Day: August 13, 2024

The Western Cape Government (WCG) is urging motorists to reduce their speed on the roads after recording a concerning 201 speeding offences on provincial roads.

‘This statistic highlights the ongoing challenge of curbing speeding and ensuring road safety across the province,’ said the provincial government in a statement.

The speeding offences were recorded between 5 and 11 August.

According to the WCG, speeding remains one of the leading causes of traffic crashes, resulting in preventable injuries and fatalities.

The Mobility Department said it was committed to promoting safer driving habits and urged all road users to adhere to speed limits to protect themselves and others.

In addition to one arrest for speeding, six drivers were also arrested for reckless and negligent driving in the past week.

The provincial department said the highest speed violations recorded between 5 and 11 August include 161km/h in a 120km/h, 144km/h in a 100km/h and 89km/h in a 60km/h zone.

Speeding is not just a violation of
traffic laws but a significant threat to public safety.

The department said driving at excessive speeds significantly reduces a driver’s reaction time, increases the severity of collisions, and diminishes the effectiveness of safety features in vehicles.

‘In the unfortunate event of an accident, the chances of severe injuries or fatalities rise dramatically with speed. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users are especially at risk when drivers exceed speed limits.’

To address this issue, the department has intensified its traffic law enforcement efforts, including increased patrols on high-risk routes.

Western Cape MEC of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, commented that enforcement alone is not enough.

‘We need a collective effort from all road users to change their mindset and driving behaviour. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and adhering to speed limits is a crucial aspect of this responsibility,’ said Sileku.

He said his department remains committed to creating safer roads for all res
idents.

‘We urge drivers to take the dangers of speeding seriously and to contribute to the safety of our communities by driving within the prescribed speed limits. Together, we can prevent unnecessary tragedies and make our roads safer for all Western Cape residents,’ Sileku added.

Tips for drivers to help avoid speeding:

Plan ahead: Ensure you leave with enough time to reach your destination without feeling rushed.

Stay alert: Regularly check your speedometer and adjust your speed according to road conditions and speed limits.

If available, use cruise control: On freeways, cruise control can help maintain a steady and legal speed.

Be mindful of speed zones: Pay attention to road signs indicating speed limits and adjust your speed accordingly, especially in areas with high pedestrian activity.

Avoid aggressive driving: Keep calm and patient, even in traffic or when running late.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Three firms – AMA Medical Manufacturing Company, Echitab Study Group Nigeria and Micropharm Ltd., UK – on Tuesday signed an MOU for the production of Anti-Snake Venom(ASV) drugs in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the event, held at the AMA medical manufacturing company in Kudenda, Kaduna, signified a huge step in the nation’s efforts to produce the drugs locally.

Over the years, the drugs had been produced in Liverpool, UK, and Costa Rica with Nigeria having to take the live snakes to the producers who would kill them and remove the venoms.

The venoms are, thereafter, used to produce the ASV drugs which are, then taken to Nigeria.

The process has proved very tedious and expensive with the drugs usually very scarce and very expensive when available.

Efforts to get government to establish a firm to produce the drugs had proved fruitless with the victims of snakebite, mostly farmers, herders, hunters and other rural dwellers bearing the scourge that kills thousands every year.

Speaki
ng at the MOU signing ceremony, Prof. Nasidi Abdulsalami, Chairman, AMA medical manufacturing company, said that the Mou was a huge leap that would help the country.

Abdulsalami said that the MOU represented a good initiative for public private partnership ‘which looks forward to the full participation of the federal and state governments, and other Nigerians’.

‘We expect meaningful Nigerians that are blessed to contribute because it is a social investment aimed at saving lives.

‘The ASV drugs are life saving products. We can never allow the drugs to vanish because Nigerians need them, especially the farmers and herders.

‘The MOU signing today serves as the beginning of self-sufficiency for the product not only in the country, but the entire continent because countries look up to Nigeria for good leadership.

‘I am proud to announce that the World Health Organisation has tested all the ASV drugs available in the world and found out that our ASV, for which we are developing this partnership today with micr
opharm, is the best.

‘Micropharm products that are produced in the UK are the best; the second is the one produced by Costa Rica.’

He expressed gratitude for the collaboration, adding that the decades of suffering and helplessness because of the paucity of ASV drugs had come to an end.

‘For 22 years, we worked hard to actualise the local production of ASV drugs. That dream has become real today.

‘We want to have Echitab drugs available, affordable and sustainable,’ he said.

Abdulsalami commended Dr Nandul Durfa, the Managing Director of Echitab Study Group Nigeria, for remaining steadfast and committed to the goal of ensuring the local production of ASV drugs in Nigeria.

‘Today’s feat is an achievement we should all celebrate. Finally, we shall find a solution to a problem that has been disturbing us for long,’ he said.

Mr Lan Cameroon, Chief Executive Officer of Micropharm, in his remarks, expressed gratitude for the signing of the MOU, and regretted the persistent scarcity of ASV drugs in the country
.

He said that the quest for ASV drugs in the country started in the early 1970s when Prof. David Wanns of ABU, Zaria took a live snake from Nigeria to Liverpool where the first venom was removed for first production.

‘In 1991, more than 30 years ago, Prof. Nasidi contacted a company in Kano which produced the first ASV drug, but it had side effects and had to be taken back to the laboratory to be purified.

‘When it was brought back for another clinical test, there was no money and he made all efforts to see that it was done. The efforts took him to Micropharm which formed the success of the production.

He said that with the production of the ASV drugs in the country, the cost would drastically go down and the facility would be readily available.

Mr Marc Nassar of Von hram, in his remarks, said that the MOU would bring new technology into the country.

He said that his organisation was one of the best managers of technology and was the first to bring technology in the existing AMA plant.

He expressed ho
pe that the collaboration would bring expertise to work.

Durfa, Echitab Study Group managing director, in his remarks, expressed happiness that Nigeria would soon have locally produced ASV drugs.

He said that the struggle had been long and tedious with a glimmer of hope in 2006 when then President Olusegun Obasanjo approved some money for the project.

‘Unfortunately, the money did not come. We made a lot of efforts and approached successive governments, but all came to nought.’

He said that the local production would make the drugs cheap and available as the high cost of foreign currency had always made the cost of the finished products from overseas outrageous to the victims that are mostly poor.

Durfa commended AMA medical manufacturing company for offering to accept the challenge of producing ASV drugs, and promised to put in everything to ensure the partnership was successful.

‘We shall work to ensure that the drug is available to Nigerians at all times,’ he said.

NAN reports that the MOU was signe
d by Prof. Nasidi abdulsalami for AMA medical, Lan Cameroon for micropharm, and Marc Nassar for Echitab Study Group Nigeria

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN)h has concluded arrangements to host its second Annual Scientific Symposium at the IHVN Campus in Abuja.

The institute’s Senior Communications Manager, Ms Uzoma Nwofor, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN reports that since its establishment in 2015, the IRCE has been playing pivotal roles in advancing research in Nigeria, leveraging IHVN’s infrastructure and expertise.

The IRCE’s ongoing efforts include more than 40 funded research grants targeting both infectious and non-infectious diseases, underscoring the centre’s commitment to address health challenges through high-quality, culturally sensitive research.

Nwofor stated that this year’s event with the theme ‘Expanding Partnerships in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Cancer Research’ is scheduled for

Aug. 14 to Aug. 15, to convene an array of local and international experts to discus
s latest advancements in the diagnosis, care, treatment

and innovative research in critical health areas.

She added that ‘the symposium will feature prominent figures such as Prof. Mark T. Gladwin, the Dean of the University of Maryland School

of Medicine (UMB-SOM), and Prof. Taofeek K. Owonikoko, the Executive Director, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum

Comprehensive Cancer Centre (UMGCCC).

‘Both will be accompanied by senior faculty from UMB-SOM, many of whom are actively involved in research initiatives in Nigeria.

‘Nigerian experts, including Dr Obi Adigwe, Director-General, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD),

and Prof. Obigeli Nnodu, will also share insights alongside representatives from the pharmaceutical industry.’

The senior communications manager also stated that Prof. Gladwin, a leading authourity in pulmonary hypertension and sickle cell disease,

would be a special guest.

‘His (Prof. Gladwin) groundbreaking research in hemolysis-ass
ociated endothelial dysfunction has significantly advanced the understanding of complications

in sickle cell patients, paving the way for improved treatments.

‘He is currently leading a Phase II clinical trial aimed at enhancing blood transfusion techniques to extend survival in sickle cell patients.’

She also noted that Prof. Owonikoko, a Nigerian-born physician specialised in thoracic oncology and translational research, would contribute to the discussions.

‘As a key figure in oncology at UMSOM and University of Maryland Medical Centre, his work bridges critical research between the U.S. and Nigeria,’ she added.

She quoted IHVN’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Patrick Dakum, as emphasising the significance of the symposium in marking IHVN’s 20th anniversary.

‘IHVN has made remarkable strides in combating HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria over the past two decades. We are excited to extend our partnership

to other public health challenges like SCD and cancer,’ Dakum said.

Nwofor also quoted the institute’s Execu
tive Director, Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, who highlighted IHVN’s impact, noting that ‘this year’s symposium

builds on the foundation laid in the previous year by extending collaborations to SCD and cancer – two health challenges significantly affecting the

black population.’

