Rotary Club of Ikoyi commissions N4.5m water/sanitary project at St Mary’s Girls Primary School, Lagos Island …Distributes sanitary pads to students

With over 32,000 clubs and close to 500 Districts across the globe, the Rotary International was formed to provide service to humanity without discriminations.

No wonder, the Rotary Club of Ikoyi (District 9110) after needs assessment of all the schools within its jurisdiction settled for the St Mary’s Girls Primary School in Lagos Island, Lagos State to renovate the school toilets, provide borehole, 4 water tanks of 2500 liters capacity each, build wash stations, and re-pipe the entire water system in the school all the projects amounting to N4.5million.

The gigantic project which took the club two years to come to fruition was commissioned on Monday, May 22, 2023 at the school premises, with both students, Lagos State schools management and staff of the school thumbing up the Rotary Club for the laudable initiative.

Speaking at the event, Dr Augustin Irabor, the current President, Rotary Club of Ikoyi (District 9110) said the project was undertaken courtesy of a popular grant organized through District 9110. “This project started about two years ago, we were able to identify the schools in area where we could support our community. The project was facilitated by District 9110, so we identified this school, St Mary’s Girls’ School, and then we came for the first initial need assessment, we discovered that the state of the toilet facility they have, half of them were not in functional state, and we identified it and put it in our project for this year.

“We were quite fortunate to get approval from the global grant; that is the Rotary International, we now have to put in our own to execute the project; that is what we have come to commission today,” Irabor disclosed.

On the reason for choice of St Mary’s School, he made it clear that in as much as every school in the community has their special needs, those of St Mary’s Girls’ Primary School required more urgent attention, adding that the club started with its immediate community “Rotary Club of Ikoyi is just about five minutes from here. So it is good to start from where you live. For the projects, we have to first of all give preference to our immediate community; that is Ikoyi and Island and its environs.”

Advising the benefitting school on need to maintain the facility, he said “The facilities were put there for the good use of the children because if you had come here at the first time, you would realize that, yes, it is not in the good interest of a child to study in a dilapidated environment because the toilet, the water system, is hygiene, and hygiene is very key to the wellbeing of every person, but more importantly also for the children, they should make good use of these facilities so that when others would see it, it will encourage them to do more.”

Irabor who said the club has follow up and maintenance solutions for all their facilities talked about his tenure and what he has been able to do as the president of the Rotary Club. “In the Rotary agenda we run from July to June, I actually have about one and half months to round off, but that notwithstanding, we have very good succession plan, my incoming president will also be here, who is going to take over from me. During this year 2022/2023 we have had series of projects lined up for the year, which we have judiciously accomplished. First of all we had the basic life support training, we have done that very well, it is still ongoing and the incoming administration is also going to take into consideration and will continue that. We want to ensure that the people within Ikoyi and its environs feel safe and they are able to get first aid support whenever they are. So we trained all the representatives of companies so that they can, at any point in time, If somebody slumps, he needs emergency, somebody will be able to attend to them. That is the purpose of the basic life support training, we called it emergency squad. So that is our star project for this year.

“Beside that we have organized prostrate screening exercise which we did at the general hospital about a stone throw from here, and we had cases were they were able to identify very serious cases and they were referred to appropriate quarters for attention. So these are the things that we do, we have also organized polio immunization during the year, it was well attended, we did that at Obalende in Ikoyi LCDA. We also organized what is called the Golf Tournament, which was a fund raising event, and then it helped us to generate fund and then create awareness in the community that we need to have service project in this community, we have more than 20 projects, and we are just rounding off with this water and sanitation,” Irabor disclosed.

The Rotary President explained what the entire project entailed “It is a project we handled with the global grant like I said. The global grant in a nutshell is what? The rotary international, they give you opportunity to identify project, and when you identify project you do the need assessment, you do the costing, and at the end, if the cost of project is $100, they are ready to give you $50. So they support you with half of what you are going to do.

Summarizing the entire cost of the project Irabor said “Now in terms of funding, the funding is from that global grant, we have a project of about N4.5million and that is to do what? To be able to refurbish the borehole system, we have to change and then built up 10 toilet system, and then with corresponding wash stations, four water tanks with 2,500 liters capacity each. We also changed the piping systems, because when we came we realized that rather than just turning on the tap, or when you go to toilet you flush it, the children were using buckets to fetch water from the ground floor to the second floor, which was a bit hectic for our children. So we now felt that, yes, the best thing is to first of all re-pipe all the water circulation system and then provide the tanks and change the toilets. We renovated the place, changed all the doors, rebuilt the toilet itself, put all the tiling, and then all the finishing. That is what we have done and we have also built the wash station where the children can easily go there, fetch water whenever they want to wash their hands, or do some washing on the ground floor, but generally there is water everywhere, as you can see when we went round, all the facilities are working, that is what we have done,” he concluded.

Rotarian (Dr) Kamoru Omotosho, Past District Governor, from Rotary Club of Ikoyi, District 9110, on his part said that what Rotary Club at the school is under the area of focus, “It is classified under water, sanitation and hygiene, and we feel that if we are able to look after the children by providing them with water, their health will be good and they will be able to concentrate on their education. And apart from just water and sanitation, this particular year we are focusing girl-child. You see, one of the things that tend to cause absenteeism from school is when they are doing their menses, so apart from commissioning, we are also here to distribute to them sanitary pads for their use.”

Speaking further, he disclosed that the club do a lot of things on basic education, literacy, maternal and child health, “These are all areas in focus, sometimes we actually do things to empower women in their markets, so community empowerment is one of the things we do. This particular project we are commissioning today is being replicated in about 15 schools in our own catchment area, that is Lagos and Ogun that we cover.”

 Mrs Williams Adefunke Ashake, Head Teacher of St Mary’s Girls Primary School, speaking on how she felt, said that the Rotary Club of Ikoyi has done a great job because she did not expect them to that much. “To be sincere, I didn’t even expect them to go to this length, when they came to me the other time, they asked me what is our need? I told them that our needs are many, and they said there is no problem. I took them round and they checked everything, pupils’ toilet, staff’s toilet, our borehole, they checked everything, and they said they will get back to us. I never knew they would come back. To my surprise when they came, they first came with five big water tanks. They installed everything, later they came with WC, wash hand basins, washing machines, two water filters; I was amazed. I said these people they really mean business. Then they brought their work men, the labourers, painters, bricklayers, tilers, plumbers, they have done a great work, I didn’t even expect that they will do more than what I expected, so that is why I said today, we need to celebrate these people. We know that government cannot do it alone, at least some NGOs like this, they need to come to the aid of some Lagos State Government schools. In fact Rotary Club of Ikoyi has tried a lot.”

