The Nation Newspaper

Tag: protection

  • Fed Govt unveils panel on cross-border data protection

    Fed Govt unveils panel on cross-border data protection

    Federal Government has inaugurated the National Committee for Data Protection under.

    The committee will, among others, ensure citizens’ data safety and integrity.

    National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Vincent Olatunji, inaugurated the committee in Abuja.

    In a statement, the committee’s Head of Media, Itunu Dosekun, said the chairman noted setting up the committee was part of measures to ensure compliance under Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

    Read Also: Why PEPC dismissed APM’s petition against Tinubu, Shettma

    “The work of the committee will address providence guidance on technical and organisational measures that data controllers and data processors are expected to take to ensure privacy of data subjects, data security and data sovereignty.’’ 

    He said the committee would be chaired by the commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, while Tokunbo Smith of Association of Licensed Data Protection Organisations of Nigeria will serve as co-chair, while .

    Other are Ozoemena Nwogbo, Gbenga Sesan,  David Daser, Femi Daniels, Ifeoma Peters, and Hauwa Hadejia, to serve as secretary.

  • Africa and protection of children’s rights

    SIR; AFRICA’s foremost sage and rights activist, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, on August 2, 1996 groaningly emphasized, “Africa is renowned for its beauty, its natural heritage and prolific resources – but equally, the image of its suffering children haunts the conscience of our continent and the world”. Similarly, at the launch of the Blue Train, Worcester Station, South Africa on September 27, 1997, Mandela ardently expressed, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children”. Yet again, at a luncheon hosted by the then United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, another pride to the continent at the Special Session of the UN for Children, New York City on May 9 2002, Mandela exploded, “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children”.

    From these remarks, Mandela aristocratically, foresightedly fixated his eyes on the future of the society considering children as the leaders of tomorrow. Unfortunately, the well-being of children particularly in African countries leaves much to be desired. The pertinent question precisely to leaders is; what future is in view vis-à-vis investment in children in the society outside their own?

    Article 28 of United Nations Convention on Child’s Rights (CRC) states: “All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free, and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools should respect children’s dignity. For children to benefit from education, schools must be run in an orderly way – without the use of violence. Any form of school discipline should take into account the child’s human dignity”.

    The CRC is the first legally-binding international agreement setting out the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. The provisions and principles of the CRC guide UNICEF in its operations with 54 Articles and three Optional Protocols. Equally, the Convention spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

    The Unitarian Universalist – United Nations Office (UU-UNO) through its “Every Child is Our Child” (ECOC) programme has supposedly recorded laudable feats in ensuring that vulnerable children reach their full potential by providing them with opportunities to attend school and receive all necessary medical attention.

    Splendidly, UNICEF–Nigeria has been in the lead of avid crusades on the protection of children’s rights in the country especially through public enlightenment programmes. Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Primary School Pupils’ Feeding Programme; a policy for promoting child-education is a booster. From investigations, the feeding-programme has remarkably, strategically increased the population of pupils in schools it is operative. Nonetheless, a lot still needs to be done. Government at all levels should make it a priority to provide standard learning environments alongside competent teachers and teaching materials.

    Conceivably, the Boko-Haram and other deadly sects in Nigeria may not have come into existence if past leaders did the needful by making child-education appealing in the society. Possibly, amongst the sects today could have been scores of eminent medical doctors, lawyers, scientists, professors and other professionals had the governments avidly promoted child-education accordingly.

     

    • Carl Umegboro, <umegborocarl @gmail.com>

  • Adewale hails Obasanjo, seeks protection for Southwest votes

    A chieftain and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly called Aeroland, has hailed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his exemplary leadership concerning the State of the Nation.

    Adewale said Obasanjo’s letter “Point of Concern and Action” came at the right time because he has been echoing in the same direction, the need for stakeholders to be vigilant, and ensure that our nascent democracy is not truncated.

    According to him, the biggest threats are those who do not care about our constitution anymore but only care about “Regime Protection”. He advised that Nigerians must remain resolute by voting for a candidate who can get the country working again.

    Adewale, however, reiterated his earlier call that Southwest votes will determine who will become the next President. According to him,  Atiku and Buhari will slug it out in the North, while the Southsouth and Southeast are the PDP’s strong areas, but the total number of votes there will be complimented by what the Southwest can add.

    The party chieftain added that PDP must work hard to secure the bloc votes in the Southwest, noting that some factors which may militate against this victory was if the wrong people are engaged to coordinate the region. “There will be big trouble for the party,” he said.

    “PDP has always won convincingly in the Southwest, but our polling agents are too weak, and the elections are rigged right from the polling units to collation centers with, intimidation and forceful declaration of fake result, outright refusal or allowing PDP voters to even vote in some of polling units.”

     

  • Osun leads again in social protection policy

    Osun leads again in social protection policy

    The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the state is leading in initiating a comprehensive Social Protection Policy framework of global standard that will alleviate poverty and promote a dignified life for all segments of the society.

    “This policy targets the vulnerable, especially from birth to working age, in the sustainable provision of healthcare, education, training for skills acquisition and the empowerment of youths and provision of access to social amenities for the underprivileged,” the party said.

    In a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, by the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, APC noted that “Osun Social Protection Policy” is the framework for institutionalising the efforts of the state government to alleviate and eventually eliminate poverty in all its ugly manifestations in the state.”

    It said: “When fully incorporated into the laws of the state, it will become mandatory for any government in power to continue with the policy by prioritising measures to ensure a life of dignity for all in the state.”

  • Shopper protection: Lagos, HP shut int’l counterfeit operation

    The Lagos State government and a leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM), HP, have collaborated to protect shoppers from the menace of counterfeiters.

    Lagos State Police Command, under Commissioner of Police I.O Edgal and HP officials swooped on  a large-scale international counterfeiting operation in the state. As part of the raid, there were several seizures in the Lagos and and also Abuja, in shops, warehouses and at manufacturing sites. The Nigerian officials were seized 142,000 illegal items, which were primarily components for manufacturing counterfeit toner and ink cartridges.

    Counterfeiting is a crime. For users, such illegal imitations can cause a multitude of problems that may lead to performance and reliability issues. Should your printer breakdown because of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, you could also have issues with your manufacturer’s warranty becoming not applicable.

    In contrast, original HP products are designed to meet HP’s strict quality and reliability standards, based on a long history of inventing and testing. Original HP LaserJet and HP inkjet cartridges, unlike counterfeits, benefit from superior performance and consistent results.

    Country Supplies Business Manager, Nigeria and Ghana, Olatunji  Itiola, said: “HP is thrilled to continue its success working with the Nigerian government and authorities, to close down these illegal counterfeit operations. We are proud that the collaboration is working to reduce counterfeiting operations in the region, and bring the associated criminals to justice. With our unwavering efforts and commitment to end these counterfeit operations with local officials, we continue to focus on the safety of our customers through our anti-counterfeiting and fraud programme.”

    Across EMEA over the last five years, approximately 12 million counterfeits and components have been seized by local authorities, supported by HP. HP has conducted over 4,500 audits and inspections (CPPAs and CDIs) of partners’ stocks or suspicious deliveries for customers.

    Through HP’s Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) Programme, the company actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.

  • Social protection affordable in low-income countries, says ILO

    Social protection affordable in low-income countries, says ILO

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its  World Social Protection Report 2017-2019 has said  the poorest countries can afford to extend social protection to all citizens.

    According to the ILO report, the universal coverage in old-age pensions has been achieved by more than 20 countries, including Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, South Africa, Timor Leste, Trinidad and Tobago and Zanzibar (Tanzania).

    It stated that countries normally achieve universal coverage by a combination of contributory social insurance and tax-based social assistance or social protection floors.

    “Finding out just how much social protection floors cost is easy, thanks to the ILO’s new calculator. The ILO Social Protection Floors Calculator  makes it possible to estimate the costs of child and orphan allowances, maternity benefits, public works programmes for those without jobs, disability and old-age pensions,” the report said.

    The report also highlighted that the cost of universal benefits for 364 million children, 81 million pregnant women, 103 million persons with severe disabilities and 153 million older persons ranges from 0.3 per cent of GDP for Mongolia to 9.8 per cent of GDP for Sierra Leone – with an average cost of 4.2 per cent of GDP in 57 lower income countries.

    “From a global perspective, these life-changing benefits for 700 million people – nearly 10 per cent of the world’s population – would require only 0.23 per cent of global GDP. That’s just 1.1 per cent of what G20 countries spent to bail out the financial sector in 2009. It is a question of priorities,” said Isabel Ortiz, director of the ILO’s Social Protection Department.,

  • Turkish Airlines signs pact for wildlife protection

    Turkish Airlines signs pact for wildlife protection

    Amid the renewed fight to protect wildlife, a European carrier, Turkish Airlines, has expressed its commitment to tackling illegal wildlife trade with its resolve to increase its passengers, customer, client, and staff awareness about the  consequences of illegal wildlife trade.

    To further strengthen the awareness, the Airline says it is developing mechanisms that will enable the transport sector receive timely information about the transport of suspected illegal wildlife and their products, including methods of transportation, key routes, ports and other locations.

    Such information, Turkish Airlines further revealed, will be made available to relevant customs and law enforcement authorities, where permitted by law; just as it plans to support the development of mechanisms by the World Customs Organisation and national customs authorities to aid the detection and prevention of trade in illegal wildlife and their products.

    Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman and CEO, Mr. Bilal Eki, disclosed this at the signing ceremony of the United for Wildlife Buckingham Palace Declaration (UFW), where parties in attendance pledged zero-tolerance regarding the illegal wildlife trade.

    “With this declaration, we as Turkish Airlines are not only underlining one of the most important environmental issues of our times, that is, trafficking of wildlife, but we are also setting an example of responsibility. Today with this signature we hope that we are contributing to the level of awareness on the issue and smoothing the path for legal enforcement procedures against the traffickers,” he said.

    Eksi noted that governments alone could not curb this phenomenum, and, therefore, called on international organisations, more importantly airlines, who are key players in the international wildlife trade, to play a more important role in preserving the wildlife diversity in global economy.

    Wildlife is a very important component of the ecosystem and it is expedient to stop its illegal trade in order to conserve wildlife for posterity and ecological balance. It is important to note that different species in nature are connected through various food webs, and the disappearance of one species could affect several others down the line. The need for innovative solutions and improved data to facilitate interventions to stop illegal wildlife trade has been noted by the United Nations and USAID-supported Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge. Organisations with the power and influence to effect change should take it upon themselves to champion this intiative helping to secure a safer future for not only the human species but also to wildlife, including plants.

    “The illegal wildlife trade threatens to extinguish many of the world’s most iconic and special creatures, forcing them to the brink of extinction and threatening our global biodiversity. This illegal activity has deeper socio-economic impact, fuelling organised crime, undermining the prosperity of economies and feeding insecurity across the globe,” Eksi said.

    In Nigeria, stakeholders in the environmental protection movements are worried that it is a common sight in the country to see hawkers displaying for sale the remains of various animals killed in the course of hunting. Rural as well as some urban communities in the country have gone as far as legalising the hunting and killing of wildlife to the extent that certain days are set aside every year in various communities for hunting.

  • Lagos advises miners, dredgers on environmental protection

    Lagos advises miners, dredgers on environmental protection

    The Lagos State government has urged sand miners and dredgers to protect the environment of their operation.

    The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, gave the charge at the World Soil Day held in Ikeja.

    He said in line with the theme of  event, which was “Caring for the planet starts from the ground,”the government decided to raise awareness on the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the challenges in soil management through the seminar.

    He said organisations, communities and individuals should give attention to the problems affecting soils, such as soil contamination, degradation, over mining, oil spills, poor waste disposal, flood and erosion among other activities impacting negatively on soils.

    He stressed that the soil must be protected because it was responsible for our food, shelter and sustenance while the quality of the soil impacts so many other critical elements like water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, plant growth and crop production.

    “The message must be loud and clear; we must do all we can to protect and improve soil and its resources because it is the only home we have,” he said.