She stated that the symposium will feature presentations, discussions and exhibitions from industry partners, fostering an environment of

collaboration, aimed at improving healthcare services and research capacity in Nigeria.

Nwofor reiterated that the annual event serves as platform for promoting research on public health issues of both local and global relevance.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The current cost of living crisis vis-à-vis attendant agitations has accentuated the need to scale up the agriculture budget.

Policy analysts hold that the N362.9 billion appropriated to the agriculture sector in the 2024 budget fell short of the 2014 Malabo Declaration that African countries should allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budgets to the agricultural sector.

Stakeholders in the agriculture sector are taking proactive measures to ramp up the agriculture budget in 2025 in order to bolster food production.

The stakeholders converged on Lagos recently under the aegis of the National Stakeholders Consultative meeting on 2025 agriculture budget.

They comprised state ministries of agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMFS), Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, ActionAid Nigeria, Oxfam, GIZ, Community of Agriculture Non-State Actors (COANSA) and ECOWAS Commission.

Underlining the thrust of the event, Mrs Elizabeth Egharevba, Director, Economic Growth Depart
ment, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said the annual event was to assist the country to achieve the Malabo declaration.

Egharevba, represented by Mr Olaitan Fatai, Deputy Director in the ministry, said that the meeting was strategic by bringing together relevant stakeholders to contribute their inputs into the 2025 agricultural budget.

She identified the forum as a milestone in the country’s efforts at ensuring that it achieved the Malabo declaration and proffered solutions to the country’s food insecurity.

Egharevba said that the result was to reduce food importation, pressure on external reserves and much needed hard earned FOREX that would be channeled to other vital developmental needs.

‘This platform facilitates more inputs into the 2025 agriculture budget by creating ownership, linking and integrating programmes that will help Nigeria not only to achieve food security but lead to attain other deliverables.

‘I am confident that we are embarking on a landmark journey that will make
us tackle food insecurity and enhance synergy between agencies in the agriculture sector”, she said.

Egharevba said the forum had made a significant impact in improving the budget of agriculture since its inception in 2016.

The director said the agriculture budget had risen to six per cent as against 1.3 per cent in 2016.

‘The appropriation to agriculture at federal level has been increasing steadily, although yet to achieve 10 per cent of the total national budget in line with the Malabo declaration,” she said.

Egharevba said that the government had devoted more resources to agriculture in the 2025 budget through the development of the Cassava Bio-ethanol value chain project with a PPP arrangement.

According to her, the project is designed to be implemented in the six geopolitical zones to ensure the development of the entire cassava value chain.

Sharing similar opinion, Mr Ibrahim Tanimu, Director, Planning and Policy Coordination in the ministry, said the sector needed diversification through innov
ation and technology to enhance production and ensure food and nutrition security.

Tanimu said the ministry at the moment was collaborating with the Ministry of Science and Technology for the production of fabricated implements that could assist farmers to increase productivity.

‘We need mechanisation not heavy machines but smaller fabricated machines that we can produce locally using our own initiative.

‘We are collaborating with the Ministry of Science and Technology on the production of smaller implements that can assist our farmers at affordable prices,” he said.

Mr Azubike Nwokoye, Food and Agriculture Programme Manager, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), identified the meeting’s objectives as to leverage understanding on the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP).

Nwokoye said the meeting was also to leverage understanding on the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and its connection to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) targets.

‘The meetin
g seeks to strengthen citizens’ participation towards making the 2025 agriculture budget responsive to food systems transformation and wealth creation.

‘To support effective biennial reporting by Nigeria to the African Union Heads of States and Government in line with the Malabo Declaration and Commitments of 2014,’he said.

Mr Andrew Mamedu, Country Director, AAN, said such budgets should provide line items for the implementation of the National Gender Policy in agriculture that addressed specific challenges affecting women farmers.

Mamedu urged governments to avoid lumping up the budget for women farmers and other groups like youths.

He said that a recent survey conducted by AAN on the capacity of smallholder women farmers to contribute effectively to agricultural development revealed that they were challenged with poor access to credit and inputs.

The country director listed other challenges as post-harvest losses, reduction support, insecurity, lack of access to irrigation support, training, market ac
cess, among others.

Mamedu said that the challenges contributed to the current high cost of food in the country.

According to Mamedu, smallholder farmers contribute 70 to 80 per cent of agricultural production in the country.

He regretted that challenges confronting smallholder farmers were not prioritised in spite of their huge contribution to national food security,

‘The Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture should scale up yearly budget lines for support to smallholder women and youth farmers; reflecting on what should be prioritised especially in the 2025 budget based on realities on ground.

‘National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGSAP) should be well funded and executed to address the input gaps experienced by smallholder farmers, especially women and youth,” he said.

Memedu tasked federal and state governments on more investment in agriculture to address the strategic areas of investment that would increase agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to at least six per cent.

He listed the strategic areas as extension services, access to credit by women and youth in agriculture and appropriate labour-saving technologies inputs.

Memedu said post-harvest losses reduction support such as processing and storage facilities, training and market access, Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA), agroecology, research and development, monitoring and evaluation also needed attention.

The stakeholders, therefore, urged both the federal and state governments to ensure that the 2024 budget and subsequent budgets were gender sensitive.

It is experts` opinion that massive and expeditious funding is required for a turnaround in the agriculture sector.

They say that conscious and pragmatic budgeting and its effective implementation will go a long way in boosting food security.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Nestlé Nigeria, a food and beverage company, has launched a new sustainable packaging for Golden Morn, its iconic breakfast cereal, to solidify its commitment to both nutrition and sustainability.

Mr Wassim Elhusseini, the Managing Director, Nestlé Nigeria, made this known via a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Elhusseini said the updated packaging reflected Golden Morn’s over three-decade legacy of nourishing Nigerian families and its forward-thinking approach to sustainability.

He said the development aligned with Nestlé’s global recycling vision and was a testament to the company’s pledge to ensure that more than 95 per cent of its plastic packaging was recyclable by 2025.

‘Crafted with sustainability at its core, the packaging utilises materials that are easier to recycle, thereby reducing environmental impact and fostering a circular economy.

‘At Nestlé, our responsibility, in addition to delivering nutritious products, also includes safeguarding our planet for future generations.

‘Today, over 80 per
cent of all Nestlé’s packaging in Nigeria is optimised for recycling and we are happy that Golden Morn’s packaging has been upgraded to a designed for recycling laminate from the previous aluminum foil packaging.

‘By embracing recyclable materials, we are not only minimising waste but also reinforcing our leadership in environmental stewardship within the industry,’ he said.

Mr Omofasa Orhiunu, Category Manager, Dairy, said the company’s commitment was not only grounded in nutrition but also in its focus on local sourcing.

Orhiunu stated that the brand sources 100 per cent of its maize and soya locally, collaborating closely with Nigerian farmers to ensure the freshness and quality of its ingredients.

‘This partnership guarantees a superior product while bolstering the local economy and empowering farming communities,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for stronger commitment from state governments and stakeholders in the education sector to develop models that will reduce the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Azuka Menkiti, UNICEF Education Specialist, made the remarks on Monday in Ibadan during a two-day regional stakeholders meeting on out-of-school children and models for retention, transition and completion of education in South-West states.

Menkiti said that such commitment was crucial to addressing the barriers impeding students’ retention, transition and completion of secondary school.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by commissioners for education, religious leaders, and educationists from Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Oyo states.

According to Menkiti, the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria is alarming, and the country needs to build multiple learning pathways to tackle this crisis and improve retention and transition rate
s in secondary education.

She noted that UNICEF had successfully tested scalable intervention programmes, which state governments could replicate to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Speaking on UNICEF’s education priorities for 2023-2027 and its strategic focus for 2024, Menkiti said the agency was supporting states to strengthen systems and expand access to quality learning.

Citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021, she revealed that only 39 per cent of the poorest girls attend primary school and just 41 per cent of primary school students remain in school by the end of junior secondary school.

‘Only 73 per cent of children aged 7 to 14 demonstrate functional reading skills and 43 per cent of children with functional difficulties are in primary school. This is what UNICEF aims to change.

‘UNICEF’s goal in addressing the out-of-school children crisis is to ensure that adolescents have access to secondary edu
cation, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to complete secondary education and can transition into work or further education and training.

‘The agency’s objective is to strengthen government systems, expand access to secondary education and enhance learning and skills,’ Menkiti said.

She urged governments at all levels to show more commitment to retaining students in school and ensuring their transition and completion, as education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty in families.

In his presentation, Babagana Aminu, another UNICEF Education Specialist, stated that out of six million children enrolled in primary education yearly, one million do not advance to lower secondary school.

Quoting from the MICS 2021 survey, Aminu said that the education completion rate in the South-West region stood at 92.6 per cent for primary education, 85.3 per cent for lower secondary, and 72.9 per cent for upper secondary.

He assured that UNICEF would continue to support governments in minimising the number of o
ut-of-school children in the country.

In his remarks, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed, described the issue of out-of-school children as ’embarrassing’ and in urgent need of resolution.

‘To achieve the desired results in the state and the region, serious and consistent intervention is necessary over the next five years.

‘With the efforts of state governments, most out-of-school children in the states are non-indigenes. The government is doing everything possible to change this narrative,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria