Day: September 1, 2023

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has expressed Federal Government’s determination to optimise the generating capacity of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Odutayo Oluseyi, Head of Public Affairs in the ministry on Friday in Abuja.

The minister said that 60 per cent of revenue of FAAN comes from Lagos during the facility tour of the Lagos Airport.

Keyamo said the new terminal at the airport has 60 check-in points and could accommodate much traffic, stating further that the new terminal ought to be optimally used.

“The old terminal should undergo complete overhaul, the central cooling system is not working, and a lot of dilapidation needed to be fixed.

“All airlines in the old terminal should move their check-in counters to the new terminal within 3 months.

“On concession of the airports and Nigeria air project, it will be put on hold (suspended) until I brief Mr. President on the findings,” he said.

Keyamo stated that as much as he was willing to protect the local airlines, he would expect them to be more efficient and effective.

The minister said that issues of flight cancellation and delays would be looked into and laws will be enforced where necessary.

He therefore directed the removal of unserviceable aircraft by the owners for expansion of the Apron.

Keyamo said he would discuss with owners of private hangers within the space for possible relocation.

He said the move was to give space for the expansion of the new terminal to accommodate bigger aircraft.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will commence a two-day nationwide warning strike from Sept. 5 to 6,except the Federal Government addresses the excruciating suffering of the masses.

Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President said this while addressing newsmen at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the congress on Friday in Abuja.

Ajaero while reading the communiqué jointly signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress, said the resolutions were reached after exhaustive deliberation.

According to him, NEC in session resolved to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 working days or 21 days from today.

“This is until steps are taken by the Government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.

“To commence a two-day nationwide warning strike on Tuesday and Wednesday from Sept.5 to 6 to demonstrate our readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month .

“To also demand that the State vacates the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

“To embark on a mass protest and rally in Imo within September in preparation for a major shutdown of the state.

“This is to compel the State government to stop the abuse and violation of the rights and privileges of workers and trade unions in the state, ’he said.

He also added that to begin the shutdown of the operations of Air peace Airline, and other companies in the Aviation sector that were involved in serial violation of the rights of workers in the sector.

The NLC president said this was to ensure freedom of Association and to collectively bargain.

He called on communities around the nation to stop taking laws into their hands but report to the authorities for amicable resolution.

He said that this was on any matter involving members of the Amalgamated Union of Food Stuffs, and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) which is one of our affiliates.

He urged the new FCT Minister, Mr Nyesome Wike to desist from threatening poor masses with demolition of their properties, and focus more on making houses available to the people.

“He is not a minister of demolition and should be prepared to meet Nigerian workers and citizens on the street if he carries out his insensitive utterances,” ‘he said.

Ajaero said that NEC had deeply analysed the prevailing national sentiment, taking into account the extensive hardships and deprivation afflicting the citizens across all states of the federation.

He said the council scrutinised the Federal Government’s failures to establish essential structures to address the widespread suffering in our nation.

He also noted that it considered the government’s deliberate neglect and disregard for engaging with national stakeholders through the channels of social dialogue.

“This is a commitment it had solemnly declared during the President’s inaugural address on May 29,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Data-Lead Africa, a consulting firm, has trained 20 deaf children on various digital skills in the FCT.

The organisation said this at the graduation ceremony for the participants of its Summer Boot Camp tagged Digits and Signs for Deaf Kids, in Abuja.

Ms Ojone Akor, Programs Manager and DEI Coordinator, Data-Lead Africa, said the four the week-long boot camp focused on improving the digital skills of the children.

She said the training focused on creating change in the deaf community by introducing the participants to cross-cutting issues around inclusion and social initiatives.

She said that the training focused on improving the IT skills, knowledge of mathematics as well as programming skills of the children to equip them for the future.

“When we started, we noticed that some of them struggled with things like greater than and less than, two-digits addition, they also had no experience using computer, but we have been able to educate them on these things.

“I am very much excited about the fact that we have been able to empower the deaf kids through digits and signs programme on the use of mathematics and computer in this digital age.

“For the digit and signs programme, this is our pilot programme as we wanted to see how we will reach out to deaf kids and how we will be able to empower them and catch them young.

“So we partnered with the Abuja School for the Deaf and we got the participants to come in for the training, so subsequently, we will be organising more programmes like this and increase the number of participants to be able to reach out to as many as possible,” she said.

Akor said that the organisation would be deploying some of its trainers to follow-up with the children and mentor them for the next six months, in a bid to improve their academic performance.

“We are in a digital age and everything is driven by data and everything you are doing is driven by IT and information, so being able empower them while they are young is a thing of joy to us.

“We have modern aid tools used for analysis, programming among others, so bringing these children into this type of training gives them an edge among their peers,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Bamidele Olaitan, the Assistant Head Teacher of Abuja School for the Deaf, appreciated the organisation for the training, adding that the new skills learnt would place them aper with their peers in other climes.

“Engaging the children during this holiday is a kudos to the organisers and I know that what they have learnt today will be meaningful to their future.

“This is not about learning it alone, they can as well practice it, especially the less privileged among them loves any thing that has to do with skill acquisition.

“I believe that what this organisation have done for them will not be the end of it, we will want to have more partnership with them so that they can train more students during their long vacation,” he said.

Miss Gami Nanring, a participant who spoke through an interpreter, appreciated the organisers for the training, adding that her desire is to work as a computer technologist in the future.

“I always want to learn new things, all I need is to do more training and learn more things about computer and I know I can develop better.

“We were taught PowerPoint, Microsoft word and many more things, they made it more easy to understand and comprehend,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) has assured women in the country of better representation in the President Bola Tinubu-led government.

Ganduje gave the assurance when the National Coordinator of Aunty Zee Support Group, Cecilia Yashim, led a delegation on a visit to the chairman on Friday in Abuja.

He said that the president was committed to ensuring that Nigerian women enjoyed the dividends of democracy under his administration.

“The government is already implementing policies and programmes that would positively affect women.

“I want to urge you to align yourself with the office of the First Lady so that you can also benefit from the numerous programmes she has in her plans.

“We have heard you and your requests and we assure you that whatever we can do to assist you, we will do it,” he said.

In a remark, Yashim said the visit was to congratulate the chairman on his emergence as the leader of the party and to notify him of women’s demands.

She said the group, under the leadership of Hajia Zainab Ibrahim, the Deputy National Women Leader of the party, was fully set to enlighten Nigerians on government policies.

“We wish to please make demands that you as chairman of the party and all National Working Committee members look into, and handsomely reward our principal with a ministerial appointment.

“We won’t mind any befitting appointment that can encourage her to do more for the benefits of all Nigerians ,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Christopher Maikalangu, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) says the Park and Pay policy in the City Center and some other parts of the FCT began on Friday.

Maikalangu said this while addressing a news conference at the council secretariat on Friday in Abuja.

The chairman, who was represented by Mr Emmanuel Inyang, Supervisory Councillor, Special Duties, AMAC, said that FCT Administration and other stakeholders have been briefed on the policy.

He said the policy falls within the jurisdiction of the area council as enshrined in the constitution and bye-law of the area council.

The chairman said that sign posts have been planted in areas where the policy would be executed.

He listed the areas to include: City center, Garki, Asokoro, and Maitama.

He added that a court judgement in 2014, upheld that the rights to collect such tax falls under the purview of the area council.

“AMAC as a council has decided to start the park and pay scheme and we are doing this with a human face, as it comes with a very little amount of money to those who will be parking around the stipulated areas.

“A token of 100 naira per hour will be charged and we don’t want anybody to pay cash. You can pay through the POS and we have made it easy as you can pay monthly or yearly and get your tickets from the officials that AMAC has mandated to carry out the exercise.

“We want to inform the residents that the park and pay policy has started today, Sept. 1.

“This is also to curtail indiscriminate parking, car theft, congestion in the city and promoting sanitation in the capital city,”he said.

He appealed to residents to cooperate with the officials enforcing the policy as all revenue received will be used for infrastructural development of rural areas in the council.

“Very soon, we will be rolling out scholarship scheme for indigenes and non-indigenes of the area council and empowerment scheme for women.

“We have already constructed roads and some are still on-going, we have so many things on water projects, provision of drugs in our hospitals and provided employment for our youths, among others.

“We are pleading with Nigerians not to take laws into their hands, as defaulters would be fined and charged to mobile courts.

“For places within the city where some vehicles are parked, especially organisations which do not have enough parking spaces, we have made provision to have a corporate parking agreement with those organisations, where a negotiable amount of money will be charged,”he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has covered 15.8 million hectares of agricultural land with various crops during the current Ethiopian Meher farming season, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

In a press conference on Friday regarding the ongoing farming activities in the country, State Minister for Agriculture and Horticulture, Melese Mekonnen said Ethiopia had planned to cultivate 17.39 million hectares of land for the Meher season, which is Ethiopia's main farming season that extends from May to September.

Some 15.8 million hectares of land have so far been cultivated with various crops across the nation, according to the state minister.

Of the total, 7.66 million hectares were cultivated through cluster farming system, This includes 2.8 million hectares of wheat, against a target of 3.66 million hectares for the harvest, he added.

More than 2.69 hectares of land has been cultivated during the Belg season exceeding the planed 2.48 hectares, he pointed out noting that some 1.87 hectares of the cultivated crops have so far been harvested.

Melese noted Ethiopia has untapped potential for rice cultivation in Oromia, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regional states.

While traditionally less than 300,000 hectares of land were used for rice farming, mainly in the Fogera area, Ethiopia seeded over 990,000 hectares of rice this year, out of the 1.13 million hectare target.

According to the state minister, intensive efforts are underway to enhance the agriculture development of the country with a view to ensuring food self-sufficiency, boost export trade and import substitution as well as strengthen supply of industrial input.

The state Minister underscored the country's promising agricultural productivity and potential.

While lauding these achievements, the minister emphasized that more can be done to maximize Ethiopia's agricultural potential.

Overall, the state minister struck an optimistic tone regarding the future of Ethiopian agriculture. With ideal agro-ecological conditions and good rain the country is poised to become an agricultural success story, he said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa, Strong collaboration is needed among the government, partners and the international community in the pursuit to find durable solutions for refugees and their hosts, Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) Director-General Teyiba Hassen said.

Addressing a meeting on lessons learned from a decade of strategic partnership with the philanthropic organization IKEA foundation today, the director-general stated that refuge operation has been in the recent past transitioning from humanitarian assistance to development intervention.

The intent is to promote jobs and livelihood, refugees and their host to become self-reliant, she added.

In such initiatives, IKEA foundation has been working with Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnees Service, Somali Regional State and UNHCR as well as partners in order to bring better socio-economic benefits to refugees and their hosts, Teyiba said.

According to her, IKEA foundation has invested over 120 million USD in the Melkadida refugee operation in Somali Regional State.

The foundation initially started by funding emergency relief, but gradually started supporting economic development and livelihood opportunities for refugees and host communities.

Agriculture and livestock value chains, renewable energy, fuel saving cooking stoves and charcoal production at the cooperative level are among the projects being financed by IKEA foundation in Melkadida, it was learned.

Teyiba finally called for strong collaboration among the government, stakeholders, partners, and the international community in the pursuit to find durable solutions by stimulating their business orientation and income generation mindset.

IKEA Foundation CEO, Per Heggenes said on his part that development is required in humanitarian setting which is one of the major learning.

However, he added that any kind of system change like this requires long-term investment.

“This is not a two-year contract project, it really is a community development; and a community development approach will have to be with refugees and host communities together.”

For the CEO, refugees are assets, if we deal with them in the right way. We can integrate in the right way, provide positivity to the host community and provide value for everyone.

Recall that Ethiopia hosts nearly one million refugees and asylum seekers who fled from neighboring countries and beyond.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency