Aso Villa Reads for 17/03/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has launched a free Integrated Medical Outreach Programme for primary health care centers in 409 local governments areas of the 36 states including the FCT. The Programme which was launched in Bwari Abuja includes immunization vaccines for all non communicable diseases. The Integrated Medical Outreach Programme is an initiative by the National Primary health care Development Agency, NPHCDA to strengthen healthcare and improve the health of children through immunization. Inaugurating the program, President Muhammadu Buhari represented by the Vice President prof Yemi Osinbajo said the IMOP is an opportunity for the government to fulfill its promise on the dividends of democracy. He explained that the project is targeted at the poor and vulnerable at the grassroots and urged parents to avail their children to benefit from the programmme. The Executive Secretary NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib said the center under the current administration have made strategic innovations that had led to improved routine immunization, revitalization of 4000 primary health care centers, which had put the country at the verge of eradicating polio. Dr Faisal stressed that with one IMPO, health workers will offer services in primary healthcare centers and move from settlement to settlement targeting over 20 million people in unreached communities in over 409 LGAs. Radio Nigeria reports.
As the effects of the global outbreak of the Coronavirus bit harder, President Muhammadu Buhari is currently having a combined meeting with the Presidential Economic Committee, established to review the impact of Coronavirus and crash of crude oil price,and members of the Economic Advisory Council, headed by Doyin Salami. The President had inaugurated the committee to provide adequate response mechanism to the economic challenges posed by the falling price of crude oil on the international market. The team is made up of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Silva, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari. The combined meeting, Business Day gathered is to afford both groups opportunities to critically assess the situation and the response mechanism so far announced by the government.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved the postponement of the National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020. The Minister of Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, announced this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with Buhari. He said the postponement was due to the Coronavirus pandemic, adding the decision was arrived at after “close consultations with the Ministry of Health”. Dare visited Buhari with the Minister of State, Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora. He said over 11,000 athletes were expected to participate in the 20th sports festival, noting that it was safer to be on the side of caution than take the risk of proceeding with the event. Punch reported.
As reported by Punch, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund on Monday commenced the screening of 6,000 applicants for the fund’s 2020/2021 overseas scholarship scheme. According to the agency, over 25,000 applicants applied for the 2020/2021 MSc and PhD scholarship programme, among which 6,000 were shortlisted for interviews and screening. Speaking on the sidelines of the screening at the fund’s headquarters in Abuja, the Head, Overseas Scholarship Scheme Division, PTDF, Bello Mustapha, said the screening of the shortlisted applicants would run for two weeks. He said, “We received over 25,000 applications and we shortlisted over 6,000 across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria where the interviews will take place. We use panellists for the interviews. “We usually use 90 per cent of our old scholars that have graduated with a PhD, excellent scholars. They are the ones who are going to conduct the interviews. There are up to 91 panellists spread across the six geopolitical zones.” Mustapha noted that PTDF was partnering five countries in the scholarship scheme and named them as France, Germany, China, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. “For this year, we extended it to Malaysia because we have partnership with one of their universities,” he stated.
According to Punch, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday awarded scholarship to three secondary school students who emerged winners at the 2020 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award Competition. The scholarship will fund their education up to the Doctor of Philosophy in science disciplines of their choice in Nigerian universities. Buhari spoke while declaring open the 2020 Science, Technology and Innovation Expo at the Eagle Square, Abuja, with the theme, ‘Enhancing The Growth of a Diversified Economy Through Science and Technology.’ The President praised the creativity and competitive spirit of the three young scientists for emerging tops in the competition tagged, ‘774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award.’ The beneficiaries are Akintade Akanbi from Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, Osun State, who came first; while the second and third positions went to Uwakwe Kamsiyochukwu of Anambra State from British Spring College, Awka; and Aimofumhe Sigmus of the Federal Capital Territory from the School of the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Abuja, respectively. Buhari promised that his regime would continue to invest in human capital development, being Nigeria’s greatest resource.
