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Nigeria launches relief project for migrant returnees

Nnenna Okoronkwo
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The Nigerian Government has launched a project to provide immediate Socio-Economic Relief to Vulnerable Migrant Returnees affected by COVID-19 in the northern region of the country.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq launched the project in Abuja stating that it was aimed at tackling emerging issues and challenges confronting the protection and livelihood of returnees and potential migrants in Nigeria.

The Minister noted that the measure will further mitigate the immediate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the migrants especially the elderly, the chronically ill, people living with disabilities, women and child-headed households, unemployed youths and refugees.

“In line with our mandate to develop humanitarian policies and provide effective coordination of National and International humanitarian interventions, the Ministry embarked on resource mobilisation to adequately address the growing humanitarian needs. It is gratifying to note that the government of Switzerland graciously responded to support in providing immediate Socio-Economic Relief to vulnerable migrants impacted by COVID-19 in Northern Nigeria. The project is designed to complement actions funded under the UN COVID-19 Basket Fund by focusing on returned and potential migrants residing in northern Nigeria with beneficiaries drawn from Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Jigawa”.

“This context-specific project exemplifies our focus on the ’Leave No One Behind’ principle of the SDGs in carrying out humanitarian interventions. It is equally geared towards strengthening sustainable reintegration of returnees while discouraging irregular migration. I wish to assure you that working with the implementing organisation, IOM, the project will be effectively and efficiently implemented,” she explained.

Umar Farouq also thanked the Government of Switzerland for supporting the initiative and other activities that enhance the livelihood of the Persons of Concern in Nigeria, and the IOM, for entrenching better migration management in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: MigMigration: Nigeria, Switzerland celebrate 10 years of partnership

“This indeed is an indication of your continued commitment towards our migration partnership. The Government of Nigeria further notes the significance of your ongoing partnership with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons,” the Minister added.

Earlier, the Ambassador to Switzerland in Nigeria Georg Steiner said Switzerland had committed some of its funding to support Nigerian agencies in the fight against the pandemic and its consequences.

Mr. Steiner who was represented by the Program Officer Migration, Embassy of Switzerland said the pandemic is the biggest crisis facing humanity, hence the international solidarity and cooperation to tackle the challenges.

“The health and economic consequences of the pandemic add to the difficult situation people face in areas affected by insecurity, political instability and economic hardship. These factors impact the management of migration movements and put further strain on government capabilities to provide for the vulnerable.

“Switzerland stands by Nigeria in these difficult times and swiftly mobilized financial resources to support the UN COVID 19 Basket Fund in Nigeria in June 2020.

“In the past 10 years, we have successfully implemented more than 50 projects in various areas. This particular project is another proof of the well-functioning migration partnership and the importance Switzerland attaches to Nigeria,” Mr. Steiner noted.

Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Jigawa are the beneficiaries of the project.

 

Nnenna.O

NPHCDA, others inspect 177,600 J&J Covid-19 vaccines from AU

Mosunmola Ore
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The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other partners have inspected the first shipment of 177,600 Johnson and Johnson single-shot vaccines from the African Union, under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.

READ ALSO: First shipment of Johnson and Johnson vaccines from  AU arrives in Nigeria

The National Strategic Cold Store, the Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said Nigeria was indeed among the first 10 African countries to receive the vaccines’ shipment through the partnership.

“The 177, 600 doses would step up efforts to battle the third wave of infections across the country.

“Nigeria took delivery of 177,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, being part of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government of Nigeria procured through the AVAT of the AU Commission, using the facility provided by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)

“The balance of the vaccine will subsequently be delivered in monthly tranches.

“This batch of J&J vaccine will be focused on those who are in the hard-to-reach areas, riverine areas, desert areas and security-compromised areas, the elderly and frail individuals, across the country.

“This is because the J&J vaccine is administered as a single dose vaccine, unlike the AstraZeneca and Moderna that require two doses for complete vaccination,” Shuaib said.

The single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is said to be highly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta and Beta variants of the coronavirus, according to data from a clinical trial in South Africa.

The Regional Afreximbank Chief Operating officer, Mr Abdoulaye Kone, said that the vaccine acquisition by AVAT was a unique milestone for the African continent.

It marks the first time that the AU member States have collectively purchased vaccines to safeguard the health of the African population, Kone said.

