By Olayinka Owolewa

The Kwara Government, on Friday, ordered the sealing up of  two children’s homes, Blusolande Day Care and Inioluwa Orphanage, for operating illegally in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Nike Ibrahim, gave the order following an on-the-spot assessment visit to the affected homes in Omu-Aran, headquarters of Irepodun Local Area of the state.

According to  Ibrahim, the homes were operating without government approval and under unhygienic conditions.

“Blusolande orphanage is found to be operating illegally; operating with lack of security and no medical records of inmates.

“It was utilising a residential home for day care services, in absence of police extract report, and out of the three inmates it claimed only two were present.

“On the part of Inioluwa Orphanage Home, apart from operating illegally, it was doing so under a poor health system, lack of personnel, while two out of the 13 inmates claimed were not present,” she said.

Ibrahim warned that it was not going to be business as usual for illegal homes in the state, adding  that the ministry would not fold its arms and watch children being subjected to unhealthy and harsh living conditions.

Also speaking, Director Social, in the ministry, Hajia Medinat Idris, stressed that every orphanage home and day care centre in the state must adhere strictly to laws guiding their operations.

She listed some of the guidelines as employment of a general administrative officer, adequate protection and care of children and sufficient nannies.

Other guidelines, according to her, were adequate space for sleeping and playing, provision of First Aid boxes, treated mosquito nets, Nest kitchen, a very well ventilated building and maintenance of adequate medical reports of the inmates.

Also contributing, Director Child, Hajia Memunat Yusuf, emphasised the need for proper day care registration, which must be differentiated from that of an orphanage home.

Other officers on the Permanent Secretary’s entourage were; Social Officer, Mrs Adenike Awoyemi and a member of Anti Social Trafficking unit, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Kwara Command, Adeleye Elizabeth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit to the affected homes was part of the ministry’s efforts at sanitising  operations of orphanages and day care homes across the 16 councils in the state.(NAN)

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Government on Friday, intensified public advocacy and sensitisation to the emergence of the second wave of COVID-19.

This was done through interaction between the staff of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, led by the Director of Public Enlightenment, Mr Toyin Adeni-Awosika, and members of the public.

The sensitisation team engaged members of the public at markets, motor mechanic workshops, garages and parks at Agege, Ojota, Ikeja, Ogba, Alausa Secretariat and environs.

They addressed the people and obtained feedback, just as essential Information, Education and Communication materials such as flyers and posters were distributed.

Adeni-Awosika said that there was the need for adherence to guidelines stipulated by the government to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.

According to him, the state government is dismayed with the flagrant disregard for COVID-19 protocols by members of the public.

“People mingle without adherence to physical distancing, face masks are not worn in public places, while hand sanitisers are absent in most public and private institutions.

“Such practices expose individuals to COVID-19. Everyone must take responsibility to stop the spread of this deadly virus by obeying all guidelines. COVID -19 is real,´´ he said.

Adeni-Awosika advised transport operators to always check the temperature of commuters and to desist from flouting physical distancing protocols relating to the number of passengers allowed in their commercial vehicles.

During the sensitisation, fliers were alsodistributed to pedestrians and motorists at the various locations.

Traditional, religious and opinion leaders in communities, Community Development Committees and Community Development Associations were enjoined to influence their followers to abide by government directives, in order to end the pandemic. (NAN)

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says  the offer by Microsoft Corporation and other tech firms to support Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) and youth development is a welcome development.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that the vice president held a virtual meeting with Microsoft Corporation team led by its President, Mr Brad Smith.

The vice president said that Microsoft’s interest in supporting the efforts of the Federal Government could be leveraged to address issues affecting the youths especially in engaging them productively.

Microsoft is offering support for the digital transformation pillar of the Federal Government’s ESP.

This will be a continuation of the technology company’s investment in Nigeria after the establishment of an African Technology Development Centre in 2020.

Osinbajo said that Nigeria’s case was peculiar given that the youths constituted a larger percentage of the country’s population; hence the need for all stakeholders to pay more attention to that demography.

“It seems to me that there is just a wave of general anger around the world and people are generally impatient; impatient with government; impatient with practically all of the formal structures there are.

“But I am open and happy to hear what views there might be on trying to engage and engage even more with young people–and in our case, that is 70 per cent of our population, if not more.

` So, we are really talking not just about the youth population but the Nigerian populace because that is the majority.

“ So, whatever it is that we are able to deploy to be more inclusive, to engage, even more, is really a solution for the entire populace as opposed to a solution for just a segment of our population especially given the fact that young people constitute 70 per cent  or even more.”

According to him, Nigeria has a digital innovation initiative which hopefully will be the foundation for doing far more in the digital space than what is being done at the moment.

Osinbajo said that agriculture was an area the Federal Government had spent quite a bit of time and resources on especially in the past few years.

“ We have also seen the development of a good number of agric-tech type companies and fin-techs that are also working in the agric sector.

“So, it is a whole load of innovation around the agric tech space, especially in the past few years.

“ So, I think we really are up for programmes that will support these sorts of agric-tech initiatives,’’ he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, said the Federal Government had already put in place the necessary structures to partner with Microsoft and other tech companies in developing Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

He said the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy, the National Policy on E-governance, among others, had been adopted by the Federal Government to support the growth of technology and innovation in the country.

Earlier in his remarks, Smith said that his company’s vision for investment in Nigeria was one that would lead to the creation of Africa’s most viable technology ecosystem.

He said the company’s investment in Nigeria was a demonstration of its enthusiasm about the digital transformation ongoing in Nigeria.

Smith proposed a 90-day timeline for stakeholders on the government side and from Microsoft, to iron out details of the various areas of collaboration.

Google Inc., in July 2020, announced plans to establish its first Google Launchpad Space outside the United States in Lagos.

Facebook, in Sept. 2020, announced its decision to open an office in Lagos as part of its planned expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Also, HUAWEI, in Nov. 2020, promised the vice president that the company would position Nigeria as a technology center for the African continent. (NAN)