NAN Archive

Loading

NAN Archive

Tag coordinator

General news

NGO produces 45 PhD holders in 25 years – Coordinator

NGO produces 45 PhD holders in 25 years – Coordinator

By Mohammed Lawal
Training
Zaria (Kaduna State), Aug. 24, 2019 (NAN) The Muslim Refresher Course Programme (MRCP), an Islamic Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says it has trained and produced 45 Ph.D holders, with several Masters and First Degree graduates in its 25 years of existence.

Malam Aliyu Sabo, the State Coordinator of the organisation, disclosed this at the Silver Jubilee celebration of the NGO, held at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Conference Hotel, Kongo, Zaria, Kaduna state, on Saturday.

Sabo said: “At 25, MRCP has achieved most of its objectives which include; producing more than 45 Ph.D. holders, apart from those with Masters and First Degrees, HND, NCE and Diploma, among others.

“It has significant number of academic staff in ABU, Zaria, alone, talk less of other institutions.

“There are many among its beneficiaries in the Armed Forces with the ranks of Major, Captain and its equivalent, as well as in the Nigeria Police.

“It produced Medical Doctors, Administrators, Mathematicians, Engineers, Accountants, Teachers and Pharmacists, among others, who are contributing greatly to nation building.”

He said that MRCP had become worthy of emulation as similar programmes were established by its ex-students and people with same motive all over the town.

Sabo said the existence of the NGO had not only united the youths in Zaria, but it also helped them eliminate differences and hatred that existed amongst them for decades.

The coordinator howecer listed some challenges facing the organisation to include; lack of funds to establish Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and skills acquisition centre.

Others, he said, were lack of mobility for educational trips and other purposes, lack of laboratory and science practical apparatus and lack of standard computer laboratory.

Gov. Nasiru el-Rufa’i appreciated the gigantic efforts of the NGO and encouraged the leaders of the NGO to sustain the tempo.

The governor, who was represented by Alhaji Sa’idu Suleiman, Assistant Director, state Ministry of Education, assured the commitment of government towards educational development in the state.

The Emir of Zazzau, Dr Shehu Idris, described the efforts of the NGO as gigantic, encouraging and undying, adding that the benefits will never be forgotten.

The Emir, who was represented by Bijimin Arewan Zazzau, Alhaji Aliyu Sa’idu, appealed to other NGOs in the area to emulate the gesture to take Zaria and Zazzau emirate to greater heights. (NAN)
KLM/KOLEOSO/MST
Edited by Remi Koleoso/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Kano workers to start enjoying NHIS in August – Coordinator

Kano workers to start enjoying NHIS in August – Coordinator
NAN-HG-4
Healthcare
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, June 29, 2017 (NAN) No fewer than 557,246 civil servants in Kano State start enjoying the newly introduced Contributory Healthcare Scheme under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in August.

Alhaji Shu’aibu Indabawa, the NHIS Zonal Coordinator in charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Katsina.

He said that the Kano State Government had already established a Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency to implement the programme.

Indabawa said that 323,000 health facilities had been selected for the programme across the 44 local government areas of Kano state.

He explained that the scheme was aimed at providing people access to affordable and quality healthcare services, which was one of the top priorities of the present administration.

According to him, junior staff would contribute a minimum of N1,400, while lawmakers would contribute the maximum of N10,000 from their salaries monthly.

He revealed that the funds would be used to provide healthcare services to a head of household, his wife and four children, every month, if need arises.

He further said that the NHIS had discussed with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state who promised their support to ensure the success of the programme.

Indabawa said that the registered workers in Kano state would start accessing services at their chosen healthcare centres in August.

However, the zonal coordinator said that the beneficiaries were only those on the payroll of the Kano State Civil Service.

“For now, we are starting with state government workers before extending to other category of workers in the state,’’ he said.

The coordinator, therefore, urged lawmakers in Katsina and Jigawa states to hasten passage of the bill before them for implementation of the scheme.

“We will continue to persuade relevant stakeholders in those states on the importance of implementing the scheme for the benefit of their people,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NHIS was introduced to ensure universal access to good healthcare services for Nigerians by protecting them from financial barriers to healthcare services. (NAN)
ZI/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Coordinator advocates multisectoral approach against malnutrition in FCT

Coordinator advocates multisectoral approach against malnutrition in FCT

NAN-HG-69

Nutrition

By Mustapha Sumaila

Abuja, May 18, 2017 (NAN) The Nutrition Coordinator, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Clementina Okoro, has advocated multi sectoral approach to combat rising cases of malnutrition in the territory.

Okoro gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

She said the high rate of malnutrition in FCT behoved government to introduce relevant policy that would encourage collaboration with various stakeholders to solve the problem.

The coordinator identified such stakeholders to include civil society groups, development partners and health-related private sectors, including experts on economy and environment.

NAN reports that based on statistics provided by FCT health and human services, the rate of stunting in the territory was at 20.6 per cent; underweight 12.6 per cent, and wasting stood at 13.8 per cent.

Okoro criticised the non-availability of food supplements known as Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) being provided by UNICEF to treat acute malnutrition in children.

She said that UNICEF had, for some time now, stopped the supply of RUTF to FCT.

The coordinator, however, appealed to FCT administration to increase the funding for nutrition, to tackle the high rate of malnutrition in Abuja.

According to her, the high cases of malnutrition are in villages, and among some poor urban residents, as well as those elites with obesity in the city.

Okoro said that her department had designed an alternative measures to produce local micronutrient supplements to help in controlling deficiencies in affected children.

According to her, she has commenced aggressive sensitisation of mothers on the right diets to take with their children.

She noted that government must work for the sustainability of food security policy in the country to tackle hunger in order to address malnutrition. (NAN) MS/FLP/MST

Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

NEPAD Coordinator to embark on advocacy to states

NEPAD Coordinator to embark on advocacy to states

NAN-H-61

Awareness

By Lizzy Okoji

Abuja, March 1, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), says she will embark on an awareness tour to all states of the federation this month.

She made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at two-day Development Cooperation Skills Initiative Training workshop for youth empowerment organised by NEPAD Nigeria and NEPAD Continental.

Akobundu said that the aim of the tour is to re-launch NEPAD programmes in Nigeria and take its mandate to the door step of those at the grassroots.

According to her, this will help reintegrate the States and Local Governments into the numerous programmes of the government, NEPAD Continental and the African Union Commission (AUC) to be implemented by NEPAD Nigeria.

She said the programme would also work with relevant government agencies and development partners in facilitating NEPAD projects.

“The mandates of NEPAD are very clear and it is very important to sensitise those in the states and local governments of our various programmes and take them along.

“We have dispatched letters to all the State Governments on the days we are visiting so that they can invite stakeholders, the youths and women from the local governments to be sensitised.

“This would help bridge the gaps, create synergy of NEPAD programmes across the tiers of government and work hand in hand with our target groups,’’ Akobundu said.

However, she called on state governments to identify with the National programmes of NEPAD and let the national office know the areas they need support.

She urged participants and prospective beneficiaries to make the best of the trainings, key into relevant vocations and work develop themselves.

Akobundu said the target of NEPAD in addition to vocational skills acquisitions for youths is also to produce employable youths in the country. (NAN)

LIZ/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola