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 Politics › Re: EndSARS: Mr. President Has Spoken And He Means Every Word - Laolu Akande by murecool(m): 7:44am On Oct 19, 2020 |
We have started seeing positive results but those irate protesters needs to be dealt with 2 Likes 2 Shares |
| Politics › Re: EndSARS: Osinbajo Apologises For Delay In Implementation Of Demands by murecool(m): 10:08am On Oct 17, 2020 |
Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo is doing a superb job in leading our nation through this pandemic. There is no one else in Nigeria I would rather have doing so. He is the greatest Vice President of all time 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: EndSARS: Osinbajo Apologises For Delay In Implementation Of Demands by murecool(m): 10:07am On Oct 17, 2020 |
In the whole brouhaha, when last did you hear Pence name trending in America? He's the VP, his job will always be as directed by Trump! But here in Nigeria... Nigerians want it otherwise. Hypocrisy 2 Likes |
| Islam › Re: It Is Not Permissible To Prostrate To Anyone Other Than Allah by murecool(m): 3:13pm On Oct 16, 2020 |
The op is not knowledgeable. It is permissible to prostrate when greeting. |
| Politics › Buhari: Disbanding Of SARS First Step To Extensive Police Reforms by murecool(op): 1:37pm On Oct 12, 2020 |
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Abuja declared that disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is the first step to extensive police reforms by his administration. Speaking at the launch of the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), aimed at creating 774,000 jobs across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country, President Buhari also directed that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts be brought to justice. ''I will like to use this opportunity to say a word on the recent genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about the excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct of the men of the Nigerian Police Force,’’ President Buhari said during the launch of the P-YES programme, attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and Engineer Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State. He continued: ''The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people. ''We will also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice. ''We deeply regret the loss of life of the young man in Oyo State during the recent demonstrations. ''I have directed that the circumstances of his death should be thoroughly investigated. ''Meanwhile, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of men and women of the police force are hardworking and diligent in performing their duties. ''The few bad eggs should not be allowed to tarnish the image and reputation of the force.'' On the empowerment programme, the President while restating his administration’s commitment to youth development and poverty alleviation pledged that the Federal Government policies of social protection and people empowerment would continue on track, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic. The President, who described P-YES as a cornerstone of his administration’s social and economic development strategies, said it was part of the overall policy of ensuring that 100 million Nigerians were lifted out of poverty in ten years. ''The P-YES is also part of the plan that we adopted in 2016 in which we empowered One hundred youths from each of the 774 Local Government Areas with the necessary tools to acquire skills and establish small businesses. ''Given the success of that initiative, we are now committed to creating 774,000 jobs across all the LGAs, through the P-YES programme,'' he said. President Buhari, who took a tour of P-YES tools and equipment displayed at the forecourt of Presidential Villa, expressed delight that the materials showcased represent the fruits of the initiatives embarked upon by his administration in 2016. ''All the tools, machines and equipment that are exhibited here, are products of the efforts of these empowered youth entrepreneurs. ''I note with particular pleasure that they were all fabricated in Nigeria by Nigerian youths using locally sourced materials. This is a wonderful and uplifting achievement. ''As an entrepreneurship empowerment project, the P-YES programme aims to address the needs of unskilled and less educated youth. ''It targets key areas of activities that are of practical importance and are essential to every aspect of our economy. ''These include areas such as agriculture and food processing, restaurant and catering, tailoring and fashion design, technical skills such as in the Information and Communications Technology sector, artisanship, welding, carpentry and joinery, other small businesses and activities associated with the micro-economic sector of this economy,'' he said. The President used the occasion to call on State Governments, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to factor the P-YES into their programmes to assist the youth realise their potentials in their chosen fields. He urged local and foreign private sector operators in Nigeria to also contribute their share to the expansion of this programme through channelling their corporate social responsibility efforts towards skills acquisition, creation of start-ups, and other intervention measures. President Buhari declared that the expansion of the P-YES would now be vigorously pursued, adding that more resources will be committed to the achievement of its goals and objectives towards youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. The President commended the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Students Affairs, under Hon. Nasiru Saidu Adhama, for driving the P-YES programme in accordance with the mandates prescribed for the office and the programme. He expressed confidence that the programme being supervised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would make significant difference. In his remarks, Hon Adhama assured the President that as achieved in the pilot phase of the programme the selection of beneficiaries in the full-scale P-YES scheme would be done with the utmost transparency and credibility, adding that equal opportunities will be observed in the delivery of equipment, tools and machines to all States and LGAs. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) October 12, 2020
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| Politics › Takes On President Muhammadu Buhari’s Comments On SARS by murecool(op): 9:53pm On Oct 10, 2020 |
1. The Nigeria Police Force is accountable to citizens and the FG is determined to reform the Police and end menace of police brutality and excesses against citizens. 2. On the President’s directive, the IGP will ensure that erring officers are brought to justice, even as the concerns over excesses of SARS is wholly addressed: 3. Democracy ensures the right to peaceful protest, but the President appealed to Nigerians for calm and patience as concerns are being addressed. 4. Despite the bad eggs among them, the Nigeria Police Force have many good & patriotic officers protecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, and the FG will ensure the police is well equipped to do their job. |
| Politics › Osinbajo: Police Violations Of Young People's Rights Unacceptable, Annoying by murecool(op): 6:57pm On Oct 04, 2020 |
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| Politics › Osinbajo Commends Ban On FSARS, Criticises Their Actions by murecool(op): 6:17pm On Oct 04, 2020 |
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has applauded the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu for banning the routine patrol of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Nigeria Police Force. Speaking to State House reporters at his residence in Abuja on Sunday, Professor Osinbajo described the routine attacks on young people as infuriating. While condemning the actions of some officers he called bad “eggs of the Force”, the Vice President asked the police to stick to their mandates. He also commended Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for speaking up against injustices meted out by some security operatives on young Nigerians. Osinbajo’s remarks come shortly after IGP Adamu warned FSARS and other Tactical Squads of the Force against carrying out stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc with immediate effect. https://www.chronicle.ng/2020/10/osinbajo-commends-ban-on-fsars/
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| Politics › Buhari’s Comparison Of Petrol Prices Will Educate Nigerians — Expert by murecool(op): 11:18pm On Oct 01, 2020 |
Prof. Wumi Iledare, Professor of Petroleum Economics, says comparing the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, with other countries will help to educate Nigerians on deregulation of the sector. Iledare made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria( NAN) while reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence day speech in Abuja on Thursday. Buhari in his speech explained why petroleum prices in the country needed to be adjusted for economic development. Buhari said: “Our government is grappling with the dual challenge of saving lives and livelihoods in face of drastically reduced resources. ” In this regard, sustaining the level of petroleum prices is no longer possible. ” In the circumstances, a responsible government must face realities and take tough decisions. ” Petroleum prices in Nigeria are to be adjusted. We sell now at N161 per litre. A comparison with our neighbours will illustrate the point, Chad which is an oil-producing country charges N362 per litre Niger, also sells 1 litre at N346. ” In Ghana, another oil-producing country, the petroleum pump price is N326 per litre. Egypt charges N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre. “It makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia, Buhari says. Iledare said that the president had stated the obvious, adding that people should not bring up sentiment about it. “I disagree with any sentiment. We cannot pick and chose even as we adopt global best practice keeping local context in view. “Don’t we live American life in Nigeria and invoke such expectations in our demands, yet the governance structure to meet the living standard demanded are frustrated. “Let us for example look at the price of PMS of the same grade in ECOWAS. Nigeria is the cheapest and the second cheapest is 100 Naira equivalent more than Nigeria.” He said that experts in 2015 advised the government on deregulation of the downstream sector but it did not heed to it, noting that it was better now than never. “Oil is a global commodity that connects and affects the global economy and we must ensure global best practices in Nigeria.” https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/10/independence-buharis-comparism-of-petrol-prices-will-educate-nigerians-expert/amp/ 1 Like |
| Politics › Nigeria At 60:
I Disagree With A Bleak View Of Our History, Says Osinbajo by murecool(op): 8:31pm On Oct 01, 2020*. Modified: 9:10pm On Oct 01, 2020 |
VP to Nigerian Youths: We have a future worth fighting for *Adds: “… because of you, a united, peaceful & prosperous Nigeria is possible As NigeriaNews ns, including public commentators reflect on the country’s journey to nationhood over the past 60 years, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN has called on the youth not succumb to the challenges confronting the nation, noting that young Nigerians hold the key to a more united, peaceful and prosperous nation. Prof. Osinbajo also expressed disagreement on comments reflective of a bleak view of Nigeria’s history noting that “despite the onerous challenges we face, we have endured as a people and there is still so much that I believe should give us reason to face the future with hope.” The Vice President made the remarks Thursday at the virtual edition of the NASFAT Global Youth Seminar themed: “A Unified, Peaceful and Prosperous Nigeria”. According to him, “I urge you to guard your hearts and protect your capacity for idealism and creative optimism. These are the tools with which you will build the Nigeria of our dreams. We have a future worth fighting for. “Your generation has what it takes to move us away from the destructive and unproductive rent-seeking attitudes that engender conflict and on to the terrain of enhanced productivity. “Your generation has the tools to usher in a new age of abundance and wealth creation that will lift our society beyond the hunger-induced and poverty-inducing squabbles over a national cake that has ceased to exist. As Nigeria seeks to find her proper place in the world in the 21st century, you are our nation’s most important resource. It is because of you that a united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria is very possible.” Speaking about overcoming the challenges confronting the nation, Prof. Osinbajo said the youth’s capacity for innovation would come handy in an era of scarcity and unequal distribution of resources. He said “Much of the discontent and tensions that we have are distributional conflicts ignited by the struggle for access to tangible and intangible resources. As resources become scarcer, identity-based claims to a share of the national patrimony become more aggressive and lead increasingly to conflict. Under these circumstances, we are liable to see each other