The Nation Newspaper

Tag: grants

  • Gates Foundation spends bulk of agric grants in rich countries

    Most of the $3billionb (£1.8billion) that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given to benefit hungry people in the world’s poorest countries has been spent in the United States, Britain and other rich countries, with only around 10 per cent  spent in Africa, new research suggests.

    Analysis of grants made by the foundation shows that nearly half the money awarded over the past decade went to global agriculture research networks, as well as organisations, including the World Bank and United Nation agencies, and groups that work in Africa to promote hi-tech farming.

    The other $1.5billion went to hundreds of research and development organisations across the world, according to Grain, a research group based in Barcelona.

    “Here, over 80 per cent of the grants were given to organisations in the US and Europe, and only 10 per cent  to groups in Africa. By far the main recipient country is the US, followed by the UK, Germany and the Netherlands,” it says in a report.

    Of the $678million given to universities and national research centres, 79 per cent  went to the US and Europe, and only 12 per cent  to Africa.

    “The north-south divide is most shocking, however, when we look at the $669million given to non-government groups for agriculture work.

  • Doctoral students win grants

    Three doctoral students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have won the Association of African Universities (AAU) grants to support their research in Counsellor Education, Common Law and Home Economics.

    The students are: Esther Adeloye (Ph.D. in Counsellor Education); Mariam Mustapha-Abdulraheem, (Ph.D. in Common Law) and Fausat Lola Kolawole, (Ph.D.) in Home Economics).

    They were awarded $3,500 each to work on their research projects.

    Dean, Postgraduate School, Prof. Clement Bewaji, while felicitating with the awardees, urged them not to rest on their oars but to utilise the grants effectively so that they can also win the Nigerian Universities Doctoral Theses Award (NUDTAS), which will bring glory to the University.

    According to the dean, the interactive session, which was organised at the behest of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, was also meant to sensitise other postgraduate students on how to seek and access research grants.

    Bewaji noted that shortage of funds for research is one of the most significant challenges confronting postgraduate students. He, therefore, enjoined them to look out for grant opportunities.

  • EU grants Nigeria N3.4b to boost power

    EU grants Nigeria N3.4b to boost power

    The European Union (EU) approved yesterday a N3.4billion grant to Nigeria for the power sector.

    The grant is meant for the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), dedicated to improving access to modern and sustainable energy sources in Nigeria.

    The grant was jointly announced by the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP), the European Union (EU) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit yesterday.

    At the event, the  EU Ambassador, Michel Arrion, said  the release of the funds showed the European Union’s commitment to ensure that a greater number of Nigerians get access to electricity, as well as to a lasting partnership with the government and other donors in the power sector.

    The Permanent secretary, Ambassador Igali, while inaugurating the event, said part of the government’s transformation agenda is to improve the supply and efficiency of electricity for Nigerian households and businesses, thereby improving the livelihoods of a greater number of the people.

    He praised the EU, GIZ and  the other development partners in their support of the power sector.

    The Country Director to GIZ, Dr. Thomas Kirsch, said the EU funding will greatly help to support the implementation of the Nigerian transformation agenda, and scale-up  activities aimed at  improving access to energy supply for the population.

    The Nigerian Energy Support Programme aims to improve the conditions for investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural electrification.

    The programme commenced in 2013 with about N2 billion support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

    The N3,4 billion additional funding will allow NESP to continue to advise Nigerian institutions on the enabling policy, institutional and regulatory framework conditions at the Federal level, support improved rural electrification planning in five states and set up various demonstration projects, providing business models to increase energy access through sustainable energy resources.

    Also, NESP will initiate and support vocational training and capacity development in the electricity sector.

    The EU contribution to NESP is part of the N9billion grants in the Energising Access to Sustainable Energy in Nigeria (EASE) Programme, agreed with the Nigerian Government in February, 2014.

  • Fed Govt urges tertiary institutions to claim grants

    Fed Govt urges tertiary institutions to claim grants

    President Goodluck Jonathan has called on tertiary institutions nationwide to take urgent steps to access intervention funds provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    The president said this in Abuja at National Conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in tertiary institutions for sustainable development organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with TETFund and the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values.

    Jonathan, represented by Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said delay by some institutions to access the funds was not in the interest of the nation’s educational system.

    He said: “Under my watch, the tertiary education sector will continue to be supported in terms of incentives and supportive financing so that our dream of effective and result oriented educational system can be achieved.

    “I have received reports from the TETFUND that a good number of our tertiary institutions have failed to access the funds which runs into billions of naira allocated to them.

    “I urge the respective institutions to do the needful in this regards because we must fast forward the development of our tertiary institutions and we cannot allow nonchalance to slow us down.”

    The president called for transparency and accountability in dispensing funds entrusted to managers of the nation’s tertiary institutions.

    He urged the conference participants to come up with innovative and bold strategy that would enhance development in the country.

    “I also urge you to put in place, a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the decisions and outcome of this conference.

    “The yardstick for measuring the success of this conference is how much of our intervention funds were accessed for the purpose it was assigned,” he added.

    Mr Ekpo Nta, Chairman of ICPC said the goal of the conference was to entrench the culture of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in tertiary institution in the country.

    He said the ICPC in collaboration with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) had in 2012 conducted a pilot system study of corruption prone processes in the operation of Nigerian universities.

