Month: October 2023

Ms Joy Basu, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of United States, Bureau of African Affairs, has described Nigeria’s young population as an asset to Africa and the world at large.

Basu made the remark during a visit to Vibranium Valley Tech City to discuss about the African economy on Saturday in Lagos.

She said it was important for the world to know that the young talents in Nigeria were incredible.

According to Basu, not only is the population of Nigeria so young but filled with youths who are very smart.

“These young talents have a history of unlocking economic prosperity through creativity and innovations.

“They see challenges in diverse perspective and are ready to delve into it to find solutions,” Basu said.

She said the young talented population were not only needed to solve Nigeria’s problems, but also Africa and the world.

Basu explained that such young assets should not be left unrefined, stressing that opportunities should be created for them to thrive for economic growth and development.

She noted that the U.S government recognises the immense potential of Nigeria’s young population and would continue to provide support through investment, partnership and trainings.

“We will continue to partner with Nigeria and Africa to build a better world,” she said

Basu stressed that talent discovery and development needed to be taken seriously.

On bridging gender gap, she said the U.S government had been doing a lot to support women by ensuring they had equal opportunities.

Basu noted that the U.S government was not only supporting women through access to funding, but also by ensuring that it reaches those in the underserved communities.

Basu said bridging the gap had been a challenge for both the U.S and Nigeria, adding that several opportunities through innovative programmes had been provided for women, to ensure they had equal rights.

Speaking on what Vibranium Valley Tech City had done to bridge employment gap, Mr Bunmi Akinyemiju, the Chief Executive Officer Venture Garden Group, said a lot of money had been spent to groom 1,500 talents in Nigeria.

Akinyemiju said for job creation, they had also built about 22 companies from the scratch.

He added that Vibranium Valley Tech City had invested in about 65 companies through their venture capital arm.

Akinyemiju said he believed that the growing of Nigeria Gross Domestic Product and Africa had to do with building bridges, noting that the bridge was between Nigeria and America.

He also noted that the U.S consulate had been an incredible partner in driving some of their goals of building talents.

Also, Mr Debo Omololu, the Chief Executive Officer, GetFundedAfrica, a tech-enabled marketplace, said Nigeria and other countries in the continent were going to be the workforce in the future.

Omololu explained that Nigeria, which had one of the youngest population in the world with 60 per cent younger than 45, needed jobs.

He said that to provide solutions to some the job challenges, GetFundedAfrica had partnered the Federal Government and one of the banks to provide opportunities for young Nigerians.

Omololu explained that the company uses technology to help aspiring business owners, existing businesses, job seekers and working professionals.

Omololu noted that leveraging on their partnership, they were able to get a bank to provide financing of up to $50 million to train every single person that registered under their organisation.

He explained that asides learning skills they were also given certificates to help them get jobs easily. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State government on Saturday demolished an illegal structure on Banana Island, constructed on an unauthorised reclaimed land that will obstruct drainage paths.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Oluyinka Olumide, who led the exercise also ordered the demolition of illegal fences.

Olumide was accompanied by the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, who decried the rate at which property owners and developers disregarded building code, hence, the demolition to compel compliance.

LASBCA is an agency supervised by the ministry Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The commissioner warned against illegal reclamation of land in the state, saying individuals did not have the right to reclaim without requisite permission from the ministry charged with that responsibility.

He said land reclamation was an exclusive right of government, which usually carried out required tests through sand filling, adding that, residents should follow the processes for land acquisition to avoid prosecution.

Olumide said the demolished structure violated a suspension order issued by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu during his assessment visit to the site earlier in the year.

He said it was discovered then that the developer illegally dredged the river to reclaim the land without recourse to any approving authority.

The commissioner warned that indiscriminate dredging activity in the area must stop because it violated Planning Laws and impacts negatively on the state’s ecosystem.

“We need to stop people’s believe that they are above the law, once you have law, every body is supposed to be controlled by the law which is supposed to guide the society.

“Here, lawless activities are taking place whereby people are on thier own deliberately reclaiming land for the purpose of their own developments which is very bad.

“The power line was even made at the centre of the lagoon, the ceiling is almost reaching the power line which is not safe for human habitation,” he said.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, said the construction site had been sealed three times but the developers broke government seal to continue working.

Oki said the developers did not have building plan approvals and did not have layout approvals.

He advised residents to always carry out the necessary checks and documentations by visiting the district offices across local governments to get the right information.

He advised residents to get Certificate of Occupancy and building plan approval or regularisation before moving to site.

“My duty is to remove anything illegal,” he said.

Oki said breaking the seals contravened the building code, adding that, illegal land reclamation activities would be punished.

He said all buildings involved in unapproved shoreline extensions along the Lagos Waterfront would be demolished and their developers prosecuted.

He urged all intending building owners to always ensure due diligence before construction, including obtaining the necessary documentations from relevant agencies of the government. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Coordinating Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has convened a Media Orientation Meeting on Diphtheria Outbreak Response in the country.

The meeting was in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC),

The one-day workshop, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and held on Friday in Abuja, drew journalists and communication personnel from across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was aimed at improving the media’s knowledge of Diphtheria, helping them understand their roles and responsibilities, and identifying key areas to support the ongoing Outbreak Response in the country.

In his opening remarks, Dr Faisal Shuaib of the NPHCDA, commended and appreciated the efforts of both National and State Media Stations in promoting health programmes, especially the ongoing Diphtheria Outbreak Response in their respective states.

Shuaib, who was represented by the Acting Director of Advocacy and Communication at the Agency, Mrs Aisha Tukur, emphasised that the Federal Government and Development Partners recognized the media’s vital role in nation-building.

He underscored government’s reliance on the media to create awareness and sensitize Nigerians on Diphtheria and other Primary Health Care services in the country.

Shuaib also commended NCDC and Development Partners for co-facilitating the Media Orientation Meeting with NPHCDA and expressed the hope that the partnership would continue beyond the Diphtheria Outbreak Response.

In her goodwill message, Margaret Soyemi, Head of Social and Behavioral Change Communication at UNICEF, who spoke on behalf of partners, praised the efforts of NPHCDA and NCDC for facilitating the workshop.

Soyemi thanked the media stakeholders for their continuous support and commitment to creating awareness and sensitizing the public on health programmes, especially Diphtheria, at national and subnational levels.

NAN reports that participants from NPHCDA, NCDC, FMoH, Federal Ministry of Information (FMol), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and NAN attended the meeting.

Additionally, representatives from national and state media (broadcast and print) from the seven priority states (Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, and Yobe) were present, as were Development Partners, including UNICEF, BA-N, Red Cross, WHO, ICAP, and others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

WINDHOEK: While applauding the Khomas Regional Council for providing them with materials and equipment for their small businesses, the beneficiaries have urged the youth to step it up and begin working for themselves.

As part of the regional council’s Income Generating Activities Grant, the Moses ||Garoëb Constituency office handed over material and equipment to 23 small enterprises in Windhoek on Thursday.

The income-generating grant in its eleventh year is part of the local government’s ongoing effort to fight poverty and unemployment by boosting viable small business projects in the region.

One of the beneficiaries, Frans Mulyau, thanked the government for meeting him halfway.

For the past two years, Mulyau and three partners have been running a soap-making business out of Hakahana in Katutura, using basic tools.

“We started our business making soaps and detergents. This year, we went through training by the education ministry, where we were taught how to make soap. Then we asked for assistance from the government to be given a generator because, where we are operating, there is no electricity. We also got electrical mixers because we use sticks to mix the ingredients,” Mulyau told Nampa.

“We are very proud and are going to work even harder. We want our products to be used in our hospitals, schools, and the community in general. And we are applauding our government for meeting us halfway.”

Mulyau advised other young people to be innovative, saying that it will make it easy for the government to meet them halfway. “Yes, we want the government to assist. But as young people, let’s not rest on our laurels and start doing something. Only then can the government assist us, like the help we just received today,” he said.

Late last year, Ally Shiteta resigned from her full-time office administration job to set up a printing shop at the Ombili complex. “My business is very small. I started it earlier this year, in January, with only one computer and a small printer. But now I thank the government for giving me a bigger printer and other equipment. So I am happy and going to employ someone to assist me,” she said.

Shiteta advises other young people to be courageous and make it a habit of paying attention to public information as well as visiting government offices like the Moses ||Garoëb Constituency office in Havana.

“I just heard about the income-generating grant on the radio. Then I applied for the grant, and my application was approved by the regional council,” she said.

Mauma Pupuku John has also expressed his gratitude to the government for the power tools he received for his joinery business. “I really thank the government for giving me the equipment to work and help expand my business,” said John, who started his business in 2020.

John does not have formal training in joinery and cabinet making but learned on the job at Lumber City, where he worked for four years.

“My advice to young people is that self-employment is very important. I see today a lot of young people are just in the street drinking, which is not good. So I encourage them to stand up and start something so the government can meet them halfway,” he said.

For the 2023 edition, the Moses ||Garoëb Constituency was allocated N.dollars 250 000, and Councillor Stefanus Ndengu said that recipients received business aid grants ranging from N.dollars 6 000 to N.dollars 13 000.

Ndengu said the approved projects range from a hair salon to tailoring, welding, panel beating, printing and stationary, car wash, catering, joinery, dry cleaning, soap-making, bakery, and ice-making.

“The grant encourages community members to embark on economically viable projects that could be sustained in the long run. Since its inception, the programme has immensely contributed to the reduction of poverty and the increasing employment rate in the constituency,” the councillor said.

Meanwhile, Ndengu cautioned the beneficiaries to make use of the equipment by expanding their businesses and creating employment. “We have now entered into a development partnership, and our involvement will continue with regular monitoring and mentorship of your project,” he said, adding that the council reserves the right to take back the equipment when not used.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

OKASHANA: Director of Land Reform in the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), Petrus Nangolo has called on farmers on resettled land to be productive to avoid it being withdrawn.

Nangolo made the call during a regional consultative meeting to review the resettlement criteria under the resettlement policy of 2023 to 2033 at the Okashana rural development centre in the Oshikoto region.

He said the Ministry has observed that some farmers have been unproductive on land allocated to them by the Ministry, noting that: “They will be given a fair chance to be productive and failure to do so, the ministry will withdraw the land and give it to other Namibians willing to be productive”.

He said the primary objective is to ensure that these farmers are to produce their own food, contribute to the country’s gross domestic product, and create employment, which can only be done if they are productive on the land allocated to them.

“We are trying to address food security in this country, we want Namibia to produce sufficient food for its people and to also export to the market, therefore if there is no activity taking place on the farms, they should be relinquished voluntarily so that they can be used productively,” Nangolo said.

Mangeti Farmers’s Association (MFA) secretary, Philip Mwandingi said that there are those fortunate who have been allocated farms but are using them for residential purposes, and they are not utilising them while there are thousands out in the streets, willing to work, so ministry is doing well by chasing the lazy ones out.

The main goal of the resettlement criteria policy is to ensure that the land acquired is fairly and equitably allocated and sustainably utilised to improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries.

The policy targets to resettle the previously disadvantaged Namibians who do not own or otherwise have the use of agricultural land or adequate agricultural land, and foremost to those Namibians who have been disadvantaged by the past discriminatory laws and practices.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency