Voice of Nigeria Broadcasting Service

China approves first mixed-vaccine trial as Delta spreads

Health

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo

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August 12, 2021

China’s drug regulator has approved the country’s first mixed-vaccine trial, a company involved in the study said, as the rapid spread of the Delta variant raises concern about the efficacy of domestically produced jabs.

The trial will test the efficacy of combining an “inactivated” vaccine made by China’s Sinovac with a DNA-based one developed by US pharmaceutical company Inovio, a statement issued on Tuesday said.

The statement was put out by Advaccine Biopharmaceuticals Suzhou, Inovio’s trial partner in China.

Preclinical work has found that “two different vaccine applications… produce an even stronger and more balanced immune response”, Advaccine chairman Wang Bin said in the statement.

There are several types of Covid vaccines, including those using an inactivated or weakened virus to generate an immune response, and more cutting-edge RNA- or DNA-based jabs that use engineered versions of the coronavirus’ genetic code to create a protein that safely prompts an immune response.

Five out of the seven vaccines approved in China are two-shot inactivated vaccines.

Their published efficacy lags RNA jabs by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have pre-Delta success rates above 90 percent.

The World Health Organization has said there is still not enough data to say whether using two different vaccines together is safe or can boost immunity.

Inovio has not published any efficacy data from its global clinical trials. It is the first DNA-based vaccine to be trialled in China.

China is battling its worst coronavirus outbreak in months, with officials saying many of those infected had already been vaccinated.

This has added to calls for China’s two biggest vaccine producers — state-run Sinopharm and privately owned Sinovac — to provide data proving their jabs work against the Delta variant.

Beijing is yet to approve any foreign vaccines for domestic use.

N/P Dominica Nwabufo

FG reaffirms support for people living with disabilities

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo

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August 12, 2021

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The Nigerian Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum has reaffirmed commitment of the Federal Government to support people living with disabilities in the country.

The Minister in a statement by the Assistant Director of Information, Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, stated this when she received in audience a delegation from the Network of the Disabled Women led by the National Secretary, Mary Omoyeme Musa in Abuja.

She said the present administration is passionate about the well-being of people with disabilities which led to the creation of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities to address their various challenges and mainstream them for better inclusion in the policies and programmes of Government.

Amb. Katagum noted that a lot is being done by the Federal government to support people with disabilities, citing, and the allocation of five percent in every track of the MSMEs Survival Fund which was meant to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on MSMEs to people with living with disabilities by the present administration.

The Minister also noted that the Federal Executive Council always ensure that every memo on new office building that comes to the council for consideration accommodates relevant structures to serve people living with disabilities.

He urged the delegation to leverage on the training opportunities that abound in the Ministry through its parastatals such as Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) among others. She equally noted that the Industrial Training Fund has about sixty vocational skills training with certification and starter packs.

Amb. Katagum acknowledged efforts of the Network of the Disabled Women and advised that a lot of advocacy programmes should be carried out among their various groups in order to tap into various government’s policies and programmes.

The National Secretary Network of the Disabled Women and leader of the delegation, Mary Omoyeme Musa during her remarks said that the purpose of their visit was to introduce the organization and seek for collaboration with the Ministry particularly in areas of mainstreaming into developmental programmes, training in business and trade opportunities, among others.

Dominica Nwabufo

Nigerians urged to pray for improved leadership

Nigeria

Lateefat Ibrahim

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August 12, 2021

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The Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Reverend Msgr. John Aniagwu has urged Nigerians to continue to pray to God to deliver their country from leadership challenge which according to him, is the bane of all the unrest in the country.

Reverend Aniagwu who was speaking during a press conference he organised to address the state of the nation as part of the activities to mark his 50th anniversary as the priest expressed dissatisfaction on the rate of sufferings amongst the Nigerian citizens.

According to him, those at the helm of affairs have succeeded in making Nigerians see themselves as enemies whereas they are not urging the people to stop hating each other.

He urged Nigerians to embrace themselves with love, seek God’s face together for his intervention and allow peace to lead.

”Those in power have shown themselves to be unreceptive to any suggestion of change that could potentially turn the fortunes of our nation around. They have succeeded in pitching us against one another on the basis of ethnic and religious differences. We are not enemies of one another. The solution is prayer. Nigerians need to pray that God will deliver the country from leadership disaster and help provide the kind of leadership that is devoid of greed, selfishness, arrogance, insensitivity, lawlessness; a leadership that is rather characterised by justice and fair play towards all Nigerians irrespective of where they come from or what religion they profess, have respect for the rule of law and respect for the rights of all citizens,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Anthony Obinna said the only solution that would restore the lost peace in the country is secession since one Nigeria has seemed impossible.

According to him, most Nigerians have lost their patriotic spirit because they have been denied the right to citizenship in their own father’s land.

”Since we have been together in one Nigeria and it’s not working, why don’t we create a new structure of a loose federation so that the self-determination groups can go home,” he stated.

The press conference was one of the lined up activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Rev. Msgr. John Aniagwu.

Other activities include lectures, feeding the hungry and the aged, visitations to school for the blind and book presentation amongst other.

Lateefah Ibrahim

NiMet predicts Thursday to Saturday’s weather across Nigeria

News Feature

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August 12, 2021

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The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), said in a weather projection released Wednesday that, large parts of Nigeria will experience cloudiness and rain from Thursday to Saturday. The other parts are likely to experience thunderstorms with rain.

NiMet’s weather outlook also predicted that thunderstorms are expected over parts of the northern parts of the country like Adamawa, Taraba, Kebbi, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina, Kano, Borno and Sokoto states in the morning hours as well as later in the day.

Over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Plateau, Kwara, Nasarawa, Benue and Niger state, the agency said isolated rains are envisaged.

Rains are envisaged over large parts of southern states during the morning hours, with the entire region of the inland and coast also poised to see showers.

“By Friday, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Bauchi, Katsina, and Kano state in the morning hours.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Bauchi, Borno, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Kebbi and Taraba state. Cloudy skies with intermittent rain showers are anticipated over parts of Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory in the morning hours.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue and the Federal Capital Territory during the afternoon and evening hours.” NiMet said.

According to it, cloudy skies are expected over the Inland and the Coastal cities of the South with chances of rain shower over Akwa Ibom and Lagos during the morning hours.

Rains are anticipated over parts of Anambra, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Osun, Abia, Rivers, Eket, Cross River, Bayelsa and Lagos State during the afternoon and evening hours.

On Saturday, there would be cloudy skies over the northern region in the morning hours with chances of rains over parts of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa and Taraba States.

“Further into the day, thunderstorms are expected over Bauchi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Yobe, Jigawa, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi, Adamawa, Taraba and Kebbi States. Rains are anticipated over parts of Kwara, Benue and Kogi in the morning hours,” NiMet noted.

Kamila/Premium times

Nigeria’s cabinet approves ratification of agreement on emission reduction.

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo

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August 12, 2021

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The Nigerian cabinet has ratified President Muhammadu Buhari’s anticipatory approval on the submission of the country’s primary Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC, on the cutting down of emissions.

It is part of the commitment that Nigeria made in 2016 when the Paris Agreement was reached, which required that every country, after five years, will revise the commitment it made in cutting down emission.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar stated this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

“So, at the time we committed to reducing emission by 20percent, unconditionally, meaning we can do it by ourselves. That’s by 2020.

“The 20% is by the year 2020. At the same time, we are also committed to reducing 45% by 2030. That’s again from the year 2016.”

Abubakar explained that Nigeria has sent an interim report to the United Nations Climate Change Desk.

According to him, doing that will put the country on a good footing as far as climate change action is concerned.

He added that the Ministry of Environment worked with some sectors, including agriculture, power and transportation, which enable it to meet the obligation.

Nigeria surpasses 20percent reduction

Abubakar stated that Nigeria met, and even surpassed, the 20percent reduction in gas emission stipulated in the Paris Agreement in 2020 because of the measures government put in place.

“Based on our calculations, we have met that 20percent last year, in fact, I can even say we have surpassed that.

“Since the ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016 and even before then, government has put in a number of interventions to deal with the issue of climate change.

“You see, climate change did not just start in 2016. 2016 happened to be just like the culmination of the problem that showed and there’s need for an immediate action on climate change.

“So, the government rolled out a number of things and this was even before I became a minister and we have done so much, I can give you an example.

“That was when we started the issuance of green bond and bond issuance is to generate money, solely for green projects.

“For example, the issue of waste management, provision of solar power—a number of universities, federal universities are currently operating on solar, almost completely off the normal grid—which we’ll call business as usual.

“Even smart agriculture, improvement in planting of trees; these are all measures and so many others.”

TCN gets US$502,950 for compressor

The Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who was also at the briefing, said that his ministry got approval for the award of contract for the supply and installation of motorized portable hydraulic compressor for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN.

He said the contract was awarded to Messrs Intern Equipment Nigeria Limited at the “sum of US$502,950 plus N15, 800,000.”

Mamman said that a second approval for the Ministry of Power was for the award of the contract for the supply and delivery of three sets of online partial discharge measurement and monitoring equipment for the TCN in favour of Messrs T and D Technology Limited in the sum of US$ 874,800 offshore plus N240,100,000 onshore.

He said that the delivery period of this would be nine months.

The third approval for the Ministry of Power was for the award of the contract for the repairs of 100 MVA and four sets of 60 MVA 132 33 power transformers for TCN in favour of GT Engineering Limited in the sum of US$ 661,220 offshore and 127,758,781 onshore with a delivery period of 12 months.

Mamman said that the cabinet also approved the contract for procurement of 10 sets of 330 KV and 30 sets of 133 KV circuit breaker for the TCN in favour of Horsepower Engineering Trading Limited in the sum of US$ 502,719 plus N114, 571,500 with a delivery period of six months.

Dominica Nwabufo

Katsina Communities Gets 196 Solar-Powered Water Facilities

News Feature

Kamila Bello

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August 12, 2021

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The Katsina state communities has gotten at least 196 solar-powered water supply facilities that has been constructed, upgraded and and rehabilitated across six local government areas.

The Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this in Bindawa, one of the beneficiary communities on Wednesday.

The rehabilitation exercise comes less than one month after President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned and handed over the recently completed Zobe Regional Water Treatment Plant Project located at Dutsinma Local Government Area of the state.

A training was organised for some selected water facilities managers under the PEWASH program, in addition to the new facilities.

The programme, otherwise called Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene, is an intervention that seeks to increase access to water supply and sanitation, for the achievement of SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 by 2030, in the rural areas across the country.

Representing the minister, the Desk Officer in charge of the Ministry’s PEWASH Program, Mr. Namdam Nakyan, announced that the facilities provided will be 100% owned, operated, managed, and maintained by the beneficiary communities.

“A total of 1,140 water supply facilities in 1,140 beneficiary communities were constructed, upgraded, and rehabilitated in 34 LGAs across the six zones in the country, under the 50% Federal Government component.

“It is, therefore, necessary for us to ensure proper utilization of the water supply facilities, to ensure continuous functionality of the facilities with a view to having an adequate supply of water to fight these diseases.”

Earlier in his address, the Executive Director of Katsina Rural Water Supply Scheme Agency (RUWASSA), Engineer Aminu Dayyabu Safana, represented by the Agency’s Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Abdullahi commended the effort of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for its intervention which he believed will better the lives and enhance the health status of the Katsina people.

Abdullahi, while calling on the beneficiaries to form community committees aimed at saving all funds generated from the water users in their respective communities to sustain and maintain the facilities, noted that socio-economic activities would not go on smoothly without a potable water supply.

Two of the facilities managers, identified as Hamza Yahaya and Abdussalam Abdullahi, described the project as a welcome development and one that has come at the right time when people in their community were hitherto experiencing water scarcity.

They thanked the Federal and state governments for the gesture and pledged to properly maintain the facilities and ensure their sustainability.

Kamila/Channels

Afghanistan’s interior minister reveals plan to push back Taliban

World

Lateefat Ibrahim

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August 12, 2021

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Afghanistan’s government is arming local groups as part of a three-phase plan to push back the Taliban offensive, the Afghan interior minister says in an exclusive interview.

Afghanistan Minister of Interior General Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal said on Wednesday that Afghan forces are also focusing on trying to secure main highways, large cities and border crossings after the Taliban seized nine provincial capitals in under a week.

Mirzakwal, who took charge of the country’s 130,000-strong police force five weeks ago, said the government was supporting local volunteer militias known as “uprising movements”.

“We are working in three phases. The first is to stop the defeats [of the government forces], the second is to re-gather our forces to create security rings around the cities,” Mirzakwal told Charlotte Bellis, who travelled with him to the central province of Wardak.

“All those soldiers that abandoned their posts, we’re bringing them back to their posts. The third is to begin offensive operations. At the moment, we’re moving into the second phase,” he stated.

In the last three months, the Taliban has more than doubled the territory it holds and, in the last week, has started to take provincial capitals, seizing nine by Wednesday.

Mirzakwal said a lot of the governments’ defeats were a result of them losing control of roads and highways.

Many areas must be resupplied by air and, after the United States began withdrawing its forces, the Afghan government lost a lot of that capability.

“Unfortunately, with their withdrawal, the fighting started in 400 areas of the country,” he said. “We have very limited air support, the helicopters have been busy with moving supplies and evacuating our dead and injured forces.”

Mirzakwal said the central government is delegating the power to local leaders to recruit and arm within their community to fight against the Taliban.

These people have announced their full support to the president and government. They will fight the Taliban along with the government forces,” Mirzakwal said.

“There are concerns from the international community about these uprising forces at the moment but all their members will eventually merge into the Afghan national security forces.”

In Wardak, community leaders from across Afghanistan queued up to pledge their support or look for help.

Wardak’s governor Lawang Faizan said he already has 300 men fighting in one local uprising force, but he complained he could only provide weapons for two-thirds. He cannot provide the rest with with water, let alone money or arms, he said.

“For the last few months people are waiting for their weapons but unfortunately the promises I made to these people were not fulfilled, but there is no doubt in their loyalty and desire to help,” he said.

The government had reportedly launched an initiative in June that it called “National Mobilisation”, arming local volunteer groups.

Fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban has escalated dramatically since May, when the US-led military coalition began the final withdrawal of its forces – set to be completed by the end of August.

While the Taliban pledged not to attack foreign forces as they withdraw, it did not agree to a ceasefire with the Afghan government. Peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Doha have produced little results as the armed groups made rapid gains on the ground.

The government’s strategy to fight back is slowly becoming clearer, but its implementation is still fraught and the stakes have never been higher.

“I am asking the Taliban to stop their brutality. Leave killing. Sit down with love and we should find solutions,” Mirzakwal said.

Mirzakwal urged to come and sit together to make a coalition government that would be acceptable to all sides.

Aljazeera/Lateefah Ibrahim

Algeria forest fires: At least 65 people killed as fire spreads

World

Lateefat Ibrahim

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August 12, 2021

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Wild Fires tearing through northern Algeria have now killed at least 65 people, including 28 soldiers deployed to help the firefighters.

The blazes in the mountainous Kabylie region are some of the worst in the country’s history. Officials have blamed arson for many of them.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has declared three days of national mourning for the victims.

A total of 69 fires were burning on Wednesday, amid a heatwave sweeping across North Africa. The flames have been fanned by strong winds and tinder-dry conditions.

In the worst-affected district of Tizi Ouzou, residents have fled and many homes have been destroyed. Many of the victims live in remote villages.

Several people have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires, but officials gave no details.

Emergency services have been overstretched and Algeria is nearing a deal with European partners to rent firefighting planes.

On Facebook, there have been calls for volunteer doctors to provide support.

The heatwave is expected to continue across North Africa until the end of the week, with temperatures in Algeria reaching 46C (115F).

Fires have caused devastation in several Mediterranean countries in recent days, including Turkey, Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus.

The fires come as the UN released a major report stating that the effects of climate change are even more severe than previously thought.

The report warned that increasingly severe weather patterns that can fuel wildfires, such as heatwaves and droughts, will become more common if action is not taken soon.

BBC/Lateefah Ibrahim

Chelsea Beats Villarreal On Penalties To Win Super Cup

Sports

Chidi Uduma Nwoke

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August 11, 2021

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Chelsea defeated Villarreal 6-5 on penalties to claim the UEFA Super Cup title after heroics from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga ensured the Blues came out victorious as the game finished 1-1 after extra-time at Windsor Park in Belfast.

Thomas Tuchel went with five of the starting line-up that won the Champions League final against Manchester City in May with Callum Hudson Odoi at wing-back and Kai Havertz continuing in attack. Villarreal’s goalscorer in the Europa League final, Gerard Moreno, was leading Unai Emery’s attack.

Villarreal defended deep from the outset with Chelsea wing-backs Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marcos Alonso both getting in creating chances inside the first five minutes of the match. In the 27th minute, Chelsea took the lead when Kai Havertz’s cut-back from the wide position fell nicely for Hakim Ziyech to divert the ball into the net.

Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech (22) celebrates goal against Villarreal during UEFA Super Cup match

Villarreal came close to equalising in first-half stoppage time when Gerard Moreno dribbled down the right wing, finding enough space to cross to the far post and find Alberto Moreno. Moreno’s left-footed volley crashed off the crossbar.

In the second half, Villarreal pushed for the equaliser and they came very close to scoring when Mendy’s slip in his box allowed Gerard Moreno to run through. However, the goalkeeper recovered to push the shot against the foot of the post.

The equaliser eventually came in the 73rd minute as Villarreal pushed on. Boulaye Dia found Gerard Moreno with a beautiful pass and the Spain international placed the ball into the net with his first touch.

Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno scores against Chelsea

The goal that made Moreno Villarreal’s club’s record goalscorer. Villarreal finished the stronger of the two sides in normal time and continued to dominate possession into extra-time without creating much.

Tuchel turned to Kepa to replace Mendy in Chelsea’s goal with seconds remaining before penalties.

When Havertz saw the first kick saved by Asenjo, Kepa was already under pressure and though he was unable to keep out Gerard Moreno’s kick, he did save well from Aissa Mandi.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Alonso and Mount all converted their penalties before Jorginho also beat Asenjo, putting right his error from the spot in the final of Euro 2020 just weeks earlier.

Read more: UEFA Super Cup: Chukwueze Missing As Villarreal Faces Chelsea

It went to the seventh kicks as Antonio Rudiger fired the ball calmly home before veteran Raul Albiol was unable to match him, Kepa saving smartly away to his right.

The decision to bring Kepa on vindicated Tuchel as the Chelsea coach added a second trophy to the Champions League that he won in May. Neither team found a winner in extra-time but Tuchel’s surprise tactical switch secured Chelsea their second Super Cup win and their first for 23 years.

“It was not spontaneous,” Chelsea manager Tuchel said about bringing on Kepa. “We talked about it with the goalkeepers when we came and had the first cup game against Barnsley. So we had some statistics, we were well prepared, that Kepa is the best in percentage in saving penalties.”

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“The analysis guys and the goalkeeping coaches showed me, introduced me to the data, then we spoke with the players, that this can happen when we play in knockout game, and since then they know,” Tuchel added.

“It’s fantastic how Eddy accepts it. It’s fantastic how this talk went before the cup game in Barnsley. Since then they know. Of course we needed to do what’s good for the team. It was necessary. I’m happy that it worked.”

Chelsea have now won the UEFA Super Cup for the second time (in their fifth final), following their 1-0 victory against Real Madrid in 1998.

NGX Market capitalization rises by N142 billion to sustain gains

Business and Tech

Amaka Nliam

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August 11, 2021

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At the close of trade on Wednesday, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) equities market sustained Tuesday’s gains advancing by N142 billion to close at N20.553 trillion from N20.411 trillion on Tuesday.

The All-Share index also edged up 0.69% to close at 39,448.46, being 271.84 points higher than Tuesday’s 39,176.62.

The market recorded 20 gainers and 15 losers as the trading session ended with 181.41 million shares valued at N20.08 billion in 3,599 deals.

Pharma-Deko led the gainers table with N0.10k gain to close at N1.19k.It was followed by Neimeth international Pharma with share price appreciation of N0.13k to close at N1.64k,then Ikeja Hotel gained N0.10k to close at N1.40k.

Conversely, FTN Cocoa processors led ghe losers chart after it lost N0.04k to close at N0.41k. It was followed by Wema Bank which lost N0.06k to close at N0.76k then May and Baker Nigeria lost N0.30k to close at N4.40k.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria had the highest volume of traded shares for the day as it traded 20.5 million shares followed by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated with 17.5 million shares.

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