Day: September 14, 2023

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Hon. Zacch Adedeji as the new acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Abuja.

The president has directed the erstwhile FIRS Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami, to proceed on a three-month pre-retirement leave with immediate effect.

This is in accordance with the provision of the Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, which will lead to Nami’s eventual retirement from service on Dec. 8.

He said: ‘’Adedeji is hereby appointed in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four (4) years in the first instance.

‘’Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

‘’He most recently served the nation as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following meritorious service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary / CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new appointment takes immediate effect.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government has certified the infrastructure of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) safe for passenger operations.

The Consultant, Corporate Communication Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, made the disclosure in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.

Ojelabi said that the certification came following a painstaking audit of the rail infrastructure by the Government Inspector of Railways, from the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

The “Safety Certificate for Commercial Operations: Lagos Rail Mass Transit, Blue Line (Marina – Mile 2)” is issued in accordance with section 50 to 56 of the Nigerian Railway Act, 1955.

The certificate was signed by Government Inspector of Railway, Mr Abdulrahaman Yusuf.

“I hereby certify the railway safe for commercial operation,” Yusuf said.

He said that the Blue Line began limited passenger operations on Sept 4, and had since moved about 20,000 passengers.

The Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said the certification of the infrastructure of the Blue Line was a validation of strict supervision regime put in place during the construction of the project.

She said that proper maintenance of the infrastructure and rolling stock would be given priority.

“Rail infrastructure are built to last many generations. We have ensured that the infrastructure built will last more than 100 years,” Akinajo said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency

The COP28 Presidency announced the selection of 100 delegates for the International Youth Climate Delegate Program, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Addis Ababa said.

The UAE which is the host of the COP28 climate change conference this year conducted a deliberation in collaboration with the African Union Commission under the theme “Elevating the Role of Youth in Climate Negotiations," UAE Embassy in Addis Ababa said in a press release sent to ENA.

The press release also said that the discussion is aimed at discussing efforts towards ensuring effective engagement of the youth leading up to COP 28, and more specifically empowering youth to play an elevated role in climate decision-making.

The discussion intends to enhance the participation of the African Union member states in the Climate Conference, through the development of a summary paper with key recommendations and perspectives, it added.

In this case, Talal Al Azeezi, Charge d’affaires at the UAE Embassy in Addis Ababa said that the COP28 Presidency announced the selection of 100 delegates for the International Youth Climate Delegate Program.

The selection has included 6 youth with disabilities, 10 youth from conflict affected areas, and 12 indigenous people, he indicated.

Yabtsega Getachew, a climate justice advocate, has been selected to represent Ethiopia.

The ambassador added that the “program is the largest initiative that will build youth skills, capacity, knowledge, and networks, and fully fund them to attend COP28, as well as provide a model for the COP process on youth inclusion.”

He also highlighted UAE’s efforts towards ensuring the inclusion of climate action and youth engagement in all development strategies.

UAE aspired to affirm the vital importance of climate collaboration, and share perspectives as the host of COP 28, with the aim of linking perspectives with the African Union’s and youth aspirations, in a manner that will be inclusive, transparent, and results-oriented, the release stated.

Denmark's Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Kira Smith, on her part stressed the importance of meaningful youth involvement in climate negotiations.

The ambassador also mentioned Denmark’s efforts towards supporting the youth, particularly mentioning the Youth Delegate Program in which every year eight Danish youth delegates are selected to represent the Danish youth at the UN as well as other multilateral forums.

Nyambe Harsen, Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the African Union Commission, placed focus on the role of the AU in engaging youth in climate action, and the youth-led efforts clearly demonstrated during the African Climate Summit.

This discussion on youth in climate negotiations was conducted in the presence of various diplomatic missions including the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt, UK, US, Switzerland, Qatar, Chad, and Morocco as well as think tanks, technical climate experts among others.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved 104 million USD in financing to the Ethiopian government for the financing of a transmission project to improve power supply in the eastern part of the country.

The funding from the African Development Fund and Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund will contribute to improving the power grid in eastern Ethiopia, benefiting communities of small farmers, livestock farmers, manufacturers and students, according to a press release issued by ADB.

The financing includes a 52 million USD grant from the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm and a 52 million USD soft loan drawn from Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund under the Korea – Africa Energy Investment Framework Agreement.

The agreement was signed in June 2021 between the African Development Bank and the Government of the Republic of Korea with the main objective of contributing to sustainable economic and social development and promoting economic cooperation in African member countries.

the Director of Power Systems Development of the Bank, Batchi Baldeh said the project would improve access to clean, reliable electricity supply by increasing the capacity of the power grid in eastern Ethiopia.

He emphasized that “Improving the power grid in the east of the country will address brownouts and load shedding in the region, connect more industries and households to the electricity network, and eliminate the use of diesel generators, which currently provide a basic electricity supply”.

Above all, the project will facilitate the launch of the government’s regional agricultural irrigation programme targeting 462,174 hectares currently under design, which is key to tackling the region’s food-security challenge as well as providing adequate fodder for livestock.

The project will involve the construction of 157 kilometres of 400-kilovolt double-circuit transmission lines and associated substations at Harar, Jijiga and Fafem. These will boost the power transfer capacity in the eastern part of Ethiopia.

The project will serve as a take-off point for future power interconnection to the Federal Republic of Somalia and contribute to the Horn of Africa Regional Initiative helping to address the drivers of fragility and conflict and facilitate regional economic integration and trade.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The 7th Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference opened in Busan, Korea with a strong call for additional resources to help African countries achieve universal access to energy and transform the continent into the breadbasket of the world.

Some 33 African finance ministers, ambassadors, heads of pan-African institutions and NGOs, CEOs and Korean private sector leaders are attending the Conference.

During the opening of the conference on Wednesday, Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Kyungho Choo, underlined the crucial role that Korea and Africa must play.

He highlighted Korea’s strength in high-tech industry and innovative technology. He also pointed to the great many opportunities that Africa offered as the world’s future market and industrial base with a vibrant young population.

“Together, our two worlds can become the most solid rock of solidarity,” he told the meeting, stressing the need for Africa and Korea to strengthen cooperation.

In his opening remarks, African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina urged delegates to seize the conference as a critical opportunity to galvanise support for several objectives: achieving universal energy access in Africa, advancing a just energy transition and transforming the African continent into the breadbasket of the world.

“Doing so will require additional resources,” Adesina said. He added that the anticipated reallocation of the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to the African Development Bank was the key to attracting additional resources to develop Africa.

He urged Korea to join other countries that have expressed strong interest in reallocating SDRs to the African Development Bank Group. “This will be a game changer for Africa’s development,” Adesina declared.

Adesina described the KOAFEC conference as a good opportunity to discuss progress on relations between Korea and Africa, development challenges and opportunities in Africa, and a chance for all parties to continue to work together to accelerate the growth and development of Africa.

“Africa must be a solution to feeding the world, as it has 65 percent of the uncultivated arable land left in the world,” he told delegates, adding: “What Africa does with agriculture will therefore determine the future of food in the world.”

Adesina commended the Korean government for its K-Rice Belt initiative, which will support eight African countries in producing 30 million tons of rice.

The initiative aligns with the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa strategy and the outcome of Dakar 2 Food Summit early this year. The Bank is intent on Africa achieving food self-sufficiency within five years.

Adesina noted that for African countries to collectively meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the continent required an investment of 2.3 trillion USD.

He highlighted limited access to electricity as a significant hurdle, pointing out that this was a commodity still beyond the reach of nearly 600 million people.

He said much progress had been made since the African Development Bank launched its New Deal on Energy for Africa in 2016.

He explained that while the percentage of those with access to electricity had since increased from 35 percent to 56 percent, there was still much to do.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Ituu tribe in Ethiopia is a pastoralist community in West Hararge Zone of Oromia with tantalizing culture and social values.

Let me take you for an imaginary trek to the Ituu tribe which is one of the tribes in Western Harergie Zone of Oromia region with the most exotic cultures and social values.

The Ituu are predominately pastoralists who roam from place to place in search of better pasture and water for their cattle.

They are akin to the Kereyu tribes of Oromia region who live in the Upper Awash Valley of the Great Rift Valley which bisects the Eastern and southern part of Ethiopia.

The fact that the Ituu live in the adjacent neighboring areas of Gumbi Bordede and Anchar districts sharing common border around Awash River have made them one of the stronger tribes in the area.

Nowadays, Ituu whose livelihood is dependent on livestock rearing are mostly settled in Anchar,Gumbi Bordede and Oda bultum districts of West Hararge Zone at the Eastern flank of Ethiopia.

Ituu households who own caravans of camels, cattle and goats are well respected and revered by the members the community and are regarded as local officials.

As part of protecting the rights of poor pastoralists with few herds of cattle, and to ensure that they do not feel inferior or demoralized in the face of horde of livestock from well to do families, their cattle are made to graze together with those owned by rich families.

In the seasons of food stress, they spend bad days together by lending each other cows for milk with their calves.

On the other hand, Ituu are known for their massive gofere (long curly hair soaked in butter).

Their traditional dresses also make them unique. They dress like hunters, a turban underneath, a white cotton "gabi" on top and fasten traditional short swords with sharp edges known locally as giles on their waists.

During the wedding, the groom gives cattle as dowry.

After marriage ceremony; parents, brothers, uncles and other kith and kin of the groom give him cattle as gifts.

On her wedding day, the bride gets a thin stick called Sinke as a special gift from her family. It symbolizes that “the bride has become worthy and respected woman who can manage her home".

When we come to their food habit, a porridge made of barley is a special dish for the guest of honor and camel milk is served with porridge for drinking.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopia will host the 20th African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition and the first African Coffee Week from February 5th to 9th, 2024 in Addis Ababa.

The conference and African Coffee Week are organized by 3 African organizations, it was learned.

Briefing the media today, Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Deputy Director-General Shafi Umer said coffee is an important sector for Ethiopia's economy as the country is the home of Coffee Arabica and close 20 million people deal with it.

Convening this conference in Ethiopia is a great testament to Ethiopia's coffee standing, he added.

African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA) CEO Gilbert Gatali said that the conference is a great opportunity for the African coffee sector to convene under one roof and hold important dialogues.

Similarly, Secretary General of Inter African Coffee Organization (IACO) Solomon Rutega said this is an opportunity for the wider African coffee producing countries to establish long-term partnership between private and public sectors.

Ethiopia, one of Africa's specialty coffee countries, will be hosting the event under the theme: "Specialty Coffee at Origin" for the fourth time, it was learned.

The annual conference will bring together around 2,000 regional and international coffee roasters, traders, producers, buyers, and professionals under one roof to discuss to discuss policies, sustainability, access to finance, coffee competitions and other actions.

Founded in July 2000, the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) is a regional non-profit, non-political, member-driven association representing coffee sectors in 11 member countries.

AFCA members include both private and public sector coffee stakeholders, including producers, exporters, importers, roasters, policy makers, transporters and trade representatives.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency