Category Nigeria News

Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State, has once more approved the appointment of four commissioner-nominees to the state executive council.

With the most recent approval, there are now 26 commissioners appointed and nominated overall.

The State Government Secretary, Barrister Umar Musa Ikhilor, made this disclosure in a statement on Wednesday.

The Edo State House of Assembly would receive the nominees’ names for consideration and confirmation, according to him.

Read more about Mutfwang’s commitment to recruiting 1,450 security personnel.

Dr. Jerry Uwangue, Dr. Kenneth Okoruwa Ihensekhien, Barr . Utilizn Paul Ehigie, and Sunday Akhigbe Osi John were among the nominees named by Ikhilor.

Former Commissioner for Youth & Sports, Commissioner for Energy & Water Resources, Commissioner for Agriculture & Natural Resources, Special Adviser on Project Monitoring, Dr. Kenneth Okoruwa Ihensekhien, one of the nominees, served as a Minority Leader in the Edo State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003.

Between 2018 and 2020, he served as the governor’s deputy chief of staff and the APC national chairman’s principal private secretary.

See the following statement in its entirety:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT
The Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the nomination of the following individuals as commissioner-designates for the state:
1. Dr. Jerry Uwangue, FCISM
2. Hon. (Barr.) The author is Kenneth Okoruwa Ihensekhien
3. Barr . Utilizn Paul Ehigie
4. Sunday Akhigbe Osi John

Dr. Jerry Uwangue, FCISM
With more than 20 years of experience providing engineering, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance (EPCOM) services to the oil, gas, and power sectors, Dr. Jerry Uwangue is the managing director/CEO of J&amp, G Engineering and Construction Services Ltd. He is renowned for promoting business growth, leading cutting-edge fabrication initiatives, and improving operational efficiency. Dr. Uwangue is an African Union Agenda 2063 Ambassador and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (FCISM) for his outstanding accomplishments in business and local content development.

Hon . (Barr.) Ph.D., for Kenneth Okoruwa Ihensekhien D .
Hon . (Barr.) With a distinguished history of service to Edo State, Kenneth Ihensekhien is a well-known attorney, politician, and public official. He has held the positions of Minority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly (1999-2003), Commissioner for Youth & Sports (2003-2005), Commissioner for Agriculture & Natural Resources (2007-2008), Special Advisor on Project Monitoring (2013-2014), Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor (2015), and Principal Private Secretary to the APC National Chairman (2018). He holds a B . LL.M. in Philosophy B, BL, M. Sc. a Ph.D. in Political Science. University of Benin’s D. in International Relations

Barr . Utilizn Paul Ehigie
Barr . With more than 20 years of cross-sector experience, Usenbo Paul is a highly qualified legal and knowledge management professional. He has worked for FGR Energy Services as the General Manager, Regulatory Compliance, where he developed risk-management plans and compliance frameworks, and as Senior Legislative Assistant to the National Assembly, where he researched and drafted the drafting recommendations for more than 25 bills and motions. He is a renowned figure in governance, integrity reform, and public finance management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK).

Sunday Akhigbe Osi John
Sunday Akhigbe Osi John is a respected technocrat and community development advocate. He has been actively involved in initiatives promoting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and civic participation in governance. He is recognized for his commitment to public service and grassroots development, consistently working to strengthen community engagement and socio-economic growth.

The Edo State House of Assembly will consider and confirm the nominations of the individuals listed above.

Foreign doctors, especially from Turkey, travel to Kabul to train Afghans, who equally undertake internships in Istanbul, while equipment is imported from Asia or Europe.

In the waiting rooms, the clientele is often well-off and includes men with thinning hair. But the majority are women, sometimes heavily made up and always covered from head to toe, more rarely in an all-enveloping burqa.

At 25, Silsila Hamidi decided to get a second facelift, convinced her skin had suffered from the stress of being a woman in Afghanistan.

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“Even if others can’t see us, we see ourselves: looking beautiful in the mirror gives us energy,” said Hamidi, before she went under the knife to lift the upper part of her face, which “was starting to sag”.

Skirting details, the medical school graduate said her skin suffers from the “many pressures” faced by Afghan women.

Under Taliban government restrictions, women’s access to work has been severely constrained. They can no longer travel long distances without a male guardian, must not raise their voices outside the home and are banned from universities, parks and gyms.

– Salons banned, but not Botox –

While surgical cosmetic interventions may be booming, hair salons and beauty parlours catering to women have been banned.