as competitors and rivals instead of compatriots and eventually we begin to demonize each other as “enemies. “With a population of about 200 million, and with our country on track to be the third most populous nation on earth in a few decades, the challenge for us is creating opportunity for the huge number of people that increasingly need education, food, healthcare, and employment. This is where your capacity to innovate comes in.” Recalling efforts made in the past to promote unity among Nigerians and progress across different sectors of the economy, Prof. Osinbajo said Nigerians must not relent in striving for a progressive and united country. “Inspired by constitutional imperatives, we created institutions such as Federal Government Colleges otherwise known as Unity Schools and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to foster cohesion and solidarity amongst our diverse people. And we instituted the Federal Character principle to govern the democratization of opportunity, participation, and representation in our public institutions. “We are therefore alive and here at a time in history when our society must complete the unfinished tasks of resolving issues of structural poverty, entrenched inequality, disparities in access to social and economic opportunities, fractured access to justice, and the diminishing faith in governing institutions – all of which create profound radical discontent with the social order,” the Vice President added. Osinbajo then noted that “those of us who desire a united peaceful and prosperous Nigeria must confront the everyday injustices that mock our aspirations and erode our confidence in a shared future.” His words: “It is important that we do not raise our voices only when we perceive the rights of our own group to have been violated. We must make common cause with other groups when they are injured because our rights are rooted in universal principles that cannot be selectively applied. “We must also reject the idea that some Nigerians have to lose in order for other Nigerians to win, and that some Nigerians have to be deprived in order for some Nigerians to prosper. We can all win and we can all live in prosperity. Nigeria will work for each of us only when it works for all of us.” Continuing, the Vice President said “we must resist the temptation to demonize whole groups by judging them by their most extreme fringes. We must resist the urge to portray communities in caricatures. “As citizens, there are moral choices upon us. Are we using our influence to promote measured voices of reason or are we amplifying the voices of divisive hate-mongers? The choice before us is clear.” The event featured presentations by Islamic scholars including Sheik Nurudeen Lemu, Mufti Ismail, Imam Abdul Azeez Morufu Onike, among others. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 1st October 2020 https://www.yemiosinbajo.ng/nigeria-at-60-i-disagree-with-a-bleak-view-of-our-history-says-osinbajo/
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| Politics › We Will Focus On Auto Gas As Alternative To Petrol- Osinbajo by murecool(op): 11:38am On Sep 27, 2020 |
*Use of Compressed Natural Gas part of ESP *VP says no plan to increase taxes In a determined effort to offer Nigerians an effective option to petrol, the Federal Government will focus on developing Compressed Natural Gas otherwise known as auto gas, which is priced significantly lower than PMS. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, stated this during a virtual interactive session hosted by the Africa Report magazine on Thursday. Answering a participant’s questions regarding the removal of petrol subsidy, the Vice President said “we have experienced a severe downturn in our finances over the years, so at 60 percent less revenue, we are in a position where sustaining fuel subsidies is practically impossible simply because we do not have the resources.” According to him, “what we have decided to do is to focus on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which is about half the price of petrol today. So, if we use CNG for our cars and for our buses, it will cost between N78 and N80 or so per liter.” Under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), the Federal Government’s objective is to promote domestic use of CNG and support the creation of 1 million jobs by maximizing the domestic use of CNG while reducing reliance on refined petroleum products like kerosene and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Responding to a question regarding increase in taxes, the Vice President noted that the administration has no plans of increasing taxes, stating that “our position really is that, this is hardly the time to raise taxes”. According to him, “It is even more difficult for people to pay taxes now than ever before, I mean, given the state of affairs, but this is why we're doing everything now. "We are trying to ensure that businesses survive this period by providing as much support as we can, and by relieving them of as much burden as possible and ensuring that they are able to get some moratorium so that they can at least continue to run their businesses and by all the other interventions and support that we are giving, we hope that those interventions will help businesses. “Our approach is first to ensure that we save jobs. If we save jobs and save businesses, and then do the best we can in agriculture, the housing scheme and all of that, we will actually be able to improve spending and if we are able to improve spending, taxes will definitely improve, and if businesses survive, taxes will improve. So, those are the sort of projections that we are looking at.” It would be recalled that the 2020 Finance Act exempts businesses generating less than N25 million in annual turnover from Companies Income Tax. Also, businesses with a turnover of between N25m and N100m will only pay 20% Companies Income Tax instead of the 30% which was the former applicable rate. The Vice President had recently said it is the plan of the Buhari administration to put money in the hands of Nigerians. Addressing concerns raised about electricity tariffs, the Vice President said the era of subsidizing petrol and electricity was over, noting that government has adopted measures of addressing the situation. His words: “What we are trying to do is to ensure that we are able to reform the electricity industry. The industry is privatized except for the transmission sector. But what we have seen is that the distribution companies (DisCos) are just not able to meet their targets or to even provide electricity on any kind of stable basis now. “The DisCos have been hankering all these years for a cost-reflective tariff and government has been paying the subsidy. In fact, in the past few years, we have spent about N1.3 trillion on subsidies for electricity. Again, here is a situation where that is completely unaffordable. “We want to ensure that new companies come into the market. So, that will be decentralized completely. This way, in several parts of our country, we can have micro-grids, small grids, and all of that. We are doing 5 million solar connections as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan. We think that, with all these, we can electrify our country within a short period of time.” The Vice President added that the overall target of government in the Economic Sustainability Plan is to save existing jobs and revamp businesses by improving the spending capability of Nigerians through the various initiatives in industry, agriculture, mass housing, and the solar connectivity projects. Over 1, 200 persons on different platforms across the world, participated in the virtual event tagged by Africa Report, the organisers as Digital Dialogues. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 26th September 2020 |
| Politics › Osinbajo: Ongoing Registration Of Nigerians For Survival Fund Scheme Impressive by murecool(op): 7:20am On Sep 26, 2020 |
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT ONGOING REGISTRATION OF NIGERIANS FOR N60B SURVIVAL FUND SCHEME IMPRESSIVE, SAYS OSINBAJO *1.7m to 2m MSMEs to benefit overall from Survival Fund & other schemes *Half a million to benefit from Payroll Support alone *333, 000 Artisans & Transport workers to get grants *250,000 free Business Name Registration *Over 300,000 MSMEs to get another 15B in Guaranteed Off-take As more Nigerians and small businesses register for the recently launched Survival Fund scheme of the Federal Government, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has described progress recorded in the first three days of the registration of applicants as massive and impressive, reiterating the commitment of the Buhari administration to ensure effective implementation of all the schemes. The Vice President stated this yesterday during a virtual interactive session by the Africa Report magazine which focused on Nigeria’s post-pandemic recovery plan also referred to as ‘Bouncing Back’. Responding to a question on the implementation of the various schemes under the ESP for small and medium businesses, the Vice President said the response by Nigerians to the recently launched Survival Fund was massive and assured that the government remained committed to effective implementation of the scheme. More and more potential beneficiaries are going online to access the N60 billion Survival Fund whose registration started on Monday. According to him, “a couple of days ago, the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment launched the Survival Fund. The Fund includes a Payroll Support for about 500, 000 beneficiaries and the plan is to take qualifying businesses who have a minimum of 10 employees and pay salaries of those staff for three months. “The portal was opened about three days ago and there has been massive response to it. Payroll Support is one important way that we intend to support small scale businesses. We are also giving artisans and transporters, grants to support their businesses and it will cover about 333, 000 of such artisans and transporters.” Continuing, the Vice President said “there is also a free business name registration that we are doing for 250, 000 persons who wish to register their businesses.” Referring specifically to the expected impact of the schemes on MSMEs, the Vice President said “we are looking at 1.3 million beneficiaries under the Survival Fund and under the artisans and transporters grants. Then we have a Guaranteed Off-take Scheme. Under this programme, basically, if you manufacture certain items and food products, we will buy them from you. Our target is about 300, 000 of such producers of foods. Both schemes will benefit about 1.7 million individuals and small businesses.” Speaking further about the effective implementation of the schemes, the Vice President said measures are being put in place to ensure that the target beneficiaries are impacted positively. In the implementation aspect of the programme, the VP said "we are trying to get everything going. The financing is not the immediate problem, the important thing is organizing the beneficiaries and ensuring that the support gets to them. It is more the nitty-gritty of ensuring that this money gets to those for whom it is meant.” Responding to another set of questions about the agriculture component of the plan, the Vice President said the Agric programme is on course as 2 million farmers across the country have already been certified to benefit from the programme which aims to create jobs and guarantee food sufficiency. “We are hoping that we can become a net exporter. At the moment we are the biggest producers of yam and cassava in the world. And through this Mass Agriculture programme, we hope to become a net exporter of some of the products that we are focused on. “So, a key factor of the Mass Agriculture Programme is that there is guarantee off-take for farmers,” Prof. Osinbajo added. On the housing component of the plan, the Vice President said the goal is to create opportunities for local builders, architects and other professionals and artisans in the building industry. He said “we have a target of 300,000 housing units in this plan. It is a huge target but when you break it down, it means that each state will build something in the order of 8,300 or so housing units in each of the 36 states and that will come to under 400 houses in each Local Government Area. The whole idea is to engage young men and women who are builders, architects and all that, forming small companies that can take these housing units in lots. “What we expect to happen and what we have planned is that in each site you would have block making going on, you would have door manufacturing, window manufacturing and all of that. In other words, we're trying to ensure that local materials are used in the building of these houses.” On the funding of the stimulus package, the Vice President said N500 billion is provided in the budget out of the N2.3 trillion while the balance is being mainly funded through structured loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 25th September 2020 |
| Politics › VP Osinbajo Receives Gov. Obaseki, Shaibu At The State by murecool(op): 7:10pm On Sep 25, 2020 |
Politics Without Bitterness ! Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN receives on a courtesy visit Edo State Governor H.E. Godwin Obaseki and First Lady Betty Obaseki and H.E. Deputy Gov Phillip Shaibu and His Wife Mrs. Shaibu at the State House, Abuja.
