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Tag: Grant

  • Creativity Day: FG grants 5 innovators N10m seed fund

    Creativity Day: FG grants 5 innovators N10m seed fund

    The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja granted N10 million as seed fund to five innovators that emerged winners in the World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) challenge.

    The five startup winners emerged among over 800 entries made for the challenge and received N2 million each.

    The winners were Muhammed Bature for Schoola Limited, Jeremiah Kuro for Blieu-1 Automations Limited and Nwachinemere Emeka for Kitovu Technology Company with an app that allowed market access for farmers.

    Others are Ajiboye Mayowa, Co-founder Computer Based Test Nigeria with Education Technology app that provided easy computer based testing platform for public servants, students and more at the comfort of their homes, and Izu Freeman for Capsule company.

    Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, while presenting the seed funds to the winners, urged them to be consistent in their creativity, adding that the path to innovation is painstaking.

    “Today we are awarding five best startups that participated among over 800 people in the innovation challenge to mark the WCID.

    “The Federal Government through NITDA is giving them the sum of N2 million along with letter of commendation and they will also be part of NITDA’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scheme.

    “We are going to monitor their progress, encourage them to be consistent and also want you to partake in critical thinking that will bring success,” he said.

    The minister added that the federal government was working toward developing the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy that would aid innovative ideas and startups in the country.

    Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA, said that innovation was the major development force of any nation.

    Inuwa explained innovation as the ability to invent and drive those inventions toward commercialisation and job creation.

    “Innovations, particularly market-creating innovations have the potential to transform nations and lift them out of poverty.

    “Market-creating innovation pulls infrastructure and investments that can transform the economy and create prosperity,” the NITDA boss said

    He said that the telecommunications industry was the most vibrant economic sector in the continent, hence transforming societies and providing jobs to millions of citizens by creating new markets and opportunities.

    Inuwa recalled that the Startup Genome, the world-leading innovation policy advisory and research firm and a survey on Nigerian Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), said there was about 6,500 MSMEs, some in the digital, with Lagos having about 700 digital innovation registered businesses worth over two billion dollars.

    He pointed out that NITĎA had identified innovation as a critical tool for implementing the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy.

    He reiterated that the government was committed to fostering digital innovation culture among Nigerians, for youths to boost their innovative capacity, Catch Them-Young programme for kids targeted at orienting Nigerian kids to become active players in the digital technology space.

    “We are recalibrating our activities to focus on strengthening the innovation ecosystem, promote the adoption of emerging technologies for sustainable development, digital job creation, and promoting Nigerian content development and adoption,” he said.

    The WCID challenge organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was part of activities to mark the global day usually celebrated on April 21.

    The global day has as its theme; “Inspiring Creativity and Innovation in the Nigerian Digital Economy”.

    The UN designated April 21 of every year as WCID to raise awareness on the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development and means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals agenda.

    The WCID held concurrently with the NITDA 20th year anniversary.

  • Nigeria receives $15m grant for safe school reopening

    Nigeria receives $15m grant for safe school reopening

    The Federal Ministry of Education says Nigeria has received 15 million dollars response grant from the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) for COVID-19 safe school reopening across the country.

    Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, Director, Basic and Secondary Education in the ministry, said this on Wednesday in Bauchi, at a Cluster Mobilisation and Sensitisation Meetings on COVID-19 Protocols, Surveillance and Safe School Reopening Readiness.

    Abdulkadir was represented on the occasion by Mr Achede Owoicho, Deputy Director, Basic and Secondary Education and the Focal person for the GPE.

    The workshop is initiated with the support of the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF).

    Abdulkadir noted that through the grants, UNICEF had sent WASH and ICT materials to 16 states for preparation of digital lessons and online teaching.

    She stated that the ministry had engaged with the GPE during the pandemic, and we were told to apply for a grant to support recovery in the education sector.

    “At the end of our engagement with the GPE, a 15 million-dollar grant was given to Nigeria as part of the COVID-19 response grant for the country.

    “UNICEF was chosen as the grant agent to receive the monies and disburse, since global players do not give their money directly to the government,’’ she said.

    Abdulkadir noted that the ministry also ran a 100 million dollars Nigeria Partnership for Education project, also being funded by the GPE in Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Jigawa and Katsina.

    She said the project was meant to improve access and quality of basic education in the five states with emphasis on girls’ education for five years (2016-2020).

    “The target of the project was initially to bring 80,000 girls back to school via girls’ scholarship, but at the end, 417,200 girls were brought back to school in those five states.

    “Also, over 43,000 schools got grants to make their schools conducive for learning while 15,000 teachers, who did not have teaching qualification of National Certificate in Education (NCE) were given scholarship.

    “ It is on that premise that the GPE deemed it fit for Nigeria to apply for the 15 million dollars COVID-19 response grant, after using the 100 million dollars judiciously.’’

    Abdulkadir stated that the ministry was presently sending its members of staff to the states for effective distribution and monitoring of the utilisation of the grant.

    She, therefore, commended the GPE for approving Nigeria’s application for assistance for fund, to mitigate the loss of learning time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Also, Mrs Mairama Dikwa, Education Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Office, said it was the collective responsibility of all, especially the state government, to ensure strategies were put in place amidst emergency.

    Dikwa called for the support of School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) on awareness of the dangers of not securing the schools, to make them safe for learning.

    “There has been a negative impact on education as a result of COVID-19, thus disrupting learning.

    “ Inspite of all these challenges, UNICEF with other stakeholders put in place measures to ensure learning continues, by working extensively on home-based programmes to ensure learning continues.

    “In other words, to ensure safety in all our schools, it is the responsibility of all.

    “The SBMC needs to support the government’s efforts to make sure safety in the school is enhanced,’’ she said.

    Dikwa, however, highlighted UNICEF’s commitment to continued support to mobilise women in all states, to ensure safe school reopening.

  • UNILAG VC wins €38,000 Global Biodiversity Information Facility grant

    UNILAG VC wins €38,000 Global Biodiversity Information Facility grant

    The Vice- Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and another botanist, Dr Temitope Onuminya, have won 2021 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) grants.
    Mrs Nonye Oguama, a Principal Assistant Registrar, Corporate Affairs of the institution, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
    According to Oguama, the awards are part of the 2021 Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme, funded by the European Union.
    Ogundipe, a Professor of Botany, won a national level grant of 38,000 euros for his project proposal: “Implementation of the Biodiversity Information and Data System for Coastal Ecosystem in Nigeria”.
    Onuminya, on the other hand, won an institutional level grant of 18,850 euros for implementation of a BID project proposal: “Expanding the Visibility of the Lagos Herbarium through Digitisation and Mobilisation of Plant Specimen Data”.
    ”The university of Lagos is rejoicing with them (mentor and mentee) and wishes them successful implementation of their proposals,” Oguama said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the GBIF, an international organisation with Secretariat in Copenhagen, focuses on making scientific data on biodiversity available through the internet.
    It provides human resources and technical infrastructure enabling publication of and access to large volumes of data gathered over centuries about the earth’s species.
  • Google earmarks $25m grant for girls in Africa

    Google earmarks $25m grant for girls in Africa

    Google.org on Monday announced that it had earmarked $25m grant funding for its new Global Impact Challenge (GIC) for Women and Girls in Africa.

    Juliet Ehimuan, Country Director, Google Nigeria, said at a virtual event to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD) that Google was also reinforcing its commitment to the empowerment of women and girls on the continent.

    She said building on their previous work in gender equity – with grantees like the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Laboratoria and GiveDirectly – Google.org was seeking applications from organisations in Africa and around the world.

    Ehimuan said that the GIC for Women and Girls, which would provide $25 million in overall cash grants to nonprofits and social enterprises, follows initiatives such as the 2019 Africa launch of Women Will, Google’s initiative to create opportunities for women, and Google’s #IamRemarkable workshop series.

    ‘’Grantees, who will be announced later this year, are eligible to receive funding ranging from $300,000 to $2 million, selected organisations will also receive capacity building support and mentoring from Googlers,’’ she said.

    The country Director said over the past five years, Google.org had given over $55 million in cash grants to non-profit organisations that support gender equity and access to opportunity for women and girls around the world.

    She said that empowering women and girls in Africa to reach their full economic potential, and to thrive, was more critical now than ever as they bear the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Quoting the Foresight Africa report 2021, Ehimuan said it confirmed that the coronavirus has “exacerbated already-existing gender inequalities, laying bare serious fault lines in safety, physical and mental health, education, domestic responsibilities, and employment opportunities”.

    She said that despite decades of work aimed at achieving gender equality, the disparity between men and women not only remains – it is growing alarmingly, thanks largely to the global pandemic, the report warned.

    According to her, the GIC for Women and Girls was focused on changing the status quo, that job cuts, income losses and lack of education, were not simply side-effects of the pandemic, but would negatively impact the economic strides made by women and girls for many years to come.

    “As economies and societies rebuild, we need bold new ideas that will propel us forward. We cannot afford to go back to the way things were, and we certainly can’t do it alone.

    The country director added that we have a collective responsibility to ensure that generations of women and girls from all walks of life—no matter their race, sexual orientation, religion or socioeconomic status—live in a world where they are treated equally and can realise their full potentials.

    Ehimuan said when women and girls have the tools, resources and opportunities to turn their potential into power, this not only changes the trajectory of their individual lives, but also strengthens entire communities.

    ‘If we lift up women and girls, the rest of the world will rise, too,” Ehimuan said.

    She said organisations have until Friday, April 2, 2021 at 11:59pm GMT to submit their applications at g.co/womenandgirlschallenge.

    An all-female panel of expert Google executives and world / business leaders, including Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women; Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on SDGs, among others, would preside over the application review and selection process once application closes, Ehimuan said.

  • Google announces $1 million pan African grant, launches Internet Awesome

    Google on Tuesday announced the launch of a $1 million pan-African Google.org fund to support innovative ideas around privacy, trust and the safety of families online across sub-Saharan Africa.

    Seember Nyager, Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google Nigeria, said at the 16th annual Safer Internet Day (SID) “that Google was committed to a safe internet for children, as well as the empowerment of organisations who shared the commitment.

    “The fund will be administered by a third-party partner on behalf of Google.org, and we will be sharing details on application criteria and deadlines soon.

    “Google would look to support initiatives across Africa and be administered by a trusted partner.

    “Details of how to apply, deadlines and criteria will be made available in due course.”

    According to her, beyond our own products, we also want to help kids learn how to be safer, more confident explorers of the online world.

    “Today, we join the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to hold SID events in 36 states towards empowering teachers, parents and younger children to better understand and navigate the Web with confidence.

    “Google also announced ‘Be Internet Awesome’, in Nigeria, Abuja, Netherlands, South Africa today, and earlier in Kenya, which is a landmark child online safety programme,’’ she said.

    Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head of Brand and Reputation, Africa at Google, said that Internet Awesome seeks to help minors explore the internet safely and confidently.

    She said that Google was excited to strengthen the work being done with parents and children in the field of online safety in Nigeria.

    She said in addition to Family Link, which allowed parents to help their families develop healthy digital habits, Google also launched Password Checkup exactly one year ago to empower users to check and strengthen online security settings for their Google Accounts.

    “Be Internet Awesome teaches kids important skills for surfing the internet, like how to recognise potential online scams, using the internet securely and safeguarding valuable information.

    “(It teaches) how to identify and refrain from cyberbullying, as well as what to do when encountering questionable content on the internet.’’

    Nkemdilim Ilo, CEO, Public Private Development Centre, (PPDC) said that SID brings schools, parents, teachers and industry together to make sure children have the power, information and resilience they need to make safe and informed choices online.

    She said that this year, PPDC was particularly pleased with the support of Google and the Government.

    According to her, we have been able to infuse online safety courses into the Nigerian school curriculum.

    “This will teach children the practical and emotional skills they need as they navigate their way through the digital world.”

    Dr Garba Abari, D-G, NOA said that “SID provides a great opportunity to promote internet safety across a range of audience and it’s an event which the agency strongly support.’’

    Abari, represented by Mette Edokobi, said that the agency was really glad to collaborate with Google and our reliable partners, PPDC, to launch “The Digital Parenting Initiative.

    He said it was a programme aimed at educating guardians, teachers and families on online tools that bring families together to learn, have fun and be safe online.

    According to him, we are excited to strengthen the work we have been doing with parents and children in the field of online safety in Nigeria.

    SID was organised by the Public and Private Development Centre, National Orientation Agency in partnership with Google.

  • 36 states, FCT to access World Bank’s $750m loan, grant soon – FG

    The Federal Government has disclosed that 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, will soon access World Bank’s $750 million loan and grant facility.

    This was made known by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, while addressing the 7th Community of Practice (CoP) made up of State Commissioners of Planning and Budgeting, in Abuja, with theme, ‘Achieving Realism in State and Federal Budgets for Effective Service Delivery’, as contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance on Media and Communications, Paul Ella Abechi.

    Ahmed, who was the founder of CoP in September 2016, as then Minister of State for Budget and National Planning was invited to speak on issues concerning the CoP, where she expressed optimism that states will continue with their fiscal responsibility which will serve as platform to access the loan and grant from the World Bank.

    The Community of Practice meetings enhance the State Commissioners of Planning and Budget’s capabilities in performing their functions, and serve as platforms for facilitating peer learning and information exchange, strengthening coordination, collaboration and networking.

    Issues being discussed at the 7th CoP meeting include expanding the forum beyond the current membership to include the Minister of Finance and Commissioners of Finance from States for better coordination of planning, budget and public finances.

    She said: “During the course of these meetings we had the benefit of hosting the World Bank and several other opportunities including the Governors’ Forum. During the course of this exercise, the Ministry of Finance had to on instruction from the President provide bailouts to the state because at one point states were not able to pay salaries.

    “Part of the conditions that was given for those bailouts is a fiscal responsibility plan which needed to be implemented for the state to continue to be qualified to access the funds that the Federal Government was giving.

    “This FSP was quite successful because as a result of that we saw improvements in the public financial management in a lot of states, some of which is evident in the increase in the IGR and also the increase in the frequency of the preparation of financial statement in the availability of budget that used to never been found anywhere.

    “This year, it was so good that the World Bank said this group has done well and therefore we are going to give $750million in the form of concession loans and grant which will be available soon for the states to access.

    “We are in the process of going to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to get the approval; the World Bank on its own has already approved this and others. So we hope that you will continue to implement your fiscal responsibility so that you will qualify for this facility as well as the grant.

    “And those principles agreed by NEC are still as relevant today as they were in 2016. So I want to urge the CoP to ensure that the monitoring aspect of this is still continuing in one way or the other.”

    She also charged the CoP to make monitoring of the process of implementation of budget as cardinal, because it would benefit and enhance what they are doing to improve the standard of living of the people in their states.

    “Let me add that the need for monitoring is beneficial because it will enhance process improvement, it will also help us to refocus ourselves as well as our principles to stay on those commitments that are made, but most importantly it will enhance public service delivery to the citizens”, she stated.

  • Nigerian-American dancer awarded $625k MacArthur ‘genius’ grant

    Nigerian-American dancer awarded $625k MacArthur ‘genius’ grant

    Rising Nigerian dancer, Okwui Okpokwasili, was among the 25 individuals from across the world to be awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellow.
    The prominent fellowship is popularly known as “genius grants”.
    Okpokwasili, 46, joins other Nigerian creatives like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Njideka Crosby Akunyili, who have received the award in the past.
    A multi-disciplinary performer whose work interconnects with theatre, dance and art, Okpokwasili is the child of immigrants in the US.
    She was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She holds a degree from Yale University and is currently a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts.
    Some of her works captures protests through performative visual art and have referenced the #BringBackOurGirls movement and also the 1929 Aba women’s riot.
    Okpokwasili choreographed and danced in the music video for Jay-Z’s 2017 confessional album, ‘4.44’.
    Okwui was recognised by the MacArthur Foundation for “making visible the interior lives of women whose stories of resistance and resilience have been left out of dominant cultural narratives”.
     

     

  • FG pays N5, 000 monthly grant to 10,623 vulnerable persons in Kaduna

    A total of 10,623 extremely poor and vulnerable persons in Kaduna State have been selected to receive N5, 000 monthly under the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme.

    The beneficiaries, whose age range from 25-90 were selected from nine local government areas in the state.

    Those selected represents 30 percent of the extremely poor and vulnerable persons in the selected local areas.

    The scheme is part of the National Social Investment Programme of the Buhari administration and plans to reach 80 million poor Nigerians in the long run.

    So far, 455,857 poor and vulnerable households have been uploaded onto the National Social Register, from which 297,973 households have been mined and are being paid stipends in 20 States.

    The states are Jigawa, Bauchi, Kogi, Osun, Cross River, Anambra, Katsina, Kano, Taraba, Gombe, Adamawa, Niger, Nassarawa, Benue, Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Borno, Kaduna and Plateau.

    Under the conditional cash transfer scheme, 2,495 community facilitator have been trained to assist the beneficiaries to form cooperatives and give them basic financial training, skills and support.

    At the event in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Hassan Usman emphasised that the scheme would run for three years.

    He said that the beneficiaries were selected from Ikara, Kubau, Lere, Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kauru and Sanga Local Government Areas.

    One of the beneficiaries, Hauwa Musa, 80, expressed gratitude to the government for the support.

    The beneficiaries were paid N10, 000 each as payments for February and March.

     

  • FG approves extra N420 million grant for Nollywood

    The Federal Government says it has released N420.2 million to the Nigeria film industry popularly called Nollywood to improve and support aspiring practitioners.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Patricia Deworitshe, on Friday in Abuja, the money, which is the second payment to the sector, will help 105 film distributors.

    The government had earlier introduced the “Project Act Nollywood’’, with three primary components aimed at developing the movie making value chain.

    The components are the Film Production Fund (FPF), Capacity Building Fund (CBF) and Innovative Distribution Fund (IDF).

    The FPF and CBF have been fully implemented, while the IDF, which is the third component of the project, is on-going.

    The IDF covers online, National, Regional and community categories of Nollywood Film distribution and exhibition.

    The objectives of IDF are to improve the distribution network of Nigerian Audio-Visual contents, cut down on piracy, create jobs, and protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) within the Nigerian Entertainment Industry.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that N1.8 billion was approved for disbursement to 106 beneficiaries in this component; and N1.335 billion was disbursed earlier in the year as first tranche to 105 beneficiaries.

    Mrs. Deworitshe said before the release of the second tranche, the finance ministry had carried out a successful monitoring and evaluation of the first tranche disbursement.

    “Fifteen community cinemas and viewing centres have been established through the grant and this has improved the distribution network of movies in Nigeria.

    “The programme has supported 18 firms in strengthening online distribution platforms, this has helped curb illegal downloads and piracy.

    “Two hundred and fifty six permanent jobs and 544 temporary jobs have been created through the financial support provided to 105 beneficiaries by the programme,’’ she said.

    Mrs. Deworitshe said the programme had also aided the extension of the Nollywood Industry to sub-Sahara Africa through the funding of National distributors to expand their distribution capacity and network.

    She said through the programme, distributors had expanded their capacity to lip-synching their content in French for onward distribution to the ECOWAS sub-region.

  • FG approves $1.3bn take-off grant for Nigeria Development Bank

    The Federal Executive Council has approved a 1.3 billion dollars loan credit facility for the commencement of the Development Bank of Nigeria.

    The approval came on the heels of a memo submitted by the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun seeking council’s ratification on the loan’s request.

    Adeosun, who briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of FEC meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, said 500 million dollars of the amount would come from the World Bank.

    According to the minister, another 450 million dollars is expected from the African Development Bank, and 200 million dollars from KFW, a financial corporation.

    Adeosun said another 130 million dollars would come from the French Development Agency to make up the 1.3 billion dollars earmarked for the commencement of the bank.

    “As you know, the Development Bank of Nigeria recently received its licence and is being funded by some long term loans from some of our development partners.

    “So the World Bank had given us 500 million dollars repayable over 21 years and all of this is at a concessional rate.

    “The African Development Bank is giving us 450 million dollars and KFW are giving us 200 million dollars and the French Development Agency are giving us 130 million dollars.

    “To access this money, we are ready to disburse but there are two requirements that we need to make and one of them is the legal opinion by the Attorney-General of the Federation and the other is the National Assembly approval.

    “Before it goes to the National Assembly, it needs to be approved by FEC and the FEC simply approved today that these loan requests should go to the National Assembly for approval.

    “So we can access this money and the Development Bank of Nigeria can take off fully as it is expected to transform Financing of our MSMEs sector.

    “The council enthusiastically approved these facilities which are on long term, meaning that the DBN will be able to lend to our MSMEs over much longer periods and at much lower rates.

    “So the impact on the SMEs will be quite considerable.’’

    According to her, the loans are also concessionary with interest rates of less than two per cent and have very long repayment period of up to 21 years.

    The loans are aimed at allowing the bank to lend to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for a longer period with interest rate lower than in commercial banks.

    Adeosun also said that the council approved N550 million contracts to hire project managers and verification consultants for the integration of the military’s payroll into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

    She said that 200,000 military personnel would be integrated into IPPIS.