By Muhyideen Jimoh

Mr Gangadharan Balasubramanian, Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria says the much anticipated direct flights from Nigeria to India is set to commence on March 31.

Balasubramanian told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that Air Peace, a private Nigerian airline had concluded plans for the inaugural flight from Lagos to Mumbai, Bombay.

” I can announce to you that that Air Peace will be flying directly from Lagos to India on March 31st for the inaugural flight.

“This is part of the implementation of the
Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) aimed at deepening relations between both countries, so I have been invited for the inauguration, ” he said.

Balasubramanian explained that the direct flight would further strengthen economic, trade, bilateral relations, and people-to-people ties between both strategic countries.

“The volume of trade between both countries as at 2022 is 14.95 billion dollars, so we believe agreements such as this will go a long way in boosting our relations,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the new route would increase the volume of trade between both countries, while opening new vista of opportunities for citizens of both countries.

NAN reports that Nigeria and the Republic of India had in 2019 signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), to deepen flight operations end to end.

Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika had expressed optimism that the agreement would further deepen cooperation between both countries.

BASA covers the basic framework under which airlines are granted bilateral rights to fly two countries. The frequency, designated airlines of the signatories, origin, intermediate points as well as traffic rights, type of aircraft and tax issues are normally covered by Memoranda of Understanding.

The new route is expected to further boost relations between both countries, as more than 135 indian companies currently operate in Nigeria.

India is becoming the prime destination for Nigerians seeking medical tourism, studies, businesses among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Grace Yussuf

By Fortune Abang

A forum of international guest speakers on Friday adjudged China’s strategy for common prosperity to be a model for other countries.

The forum held in Beijing, China was organised by the Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN), in furtherance of the 2023 national two sessions on “Modernisation toward common prosperity for all people.”

The event with the theme, “China Agenda”, centered on China’s modernisation masterplan and its significance to the world in general.

It examined the outcomes of this year’s two sessions and how they fit into China’s blueprint for modernisation

According to the speakers, China’s adherence to common prosperity is people-oriented.

They said the results were of benefit to the whole world, adding that such benefits were worth referencing.

A guest speaker, Alessandro Teixeira, a former Brazilian Minister of Development Industry and Foreign Trade, said China’s development over the past few decades had proven to be feasible for the realisation of common prosperity for all people.

“China’s modernisation focuses on universal issues such as poverty eradication and climate change response, which not only benefits China itself but its neighbours and the entire world as well.

“China’s modernisation has universal significance and value, which is expected to be a paradigm for realising humanity’s common prosperity,” Teixeira said.

Another speaker, John Ross, a British Senior Fellow at Renmin University of China, said that the Chinese-style of modernisation involved many aspects such as society, education, culture, and health.

“It has truly improved people’s livelihoods and well-being. Compared to China, the social development of the U.S. is severely imbalanced with a huge gap between the rich and the poor.

“Yet it still tries to dominate the world with its own values,” Ross said.

Also speaking, Geoffrey Hawker, Head of Politics and International Relations at Macquarie University, said the world was faced with various difficult challenges.

Hawker commended Chinese-style of modernisation to have coped well with various risks and challenges that enabled people achieve prosperity.

Michael Powers from the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University said there were notable differences between common prosperity and pure welfare society.

According to him, China’s common prosperity provided opportunities for all people to join the economic development.

“It not only relies on the traditional model of subsidising low-income groups and taxing high-income groups to narrow the gap between rich and poor.

“It is a more proactive strategy that tries to give a fair share of the interests of economic development to people in all regions and areas, which is worth learning for many, including Europe and the U.S.,” Powers said.

On his part, Peter Chai, Deputy Director of the Institute of China Studies of the University of Malaya defined common prosperity to mean inspiration to the world.

Chai said, “The idea of common prosperity is an inspiration to the development of the Global South, taking the imbalanced development between coastal and inland areas, urban and rural areas in its own country, Malaysia as an example.

“Common prosperity as proposed by China can effectively manage the huge gap between the rich and the poor. It is a very far-sighted development strategy. Developing countries can learn from China’s experiences.”

Meanwhile, Li Yong, Chief Researcher at D&G Thinktank, also commended China’s clear plan for realisation of common prosperity, suggesting efforts should be made to include all people in development processes.

“Individuals, governments, and enterprises should play an active role in promoting economic development, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a good example.

“The BRI connects China with its partners by bringing vitality to the economic development of every country.

