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  • UN correspondents fete new UNCA President, Muhammad-Bande

    The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) on Wednesday evening in New York hosted the new President of the General Assembly (PGA), Amb. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, to an informal interactive session.

    The session is a tradition at the UN that provides an opportunity for every new PGA to familiarise themselves with the UN correspondents.

    Wednesday’s event came a day after Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, assumed office to lead the 74th session of the Assembly for the next one year.

    In a brief remark, the PGA stated that he strongly believed in the power of the media as agents of development and positive social change.

    Muhammad-Bande lauded the UN correspondents for their role in projecting the activities of the organisation, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    He said they could count on him to provide direct and timely information whenever needed.

    Speaking in similar vein, his spokesperson, Ms Reem Abaza, assured the correspondents of maximum cooperation and support from the office of the PGA.

    The President of UNCA, Ms Valeria Robecco, said the interactive session with UNCA members was a tradition at the UN meant to set the tone for a harmonious working relation.

    Robecco congratulated Muhammad-Bande on his emergence as the PGA and wished him a successful tenure

  • Mr Valentine Nwaimo, Director, Mechanical Engineering Services in the Ministry of Works and Housing,  says energy audit skills will  aid in developing Nigeria’s energy efficiency sector.

    Nwaimo said this in Abuja  during a workshop for professional energy auditors on energy efficiency.

    “European Union is assisting Nigeria to know more on energy efficiency in order to conserve energy, it is like energy management.

    “The country wants to save more energy, the building energy efficiency code was launched in 2017 and the training is the implementation of the code.

    “We are training professional engineer auditors to look at houses, do modernisation in line with building energy efficiency,’’ he said.

    Nwaimo said the training was with the assistance of EU and German Government-Supported Training on energy audit in buildings for professionals in the Nigerian building sector to increase the usage of energy efficiency measures in buildings.

    Meanwhile, in a statement, Ms Edima Okodi-Iyah said Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) was currently implementing a three-phase Professional Energy Auditors (PEA) training of building industry professionals and policymakers.

    Okodi-Iyah said that the training was for professionals in the public and private sectors on how to conduct building energy audits.

    “The first phase of the PEA training held in May in Abuja and Lagos, at which 300 building professionals were introduced to the concept of “Building Energy Audit”.

    “At the end, the participants completed an assessment which was used to identify persons with demonstrated knowledge of the principles and practices of energy auditing,’’ she said.

    Okodi-Iyah said that during the opening that the Head of Energy Section of the Delegation of the EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Catherine Thomsen, highlighted the importance of energy efficiency in combating climate change effects.

    She said that on completion of the training, trainees would write an exam relating to the taught modules.

    According to her, successful candidates will then receive international certification as Professional Energy Auditors (PEAs).

    She said that NESP was a 33 million euro technical assistance programme co-funded by the EU and the German Government and jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the ministry.

    Okodi-Iyah said that the programme was aimed at enabling and fostering investments in a domestic market for renewable energy and energy efficiency and improving access to electricity, especially in rural communities in Nigeria.

    Mr Muhammad Yankara, a participant from SKY Habitat Ltd, said the training had taught them a lot about energy efficiency and understanding how energy should not be wasted.

    Yankara said that they had been exposed and given the right tools to optimise the country’s energy.

    “After this training I will be equipped with the best knowledge on the usage of energy efficiency measures,’’ he said.

    Another participant, Mr Adetola Oyenuga, Deputy Head of Unit, Prime Tech Solutions Ltd a professional IT service provider said that the training would enable the professional utilise the same energy used in one building for many other buildings.

    Oyenuga said that Nigeria would now witness improved access to electricity especially in rural communities

  • UK parliament suspension not matter for judges – Lawyer

    Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament is a political issue and not a matter for judges, a lawyer for the prime minister said  as he sought to persuade the British Supreme Court that the five-week shutdown was lawful.

    Johnson asked Queen Elizabeth to prorogue, or suspend, parliament from Sept. 10 until Oct. 14, prompting accusations from opponents that he wanted to silence the legislature in the run-up to Britain’s exit from the European Union on Oct. 31.

    The Supreme Court, Britain’s top judicial body, began three days of hearings on Tuesday to decide whether Johnson’s advice to the queen regarding the suspension was unlawful.

    A ruling against him would be a major embarrassment for Johnson, who has no majority in parliament, and could see lawmakers returning early, with more time to try to influence his Brexit plans.

    James Eadie, a lawyer for Johnson, told the court he would produce a written document on Thursday outlining what Johnson would do if he lost.

    Another government lawyer said on Tuesday that if Johnson lost the case, he could recall parliament earlier than planned

  • Osinbajo presides over NEC meeting

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday presided over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The vice president, by the provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution, is the chairman of NEC.

    This meeting is the second since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet for the second term.

    The NEC meeting, held monthly, deliberates on the coordination of the economic planning efforts and economic programmes of the various levels of government.

    The council comprises the 36 state governors, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, minister of finance, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other government officials and agencies whose duties hinge on the economy.

    NAN

  • Osinbajo, wife, governors mark Akabueze’s 60th birthday

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife, Dolapo, on Thursday in Abuja attended the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Prof. Ben Akabueze, the Director-General, Budget office for the Federation.

    Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State also graced the occasion.

    More so, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fasola, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi among other notable Nigerians attended the service.

    Akabueze was the former Special Adviser to the President on Budget Matters and also a former Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning.

    He was the Pastor-in-charge of Lagos Province 39 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God until his appointment with the Federal Government.

    In his words of exaltation, Pastor Joe Olaiya, said that God given dreams never died and prayed God to fulfill Akabueze’s dreams and protect him.

    Olaiya also offered special prayer for the celebrator and his family.

    The highlight of the event was the cutting of birthday cake.

    NAN

  • UTME: Commission targets 1m students for NIN enrollment in Jigawa

    By Muhammad Nasir Bashir

    The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Jigawa office, says it is targeting about 1 million post-basic and basic students for enrollment into the National Identity Database for their National Identity Number (NIN).

    Alhaji Aminu Jakada, the coordinator of the commission in the state, made this known during in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday.

    Jakada said the gesture was in line with decision by the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that from 2010, all candidates writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), must have a NIN.

    “So for this reason, the Jigawa NIMC has planned to enroll 114,970 post basic students and 828,768 basic students in the state.

    “So students and their parents should be aware of this and take it serious and ensure that they cooperate with the NIMC officials for successful conduct of the exercise,” Jakada advised.

    He explained that the exercise would be conducted in collaboration with the State Government, Ministry of Education, State Universal Education, Patents Teachers’ Association (PTA), Local Government Councils (LGCs) and Traditional Leaders.

    The coordinator added that the commission proposed to enroll all post-basic students in the state within the current academic session (2019/2020), and that basic students were to be enrolled next session (2020/2021).

    Jakada said the exercise would be conducted in schools in order to ease transportation difficulties for the students, as well as get the targeted number enrolled.

    “We will take the enrollment exercise to the schools for easy and successful registration of the students.

    “The gesture will enable the students enrolled without having to travel to local government headquarters or our state office.

    “The overall objective of the exercise is to enroll the students before the mandatory use of the NIN is enforced ,” the coordinator explained

    He also called on other people who were yet to enroll, to do so before the mandatory use of the NIN is enforced.

    NAN

  • Yellow fever: Gombe confirms three cases, says source traced to Yankari in Bauchi

    The Gombe State Government says it has recorded six suspected cases of yellow fever,out of which three are reactive.

    Dr Nuhu Vile, State Epidemiologist, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Gombe.

    According to Vile, the three confirmed patients were treated and discharged, and there no death has been recorded in the state.

    He said that investigation conducted by experts showed that the case originated from Yankari, in Bauchi State,  and that the state government had set up a team to address the problem.

    Bile called on the people to always report cases of fever to health facilities for quick examination and treatment.

    ”If the result is reactive for yellow fever, the treatment is free of charge in the state,” the state Epidemiologist said.

    He said that yellow fever was caused by mosquito and therefore  urged people to sanitise their environment.

    “Yellow fever is not different from malaria that we know; the  symtoms are higher fever, headache, body pain, discoloration of eye and dark urines.

    “Do not stay until you start bleeding or the eyes become yellow; we encourage the public to report such cases of fever to health facilities immediately.

    ” By doing this, we reduce the risk of spreading it to other members of the family,” he said

    Vile advised parents to ensure that they vaccinated their children from early age during the routine immunization.

    He said that once a child was immunised before he or she attained nine months, chances of getting infected would be minimal.

    NAN

  • Tech Entrepreneur, Stephanie Obi to help Africans Monetize their Knowledge with Latest Tech Platform.

    (flowerbudnews) I was tired of seeing Africans struggle with monetizing their knowledge online, so I created a solution
    that is appropriate for Africans across the continent – Stephanie Obi, Founder, TrainQuarters.

    From vlogging everyday life experiences to shopping for groceries online and even getting
    a university degree from the comfort of your living room, technology is constantly changing
    the way we work and live.

    Knowledge is bounced off from one time zone to another in
    nanoseconds, creating a level playing field for everyone who can access the internet.

    However, this ability to share knowledge and solutions online often comes with the price of
    being tech-savvy or having the resources to pay someone, which could cost so much time
    and money.

    Thanks to Nigerian techpreneur Stephanie Obi, this is about to change with a new digital platform,
    TrainQuarters which she created with the aim of solving an age-long problem faced by modern
    content providers. According to Obi, TrainQuarters which is the first of its kind in Africa, is an
    online course platform that makes it easy for Africans to create and sell online courses.

    “The beauty
    of this is, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to use the platform!” she said.
    On the platform’s simplicity and ease of use, Obi added that “after working with over 200
    women to create their online courses, we noticed a trend – The Tech! The tech is very scary.

    It is overwhelming and many times people feel stuck and disappointed. Many of them
    wanted to impact lives but they gave up because of the tech.

    We saw them struggling which
    was hard to watch so we decided to help them make it easier."
    From creating, marketing and selling courses to building a website, email list, blogpost
    hosting, etc.

    while taking away the stress and extra costs of going through a time
    consuming process, the platform is said to contain everything needed to launch an online
    course. The all-in-one platform grants users access to online courses at a discounted rate –
    rather than paying for different platforms – along with the assistance of the support team to
    enlighten and guide one through the process.

    According to Obi, whilst the platform was created with different plans for those who wish
    to teach their knowledge and expertise online, it also allows users to create and own their
    own websites, grow their online community as well as offers a simplified payment method.
    “On September 19, 2019 we will officially launch TrainQuarters and do a live demo for
    guests to see the solution we have created to provide a level playing field for Africans” an
    excited Obi revealed.

    According to her, further details about the platform and also how to
    attend this free event will be on www.trainquarters.com
    You can also visit the platform to watch the tutorial video and request an invitation to see
    how you too can monetize your knowledge.

  • NIS Set to Boost National Security, Unveils 2019-2023 Border Mgt, Strategy

    By Naomi Sharang
    Abuja,:  The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday, unveiled its National Border Strategy 2019 to enhance national security.

    Comptroller-General of the Service, Mr Muhammad Babandede presented the document in Abuja with stakeholders in the sector in attendance.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    He said that the strategy would also help in contributing to national economic development, reinforcing social harmony and ensuring migrants’ human rights and the protection of vulnerable migrants.

    “The NIS National Boarder Management Strategy (NBMS) 2019 to 2023 articulates a renewed five-year vision and institutional approach to border management in Nigeria.

    ” This is within the scope of the Nigeria Immigration Service,” Babandede said.”

    Babandede explained that when the borders were safe, it would result into a safe nation.

    “So the document has addressed the issue of national security, border security and addressed border as a means of trade.

    “It will ensure transparency; it will reduce corruption, it will help to ensure that human rights are protected and we will ensure that smugglers and traffickers are not allowed to leave or enter our country.”

    House Committee Chairman on Interior, Nasir Daura said that the house committee would ensure that the NIS was given the necessary support to ensure smooth implementation of the policy.

    He said the document would help to provide the requisite protection that could ensure the respect and dignity of human rights.

    ” As a committee we will make the Nigeria Immigration Service more effective by providing the necessary budgetary support to better manage the borders.”

    In her remark, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed
    said that the effective implementation of the strategy depended on dynamic institutional framework and robust political backing.

    Ahmed was represented by a staff of the project office (migration) Mr Ekom Umoren.

    She said that the surge in transnational crimes, irregular migration, trafficking and other illicit activities would be tackled in line with national development goals as contained in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERPG).

    A Federal Commissioner National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Basheer Mohammed was also present at the meeting.

    Mohammed who was represented by Charles Anaelo said that the document was a clear demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to entrench international best practices in border management through a coordinated approach.

    He said that effective and efficient border management contributed immensely to overall migration management.

    “We have no doubt that implementation will be all inclusive and coordinated to ensure coherence.”

    Ms Ukamaka Osigwe, IOM Nigeria National Programme Officer, said that the document was developed through an intensive NIS and inter-agency consultations which spanned from Oct. last year to March 2019.

    She said that the rationale behind the development of the strategy was to articulate a better border management in Nigeria within the scope of the duties of the lead agency for border management which is the NIS.(NAN)