The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agency

  • Agency to partner states on agric

    Agency to partner states on agric

    A non-profit organisation, Synergos Nigeria, has expressed its commitment to reducing global poverty through partnership with governments to transform agriculture from subsistence farming to business.

    Its Country Director, Adewale Ajadi, spoke at a workshop to launch the State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA) in Abuja.

    He unveiled plans to utilise a systems change approach in reorienting and empowering key state actors in the transformation of the agriculture.

    Ajadi said gender inclusion and nutrition-sensitive approaches to food production, particularly cassava and rice, would be the focus of the transformation plan.

    He added: “With the projection of a doubling of the population of Nigeria by 2050 and the perennial challenges facing production and processing of agricultural commodities, there was need to change the face of agriculture in Nigeria.”

    The Country director added that the Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-Foundation-funded programme was engaged in a pilot project of the SPA programme in three states of Kogi, Benue and Kaduna to provide farmers with new farming techniques available in developed countries.

    “Our approach to Nigeria’s agriculture is to ensure that federal and state agricultural leaders themselves drive agricultural transformation while Synergos will provide the craft necessary for the systemic change across the complex issues of poverty.”

  • Agency rescues ‘abused’ boy from mum

    An eight-year old boy has been rescued from his mother, who allegedly hit him on the head with a stone.

    A concerned citizen called Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team to relate the incident which happened last Friday at Furniture Avenue by Jakande Gate (DVSRT) in Isolo, Lagos.

    Some enraged residents gathered to lynch the woman before they were stopped; others applied First Aid to the boy to stop the bleeding.

    A social worker was dispatched from the Child Protection Unit of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to rescue the boy.

    The mother has since been arrested by men from Isolo Divisional Police Headquarters.

    It was learnt that the woman’s estranged husband showed up at the station, saying he could not keep the boy for lack of funds.

    The ministry has taken custody of the boy until he will be reunited with other family members.

    DVSRT Coordinator Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said child abuse was on the increase, adding: “We, however, commend members of the public who reported this case. We wish to emphasise that the government is committed to ensuring that all children are protected and reports of child abuse would be treated with utmost confidentiality.”

    Yesterday, Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State pledged to rescue under-aged girls involved in menial jobs or prostitution.

    Mrs Abimbola Whenayon, the council’s Head of Department of Education, said the rescue and rehabilitation would begin next month.

    Mrs Whenayon said many under-aged girls had been lured into such activities by their relatives who brought them to the state under the pretext of better life.

    She said the girls would be reunited with their parents and enrolled in schools to become better citizens.

    “We will also train them in vocational skills,” she said, adding that this is in line with the Federal Government’s directive.

    She said about 80 adults were currently receiving lectures in 25 centres in the area.

    “We are teaching market men and women, commercial bus drivers, meat sellers, pepper sellers and bus conductors on how to read and write. The turnout is good as many of them do not know how to spell their names or calculate their money before.

    “But through the adult education, many of them now understand basic calculations.

    “Many of them have been defrauded by their children or relatives because they missed out of the opportunity to go to school in the past.

    “Some of our students in the adult education class are now in the Nigeria Teachers Institute and others will write the General Certificate of Examination (GCE) conducted by WAEC,” she said.

  • Agency takes HIV/AIDS counselling, testing to grassroots

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has screened some residents of Dopemu and Capitol Road in Agege, a suburb of Lagos.

    The agency said the exercise is to help residents know their HIV status.

    LSACA’s Director, Dr Oluseyi Temowo, represented by the Principal Health Educator, Mrs Olusola Adebambo during the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Community Outreach, said the state has 654 HIV Counselling and Testing sites, 47 anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and 342 Prevention of Mother-to–Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites providing HIV services.

    He said the government was on top of HIV prevention, stressing that it was partnering with stateholders in the private sector, especially non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations, among others, to reduce the disease in the state.

    He described the turnout of residents as impressive, adding that people who missed the opportunity can still have the tests at the designated centres in Agege.

    Head of Dopemu community, Alhaji Shuaib Afogunlowo, said the exercise has enabled many of the residents to know their HIV status.

    “This is necessary because people are just going about without knowing their HIV status. The testing, however, has helped many people clear all doubts about their status. Anybody who tests positive can also receive treatment. HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence,” he said.

    Afogunlowo advised people not to run from taking the test because it is for their good. “I was also tested and it was negative,” he said.

    He thanked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for making the testing and counselling possible.

    Chairman, World Health Organistion (WHO) Committee on Dopemu Primary Health Care (PHC), Mr Johnson Oguntan, said the benefits of the programme to the area were immense because HIV is a dreaded disease, and as such needs timely intervention.

    “It is an opportunity that we must not allow to pass us by. This is why I also submitted myself to the test,” Oguntan said.

    The community, he said, had sensitised the people through letters written to various religious groups, especially churches and mosques, among others so that people can come for the test.

  • OMD is ‘most creative agency’

    OMD has been awarded Global Agency Network of the Year for the 10th consecutive time by the Gunn Report for Media

    The Gunn Report for Media is the industry standard for evaluating media creativity, innovation and effectiveness. The report summarises media agencies’ overall performance from January to December, last year based on the results of global, regional and national media award contests spanning most markets in the world.  Most importantly, it recognises the vital role media agencies play in today’s highly competitive and fragmented communications landscape.

    According to says the Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Tolu Ogunkoya,”The recognition of creativity through awards is important to our agency culture at OMD. It is not only a critical measure of our performance, but also a reflection of how much harder we are pushing ourselves and our media partners to better our work year over year.  And we know that award-winning campaigns deliver better ROI to our clients who expect us to go the extra mile every time.

    ‘’To achieve this 10 times in a row, acknowledges our global commitment and common ambition for sharper insights, smarter ideas and stronger results” says Mainardo de Nardis, CEO OMD Worldwide

    ”Our global culture cascades to local markets. With many local initiatives, we encourage our teams to produce works that deliver on objectives to overcome Business Challenges.’’

    In Nigeria mediaReach OMD, according to a report, is a leading media agency with a market share of 32.1 per cent, growing at 13 per cent year-on-year as per the latest report published by RECMA in June 2014.

  • OMD is ‘most creative agency’

    OMD has been awarded Global Agency Network of the Year for the 10th consecutive time by the Gunn Report for Media

    The Gunn Report for Media is the industry standard for evaluating media creativity, innovation and effectiveness. The report summarises media agencies’ overall performance from January to December, last year based on the results of global, regional and national media award contests spanning most markets in the world.  Most importantly, it recognises the vital role media agencies play in today’s highly competitive and fragmented communications landscape.

    According to says the Regional Managing Director, mediaReach OMD, Tolu Ogunkoya,”The recognition of creativity through awards is important to our agency culture at OMD. It is not only a critical measure of our performance, but also a reflection of how much harder we are pushing ourselves and our media partners to better our work year over year.  And we know that award-winning campaigns deliver better ROI to our clients who expect us to go the extra mile every time.

    ‘’To achieve this 10 times in a row, acknowledges our global commitment and common ambition for sharper insights, smarter ideas and stronger results” says Mainardo de Nardis, CEO OMD Worldwide

    ”Our global culture cascades to local markets. With many local initiatives, we encourage our teams to produce works that deliver on objectives to overcome Business Challenges.’’

    In Nigeria mediaReach OMD, according to a report, is a leading media agency with a market share of 32.1 per cent, growing at 13 per cent year-on-year as per the latest report published by RECMA in June 2014.

  • Residents accuse agency officials of harassment

    Residents accuse agency officials of harassment

    •NTDA men keep mum

    Residents of Moba community in Eti-Osa Resettlement at Lekki Phase 2, Lagos have called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to save them from what they called “harassment” by New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) officials.

    They alleged that the NTDA officials have been harassing them for the past four years, telling them to give up the nine-metre setback given to them by the Otedola government in 1986 after the acquisition of their land.

    According to the Baale of the community, Chief Sharafa Elegushi, the community was originally from Lekki Phase 1 but it was resettled in Lekki Phase 2 by the government.

    He said: “They gave us 13.5 hectares out of 500 hectares which was taken from us. When the government allocated this area to us in 1986, we were given Certificates of Ownership (C of O). I have been the Baale for 11 years now and we have never been disturbed over our land until four years ago when NTDA officials came to harass us, telling us that the nine-metre setback no longer belongs to us. The only thing we use this place for is for Eid festivals, reason we did not build anything there. We established a block making industry here so that the land would not be empty.

    “The NTDA officials are always threatening me with police. I have been taken to the police station more than three times and each time, I make sure I go with our papers and the police would always refer us to Alausa but we have never gotten any response from them.”

    Elegushi urged Ambode to save them from further harassment by NTDA.

    Moba Community Development Association General Secretary, Fafunwa Bolaji Olatunji said the NTDA officials told them that the land had been sold.

    “The government relocated 32 communities into this area but this little setback that government gave to us which is not more than nine metres, the NTDA officials are disturbing us over it. They keep telling us that the land has been sold to some people we have not seen. There is no building here and this is the only thing we have left. If the government takes this from us, what do they want us to have left? We have written them series of letters but we have not gotten a tangible response. The only thing they always tell us is to exercise patience but for how long do they expect us to be patient?” Olatunji said.

    Officials at NTDA’s Eti-Osa Zonal Office in the Resettlement Town, said they could not comment on any issue and directed our reporter to their Allen, Ikeja Avenue office.

    At Allen Avenue, officials there also declined comment, saying “no comment”.

  • Agency warns telecoms contractors

    The General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASMIRA), Mr. Babajide Odekunle, has warned contractors handling ongoing infrastructure projects for telecoms firms in the state to display Project Information Board.

    In a statement at the weekend, he urged all affected firms to comply with the directive by reverting to LASMIRA’s office.

    “All ongoing construction works of telecoms infrastructure, including towers, base transmission stations (BTS), parabolic antennae as well as tar cut for fibre optic cables must display a Project Information Board on site.

    “Consequently, all construction activities must ensure compliance with this directive by reverting to the office of LASMIRA at Agindigbi to procure the Information Project Board,” the statement read, adding that it is important for the firms to comply as the directive is with immediate effect.

    He urged all the members of the public to ensure compliance by supporting and cooperating with the government as the move is in line with the state’s government to serve the people better.

  • Agency hails Tinubu’s foresight

    Agency hails Tinubu’s foresight

    Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory has hailed All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for laying the ground work for the establishment of the outfit.

    Its Consultant Manager Shola Famakin said the outfit has made remarkable contributions to the safety and wellbeing of Lagosians in the last eight years of its establishment.

    Famakin urged government to consider compulsory materials testing as a pre-requisite for all building contractors in the state.

    Mandatory materials testing for new buildings as well as soil test, he said, would further reduce incidences of collapse buildings.

    No incidence of building collapse had been recorded from any of the certified buildings and materials by the agency, he said, stressing that noncompliance to building standard and negligence by contractors had been responsible for the perennial building collapses.

    He appealed to contractors, site engineers and the general public to always pay attention to the materials test results and comply with recommendation therein as applicable

    Famakin hailed the collaboration between the agency, Lagos State Safety Commission and Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

  • Agency confirms 274 Nigerians died in Saudi stampede

    Agency confirms 274 Nigerians died in Saudi stampede

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday put the Nigerian death toll in the Saudi stampede at 274.

    Forty four others are still missing while two are receiving treatment  in Saudi hospitals, the agency’s Commissioner Planning, Research Statistic Information and Library Service (PRSILS) Dr Saleh Okenwa, , stated this yesterday in Abuja.

    Okenwa expressed the determination of the commission to continue to work with relevant stakeholders to account for the remaining pilgrims that died in the stampede.

    “ The number of Nigerians confirmed dead in the stampede is 274; those injured and on admission in Jeddah are two, while 44 remain officially declared missing.

    “ This was a year that the Saudi Arabia government did their best to ensure the success of the Hajj exercise and safety of pilgrims, but Allah decreed that this will happen,“ Okenwa said.

    He said the Saudi Arabian Government had not responded to Nigeria’s request to be part of its committee set up to probe the incident.

    Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, said it is the prerogative of the Saudi Government to decide the composition of the committee investigating the stampede.

    He said Nigeria had not received any compensation pledged by Saudi Arabia for the victims of the Sept. 11 crane crash at the precinct of Ka’aba (the Grand Holy Mosque in Mecca).

    The Head of NAHCON medical team, Dr Ibrahim Kana, said efforts were being made to find the 44 missing Nigerians using the DNA samples of their family members.

    He added that the sample would be collected and sent to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for cross matching of the 44 missing Nigerians.

  • Provost hails TETFund as agency donates multimedia lab

    Provost hails TETFund as agency donates multimedia lab

    Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Umunze, Anambra State, Prof Josephat Ogbuagu, has described the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as the most important government agency providing facilities for education. Without interventions from TETFund, Ogbuagu said quality teaching would have eroded in most tertiary institutions.

    The provost spoke during the commissioning of the fully-equipped Multimedia Micro-teaching Laboratory donated to the college by TETFund.

    He praised the Federal Government for creating the agency to provide modern facilities in higher institutions to enhance quality education and service delivery. The agency’s intervention, he said, had improved teaching and learning in higher institutions, adding that it had also raised a generation of students who could compete with their peers globally.

    Ogbuagu said: “The college has benefitted immensely from the TETFund intervention. Most of the facilities we have today are courtesy of TETFund interventions and we have had a lot of achievements through the provision of necessary facilities to aid teaching and learning.”

    Handing over the multimedia facility to the management, the agency’s Director of Physical Planning, Mr Jonathan Achumie, said the Federal Government built the facility to ameliorate teaching, noting that the building had been equipped with best instrument.

    The handover ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Provost, Mrs J.C, Madichie, the college Teaching Practice Co-ordinator, Mr A.C. Assimonye, Director of Works and Services, Mr D.C, Mojekwu, and Director Physical Planning and Statistics, Mr B.U. Agwunobi, among others.