From Uche Usim, Abuja
As the Federal Government battles to get the country out of the economic recession debacle, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Umaru Ibrahim, has said the management would assist Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Micro-Finance Banks (MFBs) and other financial institutions create innovative ways to remain in business in the interest of the nation.
Speaking at the 2016 Finance Correspondent Association of Nigeria (FICAN) conference held in Kaduna, Ibrahim said the recession plaguing the nation calls for a paradigm shift as only innovators can survive the storm.
His words: “We’re living in a vulnerable, uncertain, complex and unpredictable world. We’re already experiencing it as an industry, nation and corporate entities. To survive, one has to be innovative and creative. We as regulators and supervisors, we follow the trends and dynamics to ensure PMIs, MFBs, DMBs are creative in projects and services. This is needed to weather the storm.
“We appreciate the daunting challenges faced by banks and other stakeholders in recession. Banks are facing forex shortage, liquidity, unemployment, dwindling revenue and lower profits. Aside these, there are high expectations from depositors, investors etc. Banks need to reciplaitalise and it’s hard raising funds. It’s a global challenge though. It’s not peculiar to Nigeria. Again, there’s high interest rates here and many more challenges. But we’ll work hard to surmount them,” he assured.
The NDIC boss urged journalists to be objective and factual in their reportage of the economy, bearing in mind that government may take certain decisions based on what the media focuses on.
EDUCATION: WAEC begins physical education test in schools
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has introduced the practical examination in the area of Physical and Health Education (PHE) with effect from 2015/2016 academic session.
A statement from the Ministry of Education noted that the move by WAEC, was in support of the National Examinations Council (NECO) that commenced theirs since 2008.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, who made the revelations in Enugu, at the opening ceremony of the 13th edition of the Federal Government Colleges’ Games (FEDCOL 2016), expressed absolute conviction that sports was a great platform through which youth education can be strengthened.
He announced that the Federal Government had joined strength with British Council, United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders to develop a National Physical Education and School Sports Policy and its implementation guidelines, to provide an organized physical education programme for basic and secondary school students.
Anwukah maintained that the initiatives were in support of government’s effort towards ensuring that younger generations are adequately exposed to practical skills, knowledge and competences of various games of their interest.
WORKS: FG to exit recession via heavy spending in infrastructure
– Fashola
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, charged Quantity Surveyors to deploy their professional expertise in helping the country come out of the current economic hardship in record time, saying the government was determined to exit the situation through heavy spending and investment in capital projects and infrastructures such as roads, bridges and housing.
The minister, who noted that there was a high demand for the services of qualified and experienced professionals in the construction industry, including: quantity surveyors, builders, engineers, architects, surveyors and others, urged quantity surveyors to position themselves properly by collaborating with other construction professionals to take advantage of the numerous construction projects coming up in the 2017 budget.
Represented by Director, Quantity Surveying, Mr. Dickson Onoja, at the 2016 Induction Ceremony of newly registered quantity surveyors and practicing firms, by the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), the minister identified the growing number of registered quantity surveyors turned out yearly by QSRBN as one area that has helped in supplying competent professionals needed for quality management of the construction industry, especially in the area of cost management.
AGRIC: Ministry disowns phony agric programme
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has disowned the Cassava Processing Intervention Scheme (CAPFIS), an agricultural programme purportedly linked to it by the promoters.
It also warned individuals and groups interested in participating in various agricultural programmes to always cœœross check with it to avoid falling prey to fraudsters.
This warning was contained in a statement by the Director of Information, Mr. Tony Ohaeri, dissociating the ministry from an advertisement in the Internet inviting people to register in CAPFIS.
Information on CAPFIS website said the programme was targeted at 34,000 beneficiaries that would own farms in 17 states, namely: Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers, Ebonyi, Imo, Ondo, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Ogun and Edo.
Prospective participants are to pay non-refundable registration fee of N5, 000, which entitles them to membership ID card, T-Shirt, fez cap, and badge.
According to the advertisement, participants in the programme were promised mouth-watering benefits, including, “two weeks intensive training on mechanised cassava cultivation; allotment of cassava and five hectares to cultivate cassava to each participant, as well as three day bonus training on heliciculture (snail farming) and aquaculture (cat fish farming).”
NEMA: Our biggest challenge, by NEMA
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has identified management of humanitarian crisis in the North East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, as its biggest challenge of all time.
NEMA Director General, Muhammad Sani Sidi, who stated this at a retreat organised for members of House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness in Jos, however, commended the staff of the agency for their diligence and professionalism in handling the humanitarian crisis.
Sidi, in a statement by NEMA spokesman, Sani Datti, said that the retreat was organised to enlighten the legislators on the activities of the agency and challenges faced in the year under review. He recognised the importance of legislative support in the task of prompt, effective and efficient response to issues of natural disaster prevention and management
Sidi said: “2016 has been challenging for us. My staff and I have been busy running from one part of the country to another responding to humanitarian issues, especially in northeast and northwest.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the committee, represented by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Ali Isa, commended the agency for its effort and commitment towards the improvement of the standard of living of the IDPs, encouraging them to put in more effort to achieve more result.