“Enabling China and partners to thrive in cooperation, ultimately helps achieve common prosperity in all of BRI’s partner countries,” Li said.

The forum which was part of the serial activities about Chinese modernisation and the world attracted politicians, academicians, and Chinese experts from across the United Kingdom, U.S., Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, and other countries to discuss the subject.

The event attracted media organisations from 20 countries along the BRI including Kenya, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines, the U.S., Brazil, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, India, among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Emmanuel Yashim

Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace was intercepted by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and Germany’s Air Force, or Luftwaffe.

The interception was carried out during their first joint NATO air policing scramble as pilots.

The response on Tuesday saw the pair of British and German Typhoon jets react to a Russian air-to-air refueling aircraft, after it failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control.

British pilots are currently conducting joint air policing missions in the country alongside the German air force for the first time.

It came as Britain prepares to take over from Germany to lead the NATO mission in Estonia, which borders Russia.

The Ministry of Defence stressed the “routine” nature of the mission, but it came amid tensions between the West and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Armed forces minister, James Heappey said: “NATO continues to form the bedrock of our collective security.

“This joint UK and German deployment in the Baltics clearly demonstrates our collective resolve to challenge any potential threat to NATO’s borders, whilst demonstrating our combined strength.”

A Typhoon pilot from the RAF’s IX (Bomber) Squadron, who was not named by the Ministry of Defence, said: “We were scrambled to intercept an aircraft that was approaching Estonian airspace.

“We identified and monitored it as it transited close to NATO airspace.

“Any aircraft that are not communicating with Air Traffic Control or on a recognised flight plan will be intercepted by us to ensure we know who they are and maintain flight safety for all airspace users.

“As a fighter pilot, this was a routine business, even though I was flying alongside a German colleague.

“It is clear that all of our training and hard work paid off as we seamlessly operated together.”

Commander of the RAF’s 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, Wing Commander Scott Maccoll, said it had been “great” to see British and German forces operate as one team.’’

Details of the mission came amid a fresh reminder of the depth of tensions between Russia and the U.S., after a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea.

The U.S. called it a “brazen violation of international law” and caused the U.S. forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Moscow said the U.S. drone manoeuvred sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea.

But insisted its warplanes did not fire their weapons or hit the drone.

The incident appeared to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==============
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Joseph Edeh

Ukraine’s Air Force has defended the deployment of U.S. reconnaissance drones after the military incident in the Black Sea.

“The Black Sea is not an internal sea of Russia, as they have occupied the Sea of Azov and consider it theirs,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman, Yuri Ihnat, said on television in Kiev on Tuesday night.

The Black Sea is also bordered by NATO members, including Turkey and Romania, which is why the U.S. drones are operating there on a legal basis, he added.

According to the U.S. military, an unmanned U.S. military drone collided with a Russian fighter jet in international airspace over the Black Sea.

U.S. forces had to bring the drone down after the collision, the military said.

The Black Sea borders both Russia and Ukraine.

Moscow’s ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, called the incident a provocation, saying the crashed U.S. drone was operating thousands of kilometres away from home near the Russian border.

The drone was collecting data for the Ukrainian armed forces in order to carry out strikes against Russia, which is an “impermissible activity,” Antonov said.

The U.S. invoked international law that allowed the operation over neutral waters.

A new U.S. drone has already been deployed in place of the crashed one, Ihnat said in Kiev.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the southeast of Snake Island in the Black Sea, which belongs to Ukraine.

The U.S. had been monitoring and conducting reconnaissance there long before Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2023, he said.

Russia denied that there was any physical contact, claiming instead that the drone collided with the surface of the water after a sharp evasive manoeuvre. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=================
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Salif Atojoko

By Cecilia Ologunagba

 The Society of Foreign Consuls  (SOFC), New York, has honoured a Nigerian nurse, Dr Grace Ogiehor-Enoma, for her outstanding achievements and contributions to community empowerment of African immigrants in the U.S.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogiehor-Enoma was honoured at the 2023 International Women Day celebration hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York.

The event was part of the activities to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day and International Women’s Month in New York.

The event co-hosted with the Consulate General of Nigeria in New York, had 15 participating Consulates General. Fifteen  awardees from those Consulates were honoured.

The participating Consulates are Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, El Salvador, Guyana, India, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia and Turkey.

In his remarks, Consul General of India in New York, Amb. Randhir Jaiswal, spoke about the importance of celebrating the achievements of women.

According to him, the Consulate has celebrated the Women’s Day on March 8, noting that celebrating the Day in an international environment with representatives from people all over the world is “truly a special day”.

He said that women had been contributing greatly to the growth and development of India from art to culture, and from entertainment to aviation sector.

“All our folk traditions, all our songs, classic music and dances, performing art, have been passed from one generation to the other through women.

“India today is the 5th largest economy, very soon, it will be the 3rd largest economy in the world.

“So, if the country has to climb this ladder, she needs to bring more women to every sector of the economy,’’ he said.

Similarly, New York City’s Commissioner for International Affairs, Edward Mermelstein, urged countries to include more women in every sector of their economy.

“Let this event be a call for action to work for a more just and equitable world for women.

“Also, we must work together to have a world where women will be free from violence, a world to promote gender equality and women empowerment,’’ he said.

In her remarks, the President of SOFC in New York, Amb. Marita Landaveri, congratulated the awardees, saying that they were extra ordinary women representing former ministers, activists, teachers and people that had helped others.

“All of you in one way or the other have helped others. Your Consuls General have chosen you as women doing extra ordinary things in your communities.’’

Landaveri, who is the Consul General of Peru in New York, said that 15 ladies, representing their different countries and the world, had been chosen for 2023 International Women Day celebration awards.

“You have been chosen because you do special things. All of you here were honoured today by SOFC in New York because of your contribution and commitment throughout the many immigrant communities in the city,’’ she said.

NAN reports that Ogiehor-Enoma holds monthly health outreach in Nigeria House, conducting free health screening for Nigerians coming to the mission.

Ogiehor-Enoma, an associate Professor at Hunter-Believue School of Nursing, is a founder of the Nigerian Nurses Association of USA (NNAUSA) and is also a community health activist.

Founded in April 2002, NNAUSA is aimed at bringing Nigerian nurses for community health outreach, health education and to help eliminate health disparities amongst African immigrant communities.

It provides free health services including community outreach, health screening and referrals, cancer referrals, prescription drug programme,  family health counselling as well as an annual nutrition and clothing drive.

Under her leadership as Executive Director and now Chair, National Association of Nigerian in North America (NANNA), NNAUSA has expanded to several states in the United States and Canada, giving rise to the National Association in North America.  (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Pakistani authorities have busted a gang involved in the illegal transplant of kidneys to wealthy foreigners, a practice flourishing in the impoverished nation amid an economic crisis.

Police and health department rangers raided a hidden clinic in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad on Monday night arresting 10 people including doctors and nurses.

Hassan Akhtar, head of a team from the Punjab Human Organ and Transplant Authority, said three suspected donors and two recipients, one each from Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, were also arrested.

Akhtar who led the team said further raids were being conducted on Tuesday to arrest the remaining members of the network.

The network included several people who would go to villages and small towns in the central province of Punjab and convince people to sell kidneys to wealthy foreigners, mostly from Arab countries and some from Europe.

Wealthy foreign buyers pay up to 50,000 dollars for a kidney transplant, but the bulk of the money goes to middlemen and the donor hardly gets around 3,000 dollars, according to a nephrologist in Islamabad.

Pakistan enacted a law to control the illegal sale of body organs in 2010 that envisaged up to 10 years in jail and a fine for transplants other than at established hospitals.

However, the law has not been able to control the practice due to corruption, rising poverty and established criminal gangs working beyond the country’s borders, experts said. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

========================
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed/Salif Atojoko

The U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative has announced the close of $274 million in long-term financing for West Africa’s rapidly growing housing sector.

This is in partnership with Bank of America Securities, Inc, Brean Capital, LLC, The Bank of New York Mellon, Togo’s Caisse Régionale de Refinancement Hypothécaire (CRRH), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

This partnership, announced on Thursday, opens new opportunities for U.S. investment in Africa’s emerging markets and provides an avenue for West Africans to gain greater access to homeownership, a statement by Africa Regional Media Hub said.

MiDA Advisors served as the originator and lead transaction advisor on this landmark transaction.

This deal represents an innovative approach to mobilise transparent, market-oriented financing at scale and is expected to help about 6,000 households gain access to homeownership.

As part of Prosper Africa’s whole-of-government approach, USAID funded MiDA Advisors and CrossBoundary to provide advisory services that prepared CRRH for a global bond issuance, and DFC provided a credit guarantee, allowing investors to access an untapped market opportunity while meeting their risk profiles.

Through this transaction, for the first time, CRRH accessed cheaper, longer-term capital with a 17-year $217 million equivalent Eurobond that was issued via a U.S. trust alongside a local currency bond equivalent to $57 million for a total raise of $274 million from international and local institutional investors.

Cameron Khosrowshahi, Senior Investment Advisor with Prosper Africa, said: “Prosper Africa’s partnership with leading U.S. and African financial institutions signals increased U.S. investor interest in investing in African markets.

“This is to meet the enormous demand for affordable housing in West Africa.

“Our collaboration is a blended finance transaction that will catalyze investment at scale and create generational wealth through homeownership for thousands of people across West Africa.”

Also, Jim Polan, DFC Vice President for the Office of Development Credit, said: “DFC partners with the private sector to make impactful investments around the world, including in West Africa where affordable housing is a critical need.

“The agency is pleased to work with such a diverse group of investors, including colleagues from the U.S. Government on this important issue that will help provide affordable housing and bolster stability for thousands in the region.” (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Muhyideen Jimoh

Mr Masudur Rahman, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria has called for more comprehensive ways to boost the growing trade relations between Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Rahman made the call on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the trade volume between both countries currently stands at about $70 million dollars with prospects of solidifying and tapping into other areas of mutual interest.

“The bilateral trade between Nigeria and Bangladesh currently stands at a modest $70 million dollars, with Bangladesh only contributing $20 million as export to Nigeria.

“Previously the bilateral trade was even much insignificant but it is picking up,

“So we are working on all fronts to deepen the bilateral cooperation in the areas of education, technical training exchanges, pharmaceuticals, ICT, software, textile/garments, and so on,” he said.

The envoy said Bangladesh was willing to deepen trade with Nigeria in the Oil/gas sector and agricultural sector with products like cotton, soya beans, ginger, millet, etc.

He, however, stressed the need to smoothen all bottlenecks associated with international trade and banking, especially in Nigeria, so as to have more seamless trade and investment.

“There are a lot of challenges in deepening the trade and investment, particularly in the way the banking sector could work to enhance the trading.

“In order to improve international trade, it is important for both countries to smoothen the transactions which are used through Letters of Credit opening and other banking tools.

“We also need to work on the areas of smooth handling, of course, of the goods and products and services that are offered,” he said.

The high commissioner said Bangladesh was looking forward to engaging more with Nigeria in areas like textile/garments, pharmaceuticals, and software which Bangladesh exports to the tune of $1.4 billion dollars.

Rahman recalled that Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had in January led a 17-member delegation to Bangladesh to deepen bilateral cooperation between both countries.

He, therefore, advocated for more such engagements which were facilitated by the Nigeria-Bangladesh Business and Technology Forum.

He said the high commission would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen the cordial bilateral relations between both strategic countries. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Temitope Ponle

Wife of the Chinese embassador to Nigeria Mrs Liang Huili, says education plays a crucial role in the development of women and girls.

Liang said this in Abuja at a news conference on Development of Women Cause in China (citing the Chinese experience), held ahead of the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrated annually on March 8.

“Education plays a very important role. The girls are the future.

“We need to be more concerned about them. We need to give them a fair opportunity of education, and that is my suggestion,” she said.

Liang observed that if women and girls were educated, they could develop themselves, make their own decisions, and live independent lives.

She said the government of China gave both women and men equal rights to education through the formulation and implementation of the appropriate laws and regulations.

“The gender gap in the nine-year compulsory education period has been basically eliminated.

“In 2017, the net primary school enrollment rates for boys and girls were both 99.9 per cent.

“Gender equality in compulsory education has been basically achieved,” she noted.

She added that the number of women receiving vocational and continuing education witnessed a marked increase.

According to her, it is a thing of joy that the day is being celebrated globally, including in Nigeria and China.

She also said the achievements recorded through Nigeria-China bilateral cooperation in recent years could not have been possible without the full participation of women on both sides.

“In the past months, I have met with several female staff and workers from both China and Nigeria, during commissioning ceremonies of some large-scale cooperative projects,” she said.

Liang, therefore, expressed pleasure in seeing that the Chinese mission in Nigeria had, in recent years, made conscious efforts to improve the well-being of women, girls, and other vulnerable groups in the West African country.

She said such efforts included providing support to civil organisations or foundations, adding: “This is a good thing, which will continue.”

Speaking further, she said the Beijing Conference of 1995 on women, organised by the United Nations, has frequently been cited and mentioned on different occasions because ”it is regarded as a significant turning point for the global agenda of gender equality.”

She also said the harmony-symphony initiative was forming a new framework for bilateral exchanges of women from both countries.

“I have a strong feeling that harmony is indeed a common value pursued and cherished by both societies in Nigeria and China, which performs a natural bond for the furtherance of our bilateral cooperation.

“Last year, with joint work, my husband, the Chinese Ambassador, put forward the Initiative of Sharing Chinese Harmony and Performing Nigeria-China Symphony.

“It is my view that this initiative, which is rooted from social characteristics of the both societies in Nigeria and China, will give a strong boost to the cultural and people-to-people communications.

“The initiative will also strengthen the exchanges of women from the two countries,” she added.

Liang also said with the just concluded elections, Nigeria and China were about to “turn into a new page of national development”.

“With a deeper participation of women from both countries, our bilateral cooperation would definitely make more achievements and bring more benefits to the two peoples.”

The 2023 theme for the international women’s Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, which highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Lizzy Okoji

The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria in collaboration with Peramare Medical Services Limited have donated 1,000 free cervical screening tests for women using the innovative Illumigyn Gynescope device.

Ms Deinma Sekibo, Managing Director, Peramare Medical made this known during an event to commemorate the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) in Abuja.

NAN reports that the IWD is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

Sekibo said that providing free cervical screening testing for women was in line with the goals of Peramare-Illumigyn Africa initiative to eradicate cervical cancer in Africa.

She said that the initiative seeks to achieve this by screening two million women in Africa annually by supplying the Illumygyn Gynescope free of charge to health care facilities across the continent, as well as subsidizing the cost of the test.

“This is a collaboration between Peramare Medical and the Illumigyn company which is an Israeli-based femtech company. So it is feminine technology hoping to address issues that affect women.

“So, our plan is to increase access to screening that is in line with what we have done today by donating 1,000 Free cervical cancer screening tests using the Illumigyn gynescope.

“What the Illumigyn gynescope. does is it allows you to visualise the cervix identify suspicious lesions and helps in diagnosis of cervical cancer with a quicker turn around time

“It is not just for that (cervical cancer screening) we can use it for other gynaecological examinations irregardless of what you want to see.

“For the 1,000 free tests, women are to report to Planned Parenthood and they will link them to St. Catharines and the testing will be done free of charge.

“Our goal is to test two million women annually in the whole of Africa. And our goal is to actively work to eradicate cervical cancer

“The thing about cervical cancer is that it is treatable, so long as you detect it on time. So really, what we want is to raise awareness of the importance of testing, which is go to your gynaecologist request a test and check your cervix just to make sure that nothing is going on.

“Usually every three years, as long as you’re sexually active.

“We are at the point of creating awareness, reaching out to stakeholders, and looking for partners really, in this project.

We are partnering with a number of clinics and St Catherines is one of them. So we are signing clinics on, we are signing on organisations.

“We already have a bit of a partnership with Planned Parenthood at this point in time, and we hope to partner with more organisations going forward especially NGOs,” Sekibo said.

Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria, Inbar Garden said that the Embassy is promoting the project knowing the importance of a woman’s health care.

Garden said that as the world continues to call for actions to accelerating gender parity, making standard, accessible and affordable healthcare for women across the African continent should not be underestimated.

“Like I said in my speech, I think a woman’s survival is something that is very important. One of the things that need to be improved is women’s health.

“And this is why we choose to promote this project because I think it is very important. And if we put effort into health care, we can only go higher from there,” Garden said.

Also speaking, Dr John Okoye, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with St Catherine’s Clinic, said that the innovative Illumigyn machine will advance testing, and accurate diagnosis of cervical cancer in women.

Okoye said that that novel technology with high resolution images and magnification of the cervix also allows the patient see what whatever is going on inside the cervix alongside the doctor.

“It is an equipment that is useful for the screening and diagnosis of cervical screening and can be used for other things as long as the challenge is within the vagina and the cervix.

“I want to thank Peramare for launching this, it was delivered to use free of charge, and it is going to be a life-changing equipment for a lot of women.

“And I equally want to encourage every woman who is up to twenty-one years old, sexually active really need to have her cervix screened.” Okoye said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports present at the event were Female and some male Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Members of the Diplomatic Community. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited bySadiya Hamza