Aso Villa Reads for 17/08/2021
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Federal Government is partnering the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to train Nigerians on better ways to detect and control rising cases of animal diseases in the agricultural sector. Officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the FAO inaugurated the In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training programme in Abuja. FAO’s Representative in Nigeria, Fred Kafeero, said the initiative was also aimed at eliminating hunger and food insecurity through increased efficiency and sustainability of agriculture, forests and fisheries.[Punch]
The Federal Government, yesterday, opened bids for the concession of four international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. The request for qualification (RFQ), as part of efforts to run the facilities efficiently and profitably, is open to firms or consortia with track record in airport terminal management and net worth of N30 billion per bidding firm or consortium. The Federal Government earlier proposed 20 to 30 years concession tenure for the facilities, which will enable private investors to own, operate and recoup investments.[Guardian]
The Federal Government has unveiled the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP) so that farmers can have access to quality seeds to boost food production in the country. The government also tasked the Nigerian Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) to ensure full implementation of the law. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono at the unveiling of the Act stressed that although the country is good at making laws but implementation has been a huge challenge, adding that it is important that the PVP Act is fully implemented and stakeholders are engaged in reviewing its implementation.[Guardian]
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) have issued 2021 Merger Review (Amended) Regulations, to govern the notification and review of mergers under Part XII of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA). In a statement yesterday the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, explains that the amended regulations generally reduces applicable fees and clarifies certain considerations in determining applicable turnover in foreign-to-foreign business combinations and investments by Private Investments Entities.[Vanguard]
The Federal Government has established more than 1,667 centres and developed 16 policies within two years, geared towards supporting the digital economy sector in the country. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, made this known at the commissioning of seven projects of the 11th batch of digital economy for a digital Nigeria. Pantami said that the seven projects could be mapped to relevant pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy Strategy (NDEPS). He added that 12 policies had been implemented and four were awaiting approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) accordingly.[Tribune]
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has disclosed that the government is committed to upgrading the airports in the country and making them viable. He said through the concession of the airports, due to the paucity of government funds to undertake the repairs itself, the private handlers of the terminals and facilities will turn the derelict state of the airports into what Nigerians will be proud of. The airport upgrade is part of the Aviation master plan that seeks to revamp the aviation sector through the active participation of the private sector and make it self-sustaining.[Business Day]
