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Published

6 years ago

December 10, 2018

Poor management of resources in the past caused by grand corruption had been the problem of Nigeria, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, told a cross sections of Nigerians living in Germany.

According to Mr. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Osinbajo was responding to questions during a town-hall meeting where he said that those who have made away with the nation’s resources should be made to account for them.

According to him “the greatest problem Nigeria has is one of grand corruption; that is the biggest problem we have, not the problem of planning or plans; and grand corruption is the reason why we are not moving as fast as we should in our country.”

He said that, “there is no country in the world that can survive if its resources are stolen the way Nigeria’s resources are stolen”.

The Vice President noted that most of the issues raised by the Nigerians in Diaspora at the meeting around lack of energy, infrastructure, quality and extensive health care services, education and security can be traced back to the management of resources, while calling on Nigerian citizens to hold leaders accountable for the nation’s wealth.

The Vice President spoke and took over 30 questions at the town hall meeting in Berlin, described by many of the attendees as the first of its kind since 1999, when civil rule was restored in Nigeria.

Prof. Osinbajo stated that one of the key issues the Buhari’s administration was dealing with in partnership with European leaders now was the repatriation of the country’s stolen assets stashed abroad.

He added that the Federal Government was equally having conversations with European countries on the subject of migration of Nigerians to Europe.

He told the gathering that government was concerned about whole migration issue and has started negotiating with European countries.

He added that European countries can partner with Nigeria by investing in the country thereby discouraging the kind of migration of young people that is now prevalent. He was optimistic the challenge can be effectively addressed through Nigeria’s collaboration with its European partners.

Explaining Federal Government’s efforts at addressing unemployment challenges, the Vice President observed that a young population of about 60 per cent creates a yearly addition of about 1.4 million graduates to the unemployment market.

He, however, revealed that the Buhari administration is addressing the matter from several fronts such as the Federal Government employment of 500,000 graduates under the N-Power scheme, as well as through other social investment programmes like MarketMoni and TraderMoni.

Still on government efforts, he noted that, “one of the areas we are hoping to get employment is through agriculture.

What we have done with agriculture is we have given 760,000 farmers direct loans under the Anchor Borrowers scheme”; generating more interests among farmers especially in the North, which is where a lot of farming is going on.

Responding to the issue about the wild insinuation that made the rounds to the effect that the President died last year, Vice President Osinbajo told the audience, which included cross sections of Nigerians in Germany, Ambassadors of Nigeria to Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, that it was ridiculous for anyone to suggest that the President was dead.

He said it did not make sense to say the President died abroad and that no one knew.

Continuing, he said: “Is it possible that anyone will die here in Germany and no one will know he died and somehow he will be flown out quietly out of a country like England? I think it is just so absurd.

I think it is not something we should take half seriously. I think we should be properly informed.”

On health care delivery services to majority of Nigerians, Prof Osinbajo agreed on the need to extend good health care to all Nigerians, but he pointed out this can only be achieved through compulsory health insurance policy.

Underscoring the urgent need to develop a functional educational system, the Vice President announced that the Buhari administration was developing a robust education policy, saying “education is the basis of all we’re doing.”

In the next number of years by 2050, “we are going to be third most populous country in the entire world. So if we don’t get education right we are in deep trouble, it means if we don’t get our education policy right, we are going to have millions of young people out there doing nothing; nothing can be more dangerous than that.

“But if you look at our education policy and what we are trying to do a lot of it is technology based.

We are working on our curriculum with some technology institutions and companies like MIT, Oracle, Cisco, and quite a few, just to develop the curriculum.

The educational policy is what we call STEAM; we have added Arts to STEM and we are looking at how to deliver that policy in the cheapest and quickest possible way using technology.

“Part of our plans is to reconstruct 10,000 classrooms annually; it is not just to fix the structure, it also involves technology; to put technology into those classrooms to make sure we have the model right and we have so many countries that are interested in partnering with us”.

“Technology in my view is really the way to go; to expand our capacity to train teachers and to train them quickly and this is contained in our Next Level document”, he stressed.

On the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Vice President said negotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU was continuing and he expressed hope that an agreement can be reached with soon.

The Vice President is today headlining the Nigerian-German Business Dialogue in Berlin.

Related Topics:Federal Government Laolu Akande Yemi Osinbajo

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ASR AFRICA HOLDS GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR A N250 MILLION ABDUL SAMAD RABIU MEDICAL SCIENCE LABOURATORY FOR CRESCENT UNIVERSITY

Published

2 weeks ago

February 26, 2025

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

ASR Africa has commenced the construction of a N250 Million medical science laboratory for Crescent University, Abeokuta in Ogun State.

From Right: Mr. G. T. Ogunmefun (University Acting Bursar); Barr. A. M. Ajiobla, SAN (Proprietor); Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila (Vice- Chancellor); Dr. Ubon Udoh (MD/CEO, ASR Africa); Barr. Z. A. Ajibola (Registrar) and Prof. M. K. Momodu (Dean, College of Law) at the ground breaking ceremony of the Medical Science Laboratory for Crescent University, Abeokuta.

August24news.com gathered that the laboratory will enhance the capacity of the institution in meeting the National Development Plans and Transformational Agenda (NDTA) of the Federal Government of Nigeria, whilst filling the gap created by laboratory scientists who have left the country recently.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, expressed gratitude for the institution’s nomination by ASR Africa under its Tertiary Education Grant Scheme (TEGs).

He applauded ASR Africa for the award of the grant and noted that the project is the university’s topmost priority, considering its drive to expand its College of Health Sciences programs.

In his response, the MD CEO of ASR Africa, Dr Ubon Udoh, commended the management of the university for their academic achievements and systematic growth which is evident by the addition of three new colleges recently.

These colleges include the College of Environmental Sciences (COES), Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW) and the College of Health Sciences (COHES). Dr Udoh reiterated the commitment of ASR Africa in ensuring a timely completion of the project.

The N250 Million grant will provide fixtures and fittings for the medical science laboratory which features a 300 sitting capacity auditorium, offices for Head of Departments and lecturers, lecture /seminar rooms.

It will also cater as laboratories facility for Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Biology, Hematology, Pharmacology/Therapeutics and Chemical Pathology.

The ASR Africa Tertiary Education Grant Scheme is targeted at supporting quality education within the tertiary education system in Nigeria and so far over 30 tertiary institutions in Nigeria have benefitted from this grant which ranges from N250 million to N 2 billion.

ABOUT ASR AFRICA
The brainchild of African Industrialist, Philanthropist and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) was established in 2021 to provide sustainable, impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting Health, Education and Social Development within Africa.

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Olusunle, Now Fellow Nigerian Mining & Geosciences Society (FNMGS)

Published

2 weeks ago

February 26, 2025

august24admin

…As Society Celebrates 64 Years of Existence

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

A research Director of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Engr. Dr. Samuel Olugbenga O. Olusunle has been conferred with the prestigious Fellow of Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (FNMGS), one of the oldest professional bodies in the history of Nigeria.

NASENI Research Director, Engr. Dr Samuel Olugbenga O. Olusunle, FNMGS, (right) receiving the Conferment Award plaque and Certificate from Prof. Akinade Sadrach Olatunji, the President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society(NMGS)(left) during the Awards Night which took place at the Chida International Hotels Abuja on Wednesday 19 February 2025.

The Nigeria’s late sage, Pan Africanist and President during the First Nigerian Republic Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first patron of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society.

The Society yesterday in Abuja concluded its 60^th Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE), and it was time for the body to honour and recognize its members who had contributed tremendously not only to the growth and development of the Mining and Geosciences profession in the country, but the accomplishments of the honourees having direct bearing on the general socio-economic development of the country.

The event which was held between 16^th to 19^th February 2025 at the Chida International Hotel Abuja, came to a climax with Awards Night and recognition. Dr. Olusunle and 42 other members were honoured with the prestigious fellow category, which is the highest election attainable in society.

This conferment has added new appellation to Engr.Dr. Olusunle’s name as FNMGS. In 1977, the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) succeeded the Nigerian Mining Geological and Metallurgical Society (NMGMS) which was founded on 15th January 1961 and officially inaugurated on 17th December, 1962.

The society is an international professional organization. Its Objectives include: Advancement and practice of Mining, Earth sciences and Metallurgy, Acquisition, preservation and dissemination of mining geoscientific and metallurgical knowledge, publication of an interdisciplinary learned journal of Mining and Geology (JMG), the CRUST, periodicals and specialized books including annual books of abstracts and programmes of the society’s conferences and activities and upholding the ethics and safeguarding the interests of the professionals covered by the society.

The society also has statutory representation in the council of the Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) established by the Federal republic of Nigeria Decree No. 40 of 1990. The categories of membership are Fellow, Corporate, Graduate, Students, Affiliate, Institutional and Honorary fellow, the highest of all is the Fellow category.

When asked to speak on the significance of the society’s recognition to him and NASENI where he serves as Director Research, a highly elated Olusunle had this to say: “I give God the glory and I am really humbled to be elected FELLOW of NMGS. It should be noted that the mandate of NASENI and the core concerns of NMGS are knittingly related. NASENI has one of its institutes operating within the purview of solid minerals exploitation (SOMMEDI).

NASENI also under wonderful leadership of the EVC/CEO, Khalil S. Halilu, is actively involved in the CNG project of the Federal Government. These and other notable activities/intervention of NASENI are collaborative windows between the agency and NMGS”.

Before he became research director, Dr. Olusunle was former Managing Director, Engineering Materials Development Institute (EMDI) Akure, one of NASENI Development Institutes. Also, he is a FELLOW of the Nigeria Institute of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), the Materials Science and Technology Society of Nigeria (MSN), the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), The Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM), The Nigerian Metallurgical Society (NMS)and many others.