Speaking on the health benefits of the intervention by the club in the school she said “The club tiled all the toilets both the floors and the walls, installed new water closets, the water is running now, when the children finish using the toilets, there is a place they can wash their hands now, all these go a long way concerning their health.”

On measures to maintain the facilities she said a lot has been put in place to take care of them. “I have called my staff, and we have told the pupils that these facilities, they need to take care of them. They need to maintain them to the high level. Again we have hired one woman that will be monitoring the pupils when they go to the toilet and when they come out. So we are on ground to make sure the pupils ensure that these facilities last longer. We have also told the pupils that they must not pour water on the floor, they don’t need to because the water closet is working, after they might have finished using the toilet, they should flush it, they don’t need to take water from somewhere else to go and flush the toilet, just press the knob the water will flush on its own, then go to the wash hand basin, wash your hand, there is a napkin there, clean your hands. We also told them they should not rush in or out whenever they are using the toilet, they should go there gently,” she revealed.

Mrs Ashake appreciated the Rotary Club of Ikoyi with kind words, “I say a big thank you to them, I don’t even know what to say than to say, I am very grateful, they have done a great job, and I really really thank them from the bottom of my heart, and I pray that the almighty God will continue to replenish their pockets, wherever they brought this money from the almighty God will pay them back and their children in the name of Jesus.”

 

 

How NFF Is Utilizing Divine Instructions To Strengthen Nigeria’s Football

For several years, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ignored spiritual warnings and divine instructions from men of God especially Primate Ayodele who has been a huge supporter of Nigeria’s football for several decades.

Primate Ayodele at different times has warned the football federation against fielding some players, playing in some stadiums but most of the time, they neglect the man of God and in the end, they pay heavily for their neglecting the warnings.

One of the many instances was the loss to Guinea Bissau at the Abuja national stadium. Before the match, Primate Ayodele warned the NFF not to use Abuja Stadium because it doesn’t have a good aura for Nigeria’s football. He advised the federation to check other stadiums instead of Abuja because of the spiritual implication on the country’s football.

After the team lost to a weaker Guinea Bissau, Primate Ayodele spoke again regarding the use of stadiums and the coaches. He called on the NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau to sack all the coaches and change the venue of the matches if truly the federation is after victory.

These were his words:

‘’NFF should sack all our coaches and get new, experienced ones that can move our football to the next level. Nigeria needs to go to the world cup, AFCON, there is no excuse for it. The president of NFF should sack these coaches. Moshood Abiola Stadium is not always a point of victory for super eagles, the NFF should check stadiums in Lagos and parts of the country’’

After a long time of ignoring the prophecy of the man of God, it seems the NFF has finally come to terms that Primate Ayodele is speaking the mind of God concerning the country’s football and there is a need for the federation to listen to the divine instructions. 

At the moment, some of the coaches have been sacked and plans are currently going on to appoint the best hands to manage Nigeria’s football teams.

Also, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo for the Super Eagles’ next home game in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The major instructions given by Primate Ayodele have been obeyed by the Nigeria football federation (NFF) and definitely, and the football system will experience positive changes

 

Promise TB Joshua bags MPA from top rank world university

Promise Joshua, a scion of renowned God's General, global philanthropist and founder of Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) late Senior Prophet TB Joshua has bagged a Master's of Publication Administration MPA degree from a top ranking university, the University of Columbia, New York in United States of America.

She's among thousands of 2023 Class certified and released to the world this week whom Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean, School of International and Public Affairs described as: "future heads of states, diplomats, global entrepreneurs, investors and inventors that will save lives" for a better world and humanity.

Promise Joshua expressed gratitude to God for His grace upon her life and for her academic success on a record time. She also paid a glowing tribute to her late father Prophet TB Joshua whom she described as: "the best dad in the world, a personification of love with a towering and unquantifiable passion for education and better humanity for which his imparts with indelible marks cut across frontiers of several nations and human races across the world". She also praised her mother for her steadfastness as a quintessence of true womanhood "for which I thank God and very proud  of".

Ranked 5th in the 2018 in the global classification of 'Top Master's Programs for Policy career in International Relations', Columbia University has remained one of world's most important centers for research and distinguished learning environment for students in many scholarly and professional fields and has consistently been ranked the top graduate school for International Relations and Public Affairs in the world.

 

Build one standard Intl hospital in each geopolitical zone, Omoragbon tasks incoming administration

The First Nigerian Designated Contact Person to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Executive President, Nurses Across the Borders, Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon, has tasked the incoming Administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that it constructs a minimum of one standard International hospital in each geopolitical zone of the country.

Omoragbon made the plea during an exclusive interview with Lagos Talks 91.3 FM on Monday, May 15, 2023.

He maintained that with such facility the issue of medical tourism would be a thing of the past. “Now, is anything wrong if we should have one standard international hospital in every geopolitical zone in Nigeria, so that these hospitals, the standard can be comparable to what is obtainable in the UK or United States of America? It is very possible. If you go to the Middle-east none of the elites in the Middle-east leaves their countries to go for treatment abroad even in the United Kingdom or America, why because their facilities are second to none.  In fact their facilities are even better than what is available in Europe or America, because they invest in such facilities. If our leaders can do it that would be great.”

Speaking on the inability of the President Muhammadu Buhari to treat his tooth arch in Nigeria, Omoragbon said that it is a very big indictment on the country that the president of Nigeria could not be treated in Nigeria for ordinary tooth arch. “As a medical professional who was trained in Nigeria, worked in Nigeria and retired in Nigeria, I feel so embarrassed and I feel so scandalized as a Nigerian that this is happening.” He asked the question, is it that it is not possible to have such services in Nigeria? He answered that it is very possible.

