Month: August 2023

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FG to take 133m Nigerians out of poverty – Minister

The new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to lift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty.

Edu disclosed this when she assumed office on Monday in Abuja and held maiden meeting with the Chief Executive Officers of the agencies under the Ministry.

She assured Nigerians of her determination to ensure transparency and accountability during her tenure as Minister.

She explained that, the ministry will achieve the target through different interventions and initiatives aimed at lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

“What is most important is that we will keep our focus on lifting 133 million Nigerians out of poverty.

“We can do it in phases, a step at a time, because with determination and strong-will nothing is impossible.

“We will also achieve the feat with the strong political backing from His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu and every member of the cabinet.

”We will play down on politics, we are here to face the real business of governance” she said.

The minister, who described as unacceptable the alarming rate of poverty in the country, said all hands must be on deck to address the situation.

” Different sources of data suggest that we have a population of 200 million Nigerians, which I think we are more than that.

”Out of this population, the sources indicated that 136 million are extremely poor and that is unacceptable.

”We need to bring smiles back to the faces of Nigerians.

“We must reach out to those who are underserved and renew their hope.

“While doing this, we must ensure that we will increase our efforts, be very sincere, transparent and accountable” she said.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, expressed commitment and loyalty to the Minister in her quest to deliver on the mandate of the ministry.

Gwarzo noted that the event coincided with the third year anniversary of the ministry.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Enoh promises transparent leadership to reposition sports sector

Sen. John Enoh, Minister of Sports Development has pledged to provide transparent leadership in repositioning the Nigerian sports sector.

Enoh made the pledge on Monday in Abuja shortly after assuming office as the 36th Minister of Sports Development.

He said inspite of the fact that he was not being an active sports personality, he was ready to hit the ground running by working as a team player with all sports stakeholders to transform the sector.

“I don’t think you need to be an active sports participant for you to be minister of sports.

” I think what is required is who can provide leadership, direction, someone who is transparent, understand the sector and reposition it and that is what am bringing on board,” he said.

The minister stressed the importance of sports as a uniting factor, while calling for all hands to be on deck to develop the sector in line with international best practices.

“There is no other endeavor in this country that is as uniting as the sports endeavor.

“Inspite of our diversity, the difficulties, the difference, the conflicts, I think Nigerians always unite as one whenever there is a sporting event,” he said.

Enoh also used the occasion to send a goodwill message to Nigerian athletes representing the country at the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

“Let me assure you that President Bola Tinubu is standing behind you with the entire nation, united in our support and admiration,” the minister said.

He said the Federal Government will continue to ensure that Nigerian athletes get their due recognition and the right atmosphere is created for them to excel.

The minister is an accomplished educationist, philanthropist, farmer and politician who served as a two-term Federal House of Representatives member and then Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District in the 8th Assembly of the Senate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Heads of State arrive in SA ahead of BRICS Summit

A few African Heads of State have already touched down at the OR Tambo International Airport ahead of the much-anticipated 15th BRICS Summit that will kick start on Tuesday, 22 August.

The weekend saw at least two African leaders arrive in the country already.

Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Sunday welcomed Cameroon Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, who landed at the OR Tambo International Airport, on Sunday afternoon.

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera is already on home soil after Minister Angie Motshekga received him at the airport on Saturday.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa invited 67 leaders from Africa and the global South to attend the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogues.

Brazil President Luiz Inácio da Silva accompanied by his wife Rosangela da Silva also landed at the OR Tambo International Airport this morning.

The couple were also on the same flight with Brazil’s Former President Dilma Rousseff, who is also the Chair of the BRICS New Development Bank.

Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be arriving later this evening.

The BRICS grouping of major emerging economies – Brazil, India, China, South Africa and Russia, is holding its 15th summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 22-24 August 2023 under the Chairship of South Africa.

According to President Ramaphosa’s televised speech last night, over 30 Heads of State from across Africa will be attending the summit.

He also announced that over 20 countries have formally applied to join BRICS and several others have expressed an interest in becoming part of the BRICS family.

BRICS expansion is expected to take centre stage as leaders descend on Sandton for a couple of days.

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong on Friday said his country was backing the expansion of the block, describing it as “a big family of good partners, based on mutual assistance for a win-win cooperation”.

Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa believes the value of BRICS extends beyond the interests of its current members.

“For its efforts to be more effective, BRICS needs to build partnerships with other countries that share its aspirations and perspectives,” President Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

The country’s First Citizen is expected to host President Xi on a State Visit on Tuesday, 22 August 2023, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

It will be President Xi’s fourth Official Visit to South Africa after five years.

BRICS Summit leaders are hoping that the gathering will cement the bloc’s partnership but also benefit the people of South Africa, BRICS, Africa and the global South.

It also seeks to foster economic growth, promote collaboration, attract investment, and display opportunities within South Africa, Africa, and BRICS countries.

The country’s overall trade with its BRICS partners has increased by an average growth of 10% between 2017 and 2021.

Meanwhile, South African trade with BRICS reached R830 billion in 2022 from R487 billion in 2017.

BRICS Business Council, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, will also be bringing large business delegations to South Africa.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Strategic agreements signed at BRICS women business alliance conference

Delegates attending the BRICS Women Business Alliance (WBA) Africa Trade Conference, have witnessed the signing of partnership agreements, which will pave the way towards building trade platforms with various countries.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube is leading the Provincial Government’s participation at the annual BRICS Women’s Business Alliance Africa Trade Conference, currently underway at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban.

The conference, taking place from 20-21 August 2022, brings together over 500 women-led Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), from 18 countries, including Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, amongst others.

Dube-Ncube said the conference is a significant global milestone in the struggle for women empowerment, and it strategically takes place ahead of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit to be attended by over 30 Heads of State and Government from across Africa from 22-24 August 2024.

She said they are inspired that the gathering will discuss among others, access to funding, trade, investment among BRICS nations and Africa, and facilitation of exports.

Dube-Ncube said the conference will also highlight crucial deliberations on establishing a Women Advancement Fund, aimed at providing women entrepreneurs with vital access to capital, nurturing the growth of women-led businesses, and propelling economic activity and job generation.

The Women Business Alliance will also expedite discussions on BRICS Tourism development, gendered healthcare policies, and collaborative efforts to boost economic prospects for women

“This platform will help propel women to competitively participate and fully exploit opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, a single market for goods and services.

“Similarly, the BRICS WBA Africa Trade Conference promises to be an unparalleled platform fostering collaboration among women-owned businesses and enterprises across BRICS and African nations,” Dube-Ncube said.

The two-day indaba, which was unveiled in 2020, takes place at the time which is characterised by a tectonic shift in the global world order, with the BRICS family of nations, which accounts for more than 23 percent of the global economic output, emerging as a strong counterbalance to the dominant global set up.

Welcoming hundreds of delegates on the first day of the conference on Sunday, Dube-Ncube said the problem statements for women globally may possess different nuances for different countries and world regions, but essentially they all boil to one – the total emancipation of women to enjoy equality with their male counterparts.

The summit is held under the theme: “The Role of Multi-lateral Trade and Investment in Economic Recalibration, Reconstruction and Recovery Plans”.

“The Role of Multilateral Trade and Investment in economic re-calibration, reconstruction and recovery plans is premised on collaboration and inclusivity of women in the broader development of women,” Dube-Ncube said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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BRICS a chance to further electricity sector cooperation

Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is expected to host and participate in various engagements as part of strengthening the electricity sector cooperation with BRICS member states.

The 15th Summit of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa (BRICS) countries will get underway in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Tuesday.

The Minister will use the opportunity to host engagements in the interest of the development of new energy generation, forging support for a common position in advancing Africa’s energy security on Just Transition and technical support to transition, access to modern energy sources and advancing a call for a common BRICS position on the transforms of the global energy architect and governance.

According to the Presidency, amongst the engagements for the Minister of Electricity during the BRICS Summit include a bilateral with China State Grid, a meeting with TBEA and China National Electricity Engineering Company and a meeting with CNG.

On Tuesday the Minister will participate in the BRICS Business Forum and on Wednesday the BRICS Cultural Show.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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MEC Tertuis Simmers hands over houses at Our Pride housing project in Eerste River, 22 Aug

Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers to handover First Home Finance Houses (FLISP)

Tomorrow, at the Our Pride housing project in Eerste River, the provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, will hand over brand-new homes to first-time homeowners.

The project is the provincial department’s First Home Finance programme, previously known as FLISP, geared toward making affordable housing accessible to all. The First Home Finance programme is offered to households with an income between R3501 – R22 000 per month.

“I am thrilled that as we commemorate Women’s Month, the majority of the beneficiaries tomorrow are women, and what better way to than receiving keys to your very first house. This project is another initiative by the Western Cape Government aimed at driving spatial transformation and economic accessibility.”

All media are invited:

Date: Tuesday, 22 August 2023

Venue: Kei River Crescent; Eerste River; Cape Town. (next to the Eerste River Clinic)

Time: 10h00 – 11h00

Media enquiries:

Ntobeko Mbingeleli

E-mail: [email protected](link sends e-mail)

Tel: 021 483 8067

Cell: 061 447 7851

Source: Government of South Africa