UN-Secretary-General-Antnio-Guterres

By Harrison Arubu

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Saturdays deadly attack by gunmen that claimed 27 lives in the Republic of Niger.

The Boko Haram terrorist group reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, which left several others wounded and about 800 houses razed in the countrys Diffa Region.

Reports say the incident occurred hours before polls opened for municipal and regional elections across Niger on Sunday.

In a UN statement, Guterres expressed regret that the attack disrupted the elections in the Diffa region.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attackperpetrated by unidentified gunmen in Diffa Region, in Niger, on Dec. 12 in which at least 27 people were reportedly killed and some 800 houses burnt.

He expresses his deepest condolences to the bereaved familiesand the people and government of Niger, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.

The Secretary-General regrets that this barbaric attack disrupted the peaceful holding of municipal and regional elections in the Diffa region.

He reiterates the commitment of the UN to support national efforts to consolidate democratic governance, promote social cohesion and achieve sustainable development, it added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Fish Farm

By Okeoghene Akubuike

Fifty-three people have been trained in snail and fish farming to tackle unemployment and food shortage in Nigeria.

Mrs Grace Taiwo, Director of Communications, Xploits Consulting Ltd., an environmental and sustainability company, said the training was done by the company in partnership with Access Bank.

Taiwo said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that37of the beneficiaries were from Ado in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa, while 16 others were from Lokoja in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi.

She said that a multilateral approach was needed to address the dual challenges of unemployment and food insecurity in the country.

Taiwo said that agriculture would provide employment and income for the unemployed youths.

This will in turn provide food we need through increased production and ensure that agriculture is passed from one generation to the next.

Against the backdrop, Xploits Consulting Ltd., with the support from Access Bank Plc, initiated this agribusiness skills programme to provide technical knowledge for the community to improve their livelihoods.

The need for this programme is even greater, as the country is now in its second economic recession in four years, a situation linked to COVID-19, Taiwo said.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Enock Jiggah, commended the bank and the company for bringing the training to their doorstep.

Also, Mr Eneh Afamefuna, the Manager, Access Bank branch, Lokoja, urged the participants to take full advantage of the opportunities offered during the training.

Knowledge is power and information is essential, food will always sell, that is why we are supporting Xploits Consulting to train you in this area of fish and snail farming, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a congratulatory message to Joe Biden after the U.S. Electoral College confirmed the latter as winner of the U.S. presidential election, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

The Russian leader noted that U.S.-Russian bilateral cooperation would serve the interests of the whole world.

Russian Federation President Putin sent a congratulatory message to Joseph Biden on the occasion of his victory in the U.S. presidential election.

The Russian president noted that the Russian-U.S. cooperation, based on the principles of equality and mutual respect, would serve the interests of the two countries people and the international community, the Kremlin said in a statement.

According to the Kremlin, Putin wished Biden success and expressed confidence that Russia and the U.S., bearing a special responsibility for global security, can contribute to solving many problems and challenges that the world is facing.

I am ready for cooperation and contacts with you, Putin said. (ANI/Sputnik/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Dr Yemi Kale NBS Boss

By Folasade Akpan

The total value of capital importation into Nigeria stood at 1.46 billion dollars in the third quarter of 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says.

The bureau said this in its Nigerian Capital Importation, Quarter Three (Q3), 2020 report released on its website on Tuesday in Abuja.

The figure represents an increase of 12.86 per cent compared to Quarter Two (Q2) 2020 and -74.03 per cent decrease compared to the third quarter of 2019.

The largest amount of capital importation by type was received through other investment, which accounted for 43.75 per cent (639.44 million dollars) of total capital importation.

This was followed by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which accounted for 28.38 per cent (414.79 million dollars) of total capital imported and Portfolio Investment which accounted for 27.87 per cent (407.25 million dollars) of total capital imported.

Giving details by sector, the report said that capital importation by production dominated in Q3 2020 reaching 400.09 million dollars of the total capital importation.

The United Kingdom emerged as the top source of capital investment in Nigeria in Q3 2020 with 594.65 million dollars. This accounted for 40.69 per cent of the total capital inflow.

By destination of investment, Lagos state emerged as the top destination of capital investment in Nigeria in Q3 2020 with 1.208 million dollars. This accounted for 82.71 per cent of the total capital inflow.

By bank, it said that Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited emerged at the top of capital investment in Nigeria with 438.98 million dollars, adding that this accounted for 30.04 per cent of the total capital inflow.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that data for the report was supplied by the Central Bank of Nigeria, verified and validated by the NBS. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NGA

By Nathan Nwakamma

Mr Ed Ubong, Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas has emerged as President-elect of Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), leading the eight member executive to pilot the associations affairs for the next two years.

Mr Nathaniel Oyatogun, Chairman NGA Electoral Committee 2020 disclosed this in a statement in Bayelsa, on Tuesday.

He said the new executives emerged after an election into the NGA Executive Council 2020 2022 which held on Dec. 9.

He said the election, conducted via the virtual platform was part of the Annual General Meeting of the Association which held in Lagos,.

