UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reappointed Dr Natalia Kanem of Panama as Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for a second term of four years. Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq announced the reappointment, while briefing newsmen at UN headquarters on Friday. According to Haq, Guterres is pleased to re-appoint Kanem following consultations with the Executive Board of UNFPA. “The secretary-general notes his appreciation of UNFPA’s powerful advocacy to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda to address population dynamics, and to empower the youth. “Guterres appreciates UNFPA’s focus on accountability and effective management and…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma of Imo has disclosed that the state will soon receive $120 million from the federal government to fund its livestock programme. In an Independence Day broadcast to the people of the state on Friday, Uzodinma said the state was one out of the seven states approved to benefit from the $850 million set aside by the federal government for the special agricultural processing zone livestock farming project. He added that the state would also be benefiting from the $1.4bn facility secured by the federal government for urban and rural water development. According to the governor,…
The Kebbi House of Assembly has passed into law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2021. Yahaya Sarki, Special Adviser on Media to governor Atiku Bagudu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Birnin Kebbi. He said the law was passed by the state legislators on Wednesday, September 30, 2021. NAN reports that the VAPP law safeguards women, girls, the vulnerable and minority groups against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). According to Sarki, another key feature of the law is to promote gender equality, enhance social inclusion and participation and strengthen social justice for all. Sarki said:…
The Lagos state government, through its Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), has so far disbursed over N8 billion to 12,000 businesses, governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced on Friday, at Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary celebration at the Agege Stadium, Agege. Sanwo-Olu said that many of the 12,000 businesses assisted were led by young people, with more than 7,000 youths trained in entrepreneurship and business development. He said that similarly, the Lagos State Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) had also made millions of Naira available in grants to assist start-ups based in the state. According to him, the state government was scaling up the various…
The Global Water Partnership (GWP-WA) has held its 10th Ordinary Assembly of partners in Ouagadougou to review response strategies that will ensure water security and Sustainable Development Goals in West Africa in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the meeting, which captured a broad range of prioritized issues including ongoing efforts to renew and revitalize Country Water Partnerships (CWP). According to the communique, the GWP-WA Steering Committee met a few days back to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations of the September 2019 partner’s assembly as well…
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA) on Friday launched humanitarian flash appeal for the Kenya drought response as no fewer than 2.5 million people experience food insecurity in the country. The Kenya Drought Flash Appeal calls for nearly $139.5 million to deliver relief to 1.3 million people whose lives have been hardest hit by the crisis. An estimated $28.5 million has already been received from donors, including five million dollars from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund. The appeal brings together 45 humanitarian partners, including UN agencies, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), national NGOs and the Kenya…
The National Pawpaw Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NAPGROPMAN) says it will work with other stakeholders to launch master plan for the pawpaw industry. The association also said it was committed to attract local and foreign direct investments by harnessing potential of the pawpaw value chain. Ejiefor Donatus, the newly elected National President of NAPGROPMAN, disclosed this at the Adoption of the Draft Constitution and Conduct of Maiden Election of the association in Abuja. NAPGROPM is a proposed commodity association formed by the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment for recognised national association along its value chain.…
Prince Ade Ajayi Foundation (PAAF) Centre for Constitutional Literacy and Civic Education, says it has concluded translations of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution in Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo languages. He said arrangements had been concluded to launch the translated copies. Ajayi, President of PAAF, said at a news conference in Lagos on Friday, that translation of the constitution into three indigenous languages, took six years to be completed. He said the six-year-long translations were aimed at promoting national orientation, unity and integration and would be formally launched on Nov. 25. He said a book titled: ‘I Love Nigeria, My Country’, would also…
UN General Assembly (UNGA) President, Abdulla Shahid has called on Member States to be committed to multilateralism, saying it remains the ‘only way to address common challenges’. Shahid told newsmen on Friday, in his first news conference since the conclusion of the annual High-Level Week, that solving global challenges required collective efforts. According to him, COVID-19 is one of the global challenges that will not be over until universal vaccination is achieved. He announced a plan to convene a High-Level meeting in January to take stock of the global inoculation effort. Noting that “humanity saw a tremendous amount of ingenuity…
Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi on Friday said that his administration had in the last two years returned five public schools to their original owners. Fayemi said this during the inauguration of a model school as part of the activities marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state. “We returned some schools to their original owners based on requests. “We have returned Christ School, Ado Ekiti; Annunciation Secondary School, Ikere; Mary Immaculate Secondary School , Ado Ekiti; Saint Louis Secondary School, Ikere, and Saint Augustine’s Secondary School, Oye Ekiti, to their owners,” he said. Ekiti State was created Oct.1, 1996 out…