L-R: Nabilah Usman, Joseph Onokpe, Regional Manager, Narrative 4 Africa; Angela Omeiza, CEO/Founder of Jela’s Development Initiatives and  Hakeem Onasanya, Olufunmbi Kehinde at Narrative 4 Africa’s Leadership Summit in Lagos on Monday

By Adekunle Williams

A social development organisation, Narrative 4 Africa, has urged leaders to be empathetic and compassionate for more effectiveness.

The Regional Manager of Narrative 4 Africa, Mr Joseph Onokpe, made the call at the maiden edition of the organisation’s leadership summit in Lagos on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event had the theme: “Leading with Heart: A Leadership Summit on Empathy and Compassion”.

NAN reports that Narrative for Africa is a non-governmental organisation which is focused on executing impactful programmes for youths across Africa.

Onokpe said that leaders with empathy and compassion would produce resilient and successful teams that would improve governance.

He said that Narrative 4 Africa was committed to ensuring that youths would learn empathy to be good leaders of tomorrow.

The official said that the summit was aimed at creating awareness on the importance of empathy and compassion to leadership.

He said: “For nearly four years, Narrative 4 Africa has been working in schools on the African continent, teaching young leaders empathy, facilitating connections with schools, teachers, artists, and educators with their global counterparts, and inspiring work in communities.

“The parent organisation, Narrative 4 Inc., was birthed over 10 years ago in Chicago, with a global mission to improve lives by creating connections and combating isolation through the power of art, education and action.

“In Nigeria, Narrative 4 Africa began operations in July 2020 in Abuja, with training of teachers and community workers.

“Since then, it has grown, with presence in over 300 schools in 10 cities in Nigeria, working with over 1,000 teachers in their respective schools to deliver empathy-based education to students via story exchanges and curriculum support.”

Onokpe said that the summit was a convergence of thought leaders, students, youth corps members and aspiring leaders to explore the role of empathy and compassion in effective leadership.

The organisation’s Director of Africa Operations, Mr Buchi Onyegbule, said that the one-day summit was aimed at fostering a culture of empathy and compassion in leadership.

According to Onyegbule, in today’s rapidly-changing world, many young people are living in isolation and mutual distrust.

He said that mainstreaming empathy would help to create a humanity-focused base for easier conversations that would facilitate growth and development.

The Founder of Jela’s Development Initiatives, Mrs Angela Ochu-Baiye, said that the summit would provide a transformative experience for leaders across sectors.

Ochu-Baiye said that the summit would empower leaders and aspiring leaders to create a lasting positive change in organisations and communities.

She said: “We are glad to contribute our quotas to raising the next generation of leaders.

“It is on this premise that we introduced this first mini-leadership summit.” (NAN)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola

By Abiodun Lawal

Nigerian Army, on Friday, conducted free medical tests on 1,000 residents of Owode community in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun.

The Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade of Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig.-Gen. Muhammed Aminu, said that the programme was geared toward giving back to the host communities.

Aminu stated that the exercise would have great impacts on the people and also benefit the society.

“It is a way of improving the relationship we have with the residents. Just yesterday (Thursday), we inaugurated a solar-powered borehole that we donated to Alamala community in Abeokuta.

“We are also going to Ijebu-Ode next week to distribute educational materials to some selected schools in continuation of our army-host community relationship programmes,” he said.

The Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade of Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig.-Gen. Muhammed Aminu, with some of the beneficiaries of the free insecticide nets

The Brigade Commander commended the host community and the state government for the support accorded the military.

He implored the residents of the state to continue to cooperate with and support the military and other security agencies.

Also speaking, the Amona Oba of Owode Yewa,
Chief Nojeem Olubiyi, commended the Nigerian army for deeming it fit to give back to its immediate environment.

Olubiyi said that the gesture would continue to boost the cordial relationship between the army and the people of the community.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the outreach witnessed a large turnout of residents taking advantage of the exercise to access treatment for different ailments.

NAN also reports that free eye test, high blood pressure and general medical check-up were administered on the residents, while drugs were administered and free eye glasses and treated mosquito nets distributed.(NAN)

Edited by Wale Sadeeq

By Kamal Tayo Oropo

Some policy experts and stakeholders have called for policy cohesion across Africa for successful implementation of multilateral policy decisions.

They spoke on Wednesday during one of the plenaries at the 2023 Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA), holding in Addis Ababa.

The CLPA, fifth in the series, is organised by the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The 2023 edition has the theme, ‘Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation’.

Dr Medhat El-Helepi (ECA), chaired the plenary with the sub-theme: ‘Land Governance, Regional Integration and Intra-Africa Trade: Opportunities and Challenges’.

Panelists at the plenary included Dr Stephen Karingi, Director, Regional Integration and Trade, ECA; Mr Tsotetsi Makong, Head of Capacity Building and Technical Assistance, AfCFTA Secretariat and Ms Eileen Wakesho, Director, Community Land Protection at Namati, Kenya.

The event also attracted various stakeholders, including traditional leaders, Civil Society Organisations, and policy decision makers.

Makong expressed worries over reluctance of some participants to openly discuss some matters, pleading ‘no go areas of domestic affairs’.

He, however, noted that the issues of land were within the limit of domestic regulations, adding that tenure land security was the solution that would allow intra African investment that is still low in Africa.

Makong pointed out that the success of the investment protocol under the AfCFTA would depend on countries’ domestic law that should be in line with the AfCFTA.

“There are guidelines on land reforms that need to be turned into regulations within the domestic systems.

“Policy coherence has to be at the heart of what we do. This can be achieved by engaging everyone including women and youth at the grassroots level.

“Also, you cannot be talking of AfCFTA as of it is just about Ministers of Trade, Economy or Investment. The idea is a totality of the entire governance structure. This is very important,” he said.

Speakers also noted that an inclusive land governance was one of the key pillars to enhance Africa’s drive to improving intra-African trade, food security, and sustainable food systems.

They said inclusive governance system would allow stakeholders to create transparency, subsidiarity, inclusiveness, prior informed participation and social acceptance by affected communities in land-based initiatives beyond their borders. (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun represented by the SSG Tokunbo Talabi, the Chief of UNICEF, Lagos Office Celine Lafoucriere,
and the Akarigbo of Remo land Oba Babatunde Ajayi during the inauguration of the oxygen plant in Sagamu

By Yetunde Fatungase

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated a Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plant to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plant was built by UNICEF with the support of IHS Towers and other partners.

It is to help with the production and supply of oxygen in the treatment of pneumonia and other ailments.

Speaking while handing over the plant, the Chief of UNICEF, Lagos Office, Ms Celine Lafoucriere, said the development remains a milestone for the people of Ogun.

”This is in particular for newborns and pregnant women suffering from pneumonia and other hypoxemia disorders.

“Their fundamental right to life is about to take a positive turn with the handover of this oxygen plant close to need,” she said.

The UNICEF official added that oxygen is not only critical to improving health outcomes but also reducing mortality rates occasioned by pneumonia by 35 per cent.

“Oxygen is life and a life-saving medical gas used for treating respiratory illnesses and supporting various healthcare provisions such as emergency obstetric care, surgery, and anesthesia.

“It is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing mortality due to pneumonia by 35 percent, yet seldom available and often expensive.

“With limited access to supplemental oxygen, the line between life and death is blurred for critically-ill patients with pneumonia and severe COVID-19 symptoms,” she said.

Lafoucriere congratulated the state government for being a beneficiary of the oxygen gas plant.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun, who commissioned the plant, described it as a life-saving project and recalled the unfortunate incidents of preventable deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak where patients could not access oxygen.

Abiodun, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tokunbo Talabi, thanked the donors and promised that the plant would be put to use judiciously.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, in her remarks, said the plant can produce 300 litres per minute, and assured that it would never run out of gas.

Coker said the state government was already planning to establish one oxygen plant each in Ota and Ijebu-Ode, and three in Abeokuta.

She added that the Federal Government would monitor all the oxygen plants, including that of Ogun.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Chief Medical Director of the institution, Mrs Oluwabunmi Fatungase, had thanked Gov. Abiodun for the realisation of the oxygen gas plant project.

She noted that it aligned with the visionary goals of the governor to transform healthcare delivery in the state.

Fatungase added that the establishment of the plant was a strategic move in recognising the indispensable role of oxygen in medical settings for resuscitation and inhalation therapy.

“Given our hospital’s reputation for conducting both minor and major surgeries, the integration of a self-reliant oxygen plant within our facilities becomes not just a necessity but a crucial asset,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Olawale Alabi

By Ige Adekunle

The Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, has called on youths to embrace innovation and creativity to attain global status.

Adebayo made the call on Tuesday in Ota, at the Covenant Innovation Week 2023, with the theme: “Innovate 360-Navigating the Future…Converting disruptive ideas into ideas.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day event was organised by Covenant University in collaboration with Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication African Centre of Excellence (CApiC-ACE).

Adebayo said the Innovation Week was significant and timely as it aligned with the institution’s views of creating knowledge and restoring the dignity of the black race.

“It is creativity that brings life into ideas and transforming abstract concepts into tangible products.

“In addition, innovation creates values, increases productivity and improves processes, ultimately creating wealth,” he said.

Adebayo stressed the need to equip the teeming youth with the right skills, right talents and right education that would position African countries in the global arena.

The vice-chancellor stressed the need for holistic, balanced and creative approach to teaching and research to meet the needs of the market.

He said there must be deliberate and conscious efforts to embrace innovation, creativity and research, as the global education and economic land scape had become dynamic, competitive and consumer centric.

In her welcome address, Prof. Olubanke Ogunlana, Chairperson, Local Organising Committee, Covenant Innovation Week, said the event was a professional development symposium, which brought together the academia, innovators and other participants.

Ogunlana said “Innovate 360” symbolised a complete revolution, urging the youth to think beyond the traditional boundaries of innovation.

Prof. Emeka Iweala, Director, CApiC-ACE, said the centre had developed a number of frameworks to drive innovations with a total prize of N700,000 for the programme.

Iweala added, “we are launching an initial modest funding purse of 15,000 dollars.”

Mr Musibau Lasisi, a keynote speaker, said innovation was most effective when done with a heart geared towards helping humanity.

Lasisi said innovation served as the driving force propelling humanity into the future and the catalyst for progress and advancement across various domains.

He added that the role of innovation in shaping the future of humanity was profound for several reasons.

He identified such areas where innovation could be used to include improving quality of life, environmental sustainability, adaptation and resilience, technological,advancement, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

IGE/SA