Electron Native

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has inaugurated the National Action Plan for Health Security for the Year 2018 to 2022, to strengthen response in 19 public health threats and improve response to health emergencies. Inaugurating the plan on Monday in Abuja, the minister said the implementation would help to entrench and resolve to build a safer and prosperous Nigeria. Adewole said that Nigeria had a Joint External Evaluations of the International Health Regulations in June 2017, which demonstrated many critical gaps that needs to be filled to protect the country from next major event.  According to the Minister,“the result of the evaluation we scored 40 per cent, which is failure, in medical school you need to score 50 per cent in medical school to record a pass."  “This result has helped to guide the NAPHS planning processes and to develop a roadmap for security strengthening in Nigeria,’’ he added.  Adewole noted that preparedness for health secu...

Poor response has been recorded at the conclusion of a four day immunisation programme in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The Health Educator and Social Mobilisation Officer of the locality, Lilian Oyetayo says the government should always engage community leaders for rural immunisation campaigns. Oyetayo said this in Bwari , while speaking on the 2018 December Polio Outbreak Response, being organised between December 15 and 18. She said that the input of the community process would particularly promote the inclusive participation of all stakeholders. Oyetayo, however, decried poor level of compliance and participation by the residents of Tudun-Rugan community in the polio response activity, which had somewhat frustrated the efforts of health officials to effectively carry out anti-polio immunisation in the neighbourhood. The Chief Imam of Sabongari Central Mosque in Bwari, Ibrahim Yusuf said that it  ignorance is the residents of the community t...

It is 20 years. Yes, that's how old Google has been in service as a social and economic tool for the world.  The Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor informed the public in a statement in Lagos. She adds that apart from Google Search being a way of finding information, it had proven invaluable in helping people find jobs, start businesses, and even save money. “This month marks a major milestone for the world’s most popular search engine, as Google Search turns 20. “Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, with the aim of organising the world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful, the Search Index now contains hundreds of billions of web pages and is well over 100 000 000 gigabytes in size. “It is by some distance, the world’s number one search engine. This is in no small part, thanks to its efforts to ensure that users can instantly access information that is contextually relevant to them and their surroundings. “From ...

The Nigerian Presidency has denied any rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and Lawmakers and also also adds that the Executives are not seeking any confrontation with the parliament despite his refusal to sign the amended Electoral Act Bill nor  is he against the use of card readers in the forthcoming elections. The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said the president’s decision to decline assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, had nothing to do with the use of card readers. Shehu, therefore, dismissed the allegations of opposition politicians, as well as some newspaper editorial opinions creating the impression that the President was against e-voting and the use of card readers in the 2019 elections. The presidential aide expressed the readiness of Buhari to sign the Electoral Act after effecting all the necessary corrections, adding that he (President Buha...

Internet access in Nigeria could improve very soon with some recent developments. One of which is the proactive step mentioned by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS). They affirmed that the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC)’s licensing of more infrastructure companies (InfraCos) is aimed towards achieving the 30 per cent broadband penetration target. The National President of NATCOMS,  Adeola Ogunbanjo, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday. NAN reports that Nigeria developed a five-year strategy (2013-2018) in 2013, through the Presidential Committee on Broadband. The aim is to drive internet and broadband penetration in the country and to scale up NCC’s broadband growth by 30 per cent in 2018. According to him, we have only four months to go, and actually, the target cannot be met and that is what is worrying the NCC, which is leading to the licensing of more InfraCos. ...

Another means of engaging Nigerian youths could be around the corner. This opportunity is coming from the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON). The President of CCMON, Bode Pedro made the statement in Abuja that, “We need to create job opportunities for youths in the country”. Pedro said the CCMON has a number of pinpoints apart from the business of sales of computers to create opportunities for youths. “We do this by providing youths an opportunity to learn device-related services; fixing, repairs, maintaining computers, printers and other forms of computer devices. “With the introduction of local content, more jobs are created because local manufacturers add value to the system,’’ he said. Pedro also said that local manufacturers have assemblers and product helpers. “We have few people that are involved in quality control and quite a number of people work with them. “There is also an eco-system within the computer manufacturing industry; pack...

Professor Oladele Osibanjo, says that the ultimate solution to curbing plastic waste is for firms generating them to switch from non-biodegradable polymers to biodegradable polymers. Biodegradable polymers are designed to degrade upon disposal by the action of living organisms. Extraordinary progress has been made in the development of practical processes and products from polymers such as starch, cellulose and lactic acid.  Osibanjo, a retired Professor of Chemistry, said this in an interview with on Wednesday in Lagos. He noted that food and beverages companies as well as packaging firms were the greatest culprits generating single-use non-biodegradable polymers. The Professor added that because switching to biodegradable polymers would take time, the firms could, in the interim, put in place a “take-back or collection system” for the waste generated by their products. “Water sachets are the cheapest and handiest non-biodegradable waste. Every minute ...

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong  the former governor of Abia, Orji Kalu on Wednesday visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The governors and Kalu met with the president separately behind closed doors at the president’s private residence. Former governor Orji Kalu, who also spoke to journalists after the closed door meeting with the President, called on Nigerians to continue to support the Buhari administration to enable it deliver on all its promises to the citizens. Kanu, who was turbaned as ‘Danbaiwan Hausa’ by the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar, lauded President Buhari for implementing programmes and policies aimed at transforming the nation’s economy for the good of all citizens. President Buhari met behind closed door with all his family members from within and outside the state at his residence in Daura on Wednesday. 

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong  the former governor of Abia, Orji Kalu on Wednesday visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The governors and Kalu met with the president separately behind closed doors at the president’s private residence. After the meeting, Governor Amosun addressed journalists that he went to Daura to greet the President in the spirit of the Sallah celebration. He said: “It is just part of what we should do during celebration like this – to come and just say `hello’ to our leader. “People are waiting for me back home, they have been with me since day before yesterday, throughout yesterday, early this morning and I had to sneak out to come and just say `hello’ to Mr President.’’ The governor, who described Ogun state as “almost a one party state’’, reassured that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will record impressive electoral results in 2019 general elections, in spite of the report...

The Abia Government has selected two hundred and ninety primary healthcare centres to benefit from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, a Federal Government initiative, according to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Ikpeazu made this known at a special party held in Umuahia for the elderly people of Abia. The event was organised by the state government in collaboration with Vicar Hope Foundation and Tender Loving Care, both Non Governmental organisations. The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr John Ahukanna, said that the identified primary healthcare centres would propagate the initiative. He said that the state government was committed to evolving programmes aimed at improving healthcare services in the state. According to him, the programme is designed to provide access to healthcare services in various communities and would greatly boost the state government’s efforts in the health sector. “By the time this policy gets off the ground, on...

Technology has met sports in Nigeria at least in the Martial Arts. The Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) will introduce Deodo Gen 2 system, the latest Taekwondo gadget, at the 2018 National Youth Games (NYG) billed for September. The  Deodo Gen 2 system is a Taekwondo fighting electronic gadget worn on the head and body by athletes for scoring purposes. Chika Chukwumerije, the Technical Director of NTF, says that the forthcoming NYG would be the first tournament in Nigeria where the technology would be used. Chukwumerije said that there was the need to take advantage of the NYG to create awareness of the technology for young athletes to get familiar with it. “The present Elizabeth Binga led-board of NTF is passionate about youth development as regards getting them acquainted with modern competition technologies and rules. “This drive has inspired us to bring Deodo Gen 2 taekwondo system in the country, and to take advantage of the NYG to introduce the ...

Recovery of Nigeria's economy has been peg at a total shift to none-oil sectors but the financial institutions have not joined this specific business module. A recent report shows that the total loans granted by Nigerian banks to the private sector declined by N600.60bn, from N16 trillion in the first quarter of 2017 to N15.34 trillion, in the second quarter of 2018. According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Selected Banking Sector Data: Sectorial Breakdown of Credit, ePayment Channels and Staff Strength (Q2 2018), recently released, revealed that credit to the private sector declined for six consecutive quarters. A breakdown of the total N63.27 trillion credit provided in 2017 by banks to finance activities of the private sector shows that N16 trillion was provided in the first quarter. The second, third and fourth quarters had N15.7 trillion, N15.83 trillion and N15.74 trillion, respectively. According to the report, banks lent N15.6 tril...

