The Nation Newspaper

Tag: scheme

  • Fed Govt plans100, 000 mass housing units’ scheme

    The Federal Government  said its plans to deliver 100, 000 affordable homes yearly as social housing scheme in the country is close to fruition.

    Minister of State for Power Works and Housing II, Surv Hassan Zarma, stated this during an inspection of Lafia, National Housing Programme (NHP).

    He said low income earners, such as artisans and commercial vehicle operators, among others, would have access to the affordable houses at the price of N2 million and N5 million for one-bedroom and three-bedroom flats respectively.

    He said the housing project initiated by the Office of the Vice President, will be supported by the Federal Ministry of Finance but entirely different from the current NHP being executed in the 34 states across the federation.

    According to the minister, who is the Chairman, Presidential Initiative on Family Home Fund, government is committed to end housing deficits in the country.

    He said: “The 100, 000 houses is family home fund that is purely social housing programme. The cost will not be as high as this, it will be much more lower.

  • Lagos NUJ ’ll look into report of N1.6b housing scheme, says chairman

    Lagos NUJ ’ll look into report of N1.6b housing scheme, says chairman

    Lagos Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chairman Dr. Qasim Akinreti has assured members that the report of an investigation committee on N1.6 billion housing scheme initiated by the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) will not be swept under the carpet.

    Akinreti said the report will be deliberated on by the state NUJ Executive Council before it will be presented to the State Congress on March 10, for further discussion.

    After four months of investigation into the housing scheme initiated by NAWOJ, in partnership with the Lagos Council of NUJ, a committee set up to investigate the controversies generated by project submitted its findings last Friday.

    Receiving the 26-page report at the Lagos NUJ Council Secretariat on Iyalla Street, Ikeja, Akinreti said he was satisfied with the committee members for helping him to achieve one of his election promises, which he noted, has remained a source of concern to subscribers.

    In the report, the committee recommended outright cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the project’s initiator and NAWOJ President, Mrs. Ify Omowole, former Chairman of Lagos NUJ Council, Mr. Deji Elumoye and the developer, Messers Primewaterview Holdings Limited.

    In arriving at the decision, the committee noted that the contents of the MoU were skewed much in favour of the developer.

    For instance, the developer, based on the MoU, was to take 300 units of houses in the scheme to defray its cost of infrastructural development in the project. The MoU did not state the cost of infrastructure to be built.

    Besides, the firm had spent N21 million of the N73 million it collected from NAWOJ/NUJ on “road stabilisation,” which to the committee, was wrong since it was part of infrastructure development to be paid for with the 300 housing units.

    “The developer has shown gross lack of commitment and diligent execution on the project.  A letter should be sent to the developer terminating the MoU and the project in its entirety. A Quantity Surveyor should be engaged to assess the value of work done by the developer on site. Where the assessment by the quantity surveyor falls short of expenditure submitted by the developer, Messers Primewaterview Holdings Limited should be made to refund the difference.  In the event of failure to comply, the developer should be reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to help recover the money,” the report read.

    Besides, the report condemned Mrs. Omowole for her decision to withdraw subscribers’ $227,000 unilaterally. According to the committee’s report, Mrs. Omowole’s explanation for such withdrawal was unacceptable.

    “Omowole’s excuse for the withdrawal of the US$227, 000 because of the falling exchange rate and also to pay the developer (Primewaterview Holdings Limited) the advance of subscribers’ counterpart funding is unacceptable because as at the time of withdrawal of the money, there was no signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NUJ/NAWOJ Pen Jewel Estate and Primewaterview Holdings Limited as developer. The $227,000 was withdrawn four clear months before the signing of the MoU; hence no need to pay counterpart funding at that time.

    “Also, the excuse that the U.S. dollar was losing value at that time is unacceptable as the Nigerian naira further crashed as at the time of signing the MoU,” the committee noted in its report.

    Mrs. Omowole, the committee said, must pay back N159 per dollar, amounting to about N4.3 million, being the balance of the expired $27,610 purported to have been exchanged for N150. This amount was arrived at using the N309 exchange rate figure earlier agreed on. She was also urged to provide evidence of remittance of the earlier N4 million from this money to the NAWOJ Pen Jewel estate account.

    The NAWOJ President, the committee submitted, must refund the N779,000 collected from subscribers in form of application form fees. Although 713 subscribers were captured on the application list, 779 people actually bought the application form for the PEN-JEWEL project at N1000 each.

    The report did not spared Elumoye, who the investigation committee said must refund N4 million being the excess on the alleged N10 million he claimed to have paid to the traditional land owners, “Omoniles,” after findings revealed only N6 million was paid.

    Elumoye, the report added, is also to refund the N2 million he claimed to have paid for the extra land he bought on behalf of the Lagos NUJ Council in Mowe since he was unable to provide evidence of purchase of same.

    The report advised that “any land allocated to subscribers between 2013 and 2017 must be revoked outright.

  • 3,000 youths to benefit from cash scheme, says Ayade

    3,000 youths to benefit from cash scheme, says Ayade

    •Central District ‘compels’ governor to run for 2nd term

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade at the weekend said that 3000 youths from Central Senatorial District are to benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.

    The governor spoke at the Ikom Township Stadium during a rally to urge him to seek a second term in office.

    Ayade reiterated his promise to change the lives of the people for the better.

    “Upon my honour, my character, my integrity, exposure, wealth and fear of God, I will make a difference. I am going to bring prosperity and hope to these young faces,” he told the crowd

    The endorsement rally was organised by six councils: Abi, Obubra, Yarkurr, Etung, Boki and Ikom, making up the district.

    In a motion by House of Representatives member for Obubra/Etung, Mike Etaba, and seconded by the lawmaker representing Ikom 1, Fred Osim, the people resolved that no son or daughter from the district should vie for governor.

    As early as 8 am, over 30,000 were in the stadium, with various groups and associations decked in their regalia and bearing placards: “Ayade 100% undiluted,” “Ayade, Eye of Cross River State 2019,” “Central says yes to Ayade,” “Central Cross River is sure for Ayade 2019,” “Code 888,” among others.

    Speakers asked Ayade to  seek another term in office to enable him complete the programmes and projects initiated by his administration.

    Chairman of the occasion and former military administrator of Bayelsa State, Col Pam Ogar,  said: “This exercise is initiated by a willing people to motivate you to come out by 2019. We give you our prayers, accept this endorsement willingly, we are following and watching you to go beyond and do brilliantly well all the penciled programs and projects you have enumerated.”

    For a former commissioner, Ntufam Sandy Onor, the event was a sweet reunion, saying: “Many high profile movements have returned to the party hence the political osmosis are now on ground to clinch elective positions.”

    Speaking on behalf of political appointees from the zone, Commissioner for Education Obol Goddy Etta said: “We are here to endorse and to present to you an order of mandamus. You must actualise the 888 code because you cannot leave us half way,” adding that “we, in Central, have contributed money to buy your form.”

  • Okowa launches health insurance scheme

    Okowa launches health insurance scheme

    Delta State government has launched a Contributory Health Insurance Scheme in Oshimili South Local Government.

    Over 5,000 widows will benefit from the programme.

    It was a carnival-like event, as women in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regalia thronged the cultural pavilion to celebrate the gesture of the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration.

    Civil servants are benefiting from the scheme, but widows hailed the government for including them.

    Besides, the widows will be paid get N5,000 monthly.

    The Political Adviser to the governor, Mr. Festus Ochonogor, said the programme was in two parts, namely enrolment of selected widows and the payment of stipend.

    He said the scheme would ameliorate the suffering of widows and give them a sense of belonging.

    The aide said insurance premium would be paid by Governor Okowa, adding that the widows will get stipend to assist them attend hospital of their choice in the state.

    He said the widows would be paid in their wards.

    Ochonogor said coordinators in the 25 councils would move from ward to ward to pay them.

    He said the programme was designed to spread prosperity to Deltans, adding that the widows will receive the stipend from January 31.

    Governor Okowa, represented by Health Commissioner Dr. Nick Azinge, said 5,555 widows had been enrolled.

    He said 20 widows from 270 wards would receive N5,000  in addition to free medical care.

    Okowa said the scheme was to alleviate the financial and health burden of widows.

    He said the scheme would accommodate vulnerable groups, including the physically challenged

    The governor added that free medical treatment will be given to children under five years and expectant mothers.

    The Director-General, Delta Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Ben Nkechika, said the scheme was not new, adding that it was introduced “to ensure that residents have access to quality medical care.”

    A widow, Mrs. Susan Nwanchie, 63, hailed the Okowa administration, saying the scheme will enable them have access to quality health care.

