Show, London.

Sirika who spoke at the occasion, lamented the absence of national carrier, stressing that government was determined to provide efficient air transportation in Nigeria.

However, till date, Nigeria is yet to float a national carrier.

For the domestic routes, Nigerians are equal to the task, as they dominate the local scene.

The airlines operating domestic routes are: Dana Air, Air Peace, Aero Contractors, Overland, Azman Air, Max Air, Medview, Ibom Air, Imo Air (managed by Dana), Arik, United Nigeria, among others.

Mr Allen Onyema, the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace said that the airline was floated in 2013 in order to boost air transportation in Nigeria.

Air Peace has 26 aircraft in its fleet with head office in Lagos.

Onyema explains that the airline operates domestic flights within Nigeria, as well as international flights within West Africa.

He said that Air Peace launched new routes in February 2021, namely: Enugu to Kano, Enugu to Asaba, Enugu to Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt to Kaduna, Ilorin to Lagos, Ilorin to Abuja and Ibadan to Abuja.

The airline recently launched the Lagos-Abuja-Makurdi route, which Onyema described as historic.

He said that before now, no airline operates commercial flights from Lagos or Abuja to Makurdi.

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue who commented on the development, said that it would lessen the sufferings people and inventors are going through particularly those of them that want to invest in the state.

He commended Air Peace management for choosing Benue for its flight operation, adding that it would be of great benefit to the people of the state.

Sen. George Akume, a former governor of Benue, said that the activities of the airline would boost economic development in the state.

Dr Obiora Okonkwo, in February floated the United Nigeria Airlines, which he said would operate in six cities: Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Asaba and Owerri.

Okonkwo said that investment in the aviation sector was to assist unite Nigerians, noting that the choice of Enugu as the operational base of the airlines was strategic.

Our short term goal is to consolidate. You can see we have a base in Enugu and we have to consolidate, establish all our routes and then work on expansion. We want to expand beyond Nigeria, starting from the West Coast, just for a start. We have a big plan.

The market is huge; there is need for a lot of aircraft. We have full load in all the routes we have operated.

I guess those who are in the business should be competing with us first. We should be the people they should be worried about, because we are new.

We think that within the next three months, we shall be able to expand our routes, he said.

Cecilia Oguama, Airport Manager at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, noted that Enugu was the right route to launch into the market, given the traffic.

She said the airport was crucial to the economy of the South-East states, adding that the airport which was the only international airport in the geo-political zone had increased import and export opportunities for business owners.

According to her, the traffic in and out of the airport has increased tremendously.

We are now having between 6,000 and 7,000 passengers weekly.

Before COVID-19, we had less than 1,000 passengers traffic, because we had only one airline then. In 2019, we only had Air Peace operating, but now, we have four others operating regularly, including United Airline.

We have close to eight flights daily and United Airline has made Enugu their base, so they would enjoy tremendous support from the airport, she state.

Mr Victor Michael, an aviation regular passenger, said that participation of private airlines in the nations aviation sector was a good development.

He called on the Federal Government to continue to provide enabling environment in order to attract more investors.

An aviation expert, retired Group Capt. John Ojikutu, described as good development the participation of private individuals in the aviation sector, adding that they have big roles to play.

He identified lack of corporate governance in the operations and management of Nigerias domestic airlines as some of the reasons for the short lifespan of the airlines.

Ojikutu also said that poor business plans was another reason why private airlines do not last long in the sector.

According to the aviation expert, the sector requires a lot of financial investment in equipment and training, both in the public and private sectors, because of demands for investment on safety and security needed for the industry.

He disclosed that profit for the private operators is not always promising.

This is a sector where you invest dollars and you make cent profit, unlike the Nigerian businessmen who want to make dollars for investing in dollars.

Ojikutu said that for the sector to function effectively, the Federal Government must enact enabling laws that will make it mandatory for the operators to meet global standards. (NANFeatures)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with Government and people of Republic of Tanzania in mourning the passing of President John Pombe Magufuli, aged 61.

In a condolence message by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday, Buhari believed that Magufulis legacy of patriotism and dedication to the African course would continue to resonate across the continent.

The president said the late Tanzanian Presidents courage and love for his country inspired various reforms that generations would continue to celebrate.

He said such reforms included the challenging decision to reduce size and cost of governance, insistence on a people focused budget, with clear priorities on education and health, and consistently fighting profligacy and frivolities in public expenditures.