    Nta said the intention was borne out of the desire to help the universities identify and deal with some unethical and criminal practices that were inimical to the smooth running of universities.

    He identified admission racketeering, poor recordkeeping, poor examinations management, improper management of funds and facilities as some of the unethical and criminal practices.

    The ICPC boss said the conference was in line with the commission’s commitment to corruption prevention.

    According to him, investigations arising from petitions and intelligence gathering have shown that lack of transparency and accountability is one of the major factors at the root of the endemic corruption in the tertiary institutions.

    In a related development, Dr Musa Babayo, chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFUND said the conference was timely considering the boggling situation in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

  • UBA university educational grant for students

    UBA university educational grant for students

    The Corporate Social Responsibility,(CSR),  arm of the United Bank for Africa,(UBA) has announced the commencement of the 2013 edition of the National Essay Competition amongst secondary school students in Nigeria.

    Winners will get educational grants to study in any African university of their choice.

    According to the announcement by the  bank, the winner will  get N1million. The first runners-up will go away with N750,000 while the second runners-up takes N50,000 all in the  local currency equivalent towards university tuition/fees and a laptop. Consolation prizes will be given to the finalists.

    The essay competition titled: ‘How reading has impacted my knowledge’ is a follow up of the Read Africa Initiative of the Foundation which involves giving out literature books to secondary school students to help rekindle the reading culture amongst the youth in Africa.

    To enter for the competition, applicants must attach photocopies of their original birth certificates or photocopies of international passport data page. It is open to students of  senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Handwritten essay of not more than 750 words on the competition topic should be submitted along with their complete contact information, (school name & address, residential address, phone number and email address)

    All entries should be sent latest before November 1 to the UBA Foundation, UBA House, 3rd Floor, 57 Marina, Lagos – Nigeria.

  • Court grants IYC aspirant bail

    A presidential aspirant in the forthcoming election of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Nengi Ikiba, was yesterday granted bail by the court.

    Ikiba was arrested by the police on June 19 over allegations of cultism.

    The Commissioner of Police, Tonye Ebitibituwa, said Ikiba confessed to being a leader and founder of a notorious cult group, Icelander.

    But the suspect insisted that he was forced by the police to admit the claims.

    The State High Court 3 in Yenagoa admitted Ikiba to bail after listening to an oral application by his lawyer, Ayei Okpa.

    He appealed to the court to do justice by granting Ikiba freedom in the spirit of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Besides, he said: “The court should also take into cognisance that the offence my client is accused of is a bailable offence and even the charge itself is watery.”

    The prosecution did not object to the bail application compelling Justice N. Aganaba, to free Ikiba and adjourned the matter till September 30.

     

  • Court grants Obong’s applications

    It was celebration among supporters of the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar granted their application.

    Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba and two others granted the Obong’s counsel, Ladi Rotimi Williams (SAN) and Mrs. Nella Andem Rabana (SAN), their requests.

    The case was adjourned ttill April 15.

    The Calabar High Court, presided over by Justice Obojor Ogar, had on January 30, last year, ruled in favour of one of the contestants to the Obong stool, Etubom Anthony Ani.

    Ani was contesting his disqualification from the first elelction that produced Otu as the Efik monarch.

    Williams and Mrs. Rabana filed motions challenging certain aspects of the ruling of the lower court, which they said ran contrary to the tradition and customs of kingship in Efik land.

    But Ani’s counsel Joe Agi (SAN) filed a counter motion, praying that the briefs from the two appeals by the appellants be dismissed for want of prosecution.

    When the matter came up at the Appeal Court, the appellants asked for an extension to file their brief, which was granted by the court.

    Justice Garba, after consulting with two other judges, fixed April 15 for hearing on the appeal.

    In setting the date, the Appeal Court justices granted the appellants an extension of time to file their briefs.

    The court directed that the parties should abide by the judgment after all matters arising from the appeal would have been entertained and judgment delivered.

  • Ekiti CJ grants murder suspects bail

    The prime suspect in the murder of Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi, Chief Dayo Orojo, was at the weekend granted bail “on compassionate grounds” by the Ekiti State Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola.

    It was learnt that Lekan Olatawura, a lawyer, pleaded the bail with Justice Daramola, who was at the Prisons on a routine visit.

    Olatawura said the chief’s “worsened health” had conditioned him to depend on the support of others to move about.

    The late Mrs. Adewumi (70) was beaten to death on May 11 for allegedly using witchcraft to afflict her stepson, the late Ola Adewumi, with a strange ailment. Ola died a few weeks after Mrs. Adewumi was killed.

    Orojo, a chief and the head of Ilisa Quarters in Omuo-Ekiti, was arrested for his role in the septuagenarian’s murder.

    The late Ola’s mother, Mrs. Adesola Adewumi and sister, Feranmi Abe were also arrested.

    The three suspects were remanded in prison on September 4.

    Justice Daramola granted them N200,000 bail each and a surety each in like sum.

    The CJ also released 27 awaiting trial inmates and granted bail to four other suspects.

    On December 4, Justice Oluwatoyin Bodunde of the State High Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, denied the three murder suspects bail and ordered that they be remanded in prison custody until January 17.

    Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the family of the late Mrs. Adewumi, Mr. Gabriel Omokanju, told reporters that they had confidence in the Judiciary.

    Omokanju said, so far, the Judiciary has handled the matter well.

    He said the granting of bail to the suspects should not be seen as a plan to subvert justice.