    Praising the programme, another beneficiary, Mrs. Catherine Ijeoma, 58, said she had been finding it difficult to attend to her health needs in the last 10 years since she lost her husband.

  • Micro pension scheme in limbo

    Micro pension scheme in limbo

    Plans by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to capture about 250,000 workers from the informal sector through the Micro Pension Scheme under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)  seem to have failed.

    The commission had promised in November 2016 that it would release the guidelines for the micro pension by mid-2017 and commence implementation by end of the year.

    According to the Commission, the micro pension scheme is expected to help boost the pension contributors to 20 million Nigerians by 2019 and boost 30 million by year 2024. It is also expected to generate  about N3 trillion to the pension assets, while mobilising about 12 million contributors within five years.

    But it was learnt that the Commission, under the leadership of an Acting Director-General, Mrs. Aisha Dahiru-Umar seems to be slowing down the take-off of the initiative. The initiative had been rigorously pursued during the tenure of the former Director-General, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.

    The development is against the backdrop of efforts and huge funds deployed to the commencement of the scheme, setting up of micro pension department, among others.

    Beside the implication of the scheme not taking off as planned is that Nigerian workers in the informal sector would continue to be susceptible to old age poverty.

    Micro pension is a scheme targeted at self-employed people, especially those with irregular income, usually in the informal sector and are largely financially uninformed with limited or no access to financial services especially pension plan. This segment, which is estimated to be 70 per cent of the country’s population, largely exists in Nigeria as artisans and self-employed persons.

    Head, Micro Pension Department of PenCom,  Polycarp Anyanwu had earlier said the commission has been collaborating with chambers of commerce, as well as other government agencies in charge of small businesses such as Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDAN) and is working on guidelines for the commencement of the scheme.

    Anyanwu explained that micro pension initiative exists for the provision of pension coverage to self-employed persons.

    He said: “Micro pension initiative exists for the provision of pension coverage to self-employed persons. In Nigeria, it covers three strata of income earners namely lowest, middle and high income earners. “The commission is working assiduously to enroll 250,000 contributors within six months of the commencement of the initiative. The scheme is an offshoot of the pension industry five year strategic plan to expand the coverage of the CPS to 20 million contributors by 2019.

    “The commission is also targeting the self-employed in various trades and professions in Nigeria such as artisans, accountants, lawyers, mechanics, tailors, market men/women, hair dressers, architects, engineers among others.

    “We have reviewed the implementation of micro pension in other jurisdictions like Kenya and Ghana; formulated Guidelines and Framework on Micro Pension; consulted licensed pension industry operators and enhanced its information and communications technology capacity to accommodate the scheme.

    “The scheme will avail the contributor access to regular stream of retirement income at old age and improves living standards of the elderly. The contributors are to benefit from the various incentives to be offered by the PFAs adding that the initiative would deepen financial literacy and inclusion; secures financial autonomy & independence of retirees; passage of wealth to survivors in the event of death; increases National Savings and long term funds; promote growth development of the capital, mortgage and insurance markets and have positive effect on the national economy as pension assets increases.”

    A top official at the Commission who spoke on condition of anonymity affirmed that there is no activity in place at the moment to kickstart the scheme.

    Another official blamed the lack of a substantive DG and Board for the inertia at the Commission.

    Highlighting the challenges of the scheme, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Eric Fajemisi, said though micro pension scheme is good for the country, it has challenges.

  • TEF’s $100m entrepreneurship scheme opens

    The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has announced that it will from January 1, begin accepting entries for its $100 million Entrepreneurship Development Programme.

    The entries are expected from outstanding African entrepreneurs who have start-up or business ideas with high growth potential.

    The application portal opens midnight January 1, 2018. The programme is the founder, Tony Elumelu’s  $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs in 10 years.It was also meant to creat one million jobs and $10 billion in social and economic wealth.

    After three cycles, the Programme has received 158,000 applications from African entrepreneurs in 107 countries, including every nation of Africa.

  • Community unveils N15m empowerment scheme

    The Aghajiaku Age Grade, Lagos branch has unveiled a N15 million Charity Fund aimed at reducing poverty and empowering the people of Nnokwa Community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    Its Patron, Prince Uche Ezeagwu, said the Fund would help people that are financially  challenged in the community.

    Speaking at the Aghajiaku Age Grade’s Golden Jubilee symposium and inauguration of patrons and Board of Trustees (BoT) in Lagos, Prince Ezeagwu said the Age Grade would use the Charity Fund to complete its charity projects and scheme.

    He explained that Aghajiaku Age Grade was formed to bring development into Nnokwa community and empower its people who have one challenge or the other.

    “In 1992, we had set up a scheme for people who are into business or people that are working and for one reason or the other, they were laid off or their businesses had challenges.

    “Such people can come to us and when we investigate such a situation, we give them an opportunity to get back to life. We empower them with money and some of them are given gifts while some are given zero interest loans,” Prince Ezeagwu said.

    According to him, people who have visa are given money to purchase their ticket and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), adding that the Age Grade also supports motherless homes and other physically-challenged groups with money, clothing and food stuff on annual basis.

    “We resuscitate some projects. There are some families we go to in some communities in Lagos, Suleija, Anambra, Abuja, and Nasarawa, you don’t believe people are living there.

    “So, we renovate their homes. Through this fund we empower them financially and materially. We also renovate dilapidated schools in our community,” the pioneer patron said.

     

  • ALGON, 16 foreign partners to create 5.9m jobs from new agriculture scheme

    ALGON, 16 foreign partners to create 5.9m jobs from new agriculture scheme

    As part of steps to boost agriculture in the country, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria(ALGON) and 16 foreign partners and institutes are expected to float a new scheme which will create 5,959, 800 jobs nationwide.

    The scheme will lead to the generation of 7,700 jobs in each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

    But the new initiative called Comprehensive Agricultural Plans for Local Government Areas (CLAP) will begin with a seminar on October 26 and 27.

    A statement last night said ALGON has initiated the process of C-LAP at grassroots level to prepare a Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan (C-LAP) through participatory process involving various organizations and stakeholders.

    The statement said: “The project is expected to generate direct employment of 2700 in nursery production, pack houses and integrated model farms, mega food parks processing units and indirect employment of 5000 persons per LGA is as follows: Managerial and scientific manpower (100 persons); Skilled manpower in Mega Food Park (600 persons); Unskilled manpower (2000 persons) and Indirect employment like transport, marketing etc. (5000 persons).

    The heavyweight international partners of ALGON are Global AgriSystem Pvt Ltd; Progressive Research Organization for Welfare (PROW); Ananya Seeds (P) Ltd; International Tractors Limited; Horticulture Produce Management Institute, HPMI (India); Population, Women & Environment Development Organization(Nepal); International Rice Research Institute(Philippines); Ananya Seeds (P) Ltd.; Top Greenhouses Limited; and International Tractors Limited.

    Others are Michigan State University; G.B. Pant  University of Agriculture and Technology; Carrier Point University; New Age Green Solution Pvt Limited; Afghan Agro Services; eEco Solutions Pvt Limited; Horticulture Produce Management Institute; M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

    The statement explained why ALGON decided to collaborate with the 16 foreign partners.

    It added:  “Nigeria is an agrarian society, with agriculture contributing about 24 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). About 70 percent of the population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for livelihood.

    “Nigeria is presently facing several challenges in Agriculture sector.  These problems can be attributed to natural and human cause, affecting overall economic development and growth.

    “This has consequently undermined socio-economic growth and thus constitutes a threat to the Federal Government of Nigeria’s “Vision 2020”. Recent assessments of the situation in the country confirm that the scale of the problem rise above what communities, Local Governments, States and Federal Government can address without help from development partners.

    Consequently, The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) is adopting a bottom-up approach through a Comprehensive Plan for Development of Agriculture (C-LAP) at “Local Government Level” in 774 LGAs of Nigeria towards the improvement of the agricultural sector.

    “Thus C-LAP is an integrated and participatory action plan for the development of LGAs in agriculture and allied sectors. CLAP will add value to Nigeria’s agricultural raw materials and integrate Nigeria into world agricultural markets.

    “ALGON has initiated the process of C-LAP at grassroots level to prepare a Comprehensive Local Agriculture Plan (C-LAP) through participatory process involving various organizations and stakeholders.

  • Manufacturers hail introduction of product authentication scheme

    Manufacturers hail introduction of product authentication scheme

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has thrown its weight behind Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)’s plan to introduce a product authentication scheme, saying it is in the interest of manufacturers and consumers.

    MAN President Dr. Franks Udemba Jacobs made manufacturers’ position known during a consultative meeting with SON Director-General Mr. Osita Aboloma, in Lagos.

    According to him, the introduction of such scheme to assure the quality of products on offer to consumers in  the country is long overdue, given the negative economic effect of faking, cloning and counterfeiting, particularly on certified local products.

    Jacobs decried the situation where a product is supposedly doing so well in the market without its manufacturer reaping the benefits of his investment due to faking, cloning and counterfeiting, while consumers also get short changed in the process.

    The MAN President acknowledged the huge responsibility that the mandate of SON confers on the organisation, particularly the need to assist local manufacturers excel on a continual basis in order to grow the nation’s economy and provide gainful employment to its youths.

    He alluded to the need for all relevant agencies of government to harmonise their activities at the country’s entry points in order to effectively fight the influx of substandard products into the country.

    The MAN chief stressed that the continuous influx of substandard products into the country was negatively affecting manufacturers in particular.

    This, according to him, underscored the need for SON’s active involvement in the execution of the  Presidential Executive Orders, to assure the quality of all imports.

    MAN Director-General, Mr. Segun Ajayi, said the association’s members across the nation look up to SON for the provision of relevant and up to date standards.

    According to him, availing the expertise of SON personnel to manufacturers will ensure continual improvement in the competitiveness of their products for local consumption and export.

    He commended the existing robust collaboration between the two organisations, which according to him, has always provided avenues for clarifying issues of mutual concern.

    Earlier, Aboloma described MAN members as strategic to standardisation and quality assurance in Nigeria. He said this necessitated the consultative meeting  by SON.

    The SON DG said a product authentication scheme would be introduced to assist consumers confirm the genuineness of products before purchase to have value for their money.

    Other advantages of the scheme, according to him, include assurance to genuine manufacturers and importers of their products on sale.

    Abaloma said the product authentication scheme would effectively fight the cloning, faking and counterfeiting of genuine products by providing necessary information to guide consumers’ purchase decisions in the market.

    “Without patronage, the purveyors of substandard, faked, cloned and counterfeited products would have no market for their products” he said.

    Aboloma said SON had engaged an international security printing outfit on the implementation of the scheme, leveraging its vast experience.

    The SON DG announced that the organisation will soon embark on stakeholders’ sensitisation on the product authentication scheme across the country to ensure that stakeholders were carried along in the implementation in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) requirements.

    Aboloma enumerated several initiatives of SON to provide level playing field for local manufacturers and importers in line with WTO’s requirements of which Nigeria is a signatory.

    Some of them include the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Program (MANCAP) to assure the quality and competitiveness of all locally- manufactured products and the off-shore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) for imported products.

    He also said the electronic product registration scheme was aimed at products traceability and confirmation of quality status.

  • NECA unveils entrepreneurship scheme 

    The  Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and Imagine Business Services have launched NECAPreneur to address youth unemployment.

    Speaking in Lagos, NECAs Director-General, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo said: “The initiative in is tandem with NECA’s mandate to influence economic and socio-labour policies to create an army of gainfully employed youths who in turn would be employers of labour and ultimately add to national development. The target is getting youths to be wealth creators rather than job seekers.”

    Oshinowo deplored a situation where the youths are roaming the streets and available as ready tools for social ills.

    He said: “The NECAPreneur is, particularly, designed for youths and undergraduates in Nigeria and the whole idea is to create an environment where we can get our undergraduates to think entrepreneurship before they leave the university, while those who have left and are unable to get a job would be motivated to embrace entrepreneurship as well.”

    Oshinowo said Nigeria has a population estimated over 185 million, above 50 per cent of which is below 30 years, and over 13 per cent of this are unemployed.

    NECAPreneur, according to him, seeks to aggressively develop and make entrepreneurs of Nigerian youths by creating entrepreneurial consciousness among them.

    “As representative of employers, we have the statistics and the fact is that the jobs are simply not there. That is the truth.

    “Demand for jobs has by far outstripped the supply for jobs and this is going to continue for a while and we would want to enjoin our youths to take their destinies in their hands by embracing entrepreneurship.

    “The scheme is activated in tertiary institutions across Nigeria and also opened to the teeming youth that are already out of school. It will not only equip them to birth and successfully run their own businesses, but also lead them into avenues for start-up capital, mentoring, internship opportunities through NECA’s network and eventual certification of successful participants,” he said.

    The Entrepreneurship e-learning programme comes in three stages – Basic, Intermediate and Advance.

    It is delivered through video tutorial and texts which is structured into engaging modules. The curriculum is tested, practical and culturally relevant with the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).