The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Cyber threats

    Cyber threats

    • Nigeria needs an all-embracing strategy to curb the incidence

    Nigeria may already be in a state of undeclared war – that is if the disclosure by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, about the scale and intensity of cyber-attacks targeted at the country in the past few weeks are anything to go by.

    According to the minister, the country recorded a total of 12.9 million cyber-attacks during the presidential election. To understand the context, threats to public websites and portals before then averaged around 1.5 million daily; this would skyrocket astronomically to 6.9 million on the election day.

    How many of these attacks were specifically targeted at election infrastructure?

    Although the minister alluded to heightened threat intelligence in the run-up to the general elections, he would not be explicit on the nature.

    As for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it would

    neither confirm nor deny that any attacks took place. In the end, discerning Nigerians are left to

    making wild guesses in the aftermath of the glitches that attended the upload of the data captured by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) into the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

    Most certainly, it could not be mere happenstance that the attacks still came long after the swirling rumours of impending attacks on INEC systems.

    From the terror of the ballot-box snatcher in broad daylight, Nigeria’s brood of electoral robbers

    would appear to have switched to a new mode of ‘thuggery’ adorned in digital cloak, united in the same shared objective to upend the electoral process. It is a threat that the Federal Government cannot afford to treat with levity.

    The leadership of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy obviously deserves praise for anticipating and hence spearheading the initiative which led to foiling of the attacks.

    More especially so is the ministerial standing committee on the protection of Nigerian cyberspace and ICT

    infrastructure. The committee, with membership drawn from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),

    National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Galaxy Backbone (GBB), was charged with the responsibility of monitoring of telecommunication infrastructure for the successful conduct of credible, free, fair, and transparent elections. The committee was also charged with developing and implementing plans to enhance the resilience of critical digital infrastructure against cyber threats, designing procedures and using technologies to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber-attacks, as well as developing the ability to recover from any damage that is done quickly.

    As far as we can see, the body has done a fairly good job.

    But then, cyber-attacks come in diverse, multi-dimensional forms. Indeed, no sector of the economy is immune to cyber-attacks. From power systems to manufacturing processes right up to the

    financial services sector, etc., the potential for disruptions could sometimes prove incalculable.

    Only last week, this newspaper, while reflecting on the newly introduced open banking regulatory framework raised the million naira poser on the dire implication of its coming at this time for

    cybercrimes and data breaches.

    We also recall that the director-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, had, at a cyber security event in faraway Dubai, United Arab Emirates, called attention to the intensity and cost of cyber-attacks. He drew a citation from Check Point Research Report of 2022: “African countries experienced an average of 1,848 cyber attacks per week, per organisation in 2022, compared to 1,164 globally. Nigeria, the most populous African country, accounted for the largest number of users, with over 100 million internet users, followed by Egypt with 76 million and South Africa with 41 million…these countries, along with Kenya, also account for 60% of the $4 billion annual cost of cybercrime in Africa.”

    In other words, the dangers are real just as the incidences are global and extremely costly. It explains why countries and organisations spend billions of dollars to ensure the protection of their data and their systems from possible compromises and subversions. Nigeria therefore cannot be an exception.

    However, rather than ad hoc schemes to combat specific attacks as is currently the case, what is needed is a national strategy that is inclusive and all-embracing. And then of course a task force of sorts to co-ordinate and lead the charge against cyber threats in its varied forms.

  • Mothers as destiny changers

    Mothers as destiny changers

    • Text: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with….. She said, Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom”. (Matthew 20:20, 21)

    By Venerable Henry O. Adelegan

    Are things very difficult for you? Are you experiencing a wilderness journey life? Are you tossed about by the vagaries of life? Are you finding it very difficult to make ends meet? Are you traversing from one failed business venture to another? Are you in same position for years without progress or promotion? Are you tired of living in a rented apartment without a means to build your own house? Is your health failing you? Have you been going from one hospital to another? Have you tried all to no avail? Are you disillusioned? Have you prayed and it is obvious that your prayers are not answered? Do you feel as if your life will soon end? Dear beloved, please note that it is not over with. There is hope for you. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Your morning of joy is here and I can confirm that you shall bounce back to good health and prosperity. In your life, the name of God shall be exalted in the name of Jesus Christ. What you need to do is to return to the mother figures in your life (your aunt, biological or adopted mother, spiritual mother etc) and celebrate them, not only yesterday which was Mothering Sunday, but always.

    From our text, Salome, mother of James and John, came to Jesus Christ with her two sons, James and John. She made a plea not for herself or for any personal benefit but for seats in His kingdom for her two sons. She was selfless, good and kind. As a result of her plea, the destinies of the sons were changed for good. John was the beloved of Jesus Christ (John 21:20) and the one who used to lean on Him (John 13:23-25). At death, he was the one who Jesus entrusted the care of Him mother to, and not to any of his biological brothers. Finally, it was John who wrote the book of John and Revelation. I pray that the destinies of all that are precious to you too shall experience revival in the name of Jesus Christ.

    Beloved, what determines the humongous benefits which are obtainable for man is the investment of mothers into their divine responsibilities. Motherhood is an awesome privilege; it is a responsibility and a blessing, if rightly invested into. God created mothers as changers of destinies and agents of national rebirth and blessings. Nigeria was blessed in the beginning because mothers took their responsibility as mothers with seriousness. The country is unfortunately filled with loafers, louts, thugs, drug addicts etc as evidenced from the Gubernatorial and State Assembly election of last Saturday because of failure of motherhood and their misplaced priorities. Elders in their wisdom say that, a bad child is the mothers child while the good child belongs to the father. Motherhood is not in age but in maturity, responsibility and sacrifice. Destiny changing mothers are compassionate, endearing, intuitive, protective, mindful, dutiful, selfless, responsible, caring, loving and Godly. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the US said, All that I am, I owe to my angel mother. Motherhood is a full time job, motherhood is tasky, motherhood is sacrificial, motherhood is demanding and motherhood is rewarding.

    It is however pertinent to ask: how are you treating the mother figures in your life. Do you realize that grace to change destinies is in the hands of mothers? While it is good to pray and fast for prosperity and a long life, while it is not out of place to visit the mountain top, while it good to go for camps and retreats, observe vigils and the likes, the needful step that facilitates children to prosper, move forward, to celebrate and be celebrated, to live a healthy life, be promoted and live long is to honour mothers. “Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may go wel, with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2,3). Prayers are mere noise in the ears of God without due attention of fathers to mothers. If you desire that your prayers should have express attention, it is incumbent on you to reverence and honour your wife. “Husbands in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7). A man who honors his wife is wise and shall have great dividends for that act. Why? Women are the agents of good things and the means to receive favour from God, and a life of ease and peace as needed icing. “Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour”. Proverbs 18:22.

    During this Lenten season, and as the Mothering Sunday was celebrated yesterday, God is calling on mothers, the changers of destinies, to return to Him and plead for mercy where they have failed God, pray for forgiveness where they have abdicated their divine responsibilities of care for their husbands and children as a result of their lure for pecuniary issues of life. Mothers are called upon to take the issues of their children to Jesus Christ like Salome, the mother of James and John, they are to take care of their homes and be concerned about the progress of their children shall change and the name of God alone shall be exalted in the name of Jesus.

    Prayers: Lord, make our mothers sources of blessings and agents of divine changes for the world in the name of Jesus Christ

  • UNICEF’s immunisation records large turnout of women, children in Anambra

    UNICEF’s immunisation records large turnout of women, children in Anambra

    United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has begun free medical health care outreach for women and children in seven local governments ravaged by 2022 flood in Anambra State.

    There was large turnout of women and children at Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government, one of the centres for the five-day outreach where COVID-19 vaccine and immunisation will be administered to the beneficiaries.

    Local Immunisation Officer for Ogbaru, Mrs. Chukwuneke Modesta, addressing reporters, attributed the mass number recorded at the centre to aggressive sensitisation.

    She said the immunisation, which would hold in 16 wards, was for babies from zero to two years, while the COVID-19 vaccines were for adults yet to receive their jabs.

    She said: “We’re not surprised with the large turnout of women and children, who are here to receive the medical service. Besides, we have enough vaccines that can take care of 2,000 children.

    “Besides being free, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHDA), in collaboration with UNICEF, engaged town announcers to inform women of the exercise, especially those at the hard-to-reach areas.

    “Many of the children missed their routine immunisation because their parents were forced to relocate during the flood that submerged their houses. The intervention programme is an opportunity to catch up with the medical services.”

    Appreciating UNICEF for the gesture, Chukwuneke, however, identified accessibility to hard-to-reach areas of the local government as one of the major challenges affecting the exercise.

    “One of the challenges we have is that some of the communities are difficult to access. Being a riverine area, the terrain is so bad that even motorcycles cannot get to some places, except you trek.

    “But we must take the programme to those areas within the period of this outreach because we notice that many mothers have missed their children’s routine immunisation,” she said.

    The Health Officer in charge of Okpoko Ward 2, Mrs. Obika Clementina, decried unfaithfulness of some women towards the immunisation procedures, praying they would take advantage of the exercise to meet up. 

    “Some mothers still did not follow immunisation procedure religiously for one reason or another. The children, who missed their doses, will get them accordingly. They will also be given pluses as a way of encouraging their mothers,” she said.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Eberechukwu Obiajunwa, a mother of five, was full of thanks to UNICEF for extending the free health care to the community, praying God to reward them in return.

  • Agency, UN collaborate in training of procurement specialists

    Agency, UN collaborate in training of procurement specialists

    By Tokunbo Ogunsami

    In a bid to boost the economic fortunes of women-owned businesses in Lagos State, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, in collaboration with UN Women, has organised a two-day training programme for procurement specialists.

    The training, held in Ikeja, was aimed at strengthening the capacity of public institutions to formulate and implement affirmative procurement policies and increase awareness and understanding on affirmative procurement principles.

    The programme was also designed to highlight areas of engaging policy makers towards supporting women-owned enterprises.

    The Director General of the agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote, told the participants that the collaboration of the agency with the UN Women in the training programme would facilitate the empowerment of women-owned businesses, to enable them benefit more from public procurement.

    He thanked the UN Women and its partners for the laudable initiative, which, he said, was in tandem with the objective of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to operate an inclusive government in which women and other vulnerable groups could enjoy opportunities in government through participation in public procurement.

    In a paper delivered at the event, the UN Women Programme Specialist, Dr. Chukwuemeka Onyimadu, identified some of the challenges encountered by women in business. The challenges, he noted, included lack of education, lack of access to relevant information, lack of capital, complexity of the processes involved in public procurement, delays in payment, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, among others.

    Mrs. Andidiong Okon of the Open Contracting Partnership said gender inclusive open contracting approach could influence and change power dynamics in favour of gender equity and inclusive growth.

    Mrs. Patience Ekechukwu, the programme coordinator, thanked participants for their contributions and assured the agency of the commitment of the UN Women towards working with the state government to ensure increased participation of women-led businesses in public procurement.

    The Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN), Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu; procurement officers from the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and some selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state participated in the programme.

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, attended the opening ceremony. 

  • Lagos to bridge renewable energy gap

    Lagos to bridge renewable energy gap

    LAGOS State is investing in renewable energy solutions to bridge the energy gap and ensure residents access clean energy.

    The project, through Lagos Urban Development Initiative (LUDI), is in partnership with C40 and UK AID.

    At presentation of findings after a Gaps and Needs Assessment, Permanent Secretary (Environmental Services), Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Omobolaji Tajudeen, described the needs assessment as germaine to ensuring the project’s success.

    He said the pilot phase would give a better understand of peculiarities and details of appropriate models.

    “We are trying to reduce carbon emissions and others that cause climate change, and government is looking towards renewable energy solutions.

    “The plan is to use most efficient energy generation/saving technique, which is solar. Also, the implementation will create more jobs because we will have more cottage industries and people will have more techniques in creating value chains of investments around renewable energy.”

    C40CT adviser for Lagos, Maximus Ogwuoke, said the project is made possible as Lagos is a beneficiary of UK AID supported climate change action implementation.

    He said: “Lagos, last year, launched its climate action plan which prioritised actions around energy, transport and waste, as principal areas where emission can be removed. Energy contributes over 50 per cent of emission in Lagos, and to win the climate change war, as well as erase emission, we have to focus on energy, and that’s why the needs and gaps assessment was done.

    “Our focus is to look at models to be most suitable for Lagos in terms of deploying solar solution for residence and SME’s. We are starting with the pilot to determine the most suitable for each beneficiary before we escalate it everywhere. For instance, there will be a different model for barber’s shops, another for hotels, and so on…’’

    A facilitator and professor of Urban Management and Governance at University of Lagos, Taibat Lawanson, noted ‘it is important we seek ways to improving availability and accessibility to clean energy’.

    “This stakeholder engagement is basically to think through how to put Lagos on the path of accessing renewable energy. We have to think through challenges and opportunities in the sector for Lagos, the quick wins, small approaches, local approaches, as well as the larger central approaches needing huge investment and government buy in…’’ she said’.

    “Energy is tied to every aspect of life. On a basic level, when there’s no light we are usually miserable. We have this vast resource from the sun and if we are able to tap it on a very basic fundamental level, people will be able to do the things they ought to do, children will be able to study into the night, businesses will run we and we’ll be able to breathe cleaner air. If we able to tap this opportunity, the fossil fuel generators will become redundant, and the attendant consequences on our health will change for the better.”

  • NAFDAC may get global nod for chemicals’ weapons test

    NAFDAC may get global nod for chemicals’ weapons test

    NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been chosen to be considered to test chemicals for weapons of destruction by the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) laboratory designation.

    A statement by Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, said this feat was due to massive investment by government to upgrade agency laboratories.

    Nigeria and Kenya are the two countries in Africa chosen for consideration.

    The statement noted experts from OPCW visited NAFDAC’s central laboratory in Oshodi, Lagos for inspection and assessment of facilities to be deployed for the job.

    Officials of OPCW in The Hague, Netherlands, came with experts on laboratory assessment from Finnish Institute of Verification of Chemical Weapons Convention, (FERIVIN) based in University of Helsinki.

    Leader of OPCW team, Dr. Roman Warchol, hailed the facilities provided by NAFDAC, saying they were comparable to those found in the advanced world. “I’m happy and satisfied with what I have seen,” he said.

    Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said: “We have been on this for about four years. Except for COVID-19 period which really affected activities.

    “We are going on proficiency testing and we have gone from ‘participation’ to ‘very good,’ which is the highest level in the OPCW’s assessment.

    “We did all our presentations. There were little or no questions. All we are now discussing is the level of improvement, areas that we should improve to make it bigger. They were overwhelmed by the commitment of the Agency and National Authority for Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention (NAC&BWC) in Nigeria, and Federal Government to the project.”

  • Poll: Commissioner, ALGON president hail Lagosians

    Poll: Commissioner, ALGON president hail Lagosians

    Lagos State Commissioner for Housing Moruf Akinderu-Fatai and National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kolade Alabi yesterday thanked Lagosians especially residents for voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The duo delivered their polling units for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and House of Assembly candidates.

    Akinderu-Fatai showed his grassroot prowess in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government with a wide margin victory for the APC candidates.

    In the governorship poll, APC got 125 votes in his 011 Polling Unit leaving the Labour Party a distant second with 15 votes.

    The APC also had 119 votes in the assembly election, while the Labour Party managed to garner 10 votes.

    The Commissioner for Housing applauded the residents for keeping their trust with the APC.

    He promised that the party and its elected officers will not disappoint Lagosians.

    For Alabi, who is the Chairman of Bariga Local Council, the massive votes for APC in his area, is another affirmation of his popularity among his people.

    The CONFERENCE 57 Chairman has been consistent in defeating the opposition party with a wide margin at his Polling Unit (PU) 018.

    Governor Sanwo-Olu scored 162 votes, while Jide Adediran of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) managed two votes in PU 018.

    At PU 40 also in Alabi’s area, APC had 84 votes, Labour party got only two votes.

    Alabi attributed his constant to his brotherly relationship with his communities.

    “I live with them and enjoy a harmonious relationship with my people. I know where the shoe pinches them and never take them for granted. I must thank them for always standing by me. I enjoy their support in every election with a massive victory for our party,” he said.

  • Transforming Africa’s public sector with effective leadership

    Transforming Africa’s public sector with effective leadership

    Desirous of optimum performance and efficiency in service delivery, many countries have initiated various reform measures to improve and reposition the public sector in view of its strategic position as the engine room of governance in every country, which in turn affects national economic and social development in ways that impact citizens’ lives. In this report, JULIANA AGBO examines the role of the private sector in transforming the public sector.

    The public sector remains the engine room of administration and governance. A country’s economic and social development is highly dependent on the efficiency of its public sector. While a performing public sector improves the lives of citizens, research has also shown that there is a strong correlation between the performance of a country’s public sector and economic development.

    However, public sector transformation cannot be accomplished without the full support of citizens, civil society organisations, and private sector entities. To this end, the AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation, with the introduction of its Public Leadership Programme (PLP), has been in the forefront of improving the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and better access to quality primary healthcare, starting with Nigeria.

    The AIG Public Leaders Programme, which offers emerging African public sector leaders a unique opportunity to develop their leadership capacity and acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to drive change, runs in conjunction with the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. It’s an executive education programme that provides high-potential African public servants the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to create cultures of excellence, effectiveness, and integrity in their organisations. The programme, which offers an immersive, world-class executive education experience, led by some of the world’s leading public policy experts and teachers, has been changing the narrative of public sector reform. It also aimed at seeing Nigeria’s public servants set the pace in the continent just as they did in the 60s and 70s when the country’s public servants were honoured by the international community.

    Programme overview

    Speaking on the Programme overview and structure, a professor of Practice of Public Integrity at the Blavatnik School of Government, Prof Christopher Stone, stated that the programme is designed to ensure that senior public leaders, and those moving into senior leadership in the public sector over the next three to seven years, master a range of new skills as quickly as possible. According to him, the programme curriculum consists of six core themes, which include governing in times of challenge and change, integrity, the pitfalls in decision making, strengthening public organisations, harnessing technology, leadership and authority.

    The programme, he said, offers insights from the world’s leading scholars and practitioners and peer learning from participants’ counterparts. “The learning experience is intense and demanding, engaging participants through a mixture of classroom discussion, simulations, practical exercises and project work over a total period of six months which include live classes, online learning, residential programme, project development and project review. Participants have an unparalleled opportunity to develop the conceptual frameworks and practical tools they need to meet the challenges of today’s rapidly changing and complex world.”

    Programme focus and goals

    Speaking on the goals of the foundation at the closing ceremony of the 2022 PLP class, the founder and chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said the programme was designed to produce more effective public servants that will set the pace in Africa and to see that Nigeria is better governed with the lives of citizens significantly improved. Imoukhuede noted that the programme aims to equip participants with the skills needed to build transformative cultures of excellence, effectiveness, and integrity throughout the public institutions they lead, and across the broader public sector.

    As part of its multi-billion Naira commitment to facilitate the transformation of the public sector, he stated that the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation was committed to building a new generation of public sector leaders to drive change across their various organisations. He noted that the vision is to close the gap between Africa and the world.

    Speaking further, he said the strategic plan of the foundation from 2020- 2025 sets out pathways to achieve four strategic goals. The goals he listed include, changing the narrative on public sector reform, taking ownership for public sector transformation, public sector leadership development and strengthening capacity for effective policy design and implementation. The realisation of these objectives, he said, will result in a better performing public sector. Speaking on the successful completion of the 2022 PLP class, Imoukhuede said the class of 2022 which included its first international participant from South Africa, was made up of  52 public servants, carefully selected from government ministries, departments, and agencies.

    He informed that the foundation was looking to increase the number of participants in the next class to 100, and is also considering the inclusion of political actors. “The first class of the PLP commenced in 2021 and since that time, we have offered over 100 fully funded scholarships to public servants to enable them participate in the programme. We are, therefore, committed to building a shared understanding of what is required to improve public sector performance and why some previous reform efforts were not successful.

    “We seek to collaborate with stakeholders including private sector entities and citizens who recognise the role that they can play in public sector transformation and who will join us in investing their time and other resources to advocate for change, and support and protect key reform initiatives. We are building a critical mass of public sector leaders who are equipped with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to drive and sustain reforms and who will improve the quality of public service delivery.

    “Our goal is to work with the public sector to ensure an enabling policy and legal landscape, which supports coherent policy development, promotes the implementation of reform initiatives, and drives public leadership accountability”, Imoukhuede said.

    To ensure each participant can get the most out of the programme, the foundation said ample opportunities are offered to pull together the skills and conceptual frameworks learned in each session, including through project work and group reflection. “After weeks of blended teaching, programme participants are given a window of time to develop a capstone project, allowing them apply key learnings from the programme into their day-to-day workings,” it said.

    Speaking on eligible criteria for the programme, it noted that for one to be eligible, participant must be a citizen of any African country and actively working within the public sector in Africa with a minimum of seven years of active service in the public sector. “It added that intending participant must be at a directorate level and must not exceed 50 years of age. We build the human capacity to drive transformation as the capacity of the public sector workforce is a key driver of its success or failure.

    “Our capacity building programmes, delivered in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford, provide current and future public sector leaders with training and support from the world’s best public policy faculty, to empower them with the skills and knowledge they need to be effective in their roles.”

    It, however, noted that the AIG Fellowships programme gives outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the public sector an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of critical public policy challenges facing the continent. “Our AIG Public Leaders Programme provides senior civil servants with the skills, frameworks and tools they need to meet the challenges of a complex and rapidly changing continent.”

    Speaking on the programme scholarship, it said “our AIG Scholarships provide the next generation of public service leaders with a world-class public policy education, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to make positive change.”

    Advocacy for public sector transformation

    The foundation noted that it uses evidence-based advocacy to equip citizens with the information they need to assess the performance of the public sector and hold government accountable. “We provide them with research, data and tools so that they are empowered to engage government and advocate for change. We advocate for increased private sector participation in the implementation of public sector reforms, recognising the impact that such private-public sector collaboration can have on the efficiency of public sector effectiveness and the capacity of the public sector workforce.

    “Our public sector performance index provides an assessment of a range of Ministries, Departments and Agencies across the Nigerian government, tracking how effectively they are delivering public goods and services. We advocate for increased private-public sector collaboration to enable the transfer of knowledge and private sector expertise to support public sector reform efforts and increase the capacity of the public sector workforce.”

    Analysing the impact of the programme since its inception, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, said the programme has helped in building social capital, transform and reposition the African and Nigerian public sectors as catalysts of growth and development. According to him, the foundation has been doing various commendable philanthropic programmes and projects, including this Public Leaders Programme.

    He said the programme teaches what public officers must possess as core qualities of good leaders, such as: trustworthiness and honesty, ethical and professional conduct, capacity for critical thinking and problem solving, communication as well as conflict resolution among others. Jega noted that he is glad to be associated with the foundation’s excellent work, both as the pioneer African Initiative for Governance (AIG), sponsored Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford (2016/2017), and now as a member of the Leadership Council of the AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation.

    Corroborating Jega, Executive Vice Chairman of the foundation, Mrs Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, explained that programme graduates have been transformed by the skills and insights they need to perform their roles effectively and efficiently in the public service. She said graduates have been able to gain the know-how to share skills and insights within their organisation and with the broader public sector and will strengthen their ability to respond to six challenges that face all leaders of public institutions.

    “Our Mission is to improve the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and increased access to quality primary healthcare. We are at the forefront of facilitating a positive change in the quality of public service delivery and access to primary healthcare. We are thrilled with the impact our programme participants are having in their organisations, as they use the learnings gained to shape positive change, with many of them receiving commendations and awards for the capstone projects they implemented in their organisations after the programme,” she added.

  • Transcorp Power MD seeks incentives for power sector investors

    Transcorp Power MD seeks incentives for power sector investors

    SERVICING equipment such as turbines outside the country is taking a toll on operating costs of power companies, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Transcorp Power Limited, Christopher Ezeafulukwe, has lamented.

    According to him, the fact that these companies, operating in Nigeria, incur additional costs while servicing their turbines, remained a huge downside to the business.

    Ezeafulukwe said the millions of dollars lost to capital flight could have been saved if the services could be made locally.

    Transcorp CEO was addressing members of the press following a guarded tour of the facilities in Transcorp’s Plant in Ughelli, Delta State, by a delegation from the Army War College of Nigeria as part of their environmental study tour; where he pointed out that Nigeria’s overdependence on technical services from abroad, was also bound to increasingly expose gas plants in the country to huge logistics challenges, which translates to loss in millions of naira.

    He said: “For instance, to carry out routine inspection of the turbines, you need to fly them out which is a huge foreign expenditure which exposes us to logistic challenges.

    “The fact is that we queue to wait for some clearance before being allowed to do our jobs, which to a large extent affects our turnaround, because, if you have a turbine that should have come back in six months, it ends up taking about eight to 10 months.

    “This in turn will deny us the ability to generate power that could have been added to the National Grid to support the nation’s economy.”

    Advocating deliberate and significant improvement in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, Ezeafulukwe pointed out that such trend could fast-track lasting solution to erratic  power supply.

    He bemoaned the fact that Nigeria was struggling with 5,000 MW generated electricity .

    “There is the urgent need for everyone involved to decisively tackle the current epileptic power supply in the country, because it is rather distressing for a country of over 200 million people to still be grappling with driving its economic and social activities with a meagre 5,000 MW of electricity,” Ezeafulukwe noted.

    According to him, Nigeria requires at least 20,000 Megawatts of electricity to drive its industrial, economic and social activities round the clock and end epileptic power supply, and it is therefore important that there is conscious and disciplined investment by the incoming administration to address the challenges in the power sector in the country.

     The Transcorp Power boss urged the Federal Government to work on incentives for investors in the power sector by identifying gas fields for accelerated development, just as he scored the company high on provision of various corporate social responsibility programmes spanning quality education and vocational training and empowerment to provision of health and other social facilities particularly for several host communities in Ughelli North and Ughelli South local government areas.

    Deputy Commandant/Director of Studies at the War College, Brig.-Gen. U.M. Alkali, who led the delegation from the Army War College, explained that the theme of the tour of the facility is “Protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure for National Defence”, and noted that it was of strategic importance towards identifying and understanding ways and means of safeguarding various critical infrastructure in the country important to national economic growth.

    He assured that the outcome of the detailed study tour will help in fashioning policies and programmes that would translate into ensuring seamless operational activities of critical assets like Transcorp Power.

  • PAN: we’ve lost N30b worth of eggs to cash crunch

    PAN: we’ve lost N30b worth of eggs to cash crunch

    POULTRY Association of Nigeria (PAN) has lamented it lost 15 million crates of eggs worth N30 billion due to scarcity of cash.

    The association in a statement signed by National President, Sunday Ezeobiora and Director General, Onallo Akpa, noted the industry is on the verge of collapse, and needs federal intervention.

    It said the near absence of naira to make transactions made businesses in poultry difficult as most farmers now owe debtors to banks and suppliers of raw materials as well as other services.

    The body appealed to the presidency to direct National  Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Directorate of Peackeeping Operations of Armed Forces and Social Investment Programme of Ministry of  Humanitarian  Affairs and Disaster Management to work with it on how reliefs can be given to farmers to prevent collapse of the industry.

    The statement reads: “The poultry industry is one of the most consolidated sub-sectors of agriculture contributing about 25 per cent of Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and over 25 million direct and indirect jobs.

    “Over the years the poultry industry has been a major employer of labour and a great source of financial empowerment and livelihood for families, especially women and youths. The industry is mostly private sector driven worth over three trillion naira. The industry has contributed to the local domestication of investments in the country.

    “We appeal to the presidency to direct National  Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Directorate of Peacekeeping Operations of Armed Forces and Social Investment Programme of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to work with PAN on how reliefs can be given to poultry farmers to prevent collapse of poultry.

    “Making available grants and financial support to the industry  through PAN to be worked out by government and the association.

    “The support and succour to the industry will alleviate losses to the industry”.