Economy

3,000 Benefit From FG’s N-Knowledge, N-Tech Schemes

By Web News 660

Over three thousand beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s N-Knowledge, N-Tech scheme from the South-West have received their tools of trade.

The tools, which included laptop computers and workstations, were handed over to them after the closing of the three-month intensive coaching at the Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun.

Presenting the tools to the beneficiaries, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouk explained that the N-Knowledge, N-Tech were components of the N-Power programme focused on equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become competent workers, innovators and entrepreneurs prepared for both the domestic and global digital job market. 

Represented by an Assistant Director in the Ministry, Mr Olufemi Popoola, the minister stated that the N-Knowledge programme would up-skill twenty thousand young Nigerians on the global radar as exporters of world-class services and content in the creative and information technology sectors.

She said the training component was targeted at developing competencies of the youth in software development and hardware training which would be catalyzed as well as the groundwork to make Nigeria compete in the outsourcing market for software development. 

Hajia Farouk added that the programme would develop the skills and capacities along the skills set in the value chain of mobile apps and website development and start the talent development effort for the growth of the information technology industry in Nigeria.

The minister stressed that the participants who had been in centralized in-camp training for 3 months would also undergo a 6-month apprenticeship during which they would be exposed to more practical details.

Also speaking, one of the facilitators of the programme, Mr Bolarin Oyetunji explained that during the three-month intensive training, the participants were exposed to software development, animation and scriptwriting.

Mr Oyetunji said the six month period of apprenticeship would enable them to have more fieldwork exposure and mentorship, while he added that they would be connected to film production organizations that may require their new skills.

Persons with Disabilities were not left out of the programme, one of them, Mr Adewuyi Omotoso who was full of appreciation to the Federal Government, affirmed that such programme had rekindled the hope of a better tomorrow for people in his category.

Similarly, Miss Ayinde Temitope also received appealed to the government not to rest on its oars in ensuring that Nigerian youths were skillfully empowered.

Participants in the programme who were majorly graduates of intermediary education programmes were drawn from all states in the South-West.

Adenitan Akinola

Economy

56 Independent Monitors Engaged For FG’s Social Intervention Programmes in Ogun

By Web News 719

A total of 56 trained independent monitors have received letters of engagement and tablets to monitor the Federal Government Social Investment Programme in Ogun State for the next one year.

Presenting the items in Abeokuta, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq explained that the Independent Monitors were selected to ensure that the objectives of the various intervention programmes of the Federal government were achieved.

Hajiya Farouq who was represented by the Assistant Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Hajiya Jumai Abdu Ali, urged the independent monitors to discharge their responsibilities with utmost sense of patriotism, diligence and sincerity.

In a message to the occasion, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State said the social welfare programmes had impacted positively on the lives of the vulnerable in the state and urged the independent monitors to remain committed and ensure accurate data collation.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, had reaffirmed the commitment of the present administration to continue to partner the Federal Government in the Social Intervention Programmes towards the successful implementation of the “Building our Future Together” agenda.

Olusegun Folarin

Economy

Poverty Alleviation: FG Kicks-Off Distribution Of 20K Grant In Ogun

By Web News 702

Three thousand five hundred rural women in Ogun State have received the twenty thousand naira Federal Government grant.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, while flagging off the programme in Abeokuta explained that the women were carefully selected from different rural parts of the state to improve their wellbeing. 

Correspondent Wale Oluokun has the details.

Wale Oluokun

Security

We shall continue to tackle human trafficking vigorously – Humanitarian Minister

By Web News 776

The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouk, has promised that the Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to provide the necessary support and resources to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in a bid to adequately address the issue of human trafficking and other associated humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Minister stated this in her office while receiving the newly appointed Director General of NAPTIP, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim who was on a courtesy visit to the minister.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is the supervising Ministry for the Agency.

It would be recalled that Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has assumed duty as the new Director General of the Agency on December, 21st 2020.
The minister who described the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, as a foremost agency of government whose mandate is critical in mitigating human trafficking and all forms abuses across Nigeria, urged the Director General to build on the successes recorded by the agency in the past and ensure evidence based activities that will further increase the visibility of the agency.

While urging her to reach out to partners and other line ministries in order to secure full cooperation of the entire Nigeria, the Minister charged the NAPTIP boss to ensure that her programmes and activities clearly align with mandates of the ministry.

Earlier in her address, the NAPTIP Director General had reminded the minister that “NAPTIP is the creation of Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA), 2015 as re-enacted, in response to addressing the scourge of trafficking in persons in Nigeria and its attendant human rights abuses in its entire ramification.”

“It is also a fulfillment of the federal government’s international obligation under the Trafficking in Persons Protocol supplementing the United Nations Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)”

She promised that NAPTIP is fully committed to the prevention of all forms of human degradation and exploitation through the coordinated use of the nations crime prevention and law enforcement resources to stamp out human trafficking and to liberate and uplift the vulnerable, especially women, children and youths, from dehumanizing and exploitative employment and usage, with the deployment of the Five P Approach such as policy development, prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnering with stakeholders to ensure their rehabilitation and effective reintegration of victims into the society.

“However, the agency is inundated with challenges and draw backs that are hindering our growth and development. These challenges have affected the smooth running of our operations towards achieving our statutory mandate. Some of the challenges observed in the course of the review of reports from departments, units and zonal commands of the agency are largely administrative and operational. The agency requires adequate funding to effectively execute its day-to-day operational activities. More so, there is the need for vehicles for administrative and operational purposes. We are equally incapacitated in the areas of inadequate office structure, and funding for operations such as surveillance, raids operations, investigations, and activities leading to the prosecution of perpetrators of the Human Trafficking crime”, the NAPTIP boss said.

She however assured the minister of the determination of the agency to continue to fulfil her mandates.

The visit was the first courtesy visit embarked by the Director General since her assumption of office.

Adekoye Vincent
Press Officer