By Fortune Abang

Stakeholders in good governance have called for a strategic approach to creating an atmosphere conducive for businesses to thrive in Nigeria.

The stakeholders made the call during the official virtual launch of the transformational governance corporate toolkit with support from Oando Plc.

One of the stakeholders, Ms. Naomi Nwokolo, the Executive-Director of United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria (UNGC-NN), said the call for a strategic approach was mainly because “the world is changing rapidly and how corporations operate needs to change too.”

Nwokolo noted that adherence to regulations is not enough, as businesses are expected to operate ethically, act responsibly, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of society.

According to her, the 2023 Sustainable Competitiveness Report ranked Nigeria 161st in Global Governance, saying effective corporate governance is not just an option, but a necessity for achieving the SDGs.

“The transformational governance self-assessment tool was designed to empower companies to evaluate their operations, identify areas of improvement, supply chains, stakeholders engagement and drive positive societal change.

“This tool equips companies to transform their operations within communities, Therefore a strategic corporate approach to governance is vital for attracting investment and fostering sustainable economic growth.

“Regulations mandating human rights due diligence are raising the standards, but due diligence must also consider political and geopolitical risks to support transformative governance.

“Transformational governance is not just about meeting legal requirements, it is about embracing principles. It is about accountability, ethics, inclusivity, and transparency.

“It challenges companies to look beyond internal operations, considering the broader impact on society, by aligning with SDG-16, centered on `Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions’, to build a more peaceful, and a prosperous future,” Nwokolo said.

Corporate Affairs Mrs. Oluwasoromidayo George, Sustainability Director Coca-Cola HBC, and Chairperson UN Global Compact Network Nigeria, described the toolkit as a pivotal resource for reshaping the global business landscape.

According to George, the toolkit can be instrumental to ethical leadership and responsible business conduct.

“Our collective presence here underscores our shared commitment to shaping a new era of responsible business conduct, transparency, and ethical leadership.

“In today’s dynamic world, corporate governance is evolving rapidly, with stakeholders demanding transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

“Nigeria, with its vibrant private sector and ambitious economic goals, must prioritize strong governance to attract investment and foster innovation,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UNGC-NN is one of the 74 Local Networks country offices of the UN Global Compact. It is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Maureen Okon

The Director-General (DG) of Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Dr Buba Yakub, has pledged to build the capacity of personnel of the corps to enhance their services to the nation.

Yakub made the pledge on Wednesday in Abuja at the close of a training organised for protocol officers of the corps.

He said that the training was to boost the professional competence of the participants for the effective discharge of their duties.

The DG said that the target was to have very competent personnel who will be the best in their field wherever they find themselves in the country.

He commended the participants for their dedication during the training as they strived to improve their skills for effective service delivery.

In a remark, Director of Administration of the corps, Amb. Abdullahi Ahmed, charged the beneficiaries to deploy what they learned in improving their performances on the field of protocol duties.

Earlier, the training consultant, Mr Dominic Ogakwe, said that the focus of the training was to enhance productivity and accountability.

Mr Frederick Fwa, who spoke on behalf of the participants, appreciated the management of the corps for the capacity training.

He said that they would utilise the new knowledge and skills to ensure effectiveness in their respective duties. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Maharazu Ahmed

By Ebere Agozie

Stakeholders in the women and girl social development say that the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) partnership with state Commissioners of Women Affairs will advance their programmes in Nigeria.

The stakeholders said this at a dialogue organised by the UNDP to advance partnership with states for programming for women and girls in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, said the dialogue would foster collaboration and exchange ideas on how to collectively enhance initiatives that promote the welfare, empowerment, and rights of women and girls in Nigeria.

Attafuah noted that though there were pockets of crisis across the country, there were still opportunities that abound that could be tapped into to change the lives of women and girls in the country.

She urged women to rise up to the challenges and organise themselves together to access UN supports.

”Women could drive the development agenda of the nation if they come together with commitments,” she said.

The Dean, Commissioners for Women Affairs and Social Development of the 36 states of federation led by Dr Ini Adiakpan urged development partners for assistance to improve the situation of women and girls in the country.

Adiakpan said the special intervention was necessary to curb the current growing number of street children and the suffering of women in the country.

“The street children must be urgently taken off the streets through proper packaged intervention to curb the risk of them turning into criminals and bandits’’.

She noted that 90 per cent of women were in agriculture and needed to be improved and taught on how to use high breed technology to solve the lack of food in Nigeria.

“Women could champion the current food security programme of the current administration if they are provided with enabling environment as women dominate the food and farming process in Nigeria.

“Women are resilient, we have the inner strength to absorb and survive even in the midst of difficulties,’’ she added.

Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, FCTA, Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, said that Nigeria was ready to walk the talk with stakeholders in bringing out the best in the lives of vulnerable women and girls in Nigeria.

“We are ready in working with all stakeholders, including the UN in achieving their mandates towards the welfare and development of women and girls,’’ she added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that state commissioners for women affairs and social development from across the states were all present (NAN)

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Pope Francis was taken to hospital for an examination after holding his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, the Vatican announced.

The head of the Catholic Church returned to the Vatican shortly afterward.

According to the Vatican, the pope has been suffering from a “mild flu” for a few days, which is why he cancelled several public appearances.

Before visiting the hospital, during the audience, the pope said: “I still have a bit of a cold.”

The pontiff plans to meet Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a private audience for the first time on Saturday.

The pope’s health condition has been the subject of concern for some time now.

Recently the pope also had issues with inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Last year, he was hospitalised twice.

He is often in a wheelchair during public appearances due to a knee condition.

The pope, born in Argentina, has been in office since 2013.

He was the successor to German Pope Benedict XVI, and will mark 11 years in office next month. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Fortune Abang

The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, has reiterated the agency’s resolve to work assiduously to retain its place as the foremost news agency in Africa.

Ali said this when he received in his office in Abuja, Mr Ronald Kayanja, the Director, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria, who was on a working visit.

He noted that no media organisation in Nigeria had as much workforce spread across the country as NAN.

He observed that such spread had enabled the agency to cover the country effectively and objectively.

According to him, the agency has reporters covering all the 109 senatorial districts, with the state offices having not less than two reporters.

On funding, Ali stated that the agency is 100 per cent funded by the Federal Government, adding that with dwindling resources, it had become obvious that the agency would have to do more to generate income.

“The agency has a wire service and other income sources, but all the funding models globally have collapsed because of the digital media.

“This is why we said there are some things we need to do to bring about alternative funding and training. And we can collaborate with the UN to train some of our journalists and equip them.

“Also on infrastructure and equipment, there is the need to get the UN to support us by equipping our multimedia centres.

“We have multimedia centres across the nation, particularly in the geo-political zones.

“Unless you innovate, it will be a difficult task ahead. We have seen the case of the Pan-Africa News Agency (PANA), which is now history.

“But we are trying to see how we can evolve.

“This is why we are trying to ensure that our multimedia village becomes the focus because it’s the future,” he said.

The NAN chief, who likened NAN to Xinhua News Agency, the largest official news agency in the People’s Republic of China, which has established both television and radio news outlets, said NAN could do the same.

“We want to be digitally safe. We want to discard the old ways of news hunting because now, clearly, local news is there.

“Everybody everywhere now has smart devices and they can promote themselves.

“This is why our multimedia and social media platforms are augmented to attract people to our YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok because these are alternative news feeds and we want to popularise them.

“Until recently, these platforms were not on the front burner.

“So we’re trying to go with the times and this is where we find funding a bit challenging because government has its plate full.

“This is why we are trying to partner with big organsations and agencies. We already have MoUs with the Bulgarian News Agency; BTA, Reuters, German news agency, TASS, the Russian news agency,” Ali said.

He disclosed that NAN recently signed an MoU with the Moroccan press agency.

Ali added that NAN would soon enter into a partnership with the Egyptian news agency for the exchange of knowledge and news as well as capacity building for reporters through training.

He explained that it is by doing so that the agency would be able to augment the funding coming from the Federal Government.

“Whether the products we sell – general news service and PR wire – are revenue streams for the agency independent of government, but what they bring into our coffers is a drop in the ocean,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Kayanja commended NAN for its resilience in sustaining its operational standards over the years.

He applauded the agency for being able to survive the competition from digital media.

He said his visit to the agency was to seek partnership with NAN in the area of promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in the fight against fake news. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
FEA/BKD/YEE

Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Emmanuel Yashim

By Maureen Okon

The Chairperson of European Union Africa Working Party (COAFR), Mrs Yamina Guerfi, has harped on the strategic importance of Nigeria and the need to deepen cooperation with the EU.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Guerfi made the remarks at a reception organised for the COAFR delegation by the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Pieter Leenknegt, at his residence in Abuja.

NAN reports that COAFR is responsible for the management of EU external policy towards sub-Saharan Africa.

She said that their visit was “to further enhance cooperation with Nigeria and its people”.

“I will like to highlight the partnership with Nigeria and her people for the EU and Member States is really of strategic importance as Africa’s most populated country.

“Also, the biggest economy in Africa, with all the energy reserves that Nigeria has.

“There are so much potentials in this country, the more we meet with Nigerians, its people and its government, I think of all the possibilities that we will have to further work together, including the challenges she face just like we do as well,’’ Guerfi added.

Earlier, the Belgium ambassador said that the choice of Nigeria by the COAFR delegation for the annual visit was a recognition of the country as “the economically biggest and most populous African nation”.

“So kudos to Nigeria and to our dear EU Ambassador, Ms Samuella Isopi for having lobbied the COAFR troop so well, and for having made the final cut.

“ Our COAFR delegation came at a significant moment for Nigeria, at the moment of bold reforms and of economic hardship in a challenging sub region,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Mark Longyen

Jennifer Littlejohn, U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), State Department, says multilateral efforts are critical to tackling global environmental pollution and climate change menace.

She made this known during a digital news conference on U.S. efforts to curb environmental challenges in Africa, on Tuesday in Accra, Ghana, ahead of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) slated for Nairobi, Kenya.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants at the digital news conference were drawn from various media organisations across Africa and the globe.

Littlejohn disclosed that air pollution was one of the primary objectives of the Nairobi UNEA, which the U.S. would advocate, stressing that the quality of air was critical to humans.

According to her, air pollution is the leading environmental risk to human health and, as such, the U.S. will introduce a resolution on air quality and build on UNEA resolutions 1/7 and 3/8. 

She said the event aimed to leverage expertise, re-energise the intention of prior resolutions, provide a platform to operationalise and drive multi-stakeholder actions that target the causes of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.  

She said: “Another area that we will focus on will be nature crimes.  And we’ll be launching something called the Nature Crime Alliance at UNEA, which I think will be something that we hope that you all will follow quite closely going forward.  

“The triple threats of the crises of biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change are real, and it is so important that these stories are told – that the narratives get out there with accuracy, based on the science. 

“I’d say the main message I want to share with you today is that the United States is partnering with Ghana and countries across Africa to address these major challenges of our time — climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the pollution crisis.”

The envoy said that the U.S. would work with African countries to build partnerships on science and space exploration, protect the ocean and environment, for the benefit of people all over the world.

She said the U.S. would also work with partners across the continent to address other key environmental issues like deforestation, plastic pollution and to promote a sustainable blue economy. 

Littlejohn said that Nigeria, Rwanda, Angola are all among the 35 countries around the world that have already signed on to the Artemis Accords, committing to make the space environment safer and more predictable. 

According to her, as African countries develop their space policy and capabilities, the U.S. also strongly encourages them to consider joining the Outer Space Treaty – the basis for international space law and for the Artemis Accords.

“We have made a lot of progress by working collaboratively. We are already making a difference, but we have so much work to do. The United States will continue to be a steadfast partner to countries across Africa on environmental and scientific issues.

“The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting access to clean energy in Ghana through initiatives like supporting smallholder farmers to install solar-powered irrigation. 

“In addition, USAID provided technical assistance to the Bui Power hydro-solar plant.  The plant, the first of its kind in West Africa, will put Ghana on track to cut its power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 235,000 tons per year,” she said.

The envoy disclosed that the U.S. was also leading climate change financing and air pollution in collaboration with others to mitigate their negative effects, especially in the Horn of Africa.

“From the U.S. perspective, we have committed $2 billion in humanitarian assistance to respond to the drought in the Horn of Africa.  This would include about $356 million, specifically for Kenya in the past year. 

“We also allocated $45 million, including $20 million in supplemental funding, and this was funding development assistance to help Kenya address the current food security crisis.

“Air pollution more broadly is the fourth leading cause of premature death worldwide, and it’s responsible for nearly 7 million premature deaths, about $5 trillion in economic welfare losses, and $200 billion in productivity losses each year,” she added.(NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim