Day: March 26, 2023

Wild Africa Fund has launched a new wildlife-focused television series, Dr Mark Animal TV Show, for kids between ages seven and 14.

This is contained in a statement by Wild Africa Fund Nigeria’s Representative, Mr Festus Iyorah, on Saturday in Lagos.

“The kiddies show premieres this Saturday and every other Saturday at 8.45 a.m. on Silverbird TV DSTV channel 252, StarTimes Channel 109, and GOTV channel 92/192.

“The show will educate children between ages seven and 14 on Nigeria’s amazing wildlife and the need to protect them,” the statement said.

It said that Nigeria had become a transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade of pangolin scales and ivory in the last few years.

The statement noted that the Nigeria Customs Service had made four major seizures of pangolin scales, ivory, and other wildlife parts in the last 13 months.

It added that there was a growing appetite for bushmeat consumption, especially among urban dwellers in Nigeria.

“Conservationists say illegal wildlife trade and a demand for bushmeat have sharply declined Nigeria’s wildlife and biodiversity.

“They estimate that Nigeria has fewer than 50 lions, 100 gorillas, 500 elephants, and 2,300 chimpanzees left in the wild.

“Generally, ignorance and low awareness about Nigeria’s amazing biodiversity and the importance wild animals play in the environment have contributed to the continuous destruction of Nigeria’s wildlife.

“These existential challenges have inspired the need for public awareness and educational materials that educate the general public, especially young people who are best equipped to save our environment for future generations,” it said.

The statement quoted Mr Peter Knights, Founder of Wild Africa Fund and the Executive producer of the new TV show as saying that kids would enjoy the show.

“We hope that kids will be excited to learn about these animals and how we must protect them for their futures,” Knights said.

The statement added that Mark’s Animal TV show would enlighten children on the human and ecological importance of wild animals such as pangolins, lions and African grey parrots, among others.

It said that the children would also learn fun facts about these animals including domestic animals like dogs.

The statement said that a quiz competition had been scheduled to inspire retentive knowledge in kids at the end of the show.

It said that the animal show comes at a time local content for children, especially on the environment, is nonexistent.

The statement also quoted Iyorah as saying that Wild African Fund would continue to invest in educational wildlife content.

“We plan to invest in educational wildlife content that will empower children as the next generation of wildlife ambassadors.

“We expect children to impact their cycle of influence with what they learnt from watching the show,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Oxfam Nigeria and Women in Information Technology and Communication (ICT), have advocated for more women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields to advance gender equity.

They made the call during an event, tagged “SHESHINES’’, to create more awareness on gender and creativity in Abuja.

The President, Women in ICT, Ms Kemisola Bolarinwa, stressed the need to encourage the society dismantle stereotypes and long-held beliefs on perceived appropriate careers meant for women and men.

According to her, women are often more productive in every areas, hence the need to increase their presence in technology, which will increase the turnout of inventions, innovative solutions and breakthrough in sciences.

Bolarinwa cited recent breakthrough in the early detection of cancer through the early cancer detection smart brassiere by her Women in ICT team as a perfect example of how creative women in the innovation space could be.

“Right now, the invention of the smart bra detects cancer.

“This cancer has been a disease that has been there for a very long time but even though we have a lot of men in the sciences, they couldn’t think through to solve women’s problem through technological invention.

“These are part of reasons why we need more women in STEM space generally,” she said.

She explained that the smartbra safely detects and monitors potential cancerous cells at an early form, which will reduce death rate by 80 per cent by 2030.

Prof. Olabisi Aina, Researcher and Lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, said the National Gender Policy aims to promote gender equality, women empowerment and human rights.

Aina, who led the 2006 Gender Policy for Nigeria, added that it would also provide platforms for more sectors of the economy such as the sciences, to key into the drive for gender mainstreaming.

“The National Gender Policy is an umbrella policy to which we expect that every sector, whether it is labour, environment, health and others, to key into and look at gender issues in their sectors and then draw policy guidelines in order to mainstream gender into what they do.

“Women are now competing with men in the workplace and do a variety of jobs from ICT to high profile corporate work.

“But in all of this, the environment of work is said for a long time to be very masculinised because men are in majority.

“Now that women are entering the labour sector, we recognise the need to make that workplace comfortable for men and women to work,’’ she said.

Also, Ms Esohe Ahior, a legal Practitioner and Head of Department, Poise Graduate Finishing Academy, highlighted the need to upscale youth in technology and innovation to advance their livelihood and enable them contribute to the economy.

Ahior revealed that through the support of OXFAM, they worked with Project Alliance Project to train girls in sectors like graphic design, reproductive health, among others to improve more participation of women in STEM fields as part of the International Women’s month.

According to her, over 190 marginalised girls who have been abused and who have become early mothers, and girls the economy has set aside as not being able to do things, have benefitted from the training.

“This training will help upscale girls in the technological field. Because in my organisation, women are doing more things in tech than men. Women are the lead trainers in tech, graphic designers, photographers.

“It is an eye opener and shows that women are just as hungry to be in tech space like the men, and some are even surpassing the men,’’ she said.

She added that women in STEM field have shown the strength, commitment and tenacity to even supercede societal expectations and the men in technology innovation.

NAN reports that other highlights were poetry recitations, music performances and presentations by various outstanding women and female groups.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Ebonyi Gender-based Violence (GBV) Taskforce has decried the non-availability of a special court for GBV cases saying it poses challenges to efforts in giving quick justice to victims.

Mrs Faithvin Nwanchor, Ebonyi Coordinator, GBV Task force, made this known on Sunday during a quarterly GBV stakeholders coordinators meeting in Abakaliki.

The meeting was organised and funded by the USAID-Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP), in collaboration with the state’s GBV Taskforce.

Nwanchor, also a Focal Person on Gender in the Ministry of Justice, Ebonyi, stated that there is a need to install the court as provided in the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law .

According to her, since inception, effective awareness on the dangers of GBV as well as the encouragement for survivors to speak out, had improved.

She also identified the lack of mobility as challenges limiting prompt responses to the matters.

“Our greatest challenge is lack of speedy dispensation of justice. We hope that the GBV court, when set up, will deal with gender-based issues,” Nwanchor said.

Mr Augustine Onwe, the Gender Social Inclusion and Community Engagement Advisor IHP-USAID, said that the programme provides technical supports aimed at addressing all issues of GBV in the state.

Onwe added that the IHP programme is also geared towards eliminating maternal new born, child mortality and mobility in the state.

“We have been providing technical support to the ministry of health in the state and intervening in different areas such as maternal health, nutrition, immunisation and implementation of gender social inclusion.

“The idea of the meeting with the critical stakeholders was to find an avenue to continue to make our work better for the society” Onwe said.

Mrs Florence Egwu, Focal Personal at One-stop Centre, National Obstetrics Fistula Centre, said physical, economic, emotional and sexual violence were major challenges facing the people.

She urged the stakeholders to always enlighten people on the danger and consequences associated with the trend.

She encouraged the stakeholders to show more commitment in reducing GBV to the barest minimum in the state.

Mrs Bertha Offor, the Head, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) in Ebonyi, recommended empowerment and building skills of survivors to improve their livelihoods.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume says he is not contesting the Imo governorship election under the Labour Party (LP) as he still remains a bona fide All Progressive Party (APC) member.

In a statement by Uche Anyanwu, his

SA Legal and Public Affairs, Araraume described the rumour about such moves as fake and unfounded.

“The attention of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has been drawn to the mischievous and fake list of Labour Party governorship aspirants, making rounds in Sections of the Media wherein his name was published as having picked the expression of interest form to run for the office of governor in Imo state, under the Labour Party (LP).

“Senator Arararaume hereby reiterates unequivocally that he is still a bonafide member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Director of Trade and Economic Affairs (South) of the APC presidential campaign council (PCC).” he said.

Araraume reiterated that he is not a member of LP and has not picked or paid for any the party’s nomination form.

He said that he does not intend to pick the nomination form of the LP now or later in this dispensation.

“Senator Araraume is a responsible member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and does not even have the faintest idea who the Labour Party ward chairmam is in his immediate ward.”

Araraume said he is not a man to shy away from what he believes in and will not approach the Governoship contest in Imo state through the back door.

He added that his intentions about the would be without ambiguity whenever he decides to throw his hat into the ring for a contest which he has the requisite qualifications and capacity.

“The fake aspirants list under the Imo state Labour Party is a fabrication and the work of mischief makers, who are bent on using his name to score cheap political victory.”

The 2023 Imo State governorship election will take place on Nov. 11 due to the late inauguration of incumbent Gov. Hope Uzodinma of the APC.

Uzodinma is eligible to run for re-election, but has not yet stated whether he will do so.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged Nigerians to make themselves available for counting during the conduct of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census.

The Director-General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari, made the call during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday.

NAN reports that the country is getting set for national population and housing census in May.

Abari, who is a member of the National Publicity and Advocacy Committee on census, said that the exercise is due to begin on May 3.

He, therefore, appealed to the media to help in educating Nigerians about the importance of presenting themselves for the headcount when it begins.

He said ‘’I urge Nigerians to participate fully in the exercise so as to avail the country of the benefits that can be derived from the population and housing census.

‘’Nigerians, please remember you count, so come out and be counted. Census is for all of us and census is for development and development is all we need.’’

While highlighting the importance of census to national planning and development, he emphasised the need for accurate figures that would be credible and acceptable, saying ‘’in this day and era, we cannot be planning on the basis of conjectures.’’

The NOA boss said that the technology to be deployed for the exercise would facilitate its credibility and acceptability.

“The technology to be deployed will make it difficult for anyone to manipulate the process.

“No doubt, the exercise will be different from previous ones because we are advancing through the use of modern technologies,’’ he said.

He added that so far, every building in the country had been coded for the purpose, assuring Nigerians not to expect manipulations in the forthcoming census.

He expressed the commitment of NOA to mobilise Nigerians for the exercise through robust sensitisation.

He said that the Federal Government’s consideration of the 2023 census as a priority programme in spite of challenges confronting the country underscored why Nigerians should participate in the process.

He added that ”we will ensure that all Nigerians are well informed to be properly counted.

‘’We need to sensitise the population to know the importance of the national population census.

‘’This is for the purpose of planning, legislative representation and insecurity that will reflect the peculiarity of our national demography— men, women, youths and children per local government, state and geo political zone.

‘’Be assured of the commitment to conduct a credible digital census in the country,’’ Abari said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Stakeholders in the healthcare sector have agreed to the full implementation of new formulated standard curriculum for training of caregivers to the elderly in the country.

The stakeholders made this known to newsmen on Saturday the end of a 3-day “Stakeholders engagement on the development of national benchmark statement and minimum standards in curriculum for training caregivers to older persons” in Abuja.

The stakeholders’ engagement was organised by the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), UNFPA and National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

The stakeholders expressed the need for relevant agencies, states and local governments to get involved in the project.

The Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) Dr. Emem Omokaro said the meeting was geared towards building a concensus on the need to develop a national benchmark statement and minimum standards in curriculum for training different levels of caregivers.

Omokaro said some of the stakeholders and agencies that have statutory mandate in social and healthcare had issued their commitment towards supporting and certifying the project.

”We have NBTE for certification of skills, we have NPHCDA, Nursing and Midwifery Council, WHO, Federal Ministry of Health, UNFPA and other existing care agencies; so for the past three-days we have brain stormed on the challenges of ageing and care provision in Nigeria.

”We build concensus and that’s the communique that all the agencies signed that there’s need to develop a national benchmark statement and minimum standards in curriculum for training different levels of caregivers.

”And for standardisation of care agencies and even certification of care agencies operators in Nigeria, So, what we are coming-out here with is a draft benchmark statement and minimum standards in curriculum for training this different levels of caregivers and also certifying care agency operators.

“What these means is that we have to now move here to validation after having harmonised the zero draft.

“It means we have to now move to states because if we say it is national, then states have make inputs, so what we have here is a zero draft.”

Omokaro, therefore, assured the stakeholders that the process of validating the draft document would commence in earnest.

”Now, we are going to embark on validation exercise to ensure that we capture even the voices of stakeholders consultative forum on ageing, voices of older persons and then we have input from state departments and agencies in charge of older persons, social welfare departments because these concerns everybody.

”So, it is really an excitement for us in the NSCC to initiated these programmes and to have been able to strategically bring all the actors.

”We are hoping that by August 2023, we will finish the validation exercise and by then we will have a guideline document for administering care to older persons in Nigeria.

”We are calling on all the experts and some more because we now want to develop a standard guidelines and regulations as a policy document,” she said.

The Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Musa Bungudu said the project was critical and important to the welfare of older persons in Nigeria.

Bumgudu commended the centre for initiating the programme aimed at providing psycho-social and health support to the senior citizens in the country.

”I really commend the experts for coming together to develop a training framework that we never had, infact up till, yesterday I couldn’t believe the modules for the training that was developed we don’t have it in Nigeria,” he said.

Mrs Lilian Sule-Jiringho, the Founder of the Centre for Happy Elderly People (CHEP) said the engagement afforded her the opportunity to understand a new dynamics in caring for the elderly.

Sule-Jiringho promised to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in administering care for the elderly in her centre.

”My expectations is to see that I have been able to formalised all the training I acquired here and now with the existence of NSCC, who initiated the stakeholders meeting for developing a standard curriculum for training caregivers for the past three-days; we will continue to improve our services.

”When I go back, I am going use the knowledge acquired to improve on my work. So I am very happy to be part of this programme,” she said.

Dr Emmanuel Osundu, the Administrator of Tender Loving Care, an NGO expressed confidence on the ability of the centre to achieve its target of formulating a unique standard procedure for managing the health and wellbeing of older persons in Nigeria.

”We are here as stakeholders to develop policies and procedures on how to manage the health of the elderly. What I am going home with today is that we have achieved the purpose that is designed for us to come here.

”In terms of developing policies, procedures, benchmarks on how to manage the health of the elderly in Nigeria, that’s our theme and that’s what we accomplished here today.” he said

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The 2023 National Population and Housing Census will be conducted digitally to ensure credibility and efficiency, Dr Garba Abari, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), says.

He made this known when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday.

Abari, who is a member of the National Publicity and Advocacy Committee on Census, said the exercise would be facilitated by the use of digital technology, contrary to previous census conducted in the country.

He said ‘’this is one census that is going to be different from previous ones. To enhance the credibility of the exercise, this census is going to be digital.

‘’In the house listing and numbering, the National Population Commission (NPC) has perfected the space and got the point much beyond what google has done in the mapping.

‘’In terms of specificity and the correctness of the capture of every house and hamlet in Nigeria, NPC has gone far beyond what google had done.

‘’We may not say that we are absolutely 100 per cent correct, but 99 per cent of all houses, structures within the enclave of Nigeria’s territory had been captured digitally, far beyond what google can provide in terms of specificity.’’

The NOA boss explained that the digitalisation of the exercise would enhance credibility, ensure accurate data and respond to modern technology, in line with global practice.

He said ‘’digitalisation will enhance the credibility because there is a common template for

the exercise and that is all will be sent to the cloud.

‘’In our previous census exercises, we allowed perhaps owning to lack of sufficient knowledge about what the entire exercise is about.

‘’It was looked at from the prism of one region is larger than the other; one state is bigger than another, one local government is bigger than another, one senatorial district is bigger than another.

‘’And in the process, you miss out the most important element of the programme, which is getting sufficient data for planning.

“But the 2023 census is going to be a scientific census; a digital census that responds to the reality of today, responds to the information and technological revolution; it is a census that is aimed at bringing in credible, acceptable, open and transparent force,’’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has started nationwide sensitisation and advocacy to educate Nigerians about the forthcoming National Population and Housing Census.

Director-General of the agency, Garba Abari, said this when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday.

He said that the sensitisation is to enlighten the public about the importance of census toward national planning and development.

Abari, who is a member of the National Publicity and Advocacy Committee for the census said ‘’the National Population Commission (NPC) has an elaborate publicity in the media advocacy workplan that will definitely saturate the airwaves in the next few weeks starting from today.

‘’The NPC is not unaware of the role of advocacy, enlightenment and sensitisation in creating necessary awareness around the census issue.

‘’Now that we have put the general elections behind us, the next important national event ahead of us is the national census,” he said.

He, therefore, appealed to the media, Civil Society Organisations, religious and traditional leaders, as well as other stakeholders to sensitise the public about the exercise and encourage them to participate fully.

‘’The media, community leadership, community ombudsmen, religious leaders, professional groups, everybody will be brought on board through conscious, extensive and expansive process and programmes to ensure necessary knowledge, awareness among Nigerians.

‘’It is not as if Nigerians are not aware of the census, perhaps what they need to see is continuous and consistency in awareness.

‘’There will be consistent messages every minute through the media, radio, social media, town criers, newspaper, television and discussions,’’ he said.

He reiterated the commitment of NOA in carrying out sensitisation programmes across every local government, especially rural areas, on the need to be captured in the exercise.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Olawale Adekoya, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to deceased Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya, on Sunday described him as a pioneering leader in many endeavours.

Born at Odogbolu, Ogun, on April 3, 1944, Diya died on March 26 at a Lagos Hospital at the age of 79.

He was one of the pioneer students of Odogbolu Grammar School in 1957.

Diya was also among the pioneer students of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) that graduated as Regular Course One cadets on March 18, 1967.

One of his peers at the NDA is retired Gen. Aliyu Gusau, defence minister from 2014 to 2015.

Another one is Gen. Ishola Williams who walked out on the army and on Gen. Sani Abacha in 1993 on the premise that his and the army’s takeover of government were immoral.

Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya

The same Gen. Abacha appointed Diya as his Chief of General Staff when he took over government from the Interim National Government (ING).

The ING was put in place by military president, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida when he “stepped aside’’ following strident measures by Nigerians to end military rule.

Before his appointment as Abacha’s deputy, Diya was the pioneer Commandant of the Nigeria War College between 1991 and 1993.

Earlier than these, deceased Gen. Diya was Commander 31, Airborne Brigade of the Nigerian Army.

He was appointed Military Governor of Ogun from January 1984 to August 1985, the period during which he banned night parties and closure of roads by revellers in a state widely known for “owambe’’ all-night parties.

He became General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigeria Army in 1985.

Diya’s passing on was first announced on Sunday in a terse statement issued by his first son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, a lawyer on behalf of the family.

His media aide, Adekoya told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the deceased’s residence in Lagos that: “incidentally, Oyesinmilola along with his late father made history when they were both called to the bar on the same day some years back.’’

Diya was survived by Josephine, his wife; many children and grandchildren spread across the world.

“A former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Wole Diya is his younger brother; Kehinde Diya, a Barrister, is also his younger brother.

“We also have a General in the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Olusola Diya, who was recently promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General,’’ Adekoya said.

Diya authored a book entitled: “Destiny Anchored on Faith’’ which encompassed the life he lived and elucidated on the role he played during Nigeria’s civil war of 1968 to 1970.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria