CSR News Summary Issue 28

Nigeria Gets Additional $225m to Fight Malaria

The Federal Government has signed an agreement for a $225m grant with Global Fund to eradicate malaria in Nigeria.

The money would be disbursed as follows: Society for Family Health ($99m); National Malaria and Vector Control Programme and additional ($68m); $50m for bed nets, while the Federal Government will provide $10m counterpart funding for the project.

In his speech late Friday, in Abuja, during the signing ceremony, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the Global Fund interventions over the years had reversed the large number of morbidity and mortality previously recorded for malaria in Nigeria.

Published in the Punch Newspaper, on Monday, August 27th, 2012

AEPB to commence waste recycling

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board has concluded arrangements to commence the recycling of solid waste in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Director, Mr. Isa Shuaibu, said this in Abuja on Friday while supervising work at the Landfill site facility for waste disposal located at Mpape District in the FCT.

Shuaibu said the procurement of the vehicles marked the beginning of the waste recycling programme as well as the “Waste-to-Power” initiative in the FCT.

Published in the Punch Newspaper, on Monday, August 27th, 2012

Shell commends SoDA for injury free operation

The Country Chair, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mr Mutiu Sunmonu has expressed deep satisfaction over five million injury free operations achieved by SoDA.

Published in the Vanguard Newspaper, on Tuesday, August 28^th, 2012

FBN sponsors NLI parley on leadership

First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, Plc is sponsoring the Nigerian Leadership Initiative, NLI forum, which will feature Olusegun Obasanjo addressing associates of the NLI and other key stakeholders in the Nigerian economy on leadership challenges confronting Nigeria.

Mr. Yinka Oyinlola, Chief Executive Officer, NLI, said “Through the series, future leaders gain experiences from seasoned guest speakers who have had to tackle critical issues and take tough decisions in their past leadership roles.

Published in the Vanguard Newspaper, on Tuesday, August 28^th, 2012

Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture, AGRA President task African leaders on food security

Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives, Honourable Christopher Chiza and President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (agra) Jane Karuku ahs announced that Tanzania will host the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) from September 26 to 28, 2012. The meeting is the next milestone in developing African-led food security solutions.

Published in the Vanguard Newspaper, on Tuesday, August 28^th, 2012

Rural women graduate from NDDC/Shell Training Programme

1,620 women have graduated from a partnership training programme organised by Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and Shell Petroleum Company.

Speaking at the weekend, in Port Harcourt at the graduation ceremony, Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Christian Oboh, said the programme was aimed at building capacity among rural women in the nine member states of the commission.

Published in the Guardian Newspaper, on Wednesday, August 29^th, 2012

Total lifts unemployed youths in A’Ibom

It was all smiles for the 250 persons, who graduated from the NNPC/Total E&P skills acquisition programme in Akwa Ibom State last Friday.

The Deputy General Manager (unsustainable development) of Total E&P, Mr Cyprian Ojum, said on the occasion that the reduction in youth unemployment, poverty and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region could be traced to the company’s skills acquisition programme.

Published in the Guardian Newspaper, on Wednesday, August 29^th, 2012

World Bank to spend N45b on jobs in Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan has called on economic experts in Nigeria to develop approaches that will fast-tract the country towards overcoming poverty and unemployment, as the World Bank is investing about N45 billion ($300m) for skills development, poverty reduction in 20 states of the federation.

The President at the opening of the 53rd annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), themed “Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria” said, the inconsistency in the “education outcomes and skill demand” was worrisome so the need “to devise practical solutions that could strengthen government’s drive to overcoming poverty and unemployment.

Published in the Guardian Newspaper, on Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

N198.2bn agricultural loans disbursed so far, says CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said about N198.2bn has been released so far to banks and state government out of the N200bn agricultural intervention fund since inception in 2009. It is said in a release on Wednesday that the balance of CACS funds as at July 2012 is N1.826bn while the balance of repayment account in the same month under review stands at N7.534bn respect of 16 expired facilities.

“Since inception in 2009, the CBN has released the sum of N198.173bn for disbursement to 258 beneficiaries made up of 228 private promoters and 30 state governments that accessed the sum of N38.0 billion,” CBN stated.

Published in National Mirror Newspaper, on Thursday, August 30^th, 2012

Sierra Leone, Tanzania seek Nigeria’s Assistance over TETFUND Implementation

The governments of Tanzania and Sierra Leone have asked Nigeria to assist them in the establishment of tertiary education trust funds in their respective countries. Representatives of the two countries made the appeal during a joint courtesy visit to the Senate Committee on Education in Abuja on Wednesday.

Sierra Leone was represented by David Koromah, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Commission (TEC); while the Tanzanian team was led by Rose Labuka, the Director-General, Tanzania Education Authority (TEA).

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Thursday, August 30^th, 2012

Philanthropy: French, Canadian Embassies Donates Books to Kwara

Franco-Canadian government yesterday donated academic books worth several thousands of naira to the Kwara state government.

The donation according to THISDAY, checks was meant to support the state government in a bid to enhance educational growth of the state.

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Thursday, August 30^th, 2012

UNICEF Partners Religious Schools to Fight Polio

To address the current upsurge of polio cases in Nigeria, UNICEF, with the support of the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), and partners, is set to join hands with Koranic school teachers in September.

According to the UNICEF Chief of Polio Communication, Paryss Kouta, the Tsangaya School Strategy will be piloted in 10 high-risk local government areas of Jigawa and Zamfara States, to reduce the number of missed children during polio campaigns and help build community ownership of immunization.

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Friday, August 31st, 2012

USAID to Fund Sanitation Projects in Bauchi

A two days workshop on implementation of institutional, regulatory and legal framework for urban water and sanitation sector for Bauchi State commenced in Abuja yesterday.

Team leader of the USAID funded project, Sustainable Water and Sanitation in Africa (SUWASA) Bauchi office, Engineer Hossana Dajan, in his speech said the objective of the workshop was to build on past consultation that had been ongoing for some months now with a view to finding an acceptable legal framework for Bauchi state urban water and sanitation sector through extensive consultations.

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Friday, August 31st, 2012

US Supports Nigeria with $500m to fight HIV/AIDS

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Terence McCulley, on Monday in Abuja said his country had supported Nigeria with a grant of 500 million dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other related diseases since 2005.

McCulley said this at the inauguration of the Defence Reference Laboratory by Mrs Olusola Obada, the Minister of State for Defence, at the Mogadishu Cantonment.

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Friday, August 31st, 2012

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Friday, August 31st, 2012

FG Targets $8bn from palm oil export

The Federal Government has said that it was targeting eight billion dollars revenue from palm oil export under the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA).

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced the plan in Abuja at the signing of the agreement for Estate Participation in the Oil Palm Nursery and Field planting activity.

Published in ThisDay Newspaper, on Friday, August 31st, 2012