Aso Villa Reads for 02/03/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
Today, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and some security heads are met at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Amongst the security chiefs were the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.); and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rafa’i-Abubakar. The Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, was also at the meeting while the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, was represented. The agenda was said to be a review of the report of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The committee is reviewing the alleged influx of small arms and light weapons into Nigeria, especially through the nation’s porous borders. The issue of illegal movement of arms into the country was amongst the reasons the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), partially closed the country’s land borders in August 2019. Punch reports.
For the tide of insecurity to be stemmed and youths in Nigeria gainfully employment, institutions of government have to rise to the occasion and ensure the mandates of their establishments are fully actualised. This was the view of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Richard Adebayo who spoke at the weekend in Jos, Plateau State at the commissioning of some projects at the headquarter of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF. He said that federal government would continue to put in place policies that would support organizations whose activities have direct impact on the lives of Nigerians and make such organizations thrive. The Minister said the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), with its mandate to train Nigerian youths on various skills acquisition, will eliminate the growing trends of unemployment in the country. According to him, “I want to assure that the federal government will continue to put in place policies that will ensure that organisations like the ITF whose activities have direct impact on the life of Nigerians thrives to its fullest.” Vanguard reported.
As the country prepares to make public its vaccine production from its joint venture company, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited in 2024, there are indications that the Federal Government could save about N8 billion annually being spent on vaccine importation when the vaccines hit the Nigerian market. Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Nnamdi Okafor, in a chat, said the vaccines company is running fully now as an independent company where it is currently perfecting steps to actualise vaccine production in the country. Okafor explained that they are hopeful that the company will receive all the needed support to actualise this national dream soon, saying it would take about three to four years before Nigerians will see the proceed of the investment, which will tackle emergency medical outbreaks in the country. The group managing director stated that currently, Nigeria spends about N8 billion to import vaccine into the country, which is a burden on the country’s foreign exchange (forex). According to him, the debut of local vaccine in Nigeria will enable government to save this N8 billion for national development. Sun reported.
