The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration is open to partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on teachers’ training.
Wike stated this when the Chief Representative of JICA in Nigeria, Mr Yuzurio Susumu, visited him in Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister particularly said that he would be interested in training the teachers on science and mathematics.
He described JICA as one of the international organisations that fulfils its promises.
“So, the FCT Administration is willing to cooperate with you more. We would like to achieve more for our people.
“We will continue to partner with you in training our teachers in areas that we believe we require most. We hope you can continue to train our teachers in science and mathematics,” he said.
The minister said that he was aware of the activities of JICA while he was the Minister of Education.
According to him, the efforts to improve access to quality of education are commendable.
He also commended JICA for the plan to train mothers on good nutrition practices, to ensure children have access to nutritious foods that would aid their health and nutrition wellbeing.
“Your activities in agriculture, which particularly deals with nutrition, are highly commended.
“We believe we can still sustain our relationship by making sure that we put in more effort to see that all the activities lined up are completed within the agreed time frame.
“We, on our part, will do all we can to see that we fulfil our own obligations too in matching your own support,” the minister said.
Earlier, Susumu reiterated the agency’s commitment to capacity building for FCT staff and promising young individuals.
He emphasised JICA’s longstanding collaboration with the government in sustainable economic development and its integral role in the development of the Abuja urban master plan. (NAN)
Yiaga Africa, an NGO, says its national debate competition will provide a unique platform for students across universities in Nigeria to articulate their vision for the nation of their dreams.
Mrs Antonia Onda, Senior Programme Officer, Yiaga Africa, made this known at the South West Zonal Debate titled: ‘My Nigeria – Our Nigeria’ held in Lagos on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Yiaga Africa invited students from accredited Nigerian universities to register to participate in the debate competition in February.
According to Onda, ‘My Nigeria – Our Nigeria’ debate competition is a Yiaga Africa initiative with support from the Open Society Foundations and in partnership with the National Universities Commission and All Nigerian University Debating Championship.
Onda explained it was organised to encourage participants to engage in insightful debates on crucial topics relating to citizenship, national values, governance, and politics to harness citizens’ inputs into governance and nation-building.
According to her, it is also a tool for promoting critical thinking, advocacy and vision amongst students of tertiary institutions.
She said: “We saw the involvement of young people at the last general elections and we can see their enthusiasm so we discovered that they need an opportunity and a platform.
“Also, they need to be encouraged every time. Therefore, the debate is an opportunity for universities across the country to come together, express themselves and have honest conversations on national issues.”
Onda further explained that the initiative was a platform for students to contribute actively to the discourse on the future of Nigeria.
She noted that the debate symbolised the essence of critical engagement and visionary leadership.
“This is to see how youths will be included and carried along and also encourage young people to participate in governance processes.
“Also, this debate gives them the platform to have a discuss on the issue that bothers them with regards to governance while prizes will be awarded to winners.
“The competition will embrace the opportunity to be a part of this transformative journey and join in shaping the future narrative of Nigeria,” Onda said.
The Yiaga Africa official disclosed that the debates were held at each of the six geo-political zones, and that winners at the zonal round would be invited to the grand finale in Abuja in May.
According to her, the final round of the debate will be broadcast live on TV and social media platforms.
One of the participants, Ifeoluwa Odeyemi, a 400 level student of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University said Nigeria was at a stage to make certain decisions that had to do with restructuring and procedures, to produce desirable results.
“Nigeria is at a stage where we have to make certain decisions that has to do with restructuring and procedures to produce the results we desire.
“This kind of platform provides more resources for the government to have something to rely on whereby citizens can actually speak where it matters.
“For as long as we continue to discuss issues that border on Nigeria on a more concentrated platform like this, l believe there are positive steps to the future that we want for our country.”
Another participant, Miss Halimat Ariyo, a final year Cell Biology and Genetics student at the University of Lagos, said the competition was an avenue for youths to have an engaging conversation that they would not necessarily have outside their daily life.
Ariyo said the competition was insightful because in most instances, youths shied away from engagements relating to nation building.
According to her, this debate is an avenue to bring youths together to make them have hard conversations that go beyond sentiments, favouritism, ethnicity or tribe.
“It allows us to make hard conversations in a friendly environment because in a debate environment, you cannot necessarily attack the speaker but you can proffer solutions to cases before you.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has approved emergency work on Dogon Gida box culvert which is on the verge of collapse.
Mr Felix Abuah, the Coordinator Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
NAN reports that the FCT Emergency Management Department had on April 7, barricaded the box culvert, to avert loss of lives.
The culvert was on the access road that linked over 3,000 residents of Lokogoma village, popularly known as Dogon Gida community to Ring Road II.
Also, the community members lose their loved ones to flooding while trying to cross the culvert during the rainy season, due to the low elevation of the culvert.
Abuah explained that the minister’s approval was in response to the call to renew the hope of the affected commuters in line with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
“I assure you, work will soon commence in that particular area,” he said.
Side view of the cracked Dogon Gida culvert
NAN further reports that Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FEMD, who barricaded the culvert, described its condition as a disaster waiting to happen.
She described the culvert as one of the vulnerable locations in the FCT, particularly to flooding during the rainy season.
Similarly, the Ward Head of Lokogoma Village, Mr Irimiya Kanpani, had appealed to the Federal Government, the FCT Minister and the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council to come to their aid.
Kanpani explained that the culvert was constructed in 2016 through community efforts, adding that every year, the community members mobilised resources to maintain the culvert until it finally gave way.
According to him, there is no year that a community member does not lose a brother, a friend, a father, a mother, or a sister to flooding, while trying to cross the culvert during the rainy season. (NAN)
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration, has handed over to the police, a staff of Parks and Recreation Department for allegedly cutting down trees illegally within the capital city.
The Coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Obuah said that the staff, simply identified as Abubakar, was caught in the act.
He said that the incident happened on Sunday when he was going round the city.
“We were going round to see exactly what was happening in the city when we caught Abubakar who incidentally happens to be one of our staff at Parks and Recreation Department.
“He was caught cutting down trees that beautify the city and are important for mitigating the impact of climate change, among other valuable functions,” he said.
He said that the staff had cut down many of the fully-grown trees before he was caught.
The coordinator said that a staff of the department illegally cutting down trees planted by the department years ago was abhorrable.
“We have handed him over to the police for prosecution.
“This will serve as a deterrent to all the people who would want to sabotage the efforts of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu in giving Nigerians a befitting capital city.
“We will maintain the beauty of the city,” he said. (NAN)
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration, has declared war on vandals of manhole covers and streetlights in the territory.
The Coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, made this known in Abuja, while reacting to the unabated vandalism of manhole covers and gully inlet by hoodlums.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) introduced the use of materials with `no resale value’ in the production of manhole covers.
The move, according to the authority’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Richard Nduul, is to discourage criminal elements from stealing and selling them as scrap.
However, in spite of the efforts, vandals continued the heinous act, even when the covers do not have resale value.
The situation is disturbing that even the newly installed manhole covers of the B6 and B12 roads under construction on Independence Avenue in Central Area, Abuja, were being vandalised.
But Ubuah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, that AMMC had concluded plans to take the war to their doorstep to curb the trend.
He said “we want to let the vandals know that we are taking the war to their doorsteps.
“You can see the good roads that are being constructed by FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, unfortunately, most of the manhole covers were being carted away.
“Most of the streetlights have been vandalised. We are no longer going to take it lightly with them.”
He disclosed that a taskforce would be established to further strengthen the clampdown on the manhole cover and streetlight vandals.
He expressed optimism that the law would soon catch up with the vandals, their sponsors and those patronising them.
“I addressed the executives of Apo spare parts dealers, and I told them that they are part of the people fuelling criminal activities in the FCT.
“This is because, if the criminals stole the manhole covers and other electrical equipment and could not get buyers, they would not continue with such acts.
“I told them categorically that they are the major sponsors and financiers of the vandals and that if they can partner with government, most of these things will be a thing of the past.”
The coordinator urged residents to report any suspicious movement around manhole covers to the government. (NAN)
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration, says it will relocate Apo Mechanic Village and artisans loitering in the area to give way for road construction.
The coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, disclosed this during a meeting with the Apo Mechanic Village and Auto Spare Parts Dealers Association in Abuja.
Ubuah pointed out that the FCTA was constructing a road along the Apo mechanic village, adding however, that the road has been occupied by spare parts dealers and artisans.
He said that the relocation became necessary because a contract for the road construction had been awarded and work would begin in earnest.
He said that he had visited the area specifically to check the streets, the roads, and the artisans, and see how they could be taken off the streets and relocated.
“So, we went there to see for ourselves and see what we can do to relocate the occupants of the mechanic village and artisans who have taken over large portions of the roads.
“From there we went to Wasa to see the possibility of relocating the artisans out of the area to give the city its desired beauty,” he said.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Michael Ndubisi, said that the visit by the association was to pledge solidarity with the coordinator and extend a hand of partnership.
Ndubisi, who is also the Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Motor Mechanics and Technicians of Nigeria, promised to partner the council for the development of Abuja city. (NAN)
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to strengthen the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the territory.
Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, made the call during a meeting with stakeholders and representatives of law enforcement agencies on Saturday in Abuja.
Benjamins-Laniyi stressed the need for strong collaboration among stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to win the war against GBV.
The mandate secretary also called for stringent punishment for convicted sexual offenders to serve as a deterrent to other offenders.
“We need to work together as government agencies, law enforcement agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Community-Based Organisations and other Non-Governmental Organisations and religious groups to curb GBV in our communities.
“I urge all of you to contribute your expertise and professionalism in combating GBV in the FCT.
“FCTA is open for collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders and government agencies so that we will all be on the same page.
“This is very crucial to winning the war against GBV in FCT,” she said.
Also, the Disability Desk Officer in the secretariat, Beatrice Mube, also stressed the need to intensify the protection of persons with disabilities due to their increased vulnerability to GBV.
Mube also made a case for interpreters and sign language for the deaf and dumb to enable them to report abuse incidents to relevant authorities.
“There is also a very urgent need for ramps in public places to enable persons with disabilities access such buildings and facilities,” she said.
On her part, a Chief Superintendent of Police, Funmilayo Kolawole, said the Nigeria Police was doing the best it can to prosecute GBV offenders.
Kolawole also agreed with the mandate secretary that sex offenders deserve a higher prison sentence.
“We are ready to work, but require support from relevant stakeholders, particularly funding to boost the campaign against GBV,” the police officer said. (NAN)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has commended contractors handling different projects in Abuja for keeping to their promises to deliver the projects before May 29.
Wike gave the commendation after inspecting some of the ongoing projects across the capital territory on Saturday.
The minister recalled that he had promised the residents of Abuja that President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate a lot of projects to celebrate his one year in office.
“I am fully satisfied. This is a promise made and a promise kept.
“We went to the Southern Parkway, from Christian Centre to Ring Road I, being executed by Setraco. The project is almost 98 per cent completed.
“We have been to the Outer Southern Expressway from Villa Roundabout to Ring Road I, being executed CGC.
“You can agree with me that it is just the beauty. The landscape is wonderful, and the project is also 98 per cent completed.
“We went to the Vice President’s residence being executed by Julius Berger and the company has assured us that all the furniture and other facilities are ready, and that they are doing finishing touches,” he said.
From the VP residence, the minister inspected the B6 and B12 road on Independence Avenue, also being executed by Julius Berger and the company officials assured the minister that it would be ready for inauguration in May.
He equally inspected the N-20 Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway in Jahi District, being executed by Gilmor.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the project, which he said was almost 99 per cent ready.
He equally expressed confidence that the overhead bridge projects at Wuye and the road projects at Guzape would also be ready for commissioning.
“I want to thank all the companies for keeping to their words. They promised us that all these projects will be commissioned by May.
“I am very impressed. This is money spent well. The renewed hope agenda is alive,” the minister said.
He attributed the successes being recorded in less than a year to the full support of President Bola Tinubu.
He added, “We are doing all we can to complement Tinubu’s efforts for giving us all that we require to do our job. We are making sure that all the support is not in vain.” (NAN)
The Federal Government has vowed to deepen efforts to tackle climate change and its attendant effects to accelerate sustainable development.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, gave the assurance at the closing ceremony of the 2024 edition of the Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa and the Sahel.
In a closing remark, the minister assured that the Federal government would deploy climate-smart predictions and warnings to enhance socio-economic development of the citizens.
Specifically, he said the government would continue to take seriously the issuance of disaster early warnings for its citizenry, to de-risk sectorial activities and avert losses.
The minister recalled that the Government through NiMet had a public presentation of the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) early in the year.
According to him, SCP is an early warning tool that highlights vital Weather and Climate information that may affect socio-economic activities in air, land and water transportation.
He said the SCP also gives useful information on agriculture, water resources, disaster management and mitigation, health, tourism, sports, power and energy.
“A similar event was recently held by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) where the Annual Flood Outlook was released to Nigerians,” he added.
He said the reports would help to forestall the reoccurrence of flood disasters witnessed in the country in 2022.
“In 2022, we had one of the worst cases of flooding in decades.
“For weeks, the movement of people and goods between the northern and southern parts of the country was severely disrupted.
“After the flood period, millions of people had lost their homes and livelihoods, properties worth millions of Dollars had been destroyed.
“Investments in farms and other agricultural products had disappeared, and lives had been lost,“ he said.
Keyamo said the outcome of the regional climate outlook forum would be a great planning tool for governments and policymakers across the region.
“Experts and researchers in meteorology and climate sciences from across the West African sub-region and Sahel had dedicated their energy and intellect to develop a comprehensive forecast for the region, targeting the coming rainy season.
“Just as the general airspace is a continuum in aviation, weather and climate events are also trans-boundary, hence the need for us to work together irrespective of boundaries.
“ We should downscale the outcomes of this forum to our local and rural communities to achieve the United Nations’ target of Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) by 2027,“ he said.
The minister assured that Nigeria would continue to support regional efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and encourage weather and climate-smart sustainable development.(NAN)
The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has taken steps to improve facilities at informal markets in the territory.
The coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, stated this on Friday, during a fact-finding visits to informal markets in Area 7, Area 10 and GSM Village in Abuja.
Obuah explained that the visit was to see the current state of the facilities in the markets to be able to determine the needed interventions to improve them.
He described informal markets as critical to the development of every city or community, assuring that the FCTA, through the council, would develop plans to improve the facilities.
The coordinator added that the visit was also to know some of the facilities owned by FCTA but were taken over by illegal occupants, and find ways to address the challenge.
Obuah added that AMMC would partner with the market officials and relevant stakeholders to redesign the markets and beautify them for better commercial activities.
According to him, the goal is to improve revenue generation for the FCT Administration.
Obuah who observed the presence of touts at the GSM Village, along Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuse Zone 1, directed the officials of the market to do something about it.
“I came to the GSM Village to see what is happening and we discovered that most of the revenue meant for the FCTA are not being taped.
“So, we want to see how we can review the tax rates and make sure that everybody is comfortable and paying the taxes due to the administration.
“We cannot sit in our offices every time. We have to go round to see what we can do to add value to the city,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obuah was accompanied to the fact-finding visits by the Director of Urban Affairs, Mr Dan Sani and other Directors in the council. (NAN)
Edited by Emmanuel Afonne
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