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  • NAFDAC refutes report of 70% fake drugs in Nigerian markets

    NAFDAC refutes report of 70% fake drugs in Nigerian markets

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) has denied reports that 70 per cent of drugs in the country are fake and described such information as false and misleading.

    NAFDAC spokesperson Abubakar Jimoh while reacting on the report on Sunday in Abuja said the statement from the acclaimed expert was displeasing and false.

    Jimoh said that the report was just a mare statement without referring it to a particular study or research work.

    One Mr Andrew Nevin, an Economist and Financial Services Advisory Leader of Project Blue PWc Nigeria in a key note address at a conference by Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Umuahia recently said 70 per cent of drugs in Nigeria are fake.

    Nevin also stated that Africa records 100,000 deaths arising from counterfeit drugs related ailments annually.

    Jimoh explained that the fight against counterfeit drugs had been heightened from 2001 to date and had led to a drastic reduction in fake drugs in the market.

    He said that in 2001, when this kind of report appeared in public, the agency conduct a systematic study and in 2005, NAFDAC in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) did another research.

    He disclosed that the study done with WHO showed that the prevalence of counterfeit drugs in circulation was 16.7 per cent for all categories of drugs.

    According to him, the agency puts a lot of efforts to fight counterfeiters by introducing TruScan machine in 2010 to detect fake drugs in the market.

    The Spokesperson noted that another research conducted in 2012 indicated that the prevalence of counterfeit medicines in circulation in the country had gone down to 6.4 per cent.

    He said that the same year, a separate research by the agency on anti malaria drugs which Nigerians consume more showed counterfeited ones have dropped to 19.6 per cent.

    He stated that the 2011 WHO’s study revealed that there was 20 per cent fake drugs in Africa which the result was almost the same with that of NAFDAC conducted in 2012.

    Jimoh added that in 2014 the result of a study by NAFDAC in conjunction with United State of Pharmacopia (USP) showed that the country only had 3.6 per cent of fake anti malaria drugs in the market.

    He said that the result of a research work on fake drugs between his agency and USP conducted in 2017 were being awaited.

    “The counterfeiters in the country engage more in anti malaria drugs because they know the patronage is high and with awareness created and introduction of various devices by NAFDAC, we have been able to reduce such counterfeit malaria drugs drastically.

    “Getting such unresearched work from acclaimed expert undermines our efforts, it is unfortunate and very painful,” he said.

    He said that NAFDAC remained committed and determined to fight counterfeit drugs in the country.

    NAN

  • Broadband penetration: NCC plans new spectrum auctions

    Broadband penetration: NCC plans new spectrum auctions

    The Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC ) says it will soon auction and assignment new spectrums to boost broadband penetration in the country.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta made this known in Lagos during the Telecom Executives and Regulator Forum, organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

    The theme of the forum is: “Removing Barriers To Growth And Innovation”.

    Represented by the Deputy Director, NCC Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Mr Bako Wakili, Danbatta said that spectrum was a critical mobile infrastructure.

    He said that the commission would strive to provide the required frequency spectrum capacity needed for broadband deployment.

    According to him, the process for new spectrum auctions and assignments to drive mobile and wireless broadband is ongoing.

    “The commission will facilitate the re-farming of existing spectrum held by operators to provide broadband services without impacting their Quality of Service (QoS) delivery.

    “We will auction the 2.5/2.6 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum for Fourth Generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) capacity requirements.

    “The commission will also auction the 700 Megahertz (MHz) band once available, for 4G LTE coverage requirements and will open up and assign other spectrum bands in an open and transparent manner,” he said.

    Danbatta said that according to the Nigerian Broadband Plan, Broadband within the Nigerian context was defined as an internet experience where the user could access the most demanding content in real time, at a minimum speed of 1.5 megabit per second.

    According to him, broadband also means high-capacity networks that can deliver very large amounts of information simultaneously, as a result, they can deliver voice, data and video all at the same time.

    “The broadband industry ecosystem comprises of government policies and programmes, regulatory frameworks and environment, then the supply and demand sides of the services.

    “The industry is currently seeing the trend of increasing use of data enabled devices such as smartphones, dongles, MiFis, among others.

    “With pervasive voice services objective largely achieved, the operators now focus on growth of data services and provision of optimal QoS delivery,” he said.

    Danbatta said that the current status of broadband infrastructure in Nigeria showed that there was adequate international bandwidth from International submarine cable landing on the country’s shores.

    He said that optimal deployment of broadband infrastructures was critical to driving broadband availability, accessibility and affordability in Nigeria.

    According to him, the availability of broadband infrastructure will unlock new opportunities and drive a second wave of growth in the telecommunications industry and the economy.

    He said that broadband was a productivity enabling technology and its penetration rate was 21 per cent as at February 2017.

    Danbatta said the commission was optimistic towards achieving the 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018.

    NAN

  • How Buhari is preventing corruption, by Presidential media team

    How Buhari is preventing corruption, by Presidential media team

    The Presidential Media Team, in a forthcoming book, offers deep insight into how the President Muhammadu Buhari ’s administration is blocking corruption loopholes in the nation’s public institutions.

    The book titled, “Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity: A Mid-Term Scorecard on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration”, is set for launch in Abuja on Nov. 16.
    In an excerpt of the 348-page publication, the team notes that beyond arrest and prosecution of suspects, the Buhari government is strengthening public institutions for accountability and transparency.
    The book explores measures being instituted by anti-graft agencies, especially the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission ( ICPC ), in this regard since the last two years.
    These include conduct of System Study and Review in ministries, departments and agencies, and Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) in various sectors of the nation’s economy.
    It says the education, health, water and aviation sectors as well as e-governance platforms, including the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), have benefited from the ICPC’s CRA exercise.

    The exercise, it adds, has led to the identification of weaknesses in the systems that create opportunities for corruption.

    Consequently, the commission has designed Integrity Plans directed at plugging the loopholes and enhancing the integrity profile of the systems for efficiency and effectiveness, it states.

    The book promises to clear the cynicism of many Nigerians, who think the Buhari government is more reactive than proactive in its fight against corruption.

    Nevertheless, the publication contains milestones recorded by the ICPC in the area of convictions, and recovery of looted funds and assets since the inception of the Buhari government on May 29, 2015.

    The book was edited by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity; Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on  Media and Publicity, and Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, (Office of the Vice President).

    The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) contributed to the publication, whose foreword was written by the president.

    The book will be presented by APC National Leader Bola Tinubu and  reviewed by Prince Tony Momoh.

    NAN

  • We will continue to support govt’s efforts at strengthening education – Kaduna Assembly

    We will continue to support govt’s efforts at strengthening education – Kaduna Assembly

    The Kaduna State House of Assembly said on Saturday it would continue to support the state government in its efforts at improving the quality of education.

    The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Shagali, made this known at a news conference in Kaduna.

    Shagali added that the lawmakers would accord the state government the support it would need to ensure that the children of the poor received the quality education they deserved.

    He said that the best thing to do was to get everything right and ensure that the educational structure was in good shape.

    “The sixteen years of PDP administration did not do anything to improve the existing schools.

    “So what this administration is doing is to improve the quality of education and infrastructure of primary and secondary schools in the state,” he said.

    On the issue of state government’s planned disengagement of teachers alleged to be unqualified, he said those with complaints should applied for redress and remarking of their scripts.

    He said that the children of most of those making unnecessary comments on the issue “are not in public schools. Most of them there children are in private schools or studying abroad.

    “They don’t want the children of the poor to have good, basic education.”

    According to the speaker, the assembly has already set up a seven-member committee to investigate the issues raised by labour unions  and proffer solutions.

    He assured the people of the state that the House would continue to do its best possible to ensure that the education system in Kaduna was improved.

    “For the people of Kaduna state, I want to say that we were sworn-in with the two holy books that whereby we said that we would do everything possible to ensure that our state develops and the educational system improves.

    “We will make sure that everything improves in the state not only on education, but all other aspects,” he said.

    NAN

  • NEWMAP coordinator laments impacts of flooding, erosion in Cross River

    NEWMAP coordinator laments impacts of flooding, erosion in Cross River

    Dr Fidelis Anukwa, the Coordinator of Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project ( NEWMAP ) in Cross River has expressed concern over the menace of flooding and erosion in the state.

    Anukwa in Calabar on Sunday said that many people in the state lost crops and property worth millions of naira to flood and erosion this year.

    He said that the disaster, occasioned by excessive rainfalls, had continued to cause economic waste and create problems for residents, especially those in the rural areas.

    According to him, the menace of erosion and flood in Cross River had gone beyond the handling capacity of the state government and the affected residents.

    “We have massive erosion and flooding in Cross River and they have become critical and gone beyond the handling capacity of the state government and the people.

    Most of the communities that border the major rivers in the state are usually affected by flood during the rainy season.

    “The primary source of income of most of the affected victims is rice farming and fishing.

    “We have been sensitising the victims; the problem now is that most of them do not have where to relocate to.

    “I am happy that the Disaster Risk Management team from the Office of the Vice-President has visited some of these sites and has given assurance that something positive will be done soon,’’ he said.

    The coordinator said that many houses in Calabar metropolis had been brought down due to the worsening gully sites.

