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Tag: New York

  • Nigeria’s envoy pays condolence visit to Osotimehin’s family

    Nigeria’s envoy pays condolence visit to Osotimehin’s family

    Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Executive Director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin.

    The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Muhammad-Bande was received by Dr Babajide Osotimehin, the deceased son, on behalf of the family on Monday evening.

    Nigeria’s envoy expressed the condolences of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, to the family.

    He described the late Osotimehin as an accomplished and distinguished professional who made Nigeria proud during the period he served at the UN.

    According to him, Osotimehin’s death is an irreparable loss not only to Nigeria but to the UN and the entire global community.

    The Nigerian ambassador later signed the Condolence Register opened at the residence of the late UNFPA chief.

    Muhammad-Bande was accompanied on the condolence visit by the Head of Chancery of the Permanent Mission, Dr Cyprian Heen.

    Osotimehin died in his home in New York Sunday night at the age of 68 years.

    A physician and public health expert, he became UNFPA’s fourth Executive Director on Jan. 1, 2011, with the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General.

    Before this appointment, the late UNFPA chief was Nigeria’s Minister of Health.

    Prior to that, he was Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), which coordinated HIV and AIDS work in Nigeria.

    Osotimehin qualified as a doctor from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1972, and went to the University of Birmingham, England, where he got a doctorate in medicine in 1979.

    He was appointed Professor at the University of Ibadan in 1980 and headed the Department of Clinical Pathology before being elected Provost of the College of Medicine in 1990.

    Osotimehin received the Nigerian national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger in December 2005.

    He led several councils, including the World Economic Forum.

    Osotimehin was married, had five children and several grandchildren.

  • Nigerians are honourable, hard working people – FG

    Nigerians are honourable, hard working people – FG

    Nigerians are honourable and hard working people who are making remarkable contributions all over the world, the Federal Government said on Monday in New York.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, told the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that only a handful of the citizens were deviants.

    Enikanolaiye lauded the giant strides Nigerians have made in all walks of life, commending their ingenuity, loyalty, patriotism and positive spirit wherever they were found.

    The permanent secretary said: “The vast majority of Nigerians abroad are doing very well, bringing honour and glory to our country.

    “However, we have few bad eggs and unfortunately, that’s what gets reported in many instances; so it is a case of ‘one bad apple spoils the barrel.

    “So Nigeria’s image has also suffered from some of the activities of few Nigerians who get involved in all sorts of criminalities abroad but they are very few.

    “Nevertheless, the silent majority of Nigerians are doing very well, doing the country proudly and we are proud of them.

    “So we would continue to work on that strength of Nigeria and Nigerians because it is about perception.

    “This is to make sure that what is being reported out there is positive for our country.”

    He said the Federal Government would continue to work so it could project what was  great and positive about Nigeria and ultimately change negative perceptions about our country.

    Enikanolaiye said Nigeria had always been a reliable and dependable ally on the global stage, particularly at the UN since its independence.

    According to him, the country is fully back on the global stage, particularly with the assumption of duty of its ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.

    The permanent secretary described the Nigeria’s UN envoy, and other envoys recently posted to other multilateral organizations as “very distinguished personalities”.

    “Even though the permanent mission has been doing its best in keeping the Nigeria’s flag flying, we believe that Bande’s coming at this time would energize our efforts.

    “This is for us to re-engage more effectively with the UN in a manner that Nigeria’s voice would be better heard in a manner that would show Nigeria’s role as a responsible and active player.”

    Enikanolaiye had earlier addressed the UN Security Council’s open debate on “Women and peace and security: Sexual violence in conflict” where he assured the international community of Federal Government’s commitment to bring back the girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.

    He had also met with the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who he described as “a worthy ambassador of Nigeria” and expressed optimism that she would make Nigeria and Africa proud

  • Nigeria pledges commitment to end global terrorism, inequality

    The Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, on Wednesday, pledged Nigeria’s commitment to address all forms of terrorism and inequality on the global stage.

    Bande made the remarks at a dinner organized in his honour and his Deputy, Samson Itegboje, at the Nigeria House in New York, to formally welcome him into the diplomatic community.

    The new envoy said that “Nigeria is committed to advance the cause of the United Nations to realise the purpose for which it was founded.

    “Beyond this, I want to further pledge the readiness of the Government of Nigeria to work with others to address the urgent issues of terrorism and inequality in the global system”.

    The UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was well attended by members of the diplomatic corps.

    There was a large representation from the Permanent Missions of many African countries, as well those of Canada and India, among others.

    Members of the business community and Nigerians in the diaspora were also present to welcome the new envoy.

    Speaking with NAN, Bande expressed delight at the honour done to Nigeria by the diplomatic community, saying it has affirmed the goodwill the country enjoyed among the comity of nations.

    “We are very glad that virtually all the Missions invited to the dinner attended; mostly the attendance was by the Heads of Missions.

    “And even for those who couldn’t make it, they sent very senior officials who stayed with us and the interactions were extremely cordial.

    “This is proof enough of our importance in the UN system.

    “Which means we have to also strengthen our capacity to play our role in the system and there is no doubt, this is really the focus of the present administration.”

    The Nigerian envoy said that he had hit the ground running since he assumed office last week adding, the Mission has proactively planned his schedules and things are going on well.

    Bande assumed office on May 1 as Nigeria’s new envoy to the UN and presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on May 3

     

  • “Nigerian Prince” proposed movie on scammers wins $1m grant

    “Nigerian Prince” proposed movie on scammers wins $1m grant

    “Nigerian Prince”, a proposed movie on email scammers, has won a one million dollar AT&T grant at the Tribeca Film Festival.

    The movie, written and directed by Nigeria’s Biyi Bandele and Oscar Herndez-Topete, was announced the winner on April 20, at the Film Festival in New York.

    According to media reports AT&T will provide funding of up to one million for Bandele to create his movie.

    Tribeca will also provide mentorship from seasoned industry professionals.

    The telecommunications conglomerate also plans to distribute the winning film across several of its video platforms.

    Nigerian Prince is based on the notorious email scams from Nigerians.

    It’s centered on a stubborn Nigerian-American teenager sent back to Nigeria against his will.

    Things take another turn when he joins forces with an Internet scammer in order to return to the United States.

    Bandele is a Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker.

    His directorial debut film “Half of a Yellow Sun” was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Fesval while his other movie, “Fifty” was included in the 2015 London Film Festival.

    Bandele also directed the third season of the popular MTV drama series, “Shuga”.

     

  • UK’s Daily Mail to pay Melania Trump damages over modeling claims  

    UK’s Daily Mail to pay Melania Trump damages over modeling claims  

    Britain’s Daily Mail agreed on Wednesday to pay Melania Trump an undisclosed sum and issue an apology after the news group published an article about her previous professional work as a model.

    She had filed a 150 million dollars (120 million pound) lawsuit against the Daily Mail’s owner in New York claiming the article had cost her millions of dollars in potential business.

    On Wednesday, the Daily Mail apologised for the article and said it would issue a retraction.

    “We have agreed to pay her damages and costs,” it said.

    A person familiar with the situation said the settlement was worth less than $3 million, including legal costs and damages.

     

  • Chimamanda’s “Americanah” wins New York book contest

    Chimamanda’s “Americanah” wins New York book contest

    Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie’s novel “Americanah” has won the “One Book, One New York” campaign by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and BuzzFeed.

    The office said on Monday that New Yorkers cast their ballots for the book throughout February and said they wanted millions of residents to read it  simultaneously.

    It stated that the voting which took place in February, were both online and at interactive digital kiosks on subway platforms.

    The office added that “finally, Americanah was the book most New Yorkers wanted to read, as 50,000 voters who participated in the #OneBookNY campaign voted for it.”

    It explained that New Yorkers were encouraged to form their own book clubs and discussions around the book, which detailed the story of a Nigerian couple that left military-ruled Nigeria.

    The office said Americanah centred around two young Nigerian lovers who departed for different cities in the Western world and later reunited in a democratic Nigeria.

    Ifemelu, the protagonist, headed for America, where her life as an immigrant changed her perspective on race and identity.

    Before being reunited in their homeland, the female protagonist, Ifemelu, was forced to confront new issues of race and class in the United States, and her lover, Obinze, blocked from joining her due to post-9/11 travel restrictions, struggled for dignity as an undocumented immigrant in London.

    Published in 2013, Ngozi-Adichie’s novel won a National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and was named one of The New York Times “Ten Best Books of the Year.”

    The office said New Yorkers could access the full audio-book version for 90 days through a city partnership with the digital reading subscription company, Scribd.

    It noted that they could also borrow one of the thousands of additional copies donated by publishers and other organisations to New York City’s public library systems.

    It stated that “in partnership with the digital library and subscription service, Scribd, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment will provide free 90-day access to full ‘Americanah’ audiobook through June.”

    It announced that the office would host events like film screenings and panel discussions to drum up excitement about the book and get New Yorkers talking about it in the upcoming months.

    Other books voted on included “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz, “The Sellout” by Paul Beatty and “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. (NAN)

  • Snowstorms: New York declares state of emergency, UN closes

    Snowstorms: New York declares state of emergency, UN closes

    The New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has declared a state of emergency on Tuesday over the impending snowstorms in the busiest U.S. city that runs 24-hour commercial and transportation services.

    Cuomo said that a state of emergency would go into effect at midnight.

    “The New York City Emergency Management Department and the National Weather Service have issued a Blizzard Watch in effect from late Monday night through late Tuesday night.

    “The storm is to bring heavy snow, along with strong and potentially damaging winds that will create hazardous travel conditions on Tuesday.

    “As everybody has heard, mother nature plans on visiting us later tonight and the expectation is that she’s going to bring a wintry fury with her, which we are taking quite seriously

    “Public schools in New York City have already canceled classes for Tuesday,” Cuomo said on Monday.

    The governor said flood watch is expected to go into effect Tuesday for coastal regions in New York.

    Cuomo directed state agencies to begin preparing for the storm and called on residents to limit unnecessary travel on Tuesday.

    He said the region anticipated “substantial Mass Transit Agency (MTA) service changes,” which would affect subways, buses, the Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

    The New York governor said that above-ground MTA service would be suspended at 4a.m. on Tuesday.

    The UN headquarters complex will be closed on Tuesday due to snowstorms, the UN Department of Management and the Department of Safety and Security have said.

    Tal Mekel, Acting Chief, Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit, in a statement issued on Monday, said all activities at the headquarters were canceled as a result of the inclement weather.

    “New York City has announced that all public schools will be closed tomorrow.

    “All after-school activities are also cancelled,” the UN said.

    Flights within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday saw 2,891 delays and another 1,552 cancellations as of 6 p.m. local time, according to FlightAware.

    FlightAware said another 4,917 flights originally scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled.

    American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines issued travel alerts and began waiving re-booking fees for flights within affected regions.

    “The ‘nor’easter’ is expected to cripple much of the Northeast,”, the National Weather Service said.

    The weather service issued blizzard warnings for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut with several other states told to be on their guard.

    The weather service called the storm “life-threatening” and warned people to “shelter in place”.

    “In total, 50 million people along the northeast region are set to be affected by the storm and temperatures will be 15 to 30 degrees below normal for this time of the year,” according to the service.

    The expected snowfall and high winds may take down trees and power lines, John Latka, Vice President, Electric and Gas Operations at PSE&G, said in a statement on Monday.

    “We take every storm with the potential for outages seriously, and have additional personnel scheduled and on standby, with auxiliary equipment,” Latka said.

     

  • Chimamanda’s ‘Americanah’ for reading in New York

    Chimamanda’s ‘Americanah’ for reading in New York

    Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie’s bestseller novel ‘Americanah’ has been selected as one of the five award-winning books to be chosen for the ‘One Book One New York’ programme.

    The concept of ‘One Book One New York’ is an initiative to bring together bookworms in the U.S. largest city to read the same book at the same time.

    New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment said a committee made up of “the heads of the New York Public Library, the deans of the major academic institutions, and leaders of the book publishing industry,” all helped to select the five books among hundreds.

    The Mayor’s office said the programme aims to get all of New York City on the same page literally adding, the idea is essentially a giant book club, or a “one book read campaign”.

    The office has planned at least six community-based reading events, some of which will be with the authors.

    “New York City is proud to be the creative capital of the world.

    “The ‘One Book, One New York’ initiative provides the perfect opportunity to bring city residents from all five boroughs together through reading,” Mayor Bill de Blasio, said.

    According to Julie Menin, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, once the book is chosen, the city will host an author event at the New York Public Library, as well as a number of ancillary events at bookstores throughout the city.

    “We’re thrilled to celebrate our enduring literary capital with the ‘One Book, One New York’ program.

    “All five of the nominated titles are fantastic, and we invite New Yorkers from all five boroughs for the chance to vote for your favorite NYC read.

    “One Book, One New York” will help readers connect with one another while rediscovering their libraries and their independent neighbourhood bookstores.

    “Something that makes it incredibly timely in this moment our country is in is that all five of these books deal with themes of immigration, of race, oftentimes of being an outsider.

    “These books are incredibly timely. These are really thought-provoking books that really speak to the age that we’re in,” Menin said.

    The programme also features celebrity advocates who have all taped on-camera segments touting the importance of each book and urging New Yorkers to vote online.

    The book to be read will be chosen by city residents, who have been voting for their favourites online at nyc.gov/onebook and at subway platform kiosks, which will end on Feb. 28.

    The final book selection will be announced in early March, with events taking place around the city to follow through early June when the culminating event will take place.

    The culminating event, in June, will be something of a big book club meeting, with fans of the book coming to the New York Public Library to take part in a conversation between its author and the senior book editor at BuzzFeed.

    The publishers of the five nominated books have provided at least 800 copies of those books to New York City’s more than 200 library branches.

    According to chimamanda.com, Americanah is a powerful tender story of race and identity.

    Chimamanda’s works’ have been translated into over 30 languages and have won several prizes including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Orange Prize.

    Others are, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction as well as one of The New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year.

    Those works include, Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun which was also adapted into a movie.

    A recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, her works have also made a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, a New York Times Notable Book, and a People and Black Issues Book Review Best Book of the Year.

  • ‘My goal in the US is to stay off stigma’

    ‘My goal in the US is to stay off stigma’

    Tosin Osibajo is an occupational therapist practising in New York, United States of America. She founded Therapists Without Borders Foundation (TWBF), a not-for-profit organisation which supports provision of therapeutic services to increase the quality of life in communities. On the verge of completing a doctoral degree at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, US, the outstanding young lady, who is in her 20s, had an encounter with HANNAH OJO.

    You were born in Lagos; at what point did you decide to relocate to the United States?

    I came to the US in the year 2000 with my family in search of the American dream. I did my elementary school in Nigeria.  I went to the City University of New York for a bachelor and masters degrees in Occupational Therapy and I am currently completing my doctoral degree at Chatham University, Pittsburgh. I hope that by May 2017, I would be addressed as officially Dr Oluwatosin, God willing.

    What motivated you to choose Occupational Therapy and how did your parents react to your career choice?

    Growing up, I’ve always had the zeal to help people. I have always been a caring person; so my parents already knew I was going to do something in the medical field.  When I graduated from high school in 2006, I wanted to do something unique, so I went in search of a career that I believe would be completely unique among the Nigerian community.  When I told my parents, they really didn’t know what Occupational Therapy was about. I think what really motivated me to join the field is because I wanted to spread out and do something that is not really saturated with Nigerians. It is a career that I find fulfillment in; when you do something that you love, you don’t see it as a job.img_9609

    Are there challenges you encounter in the line of your career and how do you handle them?

