By Jacinta Nwachukwu

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), says it has approved a 400-million dollars revolving global credit facility agreement for the Export Trading Group (ETG).

The Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated agricultural conglomerates in Africa.

Mr Kanayo Awani, the Managing Director of Afreximbanks Intra-African Trade Initiative, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Awani said that the three-year revolving global credit facility would strengthen African agricultural networks and bolster the continents food security.

He said that the agreement would also enable the Group to keep playing its vital role in the agri-foods supply chain of efficiently connecting African farmers to markets.

It will also expand access to key inputs to boost agricultural productivity in a continent with tremendous but yet unrealised potential.

According to Afreximbanks estimates, Africa spent more than 90 billion dollars on food imports in 2019, even though it possesses up to 60 per cent of the worlds remaining arable land.

Moreover, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that up to 50 per cent of Africas agricultural production is lost every year from farm-to-market.

This is due to problems ranging from sub-optimal use of inputs to improper post-harvest storage, processing and transportation facilities.

Awani said that these challenges had been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had disrupted supply chains, heightened price volatility and could further undermine household consumption.

He noted that the facility provided by Afreximbank would address key bottlenecks faced by African agricultural exporters, aggregating large values of produce in order to give small and medium-scale enterprises access to regional and international markets.

According to him, expanding the groups work in this area will reduce post-harvest losses through better access to yield-enhancing inputs and more robust networks to get output to regional and international markets.

while helping boost the scale and productivity of African farmers to position Africa as the worlds bread basket.

It will also support the vital flow of food supplies across the continent amid the disruption triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ETG is focused on uplifting farming communities by connecting smallholder farmers with international markets, expanding mechanisation and processing capabilities.

It will also increase knowledge around quality inputs, irrigation, post-harvest techniques and yield-enhancing practices, Awani added.

According to him, Afreximbank remains committed to supporting African nations navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, at the same time focusing on boosting agricultural productivity and accelerating the diversification of exports to strengthen the resilience of African economies.

This facility will not only support African farmers through the disruption caused by the pandemic but will provide added impetus to ETGs vital work connecting the continents small and medium businesses to the agricultural networks and avenues critical for growth.

He said that with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on the horizon, the timing was right to shape a more productive and resilient agricultural sectordelivering both prosperity and food security for the continents future.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution with the mandate of financing and promoting intra-and extra-African trade

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the priority in Republic of Mali now should be securing the country, which is largely occupied by terrorists.

A statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Wednesday said the president spoke when he received briefings from ECOWAS Special Envoy to the West African country, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The meeting came ahead of an extraordinary virtual summit by ECOWAS heads of state and leaders, scheduled for Friday.

Buhari stressed that: About two-thirds of Mali is occupied by terrorists, and it makes common sense to secure the country, rather than pursuing individual interests.

He said the sub-region would take a common position on the issue when the leaders meet on Friday, hoping that an amicable and generally acceptable position to all interested parties would be arrived at.

Jonathan brought the president up to speed on dialogue with the military coup leaders, who are seeking to stay in power for three years, before holding elections.

He said: We asked them to allow ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to return to his personal residence, where he would be given tight security, but they said he could travel abroad, and not return to answer questions they may have for him.

We also told them that what would be acceptable to ECOWAS was an Interim Government, headed by a civilian or retired military officer, to last for six or nine months, and maximum of 12 calendar months.

The Interim Government would then organize elections to restore full constitutional order.

Jonathan disclosed that his team was allowed to meet with the ousted President, who confirmed that he resigned voluntarily, adding that he was no longer interested in returning to his former position.

According to him, the military leaders want ECOWAS to lift sanctions put in place, as it was already affecting the country, but we told them that for the authority to do such was only in the hands of ECOWAS heads of state.

Source: NAN News

By Mustapha Sumaila

President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina says 141 million people have benefitted from improved agricultural technologies to enhance food security in the last five years he assumed office.

Adesina made this known during the opening of the banks Annual General Meeting (AGM) held virtually on Wednesday.

He said about 18 million people now had access to electricity, while 15 million people had access to finance.

According to him, 101 million people can have access to improved transport, while 60 million Africans gained access to water and sanitation.

He noted that as president of the Bank in the last five years, it was a great honour and responsibility placed on his shoulders.

According to him, working together has always been the strength of the AfDB and shareholders worked together in Abidjan to approve the largest capital increase in the history of the Bank.

He added that the shareholders increased the capital base of the Bank by 115 billion dollars.

Adesina said that the shareholders also pulled together yet again in Pretoria, South Africa, and gave the African Development Fund 35 per cent increase in financing which is so crucial to low income countriesand fragile states.

I promised to work hard to accelerate Africas development. My vision for the High 5s was my bond and my oath of office, my compass!

Time has gone so fast. Fast also has been our impacts in those five years for Africas progress.

I thank the Board of Directors and my extraordinary staff at the Bank for working so hard and for strongly supporting us to get this done.

But we will have no rest. The price of good work is more work. We have our work cut out for us now more than ever to help Africa rebound, and to get back on a stronger pathway of economic growth and resilience.

Today, I stand before you with gratefulness for your strong and collective support overthe past five years.

We succeeded together and together we must also go forward, reaching for what lies before us to help fast-track Africas development building on our collective achievements, strengthening weaknesses and deepening our impacts.

At this Annual Meetings, I offer myself to you our governors for your consideration for election for a second term as President.

I do so with humility, with a strong sense of duty and commitment and a call to serve Africa and our Bank selflessly, to the very best of my God-given abilities, he said

Source: NAN News

Hollywood

The hopes of Hollywood riding on the opening of Tenet on Wednesday as the Christopher Nolan spy thriller tests the appetite of movie fans to return to cinemas and rescue an industry hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The biggest release since schedules were torn up in March and the only one of 2020s potential summer blockbusters to make it to the screen in the holiday season.

Tenet launched in 70 countries on Wednesday ahead of the U.S. next week.

The movie has already won over some critics, but fans could be a harder sell given changes to the movie-going experience.

The actor Tom Cruise, whose Top Gun: Maverick was pulled from a release earlier this summer, donned a face mask to attend a preview showing of Tenet in London.

Great to be back in a movie theatre everybody, he said on Tuesday. I loved it.

Film critic Kaleem Aftab said Tenet, which cost AT

Scene of Afghanistan the flash flood

Flash floods kill more than 100 people in northern Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday, with the death toll expected to climb, as an operation to recover more bodies was under way.

The disaster in Parwan province has wounded more than 250 people, destroyed more than 500 houses and washed away streets in the provincial capital Charikar.

The Afghan National Management Authority and the Defence Ministry have helped 5,000 families with food and non-food aid packages, a spokesman for the agency, Hasibullah Shaikhani, said.

A provincial council member, Mohammad Khalil Fazli, said the speed of the floods caught everyone off guard.

When people tried to get out of their homes, to escape for their lives, they faced heavy floods that were already filled the streets and roads, he said.

Another councillor, Aminullah Shakori, said that the high waters rushed into the city from several different locations, destroying everything in its path.

Acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid arrived in the province in a bid to help coordinate the rescue operation.
Parwan province is one of the most flood-prone provinces in Afghanistan. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Chijioke Okoronkwo
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a waiver of the import levy on meters, so that those that do not have meters can be supplied as early as possible at reasonable costs.

He also directed the commencement of a nationwide mass-metering programme as part efforts to put an end to estimated and arbitrary billing for electricity.

Prof. James Momoh, Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the presidents directive was in response to yearnings of Nigerians.

Momoh also urged the public and all stakeholders in the power sector to disregard any reports of an arbitrary tariff increase affecting Nigerians.

He said that measures had been put in place to protect the poor and vulnerable in cases of tariff reviews.

The chairman explained that tariff reviews would only follow service-based principles.

Under these service-based principles Distribution Companies (DISCOs) will only be able to review tariff rates for customers when they consult with customers, commit to increasing the number of hours of supply per day and quality of service.

In all cases poor and vulnerable Nigerians will not experience any increase; in line with these expectations, DISCOs are directed to engage with their customers on a Service Based Tariff structure.

Under the Service Based Tariff Structure, DISCOs can only review tariffs for customers under the following conditions:

Customers are consulted and communicated a guaranteed level of electricity service by the DISCOs based on hours of supply

No estimated billing through the strict enforcement of the capping regulation; this means that unmetered customers will not experience any cost increase beyond what is chargeable to metered customers in the same area, he said.

He said that under the aforementioned conditions, there would be no change in tariff for the most vulnerable as tariffs for those consuming 50KW or less remained frozen.

According to Momoh, customers receiving less than 12 hours of supply will also not experience any change in tariffs.

Source: NAN News

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu

By Stanley Nwanosike

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is preparing for a bye-election to replace a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, late Chijioke Ugwueze, who died recently.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu.

Ononamadu said that the commission had fixed Oct. 31, 2020 for the conduct of the bye-election to replace the late lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency.

For now, we are preparing for the bye-election to replace the state lawmaker from Isi-Uzo state constituency.

More details on the preparation will be communicated very soon, he said.

NAN reports that Ugwueze died of heart failure, according to family source, on June 19 at age 49. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala

Sweden forward Fridolina Rolfo put the Germans ahead against the run of the play in the 58th minute.

She fired in from close range as Barca, beaten finalists last year, failed to clear the danger.

Barca had 16 attempts on goal but only once managed to test Wolfsburg goalkeeper Friederike Abt, who saved a header from Oshoala in the first half.

The ball had appeared to deflect off the hand of Wolfsburg defender Kathrin Hendrich, but the Spanish sides appeals for a penalty kick were ignored.

Oshoala headed narrowly over the bar soon after Rolfos goal while Spain internationals Mariona Caldentey and Jennifer Hermoso also missed the target.

Wolfsburg saw the game out to book their place in the final on Aug. 30 against either holders Olympique Lyonnais or Paris St-Germain (PSG), who meet on Wednesday. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Philanthropists Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote have hailed the declaration of Nigeria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being polio-free.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the global health body on Tuesday certified Nigeria and the rest of Africa polio-free.

The WHO Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) said the major milestone was achieved four years after the last recorded cases of wild polio in the country.

In a tweet, Gates said that the remarkable achievement was a step closer to global polio eradication.

Today, we move one step closer toward a world without polio. This is an incredible milestone thats worth celebrating. It is also an important reminder of what can be accomplished when we work together toward a common goal, he wrote on his Twitter handle @BillGates.

In his remarks, Africas richest man, Dangote, said that the polio-free Africa was an indication that the fight to end polio globally was possible.

Today we celebrate a polio-free Africa, the result of decades of vaccination, hard work, collaboration. Tomorrow we get back to work, to ensure wild polio does not come back. Together, we all can #EndPolio globally, he tweeted.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antnio Guterres, tweeted via his official Twitter account @antonioguterres, that the declaration filled him with optimism that a lot could be achieved through global efforts.

Africa has been declared free of polio today.

This historic milestone fills me with hope and optimism.

We can achieve so much when we work together as a global community.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Board Chair, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), felicitated with the President, Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessors.

A great day for Nigeria and Africa. Nigeria receives polio-free Certificate from WHO.

Africa declared PolioFree. Congratulations Nigerians on this great achievement. Congrats to President
M Buhari, President GE Jonathan, President Obasanjo, PHDA, GAVI, Gates Foundation, she tweeted via @NOIweala

A virologist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Dr Olubusuyi Adewumi, who lauded the historic achievement, said that Africa had indeed successfully eradicated the wild polio virus.

Adewumi said that while the wild polio virus was responsible for most infections, there was also the rare form called vaccine-derived polio virus.

Today marks the end of any circulation of wild type poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa.

There are three subtypes of polio virus which are poliovirus type (PV1), type 2 (PV2), and type 3 (PV3).

Also, we have the vaccine and wild type of each subtype of poliovirus, he said.

The vaccine type is referred to as Sabin strain because it is derived from oral polio vaccine (OPV).

The wild type poliovirus is responsible for most infections.

Paralysis resultant vaccine strain of poliovirus occurs but are very rare, thus we can as well say Nigeria and indeed Africa is free of polio with the eradication of wild poliovirus, he said.

NAN reports that the WHO had in September 2015 removed Nigeria from the Polio-Endemic countries list following its successful interruption of transmission of wild poliovirus for a year.

With the WHO declaration of a successful eradication of polio in Nigeria, the devastating disease remains endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, globally.

Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to irreversible paralysis and sometimes death.

Source: NAN News

Court Symbol

By Adaeze Iroha

A 48-year-old pastor Nduka Anyanwu, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to defiling and impregnating two teenage sisters, before a Yaba Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos.

Anyanwu is facing a two-count charge of defilement.

Following his guilty plea to both charges, the Chief Magistrate MrsA. Adedayo, remanded the defendant in a custodial center and adjourned the case to Sept. 15, for facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in June, at Oshodi area of Lagos.

He said that the defendant, who is a Pastor, had slept with the two sisters, aged 17 and 13, respectively, (names withheld), on several occasions and impregnated them.

According to him, the defendant had allegedly defiled the sisters at the church complex, under the pretext of holding prayer sessions with them.

Unuigbe added that the offences contravene Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sections 137 stipulates life imprisonment for the offence of defilement of a minor. (NAN)

Source: NAN News