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Nigerian government mulls TCN’s unbundling, partial concession to boost power supply
The federal government is considering the unbundling and partial concession of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to boost its efficiency in the government’s bid to improve power supply. Director, Energy, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Yunana Malo, said during the March edition of “the Electricity Hub” conversation series on power that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) had directed that a proper strategy should be mapped out for the unbundling of TCN. He stated that the government believed that all the players in the energy value chain should be able to align with the needs of the power sector seamlessly, adding that the right environment is being created for the transmission component to match generation and distribution. Malo said data was key to making decision...
Enugu community lament over dilapidated school classes
Residents of Aguobia-Nomeh, a community in Enugu state have expressed concern over the dilapidated conditions of the Community Secondary School. The school in Aguobia is a public junior and senior secondary located in Aguobia-Nomeh in Nkanu East local government area of Enugu State. Residents have on several occasion lamented the chronic state of the Community Secondary School calling for urgent repairs of the school class rooms but all efforts yielded no result. According to an indigene of the community, Michael Chigbo, the school was largely known as one of the best in the area before now. He recounted: “Community Secondary School, Aguobia Nomeh used to be one of the dream learning places most indigenes of Nkanu East LGA had wished to attend. “But today, it has become a different story. ...
UNILAG VC wins €38,000 global biodiversity information facility grant
The Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and another botanist, Dr Temitope Onuminya, have won 2021 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) grants. Mrs Nonye Oguama, a Principal Assistant Registrar, Corporate Affairs of the institution, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday in Lagos. According to Oguama, the awards are part of the 2021 Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme, funded by the European Union. Ogundipe, a Professor of Botany, won a national level grant of 38,000 euros for his project proposal: “Implementation of the Biodiversity Information and Data System for Coastal Ecosystem in Nigeria”. Onuminya, on the other hand, won an institutional level grant of 18,850 euros for implementation of a BID project proposal: “Ex...
NECA decries increase in Nigeria’s unemployment rate
Dr Timothy Olawale, Director-General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed concern of the association, at the growing unemployment rate, as released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Olawale told newsmen on Wednesday, in Lagos, that the recently released data by the NBS was worrisome. NAN also reports that a recently released Labour force report, published by the NBS shows that Nigeria’s unemployment rate as of the end of 2020, rose to 33.3 per cent from 27.1 per cent recorded as of Q2 2020. The report indicated that about 23,187,389 (23.2 million) Nigerians remained unemployed. “While the figure shows that the unemployment crisis is worsening at an alarming rate, it is also instructive to note that the socio-economic factors that increased the figure t...
EU defends vaccine distribution as nations complain it is uneven
The European Commission on Saturday defended its policy of distributing COVID-19 vaccines evenly in the bloc after Austria and five other member states complained that doses were not allocated equally. In a joint letter to the Commission and the European Council, leaders of six European countries, including Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Latvia, and later Croatia, called for discussions on vaccine distribution. The Commission responded that doses have been distributed in proportion with the population of each country and taking into account epidemiological data, adding that was up to member state governments to decide how to share them. A flexible policy agreed by EU governments meant countries facing a more acute phase of the epidemic could access more doses, if some governments opte...
RTEAN: Commercial buses strike illegal
Pool Photo The Lagos State Chapter of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) on Monday said the stay-off-road action by commercial buses on the Lagos-Badagry Road was unnecessary. The Secretary of the chapter, Abdulrahman Amusan, told newsmen that the N800 ticket imposed on commercial buses in the state was for tax purposes. Newsmen report that the commercial bus drivers had on March 1, embarked on what they called “Cease Commuter Operation” on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway – from Badagry to Mile 2 – following what they termed an unbearable increment in ticketing and brutality by RTEAN. The drivers were still off the expressway while passengers remained stranded at various bus stops. It is still not certain when they will return to the roads. They claim that both the RT...
President Buhari charges security agencies improve Nigeria’s ranking on global security index
Worried by the rising level of insecurity in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday charged the nation’s security agencies to up the ante in their drive towards protection of lives and property. He also directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to improve surveillance and control around the nation’s borders so that criminal elements won’t find Nigeria as a safe haven to hide and perpetrate their criminality. The President, in a speech at the virtual Commissioning of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Technology Building, instructed all security agencies to raise their performance in protecting lives and property, with a mandate that the country’s Global Security Index must be improved. He said “It is imperative that our ranking in the Global Security Index improves and...
Anambra introduces coronavirus mobile testing
The Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Vincent Okpala, said on Thursday that the government, through its Ministry of Health, has introduced more aggressive measures, including mobile testing, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Mr Okpala, a medical doctor, told newsmen in Awka that the ministry has introduced a drive-through COVID-19 testing where samples would be collected while the residents go about their normal businesses. The commissioner said a mobile truck with medical officers would drive through the streets to collect samples from the people voluntarily. He appealed to the public to avail themselves of this opportunity and go out for free and voluntary testing. The mobile team would also visit churches in the state to counsel the people on the need to go f...
French village rejects Elon Musk’s space-age internet
To realise his dream of satellite-powered internet, tech billionaire, Elon Musk, needs to install antennas around the world. In northern France, a village hopes he’ll decide to keep those antennas far away. Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron, population 350, is none too thrilled to have been picked as a ground station for Musk’s Starlink project for broadband from space. “This project is totally new. We don’t have any idea of the impact of these signals,” said Noemie Brault, a 34-year-old deputy mayor of the village just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the majestic Mont Saint-Michel abbey on the English Channel. “As a precaution, the municipal council said no,” she explained. Musk, founder of SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla, plans to deploy thousands of satellites to provide fast internet for remote...
French village rejects Elon Musk’s space-age internet
To realise his dream of satellite-powered internet, tech billionaire, Elon Musk, needs to install antennas around the world. In northern France, a village hopes he’ll decide to keep those antennas far away. Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron, population 350, is none too thrilled to have been picked as a ground station for Musk’s Starlink project for broadband from space. “This project is totally new. We don’t have any idea of the impact of these signals,” said Noemie Brault, a 34-year-old deputy mayor of the village just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the majestic Mont Saint-Michel abbey on the English Channel. “As a precaution, the municipal council said no,” she explained. Musk, founder of SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla, plans to deploy thousands of satellites to provide fast internet for remote...
How ICPC is combating corruption in MDAs, stopped diversion of N189 billion personnel cost
File Photo In the past few years, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission, as part of its statutory mandate, has been conducting systems study and review of ministries and organisations in the federal public service. The overall objective of a system review is reform of the systems and procedures of public agencies with a view to identifying and eliminating, preventing, blocking and obstructing opportunities for corruption. To achieve this, the exercise targets detecting areas of vulnerabilities, actual weaknesses, leakages and corruption risks and to recommend ways of strengthening these systems and removing the discretionary gaps and such opportunities for both individual and institutional malfeasance on public resources. In addition, the review also targe...
British premier says no reason to change coronavirus unlocking plans
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday said he saw nothing in the COVID-19 data to change his plans for a piecemeal easing of lockdown in England, with the next major steps due to take place next month. Johnson said he looked forward to getting his hair cut and having a pint of beer in the garden of a pub, among the activities permitted if stage two of his unlocking plan proceeds on April 12. All non-essential shops are also due to reopen from that date. On Monday, there will be a smaller change, allowing groups of 6 to meet up outside. Foreign travel will be banned until at least May 17, which is also the earliest date indoor hospitality and performance venues might re-open. Although Johnson has outlined dates at which he plans to ease restrictions, he has been clear that it is ...