The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NGO

  • NGO TO CELEBRATE NIGERIA AT 55

    NGO TO CELEBRATE NIGERIA AT 55

    ALAPOMEJI crooner, Abolore Akande, aka 9ice, is among artistes expected to headline a concert being organized by World Changers International, a youth-oriented Non Governmental Organisation.

    The concert, tagged Celebrating Nigeria at 55 will hold alongside a leadership summit on October 8 and 9 at the London Metropolitan University, London. According to the management of the NGO, the concert aims to foster synergy among the Nigerian youths both home and abroad.

    Expected to speak during the two-day conference are Tony Elumelu, Chairman Heirs Holding, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and musician 9ice amongst others.

    “Nigerians in Diasporas have associated themselves with the negative aspect of our dear nation. They don’t believe that anything good has ever come out of this country,” said President of the body, Tim Ayoola Abiodun.

    According to Abiodun who urged youth inclusion in government, “the programme aims at presenting the positive aspect of Nigeria nationwide.”

    The concert producer Anthony Dike said the event provided an avenue for Nigerians to deploy their talents.

    “The concert aims at encouraging Nigerians using their talents over there, to bring in their craft and contribute to the Nigerian industry,” said Dike.

  • NGO lifts Bayelsa taxpayers

    The coming on board of the Tax Justice Advocacy and Governance Platform (TJGP) has restored the hope of shop owners and the business community in Bayelsa State. The state has serious tax issues. In fact, the increasing quest to generate revenue internally to augment lean resources from the Federal Government has placed additional burden on the shoulders of taxpayers.

    Artisans, shop owners and all categories of businesses including drivers of commercial vehicles especially in Yenagoa, the state capital are not free from the wrath of tax collectors. The main problem bugging the tax system is multiple taxation. Different ministries collect the same taxes from people.

    But the TJGP said it had come to address all the tax injustices in the state. The stae Coordinator, TJGP, Princes Elizabeth Egbe, and the group’s Secretary, Mr. Torki Dauseye, held a forum recently in Yenagoa to sensitise the people on their rights.

    Egbe said the platform was established to increase awareness among citizens on tax justice; promote fair, progressive and transparent tax system and administration in the state through improved stakeholders’ advocacy.

    She explained that the platform would undertake research to determine the tax burden and types of taxes implemented in the state which would facilitate evidence-based campaigns against all forms of harmful tax practices that undermine human rights and government ability to generate maximum tax revenue.

    While saying that it is a civic responsiblity for every citizen to pay tax, she insisted that it should be done in a way that protects the rights of the people.

    She said: “The tendency for the government to pursue the raising of revenue as much as possible from taxes in a manner that ignores the rights of citizens is therefore a looming possibility, especially as power has the ability to corrupt if not checked.

    “When taxation becomes strictly revenue-driven, the tendency for injustice becomes higher. Tax justice proposes that every citizen pay all the taxes they are expected to pay according to their ability to the appropriate authorities and jurisdiction with ease and convenience in a timely manner”.

    She advocated an inclusive tax system in the state to promote small and medium enterprises insisting that the platforn seeks a balance between the obligations and the rights of the state to collect taxes and the duties of citizens to pay taxes.

    She said a survey by the platform found some injustices in the system. She identified some of them as multiple rates, taxes, levies on lower ladder players especially women; tacit approval of extortion, undocumented collections; corruption and collusion by tax officials and non-remittance of collected taxes to appropriate authorities.

    In its quest for tax justice, she said the platform visited Ministry of Finance, board of internal revenue, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the traders and media unions.

     

  • NGO trains pupils on skills

    NGO trains pupils on skills

    Educare Trust Youth Centre, Samonda, Ibadan, Oyo State capital has trained 35 school pupils on different skills to mark this year’s convention on the rights of the child.

    The programme, tagged “2015 Holischool” began on August 5 and ended on September 12.

    The Coordinator of the programme, Mr Moshood Folorunsho described the training as the best way to keep the children off the street during the holiday.

    He also described the trainees as ‘excellent’, adding that students have been groomed and given education that is sustainable and attractive.

    According to him, the children have learnt how to make tie, bags, shoes, beads, soaps, lamp holders and games, among others.

    In addition, there was a leadership workshop for participants who also displayed their wares before their parents and teachers after the exercise.

    “They have been trained on how to be computer literate, how to operate a camera and video camera. No fewer than 45 students applied for this programme but 35 were accommodated due to one challenge or the other. This is more or less like a summer school to keep student busy during their holiday,ý” he said.

    ýFolorunsho advised the participants to practise the skills they learnt, even as he urged them to take their education seriously.

  • NGO trains pupils in vocational skills

    Educare Trust Youth Centre, Samonda, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has trained 35 school pupils on various skills to mark the 2015 convention on the rights of the child.

    The programme tagged: ‘2015 Holischool’, began on August 5, and ended on September 12.

    Its Co-ordinator, Mr Moshood Folorunsho, described the training as the best way to keep children off the streets during the holiday.

    He portrayed the trainees as ‘excellent’, adding that students had been groomed and given learning that is sustainable and attractive.

    According to him, they have learnt how to make tie, bags, shoes, beads, soaps, lamp holders, games, among others.

    In addition, there was a leadership workshop for participants. Participants also showcased their wares after the exercise before their parents and teachers.

    “Also, they have been trained to be computer literate, to operate a camera and video camera. No fewer than 45 students applied for this programme, but 35 were accommodated due to one challenge or the other. This is more or less like a summer school to keep students busy during their holiday,” he said.

    Folorunsho advised the participants to practise the skills they learnt during the training, while also urging them to take their education seriously.

     

  • NGO engages ladies in leadership talk

    NGO engages ladies in leadership talk

    Representatives of Akintola and Akpabio Halls of Residence at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have collaborated with Wuliareads Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on literacy development, to organise Young Women Open Forum for female undergraduates of the institution.

    Tagged: #ProjectHerLifeMatters, the forum was aimed at improving participants’ knowledge in literature, leadership, health and career. The facilitators engaged the ladies on challenges they face in the university. The forum was facilitated by a team of four young women, including the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Vice President, Chinaza Nebo, a beauty queen, Diamond Okoh-Obiahu, and a blogger, Ada Monique.

    The speakers discussed how they were being able to successfully combine their academics with their passion.

    A medical practitioner, Dr Oluchi Ayogu of Bishop Shanahan Hospital in Nsukka, engaged the ladies on personal hygiene and how they could combat infections from their environment. There was also a free counselling session, where Dr Ayogu met one-on-one with the participants.

    Chimezie
    Chimezie

    Making vote of thanks, the NGO founder, Chimezie Anajama, said many ladies faced challenges because they lacked pragmatic power to deal with problems.

    She said: “Many students end up discovering their talents while they are in university. Some, who tried to do things on their own, may even end up not knowing how to accomplish those things. This is the reason we engage ladies in peer review to show participants that some of their colleagues are already flying even as undergraduates.”

    “Women are partners in nation-building and we must build good future for ourselves. We must be literate and equipped for that future. Women must know that literacy is not just about learning to read and write, but also using our talents to build a society we want.”

    Chimezie urged the participants to read beyond their academic scopes. She added: “It is not really the books you read and your exams that define who you are, but the knowledge you have outside the classrooms play huge impact.”

  • NGO to raise $1b for jobs

    In Abuja-based Non-Governmental Organisation, Roots and Origin has launched a $1billion fund for the purpose of creating jobs.

    The organisation said that as part of its programmes, proceeds from the fund will be used to train unemployed youths pursuant to being self-employed.

    The goal, according to the initiator, Hajia Aisha Pacegi, is to help the country build local content.

    She said: “What we are doing is creating funds. This is where the $I billion challenge comes in. We hope to raise funds and create jobs at the community level through this programme.

    “It’s a global initiative, a profit NGO in the sense that it is from our proceeds that we will give back to society. So whatever you buy, we take a certain percentage towards training, empowerment programmes and helping build local content in the food industry, especially among those promoting healthy lifestyles through eating right.

    “Nigeria is lagging behind a bit with regard to the issue of local content. Take a look at Ghana and what they have been able to do with making their local agriculture produce of world standard. Ghana has many cooperatives, look at what they have done with shea butter. So, we will be among those who will work towards Nigeria handling the local content issue.”

    Pacegi further explained that the organisation is “all about giving and receiving”. It’s about us loving ourselves. Life itself is a gift that we must make proper use of. For me, the first rule in life in giving and receiving. And when we say we want people to learn how to receive, we aren’t talking just money or material things.

    “We are talking about receiving help with skill acquisition. So the minute you understand that loves from your source which is you creator, you will also know that you can give out love too. We will not just train people, we will also make them realise that whatever you need to succeed is right in you. Some people might say that the greatest achievement of man are things like computers or travel to space. But if we think deeply, it is actually mankind understanding the importance of the mind. Most the things we call great are ideas from the mind.”

    Apart from sales of your products, she explained that the organistion intends to raise fund by “doing a lot of merchandising. If you look at it from the perspective that we already have good products, we can merchandise them at the global level. There are seven billion people in the world, imagine that we can use good merchandising to sell as much one billion times. We don’t have to wait for government to do this or that. We can be the one to bring about change.”