He added that the meeting saw the emergence of the eight members into the NGA Executive Secretary-Gen Council 2020 2022.

The eight memebers are Mr Ed Ubong of Shell Nigeria Gas, President, Mr Akachukwu Nwokedi,NLNG Ltd 1st Vice President, Mrs Yetunde Taiwo, Anoh Gas Processing Company, 2nd Vice President, Engr Chichi Emenike and Neconde Energy Ltd, Secretary-General.

Others are , Mr Emeka Iheme, Aiteo, Deputy Secretary-General. Mr Dikko Atanu, Neoleum Energy, Financial Secretary , Mr Odianosen Masade, Eroton, Publicity Secretary and Mrs Dolapo Kukoyi, Detail Commercial Solutions, Legal Adviser.

Oyatogun in the statement said the newly elected Executive Council will formally assume office during the Associations Biennial International Conference which will hold in February 2021. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

A girl being defiled

By Ikenna Osuoha

Sexual Offenses and Assault Response Initiative (SOAR) says gender, socio-cultural norms and practices that entrench patriarchy fuel Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria.

Mrs Chinyere Eyoh, Founder and Executive Director of the Initiative, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Eyoh said that a system where domination of women was culturally normal was one of the greatest factors that trigger sexual and gender-based violence

A system where men dominate women and are seen to own and rule over women and girls who are perceived to be created to serve men.

Violence against women and girls by men and boys in such cultures as this which is also prevalent in Nigeria to many is normal, she said.

The SOAR boss who decried the manner rape and other forms of violence against women was trivialised culturally, said it had objectified women and girls as sex toys.

According to her, unfortunately, boys or males are brought up with this patriarchal mentality of entitlement over women which leads to continued violence against women and girls.

Eyoh said the culture of patriarchy had promoted not just sexual abuse but subjected women and girls to economic disadvantage, denying them positions of authority seen as exclusive reserve for men.

She said: This power differential is another reason that leads to victimisation as sometimes this is used to blackmail, harass and violate.

This includes when the person is in position where the victim has to depend on them where the abuser is physically, mentally or financially superior or a notable person in the society.

The executive director explained that abuse could also occur when the abuser perceive the victim as vulnerable.

For example, if the abuser understands that the victim is from a broken home or lacks self esteem, especially children living with disability. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Kano state House of Assembly, Speakers Wing

By Abbas Bamalli

Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa, the Kano State House of Assembly Speaker and the Majority Leader of the assembly, Kabiru Dashi have resigned.

The Speaker announced his resignation in a letter titled Notification of Resignation dated Dec. 14 and addressed to the Clerk and Permanent Secretary.

The resignation was confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano, by the Press Secretary to the speaker, Nura Ajingi.

Garba-Garfasa in his resignation letter said his decision was based on personal reasons, adding that he appreciated the support of all the members.

The majority leader, in a one-paragraph letter addressed to the Clerk did not state the reason for his resignation.

Also in an interview with NAN, the Clerk of the Assembly, Abdullahi Alfa, confirmed the receipt of the resignation letters of the two lawmakers. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

OPEC Headquarters

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is projecting a 6.56 per cent growth in global crude oil demand to 95.89 million barrels per day in 2021, compared to 89.99 million barrels per day in 2020.

The organisation disclosed this in its Monthly Oil Market Report for December, released on its website.

It observed that the 2021 world oil demand would be 0.38 per cent lower than the 96.26 million barrels per day earlier projected for 2021.

For 2021, world oil demand growth is revised lower by 0.35 million barrels per day (mb/d) to growth of 5.90 mb/d.

This is due to the uncertainty surrounding the impact of COVID-19 and the labour market on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development( OECD) transportation fuel outlook for the first half of 2021.

Petrochemical feedstock and industrial fuels are forecast to gain momentum on the back of improving economic activities, with total oil demand projected to reach 96.89 mb/d in 2021, it said.

OPEC also revised downward, global crude oil demand for 2020, by 9.77 million barrels per day, blaming the decline on low demand for transportation fuels.

World oil demand for 2020 is expected to decline by 9.77 mb/d, marginally lower than in last months assessment.

Weaker-than-expected data in the OECD in third quarter 2020, mainly due to lower transportation fuel demand in the U.S. and OECD countries, led to a downward revision of around 0.18 mb/d for the OECD group.

However, this is mostly offset by an upward revision for the non-OECD, by 0.16 mb/d.

Better-than-expected oil demand in China, amid a steady recovery across various economic sectors, and improving oil demand from India, supports this upward revision. Total oil demand is estimated to reach 89.99 mb/d in 2020, OPEC added.

The report further noted that the OPEC also revised its global economic growth projections, stating that the global economy would contract by 4.2 per cent year-on-year, (Y-O-Y) compared to its earlier projection of a 4.3 per cent contraction y-o-y.

It said: Global economic growth is revised up slightly for 2020, after a better-than expected performance in third quarter 2020, now showing a contraction of 4.2 per cent, y-o-y, compared to the previous months forecast of -4.3 per cent.

While the 2021 forecast remains at 4.4 per cent, recent positive news about faster-than anticipated vaccination programmes in major economies provides potential upside for next years growth forecast.

US economic growth remains unchanged at -3.6 per cent for 2020 and at 3.4 per cent for 2021.

The Euro-zone forecast is revised down to -7.3 per cent, while the 2021 growth forecast remains at 3.7 per cent. Japans economic forecast is revised up to -5.2 per cent for 2020, but remains at 2.8 per cent for 2021,(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Naomi Sharang

The Ministry of Health says it is working towards showcasing benefits of traditional medicine in Nigeria.

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire said this at a one-day Public Hearing by the Senate Committee on Health in Abuja, on Monday.

The public hearing was on two bills: a bill for an Act for establishment of Federal College of Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine of Nigeria and a bill for an Act to provide for prevention, control and management of sickle sell anaemia in Nigeria.

According to Ehanire, the ministry is working on recreating more attention to traditional medicine to boost the nations health system.

We inaugurated a committee headed by the permanent secretary consisting of 18 people where the university of Benin had been engaged to partner with the department of traditional, complimentary and alternative medicine to develop and find out all the uses extracted from traditional medicine.

This institute is to take the tools of science to examine traditional medicine, complimentary medicine and alternative medicine, he said.

The minister said that the sickle cell had been a subject of research lately, adding that the ministry had designed a desk officer on sickle cell due to the socio-economic importance of the disorder.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe said that the purpose of the Bill on sickle cell anemia was to stop carriers from massive suffering and death.

This, he said was by placing the statutory duty on the Federal Government through the ministry of health to engage in and encourage the prevention, control and management of the disorder in Nigeria.

Oloriegbe said that the proposed bills were appropriate and timely to address the gaps in healthcare service delivery to the ever growing population of Nigeria.

He said that the prevalence of sickle anaemia in Nigeria had risen to an alarming rate with little attention being given for its prevention.

Sickle cell anemia is definitely preventable with minimal effort and national consciousness, he said.

Declaring the event open, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said that though alternative medicine had endured as a subject, orthodox medicine had dominated the health care management in the country.

Lawan was represented by Deputy Whip of the Senate, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi at the event.

The recent occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded of us of the primary and primacy of health delivery and its ability to determine our social, economic and political wellbeing, he said.

In his submission, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said that the establishment of the college and provision of legal backing would enhance and facilitate integration of orthodox and traditional medicine toward ensuring good health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Ogunwusi was represented by Prof. Esimai Olapeju of the Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife at the event.

Also, Chairman, Nigeria-China Economic Relations, Mr Ishola Olatunbosun, expressed optimism that the passage of the bills would boost direct foreign investment into the countrys herbal medicine industry. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Access to SRHR services crucial to reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence, says CSOs

By Justina Auta

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the country has called for more access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services for adolescents in order to reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence.

The group made the call while presenting Nigerias HIV prevention shadow report for 2020 on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Anthony Nkwocha, Country Focal Person, Partnership to Inspire, Transform and Connect with HIV Response (PITCH), said the report shows over 82,000 new HIV infections in 2020, as against the 23,500 projection.

Nkwocha identified legal and policy reforms, religion, customs, norms and values as some of the factors militating against accurate HIV prevention strategies in the country.

He said that if adolescents, sex workers, drug users and homosexuals have access to SRHR services without any age restrictions or stigmatisation, it would reduce prevalence and transmission of HIV/AIDS.

He listed legal and policy reforms, capacity development and technical assistance plan and needs assessment, amongst others as key areas that should be worked on to fast-track HIV prevention and response.

The PITCH representative also underscored the need to improve data on programme quality and coverage for adolescents and key populations affected by HIV prevention response.

Also, Mr Aniedi Akpan, Chairperson, Drug Harm Reducation Advocacy Network, called for the reform of certain laws that would enable adolescents to access HIV prevention services.

What we are doing is to make sure that the laws inhibiting these people from accessing HIV prevention services are removed.

We are still looking at the fact that a child must be 18 years before being able to access HIV services.

But we have younger persons, who have sex less than 18years, which leaves them vulnerable. These are the main things that do not allow us achieve the targets.

Government should sit with the CSOs and understand issues and work towards changing those key barriers that affect access to services and increases transmission of HIV, Akpan said.

Similarly, Ms Daharatu Yahaya of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, described the 2020 report as an eye opener for the nation to work towards getting data for accurate planning and progress made on HIV/AIDS.

Yahaya also called for a review of the legal consent age from 18 years to 14 years to enable more adolescents and young persons to access sexual reproductive health services to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission.

We need to reduce the age of consent to 14 years. In that way, services will be accessible to adolescents and sex workers, who are not also in the HIV/AIDS policy in Nigeria.

So, we should look at how these people should be considered and also catered for, Yahaya said.

Dr Micheal Ali, Desk Officer, Federal Ministry of Health, said the meeting provided a platform for stakeholders to bring vibrant national responses on HIV programmes in the country.

Ali also said the country had achieved so much in HIV/AIDS response and prevention.

According to him, the prevalence rate had reduced from 5.4 million in 2000 to 1.4 million.

Source: NAN News