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| Politics › Femi Adesina: Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is by murecool(op): 11:33pm On Sep 24, 2020 |
There is a story that President Muhammadu Buhari likes to tell. He has done so many times in public and private meetings. It goes thus: “After we got inaugurated into office in 2015, I asked the Governor of Central Bank for the state of our finances. He said no money. I was alarmed, and asked where all the money went. Before then, oil prices had hit 143 dollars per barrel, and stabilized at 100 dollars per barrel for a long time. But I was being told there was no money. “I asked what happened? The CBN Governor said we imported food, and also petroleum. And no money was left. “It was shocking to me. I didn’t quite believe the story then, and I still don’t fully believe it even now. But I was determined that food importation was something we needed to stop, and so we would have to put our money where our mouth is.” What next? The President called the CBN Governor, and the then Minister of Agriculture, instructing them to arrange massive funding for Nigerian farmers, so that we can begin to eat what we grow, and consume what we produce, rather than spend scarce foreign exchange on food importation. It culminated in the establishment of the CBN Anchor Borrowers Program, launched in Birnin-Kebbi, in November 2015. To fully understand what we have gained by putting our money where our mouth is, let’s do some financial excursions, in terms of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth from 2015, when the Buhari Administration got into office. As if waiting for a change of power in Nigeria, oil prices that had stabilized at 100 dollars per barrel crashed to as low as 37 dollars. And even further down. And because we have no other source of earning foreign exchange, since we don’t export anything apart from oil, our GDP began to contract. It did so for five subsequent quarters, and the economy went into recession. Through prudence, financial accountability, and hard work, we came out of recession in early 2017. And for the next 12 quarters, GDP grew every quarter. Not at the pace we wanted, but the trajectory was positive, till the end of Quarter 1, 2020. Then things went bust. COVID-19 came, and the economy was locked down for over four months. It was only natural that the economy would contract again by time the half year report came. The projection was that we would have a 7 percent negative growth, but we eventually had -6.1, a shade better than had been projected. Holy Moses! Some people screamed. Buhari has run the economy down again, as if they lived in outer space, and didn’t know what had been happening round the world. See what befell other lands and climes, including saner ones (apologies Dr Oteri Okolo) In terms of GDP growth or losses by half year of 2020, America contracted by -9.4 percent, South Africa -17.6, Great Britain -20, India -23, and the only major economic power that did not contract was China, 3.1 positive growth. And COVID-19 had incidentally started from Wuhan, in China. If we hadn’t put our money where our mouth was from 2015, imagine what would have happened to Nigeria. The country was locked down, just like other countries of the world. No money to import food, as oil prices had crashed to below 20 dollars per barrel, and even if you had money to import, all international borders were closed. We would have smelled pepper. But because President Buhari had been prescient, and had seen ahead, we survived through locally grown food products: rice, beans, yam, tomatoes, and many others. While the half year GDP shows a slump in several sectors, agriculture still grew by 1.58%. How precisely did it happen? The CBN told the story this week.Since inception of the Anchor Borrowers Program In 2015, the sum of N479.239 billion has been disbursed to 2,580,094 smallholder farmers cultivating about 3,044,482 hectares of farmland across the 36 states of the country, and the Federal Capital Territory. That’s how to put your money where your mouth is. Between 2015 and now, funds have been disbursed for the cultivation and rearing of 21 agricultural commodities. And that is why despite the vagaries of nature, leading to too little rainfall in some parts, and too much, causing severe flooding in some other areas, we are still not in danger of severe food shortage. President Buhari deserves some applause, doesn’t he? We should learn to count our blessings, rather than grumble all the time. Despite the ravages of COVID-19 on the economy, the objectives of Anchor Borrowers Program for 2020 remain inviolable. The CBN will stimulate affordable and sustainable finance to the agriculture sector, support the government’s commitment to create 100 million jobs, enable greater diversification of Nigeria’s economy, and achieve self-sufficiency in foods and industrial raw materials, among others. From the 2020 wet season farming alone, the country can look forward to significant reduction in the imports of 11 agricultural commodities over the next year. Also, 10 private sector integrated rice mills are expected across the country, while 19 ginneries are expected to operate at 93.5% capacity due to improved availability of local cotton. And finally, dead and moribund textile mills will be resuscitated. Instead of pocketing the country’s money, see what President Buhari is doing to different agricultural products in 2020 wet farming season, despite the challenges of Coronavirus: Rice. The sum of N91,474 billion released to 438356 smallholder farmers cultivating 454,954 hectares. Expected yield is is five metric tonnes per hectares. Cotton. N42.221 billion released to 233,308 farmers cultivating 244,383 hectares across Nigeria. Expected output is 366,574.50 metric tonnes. Maize. The sum of N32.411 billion disbursed to 232,221 smallholder farmers cultivating 258,395 hectares. Expected yield is over one million tonnes. Livestock, tomato, cassava, and many other products equally have their allocations, and expected yield. We are sure inexorably on the road to food self-sufficiency, and almost there. Infrastructure-roads, bridges, rail, airports, housing, and others-will be the indelible footprints of President Buhari in Nigeria. But another area we also won’t forget this President is agriculture. He has put the country’s money where our mouth is. *Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity
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| Business › MSME Survival Fund Registration: How To Apply As Portal Opens by murecool(op): 9:39pm On Sep 20, 2020 |
Survival Fund: FG Releases Registration Schedule As Portal Opens Mondayhttps://www.nannews.ng/survival-fund-fg-releases-registration-schedule-as-portal-opens-monday/ SURVIVAL FUND: FG OPENS REGISTRATION PORTAL 10 PM, SEPT. 21https://mobile.twitter.com/NigeriaGov/status/1307946510580092928 10 Likes 8 Shares
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| Politics › Breaking: Emir Of Zazzau Dr Shehu Idris Is Dead by murecool(op): 12:39pm On Sep 20, 2020 |
The Emir of Zazzau has passed away. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un. May Allah forgive all your sins, May Allah grant you the highest rank in Jannah. 2 Likes |
| Politics › Osinbajo: FG Collaborating With Investors To Improve Nigeria’s Digital Sector by murecool(op): 8:50pm On Sep 19, 2020 |
*VP engages Facebook VP and former UK Deputy PM, Nick Clegg, in fireside chat *Tech giant announces new office in Lagos, outcome of 2018 VP-led FG delegation's visit to Silicon Valley Just as global Social Media and technology giant, Facebook was informing the Federal Government about its decision to open a Nigerian office in Lagos, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN has restated the determination of the Buhari administration to keep boosting the nation's technology sector and digital economy. Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Friday during a fireside chat with Facebook's Vice President on Global Affairs and Communications, former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Nick Clegg. The chat focused on the digital economic pillar of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan, NESP. Clegg and other Facebook officials, including Ebele Okobi, Facebook’s Head of Public Policy, Africa, had informed the Vice President about the decision to open its second African office in Lagos possibly by the end of this year or next year. It would be recalled that a delegation of the Federal Government led by the VP and including the Communications & Digital Economy Minister, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, had visited Silicon Valley in 2018 and one of the issues on the table then was how such global tech giants like Facebook could have full representation in the country, including a Nigerian office. According to the Vice President during the fireside chat on Friday, the focus of the Nigerian government on the digital sector is crucial in various socio-economic aspect of national life, from education, e-commerce, social investments programmes to the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government. He said, “The NESP is our response to the economic crisis caused by the (COVID-19) pandemic. Our focus on the digital sector is really because practically everything we are doing centres around expanding our reach in the digital sector. "For example, financial inclusion is critical for us because we are spreading and extending our social services, payment of cash transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable and other manners of such payment; and sometimes to the farthest flung places in Nigeria. So, we certainly need to expand our reach in order to do so. Of course, technology is critical to that." The VP also noted that the Federal Government is collaborating with the private sector to fund, establish and expand e-learning and education platforms, and other areas of digital technology growth. “Practically everything is now being done remotely. Earlier on today, I did a virtual commissioning of the MSME clinic in Lagos, sitting in my office in Abuja. So, for us, the digital space is very important, which is why the focus was on the digital economy in the Economic Sustainability Plan. “We are led by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, which is the ministry fully devoted to all of what we do in the digital space. We have NITDA, an agency responsible for Information technology (policy implementation); as well as the private sector.” Recalling the trip to Silicon Valley and Facebook campus in the US in 2018, the VP stated that the tours helped to boost government’s digital drive, while leading to significant improvement in the country’s digital sector. “The tours were extremely successful. In Silicon Valley, Nigerian start-ups got a chance to pitch their products to tech sector investors, that was very good. In fact, before we left Silicon Valley, one of our venture platforms was able to sign a deal worth about $10m with the Nigeria-US Council. Since then, we’ve seen tremendous activity post-trip. The visit helped in showing our seriousness about the technology sector, and also