About 90 contracts were approved between January and June, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) said in its bi-annual report.
The report, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on yesterday statedthat the contracts will be executed over three years.
It said contracts for the supply and installation of 753, 002 electricity meters under the Presidential Initiative to Nigerians were awarded through the Ministry of Power at the cost of N27.1 billion.
It said 23 contracts, ranging from the provision of solid waste collection in Abuja Municipal Area Council to the construction of sewage facilities and management services, will be executed in the Federal Capital Territory..
The report added that four of the contracts will be implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources, including the rehabilitation and expansion of the Central Ogbia Regional water supply in Bayelsa.
The report also said that the Ministry of Water Resources awarded contract for the construction of Irawo Earth Dam project in Oyo State.
It said that five contracts were awarded through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for the construction of the Head Office building complex for the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Bayelsa.
It said the Ministry of Works awarded contract for the expansion of Suleja-Minna Phase two Road in Niger with funding from the Subsidy Re-investment Programme 2014 appropriation.
The report also said that the government awarded contract through the Ministry of Works for the expansion of Abuja-Keffi expressway and the expansion of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Markudi road.
It said the Ministry of Education awarded contract for Phase two of the expansion/completion of the TETFund intervention in special Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Project, educational training laboratories and workshop/equipment for 73 Nigerian public universities.
THE National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) has appealed to their striking lecturers and the Osun State government to settle their differences.
The students said it was time the “warring parties considered our own interest and particularly, our future.”
At a news conference addressed by the NAOSS President, Comrade Animasahun Adekunle in Osogbo, the students sympathised with their lecturers and reminded them of the achievements of the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in the education sector.
“Having acknowledged the meaningful impact of the government on education, we are appealing to the state government to find a lasting solution to the incessant strikes by considering our proposal.”
“We call on the government to dialogue, as a matter of urgency, with our lecturers so that we can resume next Monday as promised by the Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, the students said.
Ministry of Education officials risk being denied entry into schools if they do not present their identification cards (I.D).
The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, who disclosed this at the 2015 third quarter Quality Assurance Stakeholders Forum for private school owners, held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, last Tuesday, said Quality Assurance officers must also sign visitors’ book when they visit.
She urged private schools to deny entry to officers without I.D.s.
Conversely, failure of school managers to ask for identification and present visitors’ books to the inspectors, would count against them in safeguarding rating.
Mrs Soyombo said safeguarding is taken very seriously as one of the quality assurance requirements.
“Don’t allow us in without signing in. If you do, your feedback for safeguarding will be poor. Never allow us in without asking for I.D. cards. We are not too big to be asked to show our I.D. cards,” she said.
In the new dispensation of Quality Assurance, Mrs Soyombo said all schools in Lagos State, would be expected to measure up to the minimum standards of ensuring that school children achieve learning outcome for numeracy and literacy.
Lamenting that many children in primary school had deficient foundation in reading, Mrs Soyombo said the deficiency constitutes a problem at the secondary level where many junior secondary school pupils have to be taught to read again from the scratch.
She noted that research has showed that in Lagos State, many pupils had good word recognition, but poor language comprehension.
To raise the profile of reading in pupils, Mrs Soyombo advised schools to set up reading corners in classrooms; encourage regular use of the school library; integrate read-aloud sessions into classroom activities; and pay attention to teaching of listening and speaking skills, among others.
She said: “Between ages zero to seven, let us not joke with literacy in our schools. We have a lot of children in secondary schools, who cannot read properly.
“Let students participate in a lot of oral reading sessions and use open-ended questions to encourage them to express themselves. Pay attention to the various learning styles so you can capture all the learners. Let us put a lot in our foundation so that children can read.”
Mrs Soyombo also urged schools in the top category to mentor upcoming schools and support public schools in their vicinity.
“This is the time for top schools to mentor other schools that are below standard. If you want to partner with us, come and partner with public schools in your domain. Please we need your support,” she said.
The forum provided a platform for the school owners to table issues bothering them before the government authorities.
Earlier in her speech, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, described the private school owners as critical stakeholders in the education sector and assured them of being carried along when government formulates policies for the sector.
The Federal Government spends an average of N100milion to fix a vandalised gas pipeline, a Senior Power Consultant, Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NAIF), Dr Frank Edozie has said.
He said the cost of fixing a gas pipeline could be much higher than N100 million depending on the extent of damage done to the pipeline. He said many gas pipelines have been broken in the country, especially in the Niger Delta region, adding that the government has spent billions of naira in maintaining them.
Edozie while speaking on the topic ‘Deregulation: A key to Sustainable Development in Oil and Gas Sector’ at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said each time a pipeline is ruptured or broken by unscrupulous people, the government spends a lot of money to fix it.
He said over the years, gas pipelines have been vandalised with resultant effects on the power generating plants that use gas as a feedstock or critical production material, noting that huge amount of money that can be channeled into other projects was spent on the maintenance of the pipelines.
He said: “Since the coming of the government of President Muhammad Buhari, the country has recorded few cases of pipeline vandalism and the situation has resulted in improvement in power generation that is currently over 4,500 megawatts (Mw).
According to him, the country has witnessed increase in power generation and distribution since May 2015, adding the development is a good one for Nigeria that has been battling epileptic power supply for decades.
Edozie said the industry is yet to attain the required electricity supply of 10,000Mw or more, stressing that power will be stable once problems relating to destruction of gas pipelines and poor generation output are resolved.
On gas price, he said any further increase in the price of gas from $2 or $3 per 1000 standard cubic feet (scf) depending on the buyers, would lead to increase in tariffs paid by electricity consumers.
He explained that the cost of production of electricity by thermal plant is dependent on the cost of gas, which is a feedstock in the industry, among other variables.
Edozie said power will improve remarkably once problems such as gas pipeline vandalism, and poor accessibility of the product (gas) by the turbines, are removed.
The Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, Thomas Dada, said power generation has increased since May this year because there is an improvement gas infrastructure.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari spoke about his administration’s talks with Boko Haram, many Nigerians have been wondering how the dialogue will end. They recall that the Jonathan administration burnt its fingers negotiating with the sect. But lawyers endorse the talks since, according to them, they are all about getting back the Chibok girls. Precious Igbonwelundu reports.
President Muhammadu Buhari said the Federal Government was talking with Boko Haram on the release of the over 200 girls abducted at the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, last year.
He was responding to questions from members of Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), France. The President told his audience that the sect was demanding the release of its Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strategist in exchange for the girls.
The kidnap of the girls from on their school remains a big blow to the nation, especially because the insurgents, dressed in military camouflage, were said to have conveyed them in seven lorries. Their school was razed.
Unable to withstand the emotional and psychological trauma of having their children with the group, which alleged that it had married them off, some of the parents died. Others are yet to recover from strange illness.
Despite efforts by the multinational joint security team and experts from other parts of the world, the girls have not been rescued.
The military has combed every area, including the Sambisa Forest where it is believed the girls are being held.
There is a clamour for the girls’ return, which President Buhari noted during his France trip.
Buhari said: ‘‘The issue of Chibok girls has occupied our minds and because of the international attention it drew and the sympathy throughout the country and the world, the government is negotiating with some of the Boko Haram leadership.
‘‘They wanted us to release one of their leaders, who is a strategic person in developing and making IEDs that is causing a lot of havoc in the country by blowing people in Churches, Mosques, market places, motor parks and others. But it is very important that if we are going to talk to anybody, we have to know how much he is worth.
Belgore
“Let them bring all the girls and then, we will be prepared to negotiate. I will allow them to come back to Nigeria or to be absolved in the community. We have to be very careful, the concern we have for the Chibok girls, one only imagine if they got a daughter there between 14 and 18 and for more than one year and a half year, a lot of the parents, who have died would rather see the graves of their daughters than the condition they imagine they are in.
“This has drawn a lot of sympathy throughout the world, that is why this government is getting very hard in negotiating and getting the balance of those who are alive.’’
Although Buhari’s disclosure was to reassure the people of government’s commitment to rescuing the girls as promised, critics have described the negotiation as an acknowledgment of weakness by the Federal Government.
They condemned the government’s move on the grounds that the sect has killed over 20 thousand people in very gruesome ways since 2009; kidnapped hundreds, including women and children, some of whom have been used as suicide bombers; razed public and private property; made millions fugitives as well as taking up arms against the state.
According to them, the terrorists should have been flushed out by the military, which is already winning the battle, or arrested alive and prosecuted for treason and war crimes.
The critics believe that the negotiation will not yield any positive outcome, especially because the previous administration tried negotiating with the sect without success.
To them, it will be impossible to negotiate with a sect whose purpose for fighting is to islamise the country, and which has various factions, is faceless and has pledged loyalty to the Islamic State (IS).
Agbaje
However, many Nigerians, including the Centre for Crisis Communication, see nothing wrong in exploring and exploiting every opportunity that will lead to freeing all Boko Haram captives and ending terrorism.
But they argue that the issue must be thoroughly debated to ensure a practical and enduring end to the menace if the government was considering amnesty for the insurgents.
To this group, dialogue should be open for genuine leaders of the sect who are committed to keeping their side of the bargain, with the interest of humanity at heart, just as they noted that every conflict or crisis usually ends on the negotiation table.
They insisted that the government must ensure it negotiates from a point of strength by ensuring that the terrorists surrender their arms and promise never to engage in such activities again. It must also ensure that they are rehabilitated before being absorbed into society.
The supporters argued that the terrorists were feeling the heat of the seriousness of the current government to nib terrorism in the bud, and have as such, reached out for negotiations in order to embrace peace, which the government should consider.
Lawyers, who shared their view on the issue, said there was nothing wrong with negotiating with the terrorists, as long as the government got the girls back and put an end to the menace. They advised the government to ensure a comprehensive list of the abducted girls is available, before starting the negotiations, to avoid being fooled by the insurgents.
Those, who spoke on the issue include professor of law, Itse Sagay (SAN); constitutional lawyers, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Dele Belgore (SAN), Dr. Fred Agbaje and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch Chairman, Monday Ubani.
sagay
Sagay said the government is right to negotiate because of the girls, whose situation has left a void in the heart of the country and the world.
“Each side has to give something. I thought the terrorists will seek to surrender without grievous consequences since many of them have committed treason and war crimes. But with their demand that their bomb maker be released, it is left for the government to consider the consequences of releasing the suspect.
“If the government can ensure that they can no longer assemble these explosives to continue killing people. It will be a bitter pill to swallow if that should happen. If that is taken care of, there is nothing wrong with the swap.
“Government will be given a list of the number of persons in the terrorists’ net that they are willing to release. I think the action that will be taken at the end will be based on the number of people available, alive and whom the terrorists are willing to release.’’
Akintola said it was a great idea and practised globally.
“There is nothing wrong with negotiation as long as the government is not blackmailed. There is nowhere in the world
Niyi Akintola
where crisis does not end on the negotiation table. I do not see anything wrong with it, but government must negotiate from a point of strength, so that new groups are not motivated to pick up arms against the state.
Belgore criticised the fact that the planned negotiation was publicised.
“The classical view in this kind of engagement is that you don’t negotiate with terrorists, but we all know that even countries who proclaim this view do negotiate through the backdoor where the situation demands.
“We live in an imperfect world and ideological or policy positions frequently have to give way to practicalities.
“Bringing back our girls would in itself be a victory in the war against Boko Haram, even if it’s a negotiated release. What I don’t understand is why it has to be announced before hand,” Belgore said.
Similarly, Agbaje supported the moves on grounds that the insurgents must release all the girls, including pregnant ones, if there are any.
He said: ‘‘Initially, I was adamant about negotiation with terrorists, but now, in view of the fact that the girls have suffered alot, as well as their parents, I do not think any sacrifice is too much.
“But the terrorists must release all the girls whether pregnant or not, in exchange for the bomb maker; they must assure Nigerians that the truce will be the end of Boko Haram, or any other terrorist group, any of their members might want to start.’’
To Ubani, the government should be cautious in negotiating and swapping the suspect for the girls if their intentions are genuine.
“I think that negotiation with caution should be advised in the situation. The government is advised to discuss with genuine and credible leaders of the terrorists. If the terms include an honest swap with our stolen girls, I will support such negotiation that will lead to the release of our girls without any harm.
“Should their leaders be swapped? Yes, if they will honestly release all our girls complete and intact! Should they be exonerated? Very serious question that requires wise and careful answer. If they will stop the killings, repent of their evil ways and undertake never to disturb the peace of the country, then we can take a look at them with some level of forgiveness.
“Remember I said with some level of forgiveness, they must not be forgiven totally. However, the government must, as of necessity, pay heavy compensation to families that lost lives and properties as a result of the madness of these fellows, who took up arms against their country and against their fellow citizens.
“The country must, in addition, institute a strong panel to unravel the genesis of this madness, what precipitated it, the quantum of loss of lives and properties and what should be done to ensure that never again should we as a nation pass through this inglorious road of shedding of blood and wanton destruction of properties of the country and that of fellow citizens by any group whatsoever.
“The country must be sincere to itself by agreeing to ask all the ethnic groups in Nigeria whether we want to stay together as one indivisible nation? If the answer is in the affirmative, the terms and conditions of staying together should be well spelt out in a constitution drawn and affirmed to by the people of Nigeria.
“If the answer is resounding “NO”, then the process for separation should be worked out peacefully to enable the separation take place without loss of lives or properties. Unity is not forced, it is earned, we must not continue to endure this forced marriage if it is not working out.
“If it must work out, the ingredients of justice and equity must be brought in generously to ensure the happiness of all ethnic groups in the union. The present leadership at the centre possess all it takes to bring in these ingredients to make Nigeria work and live in peace again; yes they can.’’ he said.
Frontline social critic and reformer, Pastor (Dr.) Moses Iloh, has commended the nation’s ruler, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the progressive trend of his administration, since his assumption of office.
He described the foregoing as a positive development which justifies the confidence of the electorate who had massively voted for him.
“I particularly commend his ongoing drive at ethico-moral revolution, accountability, equity and social justice, as epitomized in the ongoing investigation of the activities of suspected public office holders and the seizing of their diplomatic passports, aimed at stifling any possible attempt to evade justice,” said the General overseer, Soul Winning Chapel, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
He noted that barely hundred days in office, the supply of electricity has witnessed a commendable sign of improvement.
“This indeed is unprecedented in the annals of governance of this country and for this, the president deserves every applause,” Iloh said.
He urged the president to pursue the task of uninterrupted power supply to the logical conclusion in view of the fact that effective and efficient electricity holds the ace for industrial revolution, foreign investment and full employment.
The frontline cleric and founder of the Eclectic Network, a socio-political pressure group, also enjoined the president to bring every effort to bear in ensuring that the local governments across the country work according to the constitution.
The local government as it is today, is marred in abysmal decay, due to the exploitation by the state, compounded by the brazen high level corruption by local government chairmen and officials.
He advised the president to put in place an institutional structure to monitor the affairs of the local governments, adding that if the local governments function as they ought to, less pressure would be on the states and the federal government.
For the nation’s pharmaceutical companies to maintain the lead in the production of quality drugs in West Africa and be competitive globally, the Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has called on the Federal Government to earmark a N200 billion intervention fund for the sector, coupled with other initiatives.
The manufacturers and other stakeholders, who met at the opening of the 3rd Nigeria Pharma Manufactures’ exhibition 2015 in Lagos, said the call was in line with relevant industrial policies to help the sector maximise its potentials.
The exhibition, whose theme was: “The Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and international competitiveness”, was an initiative to draw global attention to the nation’s pharma sector, which is now vibrant. The sector is currently estimated to be in excess of $3B (N500b) and is serving Nigerians and about 100 million citizens in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. The pharm industry, according to PMG-MAN secretariat, has the potential to remain a pharmaceutical power house in the continent with capacity to supply regional needs, and participate in international tenders.
According to the Chairman of the PMG-MAN, Okey Akpa, with the recent milestones recorded by companies in the sector, the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry was already positioned to operate at the global level, should government assent to these demands. “Nigeria is currently the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturing country in West Africa, accounting for more than 65 per cent of local manufacturing of medicines that are relevant to the region,” he said.
Akpa said among the drugs are anti-malarial medicines, anti-retrovirals, herbal medicines and medicines for sickle cell diseases. To make impact on the global stage, he said, several manufacturers had processed Expression of Interest (EoI) with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for pre-qualification of products, with cummulative investment worth of over $50 million in the last five years for facility upgrading.
The chairman said four companies had been certified by the WHO, and at least 10 local companies had complied with the requirements of International Standards Organisation and were already supplying drugs to the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women’s Children’s Health (UNCoLs).
Others who made a case for the sector are the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute; National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii; President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Olumide Akintayo and President of West African Manufacturers Organisation, Bunmi Olaopa and representatives of India and Chinese companies.
He said the achievements in the sector had been by individual manufacturers’ investment and years of hard work, and that the government and other stakeholders have to do more. “Without doubt, patronage of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers by government, donors and international procuring agencies is critical and must be backed by political will. We are, therefore, calling on the Federal Government to implement the Domestic Preference Policy of the Public Procurement Act 2007 as well as the implementation of the Presidential Directive on Patronage of Nigerian Manufacturers,” he said.
To ensure success of the policy, the chairman recommended “an import adjustment tax of 20 per cent on imported finished pharmaceutical products; HS Codes 3003 and 3004 should be imposed immediately as applied to other sectors where Nigeria has capacity as allowed by the Common External Tariff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).”
“Input into pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging should be allowed to be imported at zero per cent by bonafide pharmaceutical manufacturers,” he said.
Orhii, who chaired the event praised the manufacturers for the feat so far achieved, saying NAFDAC would continue to collaborate with them and rid the Nigerian market of fake products.
He appealed to the government and Bank of Industry to revisit an earlier proposal for N200 billion intervention trust fund for the pharma manufacturer. He recalled that the proposal was considered by the last administration, but nothing was heard of it.
The NAFDAC DG was happy that the National Drug Distribution Policy, which regulates drug distribution national wide, is due to take effect, but expressed concerns that stakeholders have not done enough to put the necessary infrastructure in place.
The Federal Government should build cocoa factories to address youth unemployment, the Operating Officer (COO), The Centre for Cocoa Development Initiative, Inc, Robo Adhuze, has said.
He said establishing new cocoa processing industries and revamping others would increase economic opportunities through sustainable and competitive cocoa production, marketing and agro-enterprise development.
He lamented that cocoa processing has declined substantially, appealing to the government to breathe a new life into the industry by making dedicated attempts to revitalise the processing segment through financial support to ailing businesses.
He called on the government to create the foundation for a modern, viable cocoa industry that will flourish and attract new investors, enhance rural livelihoods and encourage self-employment, and maximise the country’s opportunity to receive a premium price for the product on the world market.
He urged the government to take steps to boost cocoa production by supporting farms to move from traditional crop growing agriculture to agro-processing.
He added that the level of public sector investment was low, reflecting that the government is not committed to boosting cocoa production.
He urged the government to support farmers, by providing more access to extension services and training in best practices, adding that it would have an impact on the domestic cocoa industry.
He asked the government to treat cocoa production as national commodity and to develop it to increase the national economic growth.
Meanwhile, participants at the just-international cocoa conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, agreed that if well developed cocoa can bolster the economy, or displace petroleum products as a primary foreign exchange earner.
The event was organised by the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) and World Cocoa Producers Organisation.
CAN President, Sayina Riman, explained that the conference was convened to help critical stakeholders in the industry discuss price risk management project, which had over the years critically impacted against smallholder farmers and other developing economies globally.
Executive Director, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Prof. Malachy Akoroda, said cocoa had great economic potential for the country given the high demand for it around the world.
“Cocoa is number one non-oil export earner for Nigeria even when it is not enjoying desired state support, push and encouragement for local farmers. The product has great hope. There are great demands for cocoa bye products in Western and Eastern countries but capacity to supply is limited,” he said.
Akoroda noted the quality of cocoa produced in Nigeria, saying it is the best globally because of the high-breed species.
He said it had impossible for farmers to plant, nurture and have a high-yield specie in six months, adding that even in 18 months, there could be unimaginable and bounty harvest compared to what can be obtainable with old species.
“Anyone can plan this specie and make real good profit, so that, say, in five years, it is possible for the farmer to make as much as N15 million in profit”, the expert said.
He, however, lamented that pricing had been the major challenge because of factors, such as fertiliser, transportation and politics, in the world market.
Riman said cocoa business could change the economic fortunes of Nigeria, adding that it is more sustainable than oil because there is possibility that oil can dry but cocoa will not.
About N3.25 trillion out of the almost N5trillion of the Pension Funds so far collected have been invested in Federal Government securities, the managers of the fund, have said.
The Chairman, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Alhaji Musbahu Yola, said this yesterday when he addressed journalists at the end of the consultative forum between the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) in Abuja.
He said the invested amount is equivalent of 65 per cent of the almost N5 trillion pension assets currently warehoused by pension operators, adding that another 12 per cent has been invested in equities, while 15 per cent is invested in the money market.
Yola maintained that not withstanding the recent removal of Nigeria from the JP Morgan Index, the country’s Pension Fund Operators will continue to invest in FGN Bonds and Treasury Bills, pointing out that FGN Bonds are not only profitable, they are safe to invest in.
He aid the removal of Nigeria from JP Morgan Index would favour PFAs because exiting foreign investors will have to sell their assets at lower prices and it doesn’t mean that the FGN Bonds have become junk.”
He said PenOp members “will continue to invest in FGN Bonds and Treasury Bills,” wondering where else would we put the money, Treasury Bills and Bonds are safer assets” he said.
Yola also revealed that it has been agreed between the PenCom and PenOp members, that 20 million Nigerians will be captured into the pension net by 2024 from the current 6.6 million pension contributors, saying “this is the best we can do under the circumstances and it points to the fact that majority of Nigerians are employed outside the formal sector.
“State governments have also not complied. The point really is that most Nigerian businesses are informal or are SMEs that haven’t really kicked in for one reason or the other if our economy develops and becomes more Industrialised with more formal corporations, a lot of people will be captured in the pension net but many Nigerian just do small jobs that are not incorporated.
You can’t get them in so easily, we know we have a lot more to do, but we shouldn’t be discouraged by the fact that it is 6.7 million out of 170 million. Our objective is to go 20 million by 2024, that is where the informal sectors being captured in the guidelines comes in” he said.
Regarding unremitted employees’ pension after deductions have been made, members of PenOp urged employees to blow the whistle on the employers. They said “employees are responsible for their pension. If employers are not remitting, employees should go to their PFAs and report, you must be in charge of your pension. The PFAs do not have the power to enforce complaints. PENCom has the power of enforcement and they have engaged recovery agents employees must also rise up the law is backing them they have to find the means of making their employers make those remittances on their behalf either as a union, they must come together and pressurize their employers particularly where they have deducted from the salaries and have not remitted.”
Yola and his team PenOp associates wondered that “if people are afraid of speaking up for their right who will do it for them? Now anybody who wants to do a job with the federal government must produce their certificate of compliance and some private organizations have included it in their manuals too so that they don’t go foul of the law especially those that provide them with contract staff. To prevent victimization PenCom has been mandated not to reveal the identity of whistle blowers.”
An initiative of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to engage the services of Nigeria Professionals abroad to begueath requisite skills to youths, will result in about N180billion savings for the Federal Government.
ITF Director-General, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, who stated this yesterday in Lagos at an interactive session with stakeholders on the need for partnership towards the successful implementation of its mandate in line with the skills needs of Nigeria, said ITF-Diaspora volunteer skills development programme, has been designed to upgrade the quality of skills in Nigeria to international standards at little or no cost to the Federal Government.
She said Diaspora Nigerian professionals would be engaged voluntarily on what she tagged, “first-rate skills training for Nigerian youths through the Industrial Training Fund’s Brain Gain initiative.”
Mrs. Chukkas-Onaeko, said the Brain-Gain initiative, will be powered by Nigerian experts in the Diaspora who have volunteered to give back to their home country through direct knowledge and technology transfer at no cost to the ITF.
She said the Nigerian experts, who are specialists in various high-tech sectors, would work with the Fund, based on a yearly volunteer calendar that would ensure that the target of an annual quality training for you, we have mapped out plans to work with not less than 10,000 in renewable energy, robotics engineering, hospitality, oil and gas, and petrochemicals among others, in the next three years.
“We have been able to identify experts who have skills to contribute to this programme. But in the first phase, we are considering a conservative number of just 10,000. Most of these experts are professionally and financially accomplished people who are willing to play this role at their own cost.”
She said analysts have put the cost of retaining an expert in the Diaspora under the ITF training scheme at N500,000 monthly. This is a very conservative figure, and it is the amount that would have been spent hiring each volunteer trainer for the programme.
“When this is computed for a three-year period, the total amount of money that would be saved by the government comes to around N180 billion for 10,000 volunteers in three years.”
Mrs. Chukkas-Onaeko also called for partnership and support from all stakeholders and employers of labour in the country, stressing that, for the programme to be very successful, other cost components of the programme, such as air fare and insurance, could be further volunteered by stakeholders.
“For example, we are looking at a situation where airlines operating in Nigeria will voluntarily provide free flight tickets for these experts to further reduce the cost to them and increase the number of experts who will volunteer. Insurance companies can also come along to insure these experts to make them more comfortable to carry out their assignments,” she said.
She noted that, in view of the numerous developmental challenges confronting Nigeria as a nation and the unwavering resolve and commitment of the Federal Government to initiate transformational changes that would place the country on the trajectory of sustained economic growth, it had become imperative for the ITF, as the foremost manpower development agency, to review its strategies and modus operandi.
