James Lalu, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities

By Ahmed Ubandoma

The Federal Government has sought the support of relevant stakeholders for victims of explosions and violent attacks across the country.

Mr James Lalu, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), said this in a statement by Mbanefor Michaels, his spokesman, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Lalu was speaking when he received a delegation from the Humanitarian Mine Action Committee (HMAC) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

He said that the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provided a framework for the implementation of Victims Assistance in regards to survivors.

According to him, Article 11 and 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities captured the Rights of Persons with Disabilities resulting from Mines and explosive.

He urged the HMAC and GICHD to generate accurate and comprehensive data of victims of mine action with a view to addressing their plights.

Medical care, rehabilitations, psycho-social and economic support is needed to support these victims.

I therefore, urge the Mine Action Committee to engage in data collection of victims across board in order to ascertain the degree of interventions needed, he said.

Mr Valon Kumnova of the GICHD charged the committees to be resilient and committed to assisting the victims of war as well as persons with disabilities.

He called on stakeholders to develop and ensure strategies, technical survey, gender diversity, information management, form treaties as well as an operational management.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote their dignity. (NAN)()

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has congratulated President-elect Bola Tinubu on his 71st birthday.

The vice president conveyed his felicitations in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday in Abuja.

He prayed God to grant the president-elect more wisdom and strength in the years to come.

Dolly and I rejoice with you, the family, friends and associates on this occasion of your 71st birthday.

We thank the Almighty God for his grace and enablement upon your life that has made possible your many years of service and contributions to Lagos State, our nation and our great party.

This occasion of your 71st birthday is unique, as it occurs as you prepare to take on your most significant assignment yet as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

All we can offer you in this solemn period is a prayer; that the Lord will help you in this assignment and give you good health, strength and wisdom to serve our people and our nation excellently.

Happy Birthday! God bless you, he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Source: NAN News

Retaining N-Power for youth empowerment, poverty alleviation

News analysis by Collins Yakubu-Hammer, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

When the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD) was created by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, he charged the pioneer Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, to rescue Nigerians from poverty.

Earlier in 2016, the Buhari administration created the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP), which was overseen by the office of the Vice-President, until the creation of the FMHADMSA in 2019, which then took over the NSIP.

The Ministry began overseeing the numerous intervention programmes with regards to tackling poverty, unemployment and insecurity through job creation.

This was to culminate with the lifting of projected 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years.

One of the cardinal points of NSIP is the N-Power programme whose focal point are young people, especially school leavers, non-graduates and school graduates between the ages of 18-35.

Under N-Power, graduates are expected to earn N30, 000; N10, 000 for non-graduates as monthly stipends from the Federal Government until they are exited the programme or secure permanent employments.

It has three core segments, namely N-Power Volunteer Corps (for graduates), N-Power Build (for non-graduates) and N-Power Knowledge, which is also a non-graduate programme for the ICT-inclined.

Being an all-inclusive programme, N-Power focuses primarily on unemployed Nigerian youths with the aim of developing their employability, entrepreneurship skills and capacity to lift them out poverty.

Since its inception the federal government has channeled a lot of human and material resources to enable it deliver on its targets.

One of the beneficiaries of N-Power Knowledge Programme, Mr Umar Ahmed Sarki, said that the programme was of immense benefit to youths.

The N-Power programme is a good one. We thank the government for empowering the youths with monthly stipends. We hope it will be sustained by the incoming administration, Sarki said.

Similarly, Miss Abigail Thomas who benefited from the same programme said she would use the knowledge gained from the training on software engineering to develop applications that would help in solving some of the challenges facing humanity.

I have been here since February. It has been an amazing experience as we were paid transportation fare to get here and we get paid N1, 200 for daily feeding.

We have been taught Javascript, how to build websites and other programmes. I thank God and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for this wonderful opportunity, and will definitely implement what Ive learnt at the end of the training.

The Federal Government should please sustain the programmes to give opportunities to other youths to benefit. This way, the vision of Buhari to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years will be achieved, Thomas said.

A beneficiary of N-Creative, Mr Ngusha Elijah, said he would venture into the entertainment industry after learning how to write scripts for TV production.

Since resuming on Feb.15, Ive learnt a lot on how to generate interesting story ideas, write stories and create interesting contents.

The Federal Government has done its best to ensure that unemployed youths are empowered. It will be highly appreciated if the incoming administration will sustain the N-Power programme.

The programme has helped a lot of people. There are some people out there who have never earned N30, 000 before, but the N-Power programme has helped their lives. It is a step in the right direction to alleviate poverty.

Even my younger sister is a beneficiary, so I can cite her as an example of how the N-Power programmme has been to Nigerians and should be sustained, Elijah said.

Another beneficiary, Mr Akighir Aondohemba, from Benue, said he would use knowledge gained from the training to build websites for business owners and create wealth for himself and his families.

I want to appeal that the Federal Government should ensure that this kind of programme continues so that other Nigerians can benefit from it.

The target audience should be people like me; people who are based in the rural and semi-urban areas of Nigeria.

, with my knowledge, especially in using WordPress, I feel I can now build websites at affordable prices so that business owners living in rural areas will have websites.

So Im encouraging the Federal Government to continue with this programme, Aondohemba said.

Experts say that successful application of skills learnt is imperative in measuring the outcome of any training programme and a facilitator on N-Creative (script writing), Mr Marvelous Abutu, said the beneficiaries are well equipped in that regard.

The Programme Manager on Software Training Mr Temitope Folorunsho, shares that same optimism.

We teach them web design, graphics and basic ICT knowledge. So, my expectation is that they should learn this as if their lives depend on it.

There is the need for the programme to be sustain by the next administration, because the impact is enormous, Folorunsho said.

However, critics had alleged that the N-Power programme is shrouded with corruption and several forms of malpractices, allegations the supervising minister has denied.

The ministry has deployed a well-rounded mechanism for selection of eligible beneficiaries from across the country; this has been in place since the inception of the programme.

Working with our service provider, program beneficiaries are boarded, trained and deployed to pre-selected places of primary assignment.

When it came to our notice that there may have been sharp practices by some personnel of the Payment Service Provider (PSP) involved in the payment processes of beneficiaries, the matter was immediately referred to ICPC, she said

In spite of the shortcomings, experts say the programme has been a major contribution by Buhari administration to fight youth unemployment and stimulate poverty alleviation.

Observers, therefore urge the incoming administration to consider the possibility of retaining the programme and making amendments to take care of identified lapses. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Source: NAN News

Stakeholders, on Tuesday, converged on Abuja to brainstorm on ways of tackling the menace of moral decadence in children and to enhance development and progress of the country.

The stakeholders, at a Moral Regeneration and Re-orientation meeting, organised by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Abuja on Tuesday, advocated relevant programmes in schools for effective moral education.

Prof. Soji Oni, of Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, stressed the need to find solutions to the falling standard of education, occasioned by absence of moral values.

According to him, moral regeneration must also be taught, not only in schools but at home, worship places, cultural gatherings and the likes, in order to bring back the moral qualities in the educational sector.

There is the need for periodic evaluation of the education system so as to keep the system on track.

Government, parents, teachers, political, religious and community leaders must provide moral leadership in order for children to learn.

There is the need for appropriate action on what the children are watching on the internet.

The Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC and SUBEB should draw programmes on relevant moral education that are different from social studies to provide conscious efforts at transmitting the values to our learners.

This should mean that every school curriculum must contain values and morals that should be taught, as this will lead to reduction in incidences of corruption and other vices in our society, he said.

Dr Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary, UBEC, said before now, the commission had conducted an explorative survey to gather information on the level of moral degeneration, its causes and effects on teaching and learning in schools.

Bobboyi said with the re-orientation and regeneration of morals of learners at the basic education level, there would be appropriate character and value judgment that would make the society peaceful.

He further stated that there should be a place where children growing into adulthood would be made to behave appropriately.

Over the years, there has been great concern over the degeneration of moral and overturn of values in our society.

This is demonstrated in the many vices and negative behaviours, such as stealing, drunkenness, financial crimes, known as yahoo-yahoo, truancy, violence and many others.

The disheartening aspect is that many of these vices are now prevalent in our schools, especially the basic education schools.

The mantra: education for all is the responsibility of all should be our guiding principle in whatever contributions that would be made here today.

This will also go a long way in building a society where people innately demonstrate appropriate behaviours, obey laws, behave responsibly and have sense of patriotism, he said.

Similarly, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said moral education was key to reduction of corruption in the society.

Owasanoye, represented by Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, ICPC, Mr Mohammed Baba, said that the commission had introduced several moral regeneration programmes, in line with ICPCs mandate of reducing corruption in the country.

He said that other moral regeneration programmes had been introduced in tertiary institutions, with emphasis on the national value curriculum developed in conjunction with Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The ICPC chairman added that the curriculum was infused into English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education and religious education from primary to tertiary levels.

He further stated that in a bid to transfer knowledge from the curriculum, the commission, in 2018, trained no fewer than 200 teachers on the implementation of the curriculum.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event brought together education stakeholders, including teachers, parents, religious leaders and other stakeholders drawn from EFCC, National Council for Women Society and NAPTIP. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu and Wale Sadeeq

Source: NAN News

The Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi, addressing stakeholders at a public awareness and anti-human trafficking campaign programme on Tuesday in Saki, Oyo State.

By Olatunde Ajayi
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in collaboration with the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) has called for strong action against the menace.

The collaboration is aimed at addressing human trafficking said to be posing serious security challenge.

The call was made on Tuesday at a two-day public awareness and anti-human trafficking campaign programme organised for community leaders, law enforcement agents/officers at the border posts and other stakeholders held in Saki, Oyo State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FIIAPP is a Spanish Government Foundation in Nigeria implementing European Union funded project through the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Project (A-TIPSOM).

A-TIPSOM project is tackling human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in Nigeria through 5Ps, which include Prevention, Protection, Policy, Partnership and Prosecution.

NAN reports that the stakeholders forum is to increase the level of awareness about human trafficking and its dangers in border communities.

In his remarks, the Zonal Commander, NAPTIP Lagos, Mrs Comfort Agboko, said that the public awareness programme was aimed at enlighten Saki residents on the dangers and scourge of human trafficking.

Agboko said that human trafficking remains the violation of peoples right, crime against mankind and sin against God.

She said that Saki Town was strategically chosen for the sensitisation programme because of its location as a border town with a lot of foreigners engaging in cross-border trade between Nigeria and the neighbouring countries.

We discovered that our young ones are being trafficking to other West African countries and rest of the world as soon as they are successfully taken out of Nigeria through border communities like Saki here.

We believe that if we succeed in raising the counsciousness of our people living in border communities across the country, the human trafficking will be reduced to the bearest minimum, she said.

Agboko said that the NAPTIP Act has provisions for severe punishment for any human trafficker found guilty after thorough investigation under the law.

When a suspect is found guilty of child labour after the court process, the minimum punishment is six months imprisonment and maximum of three years imprisonment.

When a case of trafficking in persons is being suspected, people can reach us on our toll free line 627 to report the case.

We urge parents not to release their wards to people who promised fake jobs for them somewhere, Agboko said.

Also, the Head of NAPTIP in Oyo State, Mr Augustine Akanya, said that the community-based programme would simplify and teach Saki residents on the signs, how to know who is being trafficking and how to rescue such people.

The circumstances of trafficking determines the signs to look for; the person who has been trafficked for labour such as housemaids will be seen look distress, crying or at times with different marks on their bodies.

Some of them are being deprived of having education and international trafficking victims will be seen naive, always withdrawn and unable to give clear answers to questions about their destination.

We want people to always alert NAPTIP whenever they noticed these signs and other strange signs on a child in their neighbourhood, Akanya said.

Commenting, Mr Joseph Sanwo, the Senior Project Officer and Technical Adviser, Prevention in FIIAPP, said that human trafficking posed serious security challenge to a nation.

According to Sanwo, human trafficking poses serious security challenge to a nation as it can easily diversify to other forms of crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling and money laundering.

The community leaders have a lot of roles to play in supporting government and other partners in stemming the tides of this heinous crimes being perpetuated in their domain.

The project aims to provide mass awareness in the community and within its environs.

It shares with community new ideas on how to identify and escape the antiques of human traffickers; and create working synergy between the community leaders and the law enforcement agencies, he said.

Sanwo noted that lots of traffickers and their agents always take advantage of parents that relied on relations, religion associates and friends to take care of their children by pretending to assist them in the upbringing of those children.

The technical adviser reiterated the continuous support of FIIAPP in the fight against human trafficking to the Federal Government through NAPTIP, security agencies, the Network of CSOs Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) and other critical stakeholders.

Earlier, the Okere of Saki, who also was the Royal Father of the Day, Oba Khalid Olabisi, urged parents to always give birth to number of children they know that they could conveniently cater for.

Olabisi said that children from families with lack of basic means of survival always end up becoming victims of human trafficking.

He, then called on the government to step up its various empowerment programmes through Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and resuscitation of farm settlements to boost job opportunities in the country.

NAN reports that the awareness programme featured the inauguration of the Anti-human trafficking neighbourhood

Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

Source: NAN News

stranded Nigerians depart Libya (file photo)

By Lizzy Okoji

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday evacuated 151 stranded Nigerians from Benghazi, Libya as the government resumed its voluntary evacuation in Libya.

Amb. Kabiru Musa, Charge Daffiares en titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Musa, the evacuees who included 71 females, 54 males, 14 children and 13 infants are expected to arrive at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos at 8 p.m.

Musa said that in 2022, the IOM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Nigerian Mission in Libya, successfully repatriated almost 4,000 Nigerians who were irregular migrants in the country.

He said that the March 28 voluntary evacuation was the first in the year with several other exercises to follow in the coming days and weeks.

Under the IOMs voluntary repatriation exercise, we successfully evacuated 151 stranded Nigerians from the city of Benghazi to Lagos, Nigeria at 16:00 hours local time aboard chartered flight no. UZ189.

The flight is expected to arrive the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos at 20:00 hours Nigerian time the same day.

There are several Nigerians living illegally in this country who have been subjected to very inhumane treatment, and the Federal Government, through the Mission here, has continued to intervene with local authorities to stop this.

The voluntary repatriation offers an opportunity for those who want to return to Nigeria to do so safely and reunite with their families.

There are always officials of relevant government agencies on ground to receive them and ensure their resettlement and reintegration back to society, Musa said.

Musa said that more Nigerians would be evacuated from Tripoli on Wednesday, with another exercise to be carried out on April 3 from Misrata, Libya. (NAN)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

The Federal Government says it successfully averted over 4000 impending strike actions by industrial unions across the country through dialogue in the last seven years.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made this known at the weekly Ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, dialogue remains the best tool for settling labour disputes.

We have been very proactive in handling industrial disputes.

We have conciliated about 4000 labour disputes, more than that figure I think about 4300 or so since I came into that ministry and you dont hear about that.

Once we get notice of an impending strike, we call them to come, we discuss and we resolve the matter.

Some of them are not very big unions especially in the oil and gas sector. But you dont hear about that because we are forever committed to doing what we are supposed to do.

The Ministry of Labour holistically conciliates but we dont make those ones public because an agreement is reached almost immediately and the agreement ground is easy and you wont see a strike.

Once you write to us of a pre-action, (Trade Dispute Notice) once you do that, you have exercised your right and the rest is left for us. he said.

Ngige added that the Ministry has Labour Dispute Desks and Rapid Response Teams in all the States of the federation that help in addressing industrial disputes.

According to the minister, modalities are already in the pipeline to give pay rise to civil servants especially those that enjoy peculiarity allowance, adding that the authorities are just waiting for the presidents approval to implement.

We are already addressing the envisaged challenges associated with the current high cost of living.

We are handling the issue of pay rise, some of the Ministries Departments and Agencies are doing that; even for Federal Civil Servants, there is a peculiar allowance that is envisioned for them.

The Presidential Committee on Salaries has approved it and we have sent that to the President and once he approves it, implementation will start for them.

Other people in the public service are also taking a queue, some are giving five or ten per cent pay rise,he said.

The minister further disclosed that Nigeria had completed arrangements to collaborate with the International Organization for Migration to prevent illegal migration by job seekers.

He added that efforts had been intensified to revive textile industries in the country, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria had since put in place special funds for cotton growers.

He said that the fund was to locally source raw materials for the textile industries.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Source: NAN News

Shoreline protection of Tombia community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa

By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government has urged the contractor handling shoreline protection of Tombia community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa to work according to the jobs specification and fast-track the process.

The Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office (EPO), Shehu Ibrahim, made the call at the inspection tour of some ecological projects in Yenagoa.

Ibrahim identified the projects specification as 800 metres shoreline protection of River Nun.

He, therefore, frowned at the quality of work done so far, giving the contractor MW Global Services, three weeks to make amends and ensure the completion of the project within the time frame.

According to him, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not carried out hence the challenge.

Mr Stanley Odenigbo, Managing Director of the company however assured the EPO boss and entire community of delivering a quality project within the stipulated time.

He attributed the setback to flood, adding that the 2022 flood ravaged the project.

According to Odenigbo, the completion of the project will safeguard the community from flood.

Meanwhile, Chief Patrick Ikpaikpai, the Community leader, has commended the Federal Government for the intervention by giving succour to the community members during raining and dry seasons.

One of the residents, Okpoffaa Julius, decried that prior to the project, flood had ravaged the community and farmlands rendering a lot of people homeless, while some non-indigenes relocated.

Since the commencement of this project in year 2022, we have been believing that God has finally answered our prayers. he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

================
Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

By Funmilola Gboteku/Stellamaris Ashinze

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is partnering with the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology (FCFMT) to sanitise the profession against quackery.

A Senior Engineer and COREN Representative in Lagos, Mr Tomide Akinnawo, made this known during a courtesy visit to the FCFMT, Victoria Island, on Monday in Lagos.

He said that the partnership would give them the opportunity to help the institute ensure that all its engineers were certified members of COREN and not quacks.

We need to ensure that all the engineers are registered professionals; that way we are sure the students are in safe hands.

Engineering is the backbone of development in any nation. Therefore, it has to be taken seriously, he said.

Akinnawo said as members of COREN, it was essential to ensure that quackery and fraudulent practices which had been hindering engineering practice in the society were curbed.

The Provost of the FCFMT, Dr Chuks Onuoha, said that the institute was ready to collaborate with any sister agency and COREN would not be an exception.

Onuoha said that such collaboration would lead to the development of the nation.

Just as pointed out by COREN that technology or engineering is the bedrock of any development.

We look forward to a friendly relationship with your agency and also no advice from you regarding how to make our institution better would be disregarded, he said.

He also urged the council to assist in registering their students as members of COREN at a subsidised fee.

The Chairman of Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Lagos chapter, Mr Kayode Ibidapo, said that the council was willing to expose the students to more beneficial workshops and trainings about the engineering profession.

We believe that the technicians and craftsmen in your institution should also not be excluded. They need to attend trainings and workshops to upgrade themselves, Ibidapo said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that COREN is the regulatory body that governs the practice of engineering in Nigeria, while the FCFMTis a monotechnic approved by the National Board for Technical Education.

The College was originally known as the Federal School of Fisheries, established in 1969 as a vocational training institute for Nigerias in-shore fishing fleet.

It was upgraded to a technological institution in 1992.

The college offers courses in Fisheries Technology, General Science, Marine Engineering, Nautical Science and Maritime Transport. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Adeleye Ajayi

Source: NAN News

Mr Kenneth Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer, WestProp Holdings, speaking during a press conference held in Zimbabwe, on Monday. (Picture via Zoom)

By Adebola Adegoke

A leading Zimbabwean property company, WestProp Holdings has announced its official listing on the Victoria falls stock exchange.

Dr Michael Louis, Chairman of the board announced at a press conference held in Zimbabwe, on Monday that the company would formally be listed on April 29.

He said the company had received approval to list two categories of share capital namely its ordinary shares and preference shares.

It is my privilege to formally announce that on the 7th of March, the Registrar of Companies approved West Property Company Pvt Ltd., to become a public company and West Prop Holdings Ltd. was birthed and issued with its certificate of name change, he said.

Louis said the shares would accordingly be opening an offer for public subscription for the securities from March 27 to April 21, 2023.

He said the decision was in line with the National Development Strategy of ZImbabwe to achieve an empowered upper-middle income society by 2030 to chart a new transformative and inclusive development agenda.

The board thought of creative ideas to have a participatory inclusive economic model that really can help the poor and give everybody a secure future.

We are further elated to announce that we have decided to list on the victoria fall stock exchange because of the numerous benefits it holds for shareholders, including but not limited to shares trading in US Dollars, no capital gains and minimum transaction costs.

If you buy preference shares the company underwrites a minimum return of 7.5 per cent per annum on investments, he said.

Louis added that WestProps IPO is to raise 30 million dollars in capital to accelerate the development of the companys existing projects such as Pokugara Residential Estate, Millennium Heights, Pomona City, The Mall of Zimbabwe, Millennium Heights Office Park and the Hills Golf Estate.

This, he said, was in line with the companys 2050 vision of one billion bricks resulting in thousands of jobs and a total value of five billion dollars.

As we have now gone public, the board is convinced the time is now for individuals to be part of a bigger family to start investing in their long-term future and especially encourage the youth to start participating.

To this end, the board will be investing in educational literacy programmes to transform and educate the public and especially the youth regarding their responsibility of securing a generational future, he said.

Louis, the new chairman of the board acknowledged the achievements of Kenneth Sharpe, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his team that have led the company to receive several international and national awards.

The awards included Company of the Year 2023 ( Zim land Developments and construction Awards); Property Development Company of the Year 2021. ( Property Magazine); Company of the Year National Awards 2021 (Zimbabwe Business Awards).

Others were Best Real Estate Innovative company of the year 2021 (Zim Infrastructure Investment summit);

Outstanding Property Development company 2022. (Zim CEO Network).

In his remarks, Sharpe announced that the company was offering one million ordinary shares at 10 dollars each and 5.4 million preferential redeemable convertible shares at 5 dollars each.

According to him, the preferential shares allow investors five years to decide to become ordinary shareholders during which time they will benefit from a minimum guaranteed return of 7.5 per cent per year as well as dividends from the companys profits.

This is likely to result in over 10 per cent per year being paid out which is an amount that no other listed company or bank in Zimbabwe is currently offering investors.

We have a goal of taking our company from the current annual sales of 40 million dollars to over 100 million dollars within seven years and to create a balance sheet that will exceed one billion dollars in value which is more than five times the one today.

All the shareholders will benefit from this growth. We know It is achievable and within our grasp, he said

He said the companys corporate strategy statement was to pioneer world-class, vertically-integrated, premium lifestyle communities in Zimbabwe by 2025.

It is not a coincidence that we have targeted one billion bricks if you look at our projected construction for the projects we have designed, it will take one billion bricks and five billion dollars to complete them.

Every day we are putting bricks into the ground working towards the vision where we know that within the next 27 years, we will have laid one billion bricks.

As of today, we have laid 5,298,975 bricks and we have 55, 626,972 committed bricks from our existing sales, he said.

This ensures we have smart cities encompass the live, work, shop and play model which means we provide social amenities like shopping malls, sporting facilities, creches, churches and many other recreational facilities in a safe 24 hour secure gated community, he said.

He also assured the public that the benefits of investing in the company were multi-dimensional.

According to him, the company guarantees a secure investment where someone whos investing 50 dollars will know that their money will still be there in one month, in one year and five years.

Its an alternative to the banks. Theres no cost we deduct for holding that value on behalf of the investor, and they are guaranteed that their investment is safe with us.

Once they have invested with us, the investment doesnt just stay at the 50 dollars that they invested. We give a solid return. The reason why were able to give them an expected return of over 10 per cent a year in USD is that we are highly profitable.

We are saying that together with the public, we can join hands and build Zimbabwe because the opportunity to invest with us will allow us and the public to come together, hold hands and build our country brick by brick.

We are doing this today through IPO and the listing, benefiting yourself in becoming a shareholder with us, you are joining hands in owning the assets that we own, he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Chioma Ugboma

Source: NAN News