Day: July 12, 2024

President Bola Tinubu says Nigerian workers, as the driving force of the nation, deserve improved welfare, better wages, as well as safe and enhanced working conditions.

The President stated this on Thursday in Abuja, while speaking with the leadership of the organised labour led by the Presidents of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively.

Tinubu said he was concerned about the welfare of Nigerian workers and his administration was prioritising their concerns.

‘I pay attention to everything around me. A happy worker is a productive worker, and society depends on the productivity of the happy worker,’ the President said.

He, however, called for realistic expectations as regards the minimum wage question.

‘You have to cut your coat according to available cloth. Before we can finalise on the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure.

‘Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two or three years? What is a problem today
, can be eased up tomorrow.

‘There is much dynamism to this process if we are not myopic in our approaches. We can take a surgical approach that is based on pragmatism and a deep understanding of all factors,’ he said.

Ajaero emphasised the need for an upward adjustment to the minimum wage, noting: ‘Between living wage and minimum wage, we need to find a balance. Things are difficult for the Nigerian worker.’

He congratulated the President on the judgment of the Supreme Court affirming the constitutional rights of local governments as regards financial autonomy and other salient principles.

‘I have to congratulate you on the issue of local government autonomy. We have been on the streets protesting for local government autonomy. Now that there is light at the end of the tunnel, it will amount to ungratefulness if we fail to commend you.’

On his part, Osifo said inflation had adversely affected the value of the Naira and that the measures initiated by the government to address the rising cost of food and
transportation needed to kick in, to give citizens relief.

He said the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses would help in checking the high cost of transportation, while the recent directive on the suspension of duty on certain food imports would bring down the prices of food items, if properly implemented.

‘We commend you on the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court. History will not forget what has happened today.

‘With this judgement, we believe Nigeria will make progress,’ the TUC President said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mrs Bridget Okpokoro, a business Coach and agricultural consultant, has urged Nigerian women especially those resident in the cities to embrace urban gardening.

Okpokoro, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, urged women to make maximum use of their environment by engaging in farming.

She emphasised the need for urban dwellers to be taught innovative methods to grow their food within limited spaces.

Okpokoro said it could be achieved by turning small spaces into bountiful garden, using containers and sacks for vegetables and herbs.

She also said that bags and containers could be transformed into green gardens within small areas.

‘This approach to gardening is not only perfect for home consumption but also holds potential for commercial purposes, allowing people to maximise their small living spaces for productivity.

‘This move, will in the long run, change the landscape of urban agriculture, as it will make fresh, home-grown produce accessible.

‘Women and even men throu
gh this initiative can build strong businesses in the agricultural sector,” she said.

Okpokoro was one of the resource persons in urban farming category for the 2024 skills acquisition programme organised by the Nigerian Air Force officers wives association (NAFOWA). (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), with a mandate to improve food security and crash the cost of food items in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration of the unit was held at the presidential villa Abuja.

This followed a presentation by the Technical Assistant to the President of Agriculture, Office of the Vice-President, Marion Moon.

Shettima said: ‘ the nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with reality, the better.

‘Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck.

‘We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing.’

Shettima, who noted the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of al
l stakeholders.

He made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialisation programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must activate and operationalize.

He stated that with improved farming practices, improved seeds, use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could be turned around for the better.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, explained that the unit would coordinate all agricultural activities and the food system among the three tiers of government.

Kyari added that the unit, which membership cut across the three tiers of government, would report to the presidential economic coordinating council which is under the chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.

Also, Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, said the inauguration of the unit was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu and the agenda of all governors.

‘ So I think the issue of food security is now being taken seriously and I
‘m sure with this committee a lot of things will be achieved.

‘And I’m sure with this result now, though in our respective states we are representing in our regions and we know in our regional meetings at the state level we will be able to implement what has been decided in the coordinating unit.

‘And the outcome of this will be very important because at a small holder the farmer will be assisted and also mechanisation and irrigation issues will come up.

‘ And these are the major things we need to do to boost agriculture in this country and I think what we are doing at our state level, now we are going to be encouraged and things will work better for Nigerians.’

On his part, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, expressed concern over increasing cost of food items in the country.

Zulum particularly said that non-availability of food items was a matter of great concern to all governors.

He emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the na
tion’s food security drive.

He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.

Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the state was looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.

‘We are an agrarian state, and we have stepped up our game,’ Otu noted.

Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger, proposed his state as a pilot for the President’s food security initiative.

He revealed that Niger has invested over N100 billion in agricultural mechanization, with 5,000 tractors and 20 pilot irrigation systems available.

Bago called for support from the federal government, World Bank, and other development partners to ensure the success of these initiatives.

The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Patricia Obila, also spoke on the state’s unique topography and its potential to enhance its renowned Ebonyi Rice production.

She noted the need to introduce tractor mechanization to ensure year-round production and l
everage youth participation by incentivizing agriculture with farm settlements equipped with necessary social amenities. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has renamed the National Theatre, Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos, as Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

The President disclosed this in a tribute personally written and signed by him on Friday in Abuja to mark Soyinka’s 90 birthday.

‘I am delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

‘We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice,’ the President said.

He said he joined admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Soyinka.

‘Tomorrow the July 13 will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour.

‘To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium, along with poetry reading, was held in Rabat Morocco on July 9, an event organised
by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA),’ Tinubu said.

He said Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserved all the accolades as he marked the milestone of 90 years on earth.

‘When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast.

‘Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of Interventions, which have been published in many volumes,’ he said.

He described Soyinka as a colossus, a true renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents.

‘He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer. He is a giant bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world.

‘He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression, urging us to become better as a nation.

‘He is one Nigerian whose influence transcends the Nigerian space and who inspir
es people around the world,’ he said.

Tinubu stated that since Soyinka’s youth, he had been a vocal critic of oppression and injustice wherever it existed, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States.

‘Soyinka always speaks truth to power.

‘Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation. His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967.

‘Detained for two years for his bravery, he narrated his experience in his prison memoir, ‘The Man Died.’

‘Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened,’ the President said.

He said the early writings of Soyinka such as ‘The Lion and the Jewel,’ ‘Death and the King’s Horseman,’ not only testified to his mastery of language, his innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a fair and just society.

‘Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronemen
t of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election.

‘When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanised opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO.

‘His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria,’ he said.

According to the President, ‘today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work.

‘I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country.

‘I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.’

He prayed that Soyinka continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial.

‘May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths
can live up to their dreams without being a wasted generation,’ he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Director-General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Shuaibu Hussaini, has commended President Bola Tinubu for renaming the National Arts Theatre in Lagos, after Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.

Hussaini, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, described the development as ‘the kind of recognition one will wish for a giant like Wole Soyinka’.

NAN reports that the President disclosed this in a tribute personally written and signed by him on Friday in Abuja, to mark Soyinka’s 90th birthday.

The President renamed the National Theatre as Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

It read: ‘Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth.

‘Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.

‘It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with u
s.

‘I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.’

Hussaini commended the President for his interest and passion for the arts.

‘It takes somebody who is passionate to remember that this kind of man needs to be recognised with this kind of iconic structure like the National Theatre.

‘It is a welcome development. I am happy because there is nothing you want to name after Soyinka that will be enough compared to what he has done in the literary world.

‘So, this is a fantastic news and welcome development. It is also the President’s interest that made him create a separate ministry for arts, culture, and creative economy because culture has always been an appendage of the Ministry of Information.

‘For us in the arts, this is a fitting reward and recognition for the great feat that Wole Soyinka has achieved, not just for himself, but for Nigeria and Africa as a wh
ole,’ Hussaini said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National President, Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria (HRFN), Alhaji Mustapha Abubakar-Bida, says a world cup for the sport will soon be organised in Nigeria.

Mustapha-Bida told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on the sidelines of the ongoing four-day of maiden edition of the International Horse Racing Derby.

He said the derby would featured contestants from across the globe just like it has been done in Dubai.

The theme of the derby is: ‘Hope Renewed 1st Year Democracy Derby 2nd Edition Under Division System Race’.

The epochal sport meet was organised by the federation as part of the one year anniversary celebration of President Bola Tinubu administration.

Mustapha-Bida, also the ‘Sarkin Dawakin Nupe’, said that horse racing, like other sports, was a key unifying factor in Nigeria, Africa and the world.

According to him, such an event organised at the global stage will bolster the image of the country as well as add tremendous value to the nation’s economy.

On the ongoing derby, he desc
ribed Kaduna as the hub of horse racing, adding that, ‘Kaduna is the centre of the North.

‘Horse racing has a very strong history in Kaduna from time immemorial from the time of our grandfather, the late Sardaunan Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

‘Kaduna has hosted the annual Northern Derby since 1961. It has a lot of lovers of horse racing.

‘Kaduna is the centre and the starting point. So, we will revive and sustain this lost glory and feat.’ (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria