Category: Finance

The 2023 National Population and Housing Census is to commence on May 3, the Federal Government has confirmed.

Dr Garba Abari, a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on 2023 National Population and Housing Census, confirmed this on Sunday in Abuja when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.

He said that the three-day exercise would commence May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.

Abari, who is the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the census exercise would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.

According to him, the change in the date was due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise,” he said.

He described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other.

“ The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.

“ There are two things that informed the shift in date. First, in the course of our planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its own electoral timetable.

“The gubernatorial election, as you are aware, had to be shifted by one week. This had a telling effect on the date of

commencement of the census.

“Just like election, the Census is also a very long process, from the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading uptill the very day of the actual house listing and numbering.

“These will then be followed by the actual capture of the population.”

On the level of preparedness, the NOA boss assured the nation that the National Population Commission was ready to embark on the exercise.

He described the exercise as a significant event that would aid national planning and execution of developmental projects.

He said: “Most of the information that have gone out to the public about the census like the awareness creation, sensitisation, enlightenment, advocacy around the census have all been taking place.

“Perhaps, not on a scale that will make us feel comfortable to say every Nigerian is now census conscious, census aware, in spite of the very significant role that it has to play in our national life.

“But, clearly, the census is absolutely important because it is for development, planning, security, infrastructure development, educational, health and other demographic considerations all encapsulating in one.’’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday re-arraigned Mamman Ali, son of a former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, for alleged N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ali was re-arraigned alongside one Christian Taylor and a company, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

The defendants were arraigned on an amended 49-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and use of false documents.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Following their plea, EFCC counsel, Mr Samuel Atteh, prayed the court for a trial date to enable prosecution to call its witnesses and tender necessary documents to prove the case.

Defence counsel, Mr Kolade Obafemi prayed the court to allow the defendants to continue on the bail earlier granted them.

“We crave your lordship’s indulgence that the bail granted to the defendants be allowed to continue,” he said.

The EFCC counsel, however, submitted that the most paramount for prosecution was defendants’ attendance in court to face trial.

“Our interest is that the defendants attend trial; so, we leave the decision about bail to the discretion of this honourable court,” Atteh said.

The defence counsel could not immediately present the defendants’ bail papers to the court.

The judge consequently ordered that the defendants should be remanded at the EFCC custody pending presentation of the bail papers and a formal application for their bail.

Dada adjourned the case until May 30 for trial.

NAN reports that the defendants were initially arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

However, Onigbanjo withdrew from the case on health grounds, prompting reassignment of the case to Dada.

The EFCC, in one of the counts, alleged that the defendants, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain N750 million from the Federal Government by falsely representing subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. under the Petroleum Support Fund for importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd. of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd.

The commission said that the defendants knew that the representation was false.

According to the commission, the defendants committed the offences with one Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and one Olabisi Abdul-Afeez still at large, on Nov. 9 , 2011, in Ikeja.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 1(3), 8 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, and Sections 363 (3)(1) and 264 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said that gender equality in the digital space could increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country by over 50 per cent.

Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA said this on Friday at the closing ceremony of its ‘Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma’, digital skills programme in Abuja, in collaboration with World Bank and Natview Technology.

The NITDA,Fasaha Gina Mata Gina Al-Umma is a digital skills training programme to equip young women with the relevant skills they need to succeed in the digital world.

The four-day programme was held as part of the activities from the agency to celebrate the International Women’s Day, as well as the month.

Inuwa recalled research by Mckinsey Global Institute which said that placing women together with their male counterparts would increase the global GDP to about 18 trillion USD in 2025.

“The research was narrowed to some countries which included Nigeria and it said that if we can achieve gender equality, we can add to the Nigerian GDP 299 billion by 2025.

“Within our own mandate, implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy,we are working on so many initiatives.

“One of them is the National Digital Skills Strategy, which World bank has keyed into as one of the implementation partners.

“Under that strategy, we want to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy, we want to position Nigeria to become global talent factory,’’ Inuwa said.

The director-general said that looking at the global talent factory and according to research by Korn Ferry, a global organisational consulting firm, by 2030 there would be 85 million talent deficit globally.

He further said the deficit would result to 8.5 trillion USD unrealised annual revenue.

Inuwa added that deploying the Gig economy strategy which he explained as leveraging the power of information technology to work remotely, do freelance work could help the country position for revenue globally.

He also said that with the Gig economy and having skills like content creation, digital marketing could help one use digital platforms to promote their businesses.

“If Nigeria can position itself, we can be part of this, we can have Nigeria be part of the Gig economy and working remotely.

“We can be part of the global value chain working remotely from Nigeria for European countries, the US companies, Asian companies and programmes like this will help us achieve that,’’ Inuwa said.

The director-general added that they were initiating programmes that were women based to encourage more female participation and digital literacy among women.

He decried that from November 2022 to-date, the agency had trained 226,000 young Nigerians on various digital skills but women represented only 28 per cent of the figure.

The NITDA boss said that the idea was to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 which was kick-started with the Gina Mata programme to train 800 young women in the pilot programme.

Inuwa further said the training would accord the participants access to education, job opportunities, access to information, enable them learn to protect their data against threats and promote gender equality.

Mr Nuradeen Maidoki, Chief Executive Officer of Natview Technology, the implementing partner, said Fasaha Gina Mata, Gina Al-umma was translated as ‘Building Women, Empowering Communities.’

Maidoki said that they intended to create a chain of highly skilled female technologists who could contribute to innovation and growth in Nigeria’s technology industry.

“We believe that by empowering young women with digital skills, we can create a more inclusive and diverse technology industry that reflects the richness and diversity of our society,’’ he said.

Maidoki added that the additional 600 young women would be trained from Borno, Gombe, Kano and Zamfara.

He said that they were working with SheCluded, a digital financial company for women that would be ensuring mentorship, helping the women access loans and grants where needed.

Two participants, Miss Adewumi Adekola and Mrs Hajara Musa-Mohammed, said that with the knowledge they acquired, they would be financial assets to their families and the country.

Certificates of participation were also issued to the participants.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division Nigerian Army (NA), Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, says debate and quiz competitions are well thought out strategies to develop critical thinking in students.

The competition was sponsored by the GOC, who is passionate to see children grow up into critical thinkers and become world-class leaders in different endeavours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Command Day Secondary School (CDSS) Lagos, (Ipaja), came first; CDSS, Oshodi, came second and CDSS, Ojo came third.

Ajunwa said that the best thing that one could give to a child was education, be it university education or craft, indicating that both educations were complementary.

“So, we must aspire to get both and that is why the education system is changed to 6-3-3-4 to make sure we can acquire both.

“The idea of this event is not to get a winner or loser but to make sure that we improve you in your studies, confidence level and especially in your ability to think critically.

“Critical thinking is one of the first forms in which a system develops and you may be able to critic whatever somebody gives to you and not swallow it hook, line and sinker,” he said.

The GOC said that during his days as a student, he was privileged to have participated in debate and quiz competitions which he said developed his confidence level.

“It is one thing for you to have the knowledge and it is another thing for you to practise it and to make it available to the public.

“It is my privilege to have seen that the students communicated a high level of knowledge and I believe that there are also good ones among you that did not come out to participate.

“I urge the teachers and the administrators to make sure that they continue to give the best to them so that their tomorrow and our tomorrow will be better,” Ajunwa said.

Ajunwa said that it was important for students to know that education was not only done in the classroom but also done outside the classroom.

“So, we must teach them to remain focused in that direction that is why you have to bring them out for activities such as this, sports among others.

“By so doing, they will have a complete education that is comprehensive and that is why this type of programmes are important.

“I believe in them because all of us are actually products of the same process and we will not allow the process to die,” Ajunwa said.

Muhammad Owolawi, an SSS 3 student of CDSS, Lagos (Ipaja), said that such competitions had helped him to build his self esteem.

Owolawi ascribed his ability to speak in public to his teachers and his colleagues who encouraged him to be bold and always give his best.

Also, Mariam Adebayo, 12-year-old student in JSS 3, CDSS, Ojo said that her participation in debate, especially, when it brought laurels to her school, suppressed her initial stage fright.

Adebayo said that she was grateful for such opportunity to engage in public speaking and looked forward to more competitions in future.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Speakers at the Access Bank women conference have called for equitable representation of women in the workplace.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference was organised by the bank to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) on Thursday in Lagos.

The 2023 IWD had the theme: “Embrace Equity.”

In his keynote speech , Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said that the bank had the highest percentage of women enterpreneurs in the world.

Adesina said that in many African countries women were responsible for most of the agricultural production.

“Women in businesses are on the rise across the country and have contributed significantly to job creation and economic growth.

“Women are bankable. It is, however, believed that women in Africa continue to face a fallen two billion dollars finance gap. How do we explain that? There is inbuilt gender based biases against women in terms of access to finance,” he said.

Adesina said that as Africa’s premier financial institution, the bank remains committed to empowering women and closing the gender gap in African countries.

He said that the AfDB was making efforts to achieve gender parity across its workforce in the near-term.

“Currently, the overall distribution is 39.5 per cent women and 60.5 per cent of men are going to split to achieve full gender parity at the African Development Bank by 2028.

“We are making significant progress, already 50 per cent of my executive leadership team is made up of women,” Adesina added.

According to him, now is the time for women to take action, raise equity and build a better and more inclusive future.

“By investing in women, we create a ripple effect that positively impacts the entire community,” Adesina said.

In her goodwill message, the wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, frowned against the stigmatisation of women in the society.

Osinbajo said that the conference was a forum for women to talk about issues affecting them.

She noted that many women had achieved great heights in the society in spite of the challenges.

“Surely their successes will give validation to the dreams of others; those who are here and those who are online.

“And so for a moment I’ll speak about dreams. What are your dreams? Where are your dreams? Are they very good? Are they burning in your heart to inspire today by all you see around you?

“Step down the doubt. The doubt of faith can I do it? Step down the fear,” Osinbajo said.

She enjoined women to dream big without thinking of limitations as obstacles.

The Minister for women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, said that women should be celebrated because of their uniqueness.

Tallen expressed gratitude to the chairman, management and staff of Access Bank for putting up the event to celebrate the uniqueness of women.

She also appreciated the Wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, for her support in women emancipation through her non-governmental organisation.

Also speaking, the First Lady of Ondo, Anyanwu-Akeredolu, decried the number of women elected into the National Assembly.

Anyanwu-Akeredolu said that voter intimidation, suppression and electoral violence would deter women from taking part in the electoral process.

According to her, women should learn to speak out against societal ills and be ready to support one another to become the best in life.

She said that if women find themselves at the corridor of power, they should be able to provide WASH facilities for girls in school, especially to take care of themselves during their monthly flow.

She said that no child should be left behind at home without going to school due to lack of sanitary pads.

She added that with the advancement of technology, pregnant woman should not die while giving birth if the right infrastructure and medical care were provided.

In his address of welcome, the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Access Corporation, Dr Herbert Wigwe, said that the bank was at the forefront of stamping out the discrimination of women in the workplace.

Wigwe said that all hands should be on deck to share the bank’s vision of gender equality and equity.

He expressed gratitude to the chairpersons who had led the bank both in recent past and the current one, adding that the bank experienced tremendous growth under their watch.

Wigwe noted that the theme of equity gives room for all women to thrive above their limitations.

“Equality is society’s destination. Equity will be the root for all of us to get there.

And in such a world, no one is left behind,” Wigwe said

The Group Head of ‘W’ Initiative’s at Access Bank, Mrs Abiodun Olubitan, said that the bank dispensed N40.5 billion worth of loans to women SMEs in 2022.

Olubitan disclosed that the bank had earmarked N100 billion for loans for women SMEs in the current year to enable them boost their businesses.

She said that the theme of the 2023 IWD celebration was apt.

“What we are saying is equality is different from equity .

“So yes, you can give everybody a shoe, both man or woman, but do you give them the shoe that fits them is what equity is talking about.

So, we want to give everybody fairness and equal opportunity to thrive to take advantage of everything available around them, both man and woman,” Olubitan said.

NAN reports that the event was attended by women from all walks of life.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that prices of food items such as yam, rice and beef witnessed increases in February.

This is contained in NBS Selected Food Prices Watch Report for February 2023 released in Abuja on Friday.

The report said the average price of 1kg beef boneless on a year-on-year basis, increased by 27.43 per cent from N1,922.2 in February 2022 to N2,445.96 in February 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg beef boneless increased by 1.12 per cent from N2,418.91 recorded in January 2023.”

The report showed that the average price of 1kg rice (local, sold loose) increased on a year-on-year basis by 19.30 per cent from N436.58 in February 2022 to N520.84 in February 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the average price of this item increased by 1.17 per cent from N514.83 in January 2023.’’

The report also said the average price of 1kg of tomato on a year-on-year basis, rose by 19.08 per cent from N393.08 in February 2022 to N468.09 in February 2023.

“Also, on a month-on-month basis, 1kg of tomato increased by 0.22 per cent in February 2023.’’

The NBS also said the average price of one bottle of vegetable oil stood at N1,196.68 in February 2023, showing an increase of 25.91 per cent from N950.46 recorded in February 2022.

“On a month-on-month basis, it rose by 1.10 per cent from N1,183.67 recorded in January 2023.’’

The report said the average price of 1kg yam tuber rose by 28.45 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N339.76 in February 2022 to N436.41 in February 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, 1kg tuber of yam increased by 1.17 per cent from N431.36 in January 2023.’’

Similarly, it said the average price of 1kg of onion bulb rose by 18.99 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N378.26 in February 2022 to N450.07 in February 2023.

“While on a month-on-month basis, the price rose by 2.41 per cent.’’

The report said at the state level, the highest average price of 1kg beef boneless was recorded in Anambra at N3,103.26, while the lowest was recorded in Kogi at N1,770.00.

It said Cross River recorded the highest average price of 1kg Onion bulb with N1,058.61, while the lowest was reported in Adamawa at N194.44.

The report said Abia recorded the highest price of Vegetable oil (1 bottle) at N1,615.24, while Benue recorded the lowest price at N710.00.

Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg of Tomato was higher in the South-South and South-East at N812.55 and N649.03, respectively, while the lowest was recorded in the North-East at N232.78.

It said the South-South recorded the highest average price of 1kg Rice (local, sold loose) at N599.29, followed by the South-West with N599.12.

“The lowest price was recorded in the North-West at N451.70.’’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria