Month: November 2023

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Armed Forces of Nigeria has attained 27.9 per cent female participation in peace support operations as against the 17 per cent benchmark recommended by the United Nations.

Musa made this known at a one-day gender Mainstremming Conference with the theme: “Building Capacity Through Gender Mainstremming to meet Security Challenges” organised by the Defence Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the Nigerian military had received encomium from notable international organisations, such as the UN and the Africa Union for adopting commendable gender mainstreaming policies in all its operations conducted within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

“As available record reveals that Armed Forces of Nigeria have been able to attain 27.9 per cent female participation in peacekeeping operations, surpassing the 17 per cent recommended benchmark by the United Nations.

“These deliberate efforts by the military is in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, mandating countries to develop own action plans to identify, evaluate and control efforts to achieve the objectives of Women, Peace and Security.

“The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was mooted to ensure women and societal security needs are safeguarded through increased emphasis on prevention, protection and participation of women in military operations,” he said.

The CDS said the conference was also tailored at fashioning out the right ambience for the armed forces in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating operational and administrative doctrines that would promote and enhance their capacity to combat the myriads of security challenges.

He said the asymmetric nature of current security challenges bedeviling the nation brings to bear the need for the military and other security agencies to adopt a more realistic gender mainstreaming strategy to defend and protect women and children during crisis.

He urged the participants and stakeholders to be open minded by engaging in constructive discussions that would further improve the existing gender policies and gender mainstreaming in the military.

Musa reiterated that the armed forces under his command would remain focused in championing gender based doctrinal policies both in its operations and other engagements.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, commended the Federal Government for its continued efforts towards promoting gender mainstreaming in the nation’s armed forces.

Mohammed said the conference was apt in building on the Gender Policies for the Armed Forces of Nigeria launched in 2021, adding that Nigeria, like many other nations, faces many security challenges, both at the national and regional levels.

She said the UN would continue to support the federal government in its efforts to deepen gender inclusiveness and bridge the gender gaps in the armed forces.

She said the challenges had far reaching consequences, particularly for the most vulnerable members of society such as women and children.

According to her, the Nigerian Armed Forces continued to play pivotal roles in both preventing and responding to those security challenges while upholding human rights and safeguarding the national security.

“Gender mainstreaming is crucial to the peace process during and after conflict because it sits at the heart of our Sustainable Development Goals.

“Study after study has demonstrated that when we strengthen women’s resilience and leadership, everyone benefits, including men and boys.

“Women are more likely to foster inclusive modes of governance and coexistence, more likely to build peace and silence against, and more likely to invest in sustainable development and a cornerstone of peaceful, prosperous communities and societies.

“Women’s active participation and leadership at all levels is essential to building an inclusive, responsive, and accountable armed forces that reflects the diversity of the community service and better response to their needs,” she said.

The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson, said the role of women in policy making in the defence, insecurity and operational frontline had grown and become steadily more important.

Atkinson said the UK and Nigeria had adopted and domesticated UNSCR 1325, which made the role of women in peace and security fundamental to the future of the nations’ defence and security.

She said that Nigeria had shown its commitment to the resolution in many ways such as in the protection of survivors of sexual violence, supporting the call to action to ensure the rights and wellbeing of children born of sexual violence in conflict.

According to her, inclusive military and security organisations are key to helping them meet the standards set out in these agreements.

“But I think it’s important too that we understand and pay tribute to the women at the grassroots who are working with their communities and upwards through the system to bring peace and security, reconciliation and support both the women and the men in their communities.

“We must make sure that gender considerations are fully integrated into policy, practices and operational environment and the armed forces can lead the way,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in the sustainability sector have called on the Nigeria government to partner the private sector in scaling up efficient recycling plants across the country.

The experts stated this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday at the 8th annual Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

Ms Clare Romanik, Lead Ocean Plastics and Urban Advisor, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) stressed the need for Nigeria to diligently implement it’s various environmental and waste control regulations.

She decried the increasing pollution of the environment, rivers, lakes and oceans by plastic waste, while calling for concerted efforts to address the alarming trend.

“Countries can make their decisions on how to deal with plastic pollution based on what they see as important and constantly put out incentives.

“So countries like Nigeria need to consider what is right, but absolutely more recycling plants are necessary across the country.

“I also think products that are not easily recyclable, then government needs to tell the industry players, you need to change something about your production,” she said.

Ms Shereen Shaheen, Head of Corporate Affairs, Middle East/Africa, Tetra Pak, a leading food processing and packaging solutions company said they were working with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and other stakeholders to address the sustainability issue.

She emphasised the need for Nigeria to put in place more effective waste management regulations, while ensuring strict implementation and compliance.

“We are working with LASEPA and other ministries to address this, but one of the major challenge in Nigeria and other African countries are facing is that they import most of the raw materials and packaging is not locally sourced.

“One of the areas of focus is how can you be sustainable, you don’t want to be dependent on certain materials, that at the end are not recyclable,” she said.

Shaheen highlighted the need to do more to ensure proper recycling, sorting and collection of wastes across the country, to prevent their pollution of the environment.

“There is need to have a lot of recycling facilities that are ready to recycle materials of different types, there is need for more sorting and collection at different points across the country,” she explained.

Dr George Njenga, Founder, Strathmore Business School, Kenya and Chief of Party, USAID strategic partnership stressed the need for more awareness , especially to Nigerians in rural areas on the benefits of a circular economy.

‘”I think the issue with Nigeria will be will be how to reach the largest population who leave in villages and slum areas, how do you cover the North and South.

“There is need to put in place infrastructure and this must come from government, supported by the AU, you have to also work with donor partners, states and local governments to educate through a positive mindset for profit,” he said.

Njenga advised the Federal Government to give tax incentives to recycling companies and enact policies that will encourage Nigerians take used plastics to recycling plants.

“If a company is not recycling it’s product and doesn’t have a green certificate, then don’t import the product, because it’s destroying the society.

“Government should give tax incentives to companies to recycle plastics, so that they don’t eventually pollute the environment and rivers,” he said.

NAN reports that the Circular Economy Conference had sustainability stakeholders, the Academia, captains of industry, entrepreneurs from across Africa in attendance.

The conference deliberated on innovations in sustainable circular business development with focus on various themes, including waste to value, plastics, circular economy, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), packaging, agriculture among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Debt Management Office (DMO) on Thursday, advised Benue people to invest in Federal Government securities to get regular income.

DMO’s Director-General, Patience Oniha, made the call at a one day awareness programme on “Investment opportunities in FGN Securities” in Makurdi.

Oniha, who was represented by the Head of Control and Audit, Mr Mohammed Isiaku.

She said that the Federal Government had studied the individual investment preferences in the country and came up with the investment securities that would appeal to the individual investors.

The director-general outlined the various instruments of the FGN securities as FGN bonds, Nigerian Treasury Bills, FGN Sukuk, Green Bonds and FGN savings bond

She said that by investing in FGN savings bonds, individuals would have regular income cash flow either quarterly or semi-annually, which would come in interest or coupon forms.

She reiterated the fact that the FGN savings bond was default risk-free and enjoyed tax exemption.

“Everybody can invest in the FGN savings bond with as little as N5,000, even the low income earners can enjoy the opportunity of investing from what they earn.

“We are here to tell you that having FGN savings bond is a lifetime achievement and as time goes on, you can top up your bonds and even decide to save for your children or relatives,” Oniha said.

She further gave assurance that no matter what happened, investment in any of the FGN securities was safe.

“This investment is a risk free investment and it is backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government, and the cash flow can help you to pay rent, school fees and even carry out a projects”. she said.

She said the DMO was created to help the government to raise funds for capital projects.

According to Richard Akinmoladun, a stockbroker from CSL Stockbrokers Limited, the stockbroking firm for the Federal Government, the major benefit of the FGN securities is that it is safe.

Akinmoladun said investors can use the FGN savings bond to obtain loan from banks, as it is a steady income that one can liquidate anytime by contacting his/her stockbroker.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FGN securities Issuance Awareness programme is a collaborative effort between the DMO and CSL.

It was inaugurated in Lagos in March 2022, and has also been taken to Enugu, Ibadan, Kano, Yola, Umuahia, Benin, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Abeokuta, Gombe, Oshogbo, Asaba and Maiduguri.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Institute of Health Service Administrators of Nigeria (IHSAN) has called on government at all levels to prioritise the welfare and conditions of service of Nigerian health workers to enhance their performance.

Mrs Rosemary Archibong, the National President of IHSAN, made the call at the 37th National Conference/Annual General Meeting of the Institute on Thursday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference was: “Advancing The Health Care Management System In Nigeria”.

Archibong said there was need to improve on the holistic conditions of service of the health workers as most of the health facilities across the country were in deplorable state.

She said there had not been adequate funding for the health sector; which was responsible for poor maintenance of the health equipment as well as the poor working environment in the health sector.

According to her, it is a plea to the government to look into the conditions of service of the health workers with the view to improving them.

She reiterated commitment of the Institute to train and retrain health service administrators to sharpen their skills for enhanced deliverables.

“There is need for overall good working environment for health workers.

“We call on the Federal and State governments to actualise and sustain attractive conditions of service for all health professionals, including the hospital administrators.

“We appeal to government to be more sensitive in handling problems in the health sector.

“The institute shall not renege on its mandate to train and retrain health service administrators to sharpen their skills for enhanced deliverables,” Archibong said.

Mr Adeyinka Antwi, Director of Administration, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, called for harmonisation of the salary system of the health sector such that the only difference would be the allowances.

Antwi, also the Chairman of IHSAN, Lagos Chapter, said that the salary harmonisation was paramount to put an end to the incessant industrial strike in the health sector.

“All we need is a good working environment in the health sector.

“Harmonisation of the salary structure is necessary because it will go a long way to address the issue of incessant industrial strike in the health sector.

“There should concerted effort to ensure that roles are well defined in the health sector.

“The overlapping roles in the health sector administration and management has posed a great challenge,” Antwi said.

Dr Adedamola Dada, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre Ebute Meta, said there was need for promotion of universal health coverage in order to advance the healthcare management system in Nigeria.

Dada, also the Keynote Speaker at the conference, said that availability, accessibility and security of the drugs through health insurance were paramount to actualising the Universal Health Coverage.

According to him, there is need for the country to invest in and maintain robust healthcare infrastructure that can meet the growing demands of the population, saying that adequate equipment, well-trained staff and efficient logistics are essential.

“To advance the healthcare management system in Nigeria, we must focus on several critical areas; we must continually strive to enhance the quality of care, embrace technology and modern practices.

“There is need to make healthcare services more accessible, especially in rural and under-served areas. Tele medicine and community health program can play a significant role in achieving this.

“In view of the fact that government alone cannot fund health, there is a need to support private initiatives through appropriate legislation and funding,” he said.

Dada enjoined the health service administrators to be more proactive in their service delivery.

“As health services administrators, your role is indispensable in translating policy into practice and driving change.

“Let us continue to collaborate, innovate and inspire one another as we embark on this journey of advancing the healthcare management system in Nigeria,” Dada said.

The Chief Medical Director, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, called for the collaborative effort of all stakeholders to advancing the healthcare management system in Nigeria.

Owoeye said there was need for stakeholders in the health sector to consolidate on the gains after COVID-19, saying that every federal hospitals across the country now have Intensive Care Unit as a result of the pandemic.

“We need to consolidate on the gains after COVID-19, because after the pandemic, all government hospitals across the country now has Intensive Care Unit and a Molecular Laboratory.

“So, the health sector need not to relent, but to improve on these gains and advance the healthcare delivery system.

“There is need to train and retrain the health workers, provide adequate funding for research in order to promote self reliance of the Nigerian health system,” Owoeye said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria