In a bid to ensure mass skill acquisition for young Nigerians, the GIZ Students Entrepreneurship Activities Hub (SEA-Hub) said over 5,651 students from Plateau State have been captured in this year’s activities of the SEA-Hub.

The Head of Policy Components of GIZ Omoware Akinropo stated this during the Plateau State Sea-Hub exhibition and competition 2022 held in Jos, Plateau State.

According to Akinropo, Sea-Hub has reached over 5, 651 students from 84 schools across the 17 local government areas of the state, adding that 10 states and 64 local government areas have been covered across the active states.

He said: “With the ongoing mass skills acquisition training in the state, young Nigerians of school age are already being equipped with relevant skills that will make them self-employed after graduating from school.

“This will help curb the employment crisis in the country where young Nigerian graduates roam the streets in search of jobs that are not there.

“The objective of the students’ entrepreneurship activities is to make them not only self-employed but also to become employers of labour.

“We took the entrepreneurship programme to secondary schools so as to catch them young and inculcate in them the spirit of self-sufficiency by relying on their skills.

“From the young stage, these students are already prepared with the skills to run a successful business and to understand innovation, risk-taking, and critical thinking and, in the long-run, have a secure economic future for the youth and the country.”

He stated that the entrepreneurship programme has been inaugurated in 330 schools across Nigeria and has captured over 30,000 students from 11 states in Nigeria.”

Akinropo explained that over 28,000 secondary school students have been reached as over 60 per cent are females, while 700 teachers have been impacted directly or indirectly with a number of them running their businesses, with over 300 SEA-Hub graduates running their personal businesses.

The exhibition and competition are to sustain the commitments of the various schools and to examine the interest and commitment of the students and teachers in the training programme.

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has praised the Federal Government’s approval of the construction of a coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) in four states-Lagos, Abia, Kano and Anambra.

It explained that the CWC will not only achieve a well-ordered drug distribution system in the country, but will improve access to quality and safe medicines, and eliminate the circulation of falsified and counterfeit medicines.

The Registrar of the PCN, Ibrahim Ahmed made this known during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a coordinated wholesale centre in Anambra State.

He said: “The goal is to achieve a well-ordered drug distribution system in the country and bring sanity to the drug distribution channel aimed at improving access to quality, effective and safe medicines. This will inadvertently eliminate the circulation of falsified and counterfeit medicines in the country.

“The concept of a coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) was approved by the Federal Government in 2015 with the goal to relocate the stakeholders in drug business operating in the open markets (across the country) which are unregulated and characterized with unwholesome activities to regulated centres as CWC.

“Anambra State along with three other States namely: Lagos, Abia and Kano were the first set of States granted approval for the establishment of CWC.

“Let me convey the appreciation and modest compliments of the Governing Council, Management and members of staff of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to the Governor of Anambra State Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo (CFR), and to wish him many more successes in piloting the affairs of Anambra State.

“I call on all stakeholders to unite and cooperate with Mr Governor for the speedy completion of this project in Anambra State. I wish to reiterate that the establishment of the CWC is geared towards the closure and relocation of the Onitsha over-head drug market to this regulated centre.”

As part of the Federal Government’s commitment to providing infrastructure for the well-being of the people, President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated a 72-kilometre road in Jigawa State. The Hadejia-Nguru Road was constructed at the cost of over N7.9 billion.

Represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu.

President Buhari explained that “the present administration laid much emphasis on road rehabilitation and construction of new ones. The decision was aimed at improving the social and economic lives of the people.”

He further said: “Since the inception of the present administration, we have evolved policies and programmes that would transform the country’s infrastructure which will directly impact the lives of the people and improve the economy of the country.”

Buhari directed the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to prevent heavy-duty vehicles from parking along major highways to avoid accidents and to ensure the durability of the roads.”

He further ordered all relevant agencies to enforce the 100-kilometre speed limit on Nigerian roads.

“The 100-kilometre speed limit policy must be enforced to reduce the rate of accidents on our roads. The government is highly concerned about people’s lives,” he said.

Jigawa State Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar commended President Buhari for the road and other development projects he executed in the state in the past seven years.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy Malam Umar Namadi promised to continue collaboration with the Federal Government in providing support and enabling an environment for the completion of other ongoing federal projects and flagging off new ones in the state.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said the Buhari administration is constructing roads in the six geopolitical zones.

Fashola maintained that “so many projects had been completed and inaugurated, some completed projects are about to be inaugurated among which is the Hadejia-Nguru Road.

The Emir of Hadejia Dr Adamu Abubakar Make described the road project as a welcome development that will help save motorists’ lives and enhance the area’s economic development.

Youths and women in Nasarawa State numbering about 15,000 yesterday indicated interest to back the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi.

In a chat with reporters yesterday in Lafia, the State’s Southern Zonal Chairman of “Peter Obi Candidacy Movement,” Victor Laka explained that the youth decided to support the former Anambra State Governor because of his leadership qualities.

“About 15,000 youths have registered with our support group,  the “Peter Obi Candidacy Movement” and more have indicated interest to join us in the struggle to rescue our country.

The State Chairman of the Labour Party, Alexander Emmanuel said over 50 support groups had visited the state secretariat to declare support for Peter Obi since he emerged as the presidential candidate of the party.

He expressed confidence that the party will win the 2023 presidential election and all elective positions in Nasarawa state, noting that, the citizens were tired of bad governance at both the national and state levels.

He said: “In Nasarawa State, over 50 support groups have indicated interest to support Peter Obi and the party in the coming elections. Nigerians are tired of bad governance. That is why they are coming to declare support for our candidates.

“We will win the governorship election in Nasarawa State so that our people can enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“With the kind of support we are getting, I am certain that Labour Party candidates will win their elections with a landslide next year.”

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari has approved the disbursement of 50 per cent of the N100 million budgeted for the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) school project. The funds are to be used for their improvement plans to develop the priority in ensuring they implement the activities.

The State Coordinator of the AGILE Project, Alhaji Shehu Mustapha who made the above disclosure in Katsina yesterday during the celebration of the International Day of the African Child, told newsmen that the state government has already appropriated N100 million for the project in the state’s budget, to be used for the implementation of some activities and that so far N35 million has been released for the project.

The Coordinator further called on the communities to support the state government in ensuring the provision of access to quality education for all, adding that government cannot do it alone education is for all.

He also appealed to wealthy individuals, civil society organisations, philanthropists and other community members to support the project in the state to ensure capacity building of the adolescent girls.