The Federal Government in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has concluded plans to give financial empowerment to 75,600 batches A and B beneficiaries of N-Power programme.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, said this at the inauguration of the NEXIT-CBN Agri-Business, Small and Medium Enterprises Scheme (AGSMEIS) on Monday, in Abuja.
AGSMEIS is an initiative of the Bankers’ Committee, to support and complement the Federal Governments’ efforts at promoting Agri-businesses/Small and Medium Enterprises as a vehicle for sustainable economic development and employment generation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the event is designed to train beneficiaries, as part of strategy by the Federal Government to ensure that they actualise the objectives of N-Power initiative.
NAN also reports that the 75, 600 beneficiaries are the first batch of the N-Power, out of 467,183 who applied for the training.
Farouq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Bashir Alkali, said N-Power programme was a critical part of the National Social Investment Programmes domiciled in the ministry.
According to her, the initiative was designed to achieve the national objectives of poverty reduction and job creation in the country.
“The N-Power programme is keys to helping young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills that ensure they become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.
“Recently, more segments have been embedded into the N-Power programme such as the N-Skills, which is for youth with no formal education who will be trained in different vocational skills and trades.
“The Mobile Money Agents, which are for financial inclusion of this youth segment is another great feat in the programme,” she said.
The minister said that it had been her desire that the exited batches A and B N-Power graduate beneficiaries would not be left unattended to in the new arrangement.
“Today marks the beginning of the fulfilment of this awaited training that will enable those beneficiaries that indicated interest to participate in the CBN empowerment programme,” she said.
According to her, other batches will have their turn of the training.
Earlier, the permanent secretary, who was represented by Mr Raphel Obi, a director in the ministry, said the training was carried out across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“As we all know, N-Power programme is an all-inclusive programme that focuses primarily on unemployed Nigerian youth with the aim of developing their employability and entrepreneurial skills.
“The NEXIT training programme is a well thought out collaboration between the FMHADMSD and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“This is to ensure that the exited batches in the programme make useful ventures through the entrepreneurial training designed for this purpose.
“This is so that they can tap into the opportunities that are available for them,” he said.
He advised the participants to maintain the highest level of seriousness in all that they were taught throughout the training programme and thereafter.
Speaking, Mr Samuel Daniel, one of the beneficiaries, lauded the Federal Government for the engagement of youths through the N-power initiative.
Daniel, however, used the medium to appeal to the government for more initiative to engage other youths who are yet to get opportunities. (NAN
Asset declaration: CCB gives Buhari, Osinbajo, others Tuesday deadline to submit forms
The Code of Conduct Bureau has said President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, governors and other public officers whose tenure ends on May 29 must submit their end-of-tenure asset declaration forms on May 28, 2019.
However, other public officers, mainly members of the outgoing 8th National Assembly, who were inaugurated on June 9, 2015 have up till June 8, 2019, a few hours to the expiration of their tenure to declare their assets, Saturday PUNCHhas learnt.
Paragraphs 1 to 16 of the Part II of the Fifth Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution list the categories of public officers who must periodically declare their assets to the CCB.
But those affected with the wind-down of the 2015 – 2019 political dispensation by virtue of the constitutional provision are the President, Vice-President, President and Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Speakers and Deputy Speakers of state Houses of Assembly and all members of legislative houses.
The rest are Governors and Deputy Governors, the Attorney General of the Federation and Attorney General of each state, ministers, commissioners and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Credit : punchng
Ahmed Musa celebrates Al Nassr’s Saudi League title success
Ahmed musa
Super Eagles winger Ahmed Musa is in boisterous mood following Al Nassr’s Saudi Arabia Professional Football League win on Thursday.
Al Nassr claimed their third title win following a 2-1 home win against Al Batin at the King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh.
Abdellah Hamdallah netted a brace for Al Nassr in the game with Zied Ounalli scoring Al Batin’s only goal.
“Champions 💛💙🏆🥇💃🙏👍,”Musa tweeted.
Musa who started the game was replaced by Brazilian midfielder Petros Matheaus in the 63rd minute.
The 26-year-old scored seven goals in 24 league appearances for Al Nassr in the just concluded season.
The Nigeria international linked up with Al Nassr last summer from English Premier League club Leicester City.
He is expected to now go on holiday before linking up with his international teammates in Asaba on June 2 for their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations camping.
Nigeria’s Top Business Leaders join UN to visit Borno State in Support of Conflict-Affected People in the North-East
Maiduguri, 14 May 2019 – Some of Nigeria’s most influential and powerful business leaders travelled to Maiduguri on Tuesday in a first-ever collective visit to camps for internally displaced people where aid agencies have been responding to the most urgent needs of women, men, and children freshly displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Mr. Adewale Tinubu, Group CEO of Oando Plc, one of Nigeria’s largest indigenous energy companies, led a delegation that included Access Bank’s Group Managing Director Mr. Herbert Wigwe, and former chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Mr. Kyari Bukar, among other private sector leaders. They joined the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, and other UN representatives on a visit to two IDP camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where they met people whose lives have been uprooted by the ongoing crisis.
“The humanitarian community has been working tirelessly to provide shelter, food, health care and other basic needs to families who have been left with little or nothing. To see CEOs of banks and energy companies show compassion for the mothers and fathers, daughters and sons affected by this crisis brings a new beacon of hope for people who have endured too much. Together with the leading business minds in Nigeria, there is so much more we can do for Nigeria’s most vulnerable people,” said Edward Kallon, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria.
The visit was part of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector Initiative (NHF-PSI), a groundbreaking global initiative created in Nigeria that will see companies join donor countries in pooling donations and resources together. The platform aims to create a more collaborative and effective response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has affected over 7 million people in Nigeria’s north-east, 80 percent of whom are women and children.
“This initiative is about Nigerians helping Nigerians. Today I have witnessed some of the most vulnerable people; women and children in the most dire circumstances. Having seen the magnitude of their humanitarian needs, it is obvious that it is not a task that the Government or any one agency can take on alone,” said Mr. Adewale Tinubu. “The onus is on us to use our position to repair, nurture, build and sustain our society and pave a path for a truly inclusive economy,” Mr. Tinubu added.
The delegation also met with the Executive Governor of Borno State, Alh. Kashim Shettima who welcomed this unique partnership.
“I am very glad that the Nigerian private sector, a very vibrant sector, is at the vanguard of driving this program. In the UN, Nigeria’s private sector has found a partner that has the integrity to truly make things work”, Governor Shettima stated.
Fourteen of the biggest companies in Nigeria signed up to the initiative launched in Lagos in November 2018, which will harness their financial resources, innovative capacity and entrepreneurial drive in support of the humanitarian response in the affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. The NHF-PSI offers a measurable and accountable platform for companies to pool their resources together to more effectively transform the lives of millions of their fellow Nigerians.
To date, the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund has raised $83 million in contributions and pledges, thanks to the generous support of seventeen donor countries. Nigeria boasts one of Africa’s largest economies with an emerging and thriving private sector globally.
The United Nations and founding private sector members of the initiative are urging more businesses to come together and collaborate under the platform of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund-Private Sector Initiative.
For further information, please contact:
Leni Kinzli, Public Information Officer, OCHA Nigeria,
+234 906 246 2630, kinzli@un.org
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:
To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.
Reps reject bill to restrict foreign medical trips by public officials
The House of Representatives voted out a bill seeking to regulate medical trips being embarked upon by public officials.
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The proposed law was killed at the third reading during the plenary on Tuesday.
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The report on the ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the National Health Act 2014 to Regulate International Trips for Medical Treatment by Public Officers to Strengthen the Health Institutions for Efficient Service Delivery’ was considered by the Committee of the Whole.
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While debating the report, several lawmakers claimed that the legislation would breach the right of public officials.
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The bill sought to amend Section 46 of the National Health Act thus: “(1) A public officer of the Federal Government shall not embark on medical trip abroad without approval; or be sponsored for medical check-up, investigation; or treatment abroad at public expenses except in exceptional cases on the recommendation and referral by the medical board and which recommendation or referral shall be duly approved by the Minister or Commissioner as the case may be; or embark on medical trip abroad unless he satisfactorily proves to the office where the officer is working, that such ailment cannot be treated in Nigeria.”
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The Deputy Speaker, Mr Lasun Yusuf, however, said the bill would discriminate against elected officials.
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“This bill is against my fundamental human right. There are two fundamental wrongs in this bill, it is against human right and it is discriminatory. Do not let us do a debate on this bill,” he said.
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Another lawmaker, Mr Razak Atunwa, from Kwara State, alleged that the bill was targeted at public officials over the mismanagement of the health care sector.
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He said in parts, “The fact that I am public servant does not mean I have given up my right. If the government has failed in providing hospitals, we cannot punish someone for it. The intention is right, but better funding for training of doctors, better funding for hospitals is the right way to go.”
Credit : punchng
BREAKING: FG abolishes Degree/HND dichotomy in Civil Defence, Immigration, Prisons, Fire Services
The Federal Government has abolished the dichotomy between holders of Barchelor’s Degree and those with Higher National Diploma, HND, in all the Services under the Ministry of Interior. The agencies affected are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Prisons Service and Federal Fire Service.
Before now, personnel with HND certificates are employed into the Inspectorate cadre while their colleagues with Barchelor’s Degree certificate are in the Superintendent cadre. However, with this new policy, the HND holders will now be moved from the Inspectorate cadre to Superintendent cadre without obtaining any degree certificates as the case was before now.
Confirming this development in a statement on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB), Al-Hassan Yakmut said the approval was given after the board’s meeting on 9th and 10th on this month. “The board has constituted a technical committee to work out modalities for the implementation, including the harmonisation of ranks in accordance with the abolition”, according to Yakmut. This is coming just over a year after the board upgraded the entry point for HND holders into the Services from Grade Level 7 to Grade Level 8 just like the Barchelor’s Degree holders
Credit : dailytrust
Embattled Emir Sanusi returns to Kano from Saudi Arabia
Embattled Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sunusi II, arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport from Saudi Arabia.
On arrival, he was received by top emirate council members and jubilating Kano residents at the airport.
Shortly after pleasantries at the airport, Sanusi was driven in a convoy to his palace, while Kano residents greeted the monarch, chorusing: ‘’Maimartaba’.’ While his convoy meandered through the streets, heading to the palace, many Kano residents greeted the emir.
Among those in his convoy were prominent Kano indigenes and palace guards (Dogarai), who closely guarded the Emir.
Credit: punchng
JUST IN: Ganduje presents staff-of-office to new emirs
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Kano State Governor. Kano state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is expected to present staff-of-office to four newly appointed emirs of Gaya, Rano, Karaye and Bichi emirates. The emirs are Alhaji Tafida Abubakar Ila (Rano), Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir Gaya (Gaya), Dr Ibrahim Abubakar ll (Karaye) and Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero (Bichi).
Confirming the development to Daily Trust today, the state’s Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba said, “The governor and his entourage are set to proceed to two out of the four new emirates to present the staff-of-office to the new emirs today. “And tomorrow Monday, he will lead the entourage to the two remaining emirates to present the staff-of-office to their respective emirs.”
Credit :dailytrust
Ramadan calender around kaduna Nigeria 🇳🇬
Buhari reappoints Godwin Emefiele CBN governor
President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, read a letter from President Buhari reappointing Emefiele CBN top boss for another term
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