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Tag: Sonny Echono

  • FG dissolves governing council of Oko Poly

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state.

    This is contained in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Sonny Echono in Abuja on Thursday.

    READ ALSO: Oko poly campus submerged in flood

    The permanent secretary said the dissolution was with immediate effect.

    He said the federal government appreciated the services the former council members rendered to the polytechnic, while wishing them success in their future endeavours.

    Chief Lasbury Amadi was the Chairman of the board of the Polytechnic.

  • FG inaugurates committee to review National Policy on Albinism

    The Federal Government has inaugurated the technical committee for the review of the National Policy on Albinism.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated the committee on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Adamu, who was represented by Mr Sonny Echono, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the review of the policy was necessary because of the emerging issues and challenges confronting the albinism community in Nigeria.

    According to him, the issues need to be addressed and the review of the policy will facilitate improved lives of persons with albinism through access to social services such as education, healthcare and employment.

    Read Also: Issues on policy implementation

    He added that it would also reduce stigma, discrimination and ensure the inclusion of persons with albinism into the socio-economic development of the country.

    Adamu explained that the ministry had resolved to help those living with disability in one way or the other including ensuring albinos get the real sense of existence without discrimination.

    He said the mandate of the policy would be expanded as it was ready to invite other stakeholders to look critically into the challenges of the group.

    “The 14-man committee that has been constituted is saddled with reviewing the existing policy to conform to international best practices with emerging issues.

    “It will ensure that all critical stakeholders are carried along to close the gap on issues relating to albinism and disability.

    “It will also address the issues of non-implementation of policies and as well present a workable framework that will capture the current needs of persons with albinism,” he said.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Albino Foundation, Mr Jake Epelle, said the major issues disturbing albinism should be addressed by the government.

    Epelle noted that Nigerians with Albinism would no longer be victims of social stigma and inequalities.

    This, according to him, is with the help of the United Nations and critical stakeholders who are focused on empowering persons with albinism as well as educating the society on issues relating to albinism.

    NAN

  • Buhari directs minister to convene education summit

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to urgently convene a summit on education to address problems of funding in the sector.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, disclosed this while declaring open the Official Session of the 63rd National Council on Education (NCE) in Abuja.

    The President, according to a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Willie Bassey, on Monday in Abuja, described education as a tool for national development and said its funding was important for sustainable development.

    Echono said the President urged the ministry to convene a national summit to explore different funding models for education.

    The statement said the three tiers of government – federal, state and local government – would be mobilized to efficiently support the funding of education in the country.

    The President said no government could single-handedly fund education and therefore called on stakeholders to join hands with the Federal Government to reduce the population of out-of-school children in the country.

     

     

  • FG launches 2017/2018 annual school census

    FG launches 2017/2018 annual school census

    The Ministry of Education on Tuesday launched the 2017/2018 Annual School Census, aimed at solving the problem of out-of-school children.

    The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said at the ceremony in Abuja that the census was designed to obtain the accurate number of schools and validate the figures.

    The theme of the launch is “Making Every Learner’s Environment Count: A Panacea for the Dearth of Empirical Education Data and as a way of solving the problem of out-of-school Children Syndrome in Nigeria”.

    The minister said that five states had already been mapped and placed on the website www.nemis.gov.ng for accessibility by all.

    “Imo, Edo, Ondo, Kogi and Taraba states have keyed into this initiative and we hope all states will key into this exercise and link up so that our data could be validated promptly.’’

    He said the launch signalled the simultaneous commencement of the enumeration of all schools, pupils, teachers and facilities at the basic and post-basic levels in the 36 states and FCT.

    “The conduct of the Annual School Census is in line with the provision of the Nigeria Education Management Information System Policy of 2007 which provides for the collection of education data beginning from the school.

    “Thus, the Education Management Information System processes have since 2009 been decentralised to the states in order to enhance efficiency in the collection, collation, management and dissemination of credible, reliable and timely data in Nigeria.

    He added that the ministry, through NEMIS, would coordinate and monitor the process, while states would conduct the exercise.

    The minister called for cooperation and full participation of the military, paramilitary, private schools, almajari centres and integrated Quranic schools in the exercise.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, urged federal and states education ministries as well as development partners to organise training on school records keeping for head teachers and principals.

    He said that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF, had organised trainings on school records keeping in 27 States and the FCT.

    He said the training would continue until all school heads in the basic and post basic levels were trained and cascaded to other teachers in the system.

    He, therefore, urged states to take the exercise serious collect more accurate and reliable data.

    Also, Mr Adebayo Solomon, Education Specialist and Consultant at the World Bank, stressed the need to improve data collection mechanism in the country.

    Solomon said that the 611 million-dollar project targets the utilisation of 90 per cent of the money to ensure the return of children to school, adding that it would last for five years.

    NAN

  • FG issues provisional licences to six new private universities

    FG issues provisional licences to six new private universities

    The Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday issued provisional licences to the six newly established private universities.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, gave the provisional licences to the institutions in Abuja.

    The institutions are Admiralty University Ibusa in Delta, Spiritan University Neochi, Abia, Precious Cornerstone University in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Pamo University of Medica Sciences, Port Harcourt.

    Others are Atiba University in Oyo, Oyo State and Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences, Ijaniki, Lagos State.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono said the Federal Executive Council approved the take-off of the universities on December 6.

    He said that the approvals were given to the universities to provide quality education in Nigeria.

    He said the approval had increased the number of private universities in the country to 74.

    “The problems of access to quality education in Nigeria has poised serious challenges and therefore required serious efforts to address them.

    “The approval of the universities tends to address the issue of access to university education.

    Read also: FEC approves six private universities

    “Private universities in Nigeria have contributed and will continue to contribute to the development of education in the country.

    “The competition of private universities has contributed to healthy delivery within the system.

    He called on the institutions’ administrators to ensure highest standard of best practices to achieve academic excellence in their programmes.

    Earlier, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission ( NUC ), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said quality control must be strictly adhered to.

    “ With about two million candidates applying for admission into universities annually, the university system is only able to accommodate about 500,000 students yearly.

    “ And so, there is need to licence more universities to help deal with the challenge of access to education.’’

    Also, Former head of state, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar called on Nigerians to maintain peace in the country to ensure educational development.

    Abubakar also urged universities to maintain and ensure quality education for the betterment of all Nigerians.

    He said with a total of 160 universities in Nigeria out of which 74 are private universities, 46 states and 40 federal universities, there was need to ensure peace to achieve educational development.

    He called for the engagement of the youths educationally, adding that the universities should be adequately equipped for meaningful development.

    NAN

  • FG/EU partnership: Creating digital single market in Nigeria

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu on Tuesday said the Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications would partner with the European Union Commission (EUC) to create a Digital Single Market in Nigeria.

    The statement said the minister spoke during a meeting with officials of EUC.

    Mr Adebayo Shittu commended EU for choosing Nigeria as its first point of call to discuss the creation of Digital Single Market in Africa.

    He added that the size of Nigeria made it the most lucrative investment hub in Sub-Sahara Africa.

    According to him, Nigeria with its high return in investment and an emerging market makes it one of the new frontiers for investment and Digital Market consideration.

    The minister noted that the partnership was timely and called for more collaborative efforts as the ministry strives to implement its ICT strategic roadmap, e-Government and Mobile Broadband Plan.

    He pledged the ministry’s support for the initiative to diversify the economy by leveraging on ICT, as its benefits could not be over-emphasised.

    Shittu also directed that a committee be set up comprising the ministry’s agencies and Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) on the new Digital Single Market paradigm ahead of the EU/Africa Summit.

    According to him, the summit is scheduled to hold in November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    The statement also quoted the European Union Vice President/Commissioner on Digital Single market, Mr Andrus Ansip as saying “Nigeria is in a good position to benefit from global trade through the export of ICTs’’.

    Ansip said the collaboration would further bolster the congenial relationship that already exists between Nigeria and EU.

    He, however, promised to see Nigeria through the process of benefiting from this new digital initiative.

    Ansip listed the benefits of the collaboration to include the creation of jobs, improved access to digital goods and services and a level market place to buy and sell among others.

    He said EU was willing to extend investment fund to African countries, particularly Nigeria, given its demography and geography in the continent.

    The EU official added that Europe had earmarked Africa, and specifically Nigeria as the main pillar of Economic market, hence his visit.

    The EU vice president also requested the minister to champion the single Digital paradigm in Africa.

    The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Sonny Echono and the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Prof. Umar Dambatta.

    Others in attendance were; directors, and heads of agencies of the ministry, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Computer Society.

     

  • Bird flu: FG may suspend payment of compensation to farmers

    The Federal Government has said that it may suspend the payment of compensation to poultry farmers whose farms were infected by Avian Influenza (bird flu) pending when substantial progress on bio-security and other containment measures are put in place by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) and state veterinary services.

    This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sonny Echono on Wednesday at a meeting with stakeholders in the poultry industry at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

    Echono stated that the government has paid about N380 million to 138 farmers, while N643 million has also been committed as compensation to 246 poultry farmers.

    In a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Information, Mr. Tony Ohaeri, the permanent secretary said that N476 million was still required for the payment of compensation to the remaining 250 poultry farmers.

    He said the federal government had noted with concern the unencouraging disposition of PAN in assisting officials of some states in their efforts aimed at curtailing the spread of the disease.

    Echono said such co-operation was needed in the creation of adequate sensitization and awareness amongst poultry farmers.

    He strongly emphasized the need for sensitization on the control of avian influenza in birds, proper adherence to on farm bio-security, registration of farms with State Directorate of Veterinary Services and non-transportation of birds indiscriminately without the authorization of the State veterinary services.

    The permanent secretary maintained that poultry farmers must adhere to government policy of non-vaccination against the disease and enforcing the restocking policy on affected farms.

     

  • New outbreak of bird flu spreads to 21 states

    A new outbreak of Avian Influenza (bird flu) has been reported in 85 local government areas in 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Federal Government has said.

    Cases of bird flu were first reported in January by the government in over 11 states.

    The government said the new outbreak which has been reported in Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Oyo, Enugu, Abia and the FCT, occurred between July and last month.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono, who spoke at a meeting with stakeholders in the poultry industry, said that 491 farmers have been affected by the disease.

    Echono said that 1, 597, 191 birds have been depopulated so far.

    The permanent secretary said government has started the decontamination of affected farms and birds to curtail the spread of the disease.

    He said: “As you are probably aware, the resurgence of Avian Influenza as at today has spread to 85 local government areas (LGAs) in 21 states and the FCT, affecting 491 farms.

    “The disease has continued to spread mainly in the southern states and the latest outbreaks reported between July and September, 2015 in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Enugu, Abia, Rivers, and FCT.

    “These new outbreaks have been attributed to non-compliance to biosecurity in farms, limited awareness creation on disease among poultry farmers, disregard to public policy on sitting of poultry farms and other enforcement protocols which are expected to be implemented by the states.”

    Echono said government has agreed to pay N1.1 billion as compensation to 138 affected farmers.

  • Fed Govt to review import policy on rice, others

    Fed Govt to review import policy on rice, others

    The Federal Government said it plans to review import policy on staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish.

    The government, which described the policy as “unfavourable,” added that it would ensure that the country was self-sufficient in food production before the restriction of the importation of these food items.

    Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono, spoke in Abuja during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Uju Hassan-Baba.

    A statement endorsed by the Director of Information and Protocol, Mr. Tony Ohaeri, explained that government will soon seek ways of reviewing the unfavourable policy.

    He said:“The ministry would in the next three years seek the review of the current unfavorable policy by the Federal Government which allows the importation of staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish into the country.”

    It added that the Ministry  and NIPC had resolved to partner in the promotion of strategic investments in the agricultural sector.

    It underscored the need to attract more investments in the sector, explaining that Nigeria has comparative advantage in the development of agricultural sector in view of her vast arable land, huge population and markets.

    Echono pointed out that the main target of the Ministry was to guarantee food security for the country as well as export food items to other countries in the West African sub-region.

    Echono also stressed the need to link Nigerian farmers to the market, adding that it was one of the critical factors that would determine productivity and incomes of farmers as well as promote exports through value addition.

    In her response, the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Uju  Hassan-Baba, called for the reestablishment of synergy that had existed over the years between the Commission and Ministry.

    Hassan-Baba said there had been an increase in the demand for market information on agricultural activities in Nigeria by foreign investors, adding that a Desk Officer from the Ministry should be posted to NIPC’s One-Stop-Shop.

    She further disclosed that the Commission would organise stakeholders’ forum on promoting investment in the agricultural sector, noting that the Ministry had critical role to play to ensure the success of the proposed forum which will hold soon.