Ardova MD

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Ardova Plc (AP) has expressed commitment to championing the transition of clean energy in the country just as it assured Nigerians of safety in all its operations.

Mr Olumide Adeosun, AP Chief Executive Officer, disclosed this at the official launch of the companys rebranded service station at Lekki in Lagos.

Adeosun said that the company would champion clean energy in Nigeria and ensure efficient service delivery to all its customers.

He also assured shareholders of enhanced return on investment in the years ahead.

Since inception, our key purpose at Ardova Plc has been to champion the transition to clean energy, so that meant we had to take the longer view.

For us, this has meant a rethink of our operational structure as a company and transitioning our business from a traditional downstream company to a leading integrated energy firm.

In our evolution as a company we looked to preserve the best of our heritage, determine how we function in the present and build guiding principles that will enable our emergence as a leading provider of clean energy when the transition to cleaner power sources is complete.

Today, we are gathered to celebrate another phase in our evolution as company as we launch the first Ardova Plc branded service station, he said.

Adeosun said that the companys service stations were built on three pillars namely improved service delivery, modularity and community embedment.

He explained that the company had repurposed existing stations to be able to stack key facilities that will enable us to provide our customers with different products and services to meet their evolving energy needs.

Adeosun disclosed that the companys station would move from being strictly drive-in locations to becoming active hubs in their local communities.

Whilst we will continue to sell fuels, we intend to introduce interesting energy products beyond traditional fuels to cater to our different customer segments in these locales.

In this regard, we are launching X-Mart, our in-station retail shops to sell a wide assortment of consumer products for customers who bring in their cars and people in the neighbourhoods we serve, he added.

Also speaking, AP Chairman, AbdulWasiu Sowami, noted that the launch of the station marked the final phasing out of old brand.

The launch of this station marks a significant step in our strategy to build a strong integrated energy brand and to also delight our customers with a lot more than traditional fuel products.

The Oniru station attests to the standards of excellence our customers can expect from all AP stations they drive into across the country, Sowami said.

Ardova Plc is a Nigerian leading indigenous and integrated energy company involved in the distribution of petroleum products.

With an extensive network of over 450 retail outlets in Nigeria and significant storage facilities in Apapa, Lagos and Onne, Rivers State, we procure and distribute petrol (PMS), diesel (AGO), kerosene (DPK) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Electricity meters

By Constance Athekame

The Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, says that the electricity metering challenge across the country is being addressed.

Mr Aaron Artimas the Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the minister, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

Artimas said that the minister spokein Yola at the inaugurationof the mass metering programme for the Yola Electricity Distribution Company.

According to Mamman, implementation of the mass metering programme is beginning to yield result.

I am glad that Nigeria has finally gotten it right on the long existing challenges of metering consumption in the country.

It is with great pleasure that I stand before you at this landmark event to inaugurate the intervention policy of the Federal Government towards closing the metering gap in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

This occasion is a clear testimony of Yola Electricity Distribution Companys (YEDC) commitment to providing its customers enhanced service delivery. he said.

Theminister said that the Nigerian electricity markethad for many years struggled with inadequate revenues, thus creating significant liquidity challenge for all market participants in the value chain.

He said that one of the major contributors to the funding challenge was the low level of metering for end-users.

According to him,this is the principal reason for customer resistance to payment of electricity bills due to the perceived lack of confidence and trust in estimated billing.

The often-repeated reason for the low level of metering has been attributed to the inability of Distribution Companies (DisCos) to raise financing for the purchase of meters, he said.

The minister also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the DisCos with the much-needed financing toward the bulk acquisition of meters.

Hedescribed the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the provision of long-term low interest funds to the DisCos as a boost to the sector.

I am especially happy to inform you that the Federal Government of Nigeria has granted Yola Distribution Company a soft loan of N5,061 billion for sourcing of 85,376 meters.

This metercomprises 62,324 single-phase and 23,052 three-phase meters under phase zero (0) of the National Mass Metering programme.

I thus call on the management of YEDC to make good use of this facility to significantly reduce the Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC

U.S. flag

By Busayo Onijala

The U.S. has donated maritime security equipment worth 180,000 dollars (70 million) to the Nigerian Navy, the U.S Consulate in Lagos said in a statement on Friday.

The equipment is to enable the navy to upgrade the anti-piracy and nautical security functions of the countrys Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC).

RMAC was developed in 2006 to upgrade the maritime domain awareness capability of U.S. partners.

The consulate said that the equipment donated were integrated to improve the navys capacity to track and counter marine threats through its RMAC.

The donations include, a selection of best-in-class sensors and radars, communications and networking equipment, thermal-imaging cameras and software.

Claire Pierangelo, U.S. Consul General in Lagos who handed over the consignment at the Naval Station Beecroft, highlighted the U.S. governments continued support of Nigerias maritime security.

The United States is committed to supporting the Nigerian Navy in its effort toward securing not only your territorial waters but the larger Gulf of Guinea.

The equipment we have here today is part of RMAC that began in 2006, aimed at enhancing the Nigerian Navys capacity to monitor and respond to the diverse maritime threats in your waters and the Gulf of Guinea, Pierangelo said.

She noted that two ex-U.S. Coast Guard Cutters, now known as NNS OKPABANA and NNS THUNDER, were previously transferred to the Nigerian Navy.

Rear Admiral Tanko Yakubu Pani, Chief Staff Officer, Western Naval Command, Lagos, who received the surveillance equipment on behalf of the Nigerian Navy, acknowledged the long-standing security cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria.

It is pertinent to state that the introduction of the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability facilities in the Nigerian Navy has greatly enhanced our maritime policing efforts through intelligence-gathering patrols.

We are indeed delighted and grateful for the continuous support of the United States, he said.

Nigerias RMAC became fully operational in 2008 and has five radar sites located in Badagry, Lagos, Formoso, Bonny, and Ibaka.

It also has operations posts at the four regional headquarters in Lagos, Yenagoa, Calabar, and Abuja. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

A car mart

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a 72- hour notice to operators of illegal car marts across the city to vacate or face prosecution.

Malam Wadata Bodinga, FCT Head of Ministerial Task Team on Removal of Illegal Auto Marts, made the disclosure at a meeting with stakeholders, on Friday in Abuja.

Bodinga, who is also FCT Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), noted that Abuja was a planned city with every area designated for a particular purpose, which must not be violated.

He said that operators of illegal car marts in Wuse, Gudu, Garki, Maitama and other areas must move out immediately.

We have gone round the FCT and have seen areas where the marts are operating illegally, we have removed them in the past, they came back, but this time around, we will not only remove them , we will also prosecute them.

These illegal car marts have mostly constituted nuisances on the major ways in the city centre, causing accidents and traffic gridlocks.

They park in green bridges and walkways, Bodinga said.

Alhaji Murktar Galadima, FCTA Director, Department of Development Control, said that the authority would not spare any individual in its bid to sanitise the city.

According to him, this is share indiscipline and impunity.

We have been making efforts to ensure that the city is kept clean and some people think they are above the law, he said.

On his part, Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Mr Baba Lawan, said most of the car marts were being used for other illegal activities.

Also, FCT Director, Parks and Recreation Department, Mrs Risikatu Abdullazeez said that illegal car marts constituted environmental hazard in the city.

She cautioned residents against packing vehicles on green bridges and walkways.

The National President, Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDN), Chief Ajibola Adedoyin said, the association was not happy that operators of illegal car marts were being allowed to operate freely by authorities.

Adedoyin said that the association was in support of the move to removal illegal marts in the city.

He, however, appealed to the FCT administration to look into the associations request for permanent site as members find it difficult to operate in the temporary site.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

SOHI

By Ikenna Osuoha

Ms May Ikokwu, the Chief Executive Officer, Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), has called for global feasibility and implementation of human rights for justice and peace.

She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja in commemoration of the Human Rights Day, observed by the international community every year on Dec. 10 to commemorate the day in 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The UDHD sets out broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled to.

It guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without distinction based on nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.

The SOHI chief executive, therefore,said that the absence of equity could trigger violence, noting that respect for human rights was key in driving a society devoid of rancour, oppression, repressiveness and injustice.

She said many of the crises in the world today are caused by insensitivity to the feelings or rights of one another.

Eventually, the oppressed person who feels marginalised may begin to rebel in various ways as the only way to vent his or her anger.

Ikokwu, who advocated equal rights for all, said that injustice and infringement into peoples rights were responsible for global unrest.

She emphasised the imperatives of respecting the rights of all, especially the vulnerable, women and children.

According to her, every person no matter the age, gender or class, has right to life, association, movement, speech and others and it is inhuman to censor that right no matter the provocation.

She particularly urged government to ensure equity and fairness in all situations and facilitate the implementation of human rights, which she said was fundamental in democratisation process. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire

By Ikenna Osuoha

Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, says achieving 27 per cent Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) by 2024 is possible.

Ehanire said this while launching a book entitled Family Planning for A More Productive Nigeria, at the ongoing Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2020 in Abuja.

He expressed willingness to continue to collaborate with relevant partners and stakeholders in the procurement and distribution of family contraceptives, aimed atachieving the 27 per cent CPR.

I must commend UNFPA, USAID and others for their support in the procurement and distribution of family planning baskets as well as funding since 2011.

I believe achieving the 27 per cent CPRby 2024 is possible with their support, he said.

The minister, who reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buharis administration to the issues of population management, described it as acritical component in national development.

He saidthe Buhari-led administration was focused on supporting scientifically proven family planning,aimed at increasing contraceptive use to moderate present fertility rate.

Ehanire described as outrageous Nigerias 5.5 per cent total fertility rate in Sub-Sahara Africa,as recorded in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

He urged all stakeholders to work in synergy in achieving improved family health for all homes, especially women and girls using family planning.

According to him, self services for family planning are essential and make it rewarding during emergencies as COVID-19.

Ehanire said: COVID-19 caused disruptions to health system like lockdown but also increased the need for family planning.

Mrs Paullen Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs pledged the ministrys readiness to continue to collaborate with the ministry of health and relevant partners in providing care and reproductive health services to women using family planning.

Tallen expressed the commitment of her ministry to the implementation and expansion of family planning services in Nigeria, in line with the vision of Buhari.

The Emir of Shonga, Alhaji Haliru Yahaya stressed the need to close the gap in the zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning and zero unmet needs for gender based violence.

Yahaya said that continuous advocacy was not negotiable in ensuring peoples access to family planning.

Let us change the name from population control to population management, so that people, especially in Islam will accept it.

You can tell him, your wife has had five children already, leave for now because you promised to take care of her according to Islam, he said.

Ms Ulla Muller, the Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNPA) said that access to family planning reduced maternal mortality rate by 25 per cent.

Muller who reiterated the determination of the UN to continue to support Nigeria in advancing family planning, said it was critical in preserving mothers for their children.

She said that family planning was paramount in achieving Demographic Dividend as well as the 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Family planning is an enabler to achieving the16 SDGs and poverty will reduce, she said.

She said that procurement of contraceptives was critical in safeguarding the future by involving women.

Dr Ejike Orji, Chairman, Technical Management, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), while reeling out the successes of the association in advancing family planning said five conferences on family planning had been held in the last 10 years.

He explained that they had brought governments commitment as counterpart support for family planning commodities purchase, havenincreased the support to four million dollars.

Oji said that they had created a medium of conversation with interfaith communities as partnership with the media in dissemination of information around family planning.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recallsthat at the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, it was agreed to provide 120 million women globally access to family planning by 2020. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu

By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Friday inaugurated the 7.2-kilometer Abriba/Etitiama-Nkporo Road as part of the state governments rural development programme.

Speaking at the event, Ikpeazu said that the road was a clear evidence of governments commitment to improve the wellbeing of the rural populace.

He described the road as strategic to the enhancement of socio-economic activities in the area.

He urged the people of Nkporo to continue to support his administrations development agenda.

In a remark, Deputy Gov. Ude Oko-Chukwu, who hails from the community, expressed gratitude to God and the state government over the construction of the road.

Oko-Chukwu said the construction of the road had ended many years of hardship by the people of the community.

He said the development would enhance economic activities and means of livelihood of the people of the area.

He said that attempts were made in the past to build the road to no avail, sayi g that it was gratifying that the project had become a reality.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Bob Ogu, described the road as one of the best built by the present administration.

Ogu expressed delight that the road had finally been realised after many failed attempts in the past. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

World Bank

By Folasade Akpan
The World Bank Group has tasked Nigeria to sustain its bold reforms for containing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to attain inclusive economic growth.

Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria said this on Thursday in Abuja, at the media conference on the presentation of the World Bank Nigeria Development Update (NDU) for December.

The report titled Rising to the Challenge: Nigerias COVID response takes stock on the recently implemented reforms and proposes policy options to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and foster a resilient, sustainable and inclusive recovery.

Chaudhuri said Nigeria was at a critical historical juncture, with a choice to make.

Nigeria can choose to break decisively from business-as-usual and rise to its considerable potential by sustaining the bold reforms that have been taken thus far and going even further and with an even greater sense of urgency to promote faster and more inclusive economic growth.

According to him, the report projects that the economy could shrink up to four per cent in 2020 following the twin shocks of COVID-19 and low oil prices.

However, the pace of recovery in 2021 and beyond remains highly uncertain and subject to the pace of reforms.

He added that the pandemic was disproportionately affecting the poor and most vulnerable, women in particular.

Marco Hernandez, World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria said that Nigeria could build on its reform momentum to contain the spread of COVID-19, stimulate the economy and enable the private sector to be the engine of growth and job creation.

It can also redirect public spending from subsidies that benefit the rich towards investments in Nigerias people and youth in particular and lay foundations for a strong recovery to help make progress towards lifting 100 million people out of poverty.

While presenting the report, he said that in the absence of measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis, the number of poor could increase by 15 to 20 million by 2022.

He also said that food insecurity had increased substantially and economic precarity was on the rise because unemployed workers had migrated to the low-productivity agricultural sector.

The NDU said that the crisis served as a wake-up call and acknowledged reforms undertaken by the government since April to mitigate the effects.

They include the efforts to harmonise exchange rates, introduce a market-based pricing mechanism for gasoline and adjustment of electricity tariffs to more cost-reflective levels.

It also acknowledges the reduction of non-essential expenditures and redirection of resources towards the COVID-19 response, while highlighting the greater transparency in the oil and gas sector and public debt as essential steps for a resilient recovery.

It also said that for the first time, Nigerian states responded to a fiscal shock in a coordinated manner, prioritising COVID-19 response expenditures and identifying financing source to avoid a rise in arrears.

A modest recovery is projected for 2021, but Nigerias outlook is subject to a high degree of uncertainty.

The pace of economic recovery next year is expected to be slow. Indeed, among global oil-producer economies, Nigeria is among the three least likely to post positive Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2021.

GDP per capita is also projected to continue declining with productivitys contribution to growth negative throughout this period.

The NDU said that debt service could reduce fiscal flexibility but does not pose any significant threat in the short-term.

It added that public debt was projected to increase from 21.7 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 27.1 per cent in 2020, but would remain sustainable due to the expected recovery in oil prices and low-interest rates.

According to it, given the low revenue of Nigeria, the debt service-to-revenue is expected to reach 74.0 per cent by the end of 2020.

The report however proposed five policy areas that would help mitigate the effects of the crisis and support Nigerias recovery.

It said first, the domestic spread of COVID-19 should be managed until a vaccine is available for distribution, secondly, macroeconomic management to boost investor confidence should be enhanced.

The report also said that focus should be placed on safeguarding and mobilising revenues, reprioritising public spending to protect critical development expenditures and supporting economic activity and access to basic services and providing relief for poor and vulnerable communities.

Source: NAN News

By Doris Esa
Stakeholders have expressed the need for increased awareness in the prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) disease.

The stakeholders spoke at a panel discussion which was part of activities to mark the World 2020 Antibiotics Awareness Week in Abuja.

Dr Olaniran Alabi, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture said that poultry farmers should be trained on the use of biosecurity to prevent the introduction and spread of HPAI and other diseases.

Alabis presentation was tagged, Role of Biosecurity in the Prevention of HPAI and AMR.

He noted that poultry farming represented an important sector in animal production in Nigeria.

Alabi urged all farmers and animal owners to build a healthy relationship with veterinary doctors in order to ensure that they were involved in preventing diseases on farms as well as treating outbreaks.

Dr Abubakar Suleiman, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), who joined the discussion virtually said FAO had taken steps in complementing governments efforts towards addressing AMR.

Dr Abiodun Egwuenu, AMR Programme Manager, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), said there was need for increased awareness of the public on dangers of using antibiotics without prescription.

Egwuenu said NCDC had trained over 35, 000 officials on bacterial infection adding that hand washing was very critical in preventing diseases.

Also speaking, Dr Peter Umana, from Disease and Pest Control Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, said government had been creating awareness but more was needed.

Umana said the fear of AMR caused farmers to misuse and abuse the application of antibiotics and disinfectants.

Source: NAN News

NCDC Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) update

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 474 new infections of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the countrys total to 70,669 cases.

The NCDC made the disclosure via its verified website late on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that last week, the countrys COVID-19 infections tally recorded yet another increase.

The NCDC record table shows that the 1,607 new confirmed cases are higher than the figure recorded in the week of Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, when Nigeria recorded 1,102 cases of the disease.

The latest infections were recorded from16 states and the FederalCapital Territory (FCT).

TheNCDC disclosed that 132 patients were discharged after recovering from the infection from isolation centres nationwide.

Our confirmed cases today include data reported from Kebbi and Adamawa over two weeks, the NCDC stated.

Theagency said, however, that it had recorded two additionalCOVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,182.

It said that the FCT recorded the highest number of confirmed cases with 180 new infections, taking the total number of cases in Abuja to 7,716.

Lagos, the epic-entre of the virus in Nigeria came second with 134 new infections, taking the total number of cases in the state to 24, 238.

According tothe NCDC, FCT, Lagos, Kebbi, Adamawa and Plateau recorded the highest number of the COVID-19 infections with 180, 134, 45, 26 and 16 cases, respectively.

The other states recorded the disease as follows: Enugu-14, Taraba-14, Gombe-12, Nasarawa-8, Yobe-8, Rivers-5, Ogun-5, Kwara-2, Ekiti-2, Sokoto-2 and Osun-1.

According to the NCDCs tally, as at Dec. 9, a total of 474 new confirmed cases and two deaths have been recorded in the country.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

It said thattilldate, 70,669 cases had been confirmed and that 65,242 cases had been discharged, while 1,184 deaths had been recorded in the 36 states and the FCT.

Meanwhile, the agency said thatit was in the enlightened self-interest of Nigerians to collaborate in the spirit of global solidarity, to find a solution to the pandemic because nobody is safe until everyone is safe.

It noted that Nigerians might be tired of COVID-19 but that the virus was not tired of them, especially during the Christmas holidays, adding that this was not the time to let their guards down.

Adhere to protective public health measures. Wash your hands often. Wear a face mask and avoid crowded spaces.

Take Responsibility, the agency admonishes.

Nigeria has conducted about 822, 231 tests since the first confirmed case, relating to the coronavirus was announced in the country. (NAN)

Source: NAN News