“If they were open… our skin wouldn’t be in this state, we wouldn’t need surgery,” said Hamidi, who, at 23, had work done on the lower part of her face.

The Taliban authorities, who ordinarily forbid altering physical characteristics in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law, did not reply for multiple requests for comment on cosmetic surgery.

Those in the sector said it is allowed as it is considered medicine.

The government does not interfere with their work, clinic workers told AFP, but morality police check that gender segregation is respected: a male nurse for a male patient, a female nurse for a female patient.

Some claim that even Taliban members are clients.

“Here, having no hair or beard is considered a sign of weakness,” said Sajed Zadran, deputy director of the Negin Asia clinic, which boasts state-of-the-art Chinese-made equipment.

Since the Taliban ordered men to grow their beards at least the length of a fist, transplants have become fashionable, said Bilal Khan, co-director of the EuroAsia clinic, which is about to open a second facility.

And because not all clients are wealthy, some “borrow money to have hair before their wedding”, Khan added.

In the four-storey villa transformed into a clinic, the methods are the same as those used abroad and pose “no risk”, said Abdul Nassim Sadiqi, a dermatologist.

At his clinic, it costs $43-87 for Botox and $260-509 for hair implants.

Instagram effect

The sums are a fortune for many Afghans — nearly half of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank — but a boon for those like Mohammed Shoaib Yarzada, an Afghan restaurateur based in London.

Put off by the thousands of pounds (dollars) required in Britain for the same operation, he took advantage of his first visit to Afghanistan in 14 years to have his scalp replenished.

“When I enter the clinic, it’s as if I am abroad, in Europe,” he said.

To attract new customers, each clinic floods its social media pages with promises of beauty: smoothed skin, plump lips, and abundant hair.

Afghanistan, like the West, is not exempt from the sway of social media influencers, said Lucky Khaan, 29, co-director of Negin Asia, which registers dozens of new patients every day.

“Many patients come without real problems but want to have surgery because they have seen trends on Instagram,” said Khaan, a Russian doctor of Afghan origin, whose face is wrinkle-free.

While according to the UN, 10 million Afghans suffer from hunger and one in three lacks access to basic medical care, some, “who lack money for food, prefer to invest in their beauty”, added the surgeon.

The Federal Government has announced fresh incentives to boost agricultural investment under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The move is part of ongoing reforms to unlock Nigeria’s vast food production potential through new policies that serve as a game-changer for agriculture and infrastructure investments in the country.

Shettima, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) National and Sub-regional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, noted that while hunger poses a global security issue, Nigeria must mobilise its strengths to secure a future of abundance.

“Nothing unifies humanity as much as hunger. It is the great equaliser that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence. Food is not merely a matter of survival; it is a matter of global security,” he said.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed details of Tuesday’s meeting.

Nigeria has been under pressure to cut its reliance on imports and address food insecurity, which worsened after fuel subsidy removal and currency reforms deepened inflation in 2023.

The measures include single-window platforms for land registration, strengthened agricultural credit systems, large-scale mechanisation, and strategic irrigation projects.

Shettima said Nigeria had the capacity to irrigate more than three million hectares of farmland, but currently uses less than 10 percent of that potential.

“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he stated.

“Nothing unifies humanity as much as hunger. It is the great equaliser that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence.

“Food is not merely a matter of survival; it is a matter of global security,” Shettima added.

The Vice President noted that Nigeria’s blueprint under the 2021–2025 National Development Plan aims to lift 35 million people out of poverty, create 21 million jobs in rural communities, and secure food and nutrition sufficiency.

Shettima noted that irrigation is a game-changer, noting that Nigeria has river basins and aquifers capable of irrigating over three million hectares but currently uses less than ten per cent.

“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he added.

He assured investors that regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, and agri-tech innovations would make Nigeria “open for business.”

“Nigeria is open for business, and we are ready to partner with you. Let us work hand-in-hand to build Nigeria and a sub-region where no one goes to bed hungry, where rural communities are hubs of wealth creation, and where agriculture is the true foundation of our prosperity,” VP Shettima said.

Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, described Nigeria’s market, large arable land, and growing digital economy as unique opportunities for investors.

He said a combination of Nigeria’s domestic market, large arable land, clement weather, and fast-growing digital economy presents unique opportunities for investment across the agribusiness ecosystem.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, said the economic potential of Nigeria remains largely untapped, especially in agriculture and irrigation, which hold significant promise for economic diversification and transformation.

He noted that agriculture, particularly agribusiness, remains a pivotal component of Nigeria’s national development plan in the medium and long term, as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.

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Over 40 students from the Government Secondary School in Ovom, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State have been taught basic first aid and the Sustainable Development Goals by a National Youth Service Corps member, Blessing Nwokeoma.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society and the Nigeria Network of NGOs collaborated on the exercise, which was part of her Community Development Service.

The students were taught how to deal with emergencies, administer lifesaving equipment, and deal with accidents at school and in their communities.

Nwokeoma told reporters after the event that the initiative would train local teenagers to use life-saving techniques, and that her partners applauded her for creating a new generation of first aiders.

According to her, “The training is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 17,” which, respectively, emphasize the need for goodness and well-being, high quality education, and partnership.”

Oyebisi B. Oluseyi, the executive director of the Nigeria Network of NGOs, praised Nwokeoma for taking the course in his remarks.

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He continued, “I’m particularly thrilled that Blessing is carrying out these significant activities as my personal Community Development Service initiative, a volunteer project that promotes active citizenship.

We at the Nigeria Network of NGOs are pleased that the foremost volunteer-based organization in Nigeria, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, supports this initiative as we raise the profile of skills-based volunteering in Nigeria.

“The number of people who already possess life-saving abilities is growing as a result of extending the pool of individuals who need to keep life moving in an emergency.”

Mrs. Jessy Ovuru, the grateful vice principal (administrative), Government Secondary School in Ovom, expressed gratitude because there were other state schools that could have been chosen for the training, and prayed God’s blessing on Nwokeoma.

We feel recognized because some schools don’t do this, and I can also say that they do first aid workshops.

“So we’re delighted, happy, and fantastic,” we’re that way. Her elbow deserves more grace, please. May God give her more strength to pursue higher and greater things.”

The United Bank of Africa (UBA) has cleared the air over the safety of its staff members and customers during a fire that broke out in a building that houses one of its branches on Tuesday.

Panic gripped Broad Street, Lagos Island, when smoke from a basement fire scare forced the evacuation of trapped persons in a six-storey building.

While narrating the ordeal, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said that the fire originated in the inverter room located in Afriland Tower’s basement.

Deputy Controller General, Ogabi Olajide, said the service received a call at 13:38 hours before fire crews swiftly mobilised to the scene.

He, however, said firefighters from Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu stations responded promptly, preventing the outbreak from escalating beyond smoke-filled floors.

In a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday, UBA confirmed he fire, adding that both its customers and staff members are safe.

It also noted that the affected building was not its facility.

“We are aware of the fire incident at a building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which incidentally houses one of our many branches.

“As against reports online and social media, the affected building is not the UBA House, Marina, the Bank’s head office.

“We have ensured the safety and well-being of our staff and customers in the branch,” the statement read.

Online videos had captured how the building occupants jumped down in fear, while onlookers rushed with ladders and foamy materials for support.

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Trapped workers smashed glass windows to breathe, while residents below stretched out their hands to catch them.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic moments, with screams echoing across Broad Street as smoke spread rapidly through the upper floors.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, has described President Bola Tinubu as a well-known tax collector.

Adebayo, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, said that Tinubu did tax collection in Lagos as a governor and is doing it now in Abuja as the president.

He said, “Everybody knows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a well-known tax collector. But that tax collection is an improvement over a disorganized system he met on ground.

“He did tax collection in Lagos and he came to do tax collection in Abuja. The problem is with Hon. Dogara’s speech is that he is overstating it. This reform is not the best but is far better than what we had.”

The opposition politician acknowledged that Tinubu has made progress in managing Nigeria’s economy.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Returns To Abuja After Vacation In Europe

According to him, Tinubu’s predecessor President Muhammadu Buhari managed the country’s economy poorly.

“It’s obvious that the economy that President Buhari left was a poorly managed economy, and was an emergency room patient. Like any emergency room patient, the road to recovery will be a good diagnosis by the doctor. So if the doctor is able to know what is the reason why you are ill, he will be able to put you on a solid path to recovery.

“What President Tinubu has done is to stabilise the patient, but I’m not sure that he has managed to know the ailment. So the patient is not going to die imminently, but he hasn’t found a cure,” he said.

Adebayo added, “He hasn’t been able to identify the problem, the ailment that is disturbing the patient, but as an emergency room doctor he is taking some steps, some of it actually aggravated the case of the patient, but over time, he appears to have one or two wins in two sectors, which is why it appears that they might be deceived into thinking that the patient is on his road to recovery.”