Omoragbon put the inability of the president to get adequate medical treatment in Nigeria to the unwillingness of the politicians to do the right thing. “It has nothing to do with the healthcare practitioners, the healthcare practitioners are there as employees, they can only function with the resources that are available for them to work with, and those resources are provided by those in government. So it shows non-commitment of our leaders to our healthcare delivery services because if they were committed, these structures, the facilities required would have been made available. The reason why they are not committed is because they have access to the kind of money that you and I do not have and they can afford to travel anywhere in the world to seek medical treatment. That is why they are not bordered.”

He spoke further, “In 2020 during the Covid pandemic, the Prime Minister of United kingdom, Boris Johnson was infected by covid, in fact he almost died, Boris Johnson was admitted in one of the NHA, NHA hospitals are government hospitals. Now Boris Johnson was treated by the same nurse, the same doctors that would have attend to me if I were to attend that hospital. That was an example. Now when Yar’Adua was sick he was flown abroad, unfortunately we lost him. You are also aware that our current President, Muhammadu Buhari is also here for his tooth arch. Last year, Professor Osinbajo was admitted in one of the private hospitals in Nigeria, he was treated and discharged, and he got home, meaning that Osinbajo could have also travelled outside the country for treatment. But one fact remains, which is if Osinbajo could be treated in a private facility in Nigeria, it shows that the kind of treatment Osinbajo had in Nigeria is commensurate with what is obtainable abroad.

On solutions to the current healthcare quagmire in the nation he suggested the outright ban on medical tourism by government officials, saying “The solution is very clear, if you look at the example I gave before with Boris Johnson being treated in an NHS, a government hospital, if Boris Johnson was to have gone to a private hospital; that would have been a big indictment on his position as the head of government in United Kingdom, it would mean you are not prepared to receive treatment in the same hospital the ordinary man receives treatment because the ordinary man voted you there; so the fact that he went there for treatment demonstrates the fact that he has confidence in the services that are being rendered, which means, because he knows that if any of his family members were to be sick tomorrow, he or she will have to be taken there, so what do they have to do? They make sure that the facilities that are required for the nurses, for the doctors, for the lab technicians to function have to be up to date and have to be available, because they will not have the luxury, while in service to go to private hospitals.”

On what can be done to ameliorate the situation, Omoragbon said the first thing to do is for the government to get those who are in the Legislature to make laws banning all public officers from going to any private hospital or travelling abroad for treatment, because if such law is in place, they would have no choice but to equip hospitals with the necessary equipment and instruments for the hospital to work with, and they would no longer pay lip service to the number of doctors and nurses that are being trained.

He said “If the government were sincere let the government revert to the earlier days whereby government train doctors and nurses, they were given scholarship for training, today our medical personnel have to train themselves, if you are interested in nursing you have to pay millions of Naira, ditto for doctors, but a country as rich as Nigeria can afford to train its healthcare personnel free of charge, and give them enough incentives so that people will be interested in the profession. If you train these people and put them on what is called bond and you tell them, okay, I am going to train you, and for 3, 4, 5 years you are not going anywhere, we would have enough, but today, the little number of healthcare workers that are being trained, they train themselves, after that, they have to go to places where there service are better appreciated and their welfare is better taken care of in terms of salary. The reason why you work is to take care of your family and all that,” Omoragbon emphasized.

He maintained that the training which the medical personnel in Nigeria receive is equivalent to what is obtainable abroad which is the reason other countries seek the services of the Nigerian healthcare professionals.

Federal Housing Authority: An instrument of unity, development, kudos to senators Lawal, Ashafa

Modestus Umenzekwe:

The aims and objectives of the Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria, a wholly owned agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, are well encapsulated in the Decree (Act) establishing it. I am referring to Decree 40 of 1973 now cited as Act CAP F-14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004; and it is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

Indeed, the Authority is saddled with numerous statutory responsibilities which include but not restricted to preparation and submission from time to time, to the Government of proposals for National Housing Programmes; the making of recommendations to the Government on such aspects of urban and regional planning, transportation, communication, electric power, sewage and water supply development as may be relevant to the successful execution of housing programmes approved by the Government; and the execution of such housing programmes as may be approved by the Government. Germane for the realization of these above laudable duties of the Authority is the mission which is to promote housing delivery in sustainable settlements through partnerships and end-user driven initiatives, as a catalyst for socio-economic development in Nigeria; while the vision is to be the leading facilitator of access to sustainable housing solutions in Nigeria and become a model government agency in the world. 

Beyond the statutory responsibilities of providing shelter for millions of Nigerians in various categories of housing needs, the agency has assumed other roles of development and nation-building; for aside helping to raise structures for shelter across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, such structures have gone ahead to enhance the beauty and esthetics of the nation’s landscape, constructing drainages and planting flowers within the estates. The Authority has also become an instrument of unity. The FHA estates throughout the country accommodate almost every ethnic nationalities living there as brothers and sisters without any rancour. When you go to such estates like Festac in Lagos, Gwarimpa in Abuja, Umuahia in Abia, Owerri in Imo State, Ibadan in Oyo State (under construction), and the recently commissioned 748 house units in Zuba area of Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari on 2^nd May, 2023, you would be shocked to witness the level of peace, unity, love, cooperation, networking going on in those estates, nobody talks about, Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa, they are all brothers and sister.

And you can see that the FHA as it is presently constituted is made up of men and women of timber and caliber who understand the importance and magnitude of the assignment given to them by the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) who himself is implementing the critical Housing vision of the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari.

And when you are talking about the successes recorded by the Federal Housing Authority, the names of two fantastic gentlemen comes to mind: they are Senator Shuaibu Lawal, the Chairman of the Federal Housing Authority and the man who oversees the day-to-day activities of the Housing agency, Senator Gbenga Ashafa.

Senator Lawal Shuaibu, I will always say the truth and nothing but the truth and which I will challenge anyone to prove me wrong. Senator Lawal is a well-known Nigerian, a very very strong politician of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a dignified senator for that matter. He is a hard negotiator and a goal getter, he is a no nonsense man, you see him laughing all the time, but highly disciplined. At the slightest mistake he can reprimand you and tell you he doesn’t like what you are doing, but not to the extent of going to punish you unduly; he would tell you there and then I don’t like it, and would now come in with the correction. He is a man that doesn’t take excuses, he gives you assignment and you don’t deliver, he doesn’t take excuses, you must get it right, you must do it the normal way. So whenever you are with him, you must be on your toes. He dislikes wasting time, and he is very very frugal, very very cautious. He is a man that talks about due process, you don’t cut corners and he is a very very strong man, you can’t push him around. But then, Senator Shuaibu Lawal is a teacher. If he gives you tutorial, you go home and sleep; he is so versatile in governance; a well-educated man, tall, back, handsome man, may God bless him.

Then on the other hand, is Senator Gbenga Bahiru Ashafa, Managing Director of the Authority, is well known to Nigerians, he is a Lagosian from the southwest, and in Lagos when you talk about land construction, you must mention his name. He is a fine handsome gentleman, very unassuming and focused. He knows when to cut his onions, very calm in nature but very very decisive. He has a good heart and he has experience in human management. Above all, Senator Ashafa has been a senator of the Federal Republic. I do not know him as a man of severe mistakes, we are all human beings, we can err in one way or the other, but I do not know him as a man with dangerous mistakes. He is well organized and he has done a lot to reposition FHA. He has gone all out to visit the property of FHA wherever they are throughout the country irrespective of how volatile such area is, you still see him there. You see him in the southeast, Northeast, Northwest, North central, south-south, southwest, his own area. So he keeps touring round the nation, visiting, and solving one problem or the other, and he doesn’t make noise about it; and the entire staff of FHA and the entire Board have good working relationship with him. Yes they do disagree, which is normal in every organization, otherwise there would be a lot of mistakes. Such arguments normally arise in order to sieve out the grey areas, but in the end, everything will come to conclusion in a very very peaceful and dignified way. And that is why FHA is moving up.

The other day President Buhari commissioned a project in Zuba, 748 housing units, another construction is going on now in Bwari, the area you have law school, it is scattered like that all over the Federation, and you see this man visiting all the sites to make sure that things are in order. I congratulate him and more grease to his elbow.

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the FHA and the Ministry of Works and Housing has delivered 8,938 housing units across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is not strange, we all heard it from the horse’s mouth, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) while delivering the scorecard of his stewardship as the Minister of Works and Housing in the administration of President Muhammadu. The theme of the scorecard was ‘Tour of Duty as Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: A Time and Economic Resource Report (2015-2023)”.

The soft spoken indefatigable former governor of Lagos also reminded those who may have forgotten in a hurry that, the ministry has also created jobs too. He said “We have created 383,431 jobs, constructed 9,290.34 kilometres of roads, linear metre of lane marking 2,270,319 and number of road signs installed 254,690. What this is doing in effect is that journey time are being reduced, improving human conditions and promoting prosperity.”

He went on to say, “We have 46 sites in 35 states with 6,068 housing units and 2,870 housing units in the FCT. Fashola added that the ministry issued 1,262 building contracts, while 6,685 Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) were signed from 2015 to March 2023. He also added that the ministry generated a revenue of N13,09 billion within the period.

Over 2,200 housing units are currently being completed in Apo, Abuja, Odukpani in Calabar and Yenagoa in Bayelsa State and Awka, Anambra State, many of them are at their various completion stages.

The authority is also currently carrying out direct development of 330 units of various house types with complementary infrastructure in six states across the country namely: Gombe – Gombe State, Makurdi – Benue State and Osogbo – Osun State, the construction of the 17-storey headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Abuja which has reached its peak. The N39.2bn project is certainly going to be one of the landmark buildings that will shape and define the skylines of the city of Abuja after its completion. What of the FHA proposed head office site at the Central Business District and the Lugbe extension, they have become a reality now.

There is the Kabusu, Shisipe II in Abuja metropolis; the site for the proposed FHA Smart City project sits on 700 hectares of land. The FHA Lugbe extension project is on 190 hectares of land, the FHA Ajoda GRA scheme is a partnership project started in 2020, expected to deliver a total of 896 units of various house types.

Statistics have shown that Nigeria is among the nations of the world that have shown capacity in the provision of shelter for its people. Although efforts geared in this direction appeared not to have ameliorated the wide gap created by population, but the truth remains that the government of Nigeria has put in place commendable and gigantic policy measures to ensure that their citizens have affordable shelter over their heads.

Private individuals on their own have equally contributed their quota by also playing tremendous roles in the provision of houses for themselves and fellow citizens just as they do in any part of the world; but in all these there still appear little is being done to make mass housing a reality. 

No doubt, it is evident that there is the desire by government to ensure adequate shelter for the teeming population of Nigeria however, available financial resources and population size have posed an impediment in the realization of mass housing for all not just in Nigeria, but also in other climes, that is aside the political will to do so.

In terms of the generation of jobs, both direct and indirect, the FHA has proved to be a veritable tool for wealth distribution. Reports garnered from the various construction sites through various means, including site inspection by the minister or his representatives, no less than 1,000 people are employed on each site, apart from the staff of the successful contractors. These sites are an ecosystem of human enterprise, where artisans, vendors, suppliers, and craftsmen converge to partake of opportunities and contribute to nation-building.

The Authority has proved to be one of the veritable means of achieving president Buhari’s vision of lifting 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. With a combination of employment, access to opportunities, value asset renewal, increase in income for those already employed, access to nutrition, freedom from disease, access to shelter and many more life-enhancing opportunities that move people from want and poverty to access and prosperity, which agency has provided in the last six years, the president’s vision is achievable.

It is no longer news that wherever the Authority has a project, the generality of the people in that community also benefit from such project, and this has been attested to by the minister himself who once  painted a clear picture of the economic benefits of projects carried out by his ministry from the contractor/construction company that wins the bid to the labourers on-site who earn N3,000 a day, (N18, 000 a week (for six days) and approximately N72,000 a month); to the owner of the concrete mixer who charges N20,000 a day: to suppliers and vendors of building materials, and employees of companies that manufacture paint, tiles, roofing materials, the Federal Government, and state government collaboration provided a step up towards the ladder of prosperity. Above is how the minister captured the role of his ministry and agencies in promoting prosperity through various construction projects across the country.

 

 

Tinubu should go for brainboxes in selecting his cabinet members---Umenzekwe

Hon (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa Achina), a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in this interview in his office in Lagos, urges the president elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go for brainboxes in selecting his cabinet members: Excerpts:

After the election, peace has returned to the land, or what do you think?

When you said peace has returned in the land, you made it to appear that there was a time there was no peace in the land. There has been peace before, during and after the election, there has been peace. And there would always be peace by the grace of God. Of course, in every election, supporters of political parties because of one entrenched interest or the other engage in some acts inimical to law, bear in mind that no political party enshrines snatching of ballot papers in their constitution, none, but some personal interests on the part of supporters and candidates unavoidably play out. It has been there, not just in Nigeria, but the world over, even in advanced democracies: America, UK, it is there. But in the last election, the disagreements and skirmishes witnessed in a few states during the elections, were blown out of proportion to give it the coloration of crisis. So there is peace in the nation.

You see, a nation without peace is in crisis, when there is no peace, there would be no development, you wouldn’t be talking about wife, husband, children, business or work. Look at what is happening in Sudan, killings, destruction of institutions and facilities that have taken them many years to build; that is a country in crisis, a country where there is no peace. We don’t want that, and that is why I appeal to those who are aggrieved following the outcome of the last elections to eschew inflammable utterances and wait for the judgement of the courts, but if they can listen to me, which I think is in their best interests, they should withdraw their complaints from the tribunal and appeal court, and joint the winners to move the nation forward.

Do you think Nigerians are going to miss President Muhammadu Buhari as he prepares to depart for Daura?

There is no way Nigerians are not going to miss His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, we are going to miss his calmness, his ability to hold Nigeria as one in spite of these turbulent years, the Covid-19 pandemic, the EndSARS imbroglio, the global economic downturn, remember he exited Nigeria from recession twice, so it is not easy. Let me tell you, criticism is cheap, but when you get there, you discover that governance is not a tea party. Yes, Nigerians will surely miss President Buhari, however the succor lies in the fact that it is the same APC that is still at the helm of the affairs of the country. Nigerians will miss Buhari.

Now, May 29 is around the corner, how prepared is the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assume the topmost position in the land?

The man, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of Africa, is 100% plus ready. His coming to the presidency is not an afterthought, he was born to be a leader, he was a senator, a governor, a national leader of a party, and now a president elect. In that presidential election, both in the primaries and the actual election, none of the aspirants were as prepared as Tinubu was, and it showed in the result he garnered at the poll. Yes he is ready to start work. He is not a learner, he has done it in Lagos. The foundation he led in Lagos has progressively propelled the state to greater height of infrastructure development, education, security. Today Lagos is the safest state in the country despite the burgeoning population, of course with its population, many would think Lagos would be battling with high crime rate, but you can see it is the safest, it didn’t just happened, somebody was instrumental for it and that man is Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. After the election, he travelled, relaxed, and now he is back, he is really ready for the job.

As governor of Lagos he ensured positive political continuity, whereby, Lagos government has been run by members of Tinubu's cabinet since 2007 when he left office. This made it impossible for his adversaries to erase his master-plan. 

Tinubu knows that Muslims are minority in the South, and he is a Muslim, becoming president for him may be too herculean but he didn't give up. Tinubu, after winning his Presidential Ticket, chose another Muslim from the North. This he did to avoid a 100% minority Ticket that may likely end up in disaster. He took the full advantage of PDP's division, raked the chunk of G-5 supports, benefitted from Kwankwaso's stance against Atiku and also, inherited the profits from Labour Party's politics. These are the reasons why the Naira redesign and cash crunch couldn't stand Tinubu's hurricane. The promoters of that Naira policy bowed and pastorpreneurs defeated, EndSARS faded and all evil alliances perished. The Jagaban should be studied by those who cherish success and are determined to fulfil destiny. 

What do you think should be the first assignment of the president-elect when he takes over the reins of power?

For me I feel Asiwaju should first set up a reconciliatory committee to bring people who feel aggrieved following the outcome of the Presidential election, together, if possible bring them into his government to contribute their competence and capacities for the development of the country. I know he will do it, he is a man with large heart, a man that does not bear grudges, whether you vote for him or you did not vote for him, it is not an issue, after all, he is the president-elect. Another committee that should be formed is the one that should look into agitations across the country, to find out why people are fighting, from north east, north west, south east, such committee  or commission should sincerely go deep to reconcile warring groups, and bring amnesty for those who embrace peace. I also expect him to make appointments based on federal character so that there would be sense of belonging for all the sections of the country. When the whole country feel they are part of you, demands, agitations, struggles would definitely go down. He should immediately work on security, stabilize the currency, ensure food security, among other things.

What are those things that should form the basic considerations in the composition of the new cabinet after May 29?

Well, I have this conviction that Tinubu should go for brainboxes in his appointments. What do I mean by brainbox? The brainbox is the seat of intelligence, initiator of the body movement and controller of behavior. So by brainbox I want him to appoint men and women of capacity, competence, consistency, men whose antecedents stand them out. Let me tell you, Mr. Journalist, the situation in Nigeria now does not need trial and error. Look, I was having a discussion with some people the other day and I mentioned the name of a certain minister, and all the people there asked me, is he a minister? Many are ministers but they are not visible, they are not working.

I have always said it and I will continue to say it, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is a hero of Buhari’s administration, good enough it is still the same party. Take a look at the Housing and Road programmes of the present administration, he was not found wanting, he delivered beyond expectations. He did not give out contracts and go and sit down and wait for reports. No. He is always at the project site to ensure contractors work according to specifications and terms of reference, and you all can see the results. All the six geopolitical zones felt his Midas touch which he did in a detribalized manner. Now do you think such a person should not be in the list of first three people in this administration’s cabinet? Answer me. He is a multi-talented, multifaceted individual, his input in the Federal Executive Council is critical and must not be missed at this time. What Fashola did in Lagos when he was governor is legendary, he has also repeated that at the national level, so a man like that who has shown immense capacity deserved to be encourage the more, he has done well. Most importantly he is still young and vibrant, the country still need to tap from his immense capacities and competences for the development of the country.

We need the tempo of development to continue; we need to tackle insecurity; we need the economy to be on top gear; there are expectations and Tinubu can’t afford to disappoint his teeming supporters who overwhelmingly voted for him, infrastructure should enter the next level of development, we need robust human capital development, education, inclusivity in governance, women, youths, we must reduce discordance and policy summersaults, the government must think through any policy before and not thinking after policy has been announced. As a nation there should be sincerity in governance. Officials of government must be transparent and accountable to the people, image management is key, I am sure that the only people that can do all these are the brainboxes, not just any kind of persons. Tinubu needs people like Fashola in his cabinet.

Chief, I am still interested in the current minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Nigerians will really miss him, what are you telling Asiwaju, what role do you think Fashola can play in the incoming administration?

You see, when you say Nigerians will miss Fashola, I begin to wonder what you mean. How can Nigerians miss him, while Nigerians are looking for him? Nigerians are looking for him. The six geopolitical zones of this country are looking for him, why because of whom he is, why because of what God has used him to do in this country, why because of the confidence reposed in him by the outgoing president, President Muhammadu Buhari, why because the confidence reposed in him by the incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, why because he is a great achiever, a very calm man, you do not see him on pages of newspapers every day,  you don’t see him on Television every day, he is not involved in controversies, he would always tell you the truth and nothing but the truth whether you like it or not. And I am seeing him as another human developer after Asiwaju, a talent developer; though that will be an interview for another day.

So there is no way we will miss him because I believe unless it is him that says no, but if he says no, not to participate in this administration, Nigerians will feel bad; the downtrodden will feel bad. And I can tell you, the Southeast will feel bad, and if for any reason Asiwaju decides not to retain him in his administration, it will be a very serious mistake. It will be a very very serious mistake, and I advise him to pick him. Yes, he has been in government at a stretch for 24 years as Chief of Staff, as a Governor, Minister, but you see him very vibrant, except the grey hair which is normal, looking so young. This is a man that would talk to you without writing his speech, this is a man that would give you the account of his stewardship right from his days as Chief of Staff, his days as Governor of Lagos, and as Minister of Power, Works and Housing; and now Minister of Works and Housing; he is a perfect gentleman. When you call, he would return your call; send him text message, he would return your text message. So he cannot run, he cannot hide any more, if he hide and Nigerians will go and sieve him out and say come and serve us, come and give us succor, come and stabilize this government. So for me, he is another political giant, a silent achiever.

You see the man is endowed with the principle of knowing something about everything and not everything about something, his profession is law, but if you call him in the area of economy, he will supply you with answer, if you turn to Engineering, he will supply you with answer, you turn to Agriculture he will supply you with answer, so he is a multi-talented individual, and that is why I said he knows something about everything and not everything about something. Therefore, I recommend and I insist, whether anybody likes it or not, that Fashola should be retained in government, in whatever capacity they deem fit, he should be retained there. And I want to appeal to him, you know his nature, he may say he doesn’t want, but I am appealing to him, to please take up any job given to him by the incoming administration, it will be good for this country, it will help to stabilize the administration, it will help Nigerians to have more hope in the renewed hope agenda of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

It is obvious some part of the country did not vote for the president-elect, just like other candidates in the election; as the winner, how would you want Asiwaju to relate with those sections of the country that didn’t massively vote for him?

I have said it in different fora, as the President-elect he is going to be the president of all, and not just the president of APC. Every part of the country is now his constituency, remember that even the area you refer to as not having voted for him, thousands of people indeed voted for him there. So if you abandon those who did not vote for you, are you also going to abandon those that voted for you? Or do you have separate roads, electricity, hospital, schools for the different groups, just tell me how possible that would be? You cannot punish all because some did not vote for you.

Nigeria has gone beyond vindictiveness or revenge, and Asiwaju is not such a man. He is bigger than that. I see his administration as a beacon and symbol of good governance in Africa, Tinubu will follow the principles of Federal character, everybody will certainly be a winner in his administration, let’s give him a chance.

                                 

Nurses Across the Borders moves to equip Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, Benin City …Targets College Library, Computer Based Test rooms

L-R Mr. Charles Afolabi Oloriegbe, Head of Nursing, Pastor Hossanna Enunwaonye Immediate Past DNS Edo State, Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon, President/CEO, Nurses Across the Borders International; Dr Patricia Ukaigwe Provost, Mrs. Geraldine Imuetinyanosa Isioma Abu, Bursar, and Osayuki Jackson Obaseki, Registrar.

Nurses Across the Borders International, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN-ECOSOC) has pledged support to the Edo State College of Nursing, Benin City.

The internationally recognized Nurses group which is the first NGO from Nigeria to be granted Observer Status by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change-UNFCCC stated that the support will come in form of equipping the College Library and the Computer Based Test rooms of the College of Nursing Sciences.

The Executive President/CEO of the organization, Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon made the pledge on behalf of the Nurses when he paid a courtesy visit to the college in Benin City recently as part of the activities to mark the International Day for Nurses and Midwives which is normally celebrated every May 5 and 12 annually.

According to a Press Release titled ‘Edo State College of Nursing Sciences: Centre of Academic Excellence’, Pastor Omoragbon commended the Government of Edo State under the leadership of Mr Godwin Obaseki for upgrading the standard of the health institution both in physical infrastructure and well qualified academic staff headed by the Provost, Dr. Patricia Ukaigwe.

In the words of Pastor Omoragbon, “Honestly, I am taken aback at what I am seeing now in a school that was closed down for years due to poor infrastructure and low level of academic staff. By what I see now, this place is comparable to international standards.

“This college is the best centre for Nursing Education in Nigeria today. I make bold to say so, because, I am a Nurse leader and transverse the length and breadth of Nigeria visiting schools of nursing and universities providing courses on nursing education, I have not seen anything like this. As a nurse and indigene of this state, I am proud that, this centre of excellence is sited in Edo State,” he said.

Omoragbon thanked the Provost of the institution, who had to relocate from the United States of America to head the institution for her sacrifice and prayed for God’s protection over her and her family. 

The released disclosed that Pastor Omoragbon was taken round the entire structures of the College and met with all the faculty staff and lecturers.

In her response, Dr. Ukaigwe, thanked Pastor Omoragbon for his unscheduled visit and reminisced over all the activities the Nigerian nurses and midwives from the Diaspora have been doing with the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria for almost two decades now in terms of medical mission through ‘give-back-to-the community’ project.

Ukaigwe also used the opportunity to thank the Governor of Edo State for appointing her as the head of the institution. She stated that she was surprised that, the Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, could employ her amongst all the other good candidates that applied, even though she is not from Edo State, she added that such action was a demonstration of the Governor’s resolve for excellence devoid of tribalism or nepotism.

She also expressed her readiness to give her best by sparing no effort in producing qualified nurses and midwives that can compete with other international colleagues in service delivery.

Ukaigwe thanked the Registrar and Secretary General, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for accrediting the facility for nursing education.

At the end of the courtesy visit, which was equally attended by the immediate past Director of Nursing Services, Edo State, Mrs Hossanna Enunwaonye, Pastor Omoragbon who is equally the President, Diaspora Nurses Association of Nigeria and Director for International Liaison, Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association, United Kingdom, promised to engage all the Nigerian Diaspora nurses and midwives to ensure that, the pledges by his organisation are fulfilled and looked forward to future academic collaboration in terms of exchange programs.

 

Why Senator Ike Ekweremadu must serve his jail term in United Kingdom

By Peters Osawaru Omoragbon:

Until I had the opportunity to listen to the full judgement against Senator Ike Ekweremadu and others, I was already feeling sorry and praying to God for mercy. I was moved by the parental instinct of what any parent can do to save his child and by the series of emotional narrative from different quarters majorly tilted in favour of the Senator and condemning the young victim who was tricked to the United Kingdom. As I listened to the entire ruling, I was glued to my seat as the Judge analysed the sequence of the crime and the roles played by all three actors: Mr and Mrs Ekweremadu and Dr Obinna, that I came to the conclusion that they all deserve their punishment.

They must be allowed to serve their sentence, so as to serve as deterrent to others like the Senator from Nigeria who on daily basis use their office and position to not only trample on the rights of the poor but also dispense of them with careless abandon.

I need not narrate the events nor the ruling (but would urge that you listen to the ruling on Youtube, it’s out there) and draw your own conclusion afterwards.

Here are some of my takes from the Judge’s point of view. These are questions and I shall attempt to answer some.

First, there are a lot of lessons to be learnt from this professionally, legally and morally. 

I shall attempt to look at this issue on both professional and moral grounds. Before then here are some questions I would love to ask: a. Do you think the Ekweremdus deserve the judgement handed out to them?
b. Were all the Nigerian high-profile personalities justified to have written to the judge for leniency?
c. Were the Ekweremadus justified by their actions going by the Crown's account of the event?
d. Would you elect to take a life to save yours when not in self-defence?
e. How about Dr. Obinna? What was the driving force behind his complicity or actions, Was it altruistic or professional or for filthy lucre?
f. As for the victim, what would you have done if you were in his position, would you have accepted compensation from the Ekweremadus?
g. Was he justified to have blown the whistle on the Ekweremadus?
h. Lastly, if you were the victim, what would you have done?
i. Just one more, do you support the clamour for the royal prerogative of mercy for  the Ekweremadus by King  Charles, if yes, what about Dr. Obinna?

Professionally, as a nurse, who trained, practised in Nigeria, retired and relocated to the United Kingdom, I feel ashamed at the parlous state of our medical facilities in Nigeria, and the carelessness with which those in authority are addressing the welfare of the healthcare professionals in Nigeria. Senator Ekweremadu was the Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, making him the Number 4 citizen in Nigeria, and for all his more than TWO decades in elective office in the second arm of government-legislative, is it not a shame that he could not find any hospital in Nigeria to provide the service he was spending millions of pounds for in the UK for his innocent daughter?

Imagine if Nigeria has at least ONE specialist hospital fully equipped for complex surgeries of the nature of a kidney transplant, would he have faced his current ordeal?

To even imagine that, the same National Assembly that has Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President to shamelessly pass a bill banning medical and nursing professionals from going abroad to practise whereas, the likes of Ekweremadu could afford medical tourism at the tax payers’ expense, speaks volume. It is scandalous!

If at 63, Nigeria the giant of Africa cannot boast of a functional healthcare facility to manage complex medical conditions, then, let all the government officials resign and declare a state of emergency in the healthcare sector in Nigeria.

In 2020, Prime Boris Johnson was infected by COVID-19 and was admitted into one of the NHS Hospitals akin to government hospitals in Nigeria. He was not flown outside the UK for treatment. He was not treated in a private medical facility in the UK. He was treated in the public hospital that anyone can attend in the UK. Why is this? Because all the hospitals are equipped for any type of medical and surgical conditions! 

Last year, Prof Osinbajo was operated upon in a private high-brow medical facility in Lagos. He got well and was discharged. Here is my analysis of both scenarios-the fact that Prof Osinbajo did not jet out to America or Europe but instead stayed in Nigeria was an indication that, it can be done also in any of the public hospitals if only our politicians and government officials would stop all the corruption in the system by deploying all resources for what they have been allocated.

If there can be a ban on all government officials and elected representatives from travelling out of Nigeria for medical tourism, they will have no choice than fix our healthcare system.

Morally, listening to the indignity meted out against the young man according to the Judge I felt so ashamed by the behaviours of all the three culprits. The young man was offered about 4 million naira, and only got 270k. He became dispensable as soon as the procedure was aborted. He was equally not properly briefed about the implications of the procedure post operatively. What about his after care. Would 4 million naira have made up for the loss of one kidney? Supposing without necessarily conceding, the operation went through, and the Senator’s daughter lives and the young man later dies from complication, Ekweremadu and his family would have cared less. The boy would have been one of those dispensable to the rich with no one to question them. This is just like money ritual. When you use other blood for money and flaunt it with careless abandon to the victims whose blood was used.

The Young man demonstrated a greater sense of consciousness and responsibility by refusing compensation which by all accounts he was legally and morally entitled. It shows he was not a desperate young man. He could have collected the money and sought asylum in the UK and would be granted and he will live on the proceeds, but he refused because, he knew the people he was dealing with were not ordinary people physically and spiritually. 

I hope on deeper reflection, all the Nigerian leaders that may have written to the Judge to tamper justice with mercy would rescind their appeals with good conscience after listening to the judgement.

If King Charles were to grant Senator Ekweremadu clemency, what happens to Dr Obinna? You cannot release one and leave the others to serve their jail terms. The law is no respecter of persons. The King will not make the first political decision that will hunt his reign so early after his coronation.

The judge must be commended. He was very professional and without sentiments. He refused to be swayed by all the accolades and encomiums poured out on Senator Ekweremadu but acted based on the rule of law and the facts of the case. This case demonstrated the professionalism of the British Police also, as there was no sensationalism rampant with the Nigeria system where all manners of reports both sponsored and otherwise would have been flying about town.

Finally, I think the Senator would have to refund to the Nigerian public all the money spent by the Nigerian Embassy in the UK to hire lawyers for him. He was not arrested whilst on official assignment in the UK but on a purely private matter. In the course of six months according to the Judge, all of the properties of Ekweremadu earned him well over 400k pounds! And yet, the Nigerian tax payers’ contributions were used to pay for his lawyers. 

By the time he comes out from prison, he would appreciate the enormous responsibility vested on public office which is to serve and not be served. He would realize that, repairing the roads in his locality is not just for the people alone, but will be handy in the case of emergency in his family because a journey of 10 minutes on good roads might take 2 hrs!

My prayers goes to the daughter and I am very sure, the UK government would take over her treatment on compassionate grounds and get her a donor kidney from any of ones in the ‘bank’. May God grant her that favour and mercy in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Pastor Peters Omoragbon (UK), President/CEO Nurses Across the Borders International & President Diaspora Nurses Association of Nigeria.

 

 

Lagos State consumes 1m tons of rice annually, produces 50,000 tons, says Commissioner for Agriculture …Urges Nigerians to embrace Agriculture

Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. (Ms) Abisola Olusanya, has disclosed that out of over 1million tons of rice consumed in Lagos annually, the state can only boast of production of 50,000 tons.

She stated that the state sources over 950,000 tons of rice from outside the state on yearly basis.

Olusanya said that the production output of tomatoes is also grossly deficient compared to its consumption need.

The Commissioner made the disclosures while delivering her paper as a Keynote speaker at the Lagos State University-Alexander Von Humboldt International Conference (LASU-Humboldt Kellog 2023), on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at Ojo.

She spoke on the paper titled ‘Advancing Food Security through Good Governance in Nigeria’, while the theme of the Conference was ‘Repositioning Science And Technology To Tackle Food Insecurity, Environment And Health Challenges Through Research Collaborations And Capacity Building For Sustainable Development’.

The Commissioner also stated that all sectors of the economy operate via a central pipe traceable to agriculture. “What we regard as the production, manufacturing sectors are basically hinged on agriculture. The clothes we are putting, especially the ones made of original cotton, are products of basic agriculture”.

She spoke further that the tyres of vehicles and interior furniture are all materials that originated from agricultural activities.

Olusanya also spoke on the need to get more actively involved in pro-agricultural activities, this she said would help Lagos State in attaining sufficient food production for sustainable food security.

The commissioner was also of the opinion that the factors holding the economy are food security and the security of life and property.

She called on youths to participate in agriculture, no matter their profession, adding that there will be less pressure on the workers’ incomes since less will be expended on feeding and as such the rising cost of living will be brought down significantly.

Earlier at the event Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello in her Welcome Remark said she was optimistic that the conference would proffer solutions to the myriads of challenges of food insecurity bedeviling the nation.

Other keynote speakers include, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye the Vice Chancellor of Osun State University who spoke on the paper titled ‘Tackling Food Insecurity, Environment And Health Challenges In Nigeria: The Potential Of Science And Technological Innovations Through Research Collaborations And Capacity Building For Sustainable Development.’

Another keynote was delivered by the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora who was represented  by the Director General/ Chief Executive, Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Dr. Sam Etatovie.

Prof. Kabiru Akinyemi, Director of Linkages, Partnerships and Collaborations at Lagos State University was the convener of the conference.

 

NiRA elects BoT, EBoD as Adesola Akinsanya emerges new President

Members of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and managers of the database of names registered in the .ng country code Top Level Domain, have elected Mr. Adesola Akinsanya and Mr. Murtala Abdullahi as the new President and the Vice President, respectively. 

They were elected on Friday April 28, 2023, during NiRA’s 15^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at “The Zone”, Gbagada, Lagos State.

Prior to his election, Mr. Akinsanya was a member of the Executive Board of NiRA under the leadership of Mr. Muhammed Rudman, the immediate past president (IPP).

Members also elected officials to fill vacant positions on the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Executive Board of Directors (EBoD).

Elected to NiRA BoT are Mrs. Mary Uduma; Mr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u; Mrs. Ibukun Odusote; Mr. Remmy Nweke, and Mr. Biyi Oladipo.

While Mr. Ebenezer Dare; Mr. Seun Kehinde; and Mr. Peter Oluka were elected as members of the EBoD.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, expressed gratitude and immense appreciation to the members for electing him as president.  “This is a call to greater service, and I promise to justify the confidence reposed in me” he affirmed.  Akinsanya, a Director at Upperlink Limited, had expressed in his manifesto, that he would employ winning formula: people, processes, performance, and accountability, to continue repositioning NiRA for greater success. He focused on a few key areas such as improved Registry-Registrar relationship, stating his strong belief that “the relationship between the Registry and Registrar can be deepened thereby making it a win-win situation”, and promising improved incentives for Registrars which, according to the new president, would lead to mutual growth.

He also promised to expand NiRA’s outreach with more engagements with Local and international industry players: “As your president, I pledge to push for more of NiRA’s engagements within the local and international ecosystem and other industry partners. This is very important because it fosters the bond with such players thereby giving NiRA more exposure to the internet communities. Also, collaboration with government and regulatory bodies, would facilitate policy development thereby leading to increased adoption of .ng domains. Industry partners include ICANN, AFRINIC, IGF, AFTLD, etc.

The President also promised increased capacity building for NiRA members, non-members, and Registrars through NiRA’s Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). “I will make sure we fully utilize NiRA’s SPVs (.NG Academy and Ndukwe Kalu Foundation) for the purpose of capacity building/ training for NiRA members and the Registrars by providing scheduled webinars on relevant industry topics.

With regards to Brand Awareness and Collaboration, he stated that he would

“push for more NiRA brand awareness by collaborating with the Registrars”. Other areas of focus include the signing of the .ng ccTLD zones, and strategic stakeholder management.

Akinsanya craved for the support of members to make NiRA a success story for the entire continent and beyond.

NiRA is a Not-for-Profit, Non-Governmental Self-Regulating body and managers of the .ng national resource, the country code Top Level Domain(ccTLD) name space in the public interest of Nigeria and global internet communities.

NiRA adopts the 3R (Registry/Registrar/Registrant) model of operation in the registration of domain names.  The implication of this is that NIRA does not handle the registration of domain names directly.  Registration can only be carried out through NIRA accredited Registrars.