Author: The Nation

Nine hundred and sixty one property owners in Gbagyi Villa, who responded to the Kaduna State Government’s programme to regularise illegal layouts, will shortly receive invitations to contact KASUPDA and KADGIS for their approved building permits and certificates of occupancy. Investigations by our correspondent showed that these property owners are benefitting from the programme to regularise illegal layouts, initiated by the state government in June 2022.  

Findings by our correspondent show that the state government has approved 20 illegal layouts for regularisation, including Gidan Daji, Sabon Gida, Danbushiya, Danhono and Babban Saura, all at Millennium Village. Other layouts approved for the regularisation scheme include Chanchangi Kinkinau, Oil Village, Kamazo, Gbagyi Villa and NITEL Television.

The policy to regularise illegal layouts was designed to enable people who had built properties in unapproved places to obtain legal status for their properties by providing documentation and paying penalties. Properties in these illegal layouts are often subject to removal because those layouts distort town planning regularisations or even encroach on the valid titles of other persons or organisations. Some of these illegal layouts have actually been removed since 2015 in places such as Zaria and Kaduna metropolis. But the state government decided to review its enforcement of laws and regulations in the real estate sector in a way that warns residents against the consequences of violations, but also mitigates losses for residents who had properties in some of the illegal layouts by offering them a route to regularisation.

At the close of the regularisation process for Gbagyi Villa last December, owners of 961 parcels out of 2,806 parcels of land expected to apply for regularisation had submitted any documents.

An official at KASUPDA said the state government is aware that some people in the area are of the belief that the problem will disappear if they can wait out the outgoing government.

He said some others are discouraging their neighbours from regularising because they think this will encourage the government to drop the penalty fees.

Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN) has urged governments to prioritise female education.
Speaking at the 35th Family Day of FOMWAN in Lagos, the state Ameerah, Alhaja Shereefah Ajagbe, described women as mothers of the nation, moulders of lives and character trainers.
She said women must be aided to illuminate the society, adding women’s positive impact on their children would benefit the nation.
The Family Day is meant to bring members within and outside the state to felicitate on completion of Ramadan.
National Amirah, Hajia Rafiah Idowu Sanni, said every woman should be educated to run the family properly.
“Ignorance is a disease and it destroys the home, which is bedrock of every society. The Holy Prophet (SAW) told us every nation would depend on women. This has to do with her knowledge about God, herself and community.”
She added a Muslim woman must possess Islamic and Western education to be a vanguard of change in society…’’
Board of Trustees Chairperson, Lateefat Okunu, said the fundamental role of women is to take care of the home.
“Seek education for proper handling of your home. Your role as designed by Almighty God is to take care of your family. Your duty is to take care and educate the children and when they are grown up, you face other things,” she advised.

Lagos State has said operations of Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) will be decentralised from three to six districts.
The state applauded vision of the Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON) in promoting healthy and cleaner environment.
State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, spoke at an award night by WAMASON at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja.
Lafarge Africa, FABE International Foundation, African Clean Up Initiative, SWEEP Foundation, LAWMA, among others, got awards for contributing to cleaner environment.
Sanwo-Olu hailed WAMASON’s efforts at ensuring efficient waste management.
Represented by a director in Ministry of Environment, Adeoye Babajide, the governor said 100 waste trucks would be added to LAWMA.
“LAWMA Academy will be established to impact sustainable waste management. Lagos State will collaborate to entrench plastic recycling and establish two collection centres in each council.”
He added through LAWMA, the state will work with indigenous facility to produce food-grade plastic bottles from used plastic bottles.
“After installation, the plant will process nine million recovered bottles daily as this will provide direct and indirect jobs for youths,” he said.
WAMASON’s President, Akpabio Essien, said the step to circular economy was proper waste management
“We must separate waste properly because if people’s attitude does not align with waste management practices, there will be problems. That is why we appeal Nigerians should do right while disposing waste,” he said.
Councillor in Lagos WAMASON, Afeez Yusuf, said “for Lagos, Nigeria and the world to achieve circular economy, citizens should commit to proper waste management…
“Waste is not a waste until it is wasted. For every material you have used, after recycling, it turns into another product and starts another life.”
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, enjoined Nigerians to ensure waste is properly disposed of, as most ecological disasters happen due to inappropriate waste management.

A firm, WACOT Limited, has urged distributors of fertiliser, herbicides, and seeds, not to be discouraged by the challenging environment in rural areas  where infrastructure and security complicate distribution.

The firm, a member of global conglomerate, Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, pledged to assist distributors access capital.

It spoke in Abuja to outline its plans for the farming season, and reiterated its commitment to food security.

The firm celebrated 15 highest-grossing distributors, who received gifts, including new Hilux vehicle for the leading distributor.

Other distributors of WACOT’s agri-input also received gifts at the event.

Executive Director and Vice Chairman of TGI (Africa), Farouk Gumel, said: “I would like to congratulate recipients and say the awards are not just for your performance and sales but also for your belief in the food security journey. As we congratulate one another, we should give ourselves honest feedback on what we need to do to improve.”

Chief Operating Officer of WACOT, Bibhu Nanda, stressed the role of distributors in ensuring food security.

“Our distributors create wealth in the agriculture ecosystem and ensure food security. That is what we need in Nigeria, a situation where we can collaborate for success. Our partners are the pillars in establishing the distribution reach to every corner while our demonstrative and marketing communication goes out to establish the best agricultural practices through farmer aggregations and collectives. We are part of the process, and I wish our partners the best,” he said.

Winner of the Hilux, Chairman of Fountain of Joy Agro-Chemicals Nigeria, Alabi Olufunsho, showed gratitude, noting he never expected the gift.

Experts have counseled Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria (APPSON) to be more innovative and strategic to attract and command respect from brand owners and corporate bodies.
The brand management experts, who spoke at APPSON conference, offshoot of Marketing and Promotional Products Expo, MAPPEX, in Lagos, said promotional products specialists should employ technology to reinforce indispensability of promotional products and services.
Chief Executive Officer of Redwood Consulting and guest speaker, Mrs Hannah Oyebanjo, spoke on Branding and Promotional Products from Concept to Reality, noting “innovation thrives when brand managers and promotional specialists collaborate.”
She said promotional products specialists should understand the connection between brand and branding.

Read Also: Experts harp on technology to tackle gender-based violence

Group Managing Director of BlackEye Media and panel member, Femi Adelusi, noted the future of promotional products industry is bright, and said specialists should use technology to enhance business in the way they deliver products to enhance uniqueness.
Another panellist and Marketing Category Manager of Marketing Africa/Guinness Nigeria, Uchechukwu Onoh said promotional materials can increase impact of media, hence, there must be unique products and quality service delivery to make product specialists and brands see themselves as partners, not clients.
For Jide Sipe, head of Corporate Affairs at EcoBank, APPSON needs to be innovative in building its members to grow the industry.
“APPSON is sitting on a goldmine just having this association. The association can push for support from Bank of Industry and Central Bank of Nigeria…”
APPSON President, Mrs Abiola Sanni, said APPSON will increase awareness and continue to sensitise members on quality…”

The All Progressives Congress(APC) has described as a “cheap blackmail,” an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) that it (APC) had perfected plots to influence the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal.
It advised the PDP to go to the tribunal today and prove its case instead of genuflecting on the Labour Party(LP) and “issuing veiled threats to our judiciary and judicial officers.”
The PDP claimed at a briefing in Abuja yesterday that it had become imperative to alert Nigerians and the international community to “shocking revelations” of the plots by the APC.
The opposition party also alleged “intimidation, harassment, threats and vicious attacks” by some APC leaders against Nigerian youths and eminent personalities for speaking out against the inauguration of the President-elect on May 29.

Read Also: Presidential tribunal begins pre-trial session today

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP Debo Ologunagba, said: “There are apprehensions in the public space, having regards to the reputation of certain individuals within the highest level of the APC who have demonstrated capacity and proclivity to compromise democratic institutions in our country.
“It would be recalled that on Friday, May 5, 2023, our party raised the alarm over the massively condemned comments by the APC presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of some judiciary projects in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, wherein he attempted to corrupt, cultivate and patronise the judiciary.
“More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers.”
The PDP charged the APC and its leaders to immediately “come clean” and publicly address Nigerians and the world on the revelations, which it said, were already in the public domain.
Swiftly, the APC, through the spokesperson for its defunct Presidential Campaign Council PCC) Festus Keyamo accused the PDP OF playing to the gallery.
Keyamo who is also the Minister of State, Labour and Productivity described the allegations by the opposition as “nothing but hot air.”
Keyamo, in a statement, said: “The allegations are infantile, lacking in substance and devoid of proof. Nigerians should dismiss them with a wave of the hand.

“PDP and its sister company, the LP have been the ones sponsoring surrogates to ‘speak out’ against the outcome of the largely free and fair 2023 presidential elections when their cases are still pending in Court. That is contempt of court and we are within our rights to correct the wrong impressions about the elections being created before Nigerians and the international community. How they see that as an ‘attack’ is comical

“In fact, these Siamese twins of PDP and LP (we all saw Obi genuflecting before his boss, Atiku, yesterday in Yenagoa) are the ones issuing veiled threats to our judiciary and judicial officers, either by themselves or through their surrogates, be they in religious circles or in civil society or the labour unions. So, by pretentiously raising this so-called alarm, they are playing a game of ‘reverse psychology’.

“This panic press conference today is a clear attempt by the PDP to play to the gallery. Instead of going to court tomorrow(today) to begin to prove its case, it has resorted to cheap and emotional blackmail. The allegations are infantile, lacking in substance and devoid of proof. Nigerians should dismiss them with a wave of the hand..”

Hero Lager, a product of International Breweries (IB), and part of AB InBev, has launched ‘The People’s Hero Initiative’ to support creatives.
The initiative, offshoot of the brand’s ‘Uru Dia Campaign’, seeks to recognise and reward the brand’s consumers. It will give artistes the platform, funding, and mentoring to navigate the journey to acceptance and recognition in music industry.
Marketing Director, Bamise Oyegbami, at launch, said: Uru Dia alludes to recognising the worth within, which is what Hero Lager hopes to achieve with the campaign by challenging society to look beyond the superficial.

Read Also: Hero Lager presents Echefula – never forget your identity

“We focus on results and show support to those already established. But Hero Lager is doing something different; the brand, through this initiative, is standing behind creatives on their journey to earning the recognition they deserve.”
Marketing Manager, Dubem Orji, explained the Uru Dia campaign is another expression of Hero Lager’s belief every hard-working Nigerian deserves to be recognised.
“Hero Lager has supported the Igbo apprenticeship system through Igba Boi Initiative, and individuals in creative industry sectors through ‘The People’s Hero Talent Hunt’. This time around, we are focusing on music industry, which is the biggest creative expression in Nigeria…
“Hero Lager sees the worth in these budding talents, and that’s why we are supporting them with funding and mentoring…”

A firm, Gidi Real Estate Development Limited, has said it is preparing an alternative, self-sustaining means of building homes to bring down costs without compromising quality.
Managing Director, Tobi Akerele, explained the company set up Gidi Civil Construction to drive this.
Akerele, who spoke during allocation of land to first batch of buyers at Epe Garden, said ‘’we want to help those who got land from us to build.
“We did that because we want to build at affordable rate and keep best quality.”
He said the intervention will reduce housing deficit and for this to happen, the first hurdle is to get land.
“Getting a good title land in Lagos is like passing through the tunnel, and we are helping people to scale the first hurdle, we go the extra mile to make it easy for people to acquire land.

Read Also: Maximise opportunities in real estate, firm tells youths

“Most Nigerians can’t afford N5 million once so we give them a payment plan of 12 or 24 months to make it easy for them, and we went further in the construction phase,” Akerele said.
On their target market, he said: “Everyone is our target market, but we are interested in the young ones. So, we have a campaign, ‘not too young to invest’ because Gidi is a company of young and vibrant, energetic Nigerians; we are crusaders of ‘not too young to invest’. No matter your age, as soon as you start having access to funds, start securing your future.
“We have a scheme we call Land Banking, where individuals buy land and keep it for some period, then resell it.
Also, for Nigerians in diaspora, who love to invest, there is no place like home. In the next 20 years, we want to make sure Gidi will cater for at least two per cent of housing deficits in Nigeria.”