Nigeria has received grants totalling 23 million dollars in four years from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), under its “Big Full Size” project funding, a desk officer, has said. Mrs Halima Mohammed, GEF’s Desk Officer in the Federal Ministry of Environment, made this known in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday. . Mohammed said that the grants were approved to implement various environmental projects across the country. . The GEF is the largest funder of environmental initiatives in the world, which also provides grants for projects related to biodiversity and climate change. . Other focal areas of its projects are…
Author: David F.
Multinaltional technology and consulting corporation, International Business Machine (IBM) while expanding local reach has predicted that cloud technology adoption in Nigeria is expected to grow to about 80 percent by 2015. . At the commissioning of new IBM innovation centre in Nigeria recently , the Country General Manager, West Africa, Taiwo Otiti said the new facility was designed to accelerate innovation for the country and West African business and IT skills. . He said that using the centre, clients, IT partners, developers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics can now access enhanced cloud capabilities and extensive big data and analytics resources.…
The management of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta has shut down the institute in order to address the challenges of electricity and water supply which led to students’ unrest on Tuesday. . In a memorandum titled Vacation of Students’ Hostels with Reference number, REG/CM/555XI/121 and signed by the Student Affairs Officer, Mrs. E.T. UDISI, students are directed to vacate the students hostels and campus for a period of two weeks to enable the completion of work for the supply of power and water in the institute. . Part of the statement reads, “in order to meet the students…
Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram militants on Tuesday evening stormed Konduga Local Government Area of troubled Borno state where they wrecked harvoc killing many residents including vigilantee youth popularly called civilian JTF and security personnel. . The gunmen according to sources also set ablaze many houses, shops and vehicles before displacing over 1000 residents after abducting some of them mostly women and youth. . Konduga is about 45 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital located on the off shores of the Sambisa forest which harbours a lot of terrorists’ camps in the state. . The Council…
Mr Carlos Maluta, the Minister-Counsellor of the Kenya High Commission in Lagos, on Wednesday said that 17, 556 Nigerians were issued visas to visit Kenya in 2013. . Maluta told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the number included Nigerians who visited for businesses, tourism, religious and education purposes. . He said the figure also included those transiting from Kenya to other countries. . “From available records, we are happy to announce that 17, 556 Nigerians got visas to Kenya for different purposes in 2013. . “This is an indication that many Nigerians actually visited Kenya last…
The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said that his government neither approved nor disapproved the use of hijab in any school. . The governor while making his remarks at the peace meeting between the Muslim Community and Christian Community at the Baptist High School in Iwo and the distribution and assessment of the performance of Opon Imo, noted that it was the court’s position that the status quo ante be maintained until the case was determined. . Aregbesola stressed that his government being a product of rule of law was guided in all its actions…
The Federal Government yesterday said it had no plan to concession the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, but committed to completing the project in the stipulated time at the cost of N167 billion. . Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen who made this known in Shagamu, Ogun State, during a joint inspection of the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway by the Ministry of Works and Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, insisted that “there has not been any revision on the project.” . He expressed satisfaction on the progress made so far by the contractors saying “the Federal Ministry of Works is on a working…
A group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had sued the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola and the State Attorney General, Adetoro Ipaye before Justice Saliu Saidu challenging their refusal to make available the information which was sought for in accordance with the Freedom of Information, FoI Act. . But Lagos State, in a counter-affidavit to the suit, argued that the FoI, being a legislation of the National Assembly, was only applicable in relation to public records of government of the federation and not of the states. . In the counter-affidavit, which was deposed to by Toluwanimi Odupitan, a counsel…
NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday in Lagos threatened to stop fuel distribution and shut down the nation’s oil sector over alleged unfair labour practices and other nefarious activities by major oil marketers and multi- national oil companies in Nigeria. . NUPENG claimed the activities of oil marketers and multi-national companies amounted to economic sabotage and that if not checked would lead to unrest in the sector, calling on President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Labour and the National Assembly to quickly intervene before it became too late. . In a statement by its President, Achese…
Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers on Monday said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would promote progress and create job opportunities if voted into power. . Amaechi spoke at Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers, after registering as an APC member at Ubima Ward 8. . The governor’s wife, Judith, was also registered as a member of the party. . Amaechi said the party was on a rescue mission in the state and in the country. . “From what you can see, APC is the fastest growing party in Africa. . ‘’All these people you are seeing here were…
The police in Gusau on Monday confirmed the killing of 16 persons, including a policeman, by armed bandits in Maru local government area of Zamfara. . The state police command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Lawal Abdullahi, said that about 150 armed hoodlums riding on motorcycles perpetrated the act. . He said the hoodlums had invaded the three villages of Tungar Rakumi, Mallamawa and Kangarawa on Saturday night. . The police spokesman said 12 persons were killed in Tungar Rakumi alone, while the rest four were killed in Mallamawa and Kangarawa. . ”The bandits, who are suspected to have carried…
IN efforts to sustain the ongoing reforms in Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Federal Government has turned down the application for extension of service by the current head of the agency, Abdullahi Dikko. . It was gathered that the Comptroller General, CG, of Customs had been making frantic efforts to keep his job, but the Presidency resisted the move. . After months of speculations, it had now been confirmed that government is now in search of a replacement for the Customs Comptroller General. . Sources at the Ministry of Finance told Vanguard last week that the minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo…
FEDERAL government has set up a technical committee to review the quality of cement produced in the country. This is with a view to redefining the appropriate standard of cement to be produced in the country. . Reacting to criticism that Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON has relaxed its earlier standard of 42.5 as minimum grade for cement used in the country to 32.5, Director General of SON Mr Joseph Odumodu said that a committee was already at work to review the current standard and weigh the implication and impact of the removal of the 32.5 on the economy and…
Tragedy struck in Lagos, yesterday, when a passenger hanging on a train coach had his hand chopped off by the moving train. . According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred at Oshodi around 9 a.m. when the victim, who was simply identified as Ernest, allegedly fell from the moving train which had a hitch in movement. . An eye witness, Mr Olu Atoyebi, said Ernest fell from the moving train while his hand was stuck in between the coaches resulting to the hand being chopped off. . His shout for help was said to have attracted sympathisers who rushed to…
An Osogbo magistrate’s court has ordered a 27-year-old man, Akeeb Ibrahim, to be remanded in Ilesa prison for allegedly raping a two- year-old girl. . Ibrahim was alleged to have raped the girl (name withheld) in his room at his house located at Isale‑Afo area of Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun state. . According to the charge sheet read in court, the accused person lured the girl into his room at about 1.00 p.m. when her parents had left for their shops. . The Police prosecutor, Abiodun Fagboyinbo, an inspector, told the court that the accused…
Leader of the fledging Northern Elders Council, NEC, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has dismissed insinuations that the group is being bankrolled by the Presidency to be able to curry the support of the north ahead of the 2015 elections. . Yakassai, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard in Abuja, claimed that the NEC were working for the interest of Nigeria and not that of any individual or group. . The former National Assembly Adviser to President Shegu Shagari made it clear that he was too big to be used by anybody to advance their selfish political interest and described those making the…
A Fulani leader, Alhaju Abdulkadir Salihu, has appealed to the Federal Government to create more grazing reserves across the country to curb the incessant clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen. . Salihu made this known on Monday when he received members of the 2014 Press Week Committee of the Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). . The Fulani leader, who is also the National President, Jamu Nati Fulbe Association of Nigeria, said the perceived neglect of Fulani pastoralists had widened the gap between them. . Salihu said that the appeal was necessitated by the need to reduce…
A 32-year-old woman, Bilikisu Okanlawon, was yesterday arraigned at a Tinubu magistrate’s court, Lagos, for allegedly biting off the ear of her neighbour. . Okanlawon, who resides at Ajegunle St., Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, was alleged to have bitten off the left ear of one Christy Edo during a brawl between them. . The police prosecutor, Austin Orji, told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 4 pm on February 7, 2013, at their Ajegunle St., Ibeju-Lekki residence. . Orji said the fight between both women was sequel to a disagreement over N500, adding that Edo was rushed…
That former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has gone back to grin alongside some of the same politicians who roundly chastised him into leaving the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria with his tail between his legs is amusing to say the least. It is even more amusing how he has been trying to convince Nigerians that his new adventure with the All Progressives Congress (APC) is about achieving “change” and not about him taking another shot at winning the presidency for himself. At this juncture, it is only natural to wonder what sort of “change” Atiku—a founding member of the Peoples…
The 11 senators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are today set for a showdown with the Senate leadership with their resolve to cross carpet irrespective of the refusal of the Senate President to read their letter of defection. . In practical demonstration of their rejection of the PDP, the 11 senators, Vanguard learnt yesterday would take their ‘Plan B’ by vacating their allocated seats among PDP senators and cross the carpet to sit with All Progressives Congress, APC senators on the other side of the Senate chamber. . Meanwhile, it was learnt yesterday that the President of…