    “The Ikot Ekebere erosion site is deepening daily. The erosion site has finger one and two and over 20 houses have been affected in one site alone.

    “The problems of residents in this area are enormous and that is why we are partnering with the Federal Government to see how much support we can get to ameliorate their plight,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • NADDC to establish Automobile training school in Nigeria, says DG

    NADDC to establish Automobile training school in Nigeria, says DG

    The Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council ( NADDC ) said it would  establish automobile training school in the country to train youths in vehicle production.

    Mr Jelani Aliyu, Director General of the agency, said this at the launch of the maiden magazine by the Federated Organisation of Sokoto State Student’s Association ( FOSOSSA ) on Saturday in Sokoto.

    Aliyu, who is the famous Nigerian Chevrolet Car designer, said that the agency aimed to successfully harness the talents of Nigerian youths to support the country’s automobile industry.

    He said: “Our focus now is to introduce a learning ground where the teeming youths will be supported in developing their own ideas into reality.

    “Moreover, we will continue as an agency to ensure more support and collaboration with schools of higher learning in Nigeria, especially in science and technology initiatives.

    “This is to fish out the required talented youths among the students to make necessary arrangements on how to achieve the desired goal. We are planning to aid in boosting the country’s economy.”

    The Director General also said that the agency had invited foreign investors to come and invest in Nigeria to enhance  in the creation of more jobs for the youths.

    “As Nigerians, we have the opportunity to adopt advanced solutions and use them to propel the society, as such the agency plans more innovative support to the country’s automobile industries.

    “We have invited more foreign investors with the aim of creating more job opportunities and ensure the country’s economic growth to successfully build a new Nigeria of our dreams,” he said.

    Aliyu further said that the solution to Nigeria’s problems and challenges was  with each and every citizen of the country.

    “As such, every Nigerian citizen has a responsibility in moving the country forward and we have to embrace our advantages of being the giant of Africa to achieve the set objectives,” he said.

    He said that all the vehicles in the world could be produced in Nigeria through collective engagement of talented youths which Nigeria was blessed with.

    He urged Nigerians to individually and collectively focus on ensuring the dreams and aspiration of the country are achieved for a better society.

    In his remark, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, commended the Director General for giving Nigerian youths the hope of moving the country forward.

    Tambuwal, represented by the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Jabbi Kilgore, said that Sokoto state would continue to empower youths to achieve their desired objectives.

    Mr Sirajo Abdullahi,  president of the association,  thanked the Sokoto State Government for enabling youth participation in government policies and programmes.

    NAN

  • Kano spends N208m to empower 5,200 tea sellers

    Kano spends N208m to empower 5,200 tea sellers

    The Kano State Government said it has spent N208 million on the empowerment of 5,200 tea sellers in the state.

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje made the announcement on Saturday during an empowerment programme at the Government House, kano.

    Ganduje said that the beneficiaries were selected from 484 wards in the 44 local government areas of the state.

    He said that the gesture was to help in improving beneficiaries with means of livelihood and that of their defendants.

    “Our government attaches so much importance to empowerment programme because at the end, the beneficiaries will be self-reliant, thereby improving the economic capacity of the state,” he said.

    The governor gave each of the beneficiaries N40, 000 worth of empowerment packages to improve their business.

    The items include, Bournvita, milk, milo,noodles, margarine, pasta, tea bags,bread, eggs and cooking oil.

    Ganduje also urged the beneficiaries to always keep their business environment clean to ensure good hygiene.

    He then advised the tea sellers to shun illicit substances and other related crimes.

    The state’s Commissioner for Local Government, Murtala Sulengaro, said that the programme was designed to improve their living standards.

    He commended the governor for his foresight in empowering youths in the state.

    Ali Sani, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the governor for the gesture and promised to use the items judiciously.

    NAN

  • Measles vaccination: Kebbi deploys 215 special teams to border towns – official

    Measles vaccination: Kebbi deploys 215 special teams to border towns – official

    The Kebbi Government has deployed 215 special measles vaccination teams to effectively cover communities at the border of Benin and Niger Republic in the state.

    Hajiya Halima Dikko, Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health , said this during the official inauguration of the 2017/2018 measles
    vaccination campaign on Saturday in Bagudo.

    Dikko said the state had trained and deployed 1131 teams for the entire exercise, adding that the exercise commenced on Nov. 9 in 11 local government areas (LGAs) of the state.

    She said the exercise was in two phases, with 11 local government areas benefiting from the first phase.

    These LGAs are: Bagudo, Dandi, Danko Wasagu, Fakai, Koko Besse, Ngaski, Sakaba, Suru, Yauri and Zuru.

    She added that the state would mop up and review the exercise before the commencement of the second phase of the exercise, which begins on Nov. 19 and ends on Nov. 24.

    Dikko said the second phase of the exercise would be conducted in Aliero, Arewa, Argungu, Augie, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo, and Maiyama local government areas.

    According to her, the state intends to vaccinate not less than 850,000 children at the end of the exercise.

    Similarly, the State Governor, Sen Abubakar Bagudu, urged traditional leaders and other key stakeholders to support the exercise.

    He, however, appealed to the leadership of herdsmen and fishermen, to ensure that all eligible children, especially the children around border towns are adequately vaccinated against measles.

    Bagudu said Bagudo local government area was one of the largest local government areas in the state, adding that the local government shared borders with Benin Republic

    According to him, there was high influx of people from the neighbouring Benin and Niger Republic through Bagudo.

    While speaking on behalf of the partners, Mr Yahaya Akuso, State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency commended the timely release of funds for the exercise.

    He reiterated that the commitment of partners to work with the state would bring better health outcomes.

    NAN

  • Argentina beat Russia in World Cup venue’s inaugural match

    Argentina beat Russia in World Cup venue’s inaugural match

    A late goal by Sergio Aguero lifted Argentina to a 1-0 win over World Cup hosts Russia in the inaugural match at Moscow’s newly-renovated Luzhniki stadium on Saturday.

    Aguero’s header found the back of the net in the 86th minute, the striker beating veteran goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev after his initial shot was blocked by the Russian defence.

    Led by team captain Lionel Messi, Argentina were dynamic from the start of the friendly but were unable to capitalise on their chances in the first half.

    Argentina’s attack expertly combined to generate several scoring chances, with Messi finding Angel Di Maria in the box in the 36th minute.

    But the Paris St Germain midfielder could not control the ball.

    “Some of the things that we planned worked in this clash against this tough opponent,” Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli told reporters.

    “We played in a courageous, bold manner. We created resistance to the pressure our opponent put us under. We need to build on this.”

    Konstantin Rausch kept Russia alive in the opening minutes of the second half by heading the ball off the line after Messi had chipped Akinfeev.

    Although they regrouped in the second half, Russia struggled to keep possession, heavily relying on Akinfeev to deny the Argentine attack.

    Russia tested Argentina for the first time in the 61st minute with a short-range shot by Denis Glushakov tapped away by goalkeeper Sergio Romero before defender German Pezzella cleared the ball.

    “We knew that it would be a tough match and that we wouldn’t have possession in some moments,” Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov said.

    “I think our defence played correctly from a tactical point of view but we were unable to start quality attacks, especially in the first half, when we had the ball.”

    Argentina’s friendly against Russia was the first test match held at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, the venue for the opening game and final of next year’s World Cup.

    Originally opened in 1956, Luzhniki was one of the venues for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

    It hosted the 2013 world athletics championships before being closed for renovations to prepare it for the World Cup.

    Argentina play Nigeria in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, which will not host any World Cup matches next year, on Nov. 14.

    Russia face Spain in a friendly in St Petersburg on the same day.

    NAN

  • Bayelsa community bemoans abandonment of road project

    Bayelsa community bemoans abandonment of road project

    Some residents of Polaku community in Bayelsa have expressed dissatisfaction over the abandonment  of the Kolokuma- Sabagriea –Polaku road project by the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ).

    The residents who expressed their feelings in separate interviews in Poluku on Sunday, called for the completion of the road projected.

    The road is mean to link communities in Kolokuma and Opokuma Local Government Areas to Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The Paramount Ruler of Polaku, Chief Barnabas Tarila, said that the project was started over 17 years ago by the NDDC.

    Tarila said that the non completion of the road project had taken a negative toll on the people.

    He said that the abandoned project had made it difficult for communities along the road to realise their economic development potentials.

    An indigene of the community, Oyoro Izon-Owei said the abandonment of the road project had some negative impacts on the socio-economic live of the people.

    Owei said that the people found it difficult to evacuate their farm produce from the area because of lackof good road.

    A human rights activist in the area, Mr. Alagoa Morris, urged the Niger Delta Development Commission to see the completion of the road as a priority.

    Morris said if the Sabagriea-Polaku section of the road had been completed, the traffic gridlock which often occurred between Kaiama and Mbiama on the East-West road would be minimized.

    He said motorists could avoid the bad portion of the east-West road by diverting to the Kolokuma-Polaku road.

    Travelers from Polaku to Yenagoa are now compelled to be ferried across the Taylor Creek, from where they ride on commercial motorcycles to Kaiama, along the East-West road.

    NAN