The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mr. Ronald Kayanja

  • UNIC Director calls for family-friendly policies for work environment

    UNIC Director calls for family-friendly policies for work environment

    In observance of the 2017 International Day of Families, the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Mr Ronald Kayanja, has called for Policies that encourage corporate responsibility and family-friendly work environments. “Family-friendly policies, he continued, “are essential and have already been proved to improve workers’ productivity and dependability.”

    Mr Kayanja made this call today in his opening address at the Africa Family Life Delegate Conference organised by Centre for Sex Education and Family Life. Addressing over 600 delegates at the conference, Mr Kayanja noted that the working conditions of parents affect their ability to play an active role in their children’s education. “The International Day of Families therefore, is a day to focus on needed policies to create a good nurturing environment at family level for children to grow. For parents to effectively play this important role of nurturers, they need time with their children as they grow up,” he explained.

    Drawing inference from the conference theme, ‘The Role of Family Life Education in Transforming Africa’ which aligns with the global theme of the International Day, ‘Families, Education and Wellbeing’, the UNIC Director highlighted the crucial role of the family as the centre for early childhood education. “We know that the education a child is exposed to before reaching age 8 is a determinant of what type of person we will have in society. Parents, grandparents and relatives play a major role at this stage, as they work with early childhood teachers in elementary/ nursery schools.” He said.

    Speaking, the First Lady of Lagos, Mrs Bolanle Ambode underscored the centrality of family to the development and noted that ‘without family, no country; without a country, no continent and no world.’ Represented by her Special Assistant, Dr Arinola Oluwo, the wife the Lagos State Governor explained that the only way to have a world of our dream was to fix the family.

    Welcoming the participants, the Principal Consultant, Centre For Sex Education and Family Life, Mr Praise Fowowe, explained that a dysfunctional family system could not build a functional society. He called on everyone to commit to ‘creating and promoting an effective family life education that can deliver a developed family system which ultimately would deliver a developed society.’

    Mr Fowowe added that the most important government may not be the government of a nation after all; according to him, “the most important government is actually what we have coined the ‘Family Government’. We strongly believe that the Family Government is the production factory of the society and until we become intentional about the development of an effective family system, we may not witness a developed continent we so desire.”

    In 1993, the UN General Assembly declared 1994 as the International Year of the family and also that 15 May each should be observed by all Member States as the International Day of Families. The General Assembly noted that ‘families are the fullest reflection, at the grassroots level, of the strengths and weaknesses of the social and development welfare environment, and as such offer a uniquely comprehensive and synthesising approach to social issues.’ It was further observed that families, as basic units of social life, are major agents of sustainable development at all levels of society and that their contribution to that process is crucial to its success.

  • Report warns African governments over debt

    Report warns African governments over debt

    An UNCTAD Economic Development in Africa Report (EDAR) has advised that African Governments add new revenue sources to finance their development, such as remittances and public–private partnerships, and clamp down on illicit financial flows.

    The EDAR further warned that debt looks unsustainable in some countries.

    The Report which was presented to the Nigerian Media at a launch organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, on behalf of UNCTAD was reviewed by Prof Akpan Ekpo of West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) and co-presented by the Director, UNIC Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja.

    The UNCTAD Economic Development in Africa Report 2016 finds that Africa’s external debt ratios appear manageable, but African Governments must take action to prevent rapid debt growth from becoming a crisis, as experienced in the late 1980s and 1990s.

    “Borrowing can be an important part of improving the lives of African citizens,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi says. “But we must find a balance between the present and the future, because debt is dangerous when unsustainable.”

    At least $600 billion will be needed each year to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, according to the report which is subtitled Debt Dynamics and Development Finance in Africa. This amount equates to roughly one third of countries’ gross national income. Official development aid and external debt are unlikely to cover those needs, the report finds.

    A decade or so of strong growth have provided many countries with the opportunity to access international financial markets. Between 2006 and 2009, the average African country saw its external debt stock grow 7.8 percent per year, a figure that rose to 10 per cent per year in 2011–2013 to reach $443 billion or 22 per cent of gross national income by 2013.

    Several African countries have also borrowed heavily on domestic markets, the report finds. It provides specific examples and analyses of domestic debt in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. In some countries, domestic debt rose from an average 11 per cent of gross domestic product in 1995, to around 19 per cent at the end of 2013, almost doubling in two decades.

    “Many African countries have begun the move away from a dependence on official development aid, looking to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals with new and innovative sources of finance,” Dr. Kituyi says.

    The report argues that African countries should look for complementary sources of revenue, including remittances, which have been growing rapidly, reaching $63.8 billion to Africa in 2014. The report discusses how remittances and diaspora savings can contribute to public and development finance.

    Together with the global community, Africa must also tackle illicit financial flows, which can be as high as $50 billion per year. Between 1970 and 2008, Africa lost an estimated $854 billion in illicit financial flows, roughly equal to all official development assistance received by the continent at that time.

    And while Governments should be vigilant of the borrowing risks, public–private partnerships have also started to play a more prominent role in financing development. In Africa, public–private partnerships are being used especially to finance infrastructure. Of the 52 countries considered during the period 1990–2014, Nigeria tops the list with $37.9 billion of investment, followed by Morocco and South Africa.

  • UN celebrates Nelson Mandela day

    UN celebrates Nelson Mandela day

    Coordination and cooperation among agencies in the justice sector is a critical success factor in the implementation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, otherwise known as the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’.

    This was the major resolution reached on Monday, 18 July 2016 after the discussion of the Nelson Mandela Rules with scores of Prison Officers drawn from the five prison facilities, including the female medium security prison, in Lagos State, as part of activities marking the 2016 Nelson Mandela International Day in Nigeria.

    Organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos in collaboration with the South African Consulate General, the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) and the United Nations Association of Nigeria (UNAN), the dialogue generated a lot of interrogations and contributions by the Prison Officers who noted that operational cooperation amongst the Police, the Prisons, the Judiciary and the Bar needed to be improved for any meaningful implementation of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules).

    According to the participants, the rules which were presented by the Head of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Lagos Office, Mr Glen Prichard, would require an enabling environment and improved political will to implement in Nigeria.

    Earlier, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon has urged everyone to be inspired by Nelson Mandela as a lifelong example of someone who never ceased working to build a better world for all.

    He made this call in his Nelson Mandela International Day message presented by the Director of the United Nations Information Centre, Mr Ronald Kayanja. “We remember a man of quiet dignity and towering achievement who worked to build a better world for all”, the Secretary General said.

    Welcoming the participants, the Controller of Prisons, Lagos State Command, Mr Olumide Tinuoye expressed the gratitude of the Nigeria Prisons Service to the United Nations for the training on the Nelson Mandela Rules. He observed that the Nigerian Prison Officers were reputed for their professionalism and retreatment of prisoners with dignity. However, he added that more capacity building initiatives would be welcomed by his Command.

    The Representative of the South African Consulate General, Mr Darkey Africa in his opening remarks said, “we want to thank all the United Nations member states for renaming these rules after Nelson Mandela in 2015”. He stressed that the rules were therefore a testimony of his respect for human dignity and the fact that no person is irredeemable.

    In his presentation, the Human Rights Adviser to the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) Nigeria, Dr Martin Ejidike called for more frequent visits of the Chief Judge to the prisons to see how awaiting trials inmates, who constitute 72% of total inmates could be freed.

    The Executive Director of Crime Victims Foundation, Barrister Gloria Egbuji, in her remarks, observed that the discussion of the Nelson Mandela Rules could not be complete without the gate keepers who are the police.

  • Ban Ki-moon celebrates Africans

    Ban Ki-moon celebrates Africans

    The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on everyone to work together for equal opportunity, justice and sustainable development for people of African descent.

    According to the Secretary General, Africa’s influence and legacy are plain to see in the vibrant music, bold art, rich foods and inspiring literature that infuse modern culture.

    Delivering the Secretary General’s message on the 2016 International Day of remembrance of the victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Lagos, the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja noted that the theme of this year’s observance was “Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots”.

    He stressed that the contributions that the people of the African Diaspora have made to medicine, science, government and general leadership in society are perhaps less recognized.

    The activities marking the day, held at Southfield Academy, Bariga Lagos, included a screening of the film, ‘Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess’; Poster Exhibition on ‘Africans in India: From Slaves to Generals and Rulers’; briefing and quiz on the ‘The Ark of Return’; and a WebEx interlink with students in Accra-Ghana and Nairobi-Kenya.