    Adejare said the ever-growing population of the state with the attendant increase in demand for shelter and food brought about aggravating pressure on sand mining and dredging on land and water, adding that these activities contribute to the impact of climate change and sea water rise, resulting in heavy erosion of coastal communities and flooding in the state.

    He said it was imperative for the government to engage the stakeholders in regular seminar to address the soil challenges and threats as well as regulations required for the overall achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda 2015-2030.

    “The seminar will review some environmental challenges associated with sand mining and dredging in the state and appraise the prospects of the activities if carried out in sustainable patterns, showing scientific evidence as applicable across the globe,” he asid.

    The Environment commissioner reiterated that ensuring a safe, resilient and sustainable Lagos, through the conservation, protection and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic natural resources for the well being of the citizenry in urban and rural areas of the State remained imperative to the government.

    He advised residents to desist from indiscriminate disposal of spent oil, uncontrolled tree felling and urged tree planting to protect the soil from the ravaging effects of erosion.

    Stressing the government’s commitment to the protection of the soil as a vital resource, Adejare warned those involved in illegal sand mining to desist as such would not be tolerated.

    December 5 has been designated by United Nations as the World Soil Day, following the adoption of the 68th UN General Assembly Resolution in 2013.

    The maiden edition was commemorated by Lagos State last year.

  • CPC urges businesses on consumer protection

    The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, has urged businesses to prioritise consumer protection as the pre-eminent factor in protecting brands and businesses.

    He also said prioritising consumer protection will help manage crisis, build confidence and corporate growth. He emphasised that customer satisfaction is the most vital pillar for loyalty and corporate trust.

    Irukera spoke at a meeting with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of food and beverage companies who are members of the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFTBE), during the week in Lagos.

    He noted that customer service cannot be ancillary to business, especially in the food and beverage industry; rather it must be the core of business and operations.

    He admitted that CEOs are vital to customer satisfaction and economic growth.

  • EATECH urges local firms’ protection

    An indigenous firm, Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATECH), has decried  continuous breach of the Local Content Law by some International Oil Companies (OICs) in Nigeria, urging the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to step up their regulatory and monitoring functions to protect local firms.

    EATECH’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Emmanuel Okon, spoke to reporters at an event organised to mark the company’s 10th anniversary and inauguration of the company’s multi-million naira operational base and fabrication yard in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

    Okon lamented the harsh operating environment in which some local vendor firms were operating in Nigeria, saying in a bid to tap effectively into the Nigerian Content Law, some local firms had taken bank loans and made substantial investments in requisite infrastructure and human capital, only to suffer from low patronage from International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the award of contracts.

    He pointed out that despite the growth in the technology and manpower capabilities of Nigerian firms, contracts were continually skewed in favour of foreign firms by some of the OICs.

    Okon said local contractors were faced with a unique challenge where IOCs expectation of quality project delivery from an indigenous contractor is usually benchmarked against expatriates whereas the consideration for same goods and services are based on the perception that Nigerians deliver low value jobs. He explained that under such situation, the premium for service excellence would always be skewed to expatriates.

    He said: “NAPIMS in conjunction with the NCDMB should encourage paradigm shift in the skewness of contract consideration towards expatriates and similar contract values should be applied to both local and expatriates where execution standards are similar.

    “We have built the capacities to do several of the projects that continue to go to expatriate companies and this is not good for our business. We have been tested and we have proved that we can deliver the best quality of jobs. So, it is not about the delivery of job. It is about our regulators keeping an eagle eye and ensuring that at all stages no one breaches the Nigerian Content Law. It is important that we get patronage because that is the only way we can grow, eradicate unemployment among our youths and contribute to prosperity of the economy.”

    Okon also listed access to funding as another challenge faced by local firms and he also demanded close collaboration between the NCDMB and banks to resolve this challenge. “Like most local contractors, access to working capital remains cumbersome for lack of appropriate collateral and we also experience delayed payment when negotiating contract financing with banks,” Okon added.

    “There should be a deliberate collaboration between the NCDMB and financial institutions in developing a framework for local contractors to access funding,” he said.