Aso Villa Reads for 05/08/2021
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons says that it plans to institutionalise the marking of weapon-holdings for easy identification by security agencies. This, it says, is its response to the proliferation of arms in the country and the resulting threat to security. The National Coordinator, Arms Control Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Mohammed Dikko (retd.), disclosed this during a visit to the Defence headquarters on Wednesday. This is even as he said that the NCCSALW is working to mop up small and light weapons across the country.[Punch]
The Federal Government has called on stakeholders in the private sector to invest in the country’s Free Trade Zones to reposition the sub-sector as an instrument for economic growth and diversification. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, Nasir Gwarzo, made the call on Wednesday. He also stated that the decisions reached at the workshop, which brought together various experts and stakeholders in the industry would be used to produce a blueprint for stakeholders’ action plan on repositioning free trade in Nigeria.[Punch]
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved $1.48bn for the rehabilitation of two refineries in Warri and Kaduna.The decision was taken at the weekly meeting of the council presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. Osinbajo stood in for the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is currently in London. The contract for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries was awarded to Messers Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Limited at a total of $1.48bn. [Punch]
The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr Segun Awolowo, has advised Nigerian exporters against substandard products that cannot compete favourably in global markets. Speaking during a training programme on Wednesday, Awolowo said the objective of the programme was to build the capacity of some selected target groups such as farmers, food processors, and exporters on agriculture value chain for export. Represented by a deputy director in the council, Mr Andy Ambiktun, the NEPC boss enjoined the exporters to ensure proper documentation on legal and financial aspects of their businesses.[Punch]
The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of $11.17bn to link all of Nigeria’s coastal cities by rail in six years. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, briefed State House correspondents after the virtual FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mohammed said that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, presented two memos which had to do with Federal Government’s commitment to expanding and consolidating on the rail project. “The first one has to do with the Kano-Jibia rail and the other one has to do with the Port Harcourt-Maidugiri rail.[Punch]
The federal government, through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has commenced a pioneer programme to train members of Kano Executive Council on e-Governance and Digital Transformation. As part of its fulfilment to enable the development of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the programme was initiated to give special training to the top government officials in the state on modern technology adoption, in order to improve their performances at all levels while delivering services to the general public.[This Day]
Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says it has spent over N1.8 billion on Homegrown School Feeding programme in three years in Ondo State. Mrs Kemisola Olasetemi, the Ondo State Team Leader of the Programme, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Akure after monitoring the biometric data capturing of benefiting pupils. Olasetemi said the school feeding programme had 108,842 primary school pupils being fed through the exercise in the state.[Vanguard]
The Federal Government has announced a plan to review the current secondary education curriculum to place emphasis on skill acquisition at that level of education in Nigeria. The outgoing Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council, Professor Ismail Junaidu, made this known in Abuja. Junaidu spoke when he visited the Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) Dr Benjamin Abakpa, according to a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations of NSSEC, Fatima Bappare on Wednesday in Abuja.[Tribune]
The Federal Government has approved the establishment of the Agricultural Equipment and Machinery Development Institute in Cross River State. The institute is for the South-South geo-political zone. The approval followed an earlier request by Governor Ben Ayade to President Muhammad Buhari for the institute to be established in the state. It was gathered that the letter granting the approval for the establishment of the institute was presented to Governor Ayade, on Monday, in Calabar, by the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Professor M.S Haruna.[Tribune]
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the acquisition of 20 percent minority stake by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) in the Dangote Petroleum and Petro-Chemical Refinery. Timipre Sylva, minister of state for Petroleum Resources, briefed state house correspondents after the virtual FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa. Sylva said the acquisition was in the sum of $2.76 billion.[Business Day]