Dr Arikawe Adeolu, a medical doctor, Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, has advised the public to always observe the colour of their stool to determine their health status. Adeolu gave the advice on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, a change in colour, shape, size, consistency and frequency of stool can indicate possible health conditions. Adeolu also said that the normal colour of stool should be brown; adding that professional medical assistance should also be sought if the colour changed and remained consistent more than two days. He said that since the colour, shape, size, consistency and frequency of an individual’s stool gave a lot of background information about underlying health conditions in the body, it should not be ignored. Adeolu said that the pigment present in bile was the reason the stool maintained its brown colour as the pigment mixes with the stool when they come in contact. He said that if for any reason this pigment failed to mix with the sto...

Bukola Saraki, Senate President on Wednesday boasted that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the 2019 presidential elections. Saraki made this comment in Ilorin at a meeting with PDP members who came from the 16 local government areas of the state. He also expressed his confidence that his new party would emerge victorious in all the local government areas of Kwara State. Saraki said that the victory of PDP at both federal and state levels would be beneficial to all the members in the state. The Senate President said that the future of PDP was now brighter than it used to be. “If we emerge victorious at the federal level, all of us will be the beneficiaries. In the state, with your support we will win the state for PDP. “All of you here are the key players in Kwara politics. With unity of purpose, no party can contest with you. “We are here to unite all of us under the party we belong to today. I am assuring all members that there will be equity, ...

The ongoing dialogue involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia regarding the construction of a disputed dam on the Nile River have collapsed, the Sudanese Information Minister said on Friday. Grand Renaissance Dam, Wikipeadia “The countries were discussing many issues including, the Nile and the dam but we failed to reach any agreement on the matters that caused conflict,’’ Ahmed Mohamed Osman told dpa by phone from Khartoum, where the talks were conducted. Egypt decried the 4.8-billion-dollar hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam on Ethiopia’s border with Sudan could reduce its share of waters from the Nile. Sudan supports the dam. The dam, which is expected to more than double Ethiopia’s current energy production levels, is more-than-60-per-cent built. The east African nation would become an energy hub for the continent upon its completion.

Hollywood actor, John Boyega has expressed willingness to invest in Nollywood to further boost the movie sector. Boyega, 27, spoke on Thursday night on the sideline of Glenfidich circle of maverick’s business meeting organised by PlayNetwork Nigeria in collaboration with Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. John Boyega with Charles Okpaleleke and other members of PlayNetwork Nigeria at Glenfidich circle of maverick’s business meeting in Abuja, NAN The Nigerian-British born actor said he intends to spend some time in Nigeria to produce a movie based on and inspired by Nigerian lifestyle and heritage. “I intend to tour most parts of Nigeria for seven months to sort out few things and get inspiration for the movie. I am yet to find a writer to depict my idea of the movie; I’ll be staying a bit longer to find a writer”. The actor also revealed he has enjoyed his first official visit to Nigeria so far, insinuating this official visit will be the beginning of more collaboration with ...

Gold prices rose on Friday as investors sought safer assets after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed 100 billion dollars in new tariffs on China, raising concerns about an escalating trade spat between the United States and China. Spot gold was 0.4 per cent higher at 1,330.78 dollars per ounce as of 0032 GMT, and the U.S. gold futures rose 0.4 per cent to 1,334.10 dollars an ounce. Spot gold on Thursday dropped to a one-week low of 1,322.40 dollars an ounce after the United States and China signalled willingness to negotiate a trade dispute. However, President Donald Trump late on Thursday said he had instructed U.S. trade officials to consider $100 billion in additional tariffs on China, fuelling an already heated trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies. U.S. stock markets slid and the yen rose against the dollar on Friday. Gold-backed exchange traded funds in North America saw inflows in March, amid market volatility and as trade tensions between the United ...