Category: General

The Kano State Government has organised a 3-day capacity building workshop for information officers, media aides and other selected stakeholders for efficient service delivery in the state.

Speaking at the inauguration on Monday in Kano, Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf said the exercise was designed to equip the participants with necessary skills on their job as information managers.

Yusuf who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Aminu Abdulsalam, said the training would provide avenue for developing skills, enhancing knowledge and improving performance and efficiency among personnel in the workplace.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that training and retraining of personnel is one of the key determinant factors for organisational success.

“It makes the staff feel valued, boosts their morale, confidence and transforms them into better workers.

“I, therefore, have no doubt that at the end of the exercise, the participants will be better prepared and more equipped to discharge their responsibilities with renewed passion and energy,” he said.

The governor restated the resolve and commitment of his administration to continue to invest in human resource development and capacity building of the teeming workforce in the state through workshops, short, medium and long term trainings.

He described the theme of the workshop: “Effective Information Dissemination in a Digital Era: The Roles of Information Officer”, as timely and urged them to fight fake news.

Yusuf enjoined them to imbibe the culture of personal-development, register and participate in the activities of relevant professional bodies and associations in order to boost their capabilities and potential.

Earlier, the State Commissioner for Information, Malam Baba Dantiye, said that the training was organised to build the capacity of the information officers on modern techniques of reporting for improved service delivery.

He said that the training was also to acquaint them with the relevance, indispensability and challenges of social media and other online platforms in information dissemination and management.

Dantiye added that the workshop would enhance their communication skills for effective and efficient information dissemination.

According to him, a total of 214 personnel, comprising information officers, MDAS, media aides, news and current affairs managers and reporters from selected public and private media organisations participated in the workshop. (NAN)www.nannews.com.ng

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Lagos and daughter of President Bola Tinubu and other Nigerians drawn from different backgrounds, have received the 2023 Peace Achievers International Awards.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the award ceremony of the 12th edition of the prestigious annual event took place on Saturday night at the Abuja Continental Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Tinubu-Ojo receive an award of Excellence in Peace and Community Developement and was also named the Best Business Person of the Year.

Other recipients of the Excellence in Peace and Community Development award included Eze Boniface Ariekpere Ajuzie of Isiala Ngwa, Abia State, Dr Gideon Osi, and Rt Hon. Ahmed Mohammed and Dr Ubon Udoh.

Other Nigerians who made this year’s Peace Achievers ‘roll-call’ are Dr Jim Chimezie, Hon. Dubem Oguegbu, Fatima Suleman, Asiwe Emeke, Dr Amina Mohammed, PR expert Alex Nwankwo and popular comic comedian Obinna Simon, among others.

Awardees of the Excellence in Peace and Community include Abdurazaq Zubair, Ummusalma Rabiu, Maj-Gen Solomon Bitrus and Stephanie Onusiriuka, who was named the Sports Personality of the Year.

Amb. Kingsley Amafibe, Project Director and chairman of the Planning Committee, who congratulated the recipients, said the award recognises individuals who have contributed immensely to nation-building, through peace-driven initiatives, education and youth empowerment.

According to him, the 12th edition of the annual awards, with the theme “Sustainable Peace and Economic Growth in Africa”, is geared towards bringing to the fore the importance of peace in driving economic prosperity.

He, therefore, urged the awardees to see the honour as a ‘higher calling’ towards deeper commitment to peace building in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

“I want to congratulate all the 2023 recipients of the 12th Peace Achievers International Awards and the Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

“The Peace Achievers International Awards is a private initiative of peace Ambassador Agency to recognize individuals and organisations in Africa who have demonstrated strong commitment in serving their communities.

“We are building a movement involving all sectors of the society that promote peace and unity in Africa.

“There is no better time than this to honour outstanding personalities like you, so together we can build a global partnership for peace,” he said

Amafibe explained that although there were a lot of patriotic men and women who have contributed meaningfully in the peace building project in Nigeria, it was imperative to honour the ‘outstanding’ ones.

NAN reports that the American Management University conferred Honorary Doctorate Degree in Leadership and Management on Tinubu-Ojo and other Nigerians at the event.

Dr Samuel Ojong, African Representative of the University, who conducted the conferment rites, urged the recipients of the honour to be good ambassadors of the university.

In her remark, Tinubu-Ojo expressed delight for the recognition and commended the organisers of the Peace Achievers International Awards and the American Management University for the initiative and honour. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Brent Mortgage Bank Limited, a leading Primary Mortgage Bank (PMB), has formally appointed new members into its board and management team.

Mr Adeniyi Bilesanmi, the bank’s Executive Director, Business Development and Corporate Services, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday from the bank’s head office in Lagos.

“Dr Oluseye Awojobi, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB), was appointed as the Board Chairman, with his appointment being effective from August 2023.

“He was the immediate-past Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN),” he said.

Bilesanmi, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA), also announced that Mrs Adeola Simon, a Honourary Chartered Institute of Bankers (HCIB), has been appointed the new Managing Director/CEO.

“She had been acting in that position since January and was previously the bank’s Executive Director (ED) in charge of Credit and Enterprise Risk Management.”

He added that Mrs Folashade Onyia (FCA), Mr Bola Aruna (FCA) and Mrs Eniola Obe (HCIB) were also appointed in September to the board as Non-Executive Directors.

“They joined two other Non-Executive Directors —- Mr Lanre Obisesan (FCIB) and Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji (FCIB) —- who have been on the board since 2016,” Bilesanmi said.

The Executive Director said the appointments have come after the successful completion of tenure of the bank’s former Board Chairman, MD/CEO and three Non-Executive Directors.

“It is expected that their diverse experiences shall bring positive strides, tremendous growth and achievements to Brent Mortgage Bank Limited,” he said.

Mr Bilesanmi added that the appointments were in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines of a maximum of 12 years for Board of Directors.

“In addition to this is the fact that these new appointments will help to also reposition the bank for future challenges and growth,” he said.(NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned residents against driving or walking through flood water to prevent avoidable death.

Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation, FEMA, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Wenegieme, while reacting to the demise of a 31-year-old motorcyclist from flooding in Abuja on Friday, appealed to residents to listen to FEMA’s warnings to save their lives from untimely and preventable death.

NAN reports that the deceased, identified as Yakubu Lucky, after a heavy downpour on Friday, defied warnings from the local divers stationed at Dogon Gada in Lokogoma District of the FCT by FEMA, drove into a pool of water and drowned.

She said that the sad incident was avoidable; stressing that FEMA barricaded the road to stop people from going in and out of the community whenever the road was flooded.

“We have our local divers and vanguards stationed there to stop people.

“We have also mounted billboards at that particular location and other vulnerable areas, warning residents not to drive or walk in running water.

“But people pay deaf ears to our warnings; resulting in preventable deaths.

“In Lucky’s case, because he was on a motorcycle and assumed he knew the road very well; he navigated through the barricade and into the pool of flooding water, leading to his untimely death.”

The director said that FEMA had been carrying out massive sensitisation campaigns throughout the year to enlighten residents on how to stay safe during flooding and other emergencies.

She expressed concern that despite several awareness campaigns in communities, some residents still ignored FEMA’s warnings against going through flood water.

“We will continue to sensitise residents against any action that will risk their lives during disaster or any kind of emergency.

“But while we do our part; we are appealing to the residents to cooperate with us; heed to our advice and warnings to keep them safe.

“Our trained local divers, volunteers, vanguards and emergency marshalls are in every community to ensure time response to emergency situations.

“They are also in the communities to advise and caution residents during emergencies.

“Please listen to them and do what they asked you to do to keep everyone safe,” she said. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in the education sector have identified multiple school levies as one of the key factors driving Nigerian children out of school.

The stakeholders spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a ground-breaking summit on Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis, hosted by the UK charity, IA-Foundation, which ended in Lagos on Sunday.

The theme of the summit was: “Street to School: Panacea to a Menace”.

In her contribution, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, argued that government at all levels should take immediate steps to discourage multiple levies in schools.

She said that multiple levies in schools were imposing heavy burdens on many parents, forcing them to resort to the option of withdrawing their children and wards from schools.

According to her it has become imperative to apply practical, proactive and pragmatic approaches for Nigeria to change the narrative in the out-of-school crisis.

The British-born Adeagbo, who has thrown her hat into the ring to make the difference in Nigeria’s education sector, lamented that having 20.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria was distressing.

“In global comparison, one out of every five out-of-school children is in Nigeria.

“UNESCO says that Nigeria has 20.2 million children out of school, which give or take is 10 per cent of our population.

“If this does not keep you awake at night, I wonder what does.

“This menace should be a burning issue and should no longer be business as usual.

“Together, we shall strive to make a difference that will help change the current trajectory,” Adeagbo said.

On her part, Mrs Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, a panelist at the event, said that everyone must contribute to the reduction of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“Members of the family should realise that there must be a contribution to that and reallocation of what they consider a priority for children both male and female to be educated to optimal levels,” she added.

Also speaking, a traditional ruler, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, commended IA-Foundation for raising the bar by taking young Nigerian children back to school.

“I commend your vision for ensuring a better future for our country through the activities of IA-Foundation.

“I commend you for tenaciously doing what many of us ought to be doing as social entrepreneurs and as people who can pivot into the future using the past as a model,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in the education sector have identified multiple school levies as one of the key factors driving Nigerian children out of school.

The stakeholders spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a ground-breaking summit on Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis, hosted by the UK charity, IA-Foundation, which ended in Lagos on Sunday.

The theme of the summit was: “Street to School: Panacea to a Menace”.

In her contribution, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, argued that government at all levels should take immediate steps to discourage multiple levies in schools.

She said that multiple levies in schools were imposing heavy burdens on many parents, forcing them to resort to the option of withdrawing their children and wards from schools.

According to her it has become imperative to apply practical, proactive and pragmatic approaches for Nigeria to change the narrative in the out-of-school crisis.

The British-born Adeagbo, who has thrown her hat into the ring to make the difference in Nigeria’s education sector, lamented that having 20.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria was distressing.

“In global comparison, one out of every five out-of-school children is in Nigeria.

“UNESCO says that Nigeria has 20.2 million children out of school, which give or take is 10 per cent of our population.

“If this does not keep you awake at night, I wonder what does.

“This menace should be a burning issue and should no longer be business as usual.

“Together, we shall strive to make a difference that will help change the current trajectory,” Adeagbo said.

On her part, Mrs Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, a panelist at the event, said that everyone must contribute to the reduction of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“Members of the family should realise that there must be a contribution to that and reallocation of what they consider a priority for children both male and female to be educated to optimal levels,” she added.

Also speaking, a traditional ruler, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, commended IA-Foundation for raising the bar by taking young Nigerian children back to school.

“I commend your vision for ensuring a better future for our country through the activities of IA-Foundation.

“I commend you for tenaciously doing what many of us ought to be doing as social entrepreneurs and as people who can pivot into the future using the past as a model,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria