Month: June 2024

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and an NGO, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE), have decried the surge of hate speech in Nigeria.

The two organisations, at a two-day Training the Trainers on Combating Hate Speech Online and Offline, called on youths to synergise and galvanise efforts to address the menace.

The event, jointly organised by the two organisations in Abuja, brought together no fewer than 20 young participants from across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training with the theme ‘Together for Peace: Combatting Hate Speech Online and Offline Was supported by the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) coordinated by LEAP Africa.

Speaking at the event, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of IPCR stressed the need for youths empowerment and positive deployment of technology to shape the narrative of hate speech in Nigeria.

He said such would address bigotry, disunity and create the culture of p
eace and foster unity in the country.

Ochogwu said that the training could not have come at a better time as Nigeria continued to battle misinformation and hate speech impacting negatively on peace, security and stability of the nation.

Mr Rafiu Lawal, Executive Director of BBFORPEACE, in a welcome address highlighted the importance of steming the tide of hate speech in Nigeria.

‘Hate speech, harmful narratives including rumour, disinformation, fake news and ethnic phobia have had significant and far-reaching effects on many societies and Nigeria is no exception.

‘The proliferation of hate speech and harmful narratives now poses a critical threat to Nigeria’s social fabric, intergroup relationships, and overall unity, peace, stability and development of the nation.

‘Our four peacebuilding institutions are actively working in partnership towards mitigating the dreaded phenomenon of hate speech and information disorder across all spectrums of our society.

‘This is to foster sustainable peace, stability a
nd socio-economic development,’ he said.

While charging all stakeholders to work together to address the hate speech menace, Lawal disclosed that participants at the training would be supported technically and financially to implement small scale initiatives in all the Area Councils in Abuja.

Mr Kamaldeen Afolabi of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) Grants and MERL Specialist, underscored the need to continue to build youth capacity.

He noted that, doing so, would provide opportunities for youths in order to facilitate good governance for peacebuilding.

NAN reports that the training engaged young people on various topics, including, management and peace building, social media as a tool for advocacy, dialogue, and political participation.

Other topics are: Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act 2024, Transforming Narratives through Storytelling among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Move Against Cancer Africa (MACA), a volunteer-based NGO has called for increased awareness to ensure early detection and treatment of kidney cancer.

MACA champions campaigns and education on cancer-related issues across Africa,

Mr Caleb Egwuenu, Project Officer of MACA, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2024 Work Kidney Cancer Day (WKCD).

NAN reports that every year, the World Kidney Cancer Day is observed in June to raise awareness about the disease, its causes, symptoms, and available treatments, and this year’s WKCD is June 20.

According to Egwuenu, adequate awareness on cancer-related issues, including risks, treatment, survivorship, palliative care, and prevention, was important in combating the scourge.

‘To mark this year’s World Kidney Cancer Day, the International Kidney Cancer Coalition (IKCC) and its affiliates, including Move Against Cancer Africa, have chosen a theme: ‘We need to listen
.’

‘It is an important reminder to listen to our body and educate ourselves about kidney cancer, its symptoms, the steps we can take to reduce our risk and support those affected by the disease.’

‘Note that there are no obvious symptoms of kidney cancer, but when there are symptoms, they can include blood in the urine, a lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck.

‘Other possible symptoms include pain between your ribs and waist that does not go away, loss of appetite or loss of weight, consistent tiredness or no energy, persistent fever or excessive sweating , including at night.

‘This is why routine checkups are very crucial, and healthcare professionals are advised to listen to their patients.

‘Patients should have the right to be heard, and If you feel you are not being listened to, seek a second opinion for symptoms that do not improve’.

‘Patients with kidney cancer, are advised to listen to healthcare professionals who provide them with advice and support, and have open conve
rsations to ensure access to enough information for informed health decisions,’ he said.

According to Egwuenu, open communication between a patient and a healthcare provider is needed in handling cancer-related issues to ensure shared Decision-Making (SDM).

He added that early detection of kidney cancer significantly improves treatment outcomes and, therefore, called for regular health check-ups and screenings, especially for individuals with a family history of kidney cancer or other risk factors.

He noted that adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, managing high blood pressure, and avoiding exposure to harmful chemicals, can reduce the risk of kidney cancer.

‘By raising awareness and promoting early detection and treatment, we can strive towards better outcomes for individuals battling kidney cancer,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has called for the establishment of an electricity offences tribunal for faster dispensation of electricity related offences.

The Managing Director of NEMSA, Mr Aliyu Tahir, who made the call in Abuja on Thursday at a news conference, said that the tribunal should have an in-built appeal system.

Tahir said that NEMSA in house-counsel should be vested with powers to prosecute electricity offences.

‘The establishment of this tribunal will assist NEMSA to enforce its mandate of ensuring that electrical materials, equipment and instruments used in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) are of standard and specifications.

‘The sanctioning of violators is a long process as it involves several steps .To fast- track the prosecution, this tribunal will go a long in ensuring that violators are effectively prosecuted

‘The establishment of this tribunal is not under NEMSA Purveyor and we have made a submission to the legislature on this,’ he said.

According to him, as at March 31, NEMSA had inspected and tested 21, 681 electricity installations projects out of which 13, 154 were certified.

He said that 16,624 electricity networks were monitored, adding that about 4,921 factories, hazardous installations and public places were inspected, tested and certified fit.

Tahir said that 2,655,488 electricity meters were also tested and calibrated and 487 incidences were investigated.

The managing director said that NEMSA was taking several measures to enhance its enforcement activities.

He listed the measures to include the development of the Nigerian electrical and construction guidelines manuals, provision of the state-of-the art equipment for meter test statistics, expansion of NEMSA facilities across the nation.

Others, he said were the completion and inauguration of a new National Meter Test Station (NMTS) and the opening of a new Inspectorate Field Office (IFO) in Enugu.

‘Construction of a new NMTS in Kano and Benin city, establishment of new inspec
torate field office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Minna, Niger, Dutse, Jigawa,Oshodi Lagos, Owerri, Imo and Bauchi.

‘NEMSA had issued an enforcement notice to Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), to disconnect from their networks all structures within the Right-of-Way(ROW) of transmission and distribution lines nationwide,’ he said.

Tahir assured Nigerians of the agency’s determination to continue its statutory function of technical inspection, testing and certification of electrical materials in the NESI.

He, however, solicited the support of the media for effective coverage of NEMSA activities.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), has called on the Federal Government to address infractions in the constituted governing councils of tertiary institutions, before their inauguration.

The President of SSUCOEN, Danladi Msheliza made the call in a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Education and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

A copy of the letter was made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

Msheliza observed that, in the list of the constituted councils released by the federal government, there were omissions and wrong inclusions of schools while some colleges were listed as universities.

‘We observed that some Colleges which are all listed in the First Schedule of the Federal Colleges of Education Act, 2023, are omitted from the composition of the list of Councils.

‘As such, no Governing Council was constituted for any of them, even in the recently published list of Councils,’ he said.

He listed the colleges as, Federal College of Education
(FCE), Technical, Ekiadolor, Edo state, FCE, Odugbo, Benue state and FCE Jama’are, Bauchi State.

Other are FCE Isu, Ebonyi State and FCE Gidan Madi, Sokoto State.

SSUCOEN president added that there were appointment of governing councils for some FCEs not listed in the FCE Act, 2023, as they were yet to take off with members of staff or students.

He expressed dismay that FCEs that had been in existence with members of staff and students in their campuses, we’re not captured in the list of governing councils.

‘In the same vein, we also observed that some FCEs (FCE Kano, FCE Zaria and Alvan Ikoku, FCE Owerri), whose names were, in the past, changed to Universities of Education were listed as Universities.

‘Pro Chancellors/Chairmen and members of Councils were constituted for them.

‘These FCEs are by mere official pronouncement without any law establishing them, and are not known to the law, as Universities.

‘It should be noted that the above-mentioned Federal Colleges of Education are currently listed in
the First Schedule of the FCEs Act, 2023.

‘Therefore, one wonders how they would be regarded as Universities when there is no law establishing them as Universities,’ he said.

On membership of councils, he noted that the FCEs Act provided for a Chairman and four members, for each College, out of which, one shall be a female.

He, however, said that from the list released, some Colleges have all male nominees, without a female nominee, which was in contravention of the Act.

‘Unfortunately, we are aware that the Governing Councils may be billed for inauguration soon.

‘However, we strongly stand on our earlier advise that the observed anomalies be corrected before the inauguration.

‘Or better still, the inauguration be put on hold while the observed anomalies are corrected within the shortest time possible,’ he said.

He assured that the union’s intentions and concerns were in the best interest of the colleges of education subsector and of industrial harmony.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The NNPC Ltd.-TotalEnergies Joint Venture (JV) has announced a 550 million dollars Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ubeta Field Development Project.

This was announced on Thursday at the signing ceremony held at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) Towers, Abuja.

The milestone is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Executive Order on Oil and Gas Reforms, aimed at improving the investment climate and positioning Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the Oil and Gas sector in Africa.

The Ubeta field was discovered in 1964, in the North-West of Port Harcourt in the eastern part of the Niger Delta.

Once on stream, it will produce about 350 million standard cubic feet per day (MMScf/day) of gas and 10,000 BBLS/day of associated liquids.

It will tap into the vast gas reserves and contribute towards securing gas supply to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited said the milestone was a major
step towards boosting Nigeria’s oil and gas production.

Kyari expressed appreciation to the president for providing the appropriate fiscal environment and facilitating a conducive operational environment as a major enabler in achieving this success.

The GCEO, while appreciating the industry stakeholders for their continuous support, lauded the Federal Government’s Presidential Executive Orders for Fostering Growth in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector.

‘The Presidential Executive Order is instrumental to us getting to this significant milestone and we are now seeing the impact of the policy,’ Kyari said.

In his remarks, Mike Sangster, Senior Vice-President Africa, Exploration and Production, TotalEnergies, described Ubeta as the latest in a series of projects developed by the oil giant in Nigeria, most recently Ikike and Akpo West.

‘I am pleased that we can unveil this new gas project which has been made possible by the Federal Government’s recent incentives for non-associated gas developments.

‘Ubeta fits pe
rfectly with our strategy of developing low-cost and low-emission projects, and will contribute to the Nigerian economy through higher NLNG exports,’ he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, said Tinubu had significantly rekindled investor’s confidence in the Oil and Gas Industry, assuring Nigerians that more investments were on the way.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the project was a testament to the effectiveness of government’s policies aimed at creating a conducive environment for investment in the gas sector.

Located in OML58, the Ubeta gas condensate field will be developed with a new 6-well cluster connected to the existing Obite facilities through an 11km buried pipeline.

Production start-up is expected in 2027, with a plateau of 300 million cubic feet per day (about 70,000barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensates).

Gas from Ubeta will be supplied to NLNG,
a liquefaction plant located in Bonny Island with an on-going capacity expansion from 22 to 30 Mtpa, in which NNPC Limited holds a 49% interest.

Ubeta is a low-emission and low-cost development, leveraging OML58 existing gas processing facilities.

The carbon intensity of the project will be further reduced through a 5 MW solar plant currently under construction at the Obite site and the electrification of the drilling rig.

TotalEnergies is working closely with NNPC Limited to enhance local content, with more than 90 per cent of man-hours which will be worked locally.

The Ubeta FID justifies the effort invested by NNPC Limited, with unyielding Executive support, into tackling the underlying reasons that have plagued the attractiveness of the Nigerian oil and gas industry to foreign investors in recent years.

The Ubeta project has a robust Nigerian Content plan and is poised to stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, and create significant value for stakeholders.

Source: News Agency of N
igeria

Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), says the Federal Government has not abandoned the issue of salary harmonisation in the civil service.

Yemi-Esan made the disclosure during a chat with media executives on Wednesday in Abuja, being part of activities to mark 2024 Civil Service Week.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the theme for 2024 celebration is ‘Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa’.

Yemi-Esan said salary harmonisation would go through gradual processes because it would be a difficult task to bring down those who were already receiving higher pay.

NAN reports that civil servants in some federal parastatals agencies have been agitating over higher salaries being received by some civil servants in some other government agencies.

The situation had caused some civil servants to demand harmonisation, so as to balance the gap, esp
ecially looking at the economic realities and the fact that they all go to the same market.

The HOCSF explained that in addressing the issue, the first step they took was the approval of peculiar allowance, which was being paid to civil servants, receiving low salary.

‘It is going to be a continuous thing because, it is difficult to bring down people that are already receiving higher salary.

‘What we will continue to do, is to increase the take home of those on the lower rank untill we have the very needed balance.

‘We have started working on this, that was why the 40 per cent peculiar allowance was given, in an effort to close that gap, ‘ she said.

NAN recalled that there was an increase in salary, tagged ‘Consequential Allowance’, that led to a 40 per cent rise in the pay of certain low income earners in civil service during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria