Category: General

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will partner with the State of Israel on agriculture, security, and digital economy.

Wike stated this when he received the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Michael Freeman, in his office in Abuja on Tuesday.

He expressed a commitment to partner with Israel on information technology, particularly in the development of the planned Technology Village in Abuja.

The minister added that the climatic condition of Abuja city is also conducive for agricultural production.

“The climate here is good for agriculture, so I would like to partner with you to have a large technology driven farm to employ a lot of our youths.

“It will be good if you can open that channel,” he said.

Wike also called for partnership to improve the security situation in the FCT, stressing that security was very crucial to enable people to do their businesses without fear.

“Let us work together to help us reduce some of the insecurity in FCT,” he added.

Earlier, Freeman offered to support the FCT minister in making Abuja a technology hub using Israeli expertise.

He said that currently when people think about technology, Lagos always comes to mind, stressing the need to work together to build a technology-driven economy in the federal capital.

“I want to discuss with your team on using Israeli expertise to set up centres where people can learn about digital economy and build digital start-ups.

“We will also be glad to work with you on agriculture in Nigeria to provide jobs. We will also work with you on digital economy, alternative energy and security.

“There are huge opportunities for us to work on,” he said.

The ambassador invited the minister to visit Israel to discuss opportunities that could benefit all parties. (NAN)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Creative Vision Development Foundation (CVDEF) an NGO supported by Christian Aid Nigeria has planted trees in some selected communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to mitigate climate change.

Karshi, a suburb within the FCT is the first beneficiary with 80 trees planted, followed by Junior Secondary School, Kurudu with 25 trees planted.

Mrs Funmilola Oladejo, Executive Director of the NGO spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the tree planting exercise in Karshi community on Tuesday.

“We have planted 80 trees in Karshi today to mitigate climate change within the community. More trees of different varieties will be planted in the FCT and some selected schools.

“Planting of economic trees is essential in the environment because it serves as shade, cover, food, climate change mitigation, gives cooler temperature and ensures a healthy environment amongst others.

“We will continue to collaborate with communities at the grassroots and plant more trees in secondary schools within the FCT to mitigate climate change,” Oladejo assured.

She said that the NGO was carrying out a project called Youth Advocacy for Climate Action (YACA) with support from Christian Aid Nigeria.

Mrs Funmilola Oladejo, Executive Director of the NGO with some members of Creative Vision Development Foundation (CVDEF) an NGO supported by Christian Aid Nigeria during the planting of trees in a some selected communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to mitigate climate change

The YACA (project) tree planting theme is; “Plant trees. Save the World. Let the earth breathe ”.

Jude Gagah, Programme Intern with the NGO also corroborated that the trees planting was aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change within the area.

“One of the issues affecting humans in the environment is due to human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and the indiscriminate disposal of wastes within the community ” Gagah said.

He decried the attitude of most residents who drop their wastes in drainage lines believing that when the rain falls it would wash the wastes away, but instead the wastes block the water channels which causes flooding.

Gagah expressed displeasure over what flooding could cause in the society after such acts of indiscriminate waste disposal, and called on residents to be more cautious and embrace tree planting to sustain their environment.

Also speaking, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, Hakimi Karshi, who represented the Emir of Karshi, HRH Dr Sani Bako expressed satisfaction over the tree planting saying it was a welcome development for the people of the community.

“We are having soil erosion in our community so with the planting of trees it will help us control the erosion,” Bako said.

He urged the people to monitor the trees that they have planted to ensure survival.

NAN reports that during the tree planting activity at Junior Secondary School, Kurudu the management team of the school were excited over the exercise.

Teachers and students were actively involved in the tree planting.

Similarly, Emmanuel Oresanya, Programme Intern at CVDEF lectured the students on the benefits of tree planting.

Responding, Mr Samuel Obu, the coordinator of the school environment club in the school thanked the NGO for the support towards sustainability of the school environment.

“This intervention will go a long way to sustain our environment. CVDEF is coming at the right time to support us,” Obu said.

NAN reports that after the tree planting exercise, three student each from the environment club were allocated by the club coordinator to nurture and monitor each of the trees planted.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government says it will review the 2017 national policy on justice in order to encapsulate Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) matters.

Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said this on Tuesday in Abuja in his keynote address at a high-level engagement with states on “Promoting Rule of Law and Enhancing Criminal Justice Pathway to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence Against Women and Girls.

The three days programme was organised by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF ) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Fagbemi, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba noted that the review will aim at providing a sustainable framework to address SGBV challenges.

“Though the task ahead appears enormous, I call on all various states, stakeholders, state actors and international development partners to commit to the effective implementation of all policy programmes and laws relating to SGBV”.

The Resident Representative of UNDP, Mr Simon Ridley said the interventions under the EU-UN initiatives rooted in victims-centred modality, norms and international standards reflected its shared commitment to creating a safer and more equitable world.

While delivering her own speech, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy disclosed that her ministry is ready to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in building a robust synergy in its drive to closing the existing data gap on SGBV.

She, therefore, enjoined state actors and stakeholders to also amplify their advocacy campaigns about the challenges.

Both the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Director General National Agency For the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi emphasised on synergy, alignment, collaborations and support from the judiciary to win the war.

They both also agreed that their strengthening of zero tolerance to SGBV, establishing gender desks across the federation and securing of different convictions were all pointers to their readiness.

NAN reports that the policy seeks to promote human rights and access to justice for all, especially the poor, weak and vulnerable.

It also seeks to promote correctional and restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution; Preserve and maintain the plural character of the Nigerian legal system and Promote independence and impartiality of the Judiciary.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government on Tuesday donated food and non-food items worth millions of naira to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Presenting the items to the IDPs in Abuja, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Alhaji Tijani Ahmed, said the donation was to commemorate the 2023 Independence Day celebration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries of the donations were displaced persons at Durumi, New Karshi and Wassa IDP camps in the FCT.

The displaced persons are predominantly from Gwoza in Borno and Adamawa among others who relocated to Abuja, sequel to their displacement as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

Addressing the IDPs, Ahmed reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s resolve towards ensuring inclusiveness and assured that the commission would continue to drive innovation and actively seek sustainable solutions for all persons of concern.

“Today, we gather in Durumi, Abuja, on a mission to extend a helping hand to those residing in the Durumi IDPs Camp. Our purpose is to critical support in the form of agricultural inputs, educational supplies and food care packs.

“As our nation celebrates its 63rd Independence Day, we renew our unwavering commitment to addressing the pressing needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Our resolve is clear: no one, regardless of their gender, age, or vulnerabilities, should be left without vital support, echoing the President’s ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda.

“The importance of providing assistance to IDPs cannot be overstated. Neglecting those in displacement can have profound social and economic consequences for both the displaced and their host communities,” he said.

According to him, in the face of protracted displacement crises that often affect IDPs, ensuring access to assistance during such times is of utmost importance.

“In keeping with the commission’s sustainable solutions strategy and our dedication to the well-being of host communities, we are proud to announce the provision of essential agricultural inputs.

“These initiatives aim to empower our displaced population, many of whom are skilled farmers, to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

“Furthermore, we are equally committed to providing Educational Supplies to ensure that IDP children and adolescents have access to learning materials, facilitating their educational growth and development.

“Additionally, we are distributing food care packs to alleviate immediate hunger and provide much-needed sustenance to those in need,” he said.

The educational materials donated included 400 dozens of customised exercise books, 180 pieces of school sandals, 10 pieces of white board

and 10 pieces of white board dusters.

Others are 180 pieces of customised school bags, 180 pieces of customised plastic tables and chairs, biros and pencils.

The IDPs were also given agricultural inputs such as 26 pieces of pesticides, 26 pieces of herbicides, 26 pieces of insecticides, 86 sprayers and 25 irrigation pumps.

While the food items were 97 bags of 25kg rice, 97 cartons of spaghetti, 97 bags of 1kg Semovita, 20 cartons of vegetable oil, 26 cartons of seasoning and 22 cartons of salt.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chairman of Durumi Camp, Ibrahim Ahmad, appreciated the Federal Government for the donations. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Lagos and Oyo states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have emerged as best performing states in Nigeria’s socioeconomic scorecard, according to Analysts Data Services and Resources (ADSR).

Dr Afolabi Olowookere, Managing Director and Chief Economist, ADSR, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a Webinar series with the theme: “The Socioeconomic Scorecard of Nigerian States (2023 Baseline Edition).

Olowookere said that while Nigeria’s average was pegged at 45.79 per cent, the best performing states- Lagos, FCT and Oyo scored 62.5 per cent, 58.9 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.

According to him, a total of 57 relevant indicators were used in the construction of the scorecard across 12 key broad socio-economic segments namely Economic Output; Government Finance; Financial Sector; and Capital Importation.

Others were Land, Housing and Sanitation, Transportation, ICT Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, Industrialisation and Business Competitiveness, Education, Health, and Citizens’ Livelihood and Welfare.

He stated that generally across all states, the best performing segments were the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at 58.31 per cent, financial sector at 51.96 per cent.

The Economist revealed that the least performing sectors were transportation 34.24 per cent, citizens’ livelihood and welfare at 37.14 per cent.

He added that the least performing states were Yobe at 34.5 per cent, Gombe State at 35 per cent and Sokoto State at 36.8 per cent.

According to him, after the elections earlier this year, many of the state governors constituted their cabinets and some are already revising or putting together their States’ Economic Development Plan and Strategy Documents.

“The usual promise is to improve the socio-economic status of the citizens of a state in the next four years and beyond.

“To objectively measure the extent of progress a new administration will be making and set measurable and realistic targets, there is a need to provide baseline data, capturing the current level of the socio-economic performance.

“Such data are often not easily made available, and when they are, they may not be in easy to understand, readily usable, and comparable formats and this scorecard, therefore, seeks to fill this gap.

“The aim is to provide baseline data and highlight the relative performance of, and aid effective policy making at, the sub-national level of government in Nigeria,” he added.

Meanwhile, Prof. Bright Eregha, Professor of Economics, Pan-Atlantic University, has emphasised the need to tackle the binding constraints to productivity by and large industrialisation.

Eregha called for a more structured and proper Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework to finance infrastructural facilities therefore enhancing manufacturing and global competitiveness.

“It is also important for government to be more efficient in delivering an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“Education, health and human capital development as key drivers of productivity must be refocused while Nigeria takes advantage of its youthful population and train them on skills that are relevant to get the needed competitiveness across states.

“The least performing states in welfare and livelihood show the criticality of education and we need to put more emphasis on programmes that drive education to drive human capital development and to strengthen institutions,” he said.

Similarly, Dr OluwaSeyi Vincent, an economist from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), urged government to focus better on the health sector due to its ability to shore up productivity.

Vincent, lauding government’s various health schemes so far, also noted the need for a wider coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme, particularly in rural areas to further increase access to healthcare.

Also, Mr Adedotun Seyingbo, Economic Development and Governance Reform Specialist, said industrial policies at sub-national levels needed to be rethought and reviewed.

He noted that efforts by some states to drive industrialisation via provision of lands, subsidies among other measures remained largely uncoordinated.

“States must stop imitating policies but create reforms typical to addressing each state’s perculiar industrialisation needs.

“There should be more focus on domestic businesses and encouraging reforms for new and innovative businesses.

“As such, states must refocus developing entrepreneurship, start-ups, new ideas and businesses and encourage domestic firms till they grow large enough, to begin to attract the needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday dismissed a report of impending operation in Benue, Taraba, Plateau and Kogi as fake.

The fake report was purported to have emanated from Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, stated in Abuja that the fake publication was the handiwork of some fifth columnists bent at misleading the public.

Nwachukwu stressed that the information conveyed in the said document was outright falsehood calculated to spread fake news to create undue tension and undermine the Nigerian Army.

According to him, a scrutiny of the fake press statement with a fake army letterhead indicates a non-existent nomenclature in the Armed Forces – “The Nigeria Defence Headquarters Abuja Sector (1) Operation Whirl Stroke.’’

“Additionally, there is no such appointment as `General Operation Commander’ in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“Furthermore, the fake press statement was riddled with syntax, grammatical and spelling errors which are in dissonance with Nigerian Army’s press statements,’’ he stated.

Nwachukwu added that the Nigerian Army, being a staunch defender of Nigeria’s sovereignty, had over time, maintained robust civil-military relations with the people of Benue, Taraba, Plateau and Kogi.

He stated also that it was untoward that mischief-makers could attempt to ruin the highly-valued relationship with their intent for extra judicial killing in the course of conducting the purported operations.

According to him, the Nigerian Army has always sustained the flow of information to the general public whenever the need arises through appropriate media channels.

“Considering the damage that this misinformation could cause to members of the public, the army wishes to warn unscrupulous persons or groups employing misinformation to aggravate insecurity in the country to desist from the practice.

“They should rather join other well-meaning and law-abiding citizens to support the Nigerian Army in countering terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country,” Nwachukwu stressed.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria