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  • ‘Nigeria can generate electricity from waste’

    The lawmaker representing Apapa I constituency, Mojisola Meranda, has advocated the need to generate electricity from waste.

    She spoke at a stakeholders’ constituency meeting which aimed at reorienting the community on the need to properly handle environmental challenges. The meeting also gave suggestions on ending threatening environmental challenges.

    The event, held at the Apapa Amusement Park, was tagged “Environmental challenges: Community Engagement to Facility Lasting Solution”.

    Read Also: ’We will restore lost glory in waste management’

    Meranda urged the community on the need for proper refuse disposal, admonishing them to place bin bags at the corner or frontage of the house, where appropriate waste can be deposited, as they await arrival of the LAWMA officials who will pick them up on designated days.

    The lawmaker hinted that the Lagos State government has taken measures to sensitise the public on how well to separate wastes that can be recycled, from wastes that cannot be recycled, to make it easy for waste collectors.

    She said: “At a time like this, when our community is being ravaged by flood due to improper waste disposal, there is urgent need to organise a program like this, to sensitise the public on how well to manage waste.”

    On ways to combat flooding, Meranda said the first thing to be done is desilting the drainages. She added that once the primary and secondary channels are cleared, flooding will be a thing of the past.

    “The safety of our environment is a collective responsibility; it should not be left out to the government alone,” she added.

  • MOSOP welcomes military operations in Ogoniland

    The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has described the current military operations in parts of Ogoniland, Rivers State, as a step in the right direction.

    The military operation is to weed out criminals, vandals and cultists who MOSOP said has turned the area into a blood river.

    A statement on Sunday by its President, Legborsi Pyagbara, said an end must come to criminal activities in Ogoniland.

    Read Also: Wike pledges improved security for Ogoni communities

    The statement reads: “While we hail the deployment of military personnel in Ogoniland, we urge that the operations be carried out within the ambit of the law and respect for the rights of innocent citizens so that unnecessary collateral damage will not be experienced.

    “We urge the people to remain peaceful, law abiding and support the legitimate operations. We assure the people that we are monitoring the process to ensure that innocent lives are not lost. We will promptly take actions against any of such operations that lead to any unnecessary attack on innocent individuals.”

    MOSOP added that any breach of professional rule of engagement observed during the military operations should be reported to the appropriate military authorities and to the office of the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people.

  • Indomitables game app debuts on play store

    Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie Noodles, has launched The Indomitables mobile game on Android.

    The Indomitables is riding on Indomie’s well-known superhero cartoon characters. It features superheroes – Vision, Tweeny, Stretchy, Swifty and Big Boy, collectively known as The Indomitables – who take on the Hunger Monsters unleashed by General Wrath.

    On the modalities for playing, Brand Manager Nikhil Das explained that the player could play as a superhero by collecting bowls of Indomie Noodles that satisfy hunger and Indomie amulets that give superpowers.

    In the highly engaging game, The Indomitables face an insurmountable challenge; the despicable tyrant, General Wrath, has unleashed ‘Hunger Monsters’ across Nigeria and fled. These monsters feed off their victim’s, leaving them weak and helpless.

    Read Also: Don Jazzy, Miyonse, Uriel are Indomie BBN ambassadors

    The General will return to rule after his monsters turn healthy Nigerians into weaklings.

    To tackle these evil monsters is to keep your stomach full and body healthy with Indomie Noodles. With superpowers and their favourite Indomie Noodles, The Indomitables can stop the Hunger Monsters.

    Das said: “These superpowers are deployed by the player to vanquish Hunger Monsters and energise the players. Players can have fun as they run, slide, jump, swipe right and left and attack to save Nigeria. The player cum superhero with the most points will make it to the top of the leader board.”

    Group Public Relations and Events Manager of Dufil Temitope Ashiwaju noted that the game was another way the brand engages its consumers.

    He said: ‘’The Indomitables is the first game a food brand has launched on play store in Nigeria. This is another first by Dufil Prima Foods, pioneers in the noodles market … to keep our consumers engaged with the brand.”

    He added that the company would work towards making the 55MB game available on IOS not to leave anyone behind.

  • Delta spends N377m on water reticulation

    Delta State government has spent N377 million to provide potable water for homes in Asaba and Ughelli.

    It built 5km water pipelines each in 10 urban areas of Issele-Uku, Patani, Ogharefe, Ozoro, Kwale, Koko, Orerokpe, Burutu, Obiarukwu and Ogwashi-Uku.

    Commissioner for Water Resources Martins Okonta, who spoke yesterday in Asaba, urged residents to consume water from the public water system.

    He said water from private boreholes were not as safe as that from public supply.

    Read Also: Free medical care for 700 in Delta communities

    “Most private boreholes do not have treatment plants; they don’t have quality control, they just put the boreholes, get water and start using it without treatment. But the government or public water sector has treatment plants and when treated you will see the difference – there will be no colour, no taste and no odour,’’ he said.

    “Water from the public sector has a lot of advantages because it goes through quality control, data control and is treated, unlike private boreholes that are usually sunk near cesspits, which amount to taking contaminated water into your system.

    Continuing, Okonta said:  “I will not subscribe to drinking water from private boreholes because they are not treated and the boreholes are cited close to cesspits. Even when your well is not close to a cesspit, your neighbour cites his cesspit close to the borehole.

    “The government has committed over N233 million into the Asaba Regional Water Scheme, while the Ughelli Regional Water Scheme has received N144 million.

    ‘’In a bid to get water distributed to homes, the government has also built 5km water pipelines in 10 urban areas – Issele-Uku, Patani, Ogharefe, Ozoro, Kwale, Koko, Orerokpe, Burutu, Obiarukwu and Ogwashi-Uku.”

  • Our plan to improve Niger Delta, by NDDC chair-designate

    Chairman-designate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr Pius Odubu has said the board, when constituted, will adopt a needs assessment approach to select projects to execute.

    Odubu promised that the board would live above board and ensure quality work in Niger Delta. He addressed reporters after attending the 70th birthday thanksgiving of Mrs. Roseline Edaghuase Imariagbe, mother of former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie.

    Read Also: ‘Don’t transfer NDDC to Niger Delta ministry’

    He said: “The God who started it will finish it. We intend to have a vibrant NDDC; one that will prioritise the needs of the people. We are going to adopt the NEEDS assessment.

    “We will go to the various communities to ask them their needs; we will not force projects down their throats. We will take the Adams Oshiomhole template to NDDC by having daily inspection and ensure we get value for money. Accountability will be the word; we will turn the region around.

    “Look at the calibre of people going there; they are men of impeccable character; they are neither hungry nor in need of money; people who are already contented. It remains, therefore, for us to work; to do our best so that we will continue to bless this land; do our best and join President Muhammadu Buhari in taking the Niger Delta to the next level.”

  • ‘Don’t transfer NDDC to Niger Delta ministry’

    Iwere People’s Congress (IPC) has kicked against plans to transfer supervision of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Presidency to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    The Itsekiri group, in a statement by its spokesman, Prince Francis Fari, said the proposition, as indicated by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, would not align with laws establishing NDDC.

    “The ministers of the Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio and Festus Keyamo (SAN) have made statements with regards to their supervisory control of the…NDDC

    Read Also: APC youths protest against Abia NDDC Board commissioner- nominee

    “They have stated …plans to subsume the commission’s operations under the Ministry of Niger Delta… This will also make the commission answerable to the ministry … as against the Presidency as originally intended.

    “We…will like to clarify that subsuming the NDDC under the Ministry of the Niger Delta will be going against the letter of the Act …

    “However, it is also trite to state that NDDC is older than the ministry …we do not think it is right to place the commission under the control of the ministry …Niger Delta people will prefer the…commission …the way it is.’’

  • ‘Pesticides affecting farmers’ produce

    A consultant to the World Bank, Prof. Abel Ogunwale, has urged government to take steps to control the flow of chemical pesticides to save agribusiness from financial losses.

    Ogunwale said farmers who use pesticides or fertiliser on their crops risk reduced yield or their produce being damaged or destroyed.

    Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to control pests, they are among the range of measures farmers take to protect their crops.

    Ogunwale said the use of substandard, fake and counterfeit pesticides has serious implications for farmers, saying such agro-chemicals not only fail to take care of pests, but also inflict damage on crops and the environment. They also result in losses to farmers because of lower yields.

    Aside from revenue loss, Ogunwale said substandard pesticides have negative consequences for end users as well.

    According to Ogunwale, fertile lands require special care to ensure high productivity, resistance to pests and diseases, and maintenance of the soil biodiversity.

    He urged the government to step up efforts to properly regulate the sale and distribution of farming inputs used for soil fertility and pest control.

  • AIICO gets Executive Director

    The Board of Directors of AIICO Insurance Plc has appointed Mr. Olusola Ajayi as Executive Director, its Head, Strategic Marketing & Communications Department, Segun Olalandu, announced in Lagos.

    In a statement, he said it follows the approval of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

    Olusola is an experienced business leader with over fifteen years’ leadership positions in management consulting and insurance in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He joined AIICO in 2009 as head of the Business Strategy and Transformation teams.

    In 2013, ‘Sola assumed leadership of the retail life insurance business, and has led the transformation of the agency business, by deploying cutting-edge solutions and enabling capabilities which has resulted in significant growth in the company’s annual premiums and asset under management (AUM).

    Prior to joining AIICO, he worked at the prestigious consulting firm Accenture (Lagos) in the Financial Services market unit, before joining Deloitte Consulting (London, UK). As a business consultant in both firms, he supported/led business transformation initiatives in Strategy, Process Optimisation and Technology Deployments.

    In this new position, he will oversee the group retail division, with a mandate to drive growth across the group retail businesses and retaining AIICO as an industry leader.

    Mr. Olusola currently serves as Chairman of the Board of AIICO Multishield Limited, the Group’s Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO). He holds an MBA from INSEAD and obtained his first degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos. Sola is a certified Project Manager as well as a Senior Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria.

  • Recap: NAICOM seeks palliatives from NSE, others

    Ahead the recapitalisation of the insurance companies, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has started engaging with stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free exercise, reports Omobola Tolu-Kusimo.

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is engaging other relevant regulatory bodies and agencies of government in the financial services sector for palliatives that will reduce the cost of recapitalisation on companies, the Acting Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, has said.

    Thomas, who spoke with reporters, said the response from the relevant regulatory bodies and agencies, which include the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), was good.

    He said the exercise was going on smoothly and that the Commission would do all that is necessary to make it a success.

    He said insurance firms have submitted their recapitalisation plans and it has been good.

    He urged sustained efforts by the firms at earlier completion of the plans.

    He expressed satisfaction that at the end of the exercise, the industry would have been transformed.

    He reiterated that with a contribution by the industry to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at less than one per cent, it has underperformed its potential, especially when compared with other sectors in the financial services industry.

    He said: “In the last few years, the insurance industry has witnessed series of changes owing to reforms embarked upon by NAICOM. These reforms include financial reporting, No Premium, No Cover, Corporate Governance Code, Risk Based Supervision, Information Communication Technology advancement, Financial Inclusion, Claims Settlement, Market Conduct, Expansion of Distribution Channels, Recapitalisation with all aimed at building confidence, trust and enhancing our market value and profitability.

    “The Commission shall continue to introduce new reforms and initiatives in line with international best practices in our march towards achieving the full potential of the industry. I believe that once we can successfully navigate this corner, we could be on our way to entrenching a financially solid, vibrant, viable and active insurance market that would bring about not only an increase in penetration but a substantial increase in the industry’s contribution to GDP.

    “They will also simulate accumulation of long-term funds for infrastructural financing, job creation, and an improved Return on Investment.

    “It is long overdue that we make changes in the right direction. Successful economies are characterised by a strong investment culture of which the insurance industry plays a vital role. So we literally need to re-energise the insurance industry and commence playing our key roles in boosting and growing the sector.’’

  • ‘Maritime reforms to encourage FDI’

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said the Federal Government’s policies in the maritime industry were targeted at encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the sector.

    While addressing delegates at the West African Shipping Summit, a side event of the ongoing London International Shipping Week, he said the country will set up an International Maritime Arbitration Centre in Lagos, to facilitate the timely resolution of disputes within the Gulf of Guinea area.

    This, according to him, will significantly reduce the current trend where maritime players in the region head to London, Dubai or Singapore for arbitration on maritime issues.

    He assured the key players in the global maritime industry that the reforms in the maritime sector were opening up opportunities and invited investors to take advantage of the opportunities.

    He said: “I believe that the Nigerian maritime environment has the largest potential. With a population of about 200 million, which represents over half of the entire population of West Africa, potentials in shipbuilding and ship repair are available.”