    While curating the poster exhibits, the National Information Officer of UNIC Lagos, Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, urged the students to learn from the resilience and determination of Africans who were taken to India as slaves

    According to him many of them went on to become Generals, Rulers, and leading professionals while their women became queens in India.

    Recalling lessons learnt from the exhibition, 17-year old Chisom Maduba of Southfield Academy Lagos, recounts: “We should not deny our roots. We should be proud of our African heritage” while 15-year old Emmanuel Udeaja, acknowledged that he had learnt to say ‘No’ to any form of slavery, racism and human trafficking, adding that the film taught him courage and morals.

    Earlier, the Proprietress and Administrator of Southfield Academy, Mrs Chioma Dawodu acknowledged the impact of UNIC’s educational programmes and urged the students to seize the opportunity to learn about Slavery and the TransAtlantic Slave Trade which, according to her, would help them in recognising those situations that could lead to modern day slavery.

    In his remarks, the Executive Director of African Anti-Salvery Coalition, Mr Olufemi Philips, urged everyone to stand firm for freedom and do what is right at all cost just like Queen Nanny.

     

  • Emotions flow as UNIC Lagos screens Holocaust film

    Emotions flow as UNIC Lagos screens Holocaust film

    A picture is worth more than a thousand words’, goes a popular idiom. The import of this saying manifested on Wednesday 26 January 2016, when scores of students and a few adults went emotional after watching the Holocaust film, ‘The Path To Nazi Genocide’ and afterwards taken round the Holocaust Posters Exhibition.

    This was during the Day-One of the 2016 observance of the International Day of commemoration in memory of the victims of the holocaust organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos and Education District III of the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

    Attended by 140 participants comprising of 111 students from 5 different secondary schools; 12 NGOs representatives and 5 representatives of media organisations and 12 others, the film screening and Poster exhibition started with a briefing session. Speaking, the Tutor General and Permanent Secretary of Education District III represented by Mr Dele Obaba, a Director in the District, advised the students to stand-up in support of Human Dignity and stay away from political and social prejudice.High Table 1

    Delivering the message of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Director of UNIC Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja noted that with this year’s theme, “the Holocaust and Human Dignity”, the UN links Holocaust remembrance with the founding principles of the United Nations, as expressed in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  ‘As we do, we are reminded of our shared obligation to assure everyone the right to live free from discrimination and with equal protection under the law,’ he added.

    Contributing during the interactive session that succeeded the film screening, the Health Prefect of Ireti Senior Grammar School, Miss DorathyOnaji, became emotional when she observed that ‘Adolf Hitler manipulated the whole country and spearheaded the killing of about 6 million Jews.

    Curating the Poster Exhibition, the National Information Officer of UNIC Lagos, Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, explained the good life enjoyed by the Jews in the pre-war Europe; the persecution, the state-orchestrated discrimination, the final solution according to Nazi Germany; the end of the Holocaust and the birth of the UN as well as the efforts of the UN in ensuring that the events that led to the Holocaust never happens again anywhere in the world.

  • UN remember Nazi Holocaust victims, survivors

    UN remember Nazi Holocaust victims, survivors

    The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday remembered victims of the World War l and ll between 1933 and 1945 and the courage of the survivors.

    The UN through its Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, educated attendees on the need to avoid the repeat of the Holocaust that claimed the lives of over six million Jews, who were systematically rounded up and exterminated.

    To this effect, UNIC on Tuesday organised a lecture for students, Non-Governmental Organisations and screened the documentary of the film: “The Path to Nazi Genocide” and Poster exhibitions as part of efforts to prevent a reoccurrence.

    History records that the Nazi (German National Socialism) also murdered Sinti and Roma, Political prisoners, homosexuals, persons with disabilities, Jehovah witnesses and Soviet prisoners of war.

    In his message, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon described the Holocaust as a colossal crime adding that no one can deny that it happened.

    United Nations Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun taking Students through the photo exhibition on the Nazi Holocaust
    United Nations Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun conducting Students through the photos exhibition on the Nazi Holocaust.

    “By remembering the victims and honouring the courage of the survivors, and those who assisted and liberated them, we annually renew our resolve to prevent such atrocities and reject the hateful mentality that allows that,” Ki-Moon said.

    Delivered by UNIC Lagos Director, Mr. Ronald Kayanja, the message emphasised the need to educate the younger generation on the cause of such atrocities being undue discrimination among human being who consider fellow humans inferior to them and by implications, have no right to life, social interactions etcetera.

    “The principles remain essential today. People worldwide, including millions fleeing was, persecution and deprivation, continue to suffer discrimination and attacks. We have a duty to remember the past and to help those who need is now.

    “For more than a decade, the Holocaust and the United Nations outreach programme has worked to educate young people about the Holocaust.

    “Many partners, including Holocaust survivors, continue to contribute to this essential work.

    “The memory of the Holocaust is a powerful reminder of what can happen when we stop seeing our common humanity.

    “On this day of the Holocaust remembrance, I urge everyone to denounce political and religious ideologies that set people against people.

    Let us all speak or against anti-Semitism and attacks against religious, ethnics or other groups.

    “Let us create a world where dignity is respected diversity is celebrated and peace is permanent,” he maintained.

    Schools present include Falomo Junior and Senior High School, Ireti Senior and Junior Grammar School, Holy Child’s College, all in Ikoyi, Lagos as well as Southfield College, Bariga, Lagos mainland.

    Also at the lecture were representatives of different NGOs and partners of UNIC Lagos.

    They are: Ms Edna Dafe from Women’s Board, Ms Nnena Ukoha of All Nigerian United Nations Students Association (ANUNSA), Mr Niyi Adekunle from Yes I Believe.

    Others are Ms Mary Nwadike – Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) and Mr Ganiu Owolabi.

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”United Nations” count=”8″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link”]

  • UN advocates investment in girl child

    UN advocates investment in girl child

    In continuation of its quest to building a strong civil society partnership and hinging its public information responsibilities on observance of international days, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos in collaboration with four Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) has organised two events in Zaria, North-West and Lagos, South-West Nigeria to mark the 2015 International Day of the Girl Child.

    The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon in his message delivered by the National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun at the event held at the Holy Child College, Lagos, called on everyone ‘to invest in today’s adolescent girls so that tomorrow they can stand strong as citizens, political leaders, entrepreneurs, heads of their households and more. This will secure their rights and our common future.’

    The event put together in partnership with International Charitable Initiative for Girl Child and Woman Development Foundation (ICI-GWODEF), Zonta International Club of Lagos 1 and Initiatives for sustaining Gender Empowerment, was attended by 335 participants of whom 272 were girls from 13 schools while others were representatives of the media and other NGOs.

    Speaking further, the Secretary General noted that it was time to work on meeting the SDG targets and giving’ girls all the opportunities they deserve as they mature to adulthood by 2030. ‘That means enabling them to avoid child marriage and unwanted pregnancy, protect against HIV transmission, stay safe from female genital mutilation, and acquire the education and skills they need to realize their potential,’ he added.

    Engaging with about 100 young girls in Zaria at a forum organised in collaboration with Arewa Women and Youth Empowerment (AWAYE) Foundation, the Director of UNIC Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja, stressed the importance of education which he said could break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, illiteracy, violence and discrimination.

    He enjoined the girls to be dedicated to their studies to ensure timely completion of their education for their better future. The Director expressed his delight about many of the girls who spoke to share their ambitions which ranged from legal practice to medical science.

    Speaking in Hausa language, the Executive Director of AWAYE foundation, Hajiya Laila Muhammad had earlier urged the girls to always seize every learning opportunity they come across in life.

  • United Nations mark peace day in style

    United Nations mark peace day in style

    The 2015 International Day of Peace has been marked in Lagos with fanfare as youths, government and NGO partners trooped to the street to ‘Walk for peace’.

    The peace day observance, which started with a press briefing, was addressed by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Funlola Odunlami and the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja.

    The conclusion of the press briefing marked the beginning of an exciting ‘Walk for Peace’ as organised by UNIC in Lagos and Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC).

    Delivering his message on the theme for 2015 observance – ‘Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All’, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, called on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe a global ceasefire.

    “To them I say: stop the killings and the destruction, and create space for lasting peace.” The Secretary-General who was represented by the Director of UNIC Lagos further said: “There is no group more poised to help realize this dream than today’s young people. They are part of the largest generation of youth in history, more aware and connected than any before.”

    Speaking earlier, Governor Ambode thanked the UN Information Centre for the partnership and pledged that the CMC would adopt the International Day of Peace as an annual event to propagate the ethos of peaceful co-existence among residents in Lagos State.

    Flagged off by Mrs Odunlami and led by Mr Kayanja and the CMC Director, Mrs Oluwatoyin  Odusanya, the road show started from the Lagos State Secretariat Alausa, Ikeja through Obafemi Awolowo Way and terminated at Ikeja-under-bridge where a citizens’ mediace dayation session was held by the CMC, an agency of the Lagos State government under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice.

    The CMC serves as a non-adversarial dispute resolution Centre using mediation mechanism in dispensing justice fairly and speedily to the satisfaction of both parties.

    With participants numbering over 100 and clad in branded T-shirts, dancing to contemporary songs, to the admiration of members of the public, the ‘Walk for Peace’ road show stopped intermittently at intersections to give room for professional dancers to entertain while leaflets with peace building messages were shared with members of the public.

  • Photos: International youth day 2015

    Photos: International youth day 2015

    Mr. Ronald Kayanja, Director of the United Nations Information Centre, Lagos, delivering the message of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon
    Mr. Ronald Kayanja, Director of the United Nations Information Centre, Lagos, delivering the message of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Photo by UNIC Lagos

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Group photography of guests and organisers
    Group photography of guests and organisers. Photo by UNIC Lagos

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Mrs. Bimpe Bamgbose-Martins, President of Strategy for Mentoring Initiative and Leadership Empowerment (SMILE) delivering the closing remarks. Photo by UNIC Lagos
    Mrs. Bimpe Bamgbose-Martins, President of Strategy for Mentoring Initiative and Leadership Empowerment (SMILE) delivering the closing remarks. Photo by UNIC Lagos
  • Parenting internet savvy kids

    Parenting internet savvy kids

    Parents in Nigeria have been advised on ways of parenting technology savvy children for good of the society.

    This advice was given on Monday during the celebration of the Global Day of Parents at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos.

    At the Panel Discussion programme organised to mark the day in Lagos, parents were urged to keep abreast of their children and be social media smart themselves.

    Speaking on ‘Contemporary Parenting and the Social Media’, Dr Ifeoma Amobi of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, warned that interaction of young people on social media platforms should no longer be dismissed as a ‘waste of time’, but must be acknowledged by parents as a part of contemporary communication.

    “The new way of life, brought on by the spread and development of communication technology, demands different ways of parenting due to the altered fabrics of parent-child relationships,” Dr. Amobi contended.

    According to her: “Parents should be their children’s best friends and should do so by becoming ‘social media smart’.”

    She further noted that in order to fulfil parents’ duty of protecting their children, online activity should be treated with the same diligence as offline activities.

    Welcoming the participants, Mr Ronald Kayanja, Director of UNIC Lagos, highlighted the importance of parents to the development of the child, the community and the nation.

    He observed that the success of the United Nations’ mission to promote international peace and security, ensuring a world free from war and conflict, was dependent on the direction parents provided for their children and the society.

    Quoting from the preamble of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Kayanja observed that “Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed”. He added that parents played an integral role in peace building through teaching values of tolerance, respect for one another, hard work and integrity among others.

    Similarly, Dr. Ebun Sonaiya, Chief Medical Director and Director of Total Health Trust, observed that peer pressure from an early age, the excessive use of technology and gadgets, being subjected to bullying, a sense of entitlement, drugs and substance abuse, sexual experimentation as well as sibling rivalry were the challenges children and parents face at this time in the global development.

    Dr. Ebun who spoke on topic: ‘Critical Issues and Challenges with Parenting in Nigeria’, maintained that “The parenting skills needed to tackle these sort challenges are not taught in schools or homes rather parents need to devise a more practical approach to navigate the challenges.

    In her remarks, the Executive Director of TWYEF, Mrs Stephany Nwanma, re-emphasised the importance of education and restoration of values through parenting and urged parents to rise up to the challenges of contemporary parenting.

    Her Royal Highness addressed the issue of gender equality and women’s empowerment stating that fathers and mothers should be equally responsible for parenting, as “women have always been working side by side to create a happy home for children”.

    In her ‘Testimony of a Parent’, Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru, the former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos state on women ethnic groups, recounted how her parents upheld integrity and values in the face of hardship and poverty to raise her. She added that the values handed down to her by her parents had brought her to where she was at the moment.

    The Panel Discussion programme chaired by the Erelu of Lagos, Her Royal Highness, Abiola Dosunmu, attracted men and women with varying education background, from all walks of life who gathered just to commemorate the Day3 in Nigeria.