Category: Uncategorized

By Adekunle Yusuf

 

To curb the high rate of malnutrition in the country, Nigerians should start producing soybeans on commercial scale because it is a nutritious food source. That was the consensus of nutrition and agricultural experts during the recent Protein Challenge Webinar Series 8, with the theme: The Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report 2020: Unpacking the Numbers, Exploring the Issues.

Speaking at the webinar, Prof Adetunji Kehinde, provost, College of Agriculture, Osun State University, stressed that the Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report 2020 indicates that the poor status of protein consumption in Nigeria is the leading cause of protein deficiency in the country. According to him, what the report revealed is obvious: affordability and availability are key factors that determine the quantity of dietary proteins consumed by Nigerians. “Widespread and aggressive production of soybeans across the country will contribute to efforts to curb the incidence of protein deficiency in the country. Soybeans is a rich source of protein and other valuable nutrients. It promotes growth, repairs worn-out cells in the body and improves general health.”

The professor of agricultural economics posited that if more people plant soybeans, not just farmers alone, it would directly boost the availability of high protein foods to the citizenry. Increased production of soybeans will not only alleviate protein deficiency, but it will also aid the agricultural and livestock industries as well, he stated. Prof Kehinde pointed out that the recent scarcity of soybeans in Nigeria has led to an increase in prices of animal protein foods like poultry, cows and fishes, which are important food sources for a balanced diet. While insisting that increasing the productivity of small-scale farmers will enhance soybean production in different communities and states in the country, he also urged the agro-allied industry to actively assist farmers in planting soybeans by providing quality seedlings and fertilisers.

Also speaking during the webinar, Dr. Beatrice Oganah-Ikujenyo, nutritionist and chief lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of  Education, Lagos, contended that continued reliance on a diet of staple foodstuffs that lack protein will undoubtedly result in protein deficiency. While stating that the cost of food is a problem that makes people underfeed, she added that many Nigerians eat food just to get satisfied without taking into consideration the nutritional content. Ultimately, this makes food consumption patterns to lean heavily towards carbohydrates in many homes, thus worsening protein deficiency crisis in the country. She advised that a way to curb this is by consuming protein-rich foods like soaybeans, eggs, beans, groundnuts and so on, stressing that children should be prioritised in protein consumption in every home. Oganah-Ikujenyo, therefore, called on governments at all levels to work to increase awareness on various sources of protein available and affordable to the people.

In the same vein, Dr. Adepeju Adeniran, a public health expert and national co-chairperson, Women in Global Health, Nigeria, maintained that increasing the amount of plant protein-rich foods is imperative to reducing the level of protein deficiency in the nation. She said that eating soybeans, groundnuts, and other legumes will be largely beneficial to low-income earners who cannot afford animal protein food sources. She said the Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report 2020 was a follow-up research to a previous survey carried out in 2019 to assess and gather empirical data on the level of protein deficiency in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report 2020, which was unveiled at the webinar, was a recent research survey that indicated that Nigeria’s protein deficiency crisis is nearing alarming proportions. In presenting the report, Obaro Agalabri, the Service Line Lead (West Africa), IPSOS Channel Performance, revealed that 45 per cent of respondents do not consume protein daily and this is more prevalent in the North-east and amongst the lower socioeconomic class.

The survey was conducted by IPSOS, a leading market research company that carries out in-depth analyses of various issues, such as health statistics, population demographics and other related fields. “Nigerians are consuming a minimal amount of protein daily due to the poverty level in the country. The recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that less than half of the working population is unemployed, a situation that no doubt reduces the purchasing power of households and general food purchases. Poverty, unemployment and lack of awareness is majorly the cause of protein deficiency in Nigeria. In fact, cost and household income levels remain the major deterrent to adequate protein intake in Nigeria. This is more prevalent in the North and lowers social classes. Need to drive deliberate efforts that are targeted towards affordable protein sources for a household to boost daily intake,” he said.

Parents of Bridge Nigeria community schools’ pupils who are beneficiaries of the Fadahunsi Education Foundation and Oghogho Osula scholarships have praised  Bridge and their partners for supporting children’s access to life-changing education.

Bridge Nigeria partners private bodies and non-governmental organisations that have the mission of improving access to quality education, providing educational infrastructure to improve the learning experience and outcomes and establishment of scholarship schemes for outstanding children in the most economically vulnerable communities. Some of the partners are Fadahunsi Education Foundation, Umu Igbo Unite, Oghogho Osula, Covenant Light and Yemisi Akinbo.

The Fadahunsi Education Foundation (FEF) scholarship programme is an initiative  that promotes and supports access to quality education for families with low-income backgrounds. Sixty-five Bridge pupils are beneficiaries of the FEF scholarship which covers their tuition from primary to the university level.

According to Mrs. Folasade Akinsanya, mother of a pupil at Bridge Academy Ijegun,  Lagos, who has been on the FEF scholarship since 2019, the timely intervention of the scholarship has given her family succour and saved them more resources at this challenging time. She noted that the inflation and harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses have made it even more difficult to survive and meet needs, adding that the support from the Bridge and their partners is commendable.

“Everyday when I think about how the cost of living has gone up and how businesses are struggling because of the pandemic, it makes me appreciate the quality of education at Bridge and FEF scholarship. We are getting so much at little or no fees. My daughter’s education can continue uninterrupted from primary to university,” she said.

Speaking on the need for continuous synergy among the government, private sector and civil society on education, the Managing Director at Bridge Nigeria, Ms. Foyinsola Akinjayeju said  a child’s potential should not be limited by the family income,hence,the support for low income families who have wards in schools.

A parent of a pupil on the Oghogho Osula Scholarship expressed gratitude for the sponsorship, stating that the scholarship had lifted a huge burden off her shoulders. Mrs. Modupe Seidu whose daughter Pelumi attends a Bridge school in Ikorodu said: “Since I lost my husband some years ago, it has  been challenging taking care of my family. However, since my daughter received the scholarship, it has been a relief.”

Mrs. Osula,  who decided to sponsor primary school children to enable them to have seamless access to quality education, urged  parents to ensure that their children were always in school and maintain good grades as these are the prerequisites for them to keep benefitting from the sponsorship.

 

 

By Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

 

An investment firm in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Globetrot Property, has unveiled plans to assist indigent students in universities in Rivers and Lagos states to complete their education in record time.

Founder of the company, Bill Kenneth, who made this known in a  programme in Port Harcourt,  last weekend, said apart from university education loans, the company would also grant parents and families having difficulties sending their secondary school age children to school access  soft interest loans   to ease their studies.

“We are coming up with low interest loan opportunities, we are going to be different from what is known as the usual because we want to make impact in the lives of the common people.

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“In this we are targeting schools and universities, we want to give loans to students to be able to finish their university education. We are starting with the universities for now.

“Another thing we want to tackle with our  loan platform is the issue of parents finding it very difficult to send more than one child to school at the same time.

“Many parents do not send their children to school on-time because they are waiting for those already in to finish before they can enroll the other person to make it easy for them. But with VestPay, they can get soft interest loans  that will cover their children’s education at the same time. They are allowed to repay within 12 months,” he said.

He said loan opportunities for students would begin from two schools in the country, one in Rivers and another in Lagos State, and expand thereafter.

IBOM Metropolitan Polytechnic (IMP) is to resume academic session after the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has fully accreditated its courses during the board’s visit to the school.

The non-residential polytechnic located at Atan Offot, beside the State Secretariat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has promised to offer top-notch academic and technical services for the advancement of education in the state and beyond.

Founder of the institution, Dr Victor Williams said the  polytechnic was conceived in 2001 when he realised that a lot of people in the state were unemployed for lack of relevant technical skills needed in major industries.

“When I discovered this lapse, I thought it expedient to set up a place where the youth can be built up with skills that can build the economy.  Every child would love to be educated where they can see and carry out practicals,” he said.

Williams noted that  they were able to satisfy and surpass the NBTE’s demands regarding accreditation.

“The school has a lot of  up-to-date facilities and modern equipment. When the team came and went round, they congratulated us on doing well in terms of infrastructure, equipment, laboratories, workshops and all the new gadgets one can think of in a typical polytechnic. “The prospect is to become one of the largest polytechnics in Akwa Ibom; to be able to deliver  excellence in academics and produce a workforce that will be productive in the society,” he said.

The Executive Secretary of NBTE, represented by Dr. Ekpenyong, explained that the faculties of Electrical Engineering, Electrical Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics, and Accountancy have been fully accredited.

He called on indigenes and non-indigenes of the state to tap into the school’s goodwill and endowment, while maintaining that lots of departments and courses will be introduced in due time.

He also urged members of the host community to take advantage of the new  institution, which he said will add value to them intellectually, academically, socially, and economically.

 

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

 

The United States of America Embassy, in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC) is training 100 English teachers in 10 public schools in Kano State to improve their competence in their  translation from Hausa to English.

This  is  part of the teacher development project funded under the USAID Northern Education Initiatives Plus project.

In a statement, the Project Director, Hajiya Aisha Bello, said as part of the programme,  a team of 11 Kano  officials worked for three days in Bauchi State to study the practice of teacher development for language transition of the USAID-funded Northern Education Initiative NEI Plus project.

The 11-member team consisted of staff from the Kano State Universal Basic Education Commission; the Kano State Library Board; and the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

Hajiya said the aim of the programme, held at the American Corner of the Kano State Library Board, was to improve the English language skills  of 100 Primary three English teachers  in 10 government primary schools in five rural and five urban local government areas  in Kano State.

‘’For over three  years, the Kano State team interacted with and learned from NEI-plus Bauchi State team, visited beneficiary schools in the NEI-plus programme and interacted with the School Support Officers (SSOs) and the NEI-plus Master trainers. In addition, the team was received by the Commissioner of Education Bauchi State, Dr. Aliyu Tilde, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Abubakar Dahiru Usman, and the  Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning Bauchi State, Dr. Aminu Gamawa,’’ she said.

At the end of the learning visit,  she said the state team identified over 15 new areas of strategies, approaches, techniques for adaptation and implementation of the translation from Hausa to English programme.

By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

 

President of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) Prof. Muhammad Mainoma has hinted that plans are afoot to obtain a licence for the establishment of a polytechnic in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

This is in addition to ANAN University in Plateau State which was recently granted an operational licence by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Mainoma, whose tenure is coming to an end, spoke at a dinner organised by the FCT 1 ANAN branch in his honour.

He stated that talks were  at advanced stage with the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE to secure ANAN Polytechnic accreditation this year.

“Site has already been determined. We are waiting for them (NBTE) to inspect and give us licence. Very soon, you will also be hearing about ANAN Polytechnic in Keffi.

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“While the polytechnic will commence with about five different programmes including Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting and others, our university for now is just for Accounting,  taxation, financial management and related matters,” he said.

The event also coincided with the launching of maiden edition of ANAN FCT 1 magazine – “Accountants’ Voice.”

Chairman of FCT 1 branch of ANAN, Mr. Wahab Omoniyi expressed gratitude to his team for offering the needed support in piloting the affairs of the branch despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was at its peak when they were elected.

He hailed Prof. Mainoma for setting the pace through visionary leadership,which he said, has helped the  branch in recording some of its achievements so far.

 

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

 

The National Coordinator,  Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Dr. Muyiw Sunmonu, has described reconcilation talks by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a distraction.

Sunmonu, in a statement, said the Akure Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Olubayo Olu, had reached out to some CONUA leaders to reconcile factions of ASUU.

Sunmonu said Olu sent text messages to some leaders of CONUA in Obafemi Awolowo University inviting them to a meeting in OAU to “reconcile the various factions of ASUU in your branch”.

He said CONUA rejected the invitation as it was not a faction of ASUU but in the process of getting registered as a trade Union.

“CONUA is an independent academic staff union with highly progressive and widely accepted philosophy and vision that are different from those of ASUU.

Read Also: ASUU to FG: we may resume strike if…

 

“CONUA had applied for and met all the necessary requirements for registration as a trade union since 2018. The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment confirmed this and indicated he had set up a committee to advise him in this regard. Hence, CONUA is anxiously awaiting the approval and announcement of its registration.

“Nonetheless, CONUA will continue to conduct its activities and propagate its philosophy and vision in line with the freedom of association enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Therefore, any meeting with ASUU would amount to a distraction to our core activities focused  on  rebranding and providing an alternative  platform for academic staff members to express their views without  hindrance in advancing the Nigerian education sector in general and the tertiary education in particular,” he said.

Sunmonu said CONUA already had its tentacles in 18 universities.

He said the Union was founded “based on irreconcilable differences with ASUU, especially on matters of principle and modus operandi”.

He said further that CONUA was focused on how  to solve the hydra-headed problems in universities and work with other unions to achieve this aim.

By Olabisi Salau

 

Two women, one of them 55, won the top prizes of the 2020 Adult Literacy quiz competition, organised by the Lagos State Agency for Mass Education at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium recently.

Their success was a departure from  the past which has seen the competition dominated by men.

Mrs. Aminat Jankalewa won the English category of the competition, while Mrs. Elizabeth Olayemi won the Yoruba category.

They were rewarded with generators for their efforts.

The winners thanked the Lagos State Government for providing a platform for adult literacy which they described as a second chance.

Mrs. Jankalewa said: “This competition gives learning opportunities to adults like me who have opened up their minds to the possibility of learning. Why? I am 55 years old and I dropped  out of school in JSS 2. I could not finish my secondary education. When I learnt about this programme for adults, I realised that it is never too late to be learned.  The competition has exposed me to knowledge beyond my expectations.”

Winner of the Yoruba category, Mrs. Olayemi, said it was not an easy journey, but as an adult still interested in learning, she had learnt to be exceptional in class work or any assignment she was given.

“To be here today and win has been a journey for knowledge and to change the life I wanted  for myself.  Encouragement such as this goes a long way in helping adults like me grow interest in learning.”

“That  the Lagos State government held such quiz contest shows that they believe that education should not be limited and I am so happy that adults are not limited. We are being motivated and instructed correctly and this competition has shown how effective learning could be in adult life,” she said.

The second and third placed winners in the English category were Aderinsola Ganiyat and Yetunde Ayantude, while Moses Abiodun won second place in the Yoruba category.They were rewarded with table top gas cookers and cylinders.

The facilitators and the rest of the 20 contestants also got table top cookers as consolation prize.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of the Special Adviser on Education (OSAE), Mr. Waheed Kasali, underscored the importance of adult literacy to the state’s development plan.

“For us in Lagos State, it is about the smart city. For us to get to that smart city status, everybody must appear smart and the only way to do that is the ability to read and write. In Lagos, learning is very key.That is  why we have EKO NKE KOO, (Lagos is Learning) and the only way one can survive in a mega city is the ability to communicate and you can only communicate no matter your age, if you can read or  write,” he said.

On her part, the Director of the agency, Mrs. Oluwakemi Kalesanwo, urged adults who could not read and write to take advantage of the agency’s 772 centres to learn for free on the tabs of the Lagos State government.

“Over the years the agency has been conducting this competition. We have about 772 centres in the state – the ones the government established, and we have partnerships with various agencies for others. We go round the state sensitising and mobilising them, that is how we get learners and adults see this as a second chance.

“Today’s programme showcases our best student participants in the area of general studies in Yoruba and English language and we have put in effort as educators to appreciate their sacrifice to learning. Because it is not easy being an adult and still be interested in learning, so we put together this quiz competition to inform them that we see them making sacrifices for education,’’ she said.

 

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

 

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos State has entered into partnership with the Applied Engineering Technology Initiative (AETI) to promote the adoption of the institute’s technology by Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to boost growth.

Announcing the deal at a briefing, the Acting Director-General, FIIRO, Dr Agnes Yemisi Asagbra, said it would enable the institute’s over 200 inventions move from prototype to mass production stage.

Chairman AETI, Mr Francis Kudaya added that final year students of tertiary institutions could particularly benefit from this partnership as they could get entrepreneurship training through AETI’s online modules then be exposed to FIIRO’s technology to run their businesses, while also getting guidance to source funds from Bank of Industry, NIRSAL and others.

He said: “The key challenge is that students graduate with B.sc and M.sc in many instances but  do not have employable skills. I think those days of looking for jobs are over and I think the way forward for the country is self employment, entrepreneurship development. So we have visited a number of universities to say this online platform is ready, therefore, they should encourage their final year students to go for it.

“It is only when you have undergone entrepreneurship training that you can  set up your own business.”

Asagbra said apart from achieving greater adoption for FIIRO’s technology, the partnership would help improve the  country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and check youth restiveness.

She said: “It is the desire of the Federal Government to make sure that the level of unemployment is reduced and if the level of unemployment is reduced, the economy will grow, the GDP will get better.Therefore, the government itself will have peace and there will be less insecurity; there will be less agitation  if people are  engaged. So we can have  youths and women and all who are interested in this programme.”

To create awareness about the partnership, Asagbra said FIIRO and AETI plan to hold investment forums in all regions of the country.

Kudaya added that it was important that youths and others know about the technologies FIIRO had developed for material endowments in all 774 local government areas of the country, meaning that youths and others can prosper wherever they are applying the technology to their businesses.

“You need to see the list of over hundred technologies that FIIRO has invented and the good thing also is that FIIRO has mapped out all the raw materials endowment of every single local government in the country, she said.

 

ALIYU: Hello Omobola. I am a staff member of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna.

I have a lingering problem of wrongful remittance into another RSA with premium pension, which I have reported to both the PFA and PenCom, But there is no solution yet. Please advise me on whata to do.

Shuaib: My PFA is Sigma Pensions. I want to know when those who retired last April will receive their pensions.

Josiah: I lost my sister on February 16, 2016. Her pension manager is Legacy Pension. We have been going there to collect her contributions since she was not pensionable, having worked with Secondary Education Board, Abuja for only about five years.

We have submitted the documents for over a year. But they kept telling us that they verifying her documents. It’s been frustrating. Please we need your help.

Modibbo: Hello, my name is Muhammad. I did documentation for the death benefit of our father since 2019, but the family has not received anything.

My father’s name is Bida. He worked at the Federal University of Technology, Minna. He passed on June 10, 2019. I’m the next-of-kin and his PFA is Sigma Pensions.

The family is feeling the vacuum created by our bread winner.

Omole: Thanks for what you have been doing for pensioners.  If a pensioner collects his lump sum after five years and he has some financial challenges, can he collect the balance and reduce his monthly pension?

Ene: I am Ene. Please, what are the rules for paying Federal Government retirees? Also, I retired this month. When will my accrued right be paid?

PenCom: The regulation for paying Federal Government retirement benefits under the CPS starts by participating in the Commission’s Pre-retirement verification and enrolment.

The prospective retiree/retiree needs to contact the Pension Desk Officer (PDO) of his/her MDA to get the documents for enrolment. He/she is also required to come along with the PDO to the enrolment center for his/her attestation.

After the enrolment, the retirement benefits are determined and paid into the RSA of the retiree based on the information provided by the retiree during enrolment.

But, please, NOTE that retirement benefits are paid subject to release of funds by the Federal Government for paying accrued rights.

Folowosele: My name is Folowosele. I retired as a civil servant. Please what documents do I submit to PenCom to process my pension.

PenCom: He needs to contact the Pension Desk Officer (PDO) of his MDA to get the documents for enrolment. He is required to come along with the PDO to the enrolment centre for his/her attestation.

Adigun: My name is Adigun and my Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) is First Guarantee. The issue I want to raise affects all contributory pensioners who retired from the Osun State civil service betwen 2016 and this year.

None of these sets have received either gratuity or pension since they retired. The real problem we are having is not known as we were being fed with lies by various concerned PFAs.

Kindly deal into this and advise us on the way out of this predicament.

PenCom: The relevant department would require the PIN of the complainant to assist them further.

ANNONYMOUS: My complaint is on the non-payment of outstanding pension and gratuity.

I am a retired officer with the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS). I was in service when the National Pension Commission (PenCom) was introduced in 2004. Two years later, I registered with First Alliance Pension Limited in the first instance, which has metamorphosed into ARM Pension Managers.

But certificate issuance was unusually delayed and no explanation  advanced. This delay created anxiety, prompting me to register with another pension manager, Stanbic IBTC Pension.

I retired in May 2016. By December of the same year, I applied to PenCom for the harmonisation of my pension managers to facilitate the payment of my pension.

PenCom replied me in a letter dated February 1, 2017, that it only recognised the first PIN registered with ARM Pension Managers as a valid PIN and that the Stanbic IBTC PIN is invalid. That ARM Pension  would retain the first valid PIN on its data base while Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers would de-activate the second invalid PIN from its data base.

PenCom advised that I should maintain the Retirement Saving Account PIN with ARM Pension for all pension transactions.

It promised to reconcile the contributions in the valid PIN to ensure that the contributions therein were brought up to date, while that in the valid PIN would be refunded to the Federal Government through its accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Kindly assist me solve this problem. Thanks

PenCom: His retirement benefits were paid into the second PIN with Stanbic IBTC.  He is advised to write  to the Commission for proper treatment.