    Speaking on challenges envisage and how she intend to go around it, Hajia Pacegi said “this a process that we have started. We don’t plan to be an overnight success. We are in for the long haul and like you rightly noted, we have business plan. What we are now concerned with ensuring that our subconscious doesn’t tell us we cannot succeed on this enterprise. Talking about challenges, I know that we have a lot to do with regard to changing people’s mindsets from one of doubt to that that believes that they can succeed that we all can be part of the success story we are trying to write in our NGO.

    “We are not going to exporting just Nigerian goods. We will be marketing and merchandising brands so that way we will get into the global trade. We now live a global village where people trade online. Today, you can buy something online in Australia and it is sent to you here in Nigeria. Yes, I understand your worry about how we are going to sell. We have plans for that. What I am more concerned about is how we can get the right people to be involved.”

    Explaining further on the modalities to be adopted, Pacegi said “we will be doing more of merchandising. What we will be packaging are healthy food items we eat here in Nigeria. We will be telling the world how they can eat right to remain healthy.

    “We have set a one billion dollar target and we believe that we can achieve it. Growing up as kids, we read a lot of inspirational books and we developed the right mindset which has helped us achieve our dreams and we believe that it will also help us do great things with this idea. We have an idea of a bucket list which we and our partners will look at from time to time, to see if we have achieved these things.  We can do a lot with marketing made in Nigeria products.

    The world is returning to the natural things and we have hundreds of plants in Nigeria that is world will marvel at. We have plants that can prevent and treat diseases. There is so many things that God blessed us with. But we want to use made in America and China, rather than selling our own naturally given plants and food.”

  • NGO urges govt to support women farmers

    A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), has called on governments at all levels to provide adequate support for women farmers to make them contribute their quota to the policy of national food security.

    The Executive Director of the WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, made the call at a capacity building workshop organised for women farmers in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    She disclosed that women farmers have just 14 per cent holding rights on the land where they farm and therefore, have limited access to land, credit facilities, farm inputs, training and advice, technology and crop insurance, which the government is in better position to provide, but has failed to oblige them.

    Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi lamented government’s neglect of women farmers despite their deep commitments to farming and enormous contributions to food production and security in Nigeria.

    She advised government to motivate women farmers in actualising their dreams in farming.

    According to her: “Nigerian women play important roles in food and agriculture. It has been reported that women small holder farmers constitute 70-80 per cent of agric labour force. They produce the bulk of food for domestic consumption and they are the drivers of food processing, marketing and preservation.

    “In spite of their strategic roles in food production, the government hardly focuses on supporting them. I am also calling on government to involve women in the policy-making processes in agriculture to improve their participation in government’s hunger and poverty eradication agenda.”

    She lamented that most of the organisations advocating for government support for farmers were made up of male advocates who exclude women’s contributions.

    Akiyode-Afolabi, said the workshop was organised to push for a parading shift from male domination and ensure that gender approaches are introduced to government’s agricultural policies and programmes.

  • NGO trains pupils in vocational skills

    NGO trains pupils in vocational skills

    NO  fewer than 238 secondary school pupils in Surulere converged on Randle Avenue, Lagos to learn various crafts at a two-week workshop.

    The programme, tagged: “Young entrepreneurs’ exhibition”, was organised by Delateur Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose aim is to create and promote teenage entrepreneurship.

    The pupils, many of who were enjoying the long vacations, were trained in shoe and bag making, soap making, bead making, make-up, photography and event decoration, among others.

    In addition, there was a leadership seminar for participants. Participants also showcased their wares after the exercise before their parents and teachers.

    The Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary of Education in District 4, Mrs Aderinsola Soname, described the training as the best way to keep the children off the street during the holiday. She portrayed the trainees as ‘amazing’ .

    The school’s Principal, Mrs R. A. Oguah, hailed Delateur Foundation’s initiative, saying knowledge acquired by beneficiaries would be fruitful for thems.

    She said: “When Delateur Foundation approached the school to engage our pupils in training, we did not hesitate to embrace the partnership because it would keep pupils busy during the holiday. After the training, we have seen what the children can do with their talents. These crafts they have learned in two weeks can shape their future forever.”

    Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Mr Yemi Adeyemi, said the young entrepreneurship project was informed by his emotional encounter with a young street-hawker four years ago. To Adeyemi, the objective of the training was to equip children with skills that would take them off the street.

    He said: “Since we started the project, we have been training 100 pupils every year. But, we decided to increase the number to 238 this year. We are not just training and leaving them to their fate. Some who excel in their training are given tools to set up their own businesses. One of the highlights of this event is that we presented start-up tools to past beneficiaries, who we have monitored in the last two years.”

    He advised the participants to practise the skills they learnt during the training, while also urging them to take their education seriously.

    Obe said he now earns N10,000 monthly from the vocation.

  • NGO holds end-of-school year party

    The Italian Consul-General to Nigeria Andrea Pompermaier,  has reiterated the country’s commitment to promoting education among collaborating countries.

    He spoke at the end-of-year party of SS.Peter and Paul Schools, Ikate,  Lagos.

    It was organised by its owner Loving Gaze.

    Loving Gaze is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with 25 years of experience in Nigeria. It is dedicated to serving the less-privileged community in Lagos and Taraba states, through educational activities, basic health care service, women empowerment and vocational training.

    SS.Peter And Paul Schools is one of the two schools Loving Gaze runs in Lagos (the other one sited in Ikorodu) usually in less-privileged communities.

    Pompermaier said: “Italy firmly believes that education promotes peace, prosperity, progress, reciprocal understanding and tolerance.

    The event, which took place at Ikate Elegushi-Lekki, Lagos offered an opportunity for pupils to bring on stage the ‘Little Prince a playlet written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

    In addition the children showcased their singing and dancing talents. The graduating class shone like a million starts as they also presented farewell songs amid applause by parents and guests.

    According to Pompermaier, a school on earth is more precious than a diamond mine, noting that the experience and knowledge garnered are an inestimable endowment which accompany man through life’s journey.

    Loving Gaze General Manager Barbara Pepoli said: “The school was founded to provide quality primary education to all the children in the community, beyond the barriers of their social or economical backgrounds.

    “Over 60 per cent of our students have access to primary education thanks to the support of local and international donors who generously contribute to their needs. This is a fundamental educational choice made by Loving Gaze since inception: education shall be a right beyond socio-economical circumstances and the quality of education should not be compromised if we want to raise adults who can ‘see with an open heart’, understand the value of each person, the love for beauty, the respect and care for themselves and others.”

    She, however, noted that their students have been exposed internationally with the support of Lucia Melchiori, the School Director, and eightinternational volunteer teachers from France, Australia and Italy.

     

  • NGO trains ladies in leadership skill

    NGO trains ladies in leadership skill

    A non-governmental organisation, Entreprenurship Action in US (ENACTUS) has held an empowerment seminar for female students, with the aim to mentor them to become successful leaders in business and politics.

    The event took place at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island in Lagos and was attended by 900 students from 20 universities.

    Head of ENACTUS media team, Mrs Elizabeth Okwoho, said the seminar was informed by the need to engage the female students in community-based project aimed at influencing and educating women at the grassroots.

    She said: “What brings up the idea of women empowerment is the need to train female students, who will engage women population in the northern part of the country that has been edged out of economic opportunities, because of religious barrier. We need to break this barrier and this is why we have brought successful women to inspire the trainees.”

    The event was in two phases- the discussion and engagement sessions. During the discussion, Editor-in-Chief of TW Magazine, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, inspired the participants with her personal experience in leadership, advising them to always strive to achieve success in their endeavours.

    In the engagement session, the participants were paired with a mentor who, led discussions in the group and responded to questions from the mentees.

    Discussions at the seminar focused on overcoming the challenges of being a woman in leadership position, balancing work and family responsibilities, becoming a role model in a hostile environment, and applying entrepreneurial skills to achieve success, among others.

    Other speakers at the event included Public Affairs Officer of the United States (U.S.) Embassy, Melissa Ford, officials of U.S. Embassy, Deb Maclean and Chinenye Uwadilike, former Executive Director of Junior Achievement, Kunbi Wuraola, Executive Director, Ideas Builders Initiative, Lucy Kanu, a banker, Osayi Oruene-Alele, Managing Director, Cardinal Developers, Bernadine Okeke, and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Prof Olabisi Aina, among others.

    A 100-Level student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Islamiat Abdulsalam, said she learnt leadership tips from seminar, promising to engage in vulnerable women in her community in economic empowerment.

    Excel Deyofege, a student of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), said her dream to become a business leader had become realisable after she received mentorship during the seminar.

    “I had a problem on how to manage my time. I always do a lot of tasks, which sometimes I felt I should give up on them. Now, I have learnt how to go about managing my time for various activities I engage in. I have plans to have business and I have been inspired to go steps further to achieving my dream,” she said.

    Emem Asuquo of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) said she learnt how to make decisions and combining both family responsibility with career.