Month: April 2024

Sokoto State government has announced measures to address the acute shortage of potable water confronting residents, amidst high temperature of over 42 degree celsius.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that taps have gone dry and residents have been scampering to source for water wherever available.

To assuage the situation, Alhaji Yusuf Maccido, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, said the government had set up a committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Gobir, to deploy water tankers across the localities to provide immediate relief to residents.

The committee would also overhaul all broken down water pumping engines and ensure the dredging of 72 earth dams in the medium and long term, Maccido told newsmen on Friday in Gusau.

The commissioner said funds had been disbursed to the committee to address the situation, adding that some water engineers and experts from Kaduna have been co-opted to support the state water board in the repair and rehabilitation of the facilities.

Ac
cording to him, three of the pumping machines in Kware are being repaired to restore water supply to Sokoto metropolis.

He said that the government hopes that in the next three years, the issue of water scarcity would be fully addressed.

Maccido explained that the government plan to replace obsolete machineries and complete the dredging of Bakalori, Goronyo and Luga dams which were the main sources of raw water being processed by the state water board for supply to residents.

He added that arrangement were on to harness the Shagari dam for hydropower generation.

‘We are targeting at least 80 per cent supply of potable water after rehabilitations of the systems; at present, below 20 per cent is being utilised.

‘We are determined to ensure that dams, machineries and other facilities function to high capacity before the end of the tenure of the present administration,’ Maccido said.

He appealed to the public to show more understanding, assuring that the government is fully committed to ending the biting wa
ter scarcity.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development said strategies to develop Alimosho, a densely populated area in Lagos, into a sustainable and functional city, had been identified.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi, said this in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

Sanusi quoted the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, as saying this at the final stakeholders meeting on the review of Alimosho Model City Plan, held on Thursday in Lagos.

Olumide said that the plan included strategies like higher density housing, low-cost housing options, improved public transportation, and designated focus areas for development.

He said that the government was committed to implementing the plan and ensuring different agencies worked together to achieve its goals.

”Several remarkable efforts in directing the growth pattern of our bourgeoning Lagos through plan preparation, execution and implementation have evoked the continuous attention of gove
rnment, which now metamorphosed into the preparation of 13 different Master and Model City Plans, 9 Action Area Plans and 9 Development Guide Plans to revitalise the state in both spatial and sectoral aspects.”

The Commissioner said that the Lagos State Government restructured the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to improve the development of Lagos.

This restructuring, he said, aimed to create a more efficient system for achieving a livable, organised and sustainable built environment in the state.

He expressed his enthusiasm about the progress being made on developing urban plans for the state.

The commissioner said that the rapid progress suggested that the Lagos State government was actively working on creating blueprints for various parts of the city.

These plans, he noted, should guide future development in a way that benefits residents.

Sanusi also said that a group of consultants presented the revised plan, along with a briefing from a government official.

He noted that the p
lan included strategies for better housing options, which involved Higher Densification, Regeneration, Low-cost Housing Schemes and Enhanced Public Transportation.

He mentioned that 13 specific zones including Ipaja, Amikanle, Egbeda and Igando would serve as focus areas of specific planning policies.

Sanusi also noted that the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Oluwole Sotire, explained the purpose and duration of the plan.

Sotire said that the 20- year plan was aimed at developing strategies that would transform Alimosho Local Government Area into a model city of choice.

He said that stakeholders’ contributions were necessary to make the process truly participatory, and the outcome people- oriented.

‘Residents are the beneficiaries of the many advantages of the plan, including the creation of employment and wealth, as well as the creation of an inclusive, equitable, effective, efficient and environment-friendly place to live, work and prosper,’ Sotire said.

The
Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, Mr Lekan Shodeinde, said that his office would work with the office of Physical Planning to ensure strict implementation of the plan.

The General Manager, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA), Mr Daisi Oso; Member, House of Representatives, Alimosho Federal Constituency, Rep. Ganiyu Ayuba, among others, were listed as also being at the event.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Prof. Temitope Odetoye of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, has successfully produced biodiesel, using chicken eggshell-derived heterogeneous catalyst.

Odetoye made this known in Ilorin while delivering the 253rd Inaugural Lecture of the university.

The lecture was entitled: ‘Symphony of Biomass, Bioenergy and Bioproducts for Sustainability’.

She said: ‘The trans esterification experiment was based on a two-factor, three-level central composite design, while catalyst concentration and reaction time were considered the factors which had significant effects on the yield of biodiesel.’

Odetoye, who lectures in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the university, said that the yield showed that eggshell was an affordable potential catalyst source for biodiesel production.

According to her, utilisation of eggshells can add value to poultry production process and minimise wastes in the poultry industry.

The lecturer said that biodiesel had been considered one of the susta
inable fuel alternatives.

She, however, noted that high production cost of biodiesel, compared to fossil fuel, remained one of the major drawbacks in biodiesel production.

Odetoye defined biofuel as fuel made from biomass.

‘Biofuel is synonymous with biocrude, biodiesel, biooil, biogas, bioethanol, biosyngas and bioslurry fyels,’ she said.

The expert in chemical engineering submitted that Nigeria was endowed with abundant lignocellulosic biomass residues waiting to be harnessed in more environmentally-friendly ways.

She said that open burning of biomass residues had led to pollution of the environment, especially in dry season.

According to Odetoye, biomass waste pyrolysis is a potential means of converting waste to wealth and will create opportunities for skilled engineers and technicians.

She added that it would make the environment cleaner.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State Government says the Abiola-Onijemo Link Road with bridge project will be completed by June.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Daramola, disclosed this when he inspected the ongoing project on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, when completed, will connect Ifako-Ijaiye and Ojodu local government areas.

Daramola recognised that the rainy season was coming soon, and could hinder the construction’s progress.

He said, however, that the governor’s goal was for the project to be completed by June.

‘We know we are going into the wet season now. Mr Governor is assiduous of completing this projects around June this year,’

According to Daramola, the project is part of the government’s THEMES+ agenda, focusing on transportation infrastructure.

He said, ‘Today we are at Abiola Onijemo project. This is one of the strategic projects being undertaken by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in line with the THEMES Agenda
.

‘It’s going to connect Ifako College Road with Iju Ifako; it’s going to reduce a lot of travel time to commuters and socio-economic importance will go up.

‘If you know, this place has always been a flood-prone area in which people living on the other side cannot come across and it’s a major strategic bypass. And today it’s a thing of joy,’ he said.

Additionally, the SA said that the last span of the concrete deck on the bridge was ongoing and was a major milestone to be achieved.

He expressed satisfaction with the high quality of work done so far, saying it aligned with the governor’s strategic plan for the area.

He also expressed confidence that, given the project’s quality, it would be completed on schedule.

‘Looking round. What has been done here is of high quality, good quality in line with Mr Governors strategic master plan for movement of people and commuters in the axis. I’m very happy at this stage.

‘I’m convinced that with the quality that has been put into this project, the project is poise
d to be completed in due course.’

Daramola said that the bridge, on which work began about eight months ago, would reduce travel time.

He thanked the residents for their cooperation, saying it is a thing of joy when people are given dividend of democracy and they embrace it.

He also thanked other stakeholders who joined hands to make the project a success.

The Managing Director, GELD Construction Company, Mr Nabeel Esawi, assured that the project, which was about 75 per cent ready, would be delivered within the stipulated time.

‘We commenced work here in October 2022. The project is supposed to be implemented for 24 months but we will finish it before the time, even with all the challenges that we have on the material rate that is increased everyday in Nigeria.

‘The drain is almost about 80 per cent ready too,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Government intends to connect 1.5 million households in rural and township areas by the end of the year to the internet, enabled by Wi-Fi hotspots.

Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, said government plans to connect 5.5 million households in rural and township areas to Wi-Fi hotspots in the next three to four years.

‘We are dedicated to bridging the digital divide by providing Wi-Fi access to communities and ensuring universal access to the internet. This year, we have connected over 740 000 households to the internet, enabled by the installation of 4 250 Wi-Fi hotspots.

‘This work involved the participation of 76 Internet Service Providers, which are Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), and resulted in 4 500 direct jobs, and many more indirect jobs and opportunities downstream,’ Gungubele said on Thursday.

He said government has made strides in reducing the cost of data.

‘Simply put, where our flagship programme, S
A Connect, visits, villages are left connected to the internet at an incredibly affordable rate of R5 a day per 1 Gig, and as little as R250 a month on an unlimited package.

‘Beyond this infrastructure investment in communities at large, we have also focused our attention on enabling learners in rural schools to be connected to the internet and are equipped with skills to ready them for the future through State Information Technology Agency (SITA) Cyber Labs – a privilege previously reserved for urban schools.

‘We have so far launched these smart schools in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, the North West and Northern Cape provinces, with more yet to be established in other parts of the country. In addition to the computer laboratory and equipment that comes with it, learners receive skills training in robotics, coding and digital skills,’ Gungubele said.

National Digital Skills Forum

In preparing young people for digital transformation and the digital economy, the Department of Communications and Dig
ital Technologies recently launched the national Digital Skills Forum (DSF), which brings together the necessary expertise, financial resources and institutional support as well as to track the performance of the National Digital Skills Programme.

The forum will also provide guidance and oversight on implementation of the National Digital Skills Programme.

‘[This] is a ‘Digital Skills Massification Drive’ that empowers youth in particular and offers them an opportunity to become Digital Skills Ambassadors to train their communities in digital skills.

‘The programme has been successfully rolled out in the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Free State provinces. It is currently underway in the Eastern Cape province and is intended to be rolled out to all provinces in South Africa. To date, over 20 000 citizens in these provinces have been successfully trained by ambassadors on basic digital literacy concepts,’ the Minister said.

Digitisation of government services

Through the State Information Technolo
gy Agency (SITA), the department has developed a National e-Government Portal (www.eservices.gov.za), with 92 digitised government services.

This past year, the digitised services has attracted the utilization of over 899 394 logins, with over 1.4 million registered users.

‘In the 2024/25 Financial Year, SITA will ensure 98% core network availability for 7 570 connected government sites cutting across national and provincial departments.

‘Complementing the SA Connect programme, SITA will launch a National Broadband Project worth at least R6 billion, that will be awarded per region and ensure that government reduces the cost and duplication of connectivity infrastructure from municipalities up to national government level.

‘This project will also ensure that designated groups such as enterprises owned by women and youth are empowered with at least forty percent (40%) value of this project, whilst creating opportunities for innovative locally developed solutions to find traction in our market,’ the Minister
said.

Work has begun to improve key value chains and processes of SITA towards meeting efficiency expectations in building a resilient modern digital environment for an evolving South Africa.

‘To this end, a special directed intervention in the form of, the SITA Ministerial Task Team to fast-track procurement backlogs has commenced work. SITA is in the process of meeting all clusters and provinces to find resolutions to all their urgent Information and communications technology (ICT) challenges,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

With only one week to go before the Grade 1 and 8 online admissions window for the 2025 school year closes, the Western Cape Department of Education has urged parents and guardians to sort out the required documentation needed to apply online.

Western Cape Education spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, said according to the department’s data, thousands of parents and guardians have not yet applied.

Hammond said the department has so far received over 67 000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications online.

‘The department has so far received over 67 000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications online. We are, however, concerned that according to our data, there are still over 40 000 Grade 7’s that are still yet to apply for Grade 8 next year.

‘We ask these parents and guardians to please ‘Don’t wait’. We would like as many parents and guardians as possible to apply on time so that we can use this data to plan ahead and further improve the placement process in the Western Cape,’ Hammond said.

The certified documents required f
or all applications include the last official school report card, and proof of identity such as an ID, birth certificate, or learner’s passport.

‘In the case of a foreign learner, a passport or a study permit or proof of application for a study permit, or a copy of the parent’s asylum seeker or refugee permit, or a police affidavit if these documents are not available,’ Hammond explained.

Other documents required include an immunisation card (road to health chart for primary schools only), as well as proof of residence (rates account, lease agreement, an affidavit confirming residence).

The documents can be certified at any police station or post office.

Hammond has also advised parents to keep the copies together, as they will need to submit the hard copies later this year to the final school where a child would be accepted to.

She said there will also be the opportunity for parents to make use of the department’s admissions’ pop-up help centres, which will be located at various malls and schools this w
eekend.

‘These centres provide support to parents and guardians who do not have access to internet facilities or need assistance applying online,’ Hammond said.

Parents and guardians can visit: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions to see what assistance is available within their area.

More information on the admissions process, as well as the list of pop-up sites, can be found on https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions

The Grade 1 and 8 online admissions window for the 2025 school year will close at 11:59pm on 12 April 2024.

Source: South African Government News Agency