He disclosed that the first monthly shipment of the vaccines acquired by AVAT commenced on Aug. 5, to several member States, and the shipments would continue for a total of 6.4 million doses to be delivered in August.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, commended the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Nigeria with the vaccination of front-line workers and other priority groups, who were at high risk of COVID-19.

He said that Nigeria’s preparation for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination, involving more resources and logistics, was highly commendable.

Mulombo added that a multi-sectorial approach at the different levels of the government had been set up to address issues around COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

”As I always mentioned at different fora, vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19. These vaccines are safe and effective and will be the game-changer: but for the foreseeable future, we must continue wearing masks, physically distance and avoid crowds.

“The J&J vaccine we have today was listed for emergency use by WHO on March 12, 2021. The vaccine has been authorized for use in Europe, the United States and other countries.

“As the only single-dose COVID-19 vaccine approved for use to date, the vaccine may be an important tool for accessing hard-to-reach populations, thus playing a key role in preventing infections and reducing deaths across Nigeria.

“Let me seize this opportunity to say that this pandemic still has a long way to run: Nigeria is experiencing the 3rd wave and we need to work together to ensure that all preventive measures put in place are maximized, to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our lives,” he said.

MTO/Punch

NACCIMA calls for urgent action on climate change report

Kamila Bello
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The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), has called for strategic and sectoral policy action to be taken on the Climate Change Report as recommended by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

John Udeagbala, National President, who urged government, stakeholders including the Private Sector to take urgent steps towards implementation.

According to him, the climate change report described as ‘Cold Red’ for humanity by the UN Secretary General and a reality check by the UN IPCC deserves close attention against the background that the change is affecting practically every region of the world and would intensify in years to come.

“Floods and fires that have been raging in Europe, Asia, Canada, US etc and the experiences of floods at home in Nigeria which have affected farmlands and agricultural activities as evidence of the negative impact of climate change on planet earth and affecting every inhabited region of the world.

“And of equal significance to NACCIMA as a business management organisation are the implications on business operations, industry and the economy,” he stated.

The national president was of the view that Nigeria’s National Policy on Environment and Plan Action especially the National Policy on Climate Change and its mission and strategic objective must take note of the recommended policy action as contained in the 2021 Climate Change Report.

READ ALSO: 2.2m Farmers to Receive N12.3bn as Agric Subsidy

 

Kamila/The Sun

 

Abducted Niger State Commissioner regains freedom

Nnenna Okoronkwo
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The Niger State Commissioner for information Alhaji Mohammed Sani, Idris has been released by his abductors.

Mr. Ilya Garba, the Commissioner’s Special assistant who confirmed the release to Voice of Nigeria on phone, stated that the Commissioner was released on Thursday by 8:00 pm.

Mallam Garba who further said no ransom was paid for the release of the Commissioner, said the commissioner has already reunited with his family after receiving medical attention.

The Commissioner in a WhatsApp visual after his release, thanked the Almighty for regaining his freedom adding that he has forgiven his abductors.

” As a Muslim, prayer is the best shield against evil. Allah has a way of testing the faith of believers. My abductors regretted their cruel action and I have forgiven them. I urged you to forgive them too.”

 Meanwhile, the family according to mallam Ilya has expressed their sincere appreciation to community members, well-wishers and his associates for all their love, sacrifices and support during the trial period.

READ ALSO: Niger State confirms kidnap of its Information Commissioner

It would be recalled the Niger state commissioner for information was abducted at his hometown of Babban Tunga in Tafa local government area of Niger state 5’days ago.

The Niger state government is still faced with the challenge of releasing over 130 Tegina Islamiya pupils kidnapped in Rafi Local government area of the state yet to regain freedom months after abduction.

When contacted, the headteacher of the Tegina Islamic School, Abubakar Alhassan, expressed hope of their pupils regaining freedom from their abductors soon, with the commissioner’s regaining of freedom.

He however pleaded to the government and the people of Niger state to fast-track the release of his pupils as parents are eagerly awaiting the returns of their loved ones.

It could be recalled the Niger state government has previously announced ruling out payment of ransoms to bandits for the release of kidnapped victims.

 

Nnenna.O

Messi’s PSG Move Sparks Financial Fair Play Debate

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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Paris St Germain’s (PSG) signing of Lionel Messi has sparked a debate over the effectiveness of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, which were designed to curb excessive spending but have been relaxed in the last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The rules were introduced in 2009 to prevent clubs spending beyond their means and distorting the market, requiring teams to break even and keep wages and transfer fees in line with income.

PSG and Manchester City were among clubs to fall foul of the rules, although both teams avoided excessive punishment after winning appeals through the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

A softening of rules to help clubs cope with the financial shock of the pandemic. However, neither PSG nor City – who last week broke the Premier League transfer record to buy Jack Grealish for 100 million pounds ($138 million) – have had to worry about new investigations into their spending.

PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi (L) with new signing Lionel Messi (R)

“We know the rules of Financial Fair Play and we will always follow the regulations,” said PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi at Messi’s presentation on Wednesday.

“Before we do anything, we check with our commercial, financial and legal people. We have the capacity to sign him. If we sign Leo, it’s because we can, otherwise we would not have done it.”

PSG’s revenue for 2019-20 was 541 million euros, while their wage bill stood at 405 million euros.

PSG have signed Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma on free transfers, allowing them to offer bumper wages in lieu of transfer fees.

The Paris based club also splashed out 60 million euros on fullback Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan while the signing of Messi — who will pocket a reported 25 million-euro signing-on fee and annual salary of 63 million — has inflated their wage bill even further.

The club’s revenue, meanwhile, has fallen due to the pandemic and the French league’s television rights deal collapsing, but for now they have no obligation to break even.

The break-even rule could be removed altogether, according to Andrea Traverso, UEFA’s director of financial stability and research, who in April described it as “purposeless” in the post-pandemic era. Traverso suggested new rules should focus on the present and future rather than punishing clubs for past excesses.

UEFA declined to comment on what the future of financial fair play would look like or on whether the relaxing of the break-even rule cleared the way for PSG to sign Messi.

Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympics To Be Held Without Spectators

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held mostly without spectators, as Japan’s capital remains under emergency lockdown amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Organisers agreed late on Thursday to limit spectators at the Paralympic events, set to begin on August 24, similar to the Olympic Games which finished on August 8 and was held mostly without spectators.

Paralympic venues in Shizuoka, central Japan, will limit spectators to under 5,000 people. Organisers are still considering inviting school children to events.

The Paralympic competitions include swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and basketball, with over 4,000 athletes with various impairments.

Chide Nwoke/Reuters.

COVID-19: Nigeria confirms 753 new cases, five deaths

Nnenna Okoronkwo
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0

Nigeria has confirmed 753 new cases of the deadly coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC confirmed the cases on Thursday night via its official website.

The NCDC also noted that five COVID related deaths were recorded in the country

“The 753 new cases are reported from 14 states- Lagos (364), Akwa Ibom (141), Oyo (74), Rivers (46), Abia (38), Ogun (24), Kwara (20), FCT (12), Ekiti (10), Delta (9), Edo (6), Plateau (5), Imo (19), and Bayelsa (1),” NCDC stated.

These latest figures bring the total number of confirmed cases to 180,661with 166,560 discharged and 2200 deaths.

Tokyo 2020: Nigerian Olympian Adekuoroye Praises Sports Minister

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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Nigerian Olympian Odunayo Adekuoroye is grateful to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, for the role he played as a father figure before, during and after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Adekuoroye stated she is appreciative of all the efforts of the Minister and her coaches despite not measuring up to her expected performance.

“I want to apologise to Nigerians, I didn’t give them what they deserve but in all, I am grateful for their support,” Adekuoroye said.

She accepted her pains of not making a podium finish in the wrestling event at the Tokyo Olympics but promised to get better next time.

“I need to bounce back and with the kind of support I received daily, I can only get better,” Adekuoroye added.

She concluded by saying that her attention is now on 2024 Olympics  in Paris, France.

The last batch of Team Nigeria was received by jubilant fans and relatives upon their arrival at the Nnamdi Azikwe international airport in Abuja.

Spanish La Liga Clubs Approve CVC Deal

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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0

Spanish La Liga football clubs approved the proposed investment of private equity firm CVC, despite votes against from Real Madrid and Barcelona on the condition individual clubs can opt out of the deal, La Liga’s president Javier Tebas said.

Facing fierce opposition from the country’s two leading clubs to the plan that initially targeted 2.7 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in investment, CVC modified its original proposal shortly before the vote, allowing clubs in La Liga to take part on a voluntary basis.

