FG packages Barite for global market – Minister

By Folasade Akpan

The Federal Government has packaged the mineral, known as Barite, found in Nigeria to meet international standards to attract revenue for the nation.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, made the announcement in Abuja on Sunday at a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria of Nigeria (NAN).

Barite is a mineral used mainly in the petroleum industry in the formulation of drilling mud. It is found largely in Cross River in Nigeria’s resource-rich Niger Delta belt.

The mineral is also found in the U.S., China, India and Morocco.

Adegbite said that on his assumption of office in 2019, he raised a team that worked on identifying the issues associated with the barite variety found in Nigeria.

He said that all complaints raised by oil and drilling companies that use barite had been taken care of and that the mineral would be formally displayed and marketed by the middle of this year.

“One of the complaints is on the quality of barite because the quality of barite is measured in terms of specific gravity.

“The American Petroleum Institute Standard (API) is minimum of 4.1 but luckily in Nigeria, we have barite even occurring at 4.5, 4.3, 4.8, especially the deposits found in Cross River State.

“So, we have the quality. We can blend. We also have some that are 4.0. If you blend 4.0 with 4.3, of course you get what goes beyond the API standard. We have crossed the standard in terms of quality.

“The second complaints is about the milling. Barite has to be milled into fine powder. I think 0.03 macron or something.

“They have that measurement so that when they are using it in the drilling it does not spoil the drilling rig.”

Adegbite said that the Federal Government had been making use of three drilling mills, located in Nasarawa State, Port Harcourt and Calabar.

He noted that the issue of bagging of the product was also being taken care, saying that a Nigerian entrepreneur had developed a bag found to be strong enough to be used to carry barite without the contents of the bag spilling.

“There was a time barite importation was bad and the companies were forced to use Nigerian barite but of course, they were complaining that Nigerian barite didn’t meet standards in terms of gravity.

“Whenever they lifted the bag on site to pour it into the well, the bag will split as they are lifting it from the ground and the barite will waste.

“Now there’s this bag, the standard of which has been approved by everybody and we proudly mark: “Made in Nigeria on it.”

The minister said that having taken care of all the inherent complaints and issues, Nigeria barite would be put officially on the market and that the Federal Government would come up with a policy to ban its importation.

According to him, once the importation of the mineral is banned and the Nigerian market is satisfied, the mineral will be exported to other parts of Africa, especially the West African sub-region.

“We buy barite of about 250 to 300 million dollars every year essentially from Morocco and maybe some from South Africa.

“So, let us satisfy the local market first. If you satisfy the local market, we can start exploiting to the West Coast.

“Ghana has discovered oil. A few other West African nations are discovering oil now. They will need barite. South Africa too just discovered oil off their shores. We can sell barite to them as well.

“Essentially, we want to satisfy the local market first, if we are able to do that it means we are saving Nigeria about 300 million dollars annually of money that goes out.

“That’s import substitution. So that is the first target. If we are able to exceed local demand then we will go to supply the foreign market.”

Barite is a mineral, consisting of barium sulphate, typically occurring as colourless prismatic crystals or thin white flakes. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sun, 2021

Health

Nigeria records 155,417 COVID-19 cases in 1 year

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 341 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 155,417.

The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it is exactly one year ago, Feb. 27, 2020, that Nigeria recorded its COVID-19 index case, believed to be the first in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Till date, 155,417 cases of the disease have been confirmed, while 133,256 patients have been discharged and 1,905 COVID-19 related deaths recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In the past 24 hours, the NCDC has recorded three COVID-19 deaths, raising the total fatalities in Nigeria to 1,905.

The Nigerian health agency said that the new infections were reported from 20 states and the FCT.

According to the agency, the new cases were reported in Lagos-96; Rivers-41; Kaduna-33; Edo-21; Osun-20; Akwa Ibom 17 and the FCT-17.

Ondo reported 15; Gombe-11; Kano-11; Imo-10; Ekiti and Kebbi had nine each; Kwara and Oyo state recorded eight each, while Borno had six; Enugu and Plateau. three each; Delta, Niger, and Ogun had one each.

The NCDC stated that Saturday’s discharged cases included 319 community recoveries in Lagos State, 121 in Kaduna State and 38 in Rivers.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, had continued to coordinate the national response activities in the country.

The public health agency said that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country currently stood at 20,183 in the last 24 hours. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sun, 2021

Health

COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday – SGF

By Abujah Racheal

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, has confirmed that Nigeria will on Tuesday, March 2, receive the first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines.

Mustapha, who is also the chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, made the disclosure on Saturday in Abuja while evaluating the country’s fight against the disease.

“They (vaccines) should depart India on March 1, 2021 in the night and arrive in Abuja on the 2nd of March, 2021, ” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria is set to receive its first four million shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, a global scheme set up to procure and distribute vaccines for free, as the world races to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

COVAX, which was set up in April 2020 to help ensure a fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines between the rich and poor nations, said it would deliver two billion doses to member-states by the end of 2021.

Nigeria’s four million vaccines would be its first COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility.

The facility promised access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries’ population with an initial supply beginning in the first quarter of 2021 to inoculate three per cent of their populations.

The Nigerian government had earlier announced that the first four million doses of the vaccines would arrive in the country by the end of February.

The SGF disclosed that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) would be organising the shipment from Mumbai, India, with the World Health Organisation (WHO), both backers of COVAX.

Meanwhile, the PTF chairman praised Nigeria’s health workers and the various frontline workers for working hard to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Mustapha, while evaluating the county’s response to COVID-19 in the past year, said the PTF had performed “very well’’ with a very robust national response.

“We have succeeded in discharging our mandate of managing the pandemic with a well-defined process and a robust national response,” he noted.

The SGF said that the strategies evolved by his committee to manage the pandemic had been replicated in some other countries, especially the compulsory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for travellers.

He explained that the pandemic had helped the country to scale up its health infrastructure, citing the increase in the number of infectious diseases testing laboratories from four to 132 across the country.

NAN recalls that the Nigeria’s health minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday admitted that the country may have to wait till March to receive its first doses of the vaccines.

Ghana received 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines on Wednesday, making it the first country on the continent to benefit from the COVAX programme.

Cote d`Ivoire, a country with more than 32,000 COVID-19 cases and 188 deaths, also received over 500,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

It is exactly one year ago, Feb. 27, 2020, that Nigeria detected its first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), believed to be the first reported case in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With more than 150,000 cases reported since then, the NCDC said Nigeria’s response had been led by science and driven by the power of coordination, collaboration and solidarity among federal and state governments, partners, the private sector and the citizens. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

Defence/Security

Oyetola urges residents to volunteer information on criminals

By Olajide Idowu

Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, on Saturday, said war against insecurity could only be won if the people of the state were ready to volunteer information on criminals living in their communities.

Oyetola, who spoke at the Fourth Annual Siyan Oyeweso Colloquium, with the theme: “Security and Insecurity in Nigeria” in Ede, Osun, said criminals were not ghosts but members of various communities.

He said that Nigerians should be sensitised, encouraged and mobilised to provide information on criminals living among them for security agents, with an assurance of safety to their lives.

“To ensure improved performance in the quality of intelligence gathering that is available to our security operatives, we must ensure that we further sensitise our people, mobilise them and work towards bringing them on board.

“Since these delinquents are members of our various communities, it is possible to have citizens volunteering information on them.

“I believe it is possible to win the battle against insecurity in this country if we will all join hands, volunteer and provide the requisite support, as may be necessary,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Wole Oyebamiji, however, warned against ethnic profiling of criminals and crimes, saying criminality did not have religious or ethic colouration.

“We must stop ethnic profiling of criminals and bandits; criminality has no religious or ethnic colouration.

“The truth also is that criminality is what it is, and it has to be treated as such,” he said.

Oyetola also called on security operatives to do what was right and go after criminals, not minding the ethnic group they belonged, and prosecute conscientiously.

The two lecturers at the colloquium, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi and Prof. Surajudeen Mudashiru, called on government to get more serious about finding solutions to the issue of insecurity in the country.

They called for the establishment of an inter-regional collaboration with neighbouring countries in order to control the influx of foreign criminals and firearms coming into Nigeria.

The scholars urged government to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

They further tasked government to work with religious bodies to instill moral values in Nigerians, especially the youth, as well as provide enabling environment for businesses to grow.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the colloquium was organised to mark the 60^th birthday of Prof. Siyan Oyeweso, a renowned professor of History.

NAN also reports that Oyeweso used the occasion to launch two new books: “Ede Mapo Arogun (Creating a City, its History, Monarchy and People)” and “Ede Icons and the Making of Modern Nigeria.” (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

Environment

NiMet predicts 3 days sunshine, haziness

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and cloudiness from Sunday to Monday.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja predicted sunny and hazy conditions over the North and the North Central region throughout the forecast period on Sunday.

According to it, haziness with patches of cloud is expected over the inland cities of the South throughout the forecast period.

The agency envisaged hazy condition with patches of cloud over the coastal cities of the South in the morning.

It further envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of Lagos, Bayelsa, Ogun, Delta, Edo and Akwa-Ibom States later in the day.

”For Monday, dust haze condition is expected over the northern region throughout the forecast period. North Central region is expected to be in sunny and hazy conditions within the forecast period.

“Partly cloudy to sunny condition is expected over the inland cities of the South during the forecast period.

“Partly cloudy condition is expected over the coastal cities of the South in the morning while in the afternoon/evening hours isolated thunderstorms are expected over parts of Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states,” it said.

According to NiMet, dust haze condition is expected over North, North Central region and inland cities throughout the forecast period on Tuesday.

NiMet forecast haziness over coastal cities of South with patches of cloud to partly cloudy condition in the morning with isolated thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Rivers and Delta state later in the day. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

General News

Group tasks media executives on dousing political tension

By Wandoo Sombo

The Network and Advocacy Group of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation has urged the media practitioners to play active role in quelling political tensions on account of banditry and abductions in the country.

The foundation made the call in a statement by its Executive Director, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, on Saturday, in Abuja.

According to him, the organisation made the call when it hosted an interactive session with senior media practitioners on`the role of the media in quelling tensions on account of banditry and abductions in the country.

He said that participants at the event were made up of senior executives from a cross section of print and electronic media.

Ehusani said that a key point raised at the event was the need for all stakeholders in the Nigerian nation to build a strong consensus in advocating for greater social justice, social inclusion and equity.

He also said that participants highlighted the need for the creative management of the rich diversities, among Nigerians and for crisis prevention and the management of conflicts through dialogue.

“Participants also noted the need for greater mutual understanding towards peaceful coexistence and national integration,” he said.

He added that participants resolved to do more, towards dousing the ongoing political tension, promoting truth, justice and fairness, and facilitating a sense of national cohesion, among Nigerians.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was facilitated by Prof. Tony Iredia, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and currently a professor at Igbinedion University, Okada and Ehusani.

NAN also reports that the interactive session aimed at dousing tension and promoting peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

The programme is one in a series that the group, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA) is handling. (NAN).

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

General News

World NGO Day: Humanitarian Minister applauds partners

Collins Yakubu-Hammer

As Nigeria joins the world to celebrate the International Day for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has applauded NGOs for partnering with the ministry.

Farouq, in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Nneka Anibeze, praised the contributions of NGOs to humanity.

“Today, we celebrate the NGOs and our other partners, who have played critical roles in the sustenance of humankind, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The importance of NGO workers and their selflessness for the benefit of our society, Nigeria and the world at large cannot be over-emphasised.

“The non-profit organisations and other partners have ensured that people, whose livelihoods were crippled due to the scourge, especially during the lockdown, were given lifeline through their voluntary supplies of food, sanitisers, masks, drugs and other relief items.

“We celebrate you today, as we look forward to maintaining better relationships to be able to assist humanity during crisis situations, “she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the World NGO Day is celebrated on Feb. 27 of every year to create awareness for NGOs and their various activities.

The Day, officially recognised by the Baltic Sea NGO Forum on April 17, 2012, is also dedicated to the celebration of those who have gone the extra mile to make the world a better place.

It was established by Marcis Liors Skadmanis, a UK-based social entrepreneur, and is celebrated by a lot of European countries, such as Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden, among others.

The day aims to inspire people to become actively involved with NGOs, both in the public and private sectors, and to educate individuals worldwide on NGOs and their impact.

NAN also reports that the Day was first marked by the UN, EU and international organisations in 2014, and it is now observed and celebrated in no fewer than 89 countries of the world. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

Business , Economy/Business

BENCCIMA lauds nationwide survey of business establishments

By Joy Odigie

The Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA), has commended the ongoing survey of business establishments in the country.

Mr John Imalingmhe, Director-General of the chamber, said the National Business Sample Survey (NBSS) being conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was a welcome development.

Imalingmhe said the data got from the survey would be useful to both the government and private sector to carry out proper planning of economic activities in the country.

“For us as an organised private sector in Edo, we are sure to get information about the different business establishments in the state once the survey is completed,” the director-general said.

He urged business owners to participate in the survey without fear or bias.

“The problem is that some business owners are not willing to give out accurate data, they think the purpose of the survey is to increase their tax payment.

“Accurate data is needed to carry out proper planning in all the sectors of the economy.

“Business owners should cooperate with NBS in giving authentic information about their establishments,” he said.

NAN reports that NBS in February began the NBSS, a component of National Business Sample Census. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

Education

Bauchi Govt spends N350m on school renovation, plans 12 others

By Ayinde Olaide

The Bauchi State Government has spent N350 million on the renovation of Government Senior Secondary School, Zaki, in Zaki Local Government Area of the state.

Gov. Bala Mohammed disclosed this in Zaki LGA, while inspecting some of the projects embarked upon by the state government in the area.

Mohammed noted that the school had been dilapidated and neglected for over 40 years.

He said his administration also found it necessary to renovate the school in recognition and appreciation of the people of the area for voting for his government.

The governor further revealed that in order to catch up with other counterpart states, his administration was going to build 12 more schools across the state.

“We were here about a year ago, and we saw the dilapidation of this school. It has been abandoned and neglected for forty years.

“Because of this school and in recognition of the support and assistance that the people of Zaki had given us that brought us to power, we decided this place to be an example of how we are going to carry out the educational renewal of Bauchi state.

“We have the highest number of out of school children, we have the highest number of dilapidated schools and we decided to start with Zaki, where we are spending about N350 million.

“We are going to add more because there are areas that have not been procured. Because of that, we have observed that we have twelve more schools that need to be renovated and in addition, in order to catch up with our counterparts as a state, we are building twelve more schools,” the governor said.

Mohammed announced that his administration was borrowing a leaf from the first civilian governor of the state, late Alhaji Abubakar Ali, who had brought so many things to the state, in terms of infrastructure, educational and health services across the state.

“He was the one who built schools in every local government area; he was the one who built all the local government headquarters’ secretariats; he was the one who built all the roads we are enjoying today especially, in Bauchi city.

“We want to do as much as he has done. We will make sure we make the name of Abubakar Tatari Ali a legacy in Nigeria,” Mohammed said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the works carried out in the school included, renovation of hostels, staff quarters, classrooms, as well as the construction of perimeter fences, among others. (NAN)

Rabi'u Sani Ali
Feb, Sat, 2021

Education

FG to partner with ABU on fiscal policy formulation

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to partner with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria on fiscal policies formulation.

Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning made the declaration in Zaria on Saturday.

She said the partnership would enhance the shaping of the Nigerian economy towards sustainable and inclusive growth.

She was speaking at the 14th Annual General Assembly Lecture organised by Ahmadu Bello University Alumni Association where she presented a paper titled “The Role of Universities in Nation Building’’.

She said universities and other tertiary institutions were key drivers for inclusive and sustainable development, especially now that the country needed to build a more resiliently post-COVID 19 economy.

The minister added that administrative leaders and professors at the institutions should be change agents that have the potential to shape and transform their students and also drive development and policy formulation.

“I request Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to partner with the ministry to drive fiscal policies that shape our economy to a path of sustainable and inclusive growth.

“We welcome your advice and guidance and we will be ready to engage with you,’’ she stressed.

The minister said the Federal Government had made significant investments in infrastructural development in tertiary institutions.

“One of these investments is the deployment of hybrid Solar Power Systems in a number of tertiary institutions.

“The one for ABU is on its way, but so far, four universities have had their solar systems installed and inaugurated and the universities now have 24 hours uninterrupted power supply.

“The power system is not for the university communities alone, but will supply electricity to neighbouring communities,’’ she said.

She added that in 2020, approval was granted to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to disburse N395.032 billion for the development of personnel in tertiary institutions.

Mrs Ahmed also said that in 2021, N323.3 billion was approved for TETFund beside the budgetary allocations and Revitalisation Funds for universities to further strengthen the system.

Earlier, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, commended the association for giving laptop loans to students under its computer loans scheme.

He said the National Executive Council of the ABU Alumni had set a very high standard for other alumni associations to emulate.

The minister represented Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, at the occasion.

In his remarks, Mr Toma Gyang, Kaduna State Commissioner for Economic Planning, who represented Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, said it was timely to engage universities in nation building.

He said Kaduna State government had showcased outstanding records of commitment to education reforms at all levels. (NAN)