Aso Villa Reads for Thursday, April 01, 2021
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Action (MOA) with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), geared towards averting the planned nationwide strike of resident doctors billed to commence Thursday, April 1 (today).The agreement was signed midnight on Wednesday after a marathon meeting between the Government side and the leadership of NARD at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige. [Sun News]
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has disclosed that it was currently implementing the Export Expansion Facility (EEF), which is one of the projects of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan, to de-risk the economy from shocks like COVID -19. The Minister, Adeniyi Adebayo, who made the remark, noted that the programme aims to protect export businesses from effects of the pandemic and also safeguard jobs. Adebayo explained that the primary goal of the programme is to increase Nigeria’s export capacity in the near term and its export volumes in the medium term.[Sun News]
The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) has moved to support women and youth exporters with a seed fund of N10 billion under a new programme coined Women and Youth Export Facility (WAYEF). The bank also announced a partnership with Afreximbank under which $50 million Project Preparation Fund (PPF) will be mobilised for Nigeria. The PPF is to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those promoted by women and youths towards presenting bankable proposals thereby improving their access to funds.[Vanguard]
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government is working to ensure that 30 million homes in the country have access to digital television. Mohamed stated this on Thursday in Abuja when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) flagship interview programme, NANForum. According to the minister, government is doing everything possible to ensure that there is successful Digital Switch Over (DSO) and analogue switch off in the country. [Leadership]
The Federal Executive (FEC) has approved the sum of N30.77 billion for various projects under the ministries of power, aviation, and transport. Briefing correspondents after the meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the presidential villa, Abuja on Wednesday, Minister of Power Mamman Sale, said the council approved two memos for his ministry. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the council approved the sum of N316.5 million for the second phase of Project Lighthouse, aimed at debt recovery.[Tribune]
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, yesterday disclosed that the federal government has succeeded in recovering N49.7billion out of its N5.2trillion debt. She also stated that the federal government will spend N296 billion on COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021 and 2022.[Leadership]
Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has reiterated federal government’s commitment to funding child spacing and the health sector as part of its strategic plan to improve human capital development and foster a productive citizenry. The minister stated this when she hosted a delegation of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria under the Partnership for Advocacy in family and child health at Scale, PACFaH@Scale, in her office in Abuja.[Leadership]
Nigerians have been assured of a massive improvement in all facet of existence particularly in boosting the economy through self-sufficiency as contained in the 2021 federal budget. The assurance was given by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who declared that small and medium enterprises are the target of economic development by ensuring that the country becomes an exporter of commodities rather than remain a consumer nation.[Tribune]
The Federal Government has made known its intention to support Olam Nigeria, a food and agribusiness conglomerate and other companies involved in the production of food in the country to boost local wheat production. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, made the disclosure while featuring as a special guest during the Olam Green Land Webinar themed:”Deepening the wheat farming development programme in Nigeria through innovation, increasing investments and collaborations” which held recently. [Tribune]
The International Organisation Migration (IOM), in conjunction with the Federal Government, on Wednesday, said it had facilitated the voluntary return of over 21,000 Nigerians stranded in Libya, Niger, Mali, Europe and other countries. Head of Benin Sub-office of IOM, Wintana Tarekegn, who disclosed this said, “IOM in conjunction with the Federal Government of Nigeria has facilitated the voluntary return of over 21,000 Nigerians migrants stranded abroad in Libya, Niger, Mali, European countries and other transits and destinations countries,” she said.[Tribune]
On its efforts to address the challenges that adolescents across the country encounter such as gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, and lack of access to sexual reproductive services, the Federal Government is partnering with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to develop local strategies aimed at tackling the menace. UNFPA has also given technical and financial support to all relevant government structures at the national and sub-national levels to advance adolescent health programming.[The Nation]
The Federal Government has outlined plans to grant some credit facilities to independent and major marketers for the installation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants. The government tabled the plans in a private meeting with the marketers and the Nigeria Governor’s Forum in Abuja. A highly placed stakeholder in the meeting, said the plan is to mount the plants in existing petrol retail outlets and also build Greenfield plants. According to the source, the plan is to provide alternative (gas) for fueling vehicles and generators instead of the heavy dependence on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).[The Nation]
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