the entertainment industry. We held a few meetings also with the entertainment industry. “As of 2018/19, we’ve gotten about $377m in investments in the tech sector. Although, it still scratches the surface if one considers the size of our economy and country. But there were very significant gains, and I’m very happy to do that. I think we’ve started off a series of interactions that have been very useful and we will continue to engage.” On the issue of regulations to ensure smooth collaboration between government and the private sector, the Vice President stated that the Federal Government will continue to engage with the private sector to boost development of the tech and creative sector. “With regulation, we are dealing with uncharted territory, because quite a few of what we are seeing are entirely new. And I must say that the regulatory authorities have done quite a decent work, trying to grapple with the newness of some of what they are seeing... So, what has happened is that the collaborative efforts of govt and the tech sector, even the entertainment sector, worked on this. We had set up a technology and creativity advisory group; these are young entrepreneurs, innovators etc, who worked with us in the Industrial and Competitiveness Council to craft some of these regulations and to think through some of the problems,” Prof. Osinbajo said. According to him, “we are trying to work with practically everyone who is interested in the Nigerian digital sector. By way of preparation, one of the critical issues for us is improving our broadband infrastructure. We’ve heard the exciting stuff that Facebook is doing, especially by way of subsea cable that is being launched. "But we also have a Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 recently launched by the Hon. Minister of Communication & Digital Economy. There is a presidential committee which has just been inaugurated to work on this. These are broad objectives, and for us, creating that infrastructure is crucial, and we are happy to see the partnerships from Facebook and from some of the other tech companies.” The Vice President further said government is also working to ensure access to credit for innovators. “We’ve talked a bit about foreign investments in innovation in Nigeria, but more importantly, the work that the Bank of Industry is doing. The Bank of Industry has a technology fund. The Central Bank of Nigeria has also recently established a technology fund. Also, we are working with the African Development Bank (AfDB), which has a $500m fund; at the moment we are at the final stages, trying to bring that into existence. "So, there is quite a bit of activity to ensure that there is access to funding, while we are improving the business environment and the environment for technology companies to operate,” he said. On his part, Sir Clegg noted that he was impressed with Nigeria’s broadband goals and what Government is doing to improve the digital sector. He said "Let me say how excited I am, on behalf of the whole of Facebook and all of our teams, of the emerging ambitions that we see in the broadband space in Nigeria, particularly with the Economic Sustainability Plan led by His Excellency, the Vice President. What a huge pleasure for me to hear directly form the Vice President about these ambitions.” At the chat also attended by the Communications and Digital Economy Minister, Facebook announced that it will be opening an office in Lagos, Nigeria. This would be its second office on the African continent as the tech giant officials explained that the opening is part of its continued commitment and ongoing investment in Africa. According to Facebook officials, this is aimed at supporting the entire Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the office is expected to become fully operational in 2021. The Facebook Nigeria office will be the first on the continent to house a team of expert engineers building for the future of Africa and beyond. According to Facebook, the "office will be home to various teams servicing the continent from across the business, including Sales, Partnerships, Policy, Communications as well as Engineers." Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 19th September, 2020
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| Politics › Bashir Ahmed Announces Wedding by murecool(op): 9:29pm On Sep 18, 2020 |
Special Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad has announced his wedding slated for 25th September, 2020. Congratulations The long-awaited day is here! @Naeeemah_x and I are delighted to invite you to our Wedding Fatiha on Sept. 25, 2020 at GRA Juma’at Mosque, Katsina. Time: 2PM.https://twitter.com/BashirAhmaad/status/1307046769751097350?s=19 15 Likes 1 Share
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| Politics › Why We Are Supporting Small Businesses With A Survival Fund - Osinbajo by murecool(op): 5:45pm On Sep 18, 2020 |
*Adds: When MSMEs thrives, the economy thrives **VP commissions Shared Facility in Lagos to serve 136,000 MSMEs annually The Federal Government remains deeply committed to creating a more business friendly environment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive, as they are the engine room of the Nigerian economy, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Friday at the virtual commissioning of the Fashion Cluster Shared Facility for MSMEs, the Eko Fashion Hub 1, in Lagos State. He explained that the Economic Sustainability Plan has in it a Survival Fund, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the implementation of the MSMEs Survival Fund as part of the ESP was to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. This, he noted, not only highlights the commitment of the administration to supporting MSMEs, but also the importance of MSMEs to the nation’s economy. He said, “Under the Survival Fund is a Payroll Support Scheme, which will provide up to N50,000 in monthly salaries for up to ten (10) staff of a qualifying business, for a period of three months. “There is also a N50,000 grant for 100,000 small and medium-scale businesses, while 333,000 self-employed persons working as artisans and transporters will benefit from a one-off grant of N30,000. "The President has also approved that the Federal Government bear the full cost of business name registration for 250,000 new businesses nationwide. “We are doing all these to support MSMEs across the country to maintain their staffing levels and keep their businesses afloat through these very challenging times.” The Vice President said the Buhari administration’s commitment to the success of small businesses is evident in its MSMEs Clinics initiative, which extends business support services to small businesses across the country, of which the MSMEs Shared Facility Scheme is a core component. The Eko facility, which was developed through a collaboration between the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government, and the Organized Private Sector, is an end-to-end fashion production centre equipped with needed machinery and will be made available to the public under a shared facility style structure. According to the VP, "when they (MSMEs) thrive the economy thrives, when they struggle, the economy struggles." He added that the MSMEs' Shared Facility Scheme being implemented by the Buhari Administration under the National MSMEs Clinics “seeks to provide high-quality operating equipment which small businesses can access at a reasonable cost, within a conducive space.” According to the Vice President the facilities "help reduce operating costs for users, allowing them to invest the savings in expanding their businesses and hiring more staff." It would be recalled that in June this year, the Vice President had virtually commissioned and handed over the 200,000-capacity Yam Storage Facility at the Zaki Biam International Yam Market in Benue State. The VP stated that there are also plans to establish more Shared Facilities in other parts of the country, including in Kaduna, Anambra and the FCT. Speaking further on the significance of the Facility in Lagos State, regarded as Africa’s fashion capital, the VP added that, “the Eko MSME Fashion Hub 1 being commissioned today (which is strategically located by the old Alade market, just off the Allen Avenue roundabout, one of the leading commercial hubs on the continent) is equipped with first-rate machines and equipment. I am told it will service 380 MSMEs daily, and 136,800 yearly. The VP noted that, “the choice of Alade Market and the general Allen Avenue area was a unanimous one arising from extensive consultations between the Federal Government’s MSME Clinics project, the Lagos State Government and the fashion cluster in Lagos. “With the launch of the Eko MSME Fashion Hub 1, MSMEs in and around Ikeja will no longer have to travel far to use equipment that is expensive for individual businesses to procure by themselves such as those for making button-holes or monogramming. “With its full-scale production line, this Hub will enable production of a diverse range of clothing and garments: wedding dresses, military uniforms, office wear, and similar products. Very soon, the products of the Hub will be ubiquitous on the streets and in stores around the country. The fashion industry will be one of Nigeria’s biggest sources of revenues, it will be bigger than oil.” Prof. Osinbajo added that the Buhari administration is also supporting small businesses by improving access to credit through the Central Bank, Development Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, and others; and lessening the tax burdens, through initiatives like the Finance Act, "which has exempted businesses generating less than N25 million in annual turnover from Companies Income Tax. Those with a turnover of between N25m and N100m will only pay 20% corporate income tax instead of the normal rate of 30%.” There are 161 machines at the EKO facility, including 74 industrial straight sewing machines, 10 industrial steam pressing irons, four monogramming machines, eight industrial button-hole and five industrial button tacking machines, Tinko and Coil machines, heming and industrial weaving machines, among others. The Facility also has a 100kva standby generator and a 2kva solar power system. The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was physically present at the event in Ikeja, commended the President and Vice President for supporting the scheme, and stated that there would be plans to replicate the same in other parts of the state. Virtually present at the commissioning was the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum; CEO and Group Managing Director, Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe; and the Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs, in the Office of the Vice President, Tola Johnson. Other include the CEO, Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr. Olukayode Pitan; Director-General/CEO, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda; Registrar General/CEO, Corporate Affairs Commission, Alhaji Garba Abubakar; Managing Director, NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello, among others. Other government officials on ground at the commissioning include the State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Dr. Lola Akande, among others. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 18th September, 2020
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| Politics › Osinbajo: Why West African Leaders Insist On Civil Rule In Mali by murecool(op): 10:34pm On Sep 17, 2020 |
As the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS continue seeking solutions to the political crisis in Mali, its insistence on the restoration of a civil rule, even for the proposed transitional government, is the way to go and will be helpful for democracy and good governance in the sub-region, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.https://fmic.gov.ng/osinbajo-at-ecowas-summit-in-ghanawhy-west-african-leaders-insist-on-civil-rule-in-mali-uphold-democracy/ 3 Likes
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| Politics › ESP: How We Are Putting Money In The Hands Of Nigerians – Presidency by murecool(op): 9:23am On Sep 17, 2020 |
The Federal Government is committed to ameliorating the pains and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians through the active implementation of the Economic Sustainability Plan according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, Laolu Akande. Mr. Laolu Akande stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Channels TV morning show – Sunrise Daily. He also spoke at different times on the same day on Fresh FM radio station in Ekiti state; Bond FM, Radio One and Metro Radio, all based in Lagos. Speaking on the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) and how it will lift Nigerians out of poverty, Mr. Akande assured Nigerians that the ESP, which was designed under the Economic Sustainability Committee chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. is expected to reduce the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic within the country in 12 months. According to him, “The plan sets out to spend 2.3 trillion naira to manage the economic fallouts of COVID-19 and prevent a deep recession in the country. We do have in this plan, certain initiatives and measures that are designed to help the common man.” Speaking on the MSMEs supportive initiatives, Mr. Akande informed Nigerians on the recent launch of the survival fund under the ESP. He said, “Next week, we are starting the survival fund, which is a part of this plan. From next week, it will be available and people who are potential beneficiaries will be able to get more information on https://survivalfund.ng” “From next week, the website https://survivalfund.ng will be open for Nigerians who have MSMEs or who are artisans, plumbers, electricians, transport workers, private school teachers or who belong to different categories under the survival fund. Explaining how the funding for the ESP will be generated, Mr. Akande reiterated that the Buhari administration remains capable of achieving so much with very little as has been made evident in its efforts towards infrastructural development and the social investment programs despite earning less than its predecessors. He added that, “There are two broad sources of funding for the ESP. We have 500 billion naira from the budget, and we will be using the Central Bank’s lending structures and facilities to raise the lending aspects of the program and also some international concessionary loans” Speaking on rising inflation, Mr. Akande restated that these are challenging times for Nigeria, Africa and globally and this has made it more imperative for the administration to channel funds into the system to support Nigerians, hence the 2.3 trillion Naira stimulus ESP. “With the administration’s support through the Central Bank’s lending packages, interest rates will be minimal to enable Nigerians get back on their feet. The important thing at this point is to put money in people’s hands and we need to do it urgently.” The spokesman addressed the issue of fuel price hike and reminded Nigerians that the deregulation of the petroleum sector was in March this year, implying that fuel prices are normally determined by the international price of crude oil. “This explains why our local pump prices fell to N125 when international oil prices fell in light of the COVID-19 pandemic” “What we believe is that, instead of us to continue a regime where we heavily subsidize the price of fuel, we should move the money we have left towards measures that put money in people’s pockets.” Going further he explained, “we do not even have the kind of money anymore, if you look at the 2020 revised budget, there was no budgetary allocation for fuel subsidy and our revenue has dropped sharply by 60%.” “But the important thing is that since 2016, when we began to reorganize the petroleum sector, Nigerians have discovered that they can buy fuel without long queues. Fuel is made available and people can buy it.” “We believe that now we are encouraging everyone to bring in fuel products, ultimately, the prices will fall when we have more investment in the sector. This is what happened during the telecoms deregulation. If you remember when it started, people were buying SIM cards for 50,000 Naira. With continuous investment in the sector due to its deregulation, prices came down to a point that people now get the SIM cards free.” “We have the PPRA who ensures that the consumers are protected and that fuel marketers do not have the leverage to raise prices indiscriminately, so there is still protection.” Mr. Akande spoke more on alternatives to fuel provided by the administration. He said, “we are working assiduously to provide Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) so that Nigerians do not depend on fuel alone.” “Some of these initiatives have begun in some states such as Edo and Rivers states. There is a lot of progress in Edo state. Government is going to be funding a system where people can convert their cars from fuel use to gas. We are doing all these to ensure that the average Nigerian is able to save money.” Speaking on electricity tariffs, the SSA Media noted that majority of Nigerians will not pay more for electricity. In his words, “Regarding the electricity tariffs, majority of Nigerians will not be paying more. This is because, if you are currently receiving below 8-12 hours of electricity per day, your tariffs will not go up.” “If you are asked to pay more in that category, you need to let us know. You need to go to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) platforms on Twitter and Facebook and report, so that what the President said is enforced.” He added that, “The President has also said there should be mass metering and we are starting with the provision of 5 million meters. The President waived the tariffs to bring in the meters so that everyone gets a meter because he has called for the end of estimated billing” Besides, the government spokesman explained that the ESP also has a robust plan for Nigerians not on the electricity grid. He said, “majority of our people are not actually on the grid. And so, we have a plan to reach them. “We have set up the Solar Power Project under the ESP costing 154 billion Naira and the project is expected to provide solar power to 5 million homes and create 250,000 jobs in the process.” The Presidency official also spoke on agitations by labour groups over the situation, stating that we are all in this together as Nigerians. According to him, “Labour is made up of Nigerians, those of us in government are Nigerians, the people out there are Nigerians, this country belongs to everyone of us, so we will all talk and reason things out” “I must tell you that the reason I am serving in this administration is because I know by my own personal conviction that the President and the Vice President have the best interests of Nigerians at heart.” https://tribuneonlineng.com/esp-how-we-are-putting-money-in-the-hands-of-nigerians-presidency/
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| Politics › What Nigerians Need To Know About The Electricity Tariffs by murecool(op): 12:55pm On Sep 16, 2020 |
• The President has spoken extensively on the issue of electricity tariffs and why subsidies must be removed. He clearly stated the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on crude oil prices and subsequently, our oil revenues. • As oil has been our main revenue source, our revenues and forex earnings have fallen drastically by almost 60%. • Even though the FG have acted to mitigate these effects by adopting an Economic Sustainability Plan, they have also had to take some difficult steps to stop unsustainable practices that were weighing the economy down. • Prior to these economic changes, the FG had spent a whooping N1.7billion on electricity subsidies to DisCos, an extremely exorbitant cost with no quality services for Nigerians in return • The recent service based tariff adjustment by the Discos was needed to remove this financial burden from the government. However, the government has also planned to reduce the burden on Nigerians by ensuring tariff adjustments are made only on the basis of guaranteed improvement in service. • Therefore, only customers who are guaranteed a minimum of 12hours of power and above can have their tariffs adjusted. Those who get less than 12 hours supply, or the Band D and E Customers will experience no increase. This tariff review will definitely lead to improved service for all at a fair and reasonable price. • The FG has also implemented a mass metering program whereby meters will be provided for over 5 million Nigerians. These meters will be procured from local manufacturers which will create thousands of jobs in the process. • NERC has also committed to strictly enforcing the capping regulation which will ensure that unmetered customers are not charged beyond the metered customers in their neighbourhood. In other words, NO MORE ESTIMATED BILLINGS. • This newly-improved electricity service will also reduce our over-dependence on diesel whose prices have increased in light of adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic • With diesel prices at N224.43 per litre, a slight increase in electricity tariffs is a better option in the long-run to running on diesel which is costlier and increases environmental and noise pollution (from running generators) • Let it be noted that this new benefit is available despite the knowledge that our diesel prices are less expensive when compared to other African countries such as Ghana, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal, etc. • Also, as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan, the government is providing Solar home systems to 5 million Nigerian households in the next 12 months. • The FG is currently funding manufacturers and retailers of Off Grid Solar Home Systems and Mini-Grids who are to provide the systems. This will create over 300,000 jobs and impact up to 25 million beneficiaries through the installation. • The review of service-based electricity tariffs was carried out after extensive studies and proper arrangements to be made. It should have been implemented in July but was pushed forward to ensure all necessary measures were put in place.
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| Politics › Osinbajo Departs Abuja For Accra To Attend ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit On Mali by murecool(op): 9:54am On Sep 15, 2020 |
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT PRESS RELEASE OSINBAJO DEPARTS ABUJA FOR ACCRA TO ATTEND ECOWAS EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT ON MALI *To meet Nigerian community in Ghana today Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo leaves Abuja this morning for Accra, Ghana to attend an Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States on the situation in Mali. Prof. Osinbajo who is representing President Buhari at the summit will join other leaders in the sub-region to discuss the political crisis in Mali and the security situation in the sub-region at large. The Accra meeting will form part of several efforts by leaders in the sub-region to resolve Mali's political crisis. While in Accra, the Vice President will also meet with representatives of the Nigerian community in Ghana to discuss issues bothering on their wellbeing in the West African country. Accompanying the Vice President is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada. Prof Osinbajo is expected back in Abuja today at the end of his engagements in Ghana. https://twitter.com/ngrpresident/status/1305790058839126016?s=21 1 Like 1 Share
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| Crime › Re: Thugs Arrested Using Kano CCTV System by murecool(m): 6:50am On Sep 15, 2020 |
It happened in Niger Republic NOT Kano. |
| Politics › Osinbajo builds new school in late outrider’s village by murecool(op): 7:05pm On Sep 13, 2020*. Modified: 9:33pm On Sep 13, 2020 |
6 MONTHS AFTER LOSS OF VP'S ESCORT RIDER, GUI COMMUNITY TAKES DELIVERY OF NEW CLASSROOM BLOCKS *New house also donated to late Police Inspector Gomina's family* Barely six months after the District Head of Gui (a community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the FCT), Alhaji Alhassan Yusuf, called the attention of authorities to the lack of adequate education facilities in his community, the Federal Government has responded with the completion of four blocks of 24 classrooms and 16 VIP toilets (built with four units of 2-bedroom flats as staff quarters) for the community. The project executed by the Presidency, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), will cater for their educational needs, especially the secondary school the community had long yearned for, according to the Gui District Head. The District Head had, on March 14, 2020, drawn the attention of authorities to the state of infrastructure in the community’s only school when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, visited the area to commiserate with the community on the loss of one of their sons, Ali Gomina, who was a police escort rider attached to his office. Speaking to journalists on Saturday after a tour of the newly completed blocks of classrooms, the visibly elated community leader reserved special commendations and prayers for the Vice President, at whose prompting the project was completed within a short time. According to Yusuf, “I really appreciate our Vice President who has bailed this community out of the poverty of education. “This community is 6 kilometres away from the only secondary school in this area, located at Sauka, along the main expressway, and the road is really bad. During the raining season, our children find it difficult to go to school at Sauka because of the bad road. “So, when we lost our son, Ali Gomina, and the Vice President came to condole with us, I raised the issue of a secondary school for our community, and a day after I made that request, the project was approved. Work started on the project barely six months ago and it has been completed already. “What is left now is for the Ministry of Education to come and supervise the operation of this school. With the number of classrooms in this school, we hope to have both junior and senior secondary classes in this school.” Expressing his sincere gratitude to the VP, Yusuf said, “Once again, on behalf of Gui community, I sincerely thank the Vice President for what he has done. We pray that God will continue to protect him both in and out of office.” On the sideline of Saturday’s tour of the school project was the donation of a fully fitted 3-bedroom bungalow and a fully stocked store to the family of late Police Inspector Ali Gomina, an escort rider attached to Vice President’s office. There are also plans to install a solar system in the newly built classroom blocks and house for the family. The presentation of the building was in fulfilment of an idea conceived when the Vice President paid a condolence visit to the deceased family and Gui community in March 2020. Amidst praises and cheers from elders and members of Gui community, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Ade Ipaye, presented the new house to the family of the deceased police officer. Fielding questions from journalists after the presentation, Ipaye said, “it is a welcome outcome for the family and the community.” According to him, “they suffered a great loss when one of their rising stars, their son, was unfortunately killed in a motorbike accident earlier in the year. He left behind a large family. His Excellency, the Vice President was here to commiserate with them and during that occasion, the issue of a building for the family was mooted and His Excellency kept that in mind and ensured that it has become a reality. “I see that the District Head, the family and community are happy with this. Not only does the family have a bungalow, they also have a shop where they can do some trading activities and be able to sustain themselves. We thank God that this has come to pass.” Also speaking after the tour of the project, a representative of the OSSAP-SDGs, in the Presidency, Mr Danjuma Dauda, said the project was executed in line with the Goal 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is targeted at eradicating poverty and improving the quality of education. Gomina, 45, was killed in a motorbike accident on March 13, 2020, while leading the Vice President’s motorcade enroute the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. For the late officer’s son, Husseini, the donation of the house by the Vice President, brings back joy that has overshadowed the family’s grief. According to him, “on behalf of our family I want to sincerely thank the Vice President for what he has done for our family since we lost our father. Joy has overtaken my grief and sorrow. We are very happy for this new house and for the many other things done for our family by the Vice President. May God continue to bless him.” With the Deputy Chief of Staff during the visit and presentation were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, and the Special Assistant-Community Engagements, Ms. Toyosi Onaolapo, among other top government officials. *Signed:* Arukaino Umukoro Special Assistant to the President on Communication Projects Office of the Vice President 13th September, 2020
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| Politics › Kwara NSIP Official Debunks Media Reports Over Beneficiaries Data by murecool(op): 7:02pm On Sep 11, 2020 |
‘I never said Tradermoni has no record of beneficiaries’ The Kwara State Focal Person for the NSIP, Hajia Bashirah Abdulrazaq-Sanusi, has debunked media reports which quoted her as saying that there was no record of beneficiaries of the TraderMoni scheme. On Thursday, some news outlets had quoted Abdulrazaq-Sanusi in a report stating that “those that disbursed the money do not have records of beneficiaries like phone numbers and addresses, thus, making it difficult to track them for repayment.” However, on Friday, in response to the claim, the NSIP state official said she was misquoted. She clarified that she never made such a statement, even though she did make comments on the TraderMoni scheme. According to her, “We do have the records, and that is exactly what I told the reporter. I said we are persuading the beneficiaries to repay and we wanted to use the media. We said they can go to any commercial bank; as soon as they identify themselves as beneficiaries, their data will pop up. How can that be if we don’t have their data? I was misquoted.” To buttress Abdulrazaq-Sanusi’s clarification, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), on Friday, on its official Twitter handle, stated that the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had visited its Command Centre. According to the GEEP tweet, “The Governor interacted with the live reporting dashboard where he saw digitized loan records of over 2 million beneficiaries nationwide and 41,300 beneficiaries in Kwara State. “The Governor expressed delight with the strong technology framework which GEEP is using to profile, register and disburse loans to qualified candidates. He also expressed interest in setting up a replica model for Kwara State. #GEEP #tradermoni #marketmoni #farmermoni” Under TraderMoni, petty traders and artisans receive interest-free loans starting from N10,000. Once they pay back the sum, they become eligible for higher loans up to N100,000. Over two million petty traders have benefitted from TraderMoni and other GEEP microcredit schemes, which is executed by the Bank of Industry. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/09/kwara-nsip-official-debunks-media-reports-over-beneficiaries-data/ 1 Like 1 Share |
| Politics › Africa Should Use AfCFTA As Template For Trade Negotiations - Osinbajo by murecool(op): 6:07pm On Sep 11, 2020 |
AFRICA SHOULD USE AfCFTA AS TEMPLATE FOR TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH REST OF THE WORLD, SAYS OSINBAJO *Adds: Nigerian Economic Society should be more involved in public policy debates * VP understands economic development - NES As African countries brace up for the effective implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, one of the many ways by which the continent can maximize its benefits is to ensure that trade negotiations with the rest of the world be based on the free trade agreement rather than deals separately endorsed by regional economic blocs, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. The Vice President stated this in his keynote at the 61st annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) themed “African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Post COVID-19 Era: What Next for Nigeria?”. The event, which held virtually, was attended by a host of Nigeria’s leading economists, while Prof. Sarah Anyanwu, NES President, in her remarks after the VP’s keynote, commended both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President. She added that “Prof. Osinbajo is a friend of our society, because he understands economic development.” According to Prof. Osinbajo, “One important objective of the AfCFTA is to overcome the economic fragmentation of the continent by bringing the regional economic blocs together in a common arrangement. This being the case, African countries should look to negotiating trade treaties with other parts of the world on the basis of AfCFTA rather than through arbitrarily designed regional blocs. African countries should not allow themselves to be lured into arrangements which do not serve their long-term development objectives.” Speaking further about how the agreement can bolster trade and development on the continent, the Vice President said, “we must, of course, continue to bear in mind, especially here in Nigeria that the AfCFTA is not a magic wand that automatically brings about growth and prosperity.” “The reality is that if care is not taken, trade liberalization can expose the Nigerian economy to unfair competition and sharp trade practices, with adverse consequences for our producers who might have to close down their businesses, and for our workers who would then lose their jobs. “Successful implementation of the AfCFTA requires financing to address various implementation challenges and to promote arrangements in support of integration. For instance, in addition to making up for potential losses of tariff revenues, African countries will face implementation costs, including undertaking reforms, establishing new trade-related bodies, improving and upgrading existing facilities. “Finding the resources to undertake these activities at a time like this when we lack fiscal space will, of course, prove to be very difficult for Nigeria and other African countries. Our economists should accordingly help to come up with innovative financing solutions for our economies,” the Vice President added. Making the point about the AfCFTA being a guide for decisions on national economic blueprints, the Vice President said, “apart from reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus and mitigating its effect on the domestic economy, Nigeria must have an interest in promoting an AfCFTA that catalyses regional value-chains, enables free movement of people, attracts investments and improves the continental payments system. “As we seek to use the opportunities, we should remain alert to the need to create conditions that will enable our businesses to be able to compete and thrive within the AfCFTA. We can no longer plan without fully considering the AfCFTA; all planning and budgeting documents must take it into account. This explains why the current successor plan to the ERGP has the AFCFTA as an important reference.” Regarding the Federal Government’s N2.3 trillion stimulus package, the VP said the plan was designed to mitigate the shock, tackle the vulnerabilities, create and protect jobs, as well as rescue businesses and reposition the economy. “Our projections showed that without the stimulus, the economy was set to contract by -4.4% in 2020, but with implementation, including ramping up local production, we should be able to limit the negative growth to -0.59%. Let me be clear, our desire to ramp up local production is not a call to autarky but rather an expenditure switching approach which can complement the AfCFTA desire to deepen regional value-chains,” he added. Referring to Nigeria’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Osinbajo said, “indeed, one thing that has become clear from our experiences of the last few months is the need for a vibrant and successful AfCFTA. ‘The pandemic has exposed our dependence on commodity exports to other parts of the world and on the import of manufactured goods from them. As at 2017, intra-Africa trade in goods was $135 billion, which was just about 15% of Africa’s total trade. This is in sharp contrast to trade in other regions, which is as high as 70% in the European Union and 60% in Asia. “The imposition of export bans, including on food items by some countries and the disruption of global supply chains at the height of the pandemic, showed just how exposed and vulnerable African countries are because of limited productive capacity and a lack of regional value chains.” The Vice President then noted some of the proactive steps taken by the Federal Government to participate effectively in the AfCFTA. In his words, “…the Federal Government is investing heavily in power, road, rail and port infrastructure projects. It is also why we are taking active steps to improve the business environment and to facilitate trade across our borders, including through the implementation of the National Trading Platform or Single Window Project. Part of that project is the installation of scanners at our ports. “Government also realizes, of course, that it needs to be able to enforce trade rules and apply trade remedies so that our partners in the AfCFTA, especially our neighbours, do not take undue advantage of our large market. You will be glad to know that the National Action Committee on the implementation of the AfCFTA, which is chaired by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, is actively seized with these matters.” He added that, “if the AfCFTA is to achieve the desired objectives, then it is also very important that Nigeria should push for the implementation of complementary programmes and protocols, including the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, the pan-African payments system and other sectoral programmes.” On the need for academics to be more involved in conversations that would deepen public knowledge and understanding of the economy, the Vice President called on members of Nigerian Economic Society to be more engaged in public policy debates. He said, “I find every often that some public commentators make assertions that have no basis in economic theory or practice, and because they dominate the public space, they contribute to public misunderstanding of economic principles and their application to public policy. Some of you should take up the gauntlet and help to shape an informed and reasoned national discourse on the economy.” Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 11th September 2020 |
| Sports › Kwara Governor Visits Sports Minister, Immortalizes Rashidi Yekini by murecool(op): 9:33pm On Sep 10, 2020*. Modified: 10:07pm On Sep 10, 2020 |
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Thursday visited the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare in his office in Abuja at a meeting that yielded fruitful deliberations as both sports lovers discussed prospects in youth and sports development. Governor AbdulRazaq announced that progress has been made in immortalizing football icon, Rashidi Yekini by naming the Kwara State Sports Complex Stadium Ilorin after him. He said, “We will send a bill to the State House of Assembly to immortalize Rashidi Yekini with the name of the stadium changing after the approval.” The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare had told the Governor about the series of letter that the Ministry wrote to the Kwara State Government for the immortalization of the late football legend. Mr. Dare has urged the Kwara State Governor to sustain his support for sports development while noting that sports help to reduce social vices. “I want to thank his excellency for hosting our biggest youth game in Ilorin, your excellency we are coming to Ilorin again because of the facilities in University of Ilorin soonest for the youth game. I love the fact His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq loves sport I want to encourage your excellency to invest more on sports,” he stated. Media Office of the Honourable Minister Of Youth nd Sports Development
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| Politics › Executive, Legislature, Party Consultative Forum Kicks Off Meeting by murecool(op): 8:22pm On Sep 10, 2020 |
The formation of the Executive/ Legislative/Party Consultative Committee by President Muhammadu Buhari and the effective commencement of its assignment today is the beginning of a more fruitful and cordial relationship among the different structures of the Executive, Legislative arms of government and the ruling party. This was the observation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN at the first meeting of the committee held at the Presidential Villa. Prof. Osinbajo who is the chairman of the committee established last week by the President added that with the take-off of the consultative platform, there will be a more coordinated approach in the work of the Federal Government. While inaugurating the committee last week, President Buhari said “we must admit to ourselves that our party has been too often embroiled in bitter and on occasions, totally unnecessary squabbles costing us seats in legislative and gubernatorial elections. These never should have happened. We are here to make sure such occurrences do not happen again. We must now ensure regular consultations between the party and the Government. “I am a firm believer in the doctrine of the Separation of Powers, which is fundamental to our constitutional democracy. But our practice should be harmonious checks and balances devoid of bitterness and petty rivalry,’’ Speaking to journalists at the end meeting, the President of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan said the committee’s focus is to enhance proper coordination between the party and the various arms of government for the purpose of effective implementation of programmes for Nigerians. According to him, “last week, we told you, the essence of this committee is to ensure optimum service delivery to the Nigerian people. The legislature, the executive arm of government and the party (platform on which the legislative and executives arms, today are on) are all together in this committee, trying to shape very strategic means of delivering services to the Nigerian people. “We want to ensure that there is good governance continuously for the entire period of our tenure and subsequent years that we will be in government, by the grace of God.” Continuing, the Senate President said “this first meeting was to look at those critical areas that we need to concentrate and focus on how to ensure that we improve on the way and manner by which we deliver services to the Nigerian people, either as an executive arm of government or even the legislature. And, of course, the party is our veritable platform and vehicle for ensuring that this government, including all the arms, implement the party manifesto to the letter. “The party provides the guidance, the clarifications and the rest of the two will continue to be implementers of this. We are very satisfied with this first meeting, and subsequent meetings will be held on a monthly basis. But where we think there may be need for an emergency meeting, we could be called for the meeting by the Vice President, our Chairman.” Aside the VP and the Senate President, other members of the committee present at the meeting included the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase; Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi; House Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni; and APC Caretaker Committee Secretary, Sen. Akpan Udoedehe. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 10th September 2020
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| Politics › Osinbajo: Sexual Harassment Victims Are Not Responsible For The Abuse by murecool(op): 7:27pm On Sep 09, 2020 |
WE REJECT NOTION THAT SEXUAL HARRASSMENT VICTIMS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABUSE, SAYS OSINBAJOhttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.channelstv.com/2020/09/09/victims-of-sexual-abuse-can-not-be-blamed-for-harassment-says-osinbajo/amp/ 4 Likes 2 Shares
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| Politics › The N2.3trn Stimulus Package Must Be Implemented Quickly - Osinbajo to ministers by murecool(op): 10:50pm On Sep 08, 2020 |
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT PRESS RELEASE VP to ministers at Retreat: THE N2.3TRN STIMULUS PACKAGE MUST BE IMPLEMENTED QUICKLY *Adds: We must put money in peoples hands now •N637.2B for Agric ESP to create 5m jobs •N152.4B for Solar projects to power 5m homes, covering 25m Nigerians & creating 250,000 jobs •N217.3B for 300,000 Mass Housing, & 1.5m jobs •N52B Public Works for 774,000 jobs •N100B to create half a million MSMEs jobs Though the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the N2.3 trillion stimulus package, the economic distortions and hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic require the relevant ministers and stakeholders to expedite action on the plan adopted to mitigate the effect of the crisis on the economy, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Emphasizing the need for a quick implementation of the plan, the Vice President said “everything that we are doing has to be done immediately.” Continuing, he said "we are already in 'Day 67' since the plan. Nothing is going to happen by magic, we have to simply do this stuff. We got to ensure that we have the money and ensure that day by day, we are measuring our achievements and trying to ensure that we do the things that we need to do. And we simply are not favoured by time, every single day the poverty situation and the economic distortions deepen.” In a presentation which ended with the headline "The Urgency of Now," the Vice President stated this on Monday while presenting an overview of the Economic Sustainability Plan at the First Year Ministerial Performance Review Retreat organized for Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and top government functionaries. Prof. Osinbajo made his own presentation after delivering the President’s opening speech. The 2-day retreat ends today. According to Prof. Osinbajo, “… everybody recognizes that the only way out of this particular problem is to ensure that we fund production, enable consumer spending so that people can go and buy things, and we have to put money in people’s hands.” For instance, the Vice President noted that “the Mass Agriculture programme is one where we envisaged that we will be engaging many farmers. So far, we have enumerated at least 4 million farmers. So, these are farmers who are tied to their lands and we have the geo-statistics that shows where their land is and we have about 4 million of them. And we expect that with each state contributing acreage for farming, we will be able to do significant numbers. The plan is designed in such a way that in each one of the programmes, we are engaging as many Nigerians as possible. “The expected outcome for Agriculture, even if each farmer employs an additional person, this will result in an additional 4 million jobs and even more jobs along the value chain. We also will be looking at developing rural roads to reduce post-harvest losses. “Then guaranteed off-take of the produce. The way the programme is designed is that we have anchor farmers who are big farmers. They engage several thousands of farmers and they ensure that these farmers have all of their requirements and they guarantee the offtake of their produce. We have done the survey and it is very evident that so long as there is funding, we will be able to do this programme.” For the Mass Housing Programme, the Vice President said “…the programme is one where we are looking at building 300,000 homes across the country. We are looking at ensuring that the price of those homes do not exceed N2 million. We already have models which have been put up in Borno State by the Family Homes Fund where the figure is at about N2 million. This is the social housing scheme.” Continuing, he said “there are two tracks to the housing programme. There is one which is ongoing by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and the one under the Family Homes Fund is also supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. “The strategy is one that ensures that we use local materials as much as possible on each site. So, on each site, block making is going on. The making of doors, windows, tiles are going on. The whole idea is to make sure that we patronize the local industry and engage many of the young men and women who are at the moment out of work. “One of the critical success indicators for us will be the number of young engineers, builders who are engaged in these projects. So, we are opening up the space for them and ensuring that they are able to bid for the jobs so that the jobs are not given to big contractors who will take it all up. There will be some big contractors who are supervising smaller businesses and builders.” He added “we are looking at funding from the structured loans of the CBN and the expected funding is about N217 billion. We look at the demand, 1.5 million doors, 1.8 million windows, 7.8 million hinges, for 300, 000 homes. This is huge by any standards and if we are able to focus on the local industry, we can actually start a major revolution in building in our own country and patronize local industry and ensure that our people get the jobs and the experience that they require.” For the MSMEs and Solar Power components of the plan, the Vice President said “the solar power and MSMEs strategy are also focused on creating jobs.” For the Solar Home System, Prof. Osinbajo said “the Solar Power strategy is also focused on creating jobs. What has happened for Solar Power energy in our country is that, for those who have been following, in the past few years, we have been able to demonstrate that if we enable the private sector to install solar power in homes and businesses, government itself does not have to worry about any of these things, unlike what is happening today, where whatever happens in the power sector almost invariably becomes the problem of government.” “If you look at the projects that we have done in Ariaria Market for example, or Sabon Gari in Kano, where these solar systems have been installed in shops, and in other establishments, there have been no default in payments. The private sector people who put these systems there, receive their pay constantly. In Sokoto also where the project has been implemented, people are happy to pay. Jobs are created, the installers, those who are servicing the system, those who are running the payment systems, these are jobs for so many Nigerians. “So, using that same strategy, we will be enabling about 5 million solar home systems to be installed across the country. What government will do is to provide the loans through the CBN supported structured loans to the manufacturers of these solar home systems, and many of them are assembled locally. We are already working with these providers of the facilities. One other point is that the World Bank is working closely with us, and supporting the scheme so that once we are able to get fully out there, if we are able to do all of the 5 million homes, we should be able to provide 250,000 new jobs in low and high skilled categories, 25 million individuals with new or improved access to electricity. We are looking at 5 individuals per home,” the Vice President added. The MSMEs sector, the Vice President said, is one important area of supporting job creation and productivity in the economy. He said “We have the MSMEs support which has many aspects. But the Survival Fund which the President spoke about in his speech, is the Payroll Support and the Guaranteed Offtake, and then registration of new businesses. Guaranteed Offtake of products will support continued production of priority items and benefit 100,000 SMEs and sustain 300,000 jobs. “I think that the MSMEs support and the support for businesses is particularly important because we are looking for payroll support for MSMEs which will include payment to teachers of private schools, private businesses for a period of 3 months, just to ensure that people do not lose their jobs. We also expect that the MSMEs support will be one that will enable industries like the hospitality industry, especially the lower cadre to benefit.” Highlighting specific funding requirements and the expected outcomes in the plan, the Vice President said “Agriculture requiring N637.2 billion funding will provide 5,000,000 jobs; the Solar power project funding requirement is N152.4 billion is expected to provide 250,000 jobs; the Mass Housing programme with a funding requirement of N217.3 billion is expected to create 1,500,000 jobs; while Public Works funding is N52 billion to provide 774,000 jobs: and N100 billion is required to provide 500, 000 jobs in the SMEs.” Speaking further about the importance of implementing a stimulus plan, the Vice President said there was no other way of correcting the distortions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “I think that if we are able to implement this faithfully, if we are able to ensure that we bring in the resources, then we certainly will be able to turn around, the economic fortunes of Nigeria. “The truth is that, if you look at stimulus packages all over the world, what has happened is that, in many economies that have been able to lessen the impact of COVID-19, the funds have been provided and they have been provided at great pains. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 8th September 2020 1 Like 1 Share
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| Politics › Covid-19 Pandemic:
Vaccine Distribution Should Be Accessible To All - Osinbajo by murecool(op): 4:39am On Sep 06, 2020 |
COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, NOT ON THE BASIS OF HIGHEST BIDDER, SAYS OSINBAJO AT EURAFRICA FORUM *VP adds: “Debt relief for Africa without commercial debt not sustainable. In order to effectively contain the spread of the Coronavirus disease across the globe, the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine should be done in an equitable and affordable manner rather than on the basis of the highest bidder, according to Vice President Yemi OsiThe Vice President stated this on Friday at the virtual 2020 EURAFRICA Forum themed “Towards a realistic Euro-African partnership during and beyond the COVID-19 era”. The summit featured presentation from notable global leaders including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Antonio Guterres, the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Mr Ulisses Correia Silva, among others speakers. The EurAfrican Forum aims to foster stronger collaboration between Europe and Africa, and better promote a shared green and inclusive growth, among other objectives. Speaking on the need for an equitable distribution of vaccines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Osinbajo said the first thing that comes to mind “is to ensure widespread and equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine.” According to him, “Europe should work closely with Africa to ensure that when a vaccine is finally deployed it should not be on the basis of the highest bidder but rather be made available at an affordable and in an accessible manner. “This is a matter that should not be taken for granted. We saw during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in richer parts of the world, that orders for test kits and reagents by African countries were deemed too small and tended to be ignored.” Further stressing the point in support of Africa and developing countries in general, the Vice President called on the European Union to support the initiatives aimed at promoting vaccine access to poorer countries. He said “although Nigeria does not have the resources or means to pre-pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, we are fortunate to be a GAVI supported country and we urge the EU to lend support to GAVI’s effort to ensure equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX initiative. This way, poorer countries and their citizens will get the vaccines that they need at the same time as the rest of the world.” Emphasizing the need to review the state of partnership between Africa and Europe, the Vice President said the summit offered an opportunity for both continents to share perspectives on matters of mutual interest. According to him, “A global crisis calls for global partnerships. If COVID-19 exists in any part of the world, it remains a significant threat to every part of the world. “The partnership between Africa and the European Union is good platform for both sides to work together on economic recovery and rebuilding of health systems. It is also equally important that we become even stronger advocates for closer international cooperation to tackle the fall out of COVID-19.” Prof. Osinbajo also spoke about Nigeria’s efforts in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, noting that Nigeria’s “priority is to ward off a deep recession.” He said “we developed an Economic Sustainability Plan consisting of measures to support local businesses, retain and create jobs and to improve the circumstances of the most vulnerable. “The Plan bolsters our health interventions and promotes the use labour-intensive methods in key areas like agriculture, light manufacturing, housing, and facilities management.” Raising the issue of debt relief for Africa in the era of COVID-19, Prof. Osinbajo said given the continent’s previous structural vulnerabilities and limitations, debt relief involving commercial debts was desirable. According to the Vice President, “We continue to experience huge financing gaps, huge debt servicing obligations and foreign exchange shortages. It is clear then that we need all the help we can get. “The Debt Servicing Support Initiative of the G20 is welcome and will no doubt bring some relief to relevant African countries. However, it remains inadequate because it does not address the problem of commercial debt service obligations.” Continuing, he said “the share of commercial debt is almost two thirds of debt service in Africa so any debt relief arrangement not involving this segment is unlikely to succeed. “Getting relief on commercial debt servicing will require the cooperation of bondholders and ratings agencies which is why the African Union Special Envoys on COVID-19 are engaging with them actively. Nigeria calls on the EU to lend its weight to this initiative which is very important for Africa.” Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Office of the Vice President 5th September 2020
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