The deal was approved by 38 out of La Liga’s 42 clubs, with Real Madrid , Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, who are all owned by their members, voting against. Second division club Real Oviedo was the other club to oppose it.

La Liga President Javier Tebas told a news conference after the vote that if Real, Barca and Athletic choose not to join the deal, the investment is likely to total between 2.1 billion and 2.2 billion euros.

Spanish La Liga president Javier Tebas

He added that CVC would receive 11% of revenue from television rights over the next 50 years in exchange for pouring money into LaLiga, which covers Spain’s top two soccer divisions, although the figure would drop to 8-9% if the clubs opted out.

Tebas said the deal, called “Boost La Liga”, would strengthen clubs and give them funds to spend on new infrastructure and modernisation projects as well as increasing how much they can spend on players. But it has met fierce opposition from Real and Barca as well as the Spanish football federation.

Real Madrid has said it is planning to launch civil and criminal lawsuits against La Liga’s Tebas and CVC Capital’s chief Javier de Jaime Guijarro over the planned deal.

Barcelona President Joan Laporta criticised the deal last week, saying he was not ready to accept “mortgaging the club’s television rights for the next 50 years”, even though the cash injection could have allowed the club to sign Lionel Messi to a new contract rather than join Paris St Germain.

Any clubs remaining outside the deal will not surrender any of their earnings but will not receive a share of the CVC funds. However they will not be able to go back to selling their own TV rights as the collective sale is stipulated in law.

Tebas said the league had managed to grow in the last few years in spite of Real and Barca opposing changes it has made, such as centralising television rights in 2015, adding they did not wish to see the league develop as they were behind the bid to launch the European Super League.

“Real Madrid and Barcelona try and block everything we do but we keep growing anyway will continue to grow whether all clubs agree this deal or not,”  Tebas said.

“They want most of the money to flow to them.”

Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.

Sports Minister Celebrates 2021 International Youth Day

Chidi Uduma Nwoke
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0

The International Youth Day saw majority of youth and National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members in attendance during the event as the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, celebrated with several entertaining displays by cultural groups, dance dramas, and hosts of other activities.

This year’s International Youth Day celebration at Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, offers the world an opportunity to again implement timely policies that will harness the innovative talents of the youth development.

“The theme for this year’s celebration: Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health, seeks to highlight the urgency of transforming food systems, particularly in the wake of a global pandemic,” Minister Dare said.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, addresses the crowd during 2021 International Youth Day celebration at Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria

“The theme also identifies youth engagement as a key factor to the transformation of food systems. This is in realization of the fact that success of such a global effort may not be achieved without the meaningful involvement and participation of young people,” Dare added.

“Without any iota of doubt, we now know that Youth innovation Is a Catalyst needed to drive Development  in all it’s ramifications. With the increasing uptake  of technology as an enabler by a huge number of the younger generation, the innovative minds and skills of the youth will serve as the fuel for development.” 

 “Our world is increasingly technology driven by a youthful generation of brilliant and innovative minds who are daring and ready to discover new frontiers through innovation.”

“In line with the theme for this year’s celebration, therefore we at the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports are of belief that when the youth are properly educated, engaged, with their innovation and entrepreneurial solutions, they will continue to play a very significant role in the actualization of the 2030 Agenda,” Dare said.

“Which include poverty reduction; social inclusion; health care; biodiversity conservation; and climate change mitigation.”

“The Ministry, therefore uses the opportunity of this celebration to echo the voices of the youth and also assure them that Government is committed to working towards more equitable food systems with their full involvement and participation.”

Minister Dare also commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort on youth development.

“The President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, through the Ministry, line MDAs and other partners will step up awareness creation to enable our youth make informed decisions on food choices in line with the increasing global education on the healthiest and most sustainable options for both individuals and the environment,” Dare said.

“The Government will create the enabling environment and inclusive support mechanisms to ensure that the youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life, while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems in line with the objectives of this year’s celebration.”

Presently ongoing is the training of close to 5,000 Nigerian youth across the six geopolitical zones of the week in critical areas of green stimulus, digital skills, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and clean and renewable energy.

“I sincerely thank all our partners and line MDAs for honouring us with your esteemed presence on this special Day. Once again, I wish all Nigerian youth happy International Youth Day celebration,” Dare concluded.

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