Month: June 2024

The Senate has mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals to investigate the cause of a rockslide in Farin Doki community, Shiroro Local Government of Niger.

The rockslide buried 30 informal miners alive in a gold mining site.

This followed the adoption of a motion at plenary on Thursday in Abuja on an ‘urgent need to address incident of the rockslide.’

The motion was sponsored by Sen. Mohammed Sani (APC-Niger East).

Sani said that on June 3, a catastrophic rockslide occurred at an open pit gold mine, resulting in 30 local informal miners being buried alive in the Farin Doki Community.

He said that the site was near Erena in Shiroro Local Government, Niger East Senatorial District.

Sani said the miners, in their quests for gold and lithium minerals, met their untimely death as the avalanche caved in; burying them under tons of rubbles.

He said the tragic incident underscored the urgent need for a holistic action to be taken to address the dangers faced and posed by local mining activities across the coun
try.

Sani said it was imperative to secure the mining sites to forestall future occurrence and avoid further loss of life.

‘This will go a long way to ensure that mining activities are conducted safely and legally to prevent future tragedies and improve the overall well- being of miners across the country,’ he said.

He expressed worry that bodies of the deceased had yet to be recovered for proper burial by their respective families.

According to Sani, conscious efforts should be made by relevant agencies of government for the recovery of the bodies for burial.

He said given that Nigeria was desirous of diversifying its economy, adding that the mining sub-sector was lucrative enough and should be adequately exploited for the socio-economic development of the country.

‘As such, the appropriate authorities should as a matter of urgency and necessity, initiate thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident so as to identify any existing lapses.

‘As part of remedies to bring sanity t
o the system, strict regulations should be introduced in order to protect the lives of those who depend on this industry for their livelihood.

‘It is also apt for relevant committees of the National Assembly to step up their oversight of mining activities across the country for the purpose of harnessing the benefits that abound in the sector,” he said.

The Senate, after observing a minute silence in honour of the victims, commended the Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr Dele Alake, for his swift response in monitoring the situation.

The Senate also urged the Federal Government to come out with strict safety measures and regulation on mining activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices.

The Senate also called for deployment of adequate security apparatus to the mining communities to maintain vigilance around mining areas to prevent further incursions and intrusion by informal miners.

It urged the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies of government to expedite act
ions on the recovery of the remains of the deceased in the catastrophe.

According to the upper chamber, such recovery will ensure that the bereaved families have final closure on their loved ones.

The Senate also urged the committee to accelerate the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently before the Senate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria Abu Shawesh, has called on the Federal Government to use her political weight to convince more countries to recognise Palestine as an Independent state.

The envoy made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja when he addressed newsmen on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war development.

The envoy said recognising Palestine as a state would ease the challenge faced by its citizens in procuring visas.

He said as a heavy weight in international affairs, Nigeria’s voice could go a long way in influencing more recognition for the State of Palestine.

Shawesh said that heavy political weight can hang the balance not only in African continent, but all over the globe.

According to him some European Union (EU) member states recognise Palestine as a state

‘Now we have over 20 or 27 European countries voting for a state of Palestine.

‘In the past 10 days some European countries have recognised Palestine as a state and this is an important move for the visa procurement”, he
told newsmen.

NAN reports that Slovenia became the latest EU country to recognise an Independent State of Palestine after its parliament approved the move with a majority vote earlier on Tuesday.

It would be recalled that Slovenia government last week decided to recognise Palestine as an Independent and sovereign state following the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway as part of a wider effort to coordinate pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja called on international development financiers to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity.

The President made the call at a meeting with a delegation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), led by its Managing Director, Mr Makhtar Diop.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports IFC is a member of the world Bank Group and the largest global development institution that focuses, exclusively, on the private sector.

Tinubu urged the corporation to consider more strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure, research, and development on the continent.

‘The IFC and the World Bank need to see Africa differently. I am glad an African is at the helm of affairs at IFC, and as an African, understands that the potential for growth, peace, stability and prosperity is here.

‘The world has to see us as a continent that can help the rest of the world, and not perceive us as backwards, unstable and with leadership problems.

‘The expectations of the r
est of the world on Africa have to change.

‘They must see Africa as a potential opportunity and not a danger to the rest of the free world, so that we can stimulate growth and propel inclusiveness,’ he said.

The President added: ‘You are at the helm now and in a position to change the perception. We are ready to change the narrative and work with you. Africa is open for business, regardless of whatever the perception may be.

‘I am an African and proud to be and will maintain the strong position to collaborate with the rest of the world to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity.’

Tinubu acknowledged that Nigeria held the second-largest IFC portfolio in Africa with an active investment portfolio of 2.1 billion dollars as of April 2024.

He also highlighted the importance of some critical infrastructure projects embarked upon by his administration, such as the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway.

‘We have made various attempts in the past to create dams, but
issues with reticulation and irrigation remain.

‘When we consider the living conditions in rural areas where crops are produced, how much funding is allocated for rural roads to expedite transportation to consumer centres?

‘The goal of the coastal road and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is to address this,’ the President said.

In his remarks, Diop informed the President that during his working visit to Nigeria, the IFC had engaged in productive discussions with Nigerian partners to enhance agriculture, increase food production through irrigation farming, upgrade transport networks, and bolster regional integration.

He announced that IFC had signed a 23.3 million dollar loan agreement with Johnvents Industries Limited, a leading agribusiness for economic development and agricultural transformation company, to develop the cocoa sector.

‘We are supporting small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector, and they are doing very interesting things.

‘We need to bring in more big players into food producti
on in the country,’ Diop said.

He added that the Corporation was ready to partner the Nigerian government on new investments in irrigation, road infrastructure, and logistics around the airport under a Public Private Partnership.

Diop congratulated President Tinubu on his one year in office and commended his bold decisions to revamp Africa’s largest economy.

He pledged IFC’s commitment to long-term investment in Nigeria, adding that its single largest investment in Africa was in Nigeria, where it had invested 1.2 billion dollars in the fertiliser industry.

‘We are here to support you. The world has been facing a lot of shocks and difficult situations which have affected many African economies,’ Diop said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government says it remains committed to supporting implementation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2022.

Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, said this at a Stakeholders Technical Dialogue on the ‘Operationalisation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index as a Policy Tool in Nigeria’ in Abuja on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2022 MPI report revealed that 63 per cent, that is 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor out of an estimated population of 211 million.

Bagudu said the Federal Government would support the MPI implementation through the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) and the implementation of the eight -Priority Areas of the present administration.

The minister, represented by Mrs Adeshola Oloyede, the Director overseeing office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the MPI provided a nuanced understanding of poverty’s complexity.

‘By measuring factors such as access to cl
ean water, electricity, schooling, and healthcare, we can identify specific areas where interventions are needed, ensuring that no one is left behind.

‘Remarkably, the MPI is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda, ‘leave no one behind’, as it shows the interlinkages of deprivations experienced by poor people.

The minister said the operationalisation of the MPI in Nigeria was a clarion call to action.

‘It is a call to embrace a holistic approach to poverty reduction, one that recognises the interlinked deprivations affecting millions of Nigerians.

‘By leveraging the MPI, we can craft informed, targeted, and effective policies that address the root causes of poverty and promote sustainable development.

‘Let us commit to this transformative journey with determination and unity.

‘Together, we can create a Nigeria where every individual has the opportunity to thrive, where no one is left behind, and where the dream of prosperity and well-being becomes a reality for all.’

Mr Adey
emi Adeniran, the Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said for the statistical System, operationalising the MPI was a welcome development and was well overdue.

Adeniran said there was a need to align the data from the MPI survey with interventions to tackle the issue of poverty in Nigeria in a sustainable way.

‘This means going beyond making the necessary data and evidence available to designing targeted programmes and policies to address the issues identified within the data.

‘Only when these two things align (the data and the interventions) will we begin to see meaningful and sustainable changes in the lives of the citizens confronted with poverty.

‘Therefore, we need to build on the success of the 2022 MPI survey by ensuring that the data is used for the benefit of the citizens.’

He said there was a need to invest in continuous training and technical capacity building of personnel to be able to produce data timely and in a sustainable manner.

Adeniran
said this would enable the government to have the appropriate tools to effectively monitor and track the impact of the interventions, and where necessary design new interventions to address any lapses.

‘While this means more resources from the government side, it also necessitates more donor support and assistance, both financially and technically.’

Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said her office was working closely with both state and non-state actors.

Orelope- Adefulire, represented by Dr Bala Inusa, said it would guarantee an inclusive, participatory and collaborative implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria,

‘Such strategic partnerships demonstrate our collective commitment to the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development that is to Leave-no-one- behind.

‘It is my hope that this dialogue will strengthen our commitment to work closely together as policymakers and development practitioners in sup
port of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Nigeria.’

Ms Elsie Attafuah, the Resident Representative, UNDP, said multidimensional poverty in Nigeria was complex and multifaceted and would require several approaches.

According to her, poverty in Nigeria goes beyond money but it is about millions of people struggling with things we often take for granted.

Attafuah , represented by Dr Jose Levy, the Deputy Resident Representative, said stakeholders must focus on -energy poverty in Nigeria.

‘The right investment in energy can turn out to be a game changer in a bid to brighten the future for millions of people and remove them from energy poverty.

‘By focusing on targeted investment in clean energy , education, healthcare and social protection we can foster inclusive growth and create a more equitable society.’

She pledged UNDP’s continued support to Nigeria’s development journey.

Beatrice Eyong, the UN Women Country Representative, emphasised the importance of incorporating a solid gender dimensi
on into the MPI programming framework.

‘By integrating gender-specific indicators and analysis, we can ensure that the MPI report highlights the disparities and drives targeted interventions that uplift and empower women and girls.’

Eyong, represented by Zapania Aura, said the inclusivity of the MPI report was paramount, adding that it was essential to consider the voices and experiences of marginalised groups.

‘By making the MPI more inclusive, the Nigerian Government commits to developing comprehensive strategies that are integrated and aligned with the National Development Plan and leave no one behind, thereby, advancing an equitable and just society.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria