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  • Why Nigerian youths are not employable – Minister

    Why Nigerian youths are not employable – Minister

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, says most youths are unemployed because of lack of functional skills.

    Ngige said this while declaring open a one-day trade Job, Career and Employability Fair, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The fair was organised by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with the theme: “Promoting Employability, Skills Development and Decent Work’’.

    Ngige, represented by Mrs Tilda Mmegwa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation said all stakeholders must be actively involved in preparing the African workforce for the ‘future of work’.

    According to him, the Nigerian government is conscious of the fact that most of the unemployed are those without functional skills.

    “Our strategy, therefore, is to equip the unemployed youths with market-driven skills, which will facilitate their access to self or paid employment.

    “In recognition of this reality, my ministry is keenly committed to equipping unemployed graduates with entry point competences to make them employable.

    “I am therefore happy to inform you that my ministry is scheduled to train 37,000 unemployed graduates, 1,000 in each of the states of the federation and FCT, on soft skills and marketable resume.

    “In the coming months, we will also train 3,500 unemployed youth in various vocations including fashion design, catering and event management, solar panel and CCTV installation, among others,’’ he said.

    The minister said that each of the trainees would be empowered with starter packs to immediately venture into business.

    He said that the initiatives showcased the commitment of the present administration to provide the young unemployed jobs seekers with the cutting-edge skills to start a self or a paid one.

  • Festus Keyamo loses dad at 83

    Festus Keyamo loses dad at 83

    The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, has lost his father, PA MATTHIAS KEYAMO. Pa Keyamo passed on peacefully at the age of 83 on Saturday, March 5th, 2022 in Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta from where the family hails.

    Born on August 23rd, 1938, in Erovie Quarters in Effurun, Delta State, Pa Matthias Keyamo was later raised in Kaduna and Ilaro, Ogun State where he met and married his wife, Mrs. Caroline Keyamo (nee Ogunjobi).

    They immediately relocated to Ughelli in Delta State where he begat all his children, including the present Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN.

    Burial details will be announced later by the family.

  • Minister hails D ‘Tigress’ qualification for FIBA world cup

    Minister hails D ‘Tigress’ qualification for FIBA world cup

    Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has congratulated the Nigerian national women basketball team, D’Tigress, for picking a ticket to the FIBA Women World Cup.

    The D’ Tigress who are three times Afrobasketball champions beat their Malian opponents 73-69 on Sunday in Serbia to qualify as Africa’s sole representative.

    They had earlier beaten the highly rated, world number five, France 67-65, after losing their opening game to China.

    The minister praised the queens of the court for doing the nation proud and showing dogged determination in all their games.

    The FIBA Women Basketball World Cup will take place on Sydney, Australia in September

  • Minister decries $35,000 Business Registration for Nigerians in Egypt

    Minister decries $35,000 Business Registration for Nigerians in Egypt

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed has decried the 35,000 U.S. dollars (about N19.2 million) deposit being requested by Egyptian Authority from foreigners including Nigerians to operate a business enterprise in that country.

    Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture described the condition as unacceptable during a meeting with the Nigerian community in Cairo.

    Newsmen reports that the meeting was on the sideline of a bilateral discussion with Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on how Nigeria can access funding to support its growing creative industry.

    Newsmen reports that Mohammed had led some private sector stakeholders involved in Digital Switch Over (DSO) to Afreximbank to assist them on how they can source funds to complete the wholly private sector financially driven project.

    Speaking at the meeting organised by the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt, Malam Nura Rimi, the minister said such a condition negates the unity that bound African countries together.

    He, therefore, promised to take the matter up with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema and other relevant bodies upon his return to Nigeria.

    The minister also decries the high number of Nigerian children out of school in Egypt owing to the language barrier and non-availability of registered Nigerian schools in Cairo.

    The Nigerian community had told the minister that the official language for teaching in Egypt is Arabic and the few private schools being run by the British and America in that country were exorbitant.

    They said no fewer than 7,000 Nigerian children in Egypt were out of school and therefore appealed for the construction of a Nigerian school in Cairo.

    They also told the minister that because many of them could not afford the mandatory 35,000 dollars deposit, their businesses had been labelled illegal while they were subjected to regular harassment and arrest by Egyptian security officials.

    Meanwhile, the minister has appealed to the Nigerian community in Egypt to disregard most of the negative news about Nigeria, especially on social media.

    According to him, most of the news being received abroad about Nigeria are fake news, the country is at peace and the people are living harmoniously.

    “There is no country without its challenges, we are facing our own just like Egypt did some. Years back and they are out of it now.

    “In Nigeria, we have the challenge of banditry, Boko Haram, and militants but that does not mean that Nigeria is at war.

    “Nigeria in the last six years has been making tremendous developmental progress in infrastructure development, agriculture, aviation and other fields of endeavour.

    “Unfortunately, the noise of the mischief-makers have drowned the laudable success of the administration

    “I want to assure every one of you here that whatever problem we have in Nigeria has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity,” he said.

    The minister stressed that in spite of the security and economic challenges that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was facing, it recorded tremendous achievements in many areas.

    He listed some of the giant strides of the administration in roads, bridges, rail infrastructure as well as in agriculture, particularly self-sufficiency in rice.

    Newsmen reports that some of the people who responded to the minister’s speech expressed happiness particularly on the rail project and the second Niger bridge which the minister said had reached 78 per cent completion.

    Newsmen reports that the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Paulen Talen also made a presentation at the event.

  • Soft drinks tax to create intervention fund for non-communicable diseases – Minister

    Soft drinks tax to create intervention fund for non-communicable diseases – Minister

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunimbe Mamora, has assured that the imposition of N10 tax per litre of soft drinks by Federal Government was meant to raise intervention funds for the health sector.

    Mamora made this known during a “Pro-Health Tax in Nigeria” Webinar Series entitled: `Does Nigeria Need a Sugar Tax?’.

    The seminar was organised by the Nigeria Health Watch (supported by Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Nigeria Cancer Society) in collaboration with key sector stakeholders.

    Mamora said that proceeds from the tax would be used as intervention fund for the treatment and prevention measures for Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had at the public presentation of the 2022 budget in Abuja announced a N10 per litre tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

    He said that the idea was to create a pull of intervention fund for the care and treatment/preventive measures of NCDs such as Diabetes, Cancer and Cardiovascular ailments.

    According to him, to treat NCDs, such as cancer, costs a lot of money that many Nigerians have lost their love ones due to their inability to afford the treatment.

    “The idea is to create an avenue for sustainability of health financing for Non-communicable diseases.

    “Earmarking such additional revenues for critical population-based health interventions may contribute to rapidly rebuilding a resilient Nigerian health system,” Mamora said.

    Dr Ngozi Azodoh, Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health, said the tax per litre of carbonated drinks and beverages was intended to encourage investment in the health sector.

    Azodoh said the motive was to ensure that those who consume these products contribute something to promote the health system.

    “The government is trying to see how to move fund from those who have to those who could not afford their healthcare bills.

    “Tax revenue can be used to curtail the rising burden of disease on the poor and on the nation’s healthcare system.

    “When the consumers/producers of the products contribute the fund through taxes and the money is earmarked for the treatment of major diseases that are too expensive to treat, invariably they are catering for the medical bills of those who may not afford their treatment,” Azodoh said.

    Dr Pamela Ajayi, President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, said that it was unfortunate that 99.9 per cent of the cancer patients fund their treatment out of their pockets.

    Ajayi said that a lot of the patients had lost their lives due to inability to pay the bills, adding that cancer remained one of the most expensive non-communicable disease to treat anywhere in the world.

    She also called for the provision of health insurance coverage for some of the major diseases ravaging the population.

    According to her, with the insurance coverage, more people will have access to healthcare, thereby saving their lives and reducing rate of deaths from NCDs.

    Dr Zainab Shekafi-Bagudu, Founder, Medical Cancer Foundation, said that late presentation was a major contributing factor to casualties, deaths arising from cancer cases.

    Shekafi-Bagudu said that 80 per cent of cancer patients present their cases at late stages.

    According to her, if patients can present their cancer cases early, it will help to have better treatment and care, leading to more successful outcomes.

    She, however, called for proper utilisation of the funds toward the treatment and key preventive measures for non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, cancers among others.

  • Minister orders clean up of FCT satellite towns

    Minister orders clean up of FCT satellite towns

    The Federal Capital Territory Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, has ordered the comprehensive cleaning of all satellite towns across the six Area Councils of the territory.

    Aliyu gave the order in a statement issued by the Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Mr Obinna Ogwuegbu, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The minister explained that the directive is part of efforts to rid satellite towns of environmental nuisance characterize by poor sanitation.

    Aliyu said that the order is with immediate effect under the direct supervision of the Coordinator of STDD, to ensure the restoration of the environment for the safety of the residents.

    She noted that the situation of waste generation in the FCT has an exponential trend because of the influx of Nigerians into the territory.

    The minister decried the peoples’ attitude, lifestyle, and behaviours towards their environment.

    The coordinator assured residents of the FCT that the FCT administration remains committed to ensuring a safer and hygienic FCT for all residents.

    He said that the exercise would be an ongoing one and appealed to residents, particularly those living in the suburbs, to desist from dumping refuse in drainages and by the roadsides.

    It has been reported that the coordinator, since the assumption of office, has been on the trail of sanitary workers and embarked on a massive clean-up exercise around and within the six area councils.

  • FG announces delivery date for Kano-Kaduna rail project

    FG announces delivery date for Kano-Kaduna rail project

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said commercial activities will begin on the Kano-Kaduna rail line in December 2022.

    The minister spoke in Kano while inspecting the project.

    The Federal Government, the minister, said, has pumped over $400million into the three-year project. The minister stated that it would be inaugurated before President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office.

    The minister also revealed that the Federal Executive Council suggested that the contractors construct double tracks instead of the recommended single track.

    He noted that the decision of the cabinet would affect the initial cost which was pegged at $1.2billion.

    He said: “We are here basically to find out whether the contractors have commenced work and how far they have gone because they have a target of completing this thing at the end of next year December or in the first quarter of 2023.

    “The cabinet decided that instead of a single track recommended by China, we should continue with the double-track we had done on Lagos-Ibadan and the cabinet is bigger than me, I cannot overrule either can the Chinese contractor overrule.

    “Luckily for us, they are doing the formation as double track, so we will just include the track laying to conclude the contract.”

    On whether it would affect the cost of the project, he said: “It will certainly affect the cost in terms of the track but not the civil works.”

    Amaechi also debunked claims that compensation was not paid to landowners on the corridor.

    He said: “We don’t have any issues of compensation on this route. Before we started, we made sure everybody had been paid before we even started clearing and that is the first item on the implementation strategy of the work.

    “According to the strategy, you must first pay the owners of the land so they don’t come and disturb you from working.”

    The minister also proceeded to Daura to assess the progress of work at the University of Transportation in Katsina State.

    Amaechi expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work at the site.

    Speaking after touring the university site, he said: “The expectation is that they should have been able to complete nearly all the buildings but they said they are doing it in phases and if they do that, it would take like 10 years for them to complete all the buildings

    “We have invited them to the office on Tuesday to come and explain why instead of taking the buildings at the same time, they are taking just two hostels, two classrooms, staff quarters, one laboratory, and one office complex. That is not enough.

    “The entire thing we agreed with them was that they were going to do a project worth $50 million both management and construction and they have not done that here.

    “They have chosen to do what they consider to be phase1 and they said by next year when they admit students, they would be constructing phase 2. All that can be done before the students resume.”

    He also said the contractors would manage the school for five before handing it over to the federal government.

    “The contractors are to manage the project for five years but they are not to determine the number of students we would admit, it is the decision of the ministry of education.”

  • Buhari swears in Muazu Sambo as Minister of State, Works/Housing

    Buhari swears in Muazu Sambo as Minister of State, Works/Housing

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in the newly appointed Minister, representing Taraba, Malam Muazu Sambo.

    The event was held shortly before the opening of the meeting of the National Security Council in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

    Sambo, who replaced former Minister of Power, Mamman Sale, from Taraba, was posted to Ministry of Works and Housing as Minister of State, Works and Housing.

    Those in attendance of the security meeting include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Ministers of Police Affairs, Justice, Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs.

    Others are service chiefs, the National Security Adviser to the President retired Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno; Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi as well as the Director-General, NIA, Abubakar Rufa’i.

  • Senate confirms Sambo as minister

    Senate confirms Sambo as minister

    The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Mu’azu Sambo from Taraba as Minister and member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    Sambo was confirmed by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after a brief screening on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday in Abuja.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter dated Dec. 8, requested the Upper Chamber to confirm his appointment as a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Buhari in the letter explained that the request was made in accordance with Section 147(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

    During the screening, Sambo said he knew the problem stalling the commencement of Mambila Power Project and assured of making a difference in a shortwhile if posted to the power ministry.

    Sambo who has about 35 years working experience in insurance, banking and maritime sectors, said he has the requisite experience to help fix the country’s infrastructure deficit.

    “With my experience in my 35 years in service which spanned different fields, I will help Mr President in his drive to fix the infrastructure deficit in the country,’’ he said.
    Sambo lamented that Mambila Power Project had yet to take off in spite of being on the drawing board since the First Republic.

  • FG spends N2.3trn to cushion effect of COVID-19 – Minister

    FG spends N2.3trn to cushion effect of COVID-19 – Minister

    The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba, said the federal government had spent N2.3 trillion as stimulus package to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

    Agba said this at a three-day 4th National Treasury Workshop organised by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Uyo on Tuesday.

    The theme of the workshop is, “COVID-19 and the Global Economy: Implications on Nigeria’s National Treasury.”

    “In spite of the impact of COVID-19 and dwindling revenue from oil, our strategy was to expand government’s activities to cushion the effect of the pandemic with the total estimated stimulus package by the Federal Government of N2.3 trillion.

    “These package consisted, to a large extent, of a combination of fiscal and monetary policies, sectoral interventions, and social programmes.

    “The fiscal and monetary policies were support to states, businesses, households and individuals through grants, tax relief, payroll support, tariff reductions and direct support to the health sector.

    “The real sector interventions were focused on mass agriculture, mass housing, public works, off-grid solar power installations and support to small businesses,” Agba said.

    He said these interventions created a large number of jobs, empowered farmers and entrepreneurs, conserved foreign exchange and provided guaranteed offtake of output, especially in agriculture and housing.

    The minister added that in spite of the COVID-19 challenges, Nigeria was still the largest economy and most populous in Africa.

    Agba said the federal government would continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

    He said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was committed to attracting and supporting foreign direct investments and partnerships in Nigeria.

    “The government is creating an enabling macroeconomic environment by eliminating barriers and putting in place many incentives to attract investments.

    In his remarks, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom said the state government had set up Post COVID-19 Economic Advisory Committee made up of professionals to advise government on the way forward.

    Emmanuel was represented by his deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo.

    He said the state government had started implementing some of the committee’s recommendations like the application of ICT and other tools of technology to stimulate entrepreneurial drives amongst the people.

    “Today, even though we still have work to do, our youth have positive expressions in the use of their hands and creative abilities to create sustainable living for themselves, using technology as a means of engagement.

    “I am very hopeful that this workshop will also come up with ideas and approaches to stimulate and grow our economy in the new world trust upon us by COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

    Earlier, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said the workshop would provide financial shock-absorber to government on how to manage any pandemic induced financial challenges.

    Idris added the workshop would further enlighten financial managers in government on how to control aggregate cash flows within fiscal, monetary and legal limits.

    He commended the Akwa Ibom government for its support and hospitality in ensuring the success of the workshop.