TheNewsGuru

Tag: Funds

  • No funds for Constitution Review in 2021 budget – Omo-Agege

    No funds for Constitution Review in 2021 budget – Omo-Agege

    Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has said there was no funds allocated for Constitution Review in the 2021 Budget.

    Omo-Agege who doubles as Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution disclosed at a briefing in Abuja, on Monday.

    Omo-Agege the situation notwithstanding, the committee has sufficient funds to carry out the exercise, saying it was still operating its 2020 budget.

    He expressed optimism that funds would be voted for the exercise in the supplementary budget expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly in no distant time.

    The Committee has scheduled zonal public hearing in 12 states across the six geopolitical zones to commence on Wednesday this week.

    He insisted that the Bills to be collated from the public hearings will be voted on and passed by the Senate in July 2021 before the lawmakers embark on their annual vacation.

    On whether paucity of funds has been responsible for the slow pace of work by the Committee and how the situation may likely affect the target of the panel to deliver on its mandate before the July recess for members of the National Assembly, Omo-Agege said the committee does not lack funds.

    “In 2021 budget, we have not received an appropriation yet due to some oversight so we are still working on the 2020 budget and we are hoping that during the supplementary exercise we will be accommodated

    “I can tell you categorically that we have no challenge with paucity of funds. I was actually answering a question as to how much was appropriated (for the review exercise) in 2021. The answer again is that there was no appropriation for 2021.

    “We are still awaiting the supplementary budget. So we are operating the 2020 budget but we have enough for our work.

    “We have not been hampered in any way and we believe we have enough resources to carry out this exercise.

    “Whether or not we are taking a vote this July, as I believe, we will. It is not a function of how much money we have,” Omo-Agege said.

    He added: “You must understand, this is not the only committee in Senate but it is the largest committee.

    “I think the membership spans about 68 members. Taking that into account we have to accommodate the other committees and their assignments as well so as not to pull everybody away.”

    On whether comments recently credited to Senate President Ahmad Lawan on calls for restructuring will not influence the views of the Committee in the aspect of restructuring, Omo-Agege said: “Constitution review is a major plank of the 9th Senate’s Legislative Agenda and I can assure you that Senator Ahmad Lawan is not against anything, he is not against restructuring.

    “Restructuring is just one aspect of several aspects of this Constitution review and it also depends on what you mean by restructuring and who is speaking to that.

    “I can assure you that the Senate President has not taken any position, he is entitled to his views like any of us.

    “He is in support of what I am doing and you can take this to the bank that we will have an exercise that the Nigerian people will be glad.”

    On whether the current review exercise will not end up like past ‘jamborees’, Omo-Agege expressed optimism that President Buhari will assent to the Bills when they are transmitted.

    “The exercise is not a jamboree, it will be incremental. By the time we succeed in this exercise, God willing, it will be the 5th alteration.

    “We borrowed our system from the United states, even the US continues to amend their constitution and I think the last time I checked it was about 27 amendments.

    “What that tells you is that from the outset the framers of our constitution knew they were not giving a perfect document.

    “Nobody ever has a perfect document, that is why they still do incremental amendment and that at some points, they will be near perfection.

    “Section 9 of our Constitution also anticipated that a time will come where there will be several agitations questioning some issues in the constitution and how we should address that.

    “We believe that we have assembled the best brains to do this job and have provided the only mode for the alterations of the Constitution. All they provided for is incremental alterations.”

  • How we spent COVID-19 funds so far – FG

    How we spent COVID-19 funds so far – FG

    Prince Clem Agba, Minister of State, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, on Thursday gave a breakdown of the COVID-19 expenditure in the country.

    Agba revealed this at the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) Conference organised by Connected Development (CODE) in partnership with BudgIT civil society organisation in Abuja.

    According to Agba, of the N500 billion COVID-19 funds, N288 billion has been released to implementing agencies to support programmes and Federal Government, while the Ministry is now in the process of releasing additional sum to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    “The total package includes, N500billion stimulus from special federal government account in the budget, and a N1.8 trillion through financial institutions.

    “From the N500 billion stimuli from the revised 2020 budget there is provision of 126 billion to build resilience health system in Nigeria to prevent possible loss of lives.

    “The government set out to improve health infrastructure by building molecular labs in 52 federal medical centres and teaching hospitals across the country.

    “Others include provision of isolation centres, paying hazard allowance for health professionals, providing personal protective equipment for security agencies and hospitals to continue their operations supporting agencies like the NCDC, NAFDAC among others to play their roles in combating this pandemic.’’

    Agba said that a total of 522 ICU beds were provided amounting to 10 ICU beds in each of the 52 federal medical centers and teaching hospitals across the country.

    He said that the Federal Government also took measures to support states respond to the pandemic, adding that in the first instance, 50 per cent of the 500 billion was released to the various responsible agencies.

    He added that each of the 36 states including the FCT were given a billion Naira to help fight COVID-19 except for Lagos that got 10 billion and Kano that got 5 billion due to their population.

    “Most of the MDAs received at least 50 per cent of the budget for projects, like Ministry of Agriculture which has N34 billion as budget for rural roads was given 50 per cent of that amount and they were also given 50 per cent of the amount for land preparation which is N1.25 billion.

    “The mass rural electrification and solar power strategy had N6.2 billion released to them FERMA received 30 billion for bridges and major roads, Ministry of Trade and Investment got N75 billion MSME programmes, while federal medical centres with about N49 billion budget received 50 per cent of that amount allocated .’’

    Agba said that the government also put all loan repayment by the various state governments on hold, this included repayment of both the principal loan and the accrued interest.

    He said that this was to stimulate the economy and prevent job loss, adding that the plan included supporting micro small and medium enterprises through survival funds.

    He said that this provision included MSME guaranteed uptake simulation scheme that was to sustain 300,000 jobs in 100,000 MSME by generating uptake and priority products ,extending payroll supports and establishing facilities in all six geopolitical zones.

    He said that the establishment of the MSME survival fund was to also sustain 700,000 jobs in 140,000 MSME and 1500 self employed individuals through grants in all six geo political zones.

    Agba said that the government also provided over 12 billion mass rural electrification and solar power and N60 billion for road construction and rehabilitation across the country.

    He added that the public works programmes recruited 1000 persons per local government for the 36 states and the FCT resulting in 774,000 persons being employed.

    He said that the president directed the disbursement of COVID-19 cash transfer to additional 1million households as part of the social intervention programmes to protect the vulnerable adding that the register was being updated with the new households ahead of disbursement.

    He said that there was provision for the aviation sector with support to local airlines as well as other aviation business and also provision for post COVID job creation schemes for youths and women .

    Agba said that there were provisions targeted at the agric sector to ensure food and job security and to achieve this, government plans included mapping of farms and farmers registration, site sampling and creating access roads to markets among others.

    He said that this took the form of building more than 300 roads across 266 agro communities for access.

    Agba also took timeout to clarify some misconception about Nigeria’s stimulus response to COVID-19 .

    “It is false, that Nigeria received 5.6 billion dollars as donations towards COVID-19, you know, the pandemic impacted the global oil market which reduced Nigeria’s revenue by about 57 per cent due to reduced oil price.

    “Nigeria obtained these loans of 5.6 billion dollars from the world bank, the IMF, the Islamic development bank and the African development bank as budget financing for the revenue shortfall so they were not donations.

    “The 2.3 trillion stimulus package comprise the N500 billion stimulus from special federal government account in the reversed 2020 budget and N1.8 trillion through CBN interventions to the private sector to stimulate the economy.

    “So the 1.8 trillion are not funds that are going to MDAs ,they are meant for the private sector.’’

    Agba said that other donations in kind, received by the federal government included personal protective equipment ,test kits and 200 ventilations as bilateral support .

    He said that the president approved the release of 70,000 tons of food from the federal strategic grain reserve and they were distributed to state governments as palliatives for distribution to citizens .

    He, therefore, said that it should not be said that federal government was involved in the hoarding of palliatives.

    Agba said that the Federal Government had ensured that several accountability mechanisms were put in place to guarantee the proper utilisation of these funds and an app was being developed to help citizens keep abreast with the utilization of these funds.

    Chief Executive Officer, CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said that the conference was organised in partnership with BudgiT ,to point the torch on the role of state actors, stakeholders, civil society organisations and citizens in the accountability process of the COVID-19 intervention Funds.

    Lawal said that CSOs were very much concerned with expenditure knowing that there was a short fall of revenue and knowing that there was increase in unemployment.

    He said that data revealed that there was an increase in loan both from IMF and other multilaterals adding that “we have not seen a clear cut strategy from government on how these loans would be paid.

    “How the government is engaging young people and how are they planning to pay back the loan, how is the government using this loan?

    “We are not satisfied with the implementation of COVID-19 funds and how the government is providing palliatives and stimulus plans, when you put side by side the resources released and what is happening on ground definitely we are not satisfied.’’

    Lawal expressed hope that deliberations at the conference would go a long way to amend some things , because since the beginning of the COVID-19 ,there had not been any meeting like this that brought key stakeholders particularly government officials saddled with the responsibility to oversee the disbursement of COVID-19 resources together.

    “So I am excited that CODE in partnership with budgiT is able to bring stakeholders together and get government officials answer critical questions to provide directions.

    “This is because with the advent of fake news and misinformation, it is pertinent that government is able to respond proactively to provide timely information for citizens so that we can remain united as we fight the pandemic.’’

  • Edo Government threatens to shut down ongoing National Sports Festival today over lack of funds, support from FG

    Edo Government threatens to shut down ongoing National Sports Festival today over lack of funds, support from FG

    The Governor Obaseki led Edo State Government, hosts of the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin, will shut down the 13-day event by 12 noon Thursday, an official said late Wednesday.

    Musa Ebomhiana, Project Manager with the Media and Communications Sub-Committee of the festival’s Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the decision was necessitated by Federal Government’s refusal to fulfill a promise.

    He said the Federal Government failed to support the state with funds as promised, and the state government had no choice other than shutting down the festival.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this decision was taken aften an emergency meeting of the festival’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) headed by the Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

    “You can quote me, that we just finished from an emergency meeting of the LOC, and as I speak with you we have decided to shut down the festival by 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday).

    “The decision was arrived at because the Federal Government has reneged on its promise to assist the state with funds.

    “Because of that, we are closing the festival,” Ebomhiana stated.

    He however did not disclosed how the LOC was going to shut down the festival.

    NAN could not get the reaction of the festival organisers, the Main Organising Committee (MOC), to this development as at the time of this report.

    It could not also get the reaction of the festival’s owners, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

    John Joshua-Akanji, an aide of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, however responded immediately he was contacted.

    The Special Assistant on Media to the minister urged NAN to get across to the MOC’s Secretary, Peter Nelson, who could however not be reached.

    NAN reports that Edo had solicited financial support from the Federal Government for it to play host to the other states of the federation and the FCT.

    It had hinged its demand upon the inconveniences brought about by the several postponements of the festival which was earlier billed for March 2020.

    The postponements were as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The rescheduled festival had commenced on April 2 to last till April 14, and if it was shut down on Thursday it would just be in its seventh day.

  • Buhari will soon approach NASS for more funds to combat insecurity – Fayemi

    Buhari will soon approach NASS for more funds to combat insecurity – Fayemi

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi on Monday said that the sponsors of insurgency in the Northeast geo-political zone are also behind banditry in the Northwest and kidnapping in the Southwest.

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) spoke with reporters in Abuja on National security, shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Villa.

    He also disclosed that the President would soon approach the National Assembly for more funding for arms for the Armed forces to successfully combat insecurity.

    He however, said military operations should be combined with an investigation into the causes of insecurity, political will by the leadership and concrete action in tackling the crisis.

    Fayemi said the Armed Forces should also unite in their bid to successfully fight the war.

    He said poverty, inequality, social disconnection between leadership and the youth, which had rendered the youth available to derailing tendencies, should also be addressed.

    While commending President Buhari for effective changes in the nation’s security architecture, he clarified that the step would not automatically bring answers to the security questions, until other required factors are combined with the military solution.

    He said: “Two or three days ago, all the service chiefs came together to issue a statement that we are accountable to our Chief of Defence Staff, that’s a very significant position to take because we know what has been the source of inter service rivalry in our military, which then tends to affect performance on the field, where the air force does not communicate with the army and yet they’re supposed to be involved in the same war against insurgency.

    The President has already informed the National Assembly that they will be receiving a special request from him on procurement of equipment on an accelerated basis for our security services, because that was one of the issues that we put before him and he was very categorical that yes, we have a point.

    “Some of the equipment that had been procured are on the way, they haven’t arrived, but they will soon arrive. There is also a need to buy more equipment and he is going into government-to-government partnership with a number of countries and that would necessitate an accelerated clearance from the National Assembly.

    Fayemi added: “ I also don’t think we’re naive enough to think that it’s simply a military action that will resolve all these security challenges. They have root causes and the root causes require political will, political action on our part against poverty, against inequality, against the disconnections between our youth and the government because these are some of the things that have pushed younger people into harm’s way and into becoming cannon fodder for those who don’t have the interest of our country at heart and I ready to destroy the country.

    “There is a direct correlation between insurgency in the Northeast and what we’re seeing manifesting itself as banditry in the Northwest, or kidnapping in the Southwest. Some of the people involved in these are also the ones responsible for insurgency.

    “They are using the resources that they make from kidnapping for the activities that they’re conducting in the Northeast. So we need to take a comprehensive look at all these things and not treat them in compartments. We must treat them as a comprehensive issue and then tackle them collectively”.

    Fayemi said efforts were being made to resolve the farmers/herders crisis.

    He said: “Farmers need to see concrete action on the ground, dedicated to protecting them in doing their business.

    “That’s why majority of our states are very focused on the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) that would at least confine those who want to graze their cattle to a dedicated space rather than roaming around and destroying crops, which then result in the kind of conflicts that we’ve had between farmers and herders.

    “We have a regular meeting between farmers and herders in the state to define the relationship and promote harmony between both sides, the representatives of the farmers, the ALFAN and the representatives of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, and that has been going reasonably well.

    “ If we don’t take concerted steps to address this, we are definitely going to end up with food shortage in the country”.

    On the controversy over the legislative/judicial autonomy, he said the governors have no case against the principle, adding that they are particularly concerned about getting the framework for the process right.

    Fayemi stressed: “Governors agree, and indeed, very supportive of autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary, but what we were working out is the framework.

    “What we objected to at the time and we made it clear to you too, which was what led to the intervention of Mr. President, that the Chief of Staff should coordinate an exit from that logjam, was that we felt that these were issues that were constitutional in nature and we really did not need an executive order for us to achieve the collective wish of the President, as well as the government.

    “In a matter of one or two weeks, we’ll come out with the full entire gamut of the agreement that we had with the speakers and the representatives of the judiciary in states”, he said.

  • [UPDATED] EXCLUSIVE: CBN commences seizure of funds, closure of cryptocurrency accounts

    [UPDATED] EXCLUSIVE: CBN commences seizure of funds, closure of cryptocurrency accounts

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced the seizure of funds and closure of accounts with history of cryptocurrency trades in the country, TheNewsGuru.com, TNG can authoritatively report.

    TNG recalls that the apex bank last week Friday ordered all banks to close accounts of anyone who transacts in cryptocurrency.

    However TNG observed that the CBN directive does not include forfeiture of funds in the accounts.

    The directive was contained in a circular to banks and other financial institutions, signed on Friday by the Director of Banking Supervision, Bello Hassan.

    “Accordingly, all DMB’s NBFI’s or OFI’s are directed to identify persons and/or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges within their systems and ensure that such accounts are closed immediately.

    “Please, note that breaches of this directive will attract severe regulatory sanctions. This letter is with immediate effect,” the CBN statement read in part.

    TNG reports that a cryptocurrency is a virtual or digital currency that appreciates or depreciates on the whims of market forces.

    A bank customer who trades in cryptocurrency told TNG that he couldn’t access his account and funds in one of the new generation banks since Tuesday.

    ‘I got to the bank on Tuesday to move my money to another bank but was told the CBN has frozen the money in account. As it stands now, I can’t open another account with the bank nor operate the old account and my funds are frozen,’ he said.

    A snapshot of one of the closed accounts by CBN order. NB: Details of account owner withheld

    Another bank customer said he was denied of his funds in an account he never used for cryptocurrency trading before.

    “I use a separate account for trading and keeping funds. When I got to the bank I use for trading, they said the account was already closed. I went to the bank where I keep funds, those ones said CBN has taken over the funds and accounts. Isn’t this madness?’, he quizzed.

    Confirming the development, a bank official who does not want to be named said the CBN directives to banks also affects accounts that have history of cryptocurrency trading.

    “Accounts with history of cryptocurrency trading that have now stopped are also affected. Its not the bank’s policy but the CBN’s, and it has to be obeyed to the letter,’ he said.

    Some cryptocurrency accounts still functional

    Findings by TNG revealed that not all the cryptocurrency trading accounts have been closed. TNG gathered from reliable industry source that only account holders (corporate and individual) that indicated dealing in cryptocurrency trading while filling the account opening forms are closed for now.

    ‘Another reason your account gets blocked is when someone makes transfer and put crypto or any crypto name in the comment. It will get shut almost immediately,’ the source explained.

    Meanwhile, TNG also gathered that some commercial banks are not yet following the CBN directives. Some customers said as at yesterday (Wednesday) they still traded in cryptocurrency from their accounts.

    Efforts by TNG to reach officials of the apex bank for comments was not successful as at press time.

  • US Poll: Trump’s campaign runs out of funds

    US Poll: Trump’s campaign runs out of funds

    U.S. President Donald Trump campaign machine is in the throes of a cash crunch, forcing it to pull back television advertising in some crucial states.

    A flustered Trump will now embark on a heavier fundraising schedule in coming weeks, seeking money from small and big donors, a strategy that his Democratic rival Joe Biden has been using.

    Trump’s campaign started the year with more than 10 times as much money as Democratic rival Joe Biden.

    But to the alarm of some Republican donors, the former vice president closed the gap as Democratic donors consolidated behind him and the Trump campaign burned through its cash more quickly.

    Biden, who leads Trump in most national and battleground state polling ahead of the Nov. 3 election, had about $99 million in the bank to Trump’s $121 million by the end of July, according to disclosures by each side’s campaign.

    But in August, Biden outraised Trump nearly $365 million to $210 million in August.

    “I am flabbergasted that the money lead we had in February has completely evaporated,” said Dan Eberhart, a Republican fundraiser and executive in the oil and gas industry who cut a $100,000 check to the Trump Victory Fund in June.

    Trump this week said his campaign had to spend millions on advertisements earlier this year to fight the impression that he mishandled the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 194,000 Americans and devastated the U.S. economy.

    A couple of donors questioned whether the campaign’s purchase of a multi-million dollar ad during the Super Bowl in February so far ahead of the election, as well as ads in the heavily Democratic Washington, D.C. market in June, were more about Trump’s vanity than strategy.

    Eberhart said some of the campaign’s recent actions, including buying ads in few-day increments as opposed to weekly and going dark in some states for a stretch, suggested the campaign now faces a cash pinch.

    Bill Stepien, who became Trump’s campaign manager in July, told reporters this week that the campaign was “very comfortable and confident in how we’re spending and where we’re spending.”

    Biden is poised to outspend Trump on ads in the final weeks of the race.

    The Democrat’s campaign has booked about $181 million in television and radio ad spending between September and November, compared to $156 million by the Trump campaign, according to ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics.

    The current bookings show Biden will spend more than Trump in battleground states North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin. Trump is slated to outspend Biden in Florida and Ohio.

    Stepien said in a statement that the incumbent’s campaign has invested heavily in a field operation and ground game aimed at turning out voters “while the Biden campaign is waging almost exclusively an air war.”

    “We like our strategy better,” Stepien said.

    In the final stretch of the race, the Trump campaign will increase its outreach to donors of all means, advisers said.

    Trump’s weekend agenda includes meeting with deep-pocketed donors on Saturday in Washington and on Sunday in Las Vegas, where an event is expected to raise $4 million.

  • Buhari orders CBN not to release funds for food, fertilizer importation

    Buhari orders CBN not to release funds for food, fertilizer importation

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN ”not to issue a kobo” of the country’s reserves for the importation of food items and fertilizer.

    This is as the Federal Government rolls out the Economic Sustainability Plan and sets goal for National Food Security.

    At a meeting of the National Food Security Council at the State House, Abuja, Buhari restated his earlier verbal directive to the apex bank, saying he would pass it down in writing that ”nobody importing food should be given money.”

    Emphasizing the need to boost local agriculture, the President said: “From only three operating in the country, we have 33 fertilizer blending plants now working. We will not pay a kobo of our foreign reserves to import fertilizer. We will empower local producers.”

    Buhari also directed that blenders of fertilizer should convey products directly to State governments so as to skip the cartel of transporters undermining the efforts to successfully deliver the products to users at reasonable costs.

    The President advised private businesses bent on food importation to source their foreign exchange independently, saying ”use your money to compete with our farmers”, instead of using foreign reserves to bring in compromised food items to divest the efforts of our farmers.

    ”We have a lot of able-bodied young people willing to work and agriculture is the answer. We have a lot to do to support our farmers,” Buhari said.

    The meeting, chaired by the President with other key members of the Council in attendance, was briefed on the food security situation prevailing in the country.

    Notably, the Vice Chairman of the council and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and a Governor from each of the six geo-political zones – Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kebbi, made presentations.

    The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, outlined measures introduced by the administration to tackle the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation as contained in the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).

    Among others, the Minister highlighted that the government would facilitate the cultivation of 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of new farmland in every State and support off-take of agro-processing to create millions of direct and indirect job opportunities.

    She also listed the creation of 774,000 direct jobs for a minimum of 1,000 young Nigerians in each local government, the construction of 300,000 homes every year to give a boost to jobs through the construction industry, as well as the connection of 25 million new users of electricity with the installation of Solar Home System (SHS) targeting 5 million households.

    Ahmed also briefed on the joint investment with the World Bank to provide intervention fund to States to improve health infrastructure.

    She said to ease existing financial hardships among the people, the government is also coming up with low-interest loans for mechanics, tailors, artisans, petty traders and other informal business operators.

    The Minister added that the Federal Government would equally provide support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to help them keep their employees and boost local manufacturing.

    Ahmed explained that from the recently approved N2.3 trillion stimulus recommended by the NESP, there will be expansion of broadband connectivity to boost job opportunities in the digital economy, a planned expansion of the National Social Investment Programmes including increase in the number of beneficiaries such as the cash transfer beneficiaries, N-Power Volunteers, the Market Moni and Trader Moni schemes.

    In his presentation, the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono told the Council that the nation expects a bumper harvest of food items despite floods in the north and drought in the south.

    He quoted the latest market surveys to show that the recent hike in the price of commodities is being reversed.

    On his part, Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, reported the negative impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihood of citizens, while the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd) expressed the hope of an early reopening of the partially closed borders given the progress made with neighbouring States in joint border patrols – one of the key conditions by Nigeria for reopening of the borders.

  • BREAKING: TheNewsGuru, Punch, 14 other Nigerian publications listed for Google’s Emergency Relief Funds

    BREAKING: TheNewsGuru, Punch, 14 other Nigerian publications listed for Google’s Emergency Relief Funds

    The Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Fund has announced it is supporting 16 Nigerian publications with funding.

    Launched in April, the JERF serves to help local publishers facing financial hardship as a result of the economic and advertising downturn.

    “JERF has provided $39.5m in funding to publishers in 115 countries in the past few months,” says Ludovic Blecher, Head of Google News Initiative Innovation.

    “The money is being applied in diverse and creative ways from ensuring basic reporting needs, giving emergency stipends to allow reporters to cover the crisis, to driving audience engagement and generating subscriptions.

    Additionally, a significant number also said they are prioritising a need for cultural change, including a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as organisational and business management changes.”

    Within the first two weeks of launch, JERF had received applications from 12,000 publishers across the globe, with newsroom sizes ranging from an average of 20 in Asia Pacific to eight in North America.

    “The massive response gave us the opportunity to understand what ‘local’ means in different parts of the globe and how dynamics ranging from newsroom size to ownership structure can differ depending on the region and the kinds of communities served,” Blecher says.

    According to an optional reader revenue survey GNI conducted: “Advertising continues to be the sole source of revenue for most recipients with 50% claiming to be totally advertising dependent.

    “The survey also showed that less than 30% operate some form of a paywall while less than 18% rely on community contributions or memberships to support their journalism.

    “However, the situation is changing with 60% of the recipients planning to diversify their revenue streams through developing subscription, membership or contribution models.”

    Blecher added: “The pandemic has affected everyone and local news organisations have been at the forefront in helping their communities navigate COVID.

    “At the Google News Initiative, we are trying to play our part with this funding and other initiatives as we all work towards the common goal of a sustainable, innovative and diverse news ecosystem globally.”

    Beneficiaries of the Fund in Nigeria are Aledeh.com, City Mirror News, Daily Nigerian, News Wire NGR, Lagos Post Media, Newsfeed Nigeria, Premium Times and Sundiata Post.

    Others are Sunrise Newspaper, Tell Magazine, The Daily Times, The Daily Report, The Eagle Online, The Median, TNG and The Punch (including Saturday Punch, Sunday Punch and Punch Online).

  • COVID-19: Beware of this ‘FG lockdown funds’

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has warned Nigerians using the cyber space to beware of fake websites leveraging COVID-19 pandemic to defraud unsuspecting citizens.

    Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations of the agency gave the warning on Tuesday in a statement in Abuja.

    “In NITDA’s efforts at ensuring a safe and secure Nigerian cyberspace, the agency’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) identified a number of websites using various phishing tricks to attract internet users.

    “One of such tricks is misinforming the public that Federal Government has approved the disbursement of funds under a fictitious vote called Lockdown Funds.

    “This malicious site requires the user to complete an online form with their personal information including bank details for the payment to be effected,” she said.

    Umar said that NITDA was doing everything possible to shut down the identified malicious websites and sanction the perpetrators.

    According to her, the general public should disregard and report any such websites to the agency for necessary action.

    “Also, in NITDA’s efforts to checkmate cyber security threats and possible data breach under Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), internet users are advised to avoid giving out their personal information to anyone online.

    “It is advisable to avoid clicking unknown links, disregard offers requesting for their bank details and know what to do when they become victims of cybercrime,” she said.

    She called on well-meaning Nigerians to intensify their efforts toward supporting the Federal Government in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Umar encouraged Nigerians to strictly adhere to the recommendations given by health experts, and follow updates from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

    “Adhere to guidelines by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant agencies involved in the management of the pandemic,” she said.