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COAS LIEUTENANT GENERAL TAOREED LAGBAJA DECLARES OPEN NIGERIAN ARMY INTER – FORMATION COMBAT PLATOON ORIENTEERING AND ADVENTURE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has today 28 November 2023 declared open the Nigerian Army Inter-Formation Combat Platoon Orienteering and Adventure Championship. The event, which brings together troops from all the Divisions of the Nigerian Army is aimed at testing and enhancing the physical and mental capabilities of the NA troops through competition.

Addressing the participants at the opening ceremony held at the Small Arms Range Miango Jos, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja emphasized the significance of orienteering and adventure challenges in honing the skills required by professional soldiers. He highlighted that the competition not only showcases physical prowess but also tests mental strength and the ability to make quick and strategic decisions essential for the everyday duties of a professional soldier.

Represented by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation SAFE HAVE, Major General AE Abubakar, the Army Chief stressed that events such as the championship play a crucial role in preparing troops for a wide range of activities they may encounter in the line of duty. He called on all participants to approach the competition with utmost seriousness, interest, and a spirit of comradeship. He further encouraged them to display the highest levels of dedication and professionalism throughout the event.

Speaking further, the Chief of Army Staff issued a stern warning against any form of malpractice and drug use emphasizing the importance of upholding the highest standards of discipline and conduct during the championship.

While underscoring the vital role of training in the development of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Lagbaja outlined his command philosophy “To transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped, and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment.” He emphasized that training stands as a major pillar in achieving this vision, focusing on the need for a well-prepared and capable military force.

Administering oath to the participants and the umpires, the Acting Director Physical Training (Army) Brigadier General AR Bello charged the participants to be guided by the laid down rules of the competition to avoid reduction in their marks. He further charged the umpires to ensure fairness and justice to all participant throughout the competition .

The Nigerian Army Inter-Formation Combat Platoon Orienteering and Adventure Championship promises to be an exhilarating showcase of skill, teamwork, and determination, encompassing the commitment of the Nigerian Army to excellence and readiness in fulfilling its constitutional duties.

Humanitarian Affairs minister Becomes Chairman ECOWAS Inter-ministerial Committee on Social Protection

By Emmanuel Daudu

……Enjoins member states to Address Humanitarian and Poverty Challenges In West Africa Using Newly Adopted Regional Social Protection Framework

Nigeria’s Minister For Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu is the new chairman of the ECOWAS Inter- Ministerial Committee on social Protection in west Africa Sub-region.

According to Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair (ANIPR), Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, to Honourable Minister, MHAPA, in a press release on Tuesday 28/11/2023, Edu automatically becomes the chairman ,following the approval of the chairman of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and Nigeria’s President,Bola Ahmed Tinubu .

She called For Private sectors and development Partners Involvement in the regional social protection framework, saying time for action is now.

Speaking in Banjul, the Capital of the Republic of Gambia, during the closing session of the hybrid inter-ministerial meeting to adopt the ECOWAS regional social protection framework and operational plan, Dr. Edu told the session that the adoption of the social protection framework by member countries and full implementation was key to overcoming humanitarian and poverty challenges in West Africa.

She harped on the imperativeness of member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa States, (ECOWAS) to work towards achieving maximum social protection in the sub-region.

Describing the meeting as crucial and remarkable as it is expected to grow the great initiatives and long-term efforts of the ECOWAS Commission with the support of partners in birthing the social protection instruments in the sub-sub-region, Minister who chaired the event virtually argued that;

“Social Protection is a fundamental human right and should not be regarded as a privilege. It is a social and economic necessity that has proven to be a stabilizer in times of crises and shock, and it is meant to be provided throughout life circle”

Dr. Edu pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the yawning gaps in the social protection of the world, particularly in the West African sub-region, which has one of the lowest social protections in the continent.

Records, she disclosed, have shown that the coverage of Social Protection in the ECOWAS region is the lowest in the continent with an average of about 17% of the population receiving at least one form of social protection benefits and spending is equally low as studies show that as little as 1% of the GDP of member States is spent on social protection benefits apart from health considered a far cry in comparison to international standards which should not be acceptable in West Africa.

Citing Nigeria as an example, the Minister, however, acknowledged that member states were making giant strides towards addressing issues of social protection at the national level by developing policies and structures/programs to change the narratives.

She said Nigeria is presently implementing one of the highest social protection interventions that covers 15 million households and, by extension, 61 million individuals through conditional cash transfers. This she said was the first of its magnitude and coverage in Africa by President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS, showing leadership in social protection within the region.

“Nigeria has a National Policy on Social Protection developed and other ancillary policies that will facilitate its operationalization, like the Cash and Voucher Assistance policy in Humanitarian context have equally been developed to guide actors in providing cash transfer assistance to the persons of concern in humanitarian setting.

“Also in terms of structures, we have Several Agencies and parastatals dedicated to providing various social protection assistance to different categories of the population of Nigeria to lift millions out of poverty through different Social Investment and intervention programs under the watch of the ministry of humanitarian Affairs and poverty alleviation.

“All interventions including humanitarian interventions are now redesigned through the lenses of the Humanitarian- Development-Peace nexus to ensure sustainable response.

“Most importantly, a Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund has equally been approved by the Federal Executive Council to ensure the mobilization of resources for social protection interventions,” she said.

Dr. Edu who told the audience that the time for action is now, stressed that the Social Protection Framework for West Africa was intended to provide a broad set of guidelines and principles to ECOWAS and the Member States in the design and delivery of social protection interventions.

She was of the view that the effort was driven by the principle that the provision of comprehensive and adequate social protection would contribute to the improvement in the quality of life of the citizenry.

“In the light of the region’s exposure to a wide range of covariate shocks and common cross-border socio-economic challenges, the Framework aims at fostering higher levels of regional collaboration to broaden existing social protection systems and programs through a more coherent and effective approach to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and food and nutrition insecurity eradication (SDG 2) END HUNGER”, Dr. Edu emphasized.

The Framework, according to the Nigerian Minister, contributes to the achievement of several social protection-related SDG targets, especially SDG target 1.3, which seeks to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all.

Also, speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the ECOWAS Regional Session, the Vice President of the Gambia, Muhammad Jallow, commended the commitment of the member states on social protection in the region.

“The framework seeks to address endemic issues such as financing, coverage, climate risk, and informality in our economies amongst others.

“One of the fundamental challenges in our region is that project-based social protection is ad hoc and unpredictable. As a region, we must move to mainstream social protection into our annual budgets.

“The Gambia hosted an international Social Protection conference earlier this month on the theme “Accelerating Financing for social protection to increase coverage and reach. “

“I am particularly pleased to note that the experts have dedicated a similar objective “ Improve fiscal space for comprehensive and inclusive social protection, ” he added.

The Closing Ceremony was attended by ministers in charge of social protection in eleven countries and the Nigeria Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who is the Chairman as well as regional heads of UNICEF, IFAO, WFP among others.

Maida urges Nokia to invest in Nigeria’s ICT R&D

By Emmanuel Daudu

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has requested Nokia Networks to increase its investments in Research and Development (R&D) to support the growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria.

In a press release signed by Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs on November 26, 2023, Maida spoke when a delegation from Nokia Networks of Finland led by the Deputy Minister, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Jarno Syrjala, visited the Commission recently to explore further opportunities for mutually-beneficial relationships.

He told the delegation that the Nigerian government is keenly interested in harnessing Nokia’s capabilities through technology transfer to support Nigerian youths in technical skills.

The Nigerian government is targeting training of three million youths in ICT skills to advance the country’s digital economy. “We are keen on getting the youths employed, as our Ministry is targeting three million youths for skills acquisition,” the EVC said.

Maida informed the Nokia contingent that the Commission places primacy in R&D as the bedrock of any knowledge economy, and for advancement of innovation.

He, therefore, urged Nokia and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), to explore R&D opportunities to deepen local content development in Nigeria.

While congratulating Maida on his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s chief telecom regulator, Syrjala said the purpose of the visit was to explore areas of collaboration to support Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

Syrjala recalled Nokia’s continued partnership with communications service providers in Nigeria, as well as cable and other operators to deliver critical network systems with high performance, reliability, and security.

He noted that Nokia already has an R&D centre in Nigeria, and would target greater investment in this regard.

MNJTF Troops Neutralize 4 Boko Haram Terrorists in Northern Borno State, Nigeria

By Emmanuel Daudu

On 21 November 2023, troops of Sector 3 Mutinaltional Joint Task Force neutralized 4 Boko Haram terrorists in Walo (Gashigar) and Kudagurgu (South of Malam Fatori) in Northern Borno State, Nigeria.

According to a press release signed by Lieutenant Colonel
Abubakar Abdullahi, Chief of Military Public Information
N’djamena – Chad during the weekend, 24 November 2023, narrated that during an advance to Gashigar to clear remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, troops encountered and neutralized 2 terrorists at Walo (Walada). The operation resulted in the recovery of 2 AK-47 rifles, 3 magazines, and 29 rounds of 7.62-millimeter special ammunition.

Similarly, troops deployed in Malam Fatori conducted a fighting patrol to Kudagurgu, where 2 other terrorists were neutralized, and a significant cache of items, including IED making materials, one AK-47 rifle, and 3 magazines, were recovered.

These successful operations reflect the commitment and bravery of the Sector 3 MNJTF troops in their effort to totally defeat terrorism and create a peaceful environment in Lake Chad Basin region. The recovery of lethal weapons and other terrorism materials demonstrates the dedication and effectiveness of the troops in ensuring the safety and security of the region. The MNJTF remains resolute in its commitment to achieve its mandate.

Data Analysis on the impacts of illicit drugs in West Africa: Official Launch of the WENDU Report

Data Analysis of illicit Drug Impacts in West Africa: The ECOWAS Commission in Collaboration with ENACT Proceeds to the Official Launch of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report

According to a summary sent to the media by Mr. Kouadio Serge, Programme Officer IT and Communication, ECOWAS, the context of combating drugs and their consequences in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with and the Enhancing Africa’s capacity to respond to transnational organised crime (ENACT), has proceeded to the official launch of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report in Accra, Ghana on 27 November 2023.

This significant event brought together various participants from civil society, national offices responsible for combating drugs in ECOWAS member states, and nearly seventy-five online participants including students, researchers, institutes,development partners, and other international organizations interested in drug-related data. The WENDU report offers valuable insights into the statistics and trends on illicit drug supply and use in the West African region. The report provides extensive data on drug seizures and arrests, including the types and quantities of drugs seized, as well as the number of individuals arrested, categorized by gender. The insightful discussions during the event will cover the latest estimates and trends concerning drug abuse, drug supply, and trafficking in substandard and counterfeit medicinal products across West Africa. One of the key highlights of the report pertains to the efforts made by national governments and their responsible institutions in curbing the supply of drugs within the sub-region.

During the opening ceremony, Dr. SINTIKI Tarfa UGBE, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, on behalf of Prof. Fatou Sow SARR, Commissioner of Human Development and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, commended the implementers of the Enhancing Africa’s Response to Transnational Organised Crime (ENACT) for their support for the WENDU Report. She stressed the importance of this report and the policy brief, which will greatly assist the ECOWAS Commission and its partners in identifying critical areas of drug prevention and control in West Africa that can be supported either as part of their ongoing programs or as new areas for collaboration.

Anna Lixi, the Head of the Governance and Security Section at the EU Delegation to Ghana, congratulated ECOWAS for its efforts in the fight against organized crime through the report and other projects such as OCWAR-T, which is co-funded by the European Union and Germany. She also assured the continuous support of the European Union in the framework of combating drug trafficking and other activities related to transnational organized crime.

Mr. Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh, Director General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NCC) in Ghana, expressed his gratitude to ECOWAS and all the partners who participated in the drafting of this report. He emphasized the need for member states and civil society to use this report after its launch. All comments and recommendations are welcomed. He also stated that Ghana is committed to working with other ECOWAS member states in the fight against illicit drug trafficking in the region.

The official launch event has served as the platform for unveiling the insightful 2020-2022 report of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU). The report will be presented to ECOWAS management and posted online for the public.

Understanding The November Rain In FCT And Other Parts Of The North-NiMet

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, through it’s Central Forecast Office (CFO) has explained the recent rainfall witnessed in the northern part of the country especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th November, 2023.
The Agency observed from it’s social media handles, that this took the public by surprise as it is expected that at this time of the year the north should be transiting or have transited into harmattan season, which is characterized by dust, cold and winds.

Explaing further, NiMet CFO disclosed that observation indicated an opening that linked mid-latitude Trough with the thermal-lows over the West-Africa. This mid-latitude trough pull the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) far northward above the country (from approx. Lat 8.00N to about 12.00N withing 48hrs), by implication there was mass influx of moisture far into the country, especially to the western half of the country. Conversely, ITD is expected (normally) to have a southward displacement during this season.

According to NiMet, with this moisture influx, and already high energy in the atmosphere, it is only natural that there would be condensation and formation of clouds. The cloud build-up over the Northwestern and Northcentral parts of the country (including Abuja, FCT) resulted into thunderstorms that was experienced recently on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th November, 2023.

Climate variability is the main factor responsible for this phenomenon. It results in modulation of natural atmospheric processes which contributes to short-term fluctuations in weather, due to both natural and anthropogenic influences on the global atmospheric processes, which has given way to changes in patterns of weather and climate conditions in the atmosphere. This is not exclusive to Nigeria alone, the statement reads.

In recent times, human activities particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have led to an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. This enhanced greenhouse effect is causing changes in the Earth’s climate, a phenomenon commonly referred to as climate change.

NiMet observes, monitors, predicts and reports weather and climate information on all our socio-media platform, including our website. The weather of the days in question were equally forecasted and was well reported. However, this is not a change in the season as predicted, rather, fluctuations based on temporary weather modulators.
NiMet assures it will continue to update the general public on necessary weather updates.

NEMA launches reviewed National Contingency Plan as Information Minister applauds initiative

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched a reviewed National Contingency Plan 2023-2025 as the Honourable Minister of Information Alhaji Idris Mohammed applauded the initiative aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and response in the country.

Director General NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed who launched the plan in Abuja described the occasion as “significant milestone in our collective efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our nation.” He added that plan has become imperative given that ” Nigeria has experienced quite a number of human and natural disasters, public health emergencies, and other unforeseen events which can occur at any moment, causing immense devastation and disruption of the functioning of the society. It is our duty, as disaster managers and citizens, to ensure that we are adequately prepared to respond swiftly and efficiently to such situations.”

He appreciated the participation of stakeholders towards the review of the plan and said “we represent a diverse range of expertise, backgrounds, and organizations, all united by a common goal: to launch and put into formal use an effective National Contingency Plan that will guide us in times of crisis.”

Furthermore, he said “the past months and years, countless hours of hard work, research, and collaboration have gone into the development of this plan. Experts from various sectors have contributed their knowledge and experience, drawing upon lessons learned from past disasters and incorporating the latest best practices in disaster management.” He specially thanked UNICEF for collaborating and supporting NEMA in the process of reviewing the plan.

He also spoke on the areas covered in the plan that “NEMA in collaboration with UNICEF and other stakeholders carried out a risk analysis of Nigeria in 2021. The exercise was carried out across the geo-political zones of the country and covered different risks and hazards at the Local Government Areas (LGAs) level, including floods; epidemics; conflict and violence amongst others.”

“The objective of the analysis was to identify, assess and rank risks with a view to understanding related vulnerabilities and capacities, while fostering effective risk management approaches among agencies addressing the same or similar threats. The outcome of the risk analysis guided the review of the National Contingency Plan.”

The Director General NEMA said the Agency will continue to focus on disaster preparedness actions including continuous revision of risks across the country, supporting States in development of contingency plans and also focus on Early Warning System to enable communities understand the risks they face and linkages to ensure they are able to prevent, prepare and respond to these risks.

He therefore emphasized on preparedness as very important to save lives and minimising the impact of emergencies.

The Honourable Minister of Information in a goodwill message delivered by Director of Information in the Ministry Alhaji Suleiman Haruna commended NEMA for developing the National Contingency Plan for Nigeria, with broad spectrum of stakeholders to address the nation’s emergency preparedness.

He said “disasters have taken a toll on citizens year by year, resulting in loss of lives and livelihoods, and leading to negative multiplier effects.

“Today’s launch is timely as it resonates with the government’s drive to protect citizens from all risks to their well-being, including security, displacement, epidemics, and conflict.

“The plan evaluated twelve (12) different risks, including flooding, health epidemics, and conflict, with a plan to mitigate their impact. Some of these risks are natural, while others are caused by humans, even though poverty and socio-economic disparities were identified as contributors to the latter.

“In developing prevention and mitigation measures regarding human-induced risks, I call on implementing agencies to design strategic communication plans that deploy participatory, dialogic, and horizontal methods rather than the usual dissemination through radio and television.
Strategic communication plans aim for specific audiences and apply a mix of communication channels, including mainstream, folk media, interpersonal, IEC, and new media, ensuring that the message development process is inclusive, consistent, and frequent.”

In a remark, the County Representative of UNICEF Nigeria Cristian Munduate said the UN agency was delighted to work with NEMA in the review of the Contingency Plan.

Munduate who was represented by the UNICEF Chief of WASH Jane Bevan said “we mapped the likelihood of 12 specific risks in the reas of flooding, epidemics, and armed conflict and/or violence across all LG of the country. The risk analysis was launched in December 2021, and is available for all interested stakeholders to read on the NEMA website.”

“In 2022, UNICEF supported NEMA in updating the risk analysis. In addition, in the
course of 5 workshops that convered State Emergency Management Agencies or
SEMA representatives from 22 states, the five zonal contingency plans launched today were developed. While these plans are multi-risk plans, they especially focus on floods primarily, these also consider associated risks, such as cholera. The plans cover all the zones of Northwest, North-Central, South-South, Southeast, and Southwest.

Ministry mounts digitization training for staff

By Emmanuel Daudu

To ensure that all categories of its staff could have practical hands-on capabilities to get paper letters, proposals, files, and other forms of documents received through their registries, un-bound, scanned, quality-checked, and indexed (the four critical stages of digitization), the management of the Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy has again mounted a digitization training for its staff beginning from Monday, 27th through to the 28th of November, 2023.

Olujimi Oyetomi,
Director, Press & Public Relations in a press release said, the training was arranged through the Human Resources Management Department of the Ministry and executed by Centrifuge Consulting at the Nigerian Capital Market Market Institute, Abuja.

The benefiting staff of the Ministry were taken through the gamut of enterprise content management (ECM), which describes the state of information, documents, and file management in the ministry before and after the introduction of digitization to the entire business and departments of the entire ministry.

It should be noted that digitization started in the Federal Civil Service in 2019, and the situation that existed in the Service portend high chances of losing a document from a file or leakage of confidential information, significant loss of man hours due to difficulty in locating files/documents, high overhead costs from multiple duplications and distribution, and typically, paper-based archives/store become cumbersome as a repository for documents.

At this batch of training, not less than forty-five more staff from all the departments and units, especially those from the registry, were selected to benefit. Many of the Ministry’s staff have been trained, and these new crops of staff enabled the Ministry to be seen as foremost amongst the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Civil Service to have scaled the deployment of digitization.

So, with proper prosecution of the digitization training, the Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy would have benefited from positive information sharing, reduced storage space, efficient workflow, express search and retrieval, environmental friendliness, cost saving, support mobility, prevention of losses, security encryption, and disaster recovery.

UAE @52: Humanitarian Minister Commends UAE Partnership, Seeks For More Collaborations

Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has commended the existing partnership between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Federal Government to collaborate with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in addressing humanitarian crises and poverty Challenges in Nigeria .

According to Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, (ANIPR),Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Honourable Minister, MHAPA, in a press release on Sunday
26/11/2023,the Minister who was a special guest of honour at the 52nd independence day anniversary of the United State Embassy, over the weekend in Abuja said the exceptional roles and developmental stride, the UAE shared with Nigeria cannot be downplayed .

“I commend the gaint strides and good relationship between the UAE and Nigeria and seek for further collaboration to expand the frontiers on investment and Humanitarian support in the years ahead” she said.

The Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Commended the UAE for renewed partnership, saying that she looks forward to a fruitful engagement with the UAE Government and other stakeholders at COP 28 later in the month in Dubai.

Earlier the Chief host of the event and UAE Ambassador to Nigeria His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, said the 52nd Independence Anniversary with the Theme “Today for Tomorrow” was inline with the Vision of the government of the UAE.

Al-Shamsi, said the year 2023 is dedicated to sustainability, under the theme, ‘Today for Tomorrow’. which will include initiatives, activities and events that draw upon the UAE’s values of sustainability and the legacy of its Founding President, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Aside the Minister of Himanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation who attended the event among other Ministers and top Government officials to mark the 52nd anniversary ,Also attended was the Deputy Senate President,Senator Jubrin Barau, who was the Chairman of the occasion.

The seven emirates who formed UAE are The UAE was founded on 2nd December 1971, with the sevent Emirates which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

CONYSSA, FCT To Speak on the Society Approach In Combating Contemporary Internal Security challenges

Maryam Aminu

The FCT Administration has nominated the Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs CONYSSA, FCT to speak on the Society Approach in Combating Contemporary Internal Security challenges for enhanced operational effectiveness at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Nigeria study Tour to FCT

In a statement by the FCT Coordinator, Zaka Nehemiah, he said “the Coalition was nominated by FCT Administration for their activities and swift responsiveness to all Security challenges across FCT

The event is schedule to hold on 27 November to 3rd December 2023 at FCDA conference Hall, Abuja

The program which aims to address security challenges has its theme as : the whole of Government/ Society Approach in Combating Contemporary Internal Security Challenges for Enhanced Operational Effectiveness