The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja.

By Taiye Agbaje

The presidency has called on Nigerians to embrace subsistence farming to address the challenge of rising cost of food.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, made the call at a meeting with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja.

A statement on the meeting was made available to newsmen by ACOE’s Chairman, Mr Martins Odiete, on Saturday in Abuja

“In 1976, former President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ promoting farming.

“In 1984, when former President Muhammadu Buhari came in, there were shortages of rice, milk, and sugar, and the government had to open warehouses to make these items available to people.

“This is not the first time we are going through this kind of crisis.

“The government is investing in agriculture to make things available and affordable, and as individuals, we also have a role to play,” he said.

Onanuga acknowledged that, things were not working as President Bola Tinubu’ wanted.

He, however assured that in the next twelve months, Nigerians will begin to see the results of the government’s efforts for the country’s benefit.

“Though people complain about hardship, I told the BBC that cost of living crises exist globally.

“Maybe what is happening in the world is a cycle, and countries will have to go through certain difficulties.

“We are going through it, but this government is making serious efforts to reduce the hardships faced by our people,” he said.

Onanuga assured the association of robust relationship towards dissemination of news in line with global best practices.

Earlier, Odiete emphasised the importance of partnership with the presidential media team, at a time Nigerians are eager for essential information from their government.

“In an age where information flows ceaselessly across digital platforms, this partnership is pivotal for ensuring accurate, responsible and effective dissemination of news and information.

“By working together, we can ensure that the information reaching the public serves the greater good of society,” he said.

Odiete, who thanked Onanuga for the meeting,  noted that members of the association were thoroughly screened to avoid admitting the wrong persons.”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Okon Okon

Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), says Nigeria has the best civil service in the world.

Yemi-Esan stated this on Saturday in Abuja during a sporting event organised for workers as part of activities to mark the 2024 Civil Service Week.

According to her, Nigerian civil servants are hard working, intelligent, adding that, “they can look after their own health for greater productivity in the course of discharging their duties.

“You know I am always proud of civil and public servants because Nigeria has the best civil service in the world and I can say that confidently anywhere”.

She expressed satisfaction with high turnout of the civil servants from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies at the events.

“I recall three or four years ago, we only used to have a handful of civil servants and today, the numbers that are here have increased tremendously.

“Thank you for a very good turnout today, you know this sporting activities, you don’t have to take it for granted because if we are not healthy, we can’t give the country the best that we have.

“And please this exercise is very important for us to be productive and to give our very best, our body system must be healthy enough.

“Apart from today’s sporting exercise, always ensure to visit our wellness centre to exercise yourself. I am sure a lot of civil servants don’t even know where the centre is. Some people are taking advantage of the centre, some are not,” she said.

Yemi-Esan said the government invested a lot of resources at the wellness centre towards ensuring healthy civil servants with sound mind to offer their best.

Also speaking, Minister of Sport Development, Mr John Enoh, lauded Yemi-Esan for sustaing the initiative since assuming office, especially during the annual Civil Service Week.

According to Enoh, the required results are always achievable with the an active administrator put in place whether elective or appointive office, adding that the HoS has made a remarkable legacy in the sector.

“When you have an active administrator in an office, whether the officer is elected, appointed, you would see the required results.

“In the course of my journey here this morning , I was just reflecting and I imagined the great initiative that started these programmes on physical fitness, the programme on exercises for the public servants.

“And I think that the head of service has done a great job for everyone who is here, and I will like to commend her for such initiative.

“And I thank the Head of Service for succeeding this tradition looking at the kind of excitement that I find, it appears that there are some of you that wish that this took place everyday just to keep you physically fit,”  Enoh said.

The initiative, she said, was an added advantage to keep civil servants alert mentally for productivity, stressing that, “its sustainability is very necessary and vital”.

Earlier, Dr Deborah Bako, Permanent Secretary, Service Policy and Strategies Office (SPSO) office of HOCSF, said the inclusion of sport activities as part of events to mark civil service week was imperative to acquire mental ability.

Also, Mr Aliyu Tajudeen, Sport Manager, Ministry of Education, said that involving civil servants in sporting activities was highly recommended to promote productivity.

Highlights of the include athletics like running, football, aerobatics, cycling among others. (NAN) (www.nanews.ng)

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Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Rabiu Sani-Ali

By Taiye Olayemi

Lara Kudayisi, a relationship expert and therapist, has advised individuals undergoing any form of trauma to speak up and seek help.

