The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • ‘We’ll fund any concept that can impact 10 million people’

    Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Eko Innovation Centre, Mr. Victor Afolabi has expressed his organisation’s readiness to support any ideas or concepts that have the capacity to impact at least 10 million people.

    Afolabi who disclosed this in Lagos during ‘A Conversation on Moral Leadership’ said that they are committed to incubating, accelerating, mentoring and funding innovation and technology startups. The event, hosted by the Eko Innovation Centre also featured participation from Acumen West Africa, an impact investing organization, and the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, an ecosystem enabler attracting socially responsible investment to the region.

    The conversation highlighted each organisation’s vision for a new type of leadership in Nigeria, one that would measure success not based on wealth and fame, but on character, contributions to society, and building a more just world.

    Afolabi shared more with us about his plans to realize this vision through the Eko Innovation Centre, stating that,

    “For you to be admitted into the Eko i-Centre, your idea and concept must have ability to touch 10 million people and also have commercial viability and strong social impact among other things.”

    He explained that the idea behind the EIC was to use innovation and technology in solving the major issues in the Lagos State economy and Nigeria as a whole.

    Read Also: We’ll build innovation, technology centres to create jobs – Sanwo-Olu

    Speaking on the offerings provided by Eko Innovation Centre, Afolabi said that entrepreneurs admitted can spend a minimum of 18 months to 3 years and will also be taught tax management, procurement, finance, strategy and administration. “The idea is that when we have companies that come into incubation, their chance of survival is very high because of strong handholding mentorship we are going to be providing.”

    Afolabi said that lack of capital was limiting the capabilities of entrepreneurs to develop innovation technologies in order to solve the problems in the country. He urged the state government to support and create the enabling environment for start-ups to thrive.

    “We saw in the Lagos manifesto an agenda to make the state the 21st-century economy.

    “The only way to create a 21st-century economy is to make sure you are creating the enabling environment for businesses and solution to problems that are driven by innovation and technology,” Afolabi said.

    On his part, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said his administration would build innovation and technology centres across the state to address the problem of youth unemployment.

    Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat said that his administration recognised the place of technology as the key driver to fast-growing economies.

    “Technology is the way to go. It is the way of the future and our administration is committed to leveraging on technology in delivering the megacity dream. As a government, we will build innovation and technology centres where we can bring in private capital and investors, get ideas from young people on technology and be able to start creating employment for our youths.

    “We also believe that to achieve the THEME (Traffic Management & Transportation; Health & Environment; Education & Technology; Making Lagos A 21st Century Economy; Entertainment & Tourism) concept innovations and technology is key. People from those centres would come and give us innovative ideas to solve our transport problem; ideas with which they think locally,” he said.

    Corroborating him, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acumen, Jacqueline Novogratz pointed out the need for a mindset shift on the path of investors from sole financial focus to considerations for impact and positive benefit to society.

    “We have seen yearning of young entrepreneurs around the world who want to put entrepreneurial tools to work against the world’s toughest problems, that’s what moral leadership is all about. And we need investors who are willing to walk that long and challenging path with them, if we are to overcome the great divisions we are experiencing in today’s world.”

    Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso explained that mentorship is the responsibility of everybody.

    “We find a way to have sound clean mentorship whereby we pick the right role models and we pair them up with people who are coming down below who are relatively more junior and who are looking for direction.

    “There is a lot of cross sectorial work, multi-stakeholder work that can be done towards helping to groom that concept of mentorship and institutionalizing it within our society,” Cardoso said.

    Oluwatoyin Adegbite-Moore,  Executive Director, West Africa, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance echoed Cardoso by stating that Moral Leadership starts with self and government must create an enabling environment to ensure social impact through strategic Social Investments and Inclusive Business across sectors.

    Dr. Andrew S. Nevin, Founding Director, The Africa Institute for Leadership and Public Administration, added that creating smart economies with technology-driven innovative solutions would lead to the creation of new jobs that previously never existed.

  • Edo trains facilitators for Conditional Cash Transfer

    No fewer than 11,000 persons in Edo State are to benefit from the first phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme being implemented by the Federal Government under the National Social Investment Programme (SIP).

    Focal Person, Edo State Social Investment Programme, Osayuwame Aladeselu, disclosed this at the beginning of a four-day Orientation, Implementation and Enrollment Training workshop for Local Government Councils’ Cash Transfer Facilitators (CTFs) in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The training of the facilitators marks the commencement of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme in the state.

    She noted that 11,000 beneficiaries drawn from six local government areas of the state would be trained on livelihood skills to assist them spend the money wisely, adding, “We just commenced the CCT programme in Edo State with the training of facilitators drawn from the benefiting LGAs, who will sensitise the beneficiaries on the electronic means of money transfer.”

    Aladeselu said the facilitators will also train beneficiaries on business opportunities, urging them to take the programme seriously.

    Read Also: Expert trains Edo Poly students, staff

    She explained that the poverty map developed by the World Bank was used in the selection of the six local government areas from where beneficiaries for the first phase of the programme will be drawn.

    The National Programme Coordinator, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Dr. Temitope Sinkaiye, said the programme was designed to reduce poverty and socioeconomic vulnerabilities among poor households in the country.

    Sinkaiye maintained that the facilitators were being trained on how to use mobile application for enrollment of the CCT beneficiaries.

    She added that the N5,000 monthly stipends would be paid electronically to the beneficiaries through mobile money operators residing in rural communities.

    Vice Chairman of Edo State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Chairman, Etsako Central LGA, Hon. Akhigbe John, commended the federal and state governments for supporting the local government councils to alleviate the plights of vulnerable persons. He assured that local council chairmen in the state will support the initiative to ensure it succeeds in the state.

    Edo trains
    Cross-section of participants at a training workshop for Local Government Councils’ Cash Transfer Facilitators (CTFs) in Benin City, Edo State capital.

  • Unemployment: Gov Fayemi’s wife tasks Ekiti youths on technical education

    The first lady of Ekiti state Mrs Bisi Fayemi, has advised youths to embrace technical education in order to decongest the labour market.

    The governor’s wife gave the advice in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday when the Chairman of the State Board for Technical and Vocational Education, Hon. Kayode Babade, paid her a visit.

    She reiterated Gov. Kayode  Fayemi’s  promise to resuscitate all the technical colleges across the state.

    “With what I heard, read and watched, the one in Ado-Ekiti is now a model.

    “The governor has therefore assured that policies in the education sector would be geared toward improving technical and vocational education in the state.

    “There is need for parents to enroll their children in any of the technical colleges across the state.

    “I want to appreciate what the present government is doing in reducing the rate of unemployment in the state.

    “I watched the news during the last lecture you organised for the students and could see that government has equipped the college in Ado-Ekiti to function effectively.

    ” I will like to appeal to our youths to take this advantage to become experts in any vocation of their choice which is crucial to save the nation from economic crisis and youth unemployment,”she said.

    She stressed the need for a paradigm shift from the erroneous perception that skills acquisition was meant for the academically weak, noting that technical education remained a potent weapon for socio-economic development.

    Read Also: Ekiti: Tackling unemployment through technical training

    The governor’s wife promised to embark on a facility tour of the technical college in Ado-Ekiti to ascertain areas of partnership.

    Babade, who had earlier congratulated the governor’s wife on her recent Zik Leadership Award, thanked the governor for his commitment toward restoring the lost glory of technical and vocational education in the state.

    He said that efforts were in top gear to commence the second phase of the project that would uplift facilities at the other four technical colleges located in Igbara-Odo, Ijero, Otun and Ikole-Ekiti.

    “We don’t want our youths to be roaming the streets looking for white collar job; the rate of graduate unemployment is increasing just because most do not have employable skills that can make them self sustainable.

    “We appreciate the present government for its value for education and its vision and mission to have an Ekiti State where the people can thrive and live in dignity.

    ” It is therefore imperative for unemployed youths to appropriately harness and embrace this form of education to curb high rate of unemployment and the consequent societal ills.

    “There is no doubt that technical and vocational education has the potential of improving the socio-economic sector of the state and the country in general.

    “Today, the world is dominated by technical education experts. Any nation that is lagging behind in this respect is dead and we want our people to understand that. Today, you are a better person when you can use your brain and hands,” he said.

    (NAN)

  • AFCON 2019: Amuneke confirms contract termination

    Emmanuel Amuneke, ex-Super Eagles winger, says his two-year contract with the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) has been terminated.

    Amuneke signed a two year contract with the TFF in 2018 and successfully qualified the country for the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after 39 years absence.

    Tanzania lost its matches in Group C to Algeria, Senegal and Kenya.

    Amuneke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday that he and the federation mutually agreed to terminate the contract when the team returned from Egypt.

    “The story is that we have mutually parted ways. After the AFCON, we came back, had a meeting with the federation and they said they want to continue with another coach.

    “I thank the federation and Tanzanian people for giving me the opportunity to coach their national team. In football, it’s one of those things that happen and you have to learn to forge ahead,’’ he said.

    Amuneke said working in Tanzania in the past year was a great experience and rewarding.

    Read Also: Just In: Tanzania sack Emmanuel Amuneke

    According to him, of the two years contract he signed, he qualified the country to play in AFCON after 39 years absence.

    Tanzania’s AFCON appearance before the 2019 edition was in Nigeria in 1980.

    “For me, the experience was great. In every endeavour, you need challenges and the Tanzanian job is one of the challenges.

    “In the 80s, I was about eight years and can hardly remember if AFCON was played in Nigeria.

    “As destiny will have it, in 2018, I found myself in Tanzania and of the two years contract I signed, I qualified them for the 2019 AFCON,’’ he said.

    The former Nigeria U-17 and U-20 national team coach, said the 2019 AFCON was the first experience for the Tanzanian players.

    “You cannot do away with some mistakes and nervousness and I believe it is this process that will afford you the opportunity to mature and grow.

    “For me, it is an experience and I am happy that we came here and were able to position Tanzanian football to African level.

    “I am happy and grateful to Tanzanian people for giving me the opportunity to serve,’’ he said.

    Amuneke said for now, he will take out time to rest and be with his family.

    “But coach Amuneke will still be in football,’’ he said.

    (NAN)

  • Zamfara: Kidnap victims released willingly – Gov Matawalle

    Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State says bandits now release their kidnap victims willingly without financial conditions.

    This claim was made in a statement signed by Alhaji Yusuf Idris, the Director-General, Press Affairs to the Governor, and made available to journalists in Gusau on Wednesday.

    “The development is the result of a Peace and Reconciliation Initiative set up by the governor about three weeks ago to negotiate with bandits and other criminals to lay down their arms, renounce their criminal ways and embrace peace.

    “The governor received eight additional kidnap victims yesterday, Tuesday, from the state Commissioner of Police who is leading the negotiations and expressed happiness that the process is being carried out peacefully and without further bloodshed.

    Read Also: Matawalle receives 11 more abductees

    The governor, who commended the police boss and his team for the efforts, directed the Government House Clinic to carry out thorough medical tests on all the victims to ensure that they are mentally and physically fit before they will be reunited with their families,’’ it said.

    The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo, as saying that the latest received victims, which comprised three women and their five children, were kidnapped about four months ago in Dansadau Emirate of Maru Local Government area and rescued at Birnin Gwari bushes of Kaduna state.

    “The latest rescue brought the number of rescued kidnap victims under the initiative to 59 in the last one week,’’ the statement said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that for over nine years, bandits had held the state through kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed banditry, killing of innocent citizens and destruction of farmlands, foodstuff, houses and other properties.

    (NAN)

  • Mechanic bags 6 months for stealing N3,000

    A Jos Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama, on Wednesday, sentenced a 19-year-old mechanic, Abdullahi Zakari, to six months imprisonment for stealing N3,000.

    The presiding Judge, Mr Lawal Suleiman, handed down the sentence after the convict had pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of criminal force and theft and begged for leniency.

    Suleiman, however, gave the convict an option of N6,000 fine.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported at the Laranto Police B Division on June 27, by the complainant, Aminu Shehu, a resident of NEPA area, Zaria Road, Jos.

    Read Also: Man bags 14 years for ‘killing’ sister

    Gokwak said on June 6, the complaint went out to collect money owed him by his client and on his way back, met the convict in company of three others currently at large.

    He told the court that the convict slapped the complainant on the face and the complainant sustained an injury, adding that in the process, the convict collected N3000 from him.

    The prosecutor told the court that during police investigation the convict confessed to have committed the offence.

    The prosecutor said the offences were punishable under Sections 239 and 272 of the Plateau Penal Code.

    (NAN)

  • Lecturer calls for ban on special centers to curb exam malpractices

    A lecturer at the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, Mr Babatunde Abdulkareem, has called on the Federal government to ban special examination centers in the country as a way to curb examination malpractices.

    Abdulkareem, who is the Head of Political Science Department in the college, made the call in Ilorin on Wednesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the number of special centers in the country were increasing everyday, alleging that such centers were known for encouraging cheating during examinations.

    According to the lecturer, most parents prefer to pay extra amount to register their children in the “miracle centers” as a sure way to guarantee success in examinations.

    “You can see every building in the country is now used for examination.