Buhari affirmed that the former Tanzanian leader spent most of his life serving the country and humanity, with a rich pedigree of working as a school teacher, and rising steadily in public service as Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister of Works and Minister of Works.

Late Magufuli was also Minister of Lands and Human Settlement and Minister of Livestock and Fisheries.

The president extended condolences to the family of the late visionary leader of Tanzania, his friends and associates, and all citizens of the country, trusting God to comfort them.

He prayed for repose of the soul of the deceased.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Justina Auta

House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions on Thursday urged the Federal Government to increase funding for the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) to improve service delivery.

The committees Chairman, Dr Paschal Obi, made the appeal when he led other members to the hospital on an oversight function to monitor progress made in some of its projects.

Obi said that more funding was required to improve the healthcare services and enable it live up to its status as a quaternary health facility, which provided an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine.

According to him, although the capital allocation to the hospital in 2021 is reasonable, there is need to increase it in the 2022 budget.

The Federal Government has been doing well, it has responded to recommendations we made after 2020 oversight activities.

This led to the significant increase in the capital allocation or capital appropriation to this institution.

We are also calling on the government to continue in that regard especially this institution, being a quaternary one, should have adequate funding.

It has capacity to generate manpower that will even service other institutions both tertiary and even the secondary and because of that adequate funding is needed in National Hospital Abuja, he said.

He also noted that members were not only responsible for making and passing bills or moving and adopting motions, but were also expected to ensure funds appropriated were judiciously utilised.

That is why we are here to look into the 2020 appropriation, especially the capital vote to this institution and how it has been able to manage it because we are sure that 100 per cent release was made, he said.

The Chief Medical Director, NHA, Dr Jaf Momoh, said the organisation needed more intervention in payment of outsourced services such as electricity, security and cleaners services, as well as indigent patients bills.

Momoh revealed that the hospital was classified as a quaternary health institution with the best trauma centre in the whole of West Africa.

So what that means is that this centre is serving to train all post graduate doctors for the whole of West Africa sub-region. That is what it means to be quaternary, it means for you to be better than tertiary.

So in trauma, we are better in terms of services and the facilities we have for training of manpower on ground, he said.

The CMD said that the hospital was working toward improving its 450-bed capacity to 700 beds and currently building the third ultramodern intensive care unit for infectious disease patients. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Mercy Omoike

Safety Professionals have called for more awareness and advocacy in promoting public safety in the country.

The experts under the aegis of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), Nigeria Chapter, made the call during the plenary session of its ongoing conference at Sheraton Hotel Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday in Lagos.

Deliberating on the conference theme Public Safety Awareness, Making the Difference Through Awareness, Intervention and Compliance they harped on the need to educate Nigerians on the efficacy of public safety practices.

According to Mr Ejike Okoli, Head, PD HSE, Nigeria LNG limited harped on the need to go back to the fundamentals of public safety.

To be honest we are at the infant stage in public safety practices in Nigeria. Looking at the safety culture ladder, it is clear that Nigeria is at the pathology and reactive stage of public safety.

We need to start thinking in the direction of how aware are Nigerians about public safety. A lot has to be done to create awareness on public safety starting from our primary schools.

We must put in our school curriculum behavioural-based safety approach. We must take individual responsibility to ensure public safety, it is all about behavioural change, Okoli said.

On his part, Mr Abiodun Kamil, a safety consultant, noted that Nigeria as a country has the instruments to drive public safety owing to the government agencies already put in place.

We must consider public safety culturally, we must domesticate the term as it refers to us. Public safety is the responsibility of all of us, we should change the paradigm,Kamil noted.

Also, Mr Amos Gwamma, Representative of the Magaji-Zango Karaf/Java Federal Constituency, called on Nigerians to be proactive in public safety practices.

We consider the area of awareness creation as regards public safety. When you see something, say something and do something. We should have the culture of reporting safety breaches.

Our system needs to be overhauled completely to achieve public safety.

A new legislation needs to be looked into as regards public safety. We also need enforcement of public safety laws, Gwamma said.

According to Mrs Monica Nwosu-Uzoma, one of the participants at the plenary session, said that enlightenment on public safety should begin from our homes and communities.

The truth is that we are at the crawling stage as regards public safety. People do not even comply with simple non-pharmaceutical protocols to prevent COVID-19 spread.

For example the average market woman does not believe that there is need for public safety. As professionals, we need to create awareness and enlightenment on public safety.

Public safety is real and we need to take responsibility, Nwosu-Uzoma said.

Mr Dapo Omolade, the Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Group, called for compliance and awareness creation of public safety laws.

The Lagos Safety Commission has been existing for about 10 years but most Lagos residents are unaware of it. If compliance instrument are not in place, we cannot achieve public safety.

The government must put in place structures to ensure compliance on public safety. We need to do a lot of advocacy on public safety in Nigeria because our people are ignorant of it, Omolade said.

NAN reports that the ASSP Professionals would publish a communique on public safety at the end of the Two-day conference.

Source: NAN News

By Okon Okon

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr Adedeji Zacch as the Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) for an initial term of four years.

Buhari made the announcement in a statement on Thursday by Mr Willie Bassey, Director of Information, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The statement said that Zacchs appointment was in accordance with the provision of Section 5 (1) of the National Sugar Development Council (Establishment Act, 1993).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Zacch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Accounting and Masters degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun.

He also holds Executive Certificate in Economic Development from Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Boston, U.S. with fifteen years experience as Chartered Accountant.

Until his appointment, Zacch had served as Corporate Affairs Manager (West Africa), Procter and Gamble Company, Lagos, and Commissioner for Finance, Oyo State, from 2011 to 2015.

Mr President enjoins Zacch to serve the nation with all sense of responsibility, honesty, diligence and promote good governance in the discharge of his duties, it said.

According to the statement, the appointment is with effect from March 10. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Mercy Omoike

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the Nigerian Chapter, have called for the promotion and improvement of public safety in the country.

The group made the during its 8th Professional Development Conference (PDC) at the Sheraton hotel Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.

The conference with the theme Public Safety: Making a Difference Through Awareness, Intervention and Compliance addressed the need to tackle public safety issues in the workplace and at home.

Presenting the keynote address at the conference, The Group Managing Director Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, represented by the GM Group Health, Safety Environment and Quality, Hussain Ali, commended the groups consistent efforts to promote public safety in the country.

It is my honour to be part of this milestone event of the ASSP Nigeria Chapter. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a more important time to focus on public safety than now.

ASSP has a key role to play in ensuring public safety through adopting safety measures and thoughtful practices that help in safeguarding best safety practices in the industries and society at large.

The current global health emergency of COVID-19 pandemic requires continuous awareness creation and compliance to non-pharmaceutical protocols such as wearing a facemask, frequent hand washing etc. among the preventive measures against the virus, Kyari said.

According to the NNPC GMD, Public health and safety play a vital and diverse role in our economy, well-being and social lives.

NNPC has over the years recognised the importance of promoting best safety practices across all its business operations.

I would like to commend the efforts of the ASSP leadership for organising this conference which will provide new safety improved measures for public and workplace safety.

On his part, the Managing Director, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Mr Tony Attah, represented by NLNG GM External Relations, Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams also harped on the need for public safety at all times.

The century has witnessed great innovations and technological advancement and needs to be deliberate about public safety.

Against this background it behooves on people who are drivers of technological innovations to develop and sustain safety cultures that shields people, assets, and the Environment from danger.

We all have the responsibility to ensure our safety and the safety of others around us, the safety of the assets we use and the safety of our environment.

We must all step up to take accountability for safety and to show care to each other by ensuring we do the right thing all times. We can all be safety champions who will not risk anyones life or cause harm.

We are expected to evaluate the safety challenges that confront us daily, Attah noted.

In her welcome address, The ASSP Nigeria Chapter President, Mrs Mercy Omoifo-Irefo, noted that the promotion of public safety will in turn yield development in the country.

It is emphatic to state that safety has to be established before rapid development, hence we need to drastically move from being informed and progressive in our various organizations following safety laws and regulations.

Safety awareness is still very low and needs to be addressed. Our existing laws and regulations need to be implemented, existing enforcement needs to be addressed and other possible measures we may come up with at this gathering.

It is our collective responsibility as professionals to brainstorm on possible ways to make a difference through awareness programme like publication, media, training etc.,Omoifo-Irefo said.

In an online address, Deborah Roy, the ASSP President lauded the Nigerian chapter on its excellence in promoting public safety in comparison to other chapters across the world.

The Nigerian Chapter of ASSP, is one of our societys most active and engaged chapter of all our chapters all over the world.

Public safety is very important following the event of the Covid-19 pandemic, Roy said.

NAN reports that present at the conference were safety professionals from both the private and public sector. (NAN)

Source: NAN News