    I was the youngest when I entered the programme.  I guess the age factor was one of the things that literarily played out because I was dealing with people that are over 30 years old and also a different race. Occupational Therapy is saturated with the Caucasian race and being a black female of an African descent in that field is challenging. You have to prove yourself and your skills.  I thank God for the knowledge, wisdom and understanding to be able to bring out what I have learned and to be able to showcase myself that yes,  I might be a Nigerian and black but I have the same skills to perform excellently. I thank God that so far so good. Based on my field and my work, I have been able to represent my country well. I noticed that for a lot of people who are up there, when it is time for them to tell people who they are, they become a little bit reluctant because they don’t want to be judged.  Everybody knows I am a Nigerian because I create awareness about the Nigerian culture and I am happy doing that.

    You founded Therapists Without Borders Foundation (TWBF), a not-for-profit NGO, did you choose the name in order to compete with other established charities like Doctors Without Borders?

    I chose therapists without borders because many times in the medical field, we are the profession that is normally forgotten. The only time people remember us is when they get into an accident or when something unprecedented happens to their health. I chose the name to bring awareness to the rehabilitation field and to promote our profession as a whole. The main reason why I started this foundation is to educate people about what we do.  I love my career, I love what I do and I feel like this is a platform for me to showcase what we do.  So it is not just when you have a car accident that you remember rehab medicine or not just when you fall or when you have a stroke that you remember rehab medicine.  We are there every day to protect people and make sure they live a fulfilled life.  My aim remains to showcase the profession and help people live a fulfilled life by providing free services and consultations.

    The board of TWBF boasts of practitioners in the field who are non-Nigerians, how were you able to convince these people to join even as a Nigerian immigrant?

    I will say the works of your hands are what you are worth.  I have worked with these personalities and they have seen how I treat people. One of the things I noticed when I was speaking to them is that they saw the passion I have for the profession.  Even before the foundation, they noticed I always provided pro bono services to people and I interacted with other disciplines in the facility. So using my own legacy as a model, I guess that was what convinced them.   I will speak about Diane Gashi, the Vice-President of the foundation who has been my backbone. As for the other people on the board, I was able to convince them through the works of my hands.

    How do you source for funds to run some of your projects?

    Because it is a new organisation, the funds are directly from us.  We have not gotten any sponsorship from anyone else. Majority of the funds are from me and I believe that in order to have something tangible, you need to be able to put in something first so people will know how serious you are.  I took it upon myself as the founder to launch it. Once people are able to see what I have done thus far, then I could open up the organisation to sponsors. We are already working with lawyers on the processes that will allow us receive donations from other organisations later on in the New Year.

    You would be visiting Nigeria briefly for the holidays, what programmes do you plan to initiate with the foundation?

    I am teaming up with Dayo Israel, an aspirant for Mainland Local Government chairmanship in Lagos.  My goal is to target hunger within the under-privileged communities in Nigeria during this Christmas season.  Nigeria has always been in recession but this particular recession has been the worst so far based on my research, reading CNN and hearing from my families back home. My heart goes out to those under-privileged people who could not afford good food when the economy was slightly better, not to talk of now that the economy is bad. That is when I literarily started the movement called “Millennials on the rise”.  I am trying to reach out to the Nigerian community by providing something for them like what we call in the United States ‘Food on Wheel’. That way, they are able to sustain themselves throughout the day. I want to give people a reason to celebrate.

    Your share a similar surname with Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice-President of Nigeria, the difference being the ‘n’ that is in the VP’s name; what is your relationship with him?

    I am trying to make my own name. The Vice-President is a distant relative but I have never met him in person. I am actually from Ogun State but I was born in Lagos.

    Many Nigerians in diaspora are returning home to build businesses or contest political offices; do you have an intention to do likewise in the future?

    I see myself coming back home and establishing a rehabilitation facility in Nigeria. The amount Nigerians pay on medical bills is just out of this world. That is why people don’t really go for medical check-ups. I am currently looking forward to opening a centre that would be economical for everyone. My goal is to come home and establish a facility that will have a rehab portion attached to it.

    You have been in the United States for over 16 years, what are the things you miss about home?

    Oh my God (sounding ecstatic). I miss the Ariya(party) thing and the vibe. There is no place like home. In America it is all about work.  In Nigeria, I feel like every time I step into the family, I am always embraced by friends and family. Once they hear my accent, you are like a celebrity and everybody is like where are you from?   Christmas in the United State is really quiet; it is different from Halloween and thanksgiving. I think thanksgiving replaces Christmas in the US  which doesn’t make any sense to me but in Nigeria, Christmas is like thanksgiving where you sit together and you celebrate to thank God.

    What admonition do you have for young Nigerians coming to the United States in search of greener pastures?

    One thing I will tell youths trying to come to America is that if they are opportune to come, they should be the best they could be.  Some things have occurred within the Nigerian community here that have overshadowed the good that many Nigerians do. That is why my goal in the US is to stay away from the stigma and show people that yes, I am a Nigerian but I am intelligent. There was a documentary that I watched on CNN with my family and Nigeria was mentioned among the countries with the most intelligent people in the world alongside other countries like India and China.  I was   elated at the mention and that further inspired me to say I want my name to ring a bell, showing that I am a proud Nigerian.  We flew 12 hours to come here (the US) and it is a long journey, so going across the Atlantic Ocean, so you should be able to think of what would make you stand out for good.  Let your character, works and intelligence speak for you and you will be embraced.

    Judging by your age and outstanding achievement, who were the figures that influenced you to be the best while growing up?

    The number one people are my parents, Afolabi and Oyetutu Osibajo. Seeing how they struggled in this country to just have that fulfilled American dream has influenced me into having this kind of vibe and drive. I was looking at how they struggled when they came to the States in the year 2000; my dad worked three jobs, and my mum worked two jobs.  Seeing how hard they worked and pushed themselves to be an asset within five years is a point of encouragement for me.  Growing up, my dad posted an article of a girl, her name is Oluwatosin Otitoloju and when I was in the eighth grade, he took the article and posted it on my wall. And he’ll say, “Did you see Tosin Otitoloju? She was born in Nigeria and she got a scholarship to the US and she graduated from a good college. She has all the awards awardable. She is an intelligent, young woman and that is what I want you to be in life”. Each day I will walk up and read the article. My mirror was Tosin Otitoloju.  Also, watching how Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola has emerged motivates me to be the best.  I had an opportunity to spend Christmas with his family last year and just listening to him was really good and inspiring.

  • Research is vital to economic diversification-Expert

    An awardee of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) has said that research is a vital tool in achieving economic diversification.

    Prof. Omowunmi Sadik, a Professor of Bioanalytical and Environmental Chemistry said this in an interview with the journalists at the ongoing 9th Annual Forum of NNOM on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Sadik is an inventor working at the Binghamton University, New York, U. S. whose works earned her the award.

    “Research is the solution to many of our problems in terms of energy development and sufficiency.

    “In terms of training new and upcoming researchers, we need to put funds into our universities to continue to make great strides in development.

    “The government must take a critical look at innovation, and so we need to continue to improve funds in this regards. I believe we need to put more funds into the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFUND).

    “I will like to see the government of President Muhammadu  Buhari continue to do more of research in energy, infrastructure development as well as in science and technology,’’ Sadik said.

    She said that no serious development could take place in any country without serious investment in research.

    According to her, the government should reduce its concentration on oil which is the bane on the Nigerian economy.

    “The main challenge that we have as an economy is a concentration of crude oil, with over 90 percent of our foreign exchange earnings coming from this source, this is not sustainable.

    “So the thrust of this government that wants to diversify the economy should be on research.

    “In the area of agriculture and solid minerals, we look at manufacturing, services, entertainment and all these are viable areas to expand them.

    “Most importantly, we must find alternative sources of foreign exchange earnings, we should rapidly expand in terms of research funding that will grow our manufacturing sector.

    “Nigerians should, therefore, support made in Nigeria goods campaign so that we can grow our economy and speedily come out of recession,’’ she said.

    Sadik, therefore urged the government to develop the science and technology sector that would provide the infrastructure and incentives principally for improved research and development.

    She said that collaborations with relevant research bodies and institutions within the country and the international community were keys to its success.