Kudayisi, Founder of Lara Kudayisi International, gave the advice at a news conference ahead of the maiden edition of “Finding Love After Trauma Fiesta” (FLAT), on Friday in Lagos.

According to her, keeping quiet while going through trauma can be risky.

She said to encourage the culture of speaking up promptly, ‘Finding Love After Trauma Fiesta’ would be hosted to help traumatised individuals in the society to recover.

Kudayisi said the programme was targeted at singles, married and divorced individuals who are trying to recover from one form of trauma or the other.

She said the programme slated to hold on June 29, at Muson Centre in Lagos, would be an avenue to address sensitive issues, particularly marital and relationship trauma.

According to her, certified relationship therapists will be engaged during the fiesta to offer professional help.

She said that the fiesta would feature panel sessions where individuals who had healed from traumatised relationships share their experiences for others to learn and recover as well.

She said that the programme would also provide an avenue for people to understand the essence of maintaining sound mental health in relationships.

“FLAT is meant to bring traumatised individuals to their safe spaces. We are looking at the singles, married and the divorced for this maiden edition.

“From this programme, people will get to learn effective communication techniques to enhance their connections with others.

“People will also learn strategies for navigating challenges and conflicts in a healthy and constructive way as well as gain inspiration from real-life success stories.

“We will have Omowunmi Akinnifesi; Sandra Eze; Morayo and Femi Afolabi-Brown; Chiamaka Obuekwe; Oladotun Ojuolape and many others speak on the panel.

“This is going to be a celebration of love, learning and connection for all; we want to debunk the narrative that being single means going into prostitution, ” she said.

Speaking on the entertainment segment of the fiesta, Teddy Don-Momoh, co-founder of Lara Kudayisi International, said the programme would not only feature healing and therapy sessions.

Don-Momoh said there would also be comedy session, musical performances, dance session, games and networking session. (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The Africa Business Ventures and Investment Group says it will assist Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and others access funding to address climate change and infrastructure deficit in Africa.
The Chairman of the Board, Mr Moses Owharo, made this known at the inaugural Washington DC edition of the African Infrastructure, Climate Change and Investment Summit (AICIS) and Exhibition held via zoom, on Friday.
The Summit with the theme “Fastening Collaboration with United States of America in Fostering Climate Resilient, Economic and Infrastructure, and Industrialisation in Africa” was organised by the Group.
Those in collaboration with the Group include Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), and the private sector.
Owharo, who is also a Harvard Business School Alumni, said the forum usually organised international conferences and Summit where policy makers, government and private sectors come together to look at challenging issues.
“We have had programmes in Ghana, Russia and other countries.
“This one holding is in the Washington DC, USA and due to some challenges; we are doing it in both Nigeria and U.S. via zoom.
“The objective is to set up a fund for Africa. That fund will assist organisations and even governments across Africa. This is because government cannot do it alone.
“Where there are gaps, we want to close the gaps. So we will set up those funds that practitioners, NGOs, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs), local governments and countries in Africa will participate.
“We will not do it alone, we will work with UN, American Government, Nigerian Government and other countries in Africa.
“This is to ensure that our deprived NGOs, CSOs SMEs and citizens of African can have resources that can be used to be actively involved in climate change actions and area of economy development,” Owharo said.
On the area of Mining, he said that a lot of small scales Miners in Africa did not have capital to involve in active mining.
According to him, lack of capital usually push them into illegal mining that lead to collapse of mining site and death of Miners
He stressed that mining was a good venture but they needed training, capacity building and initial seed funding.
“There is need to open a portal or data base for them.
“That is one of the things that we are doing, especially with SMEs that are into commodity.
“We want to help them package and showcase their commodity to the international community which will increase their revenue.
“We also want to help them source for funding from funding agencies across the world,” he said.
Owharo further explained that the group also had partners in health infrastructure that would want to donate medical equipment to institutions that could deliver quality health care services to their community.
He also said that the group was in collaboration with Ministries of Trade and Investment, Foreign Affairs, Environment and SGF, Climate Change Council and many others.
Owharo added that the group would expand and solidify its relationships with both international and local partners.
Meanwhile, Prof. Chris Schrage from the University of Northern Iowa, said that Africa needed to address the issue of mismanagement.
Schrage, who said that some African countries have unique transportation and educational system, added that climate change campaign should start from the schools.
She said that this was necessary to enable the young one get educated on dangers of climate change and how to address it.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the Summit, Dr Brima Deen and other experts on infrastructure, climate change and business investments from Washington DC and Abuja in Nigeria made impactful presentations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Christian Njoku
Mr Adekambi Adeyinka, a Masters student at the University of Calabar, has captured stunning footages of the world’s rarest great ape, the Cross River gorillas, in the Afi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Adeyinka of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife, disclosed this in Calabar while reacting to the need to protect the rare apes on the list of endangered species due to human activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the extraordinary sightings marked the first successful photos since three graduate students at UniCal began studying this elusive subspecies in 2023.

NAN reports that the study was part of the Cross River Gorilla initiative.

The Cross River Gorilla, known as Gorilla gorilla diehli, is a critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla.

It was named a new species in 1904 by Paul Matschie, a mammalian taxonomist working at the Humboldt University Zoological Museum in Berlin, but its populations were not systematically surveyed until 1987.[3][4]

It is the most western and northern form of gorilla, and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of Cross River.

Estimates from 2014 suggest that fewer than 250 mature Cross River gorillas remain, making them the world’s rarest great ape.

Adeyinka said that the sighting was more than just a visual success and underscored the importance of community involvement and innovative research in conservation.

“By working closely with local communities, we are not only gathering crucial data but also fostering a deeper understanding and commitment to protect these incredible great apes and their habitat,” he said.

Dr Joseph Onoja, Director General, Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) expressed hope that the initiative would contribute to the realisation of their strategic pillar of saving species in peril.

Onoja said the University of Calabar in 2022 commenced a five Year Community Conservation Graduate Student Scholarship Programme for the Conservation of Cross River Gorilla.

He said the initiative was funded by the Wilder Institute – Calgary Zoo and implemented by NCF in partnership with the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR), Ghana.

“The programme which involves supporting graduate research projects in Nigeria, including scholarships for one Ph.D. student and four master’s students in UniCal for five years.

“This collaborative initiative extends beyond borders to allow an exchange programme for knowledge sharing that creates successful community conservation initiatives,” he said.

Mr Emmanuel Owan, the Head of NCF Calabar office, disclosed that the foundation was putting in place measures to ensure that the gorillas are put in their natural habitat for their safety and continued existence.

Prof. Francis Bisong, Secretary, Cross River Gorilla Conservation Project Committee, said Adeyinka’s result was promising as it demonstrated the power of collaboration to save the severely endangered Cross River gorillas.

Bisong said the capture of two silverback gorillas on trial cameras in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary emphasised the need for innovative technology, collaborative and community engagement to safeguard the species and its environment.

“These findings highlight the sanctuary’s vital role in gorilla protection and the need for more research and collaboration to conserve Cross River gorillas and the region’s rich biodiversity.

“I urge the scientific community, conservation organisations, and stakeholders at all levels to support and extend this essential effort to protect one of the world’s rarest and most fragile species,” he said.

Dr Mary Liao, Conservation Manager, Wilder Institute, said the images captured by the camera traps were an incredible glimpse into the life of the elusive and magnificent creatures. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
CBN/DE/IS
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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Ismail Abdulaziz

By Adeyemi Adeleye

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Tabitha-Abimbola Foundation, says providing hope to indigent and disadvantaged Nigerians should not be a task for  government alone.

The Founder, Mrs Abimbola Agbebiyi,  noted that many citizens across various communities were in search of hope, which could be provided by well-meaning Nigerians ,both at home and abroad.

She said that her foundation was created out of  the need to support those in need.

According to her, the foundation   started out officially on June 25, 2023 ,and will commemorate its first anniversary  on July 10.

The NGO would be re-launched and an office unveiled on the  the  anniversary , with the theme: “Inspiring hope, Transforming lives”,  she said in a statement on Thursday.

Agbebiyi said that the foundation had the vision to combat the scourge of poverty that had continued to limit the potential of women (widows, single mothers).owing to lack of access to resources.

She said that the re-launch and the unveiling of office in Ikeja ,Lagos, would  give the foundation a platform to share its vision, introduce initiatives and provide opportunities for collaboration and engagements.

“Our desire is to bring these women out of devastating situations through our various economic empowerment initiatives.

“Our mission is to create a world where these persons ,regardless of their background or circumstances ,can have access to essential resources and support.

“We look for a world where women can make significant contributions in the home and in the society at large.

“Driven by this passion, we are not just committed to upholding the principles of charity and social justice in our work, but also strive to make these positive impacts by  promoting education and healthcare access in underserved communities.

“One family at a time, until our impact is felt across Nigeria and beyond its shores,” Agbebiyi said.

The founder said that the foundation was  dedicated to helping the poor with special focus on indigent women and less privileged children in the society.

She added: “With determination as our driving force, we embarked on a journey of transformation.

“As a steadfast advocate for change, we have partnered with corporate organisations and individuals to rewrite the story of the marginalised, nurturing a future built on sustainable development.”

Speaking  further on the birth of the organisation , Agbebiyi said that the foundation started with project L.E.A.R.N- (A Street to School Initiative).

“What began as a passion to provide support for indigent women in local communities is slowly evolving into a multi-faceted empowerment and endowment initiative which has continued to expand.

“At  inception, the foundation embarked on a mission to empower indigent women with the resources they need to reach their full potential.

“But it is taking a step further by delving into uplifting children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds by offering them not only free education, but also providing them with educational materials to aid learning.”she said

According to her, with reports of school age children roaming the streets increasing at an alarming rate , the foundation decided to join hands with  government to bring down the scary number.

“We are full aware of the various factors responsible for this; from insecurity to poverty, ignorance, gender inequality, religious and cultural influences among others.

“Our goal is to give  the needed educational support to out-of-school children and disadvantaged young people.

“Every child deserves education in a clean and safe environment. This is our unwavering commitment to their educational journey.

“In the last 12 months, The TABITHA-ABIMBOLA Foundation has written an inspiring story of impact. Spurred by the testimonies of transformation of lives and guided by our unwavering dedication to humanity.

“We have touched the lives of women and children, wiping away their tears and putting smiles on their faces,” she said.

Agbebiyi said that with “Project Feed” ,the foundation had fed many families through the distribution of food items with the recent one tagged “iléyá food pack”

She said that it was carried out in collaboration with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-West), Miss Moremi Ojudu. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maureen Ojinaka/Buhari Bolaji

By Esenvosa Izah

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it is preparing a platform for ensuring an opportunity for government to interact with organised businesses for rewarding economic reforms.

NECA Director-General Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos,

According to him, the organisation will hold  Employers’ Summit, expected to drive conversations surrounding the private sector and economic development.

He said that the third edition “is apt as it is coming at a time of new reforms.

“The summit is not basically to interrogate those reforms, but to deepen or share the nexus between the reforms and private sector.

“Also, it is on how government can actually leverage the agility of the private sector to navigate through these reforms and achieve the desired outcomes.

“This is a fundamental summit, which time has come to play a major role in the context of the growth of the private sector, economy, and competitiveness of businesses”.

Also, the Chairman of the Summit, Mr Olumuyiwa Adebayo, said that some of the goals of the summit would include fostering dialogue.

“In supporting government, it means we need to support them in policies, call it to order when we need to do so and this is always through advocacy.

“We believe that sharing innovative practices is key between the private sector and government officials.

“This is because whatever policy we have is only going to be implemented by the private sector as the case may be because it is the engine room for any economy around the world,” he observed.

In her remarks, the Co-Chairman, Mrs Victoria Uwadoka, said that there must be effective communication and collaboration between the government and private sector for development.

“We want to work together to develop strategies that will really drive economic growth.

“Through this summit, we need to reinforce our role as private sector as the engine of national development.

“We believe that the outcome from this engagement as we have done in other years will be driven through the government, but we will continue the conversation.

“Thi is the beginning of a dialogue; this is what the summit is,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2024 Nigeria Employers’ Summit would be held between June 25 and June  26 in Abuja.

The theme of the summit is, “Economic Renaissance: Harnessing Government Reforms and Private Sector Agility “.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kayode Olaitan

By Okon Okon

Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), says that there were plans to launch e-learning platform, to fasttrack training of more civil servants for quality service delivery.
Yemi-Esan made the disclosure at a public lecture on Thursday in Abuja, as part of activities to commemorate the 2024 Civil Service Week.
According to her, this unprecedented resource will ensure that we are able, significantly, to increase the number of civil servants, who can undertake induction and Structured Mandatory Assessment- Based Programme (SMAT-P) module.
She also said that civil servants could also undertake other specialist trainings at the same time.
“The objective of the e-learning platform is to train many more civil servants at the same time. We have modules that would ensure that civil servants are well trained,” she explained.
According to her, the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) initiative also contains modules that can enable civil servants train themselves, to gain more knowledge on the new Performance Management System (PMS), while preparing for any promotion examination.
The HOS said the government was fully prepared to reposition the nation’s civil service to global standards, adding that it could only be achieved through training and retraining of officers.
“This entails equipping of the next generation with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate and thrive in an increasingly complex world of work.
“In this light, the Nigerian Civil Service, in collaboration with its partners, and stakeholders and the most prominent is the AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation, has invested massively in the training, retraining of the workforce,” she said.
Yemi-Esan also said the Federal Government would identify mentors among the civil servants, and strategically deploy 500 civil servants to various sectors of the service.
According to her, this is to make them the future leaders, service wise by the end of 2025.
“Previously, the absence of structured and targeted training programmes for civil servants in the Nigerian civil service was a major challenge.
“Training across the MDAs was carried out without considering the actual competencies lacking in the service,” she said.
She emphasised the need for continuous self development by the public officers, as Nigeria was focusing on the reposition of the sector.
Also, Prof. Peter Okebukola, the Guest Speaker, who described the present crop of civil servants as “the best in the African continent”, commended Yemi-Esan for her efforts.
Okebukola spoke on the topic, “Education Fit For The 21st Century: Preparing Nigerian Public Servants to Address Global Challenges While Fostering Employee Engagement, Retention and Satisfaction”.
According to him, if Nigeria fails to plan well 25 years from now (2050), It might not meet with the required global standard in terms of quality service delivery on expected mandates.
“So this lecture is about painting the scenarios of the future of Nigerian civil service by 2050, ” he said.
Okebukola advised the government to engage the civil servants in ICT training, so as to fill the gaps in service delivery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the week is, “Educate an African Fit For The 21st Century: Building resilient systems for Increased Access To Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi/Ifeyinwa Omowole

By Angela Atabo /Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and an NGO, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE), have decried the surge of hate speech in Nigeria.

The two organisations, at a two-day Training the Trainers on Combating Hate Speech Online and Offline, called on youths to synergise and galvanise efforts to address the menace.

The event, jointly organised by the two organisations in Abuja, brought together no fewer than  20 young participants from across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that the training with the theme  ‘Together for Peace: Combatting Hate Speech Online and Offline Was  supported by the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) coordinated by LEAP Africa.

Speaking at the event, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director General of IPCR  stressed the need  for  youths empowerment and positive deployment of technology to shape the narrative of hate speech in Nigeria.

He said such would  address bigotry, disunity and create the culture of peace and foster unity in the country.

Ochogwu  said that the training could not have come at a better time  as Nigeria continued to battle misinformation and hate speech  impacting negatively on peace, security and stability of the nation.

Mr Rafiu Lawal, Executive Director of BBFORPEACE, in a welcome address highlighted the importance of steming the tide of hate speech in Nigeria.

“Hate speech, harmful narratives including rumour, disinformation, fake news and ethnic phobia have had significant and far-reaching effects on many societies and Nigeria is no exception.

“The  proliferation of hate speech and harmful narratives now poses a critical threat to Nigeria’s social fabric, intergroup relationships, and overall unity, peace, stability and development of the nation.

“Our four peacebuilding institutions are actively working in partnership towards mitigating the dreaded phenomenon of hate speech and information disorder across all spectrums of our society.

“This is to foster sustainable peace, stability and socio-economic development,” he said.

While charging all stakeholders to work together to address the hate speech menace, Lawal disclosed that participants at the training would be supported technically and financially to implement small scale initiatives in all the Area Councils in Abuja.

Mr Kamaldeen Afolabi of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) Grants and MERL Specialist, underscored the need to continue to build youth capacity.

He noted that, doing so, would  provide  opportunities for youths in order to facilitate good governance for peacebuilding.

NAN reports that the training engaged young people on various topics, including,  management and peace building, social media as a tool for advocacy, dialogue, and political participation.

Other topics are: Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act 2024, Transforming Narratives through Storytelling among others. (NAN

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi