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President Bola Tinubu on Monday said his administration was determined to satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians on transportation.

The President made the remark while inaugurating 30 hybrid CNG buses donated by Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) to the Federal Government on Monday in Abuja.

‘It is a great joy for me to receive these buses on behalf of the government as they represent a significant innovation to the transportation system.

‘Utilising natural gas to power our transportation industry is the next way to go.

‘With our gas, if we work harder, to be productive and innovative, utilising CNG vehicles is an economic necessity that we should embrace,’ he said.

The President said he noted the yearnings of many ordinary Nigerians on transportation, and thanked INNOSON Motors and others who were committed to changing the narrative in the country’s transportation industry.

‘If we can enhance our energy competitiveness and bring about transformative changes like this,
we will definitely be able to achieve the prosperity that we are working hard to accomplish for our people.

‘Countries like India have mandated the use of CNG for commercial vehicles since 2004 and in Nigeria, commercial vehicles make up about 80 per cent of our petrol demand costing us trillions of Naira each month.

‘The solution is here. We have it, we will work on it. We promise you, definitely things will get better, prosperity will be achieved,’ he said.

Mrs Winifred Akpani, Chairman, DAPPMAN, said the hybrid buses were designed, manufactured and delivered by INNOSON Motors, a Nigerian company based in Nnewi.

‘These are hybrid buses that will run on CNG. Each of these buses is capable of transporting 100 people and they also have alternative use of diesel.

‘They are hybrid buses and we are very happy today that we are able to present this first batch. And we continue to assure this government of our full support as marketers.

‘We will continue to go the extra mile to ease the problems of all of us
not just the downtrodden but everybody,’ she said.

She said DAPPMAN had made provision to train two drivers for each of the buses at the facility where the buses were manufactured.

‘We request that whoever gets the buses at the end should contact DAPPMAN so that we can arrange for the training, because we think is very important that these buses are properly handled for durability.

‘We are very sure that this will contribute in bringing down transportation cost, and we know that if transportation cost comes down, food and so many other things will follow.

‘So, on behalf of DAPPMAN, we are very happy to present this set of buses to the Federal Government of Nigeria,’ said Akpani.

Source : News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has lauded Ms Rena Wakama, D’Tigress’ coach, on her recognition as the best coach of women’s basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

He stated that the recognition of Wakama, 32, by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), further accented her well-established leadership qualities and dedication to excellence.

In a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President commended the team, the coach, and all those who played a part in the unprecedented feat at the Olympics.

He enjoined them not to relent or become crestfallen, but remain resilient and determined for greatness.

President Tinubu affirmed that winning trophies and medals was the ultimate goal in competitive sports.

But he said nothing trumped the place of good sportsmanship, discipline, and sacrifice shown by all those who held the Nigerian flag at the Olympic Games.

The Nigeria women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, became the first African basketball team to play in the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games.

The President thanked the Nigerian contingent and wished them success in their respective endeavours.

Source : News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, described Mrs Folashade Esan’s tenure as Head of Service (HoS) as exemplary.

The President made the remark at the valedictory session in her honour during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The President said Esan’s leadership of the civil service was profound, and that she carried out numerous reforms that repositioned the civil service.

He thanked Esan for her exemplary tenure, commitment, loyalty and great vision: ‘As she steps down, we express gratitude to her for her exemplary service to the nation.’

While bidding Esan farewell, the President swore in Mrs Esther Wilson-Jack, as the new HoS.

‘You are stepping into a very big shoe. We pray that God will guide you and give you the wisdom to lead the civil service creditably,’ said the President.

Esan, speaking to State House correspondents after bowing out, said she was grateful to God and the President for giving her the opportunity to serve the country.

‘I appreciate Mr President for his king guidance, wh
ich he demonstrated beyond every doubt. I thank all the ministers I worked with.

‘I would like to appeal to the public servants to put the interest of the nation first; with that we are sure of the progress of the nation,’ SA he said.

Wilson-Jack said she was grateful to the President for appointing her as the HoS of the federation.

‘I see it as a divine assignment and I had the opportunity to assure Mr President that by the grace of God I will not disappoint him.

‘I come as a servant of all to work together not only with the permanent secretaries but also with the directors and the entire civil service to enable us deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda,’ she said.

Source : News Agency of Nigeria

The National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB) has urged President Bola Tinubu to involve Microfinance Banks (MFBs) in the planned disbursement of one million each to 75,000 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Alhaji Abubakar Ahmad, the newly elected President of NAMB, made the call in his post-election speech at the14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association in Abuja.

Ahmad said the call was necessary because of the MFBs’ strategic national spread and robust platforms.

He stressed the need for the involvement of the MFBs in the disbursement of the ongoing social intervention funds based on their grassroots-oriented roles in the nation’s financial system.

According to him, the involvement of the MFBs in the disbursement of the intervention funds will go a long way in helping the government to successfully disburse funds to beneficiaries.

He noted that 75,000 beneficiaries had been processed to receive one million Micro and Small Business single-digit interest loans.

‘With the new
minimum wage, high taxes and rising electricity tariffs, high cost of diesel, and general inflation, microfinance business is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult.

‘We urge the President to consider tax relief, a moratorium on other fees and charges, so that the subsector would be giving a new lease of life.

‘With a spread in all nooks and crannies of the rural areas of our dear nation, we are best equipped in the implementation of the President’s people oriented and life changing initiatives,’ Ahmad said.

Ahmad also called on Tinubu to approve fiscal and other incentives for banks.

He said that this would enable microfinance banks to play their statutory roles of funding support for Nano and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association also elected other national officers at the AGM.

The elected officers included the National 1st Vice President, Mr Adenrele Oni; National 2nd Vice President, Mr Benjamin Mapac; National
Publicity Secretary, Sir Emmanuel Ajuzie; and National Treasurer, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.

The association also elected new Board of Trustees, namely Chief John Owan (Chairman) South-South; Prof. Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, Secretary (NEC); Mr Rogers Nwoke, (South East) and Mrs Theresa Deme, (North Central).

Others were Alhaji Hamzat Abdullahi, (South West); Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim, (North East); and Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim Aminu, (North West).

Speaking shortly at the end of the AGM, NAMB Executive Secretary, Mr Eddy Orok, urged the association’s members and relevant stakeholders to give the new national officers maximum cooperation to move the association to greater height.

Source : News Agency of Nigeria

A Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament led by Nigeria’s House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu is holding an oversight meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The five-day event comprises some of the parliament’s standing committees; Administration, Finance, Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event is: ‘The Role of the ECOWAS Parliament in Community Budget Formulation and Monitoring.’

The Joint Committee was constituted and charged with executing the very important oversight activities bothering on their aforementioned schedules as encapsulated in the outlined community policy.

The main objective of the delocalized committee meeting is for its Members to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the issues in focus with a view to facilitating parliamentary deliberations on budgeting.

It also aims to equip Members in carrying out oversight functions over the programmes and activities of ECOWA
S as mandated by the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the Parliament.

It is expected that Members of the Joint Committee will be sensitised by resource persons and stakeholders drawn largely from relevant technical directorates of the ECOWAS Commission on recent developments in the sectors in focus.

Resource persons drawn from relevant organisations like the organised civil society, will also make presentations to the Joint Committee to equip the parliamentarians with all-round perspectives on the issues.

The Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget is responsible for matters relating to adoption of community budget; examining the draft annual budget of the Parliament; monitoring financial and administrative management in the parliament.

It is also responsible for assessing the effectiveness of various community financing mechanisms, notably the implementation of the protocol relating to the community levy; the coordination of various financial instruments.

The committee is al
so charged with the task of evaluating the cost and effectiveness of implementing policies financed by the Community and controlling the execution of the Parliament’s budget.

It is also tasked with verifying accounts and balance sheets relating to decisions concerning the closure, presenting and auditing of the parliament’s revenue and expenditure and measures accompanying or implementing these decisions.

The ECOWAS Parliament has 115 seats and 14 Standing Committees; each of the 15 member states is guaranteed a minimum of five allotted seats.

The remaining 40 seats are distributed in proportion to the population of each country.

Nigeria has a total of 35 seats followed by Ghana with eight seats.

Côte d’Ivoire is allotted seven seats, whereas Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have six seats respectively.

The remaining ECOWAS Member States, namely Benin, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, have five seats.

Source : News Agency of Nigeria

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has increased payments for the human-wildlife conflict self-reliance scheme, effective 01 September 2024.

The announcement was made by MEFT Minister, Pohamba Shifeta, at press conference on Monday.

Compensation for funeral expenses, Shifeta said, will however remain at N.dollars 100 000, while permanent disability payments will increase from N.dollars 50 000 to N.dollars 100 000.

Persons injured by wild animals but who have not incurred body part losses will now be given an amount of N.dollars 15 000, up from the current N.dollars 10 000.

Compensation of injury with loss of body parts will increase from the current N.dollars 30 000 to N.dollars 40 000.

A farmer will receive N.dollars 5 000 for every cattle loss, N.dollars 800 for a goat, N.dollars 800 for a sheep, N.dollars 1 500 for a horse, N.dollars 1 000 for a donkey and N.dollars 1 000 for a pig.

For crop damages, the ministry will compensate N.dollars 500 for one quarter of a hecta
re and N.dollars 2 000 for one hectare.

‘Payment related to expenses for human death cannot be increased for now as this was increased from N.dollars 5 000 in 2009 to N.dollars 100 000 in the year 2018. The amount of N.dollars 100 000 is also sufficient to cover for funeral expenses. The anticipated impact will be to effectively support communities, individuals and farmers who suffer losses and damages caused by wild animals through the revised offset payments,’ Shifeta noted.

According to the minister, consultations to increase the payments under the human-wildlife conflict self reliance scheme were done during the National Conference held in May last year, which included Cabinet.

Source : The Namibia News Agency