FG suspends accreditation of degree certificates from Benin, Togo.

FG suspends accreditation of degree certificates from Benin, Togo.

The Federal Government has announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, the government lamented that “some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified”.

It followed an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”.

According to the government, the suspension persists pending the outcome of an investigation involving the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of Nigeria and the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services (DSS), and the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

It said the Education Ministry has set up a panel to “commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which applicable Public Service Rules would be applied”.

The statement called on Nigerians to cooperate with the committee and provide useful information that will assist in finding lasting solutions to the menace of Nigerians obtaining half-baked certificates from foreign universities.

“The issue of degree mills institutions, i.e institutions that exist on paper or operate in clandestine manner outside the control of regulators is a global problem that all countries grapple with. FME has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronize such outlets.

“Periodically, warnings have been issued by the Ministry and NUC against the resort to such institutions and in some instances, reports made to security agencies to clamp down on the perpetrators. The ministry will continue to review its strategy to plug any loopholes, processes and procedures and deal decisively with any conniving officials.

“The Ministry had always adopted the global standard for evaluation and accreditation of certificates of all forms which relies on receipt of the list of accredited courses and schools in all countries of the World.

“The Ministry wishes to assure Nigerians and the general public that, it is already putting in place mechanisms to sanitise the education sector, including dissuading the quest for degree certificates (locally or from foreign countries) through a re-invigorated focus on inclusivity, reliance on all skill sets as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is committed to collaborating with stakeholders, including civil society organizations, to consistently enhance the Nigerian education system and we value the public’s understanding and patience as we strive to address these issues.”

NAFDAC reduces processing fees for locally made goods.

NAFDAC reduces processing fees for locally made goods.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has rolled out strategies to help Micro Small and Medium Enterprises survive the temporary economic fallouts occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

The Director-General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Monday in Abuja by NAFDAC media consultant, Olusayo Akintola.

Adeyeye said the new set of strategies was targeted to help MSMEs survive the economic situation from the fuel subsidy removal and to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

She added that the agency had reviewed downward, the present administrative charges for late renewal of NAFDAC-regulated products to make the business environment more investment-friendly in a quick response to the realities of the time.

“This translates to a 65 percent decrease in processing fees for the renewal of registration for locally manufactured products (which will be N44,200),” she said.

This is against what is currently charged and 45 percent of the processing fee for foreign products (which will be $ 450) as against what is currently charged.

She noted, “In addition, the agency has also granted a 10 percent review of tariff structure for facility and inspection fees for Special Economic Zones as businesses across the world confront the disruptions caused by the global economic meltdown.

“NAFDAC will continue to adopt and implement practical measures to ensure that the projected growth in the MSMEs sector is not seriously affected by the development.”

She explained that the response of the agency was not just “to give succour and assistance to existing MSMEs, but also ensure that there is a practical and active fillip to new MSMEs.

This, the NAFDAC boss said will ensure that the growth of the sector is not discouraged by the current economic trauma.

 

She said it was the right moment for the agency and that NAFDAC, as a regulatory body, was prepared to back MSMEs and other businesses that were ready for the innovative and interesting times ahead.

“We have no excuse not to be one of the most productive and prolific economies in the world. We hope to achieve this aim in the incredible numbers of MSMEs that we have,” she stated.

She described NAFDAC palliatives for MSMEs as a thoughtful and strategic response to the realities of the present time, adding that those were indicators of the new spirit of NAFDAC and foretaste of the support for MSMEs in the trying times.

“This is not a new undertaking for the agency; it is merely an extension or intensification of the Federal Government’s long-standing commitment to MSMEs,” she noted.

The agency is responsible for controlling, and maintaining the distribution of transportation, advertisement, exportation, importation, manufacture, and the registration of the categories of products such as drugs, chemicals, consumable goods, cosmetics, biological, and medical services.

The NAFDAC requirements for the production or importation of food, drugs, or consumable goods in Nigeria depend on whether such items are produced locally or abroad.

Under the law establishing the Agency (NAFDAC Act), it is unlawful to market any drugs or consumable goods in Nigeria to the public without due registration with the NAFDAC. If any company is set up in Nigeria for the importation or manufacturing of food drugs or consumable products, all the products produced by such a company must be registered with the agency.

NAN

FG earmarks N150bn for poverty alleviation.

FG earmarks N150bn for poverty alleviation.

The Federal Government has allocated a total sum of N150bn to implement poverty alleviation programmes in 2024.

The amount is to be spent under the four pillars of macroeconomic stability, industrialisation, structural policies/institutional reforms and redistributive policies/programmes of government under the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.

Besides the N150bn allocation to the NPRGS, the Federal Government, in the N28.77trn budget signed by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, allocated the sum of N10.35bn to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Already, 15 million households are beneficiaries of the government’s N25,000 monthly grants under the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme.

The NPRGS was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to address poverty, particularly in rural areas.

The programme is to run for 10 years (2021-2031), with an estimated implementation cost of $1.6tn at an annual average of about $161bn.

Shortly before handing over to the Bola Tinubu-led government, the Buhari administration claimed that a total of 1.8 million ‘vulnerable Nigerians’ benefited from the programme.

Last Thursday, while receiving members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Tinubu pledged his commitment “to supporting a strong and ideologically-determined democracy that is progressive, inclusive, and focused on eliminating poverty while providing quality education for our children.”

Earlier on Wednesday while inaugurating the corporate headquarters of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said “This moment solidifies President Bola Tinubu’s assurance to protect our enterprises. It resonates deeply within our economic revitalisation plan. His focus on job creation, capital accessibility, economic growth, and poverty eradication forms the very skeleton of our strategy to invigorate the economy. Inevitably, this path demands tough decisions, yet ones essential to our success.”

Adelabu: Fed Govt to prioritise rural electrification.

Adelabu: Fed Govt to prioritise rural electrification.

....Minister unveils new strategy for power sector.

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has reassured Nigerians of his ministry’s commitment to prioritising electricity supply in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s Electricity Turnaround Agenda.

In his New Year message, the minister promised that the ministry, its agencies and power distribution companies (DisCos) worked tirelessly during the Yuletide season to enhance power supply.

He said there had been some positive improvements in the power supply situation.

Adelabu said in recognising the critical role of electricity to economic growth, his first three months in office focused on the diagnosis, stakeholder consultation, and strategy formulation.

The minister said with a well-documented implementation plan, the ministry was ready to take decisive action.

“Our primary focus is enhancing distribution and transmission infrastructure to minimise technical and commercial losses. The lack of liquidity continues to be a significant challenge in the electricity market.

“We are currently reviewing the implementation process of a cost reflective tariff, while government will continue to subsidise power supply to those that are vulnerable in our society. Closing the meter gap is imperative, and ongoing initiatives, including World Bank programmes and the Presidential Metering Initiatives, will gain momentum.

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“The ministry will intervene in distribution infrastructure, supplying transformers to communities without burdening citizens financially,” he said.

Adelabu also said rural electrification would remain a priority with plans for solar-powered mini/micro grids and street lights.

The minister said the government would collaborate closely with DisCos and state electricity boards.

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“Our efforts will align with local needs,” he said.

Adelabu announced that for the country to improve the transmission infrastructure, “we have reactivated the Presidential Power Initiative (Siemens Project) which will strengthen the national grid, and minimise technical losses”.

He added: “We will also be implementing the Eastern and Western super grid projects to strengthen the grid and increase electricity supply to demand centres in the country.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will be reconstituted in the short term, separating transmission services from system and market operations in the first quarter of this year.

“In the medium to long-term, the transmission grid will be separated into regional grids to enable effective management.

“Generating at installed capacity is a goal for government-owned plants, while private companies are encouraged to invest further.

“Off-grid and distributed generation, utilising renewables, will be a focal point, solar PV plants, small hydro plants, and wind farms will be strategically deployed.”

Chad names former opposition leader as PM for transition Govt.

Chad names former opposition leader as PM for transition Govt.

Chad’s transitional government appointed a former opposition leader Success Masra, who recently returned from exile as its new prime minister.

Masra will serve as the country’s prime minister through the transition to civilian rule, Mahamat Ahmad Alhabo, Chad’s new secretary-general of the presidency, said on state television.

Masra, president of The Transformers opposition party, fled Chad in October 2022. The country’s military government at the time suspended his party and six others in a clampdown on protests against interim leader Mahamat Idriss Deby’s decision to extend his time in power by two more years.

More than 60 people were killed in the protests, which the government condemned as “an attempted coup.”

An agreement between the country’s minister of reconciliation and Masra’s political party two months ago allowed the exiled politician and other opposition figures to return to Chad.

The passage last month of a referendum on a new constitution was a crucial stepping stone toward scheduled elections this year, which could return the country to civilian rule.

Deby was declared the head of state after his father’s death in April 2021. Opposition political parties called the handover of power a coup d’etat, but later agreed to accept Deby as interim leader for 18 months.

West is Russia’s enemy, not Ukraine itself, says Putin.

West is Russia’s enemy, not Ukraine itself, says Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that the true enemy of his country is the West rather than Ukraine itself.

“The point is not that they help our enemy, but they are our enemy, they solve their issues with their (Ukraine’s) hands,” Putin said during a meeting at a military hospital in the Moscow region.

Stating that this has been the case “for centuries” and that it continues today, Putin said that Ukraine itself is not an enemy for Russia, but rather those that intend to “destroy Russian statehood” and inflict a “strategic defeat” of Moscow on the front line.

“There are people who sympathise with us, but there are so-called (Western) elites for whom the existence of Russia, at least in its current quality, in its current size, as they think, is unacceptable,” Putin further said.

Russia’s president went on to argue that Western elites “nurtured” Ukraine for a long time to create the conflict seen today.

“Unfortunately for us, they achieved, created this conflict and are trying to solve their task with the help of Ukrainians, namely the task of fighting Russia,” he said.

Commenting on Ukraine’s recent strike on the Russian city of Belgorod which resulted in the death of 24 people, Putin said Russia should not strike back at places with civilian populations in Ukraine despite “everything boiling inside”.

He said that Russia will not leave “a single crime of this kind” go “unpunished,” further describing the strike that took place on Saturday as a “terrorist attack”.

Ukraine’s armed forces are doing this to intimidate Russia and create uncertainty in the country, Putin further said, adding: “But we, for our part, will increase the blows that I said.”

He went on to say that Moscow wants to end the conflict “as quickly as possible” and “only on our terms.”

2024: Oyebanji expresses confidence in a more prosperous Nigeria.

2024: Oyebanji expresses confidence in a more prosperous Nigeria.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji has expressed confidence in the nation’s ability to navigate through the current economic challenges and emerge stronger and more prosperous in 2024. 

Governor Oyebanji, who stated this on Monday during the new year service at the First Baptist Church, Ikogosi Ekiti, said Nigerians should remain resolute and resilient, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is prioritizing the well-being of the people with targeted programs and policies that will bring succor to the masses.

Acknowledging the prevailing economic challenges facing the nation, the Governor said strategic plans and policies have been put in place to address the root cause of the economic instability.

 He maintained that year 2024 will be the end of economic challenges confronting the nation.

Expressing confidence in the ability of President Tinubu to revitalize the economy and steer the country towards prosperity, Oyebanji said the President is committed to fostering an environment conducive for business growth, foreign investment, and job creation.

He urge Nigerians to support and trust in the administration’s strategies, assuring them that the sacrifice made today will pave the way for a brighter future.

The Governor also charged the people to continue praying for the President, be patient with government and be optimistic of a prosperous year ahead.

“Nigeria is our Jerusalem, let us help the President with our prayers, he has spoken to us this morning, I urge us to let’s have trust in him and be patient a little” the Governor asserted.