The Nation Newspaper

Tag: collaborate

  • PTAD, others collaborate on pension payment

    There is a strong collaboration between the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), the Parastatals Pension Department, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the federation, Auditor General of the Federation, the Accountant General of the Federation and  the National Assembly, the Deputy Director, Parastatals Pension Department, Kabiru Yusuf, has said.

    He spoke during the ongoing verification of all pensioners of treasury funded parastatals, agencies and institutions under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), organised by PTAD in Lagos.

    Yusuf, who was at the Ikeja Centre to monitor the process, stated that the strong collaboration has made it possible for PTAD to get appropriate funding towards continuous and consistent payment of monthly pension.

    He stated that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently ensured that monthly pension is paid as and when due.

    He expressed excitement that the current administration has made regular payments of pension arrears and paid police officers that were granted pardon by virtue of the Biafra war, among others.

    He said: “The directorate has so far verified about 6000 pensioners since the exercise begun on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, and the exercise runs till May 9, and I am assured that everyone that presents him or herself will be verified’’.

    He added: “From the inception of the administration of President Buhari, there has not been one month of pension that has not been paid. It has always been paid on a regular and consistent basis. In addition, he has made regular payments of 33 months’ pension arrears. Also they have made payment to police officers that were granted pardon by virtue of the Biafran war. This was done close to 17 years after the presidential pardon was given to them.

    “Agencies that were privatised by BPE, close to 30,000 of them of all the seven agencies that have not received any pension as at the last 12 years have been brought under the payroll. This is a reflection of the strong coordination that happened between our office, the ministry of finance, budget office, auditor general, accountant general as well as the national assembly”.

    He also said that the auditor who visited the Ikeja Centre on Monday showed satisfaction of the process adopted by PTAD for the verification.

    “The Auditor-General was impressed with the elaborate process we put in place which include provision for internal audit and federal audit check. He recommended the same system to any form of agency that want to do any form of verification.

    “He also assured PTAD of his 100 per cent support at any point in time. He said any system that does not guarantee transparency and accountability cannot ensure good governance but the system that we have put in place ensures good governance and he is delighted”, he added.

  • ‘Why defence-related industries must collaborate’

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Nuratu Batagarawa, has urged members of the Defence Related Industries (DRIs) of Nigeria to close ranks so that they can achieve their aims.

    Batagarawa, who spoke at the maiden meeting of Defence Related Industries in Nigeria, held at the Ministry of Defence, Abuja, said the meeting was aimed at transforming the body into Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN).

    She said Nigeria was endowed with indigenous DRIs that had achieved a lot.

    The permanent secretary said: “A clear example was the exhibition of defence-related industries equipment and gadgets on various platforms by our own DRIs during the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2018 held at Monguno in Borno State.”

    She lamented the failure of the indigenous DRIs to form an association to boost their potential and capacities, which the industry and the nation should benefit from.

    The permanent secretary said President Muhammadu Buhari was seeking to establish a Military Industrial Complex (MIC) with Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) as its epicentre, to cater for the ordnance requirements of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

    “To attain the lofty objectives of the establishment of MIC in line with the President’s directives, there is no better time than now when DRIs are coming together to establish a formidable body that will be known as Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN),” she added.

    Batagarawa said it will be beneficial for Nigeria to emulate the South Africa Aerospace Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) and Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR) as the umbrella bodies that harmonise and regulate the affairs of their indigenous DRIs.

    She noted with optimism that the DIAN will no doubt benefit from the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy as enshrined in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, adding that it will equally reduce the bureaucratic procedures encountered in sourcing for materials for manufacturing purposes.

    Harping on market prospect, the permanent secretary asserted that Africa provided a ready market for the nation’s products and DIAN could leverage on such window of opportunity to maximise the potential benefits.

    The Director-General, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale, harped on the need for DRIs to come together under one umbrella.

    He said most nations that had attained nuclear power status, achieved the feat owing to challenges, which confronted them.

    Gen. Ogunkale cited Pakistan, which, though a third world country, became a nuclear power as a result of the threats facing it.

    He said the security challenges facing the country necessitated the revamping of the country’s defence capabilities.

  • Unemployment: Kumuyi urges govt, church to collaborate

    The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry, (DCLM), Pastor William Kumuyi, has urged government and international agencies to collaborate with the church in solving youth unemployment.

    Kumuyi spoke yesterday at the church’s headquarters in Gbagada, Lagos during a certificate and award ceremony of the Skill Acquisition Programme (SAP) organised by the church’s Young Professionals Forum (YPF).

    Over 350 participants of SAP acquired skills in areas including urban and hydroponic farming, digital marketing, web design, mobile application, photography and video editing, event planning and interior design, pastry and mixology.

    Kumuyi, who was represented by DCLM Secretary, Pastor Jerry Asemota, noted that over half of Nigeria’s 182 million people were under 30 years and that according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in the third quarters of 2017 was about 18.8%.

    “These are the most conservatives estimate. The figures could indeed be higher,” he noted

    Kumuyi said this motivated the church’s desire “to assist the teeming unfocused youths into self-discovery through God’s direction, which is leading us to support them in channelling their talents and mental resources into productive use.

    “The motivation for this pivotal professional training began in 2011 but formally commenced with the skill acquisition programme last month, which is a continuation of our desire to cultivate the total and an egalitarian display of the complete mankind whose entire faculties are carefully primed to show forth the praise of God”.

    Kumuyi added: “It remains our abiding desire to have them subsequently transformed from being employees to self-employed personalities and from employers to becoming entrepreneurs. Our unflagging desire is to reignite their spiritual lives to appropriate blessing from the arsenal of God’s grace”.

     

  • N’Delta ministry to collaborate with ex-agitators, says minister

    Minister of Niger Delta ministry, Useni Ogoro, has said his ministry will collaborate with ex-agitators in the region to ensure a sustainable peace in the region during a summit organized by ex-agitators held at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), conference center, Effurun, Delta state.

    Ogoro who chaired a security summit organized by ex-militant leaders under the auspices of Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, said the National Youth Game programme approved by the council when implemented will provide employment and promote peace in the region.

  • Lalong to collaborate with Fed Govt, private sector

    Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, has pledged the state’s readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government and private sector to complete reforms in the power sector.

    Lalong said this would improve the social wellbeing of residents of the state, and boost economic activities, including small and medium scale manufacturing, processing and retail.

    The governor, who spoke during council meeting in Jos, noted that the availability of electric power is sine qua non to any meaningful industrial development.

    “About three months ago, our indefatigable Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was in Jos to open the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) clinic and one of the fundamental factors identified for the success of these enterprises is the availability of regular power supply.

    “A key policy thrust of our administration is infrastructural development, of which power supply is chief. My Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy delights in always saying to us that ‘energy makes things happen.’

    “Thus, the Plateau State Government is fully committed to working with the Federal Government and private sector investors in completing the reforms in the power sector that will lead us towards realising increased and stable power supply to our citizens in the urban and rural areas.

    “This will not only improve their social wellbeing, but will also enable them to engage in meaningful economic activities, such as small and medium scale manufacturing, processing and retail.

    “As a state, we are currently focused on maximising our economic potential in agriculture, solid minerals and tourism.

    “Good power supply will enable investors to add value to agricultural products from the farms, process the minerals from the mines, and also improve services at hospitality and tourism facilities.

  • Edo, Paxherbal Clinic to collaborate on agriculture

    Edo, Paxherbal Clinic to collaborate on agriculture

    Edo State Government is set to partner PaxHerbal Clinic and Research Laboratory, Ewu to create agricpreneurs.

    The deal will include the modalities for putting resources together for farmers to take advantages of. The two parties described the partnership as a rare opportunity for farmers.

    The areas of interest will include cultivating ginger, lemon grass, tomato and other herbal plants.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki made this known while receiving a delegation of the clinic, led by its Director, Rev. Fr. Anselm Adodo at the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    Obaseki said although the state had come up with various agricbusiness models, his administration was interested in the PaxHerbal Clinic and Research Laboratory’s initiative because, “they seem to have adopted a different and appealing model.”

    Obaseki: “Our administration has taken another view, departing from treating agriculture like a social course, but like a business, assisting people to ensure they participate meaningfully and make profit from it. We go into business for profitability; otherwise, we can’t sustain it.”

    The governor said the state wants to employ other models that have worked in other parts of the world, including leaning towards large-scale commercial farming.

    Obaseki said his administration was examining the PaxHerbal Clinic and Research ‘s method of using organic materials for cultivation, and that his administration would like to collaborate with the group in human capacity development.

    Rev. Fr. Adodo said the group was ready to work with the government in strategic poverty and unemployment eradication policies, adding that his organisation is capable of assisting the government to create job opportunities in the state.

    According to him, it is a shame that Nigerians import and consume tons of ginger tea, lemon grass tea, and other herbal teas when Edo state alone can cultivate enough ginger and tomato to feed the world.

    “With your support, the first approved herbal malaria drugs can come from Edo State. We invite you to visit our facility and see what we are doing,” he said.

    Obaseki praised the group for its progress over the years in herbal medicine, saying that he was impressed with the achievements made so far, and promising to visit them to see things for himself.

    “I will come and visit. I promise and I will do it within the next few weeks so that we can come and see for ourselves what you are doing,” he said.

    Rev. Fr. Adodo said the centre was founded over 20 years ago as a Catholic Church centre for scientific cultivation, identification, utilisation and promotion of the country’s medicinal plants.

    He said the clinic is one of the few herbal manufacturing companies left in Nigeria that i s producing its herbal medicine, despite the harsh economic climate, which supports the importer more than the manufacturer.

    He, however, noted that the company cultivates its herbs using the indigenous and community farmers.

  • ‘Govt tiers must collaborate to help epilepsy patients’

    A consultant Physician/Neurologist and Epileptologist, Dr. Olusola Talabi, has advocated a synergy among the three tiers of government in tackling  epilepsy.This will stop the stigma associated with the condition and ensure a society free of epilepsy.

    Dr. Talabi spoke at the event commemorating this year’s International Epilepsy Day, held at Health Suite in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    Dr Talabi said the Day was meant to educate the public on the facts about epilepsy and the need for improved treatment, better care and greater investment in research.

    He said as much as misconception of epilepsy persists, many people, especially sufferers will continue to reluctantly talk about it, “reluctance will lead to lives lived in the shadows, discrimination in workplaces and communities, nothing should dissuade people from associating with people living with epilepsy,” he stated.

    Dr. Talabi said lack of funding for research into new therapies to treat/manage the condition for people with the ailment, misconception and discrimination, stigma are all making it more difficult to overcome the disease and the seizure that accompany same.

    He called on the three tiers of government to live up to maximize their potential in reducing the plight of the suffers, noting that government’s negligence has led to rise in makes the ailment.

    A consultant at Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Dr. Niran Okewole, said about 65 million people around the world living with epilepsy believe that it is curable.

    Dr. Okewole said four to 10 out of 1,000 people were living with active seizures at any one time.“One-third of people living with epilepsy live uncontrollable seizure because there is no available standard treatment for them. The public should learn how to assist sufferers,” said Okewole.

    He said for six out of 10 people living with the ailment, there is no known cause of the condition. I am urging quick intervention of all levels government to combat the incessant causes of the disease in order to have a society free of epilepsy, ” said Dr Okewole.

    Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Adesanya Ayinde, represented by Dr. Omolara Jokodola advocated  appropriate legislation that would guarantee human rights of  people living with epilepsy and encourage them to live to their fullest potential.

  • NDCMB, others collaborate on research

    A framework for developing a world-class research for the oil and gas Industry is being formulated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Imperial College of London and four universities in Nigeria.

    This collaboration,  an initiative of  NCDMB, seeks to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for oil and gas research at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State and the Niger Delta University, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The aim is to solve oil and gas industry problems in Nigerian universities and local research centres thereby growing local research capacities and retaining huge money,  spent on research overseas.

    Speaking at the Needs Assessment Workshop on the Board’s CoE initiative held at Imperial College, London, recently, the Acting Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah, represented by the General Manager, Zonal Coordination and Board’s Projects, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah, explained that the Board conceived the policy to galvanise the development of home grown research and technology in the oil and gas industry.

    Other objectives, according to him, include developing a pool of capable researchers and world class research centres, linking the oil and gas industry to academia and local supply chain through research programmes, and creating employment and training opportunities for Nigerians on the back of research projects domiciled in-country.

    He noted that the Imperial College has an enviable track record in research capabilities and collaboration with the oil and gas industry and would be expected to provide technical support to the Research Centres of Excellence being promoted by the Board.

    He noted that the Board invited the NNPC to participate in the CoE initiative because of the corporation’s leadership role and enormous influence in enforcing Federal Government’s policy in the oil and gas industry.

    The Head of Department for Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, Prof Mark Sephton, confirmed that the Institute had supported a number of countries on similar initiatives and was currently collaborating with Petrobras of Brazil to develop its Sustainable Gas Institute, a world class Research and Development institute for gas.

    He discussed various models for CoE and highlighted the need to develop the required infrastructure and adopt the right recruitment plan for the CoE. He promised that the institution would assist the Board with strategies for investment, funding models and as well as help distill identified research areas into specific scopes.

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon confirmed that the legislature’s participation in the workshop had offered them an opportunity to understand the workings of NCDMB and strategy for implementing Nigerian Content. He charged other agencies to engage the National Assembly in their activities so as to reduce executive/legislature friction over government initiatives.

    Hon. Ekon assured that the House of Reps will support NCDMB in its quest to establish centres of Excellence for Research and Development as well as on other initiatives.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu had at a recent workshop on Nigerian Content Policy in Calabar, Cross Rivers State confirmed that the oil and gas industry would encourage Research and Development to drive the development of home grown technology, innovation and enhance production processes in the industry. The road map for the setting up of the R&D

  • CHI, Tetra collaborate on child malnutrition

    CHI, Tetra collaborate on child malnutrition

    CHI Limited, one Nigeria’s leading producer of high quality fruit juice, dairy and snacks products, will join hands with Tetra Pak, a global leading food processing and packaging solutions’ company, to explore opportunities for feasible food & beverage solutions in an effort to fight malnutrition amongst children in Nigeria.

    CHI is one of the largest partners of Tetra Pak in Africa employing many of its packaging solutions to serve safe, innovative and environmentally friendly products to her customers across the country.

    As part of efforts to alleviate malnutrition among the country’s children, the joint initiative between CHI Limited & Tetra Pak will develop feasible solutions for providing healthy nourishment for Nigerian children. To achieve this, the companies will undertake an in-depth assessment of the ground realities of the nutritional requirements and the need gaps specific to children in Nigeria. This partnership will provide a platform for the involvement of relevant major stakeholders, institutes, governmental and non-governmental organizations for the delivery of nutrition solutions to the Nigerian children.

    Chairman of Chi Limited (the flagship company of the TGI Group), Mr. C G Vink, noted that “Child nutrition is important to our country’s future and being a proudly Nigerian company, we are committed to putting in our best to the building and shaping a healthy and brighter Nigeria.”

    Mr Dennis Jönsson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tetra Pak, said “Tetra Pak has partnered with governments, customers and other public and private partners to support school feeding programmes around the world for more than 50 years, promoting children’s right to nutrition, health and education as well as helping to build the demand for locally produced and processed products.  We are happy to have formed a strong partnership with Chi in Nigeria.”

    According to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, up to 80 percent of Nigerian children suffer from nutrition deficiencies, particularly from Iron, Zinc and vitamins. This leads to slower brain development, concentration issues, a weak immune system and underdevelopment of memory, vision and hearing. Investments in education are significantly undermined if children are not nourished properly. According to the same survey, over one third of Nigerian children are malnourished to the extent that their physical growth is measurably reduced compared to children in peer countries. A case in reference, according to various available statistics from UNESCO, EU, FAO etc, as many as 11 million children in Nigeria are suffering from stunted growth occasioned by chronic malnutrition.

  • US, Nigeria collaborate on infrastructure financing

    US, Nigeria collaborate on infrastructure financing

    Nigeria and the United States are exploring options to leverage on President Barack Obama’s $14billion investment pledge in Africa for an effective financing structure for infrastructure in Nigeria.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, and the US Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, agreed during a bilateral meeting at the just-concluded US-Africa Summit, that increased investment in infrastructure would further improve the Nigerian business environment, adding that Obama’s focus on power was particularly encouraging.

    While both countries agreed to work on the financial structure for infrastructure within the next few weeks, Pritzer noted that US companies were eager to do business in Nigeria due to the ongoing reforms in critical sectors, adding that they could also leverage on the US export assistance facilities in existence around the country.

    Aganga, who spoke to reporters in Washington DC, during the Summit, said, besides the investment commitments and The Memorandum of Understandings that were signed during the summit, most investors agreed that Nigeria has the most robust, clear and friendly policies on power, which other African countries should try to emulate.

    He said, “This means we already have an enabling environment that will encourage more investors to come and invest in the sector. In fact, what these investors were saying was that many of our sectoral policies, which we have put in place already have encouraged them to come and invest in Nigeria.