    “Some business centers are also used as examination halls where you can just stroll in and write exams for a huge fee without any proper check.

    Read Also: ‘Exam malpractices’: Prosecution raises charges against Adeleke, others

    “The Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other examinations have become a easy ride for candidates as there are special sure centers all over the country.

    “The Federal Government and education stakeholders must stop pretending and act fast to ban special centers. Exam malpractice is evil and should not be encouraged,” he said.

    Abdulkareem urged the Federal Government and stakeholders to set up monitoring agencies during examinations to arrest the owners of the centers.

    He also called on parents to encourage their children to study hard for their examinations and stop looking for shortcuts to pass examinations.

    “Registering your children in miracle centers is not the best. You are only trying to ruin your children’s future.

    “We all need to speak up and say ‘No’ to exam malpractices to save education in the country,” Abdulkareem said. (NAN)

  • NGO trains young women on infographics

    A non-governmental organisation, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF Nigeria), has trained young women and girls on infographic technology.

    The organisation said this would enable them become skillful and relevant in the present digital world.

    AHF Nigeria’s Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, stated this at the Data Visualisation Training (Infographic Technology), in Abuja.

    He said the training would provide them the needed requisite skills to advocate on issues that form challenges to the full realisation of the potentials that young women and girls can bring to bear on their wellbeing through the strategic medium of infographics.

    In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, Aborisade said the Programme `STYLE UP’ has two components: Girls Act Initiative and Boys 2 Men.

    “This training comes under AHF Girls Act and, was aimed at empowering young women and girl with the necessary skills to enable them survive in a digital society,” he said.

    Read Also: NGO trains teachers on special and inclusive education

    He added: “It is important to work with young women and girls because they are a marginalised group and disproportionately affected by the social impact of our nation’s disease burden, poverty and lack commensurate opportunities as boys and men.

    “The data visualisation training will empower them with skills to enable them take advantage of the new opportunities that IT offers for self-sustenance but, importantly to equip this group with the know how to strategically advocate for the issues paramount to them and draw the right attention while attracting the needed solutions to them.

    “We hope to see young people who are able to use the knowledge of data analysis and interpretation to bring solutions on issues that affect them, as well as challenges that they encounter in having a say about negotiating safe sex, sexual and reproductive health services and other life choice.”

    According to him, the knowledge acquired from the training would enable them use graphics to instigate actions, interpret ideas, and draw attention to issues and to suggest solutions and become empowered to make a living through offering those services to others.

    A Communication Strategist, Bamishe Aregbeshola, said the training was aimed at how participants can acquire the prerequisite knowledge on how to use infographics to communicate the ideas that they have to their peers and community.

    Aregbeshola, who was the facilitator of the training explained that research had shown that it was a lot easier to pass information through videos and graphics as people tend to understand them better compered to when processed in text.

    “The way the brain maps information, is that the mind picks pictures faster however with text the mind has to translate the text into pictures first, so it takes a longer time for the mind to interpret such kind of information.

    “The training will effectively empower them to go into their communities and optimise the use of the new media to effectively communicate to people faster and better.

    “The world is fast growing into digital world and in terms of skill acquisition it is important that everyone acquire a prerequisite knowledge on digital skill in irrespective of their line of work to stay relevant.

    “The Government can create more platforms for young people to learn in order to improve on their skills as well as pupils in secondary schools and universities to help in researches and presentations,’’ he said.

    A participant, Anita Ikwe, commended AHF for the training, saying the training would enable her find new ways of identifying problems in the society and to find better ways of disseminating information through graphics.

    She said: “The training would help me immensely especially on issues relating to people living with HIV and AIDS.

    “It will enable me use graphic approach to identify problems and disseminate information on issues of self-discrimination, disclosure, adherence, and other challenges persons living with HIV are encountering.”

  • UKAID supports 98,000 northern women with cash to fight poverty

    The United Kingdom Department for International Development in partnership with Oxford Policy Management has supported about 98,000 pregnant and lactating women in Jigawa and Zamfara states with N4, 000 monthly cash grants in the last six years to fight poverty.

    Country Manager of Oxford Policy Management, Femi Adegoke, said the Child Development Grant Programme (CDGP) provided a monthly unconditional cash transfers to pregnant and lactating women from pregnancy until the child was two.

    He said the Programme was implemented by Save the Children (SC) and Action Against Hunger between 2013 to 2019.

    Adegoke, during the dissemination of the endline findings of the ODGP project in Abuja, said that the goal of the project was to reach children in their first 1000 days, being the most significant part of a child’s life.

    He explained that studies had shown that of the 700 million world’s poverty population, about 385million Children were living in poverty, adding that the bulk of them were in sub-Saharan African.

    According to him, child poverty means when a child is deprived of health, education, water, nutrition, saying the deprivation often affected the child’s future.

    Read Also: ‘Northern women need mindset shift’

    He added that poverty could be transferred from one generation to the other if not addressed.

    He said the pilot project executed in six communities in the two states have helped to reduce stunting by 54 percent in the benefiting communities, adding that the cash transfers had positive impact on household food security, dietary and household expenditure.

    CDGP Programme Manager, Ramatu Budaliyu, said that about N11billion was spent on the project.

    She said the goal of the organisation was to address the problem of stunting and malnutrition in children as Nigeria had one of the highest rate of malnourished children who are mostly in the northern part of the country.

    “We wanted to use cash and knowledge to address the problem of stunting in the country and at the end of the programme we notice that there has been so much improvement in livelihood activities among women in the communities,” she said.

    A representative of the DFID, Alexis Stevens, in his remarks, stressed the need for social protection to unlock human capital challenges, saying that there was still more to be done to reach about 87 million Nigerians leaving below poverty line.

  • AFCON 2019: Don’t be distracted by VAR, fans advise Super Eagles

    Football fans in Nasarawa State have advised the Super Eagles to focus on their encounter against South Africa and not be distracted over decisions made by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to be used in the encounter.

    They gave the advice when they spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia on Wednesday.

    NAN reports that Nigeria take on South Africa in one of the two 2019 AFCON quarter-finals matches on Wednesday and VAR is expected to be used from this stage of the competition till the end.

    VAR was introduced into football to review decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and a headset for communication.

    But during the FIFA 2019 Women World Cup in France, VAR made some decisions deemed controversial which affected some teams, including Nigeria’s female team, the Super Falcons.

    Eche Amos, Media Officer of the Nigeria Shooting Sport Federation (NSSF) warned that the Super Eagles should not be distracted or cowed by whatever decision made by VAR but concentrate fully on how to maximise their chances and win the game against South Africa.

    Read Also: AFCON 2019: VAR to be used from quarter-finals

    “Players get jittery over the decision of VAR. I don’t want that to be the case for our boys. They should concentrate and not be distracted irrespective of what VAR decides. I am happy many of our players are already exposed to VAR.

    “So it’s not new to them but it is important that they are not distracted by the VAR or center referee’s decisions. They should play a good game and come out with the best result for Nigerians,” he said.

    He also advised that the African Football Confederation (CAF) must get it right in the usage of VAR and avoid a repeat of the incident that marred the second leg of the 2019 CAF Champions League final between Wydad Casablanca and Esperance Tunis.

    “VAR has worked in other continents but in Africa it is either one problem or the other. So, I want CAF to go the extra mile to ensure that there are no shortcomings this time,” he said.

    Musa Elayo, former Media Officer of Nasarawa United FC also urged the Super Eagles to be professional in their conduct on the pitch, adding that their performance alone will determine their fate.

    “They are professionals and so they should play good game with passion and determination. Our boys should not be distracted because VAR is an innovation that has come to stay and therefore, we cannot say no.

    He also questioned some reviews called by VAR in the just-concluded FIFA Women World Cup and called on CAF to appoint trusted officials to handle the VAR so that only genuine cases were reviewed.

    “I also want a situation whereby CAF considers only impartial capable hands for the VAR duties. This is because even the VAR makes some questionable decisions. We saw some at the just-concluded Women World Cup. So, CAF should be very thorough,” he said.

    Nehemiah Gwamna, a sports correspondent for Precious FM 102.5 in Lafia, said the Super Eagles must accept every decision of VAR in good faith and not blame their performance and the outcome of the encounter on the decisions made by VAR.

    “They should go and play their hearts out and whatever VAR decides in the course of the game, they should accept as fate and carry on.

    “We don’t want poor concentration and excuses on VAR. VAR is a welcome development in African football and I commend CAF for introducing it,” he said.

    Cheke Emmanuel, Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in Nasarawa State, also called on the Nigerian team and the nation as a whole not to condemn VAR if it makes decision against the Super Eagles.

    He said this is because the system was introduced to correct the mistakes of the center referees and be impartial as to whatever happens on the pitch.

    NAN reports that Nigeria take on South Africa on Wednesday at 8 p.m. shortly after the fixture between Senegal versus Benin Republic.

    (NAN)