The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NBC suspends shutdown of AIT, Silverbird, 50 others

    NBC suspends shutdown of AIT, Silverbird, 50 others

    Reprieve has come the way of Ait/RayPower, Silverbird and the 50 other broadcasting stations that got their operating licenses revoked over failure to pay their licence renewal fees debts.

    The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, on Saturday gave the affected stations a three-day grace to complete the payments.

    The suspension of the revocation follows the intervention of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI).

    Consequently, the stations have up to 6pm on Tuesday, August 23, to pay up their debts.

    The Nation had reported on Friday that the NBC ordered the stations to go off air beginning this Saturday for contravening Section 10(a) of the 3rd Schedule of the NBC Act, 2004.

    The provision says, “10. A licence may be revoked by the Commission in the following cases, that is (a) where the prescribed fee has not been paid on the due date…”

    The announcement of the suspension of the revocation was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the Commission, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah.

    The statement reads: “This is to inform all the affected broadcast stations whose licenses were revoked and given 24 hours to pay all the outstanding license fees, that the National Broadcasting Commission, has extended the period in which all the outstanding debts are to be paid from 24 hours to Wednesday, August 23rd 2022.

    “All affected stations who fail to defray their debts on or before August 23rd 2022 are to shut down by 12am on August 24th 2022.

    “The extension is due to the appeal by the affected broadcast stations, relevant stakeholders, public-spirited individuals and organisations.”

    On its part, IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, expressed delight that the NBC heeded their plea and gave the affected broadcast stations an extension.

    “We are glad to report that the Director-General of NBC, Malam Balarabe Shehu Ilela, has graciously agreed to grant an extension on compassionate ground,” Mojeed, said on Saturday.

    “Even though this is a temporary relief, we are hopeful that all parties will engage in the next few days with a view to arriving at a lasting resolution of the matter. We thank the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Mallam Illela for listening to us and allowing a window for dialogue.

    Read Also:We paid N14m license fees before NBC’s revocation, says Radio Bayelsa

    “During our engagement with the Commission, the NBC explained that the commission had in the past granted several concessions to broadcast organizations, including writing off substantial parts of their debts and engaging them consistently to fulfil their financial obligations to the regulator.

    “We implore the affected broadcast organizations to take advantage of this window of opportunity by reaching out to NBC.

    “Nobody benefits when broadcasting stations are shut down. Members of the public have come to rely on these stations to know what their governments are doing to keep them safe in this challenging security environment. Other governments’ policies are also disseminated to the public through these channels.

    “Given the nation’s economic downturn, we further appeal to the affected broadcast stations and the NBC to agree on a workable payment arrangement of the outstanding dues.”

  • Chioma Jesus, Akpororo, others for Sound of praise

    Chioma Jesus, Akpororo, others for Sound of praise

    THE first edition of Sound of Praise, a gospel music concert, holds on Friday, August 26th, 2022 at Waterparks 31/37 Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos State.

    The concert powered by Apostolic Billionaires Club & Zion World Ministry will showcase powerful gospel ministers like feature Chioma Jesus, Joe Praise, Endy Paul, Blessings Ng, and Sound of Praise mass choir Akpororo, Acapella and others.

    A statement by AllBaze.com and the convener, Pastor Chinedu Ezenwa aka Chibaba urged the public to join the Unusual Praise team and anointed ministers for an unusual and spiritually uplifting time in God’s presence.

    Read Also:Mercy Chinwo announces engagement to ‘sweet’ Pastor

    Ezenwa promised that the event would be bigger, better and more spiritually fulfilling.

    According to him: “Sound of Praise” is one of a kind and you don’t want to miss this life-changing experience for anything. There would be free bags of rice for the first 100 persons to get to the venue with 10 brand new smartphones and Laptops to be won.”

    He assured the programme will have a positive impact on the nation as it will help to positively create a platform for youths to exhibit their talents in music, dance and drama.

    The concert, he added, is birthed out of a desire to offer a platform for teeming youths to exhibit their God- given talents through music, dance and drama

  • Jang to Atiku: you can’t win without Wike’s group

    Jang to Atiku: you can’t win without Wike’s group

    Ex-Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, not to neglect a group of PDP stalwarts led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

    Jang told Atiku that attempting to ignore the group, of which he is a member, would negatively affect his ambition to win the 2023 presidential election.

    Speaking on Saturday while flagging off the construction of Omagwa internal roads in Rivers State on Wike’s invitation, Jang said Atiku must close ranks with the group to win in 2023.

    He said: “I want to call on our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to close ranks with all members, particularly members of your (Wike) group of which I’m proudly one . Doing this will guarantee victory in 2023 general elections.

    “These men and women, as I have said, worked hard to build this party and they cannot just be wished away overnight. We need to come together, settle our differences by recognising that you need each and every one of us for you to win the general election.”

    Jang commended Wike for contesting the PDP presidential primaries and for supporting the party since 2015.

    Lamenting the mismanagement of the national economy, je said even in the twilight of his administration, Wike had continued to keep faith with Rivers people by commissioning and flagging off new projects.

    He said: “At this point, in our nationhood, Nigeria is down with inflation that rates over 18 per cent. Foreign reserves are dwindling by the day, and external debts are at high time.

    “We have no infrastructure to show for it. No commensurate economic growth. But here we are, on the 20th day of August 2022, in the Peoples Democratic Party administration in River State, celebrating good governance in the twilight of his (Wike) this administration.”

    In his remarks, Wike directed the security agencies to arrest the owner of a filling station involved in illegal oil bunkering in Port Harcourt

    The governor said government would ensure the prosecution of the owner of the filling station to demonstrate its resolve to reduce illegal oil bunkering activities in the state to the barest minimum.

    Wike confirmed that a filling station was sealed two day ago and he had ordered the security agencies to identify the owner and arrest him for prosecution.

    Read Also:UPDATED: Atiku’s, Wike’s teams meet in Rivers, fail to resolve differences

    He said: “If I hear of any filling station involved in oil bunkering, I will close that filling station. Therefore, I have directed the security agencies to identify who has that filling station in Diobu, arrest that person and we are going to prosecute the person. It doesn’t matter how highly placed that person is.

    “Some of you should be used to teach a lesson. We cannot allow oil bunkering. We will reduce it to the barest minimum. So, I have ordered the security agencies to identify who owns that filling station that was sealed up two days ago and arrest the owner. Let him tell us why he is involved in oil bunkering.”

    He maintained that his administration had been spending huge resources to guarantee safety of life and property, adding that he would not hesitate to clamp down on any group of individuals plotting to destabilise the state.

    Providing the description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr Dakorinama George-Kelly said the internal roads in Omagwa clan were 12 in number, all interconnected and woulf be completed in 10 months.

    According to him, the total length of the roads is 10.95km, with two separate width size of 8.3 metres and 7.3 metres and 21.9 km of drains.

  • Paris Club Refund: We paid NGF $100m for Ekiti, Ondo elections – Consultants

    Paris Club Refund: We paid NGF $100m for Ekiti, Ondo elections – Consultants

    The Lead Consultant of Linas International Limited, the consultants for the recovery of over deductions from Paris and London clubs debt buy back funds, Prince Ned Nwoko, Saturday alleged that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) demanded and received the sum of $100 million to prosecute elections in some states.

    Nwoko was reacting to the flurry of allegations and claims trailing his personal and company’s demands for the payment of services fee from the state governments and local government councils in the country.

    Addressing the media in Abuja, Nwoko described recent outbursts of the NGF on the matter as “noise”, adding tat a former chairman of the forum told him that the money was needed to prosecute elections in Bauchi, Ekiti and Ondo states.

    Read Also:Paris Club Refund: We paid NGF $100m for Ekiti, Ondo elections – Consultants

    He also alleged that when he submitted a bill of $350 million as the consultancy fee, the state governors demanded to be paid 50 percent of it before it could be honored.

    According to him, the Ministry of Justice intervened and the governors eventually received the sum of $100 million.

    Nwoke revealed that the money being owed to the consultants was $68 million and not $418 million that has been in public space.

    According to him, the consultants had nothing to do with $418 million, which he said must be a miscalculation.

    He absolved the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami of any wrongdoing as he said the minister was only trying to ensure that the law was obeyed.

    Nwoko stated that the agreements and judgment being executed were reached before the advent of the present administration.

    Details later….

  • Quality, affordable real estate services possible, despite inflation – Expert

    Quality, affordable real estate services possible, despite inflation – Expert

    A construction and real estate expert Mrs. Oluwadamilola Ajiboye has said the country’s high inflation rate is no barrier to affordable, quality real estate services.

    Ajiboye, the Executive Director (ED) of Efficacy Construction Company, said firms such as hers were committed to providing professional, timely and affordable but superior quality services notwithstanding the country’s poor economy and speculations of a looming global recession.

    She said, in a statement that her firm had experienced consistent growth for over 13 years, to become an enviable construction firm, despite local economic challenges.

    She assured Nigerians that it was doing the best possible to ensure that quality and excellence, which are the bedrock of Efficacy, are not compromised.

    Efficacy recently received global recognition in the construction sector by becoming ISO (International Standard for Organisation) certified.

    Ajiboye added, “While it’s impossible to deny the impact of the high rate of inflation on businesses, especially after a global pandemic put a stop to what has been normal, we at Efficacy are well aware that quality and safety are still of utmost importance, and to us, that is non-negotiable.

    Read Also:Sefiu Alao endorsement deal with real estate firm

    “We want to reassure Nigerians that we are working assiduously to ensure that our brand reputation of quality, timely and cost-effective services coupled with integrity and excellence is preserved and that we will do what we can, to provide the best services possible, regardless of the country’s economic situation”.

    She spoke against the backdrop of the company’s newly unveiled project in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos: The Peak Resort and Golf Course, Lakowe.

  • Lassa fever kills three in seven days – NCDC

    Lassa fever kills three in seven days – NCDC

    Lassa fever has killed three persons in the last seven days, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    The deaths, which were from Ondo State, increased the number of fatalities recorded in the country since the beginning of the year to 168, with 889 confirmed cases reported from 25 states of the Federation.

    The latest epidemiological report from the NCDC obtained by The Nation stated: “In week 32 (August 8 to 14), the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 13 in week 31, 2022 to 9 cases. These were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Enugu States (Table 3).

    “Cumulatively from week 1 to week 32, 2022, 168 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.9 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021 (23.4 per cent).

    “In total for 2022, 25 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 101 Local Government Areas.

    “Of all confirmed cases, 70 per cent are from Ondo (31 per cent), Edo (26 per cent), and Bauchi (13 per cent) states. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 0 to 90 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8.

    “The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021. No new healthcare worker affected in the reporting week 32.

    Read Also:Nigeria records 13 new cases of Lassa fever

    “National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels.”

    To reduce the risk of the spread of Lassa fever, the NCDC offers the following advice: Ensure proper environmental sanitation – that is, keep your environment clean at all times, block all holes in your house to prevent rats from entering; Cover your dustbins and dispose of refuse properly. Communities should set up dumpsites very far from their homes to reduce the chances of having rodents within homes; Store foodstuff like rice, garri, beans, corn/maize, etc in containers that are well covered with tight-fitting lids.

    Others are – Avoid drying foodstuffs outside on the floor, roadside where they will be exposed to contamination; Avoid bush burning which can lead to the displacement of rats from bushes to human dwellings; Eliminate rats in homes and communities by setting rat traps and other means; Practice good personal hygiene by frequent washing hands with soap under running water or use of hand sanitisers when appropriate, and visit the nearest health facility if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever as mentioned earlier, and avoid self-medication.

  • We paid N14m license fees before NBC’s revocation, says Radio Bayelsa

    We paid N14m license fees before NBC’s revocation, says Radio Bayelsa

    The management of Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Bayelsa) has said it had almost cleared its outstanding licence renewal fees of N4million before the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) announced the revocation of its licence.

    The NBC on Friday announced the revocation of the licences of more than 50 radio and television stations in the country, including Bayelsa Broadcasting Corporation, over a N2.6billion debt.

    NBC Director-General, Mr Balarabe Ilelah, who announced the sanctions at a news conference on Friday in Abuja, ordered the affected stations to shut down in the next 24 hours.

    The General Manager of Radio Bayelsa, christened Glory FM, lMr Terrence Ekise, said in a telephone interview on Saturday that the station had paid over N13m out of the N17m debt.

    He explained that the station was surprised that despite the ongoing efforts at clearing the backlog of N17m, the station was listed among those affected.

    Ekise said: “We have been working and making progress with the NBC under the tenure of the previous DG, but when the new DG came, he did not want to listen to anything, and our Commisioner was so disappointed in the NBC’s posture.

    “At a time during the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a grace period and we had a series of negotiations and reconciliation of what we have paid so far and we showed good faith to offset the remaining N4 million, but they still listed us.”

    Read Also:Editors, NUJ, others kick as NBC shuts AIT, Silverbird, 50 other broadcast stations

    He said that the Bayelsa government was paying greater attention to the station with the rebuilding of its office complex and ordered a new transmitter as well as studio equipment.

    He said while the station was awaiting the arrival of the new transmitter, the installation of new studio equipment at the newly built office complex was ongoing.

    Meanwhile, the directive by the broadcast regulator to affected stations to shut down within 24 hours of the revocation order was yet to be complied with by two FM stations affected in Yenagoa.

    Rythms FM and Glory FM are still on air running their regular programmes as of Saturday morning.

  • SSANU, NASU suspend strike for two months after FG’s N50b pledge

    SSANU, NASU suspend strike for two months after FG’s N50b pledge

    The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions has suspended its ongoing strike for a period of two months.

    A member of JAC and SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim disclosed this in a telephone interview with The Nation on Saturday in Abuja.

    He said the suspension will take effect from Wednesday next week.

    “Yes, we have suspended the strike for a period of two months,” the SSANU president said.

    According to Ibrahim, the Federal Government has committed N50 billion to pay earned allowances for members of SSANU, NASU and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

    He also said the unions reached agreement with the government on their conditions of service with the hope that the agreements would be implemented within the two months period.

    The strike by SSANU and NASU has led to suspension in the issuance of academic transcripts; mobilisation of graduates for the compulsory one year service organised by the National Youth Service Corps.

    In a statement on Saturday, the SSANU president said: “Today, after series of engagements with the Honourable Minister of Education and having considered the issue that led to the strike, and having satisfied ourselves that government, this time around, has committed itself to agreeing to respect the agreements that have been reached at the meetings, we believe that it is only honourable that we give the government the benefit of the doubt while the needful is being done at the government’s end.

    “To this end, we hereby inform you of a two months window given to the government to actualize the agreements that have been reached. The two months window is in the nature of a ceasefire and does not represent a closure on the industrial action.

    “It is our sincere prayer, given the assurance made by the Honourable Minister of Education and our commitment to ensure an end to the ongoing impasse, that the two months opportunity will suffice for actions to be taken and the entire matter laid to rest.

    “We wish to thank all Nigerians, the Nigeria Labour Congress and affiliates, the Media and all stakeholders in the Nigerian Educational system for their various roles so far and plead with them to continue to prevail on government to play its own side of the bargain in the interest of peace in our Universities and Inter-university Centres.

    “In view of the above, NASU and SSANU members are hereby directed to resume duties on Wednesday, 24th August, 2022.”

    The JAC of NASU and SSANU embarked on strike on 27th March, 2022.

    The national industrial action was for an initial two week period, but owing to the nature of response which we considered almost non-existent, had to be renewed for another two weeks, leading to another one month and subsequently three months to allow concrete decisions to be taken on our demands.

    The purpose of the strike which entered its 146 days on Saturday was to drive home the demands of the unions in the areas of: renegotiation of the 2009 agreements with the Federal Government; the inconsistencies in IPPIS which made the union to demand for its replacement with its own payment platform called the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS); non-payment of earned allowances; payment of arrears of National Minimum wage; release of white papers on visitation panel reports and usurpation of headships of non-teaching units in clear violation of establishment procedures.

    Others included: full reinstatement of staff school teachers in line with the National Industrial Court Judgement and poor funding and governance of state universities.

    “In the course of the industrial action, we had engaged with various organs of government including the Presidency represented by the Chief of Staff to the President. We had also had meetings with the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Honourable Minister of Education and heads of various governmental agencies in order to ensure a speedy resolution of the impasse.

    “As responsible unions, we have always guided ourselves with the principle that in collective bargaining, no party takes all and no party should lose all. We are not deluded in any Winner takes all philosophy but a consideration for what is best for our members, what is best for our Nigerian University System and indeed what is best for the Nigerian nation.

    Read Also:NASU, SSANU reject plan to widen salary disparity in varsities

    “This strike would have been avoidable if both parties, the government and the union(s) had kept to their parts of the bargain. Unfortunately the bane of industrial harmony in the University system has been the issue of not honouring agreements freely entered into,” the statement added.

    Despite reaching an agreement with the JAC of NASU and SSANU, the government is yet to reach a truce with the Academic Staff Union of Universities who went on strike on February 14.

    The university lecturers are insisting on the payment of their six months salaries which covered the period they went on strike as a condition for calling off their own strike.

    A situation the government has rejected, insisting that the university lecturers will not be paid for the period they were on strike.

    This has led to a stalemate in negotiations with the university lecturers.

    ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke insisted on Friday that members of the union won’t resume work until they are paid the salary arrears.

  • Reps caucus demands probe of Norwegian vessel with stolen Nigerian crude

    Reps caucus demands probe of Norwegian vessel with stolen Nigerian crude

    The Minority caucus in the House of Representatives Saturday demanded a probe of the circumstances leading to the arrest of a Norwegian vessel suspected of carrying millions of litres of stolen Nigerian crude and recent reports of massive crude oil theft in the country.

    Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu said in a statement in Abuja that it was alarming that a foreign vessel entered the country, loaded millions of litres of crude oil and exited without being noticed.

    Elumelu alleged that the vessel may have been assisted in carrying out the act by those he described as corrupt government officials.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the “haemorrhaging of the national economy” through crude oil theft in the interest of suffering Nigerians.

    The statement said: “The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives is alarmed by the massive oil theft in the country which has become an organised racket.”

    “The Minority Caucus is disturbed by reports of alleged complicity by certain corrupt government officials as evinced in the clandestine entrance and berthing of a three-million-barrel capacity supertanker, MV. Heroic Idun in Nigerian waters to criminally load millions of barrels of stolen crude oil from our country.

    “Such reported complicity is also evidenced in the failure of the Nigerian authorities to effectively intercept and arrest the criminal tanker and its crew, which successfully left the Nigerian waters only to be apprehended by the Equatorial Guinea Navy.

    “This shocking development underscores the massive sleaze in our nation’s oil and gas sector under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, with consequential crippling effect on our overall national economy and social wellbeing.

    “It is indeed disturbing that under the APC administration, according to official reports, oil thieves are having a field day stealing up to 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day.

    “This amounts to a daily siphoning of about $40million (given the current average global oil price of around $100 a barrel) accrued revenue meant for the wellbeing of Nigerians.”

    He said the caucus was saddened because “such enabled sleaze is responsible for the crippling of our production and services sectors, massive unemployment; the collapse of our critical sectors including education, health and power; unbearable infrastructural stagnation and escalated insecurity with attendant excruciating hardship on our citizens.

    Read Also:Reps query payment of $33m monthly on power purchase agreement, $10 million on gas supply

    “The Minority Caucus, standing with Nigerians, demands an immediate, independent and open investigation into the issue of oil theft in the country with particular reference to the circumstances that facilitated the reported illegal operation by MV Heroic Idun as well as its escape from our waters.

    “Who granted the vessel entrance into the Nigerian waters? Who granted it facilities to illegally berth and pump stolen crude oil? What circumstances facilitated its escape from the Nigerian waters? Who is the vessel working for and who are those behind the illegal operation?”

    The caucus commended the Nigerian Navy for their collaboration with Equatorial Guinea Navy to arrest the vessel and urged such officers to assist in ensuring that those behind the “crime against our nation are all brought to book.

    “Our caucus also urges President Muhammadu Buhari to, in the interest of suffering Nigerians, rise to the occasion and take urgent steps to halt the haemorrhaging of our national economy through crude oil theft”.

    The Nigerian Navy had reported on Friday that “a very large crude oil carrier MT HEROIC IDUN entered the Nigerian maritime environment and headed for Akpo Field without any form of authorisation or clearance.

    “MT HEROIC IDUN (IMO: 9858058) is registered in Marshall Island with an overall length of 336-meter and capacity of barrels. The vessel arrived at Akpo Field at midnight on 7 Aug 22 with the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the Field, albeit, illegally.

    “This was, however, spotted by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility which probed the legitimacy of the Very Large Crude Carrier’s presence in the Total SA operated Akpo Field. The outcome of all relevant enquiries from the controlling agency, NNPC Ltd, revealed that the vessel was not cleared to be in Akpo Oilfield”.

  • FG adopts clean energy tech for start-ups, SMEs

    FG adopts clean energy tech for start-ups, SMEs

    Nigeria has taken a major step towards addressing some of the environmental challenges in the country by adopting the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) project.

    The Federal Government noted that the move would help to promote clean energy technologies for sustainable start-ups and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development.

    Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, during the inauguration of a 13-member Project Steering Committee of experts, in Abuja, lauded the initiative by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

    Mamora said Nigeria became the 10th member of GCIP through the efforts of UNIDO.

    He, however, urged the inaugurated members to make laudable contributions to the development of the nation through the GCIP project.

    The minister called on Nigerians to embrace and support deployment of clean energy innovations and solutions across the various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

    He said: “Members of the Project Steering Committee are selected from the pool of experts in the public and private sectors of the economy. Therefore, you are expected to make a very important contribution to the development of our dear nation through this laudable project.

    “I specially commend the efforts of UNIDO for mobilising resources to pilot this project; GEF for providing the seed financial resources, the Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology of FMSTI for conceptualising the Nigerian CleanTech Innovation Programme (NC-TIP) that provided the national platform for this partnership with the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) being piloted by UNIDO and of course the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Co-Creation Hub for providing niche technical services within the project. I am glad to know that Nigeria became the tenth member of GCIP through the efforts of FMSTI and UNIDO.

    “It is pertinent to note that the world is currently moving towards use of clean energy technologies and FMSTI, being aware of this, is currently conducting Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in key sectors of the economy.

    “There can be no better time to commence this project than now. I therefore call on all Nigerians to embrace and support deployment of clean energy innovations and solutions across the various sectors of the Nigerian economy.”

    Read Also;Why hydrogen energy is relevant to Nigeria

     

    The Regional Director, UNIDO Nigeria Regional Hub, Jean Bankole, who was represented by the National Program Officer, Nigeria Regional Office, UNIDO, Reuben Bamidele, said the project is focused on: “promoting startups and small medium enterprises in the country to operate and produce in a responsible manner, in such a way that the business ethics are followed and the environment is not jeopardized.”

    He said Nigeria was not alone in the implementation of the GCIP project, adding that about 15 other countries were participating in the innovative process.

    He said the project would serve as a platform for job creation which Nigerians can leverage on.

    “Nigeria is not implementing this programme in isolation, there are 15 countries. Therefore, the project in Nigeria will network with other 15 countries during implementation and a number of innovative ideas will be brought to bear in managing businesses in Nigeria, creating new ones and then expanding those already in existence.

    “Through this particular approach, many jobs will be created, opportunities and avenues will be enlarged in the country so that many more will come in,” he added.