From L-R: Musa Suleiman, Vice Principal, Administration, Government Day Secondary School, Abaji; Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed (Ciroma of Abaji) and representative of Onna of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa; Adamu Masud (beneficiary); Ms Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc and Mrs Adamu Amina (beneficiarys guardian) at the Nestle Community Scholarship Scheme award ceremony in Abaji, Abuja, on Thursday. Photo Credit: NAN

By Emmanuel Afonne

Nestle Nigeria Plc has awarded full scholarships to three university undergraduates and 20 senior
secondary students in Abuja, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The scholarships were announced to the students and undergraduates on Thursday by a delegation of Nestle Nigeria, led by Ms Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, at the Abaji Area Council Secretariat.

Uwadoka said the gesture was part of the companys CSR in its area of operation, but most importantly was for the children of the host communities to get quality education.

She said the scholarship scheme in Abaji was a replica of what the company did a few days ago in Ogun State community where the company also has its factory.

We are doing this because we established technical training centres and our desire was to distribute the benefit to the communities that are closest to our operations but we couldnt find the right talent
within the communities to take these opportunities.

The plan was for only people from this community, but people are coming from everywhere to take advantage of it because we dont have the right skills.

However, we felt that we cant just say there are no skills, so, we decided to do something about it and what we found good to do was to help the children get quality education focusing on the science field.

Our technical training centre was designed for sciences and that is why we have put this scholarship scheme in place focusing on children who are already interested in science subjects to encourage them to
complete their education.

Eventually, they will be a part of the technical training which opens all doors of opportunity to them and it is not just to say bye-bye, you have done the training, we prepare them for the city and
guild global technical certification which qualifies them for work in any international organisation.

Vocational, mechanical, electrical, structural and the children go through the training for 18 months that include theoretical, practical and five of the best students go to Switzerland for a further three
months to intensify their studies.

The end is not just to say bye-bye, you have done the training, we prepare them for the city and guild global technical certification which qualifies them for work in any international organisation,
Uwadoka said.

According to Uwadoka, the company absorbs some of the trainees, while the rest get jobs in other big organisations that are always waiting for them to come out.

I can tell you that 100 per cent of them are gainfully employed and we want those within the community to be the first beneficiaries, she added.

She, however, urged the beneficiaries to ensure they maintained the baseline and criteria for their selection in order not to lose the scholarships.

Uwadoka noted that the scholarship scheme would now be open to more beneficiaries annually.

The Chairman, Abaji Local Government Council, Abdulrahman Ajiya, who was represented by the Secretary, Kamal Suileman, appreciated Nestle for uplifting the rural people through the scholarship scheme.

He congratulated the beneficiaries and schools that their wards benefitted from the gesture and urged them to sustain the scholarships.

The selection process was very open and as politicians, we didnt have any input whatsoever.

We only helped to sensitise parents to ensure their children participated in the exam and selection process; no influence attached to it, if not you would have seen my child there. The process was so
transparent, Suileman said.

One of the beneficiaries, Jeremiah Iganga, a first year undergraduate of Benue State University, said the scholarship would propel him to a greater height.

Knowing that I could lose the opportunity if I lower the standard, I will have no option than to be more serious with my studies and with the scholarship, I will get my material and resources to achieve the
success I desire.

I am studying Biochemistry and I hope to specialise in toxicology or pharmacology.

I encourage my peers to work hard to be selected in the next batch because this is an opportunity they have to excel in life and those in secondary school should start preparing for next years scheme, he
said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerian businesses and the entire private sector to tap into the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which comes into force by Jan. 2021.

Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the vice president spoke at the opening session of the 52nd Annual National Conference of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM).

The theme of the conference is, Nigeria and Manpower Preparedness for the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The vice president said there was need for the private sector and businesses to become conversant and knowledgeable with the rules of AfCFTA which would be required so as to benefit from the treaty.

According to Osinbajo, it is imperative for Nigerian businesses to also familiarise themselves with AfCFTA rules because they will have to assist in providing the evidence to trigger action on trade remedies by government.

Building productive capacity is only the first step; the ability of our businesses and entrepreneurs to integrate successfully into the opportunities of the AfCFTA also depends a great deal on strengthening our domestic ability to facilitate trade.

Our logistics chains, port processes, and customs procedures must be dynamic and efficient and it is obvious that the capacities of the operators and workers in these areas need to be rapidly upscaled through training including on the use of technologies.

This is why we are paying particular attention to the rapid implementation of the National Single Window project which we expect to radically improve trade facilitation.

Given the size of our economy, it is also clear that Nigeria must play a leading role in the harmonisation and integration of border management, regulatory cooperation, and the formalization of informal cross-border trade in the continent.

These actions are necessary to assist and support our MSMEs to be able to make use of the opportunities afforded us by the AfCFTA.

The Vice President said that Nigeriamust strengthen domestic capacity to produce, disseminate and use reliable trade statistics to be able to measure the impact of AfCFTA on the economy.

He said that such capacity was important not only for monitoring progress but also for establishing safety nets as it implemented the AfCFTA.

Osinbajo also spoke on the Federal Governments efforts to ensure that Nigeria benefited maximally from the policy.

The creation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiation (NOTN) was a deliberate decision by this government to change our approach to trade negotiations by ensuring that our participation is underpinned by top-class technical knowledge and adequate preparations.

It is imperative that Nigeria continues to lead on AfCFTA negotiations as we move into the second phase that will focus on intellectual property, competition policy and investment policy.

This will require the scaling up of our official negotiating capacities and the private sector must support this process by bringing its interests, concerns, and understanding of the practical dynamics of international trade to the attention of government.

The vice president said that aside prioritising trade negotiations, the Federal Government was also paying attention to the agreement on free movement of persons.

He said that for Nigeria, the protocol on free movement of persons was crucial as it had comparative advantage in very skilled and competent personnel.

The vice president said that the opportunities could not be realised without the protocols being passed.

The 3-day conference will feature presentations by Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Mr Peter Cheese, the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Mr James Quinn, President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), among others will also make presentations. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Laycon entertaining fans and customers at OPPO Market Storm at SLOT, Ikeja on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020

By Babajide Awoyinfa

Global smartphone brand, OPPO Mobile Nigeria, in collaboration with SLOT, a mobile phones, computer and accessories retail company, has flagged off a massive combo discount sales on all its smartphones during an #OPPOMarketStorm.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event which held at SLOT, Ola Ayeni and SLOT, Medical Road, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday had attendees treated to non-stop entertainment, including a surprise
performance from Laycon.

NAN also reports that Laycon, born Olamilekan Moshood Agbeleshe, is a Nigerian reality TV personality, rapper, singer and songwriter.

He is the winner of Big Brother Naija Season 5 and currently the youth Ambassador of Ogun State, Nigeria since Oct. 6, 2020.

Customers also enjoyed multiple discounts, including an instant N10,000 discount when they purchased an OPPO A93 and an Enco W31.

The customers also got N5,000 discount when they bought an OPPO phone with an Enco W31 and a N4,000 discount when they purchased an OPPO phone alongside an Enco W11.

On the OPPO market storm, Marketing Manager, OPPO Mobile Nigeria, Nengi Akinola, said: We decided to embark on this market activation with Laycon so that smartphone enthusiasts and fans can relate one on
one with the brand.

With Laycons unique talent displayed today (Wednesday), unforgettable moments have been created and we want fans to anticipate what the brand has in store for them in the coming weeks.

She said that for the rest of November, customers would be able to get a 10 per cent discount on the OPPO A12 and OPPO A93 smartphones if they bought from SLOT, 3CHub or Finebrothers nationwide.

OPPO is an innovative smartphone brand and with entertainment initiatives, and it further cements the brands position as a key player in the smartphone industry in Nigeria. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Poultry farm

By Felicia Imohimi

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has threatened to shut down the industry by Jan. 2021 if the Federal Government fails to halt exportation of maize, soybeans and soymeals.

Mr Ezekiel Mam, President of the association said this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference tagged Crisis and the survival of the Nigeria poultry industry: A critical moment.

Mam who described the present atmosphere and scenario of things as very alarming and critical noted that immediate halting of exportation of the products would protect the local food systems and security.

He said that with the attendant fallouts and the grains supply situation in the country, the prices of maize went up from N95,00 per ton to N165,000 per ton in June.

The president noted that the government supported the industry with the release of 5,000 metric tons of maize at subsidized prices expecting that the price of maize will fall or stabilize during the harvest season.

Mam said that presently, maize is sold from N145,000 to N160,000 per ton as against the price of N85,000 per ton as at this period last year.

He said that if immediate actions were taken to halt exportation of the products, it would assist in salvaging the industry from collapse while securing the country further from hunger.

Mam said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should consider national food security first in any policy relating to export of agricultural produce. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Zamfara State House of Assembly

By Ishaq Zaki

Fourteen political parties participating in Bakura State House of Assembly by-election in Zamfara, on Thursday signed a peace accord ahead of the poll billed for Dec. 5.

The event took place in Bakura town, headquarters of Bakura Local Government Area of the state.

The ceremony which was presided by the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Usman Nagogo, had all heads of security agencies in the state in attendance.

Dr Asmau Maikudi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, also attended the event.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Rescue Movement (NRM) were among the parties that signed the peace accord.

Other political parties involved in the peace pact included Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grant Alliance (APGA) and Action Alliance (AA), among others.

Nagogo commended political parties in the state for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during their primaries and campaigns.

The conduct of political parties is encouraging, we commend the leadership of both political parties, we hope this responsible attitude will continue up to end of the election.

As I said yesterday at the heads of security agencies in the state meeting on this election, we are highly ready to provide adequate security before, during and after the polls.

All security agencies have resolved to be apolitical, we are going to maintain our constitutional role to ensure protection of lives and property, we are here to sign an undertaking for the election to be conducted peacefully, he said.

He warned that anyone that flouted the law would be punished.

On her part, Maikudi thanked all stakeholders for cooperating with the commission in preparation for the conduct of the by-election.

The resident INEC commissioner who promised to conduct credible election, sassured that the electoral umpire was fully prepared for the exercise.

We have already got our non-sensitive materials here and will bring in the sensitive materials very soon. As the CP said, the conduct of political party leaders and stakeholders is commendable.

I urge Bakura constituents to be calm and support the commission to conduct free, fair and credible election; let us replicate conduct at the 2019 general elections in this state, she urged.

Maikudi also commended political parties for conducting peaceful primaries and campaigns, and promised them fairness. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Mr Yemi Kale, NBS Boss

By Folasade Akpan

The Federal Government generated N416.01 billion as Company Income Tax (CIT), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says.

The bureau said this in its Company Income Tax by Sectors 2015 Quarter Three (Q3 2020) obtained from its website on Thursday in Abuja.

It said that the amount was against N402.03 billion generated in Quarter Two 2020 and N520.89 billion generated in Q3 2019,representing a 3.48 per cent increase Quarter-on-Quarter and -20.13 per cent decrease Year-on-Year.

The bureau said that professional servicesincluding telecoms generated the highest amount of CIT with N55.52 billion generated and closely followed by other manufacturing which generated N42.03 billion.

This was followed by banks and financial institutions which generated N24.05 billion, while mining generated the least with N120.93 million and closely followed by textile and garment industry with N167.51 million and Local Government Councils with N321.72 million.

The NBS said that out of the total amount generated in Q3 2020, N244.70 billion was generated as CIT locally while N70.34 billion was generated as foreign CIT payment.

The balance of N100.97 billion was generated as CIT from other payments, the report said.

It added that thedata was provided by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and verified and validated by the NBS. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Akeredolu

By Ayodeji Alabi

Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State says the state government has concluded plan to pay the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination fees for students in public schools in the state.

Akeredolu disclosed this on Thursday in Akure during a courtesy visit by the national leaders of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) .

The governor said the decision to pay the fees was part of his administrations desire to alleviate the financial burden of parents in educating their children.

He explained that the resources at the disposal of the state at the moment were limited, but that his administration would endeavour to source the needed funds for the successful implementation of the policy.

Akeredolu said he was aware that quite a number of parents were finding it difficult to pay the terminal examination fees.

The Commissioner for Education and his team have met with me on the policy. I have told them to get prepared for its implementation.

In fact, we have to delay the announcement till now so that some people wont tag our genuine intention as a political ploy to curry the votes from our people, he said.

Earlier, Revd. Felix Omobude, National President, PFN, praised Akeredolu for the various life changing projects and policies in state.

The people of Ondo State voted for you for a second term in office as a result of your masses oriented policies. I therefore congratulate you, Mr Governor, Omobude said.

The cleric, who was accompanied by some members of the Advisory Council Members of PFN, enjoined leaders in positions of authority to continually lead with the fear of God and honesty of purpose. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Policemen on duty

By Carol Utulu

Delta State Government has appealed to youths to give peace a chance, as police return to duty in the state.

Mr Emmanuel Udoka, Senior Special Assistant (SSA), on Security Matters to Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, made the call while briefing newsmen in Asaba on Thursday.

Udoka admonished the youths to show understanding and welcome the security agents back to work.

He said it was in the best interest of all law-abiding citizens in the country that the police should be allowed to do their work.

According to him, the appeal became necessary against the backdrop of intelligence report that some youths are still infuriated seeing the police carrying out their functions.

He said that the government, police and every politician in the country had learnt a lesson from the #EndSARS protest.

The #EndSARS Panel of Enquiry is equally doing a great job which will bring peace, reconciliation and compensation to everyone that was unjustly victimized by SARS.

However, we must give peace a chance. The country belongs to us all; we are still trying to find our feet economically, therefore, we should not destroy the little we had managed to build.

Our youths have made their point, they should embrace peace and allow our leaders to learn from their mistakes and correct themselves going forward, said Udoka.

Th security aide disclosed that he had been on tour of the various local government areas, interfacing with security agencies and community leaders.

He said the tour was geared toward fashioning the best way to initiate peace processes and sustain it for economic growth. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would leave the White House if the Electoral College declared Joe Biden the election winner.

He said he was not prepared to concede defeat and repeated false claims that he won.

The president said that he would certainly leave the White House if the Electoral College voted for Biden, telling reporters on a press call you know that.

But he also repeated claims of massive fraud in the election, without providing supporting evidence, and said an Electoral College appointment of Biden would be a mistake.

I know one thing, Joe Biden didnt get 80 million votes, Trump said, according to reporters who dialled in.

Its going to be a very hard thing to concede, Trump said when asked what he will do if the Electoral College elects his Democratic opponent.

According to forecasts by the U.S. media, Biden has secured 306 electoral college votes, significantly more than the majority of 270 votes necessary to win.

Each state must officially certify their vote tallies before deadlines in early December.

The Electoral College vote and the ultimate declaration of the winner by Congress on Jan. 6 are usually symbolic events, but since Trump has declined to concede, they may take on more significance this time.

In the national popular vote count a metric to gauge popularity but with no legal meaning Biden leads Trump, with about 80 million votes to some 73.9 for the incumbent.

Trump is pursuing numerous court cases to try to stop Biden from being declared the winner.

Source: NAN News

New sports policy, key to transforming Nigerian sports Dare

By Muhyideen Jimoh

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, says the countrys new Sports Industry Policy will serve as catalyst for transforming sports into a big business sector when operational.

The minister said this in Abuja at a seminar organised by the Federal Capital Territory chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

Dare, who decried the lack of funds to properly run the over 36 sports federations and facilities in the country, stressed the need for private sector involvement.

We cannot continue to rely on budgetary allocation to run sports in the country, the private sector must come in.

The new Sports Industry Policy seeks to create the enabling environment for sports to thrive and for the private sector to come in, he said.

He said the policy when approved would address the four key areas of Infrastructure, Investment, Incentives and Policy to transform Nigerian sports.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new Sports Industry Policy is due to be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for final approval.

Dare said that the ministry was already partnering with the private sector to rehabilitate major stadia in the country among other projects.

He said modern sports had gone scientific and Nigeria must also plug in, especially in the area of data, statistics and modern equipment to compete globally.

The minister said he would continually work with stakeholders, especially the media, to transform Nigerian sports in line with international best practices.

Source: NAN News