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Environment

WASH Ambassador calls for creation of gender desks in MDAs

Desks
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Oct. 26, 2018 (NAN) Ms. Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Ambassador, has called for the creation of gender desks in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to promote women’s rights.

 

She made the call on Friday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

 

Okeke said that the promotion of women’s rights, which included proper menstrual hygiene management, would go a long way to enhance the wellbeing of women.

 

She noted that some challenges facing women such as the lack of clean toilets and potable water were quite challenging.

 

She said that when operational, the gender desks would be strategic in efforts to incorporate topical gender issues in all government policies and programmes to stimulate the overall development of womenfolk.

 

Okeke moaned that the dearth of toilets in public places and potable water to manage menstrual cycles hygienically had led to low productivity, adding that the deficiency was one of the major factors fuelling women’s absenteeism in the workplace.

 

“We have received reports that a large number of public offices and places lack good toilets and potable water; these issues will definitely engender low productivity, we must do all we can to reverse this trend,’’ she said.

 

She said it was saddening to note that most of the offices had no separate toilets for male and female workers.

 

The WASH ambassador also underscored the need to jettison certain religious beliefs, myths and taboos about menstruation, saying that menstruation was a biological phenomenon which all women must undergo.

 

Okeke noted that the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to institutionalise the creation of a Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Desk.

 

She stressed that the collaboration was a good step in efforts to boost worker productivity in the workplace.

 

Besides, Okeke underscored the need for the education of adolescent girls across the country in MHM, saying that menstruation connoted the imminent maturity of the girls.

 

She called on the three tiers of government to mobilise resources to facilitate infrastructural improvements in all public places so as to provide safe and private spaces that would enable women and girls to manage their menstrual periods hygienically.

 

Citing a 2016 Joint Monitoring Progress report, Okeke said that globally, Nigeria had the second largest number of people practising open defecation because of poor access to water and sanitation facilities in public places.

 

She urged the government to prioritise the citizens’ access to potable water and sanitation, saying that the policy should be backed with the requisite funds.

 

She appealed to government to increase its support for the WASH sector, saying that this would boost citizens’ access to good water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. (NAN)
TAK/AAB/OOK
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Edited By Adeboye Ajayi and Dayo Komolafe

General news

Nasarawa Govt freezes accounts of MDAs

Nasarawa Govt freezes accounts of MDAs
NAN-H-19
Accounts
By Sunday John
Lafia, Dec. 21, 2017 (NAN) The Nasarawa State Government has frozen the accounts of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over non-compliance with its directive.
The state’s Accountant-General, Mr Zakka Yakubu, disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia on Thursday.
Yakubu explained that the suspension of all financial transactions was due to their inability to comply with an earlier circular directing MDAs to submit their account balances and other financial documents.
He added that his office wrote all MDAs to submit their balances from various accounts and to also make refund of unspent monies, but they failed to respond.
“I am under the directive of Governor Umaru Al-Makura to inform all MDAs that all transactions in their accounts are hereby suspended.
“In view of that, all MDAs are expected to forward all their bank account balances and other documents to my office immediately,” said the accountant-general.
He stated that the needed information, including bank accounts of the MDAs, would enable his office close the state account for 2017 in line with global best practice.
“All revenue collections made during the financial year must be brought into account on or before Sunday, Dec. 31.
“All impress issued during the financial year must be retired and any unretired amount would be classified personal and recovered from the salary of the impress holder,” he said.
Yakubu added that the government would appoint board survey to examine the transactions of MDAs and reconcile the documents to be submitted and the balance in their accounts.
The accountant-general also disclosed that the state had received N4.5 billion as the last tranche of Paris Club refund to the state.
According to him, N2.9 billion out of the money is for the state government while N1.6 billion is for the 13 local government councils in the state, based on the documents obtained from the Federal Government. (NAN)
SDJ/MOL/MST
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Demographic Dividend: FG tasks MDAs on robust 2018 budget

Demographic Dividend: FG tasks MDAs on robust 2018 budget

NAN-HG-5

Demography

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Abuja, June 28, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government has urged relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in population and development to leverage on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to develop a robust 2018 budget on demographic dividend.

Mrs Fatima Mede, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, gave the task at a meeting of the National Task Force on Partners in Population and Development (PPD) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The meeting was on Mainstreaming Demographic Dividend into Budgeting of MDAs.

Demographic dividend is the economic growth that may result from changes to a country’s age structure.

Achieving demographic dividend requires sustained multi-sectorial investments in health, education, young people, aged, employment, women and girls, trade and industry economic growth as well good governance.

Mede, represented by Mr Lanre Adekanye, Deputy Director in the ministry, charged the MDAs to develop a robust 2018 budget that would expand the programmes and projects for achieving demographic dividend.

“I also wish to inform you that this gathering will be used as avenue for kick-starting discussions on ageing policy in Nigeria.

`The Ageing Policy will be a subset of the Social Policy of the Government,’’ she said.

The permanent secretary said that ERGP recognised rapid population growth as a risk to manage.

According to her, the country might find it difficult to achieve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and keep pace with the needs of a population that is expanding exponentially.

“Nigeria therefore needs to take a bold and proactive step that addresses the close nexus between the population age structure and our development status,’’ she said.

Mede condoled with the UNFPA over the loss of the Executive Director of the UNPFA, Late Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, who had contributed immensely to humanitarian service in the country.

She thanked the UNFPA for its support to the country in the areas of reproductive health, family planning, population and development, and humanitarian services.

Dr Sanjo Faniran, an Assistant Director and focal official in the ministry, said the meeting would discuss issues relating to planning and budgeting for population management.

Faniran said that the meeting would discuss the issues to achieving demographic dividend by relevant MDAs in Sexual Reproductive Health, Family Planning, Youth Empowerment and Population and Development in line with the ERGP.

“The issue of budgeting or whatever is going to be included in our budget from 2017 to 2020 should be whatever is contained EGRP.’’

The assistant director said that the ministry had commenced the process of 2018 budget and that was the reason the ministry called the partners to inform them on the processes.

He said the ministry also needed to inform the partners of those components that have to do with reproductive health, family planning, and population and development.

“The issue of population is actually spelt in the ERGP because population management is becoming an issue and we expect our partners to take up what they are supposed to do.

“To make sure that they put those issues in their budget so that the government can implement the priority areas as contained in the ERGP,’’ the director said.

Faniran, however, advised the MDAs to obtain copies of the ERGP and see the priority areas of the government regarding population, development and other related issues.

The meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), attracted key MDAs working in areas of population and development. (NAN)

CIA/MST/MST

Edited by Tola Okinbaloye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Budget ministry urges MDAs to include ageing in sectorial plans

Budget ministry urges MDAs to include ageing in sectorial plans

NAN-H-8

Ageing

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Abuja, March 22, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning (MBNP) has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to incorporate issues of ageing in their sectorial annual plans.

Ms Jessica Ahgu, an official of the Department of International Cooperation, made the call in a presentation made on behalf of the ministry at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ahgu spoke at a two-day coordination and consultative meeting of the National Task Force Partners in Population and Development (PPD) on South-South Cooperation and MBNP, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), MDAs and Implementing Partners.

The official said ageing population had always been forgotten in planning and projects implementation.

She, however, said that the ministry had successfully organised the first quarter PPD meeting to sensitise MDAs on the importance of including the ageing in their plans, adding that 12 MDAs attended the meeting.

“Presentation on the need for enhancing institutional capacity for mainstreaming ageing development was made.

“The objectives of the presentation were to make a case for equity and inclusive of older persons in national development agenda; position ageing within the imperatives of population and development.

“It highlighted the rising needs of older persons; the weak capacity of personnel and institutions to mainstream ageing and issues of older persons.

“It also highlighted training needs to enhance formulation and implementation of inclusive national policies and programmes,’’ she said.

Ahgu said that the ministry also presented the Dakar Call for Action for national implementation and adherence.

She said that key presentations made at the 2016 International Inter-Ministerial Conference and Board Meeting of the Partners in Population and Development (PPD) were discussed.

On challenges, the official attributed failure of government to fulfill her counterpart obligations due to the current economic downturn.

However, the official said that Nigeria remained committed to her partnership with the UNFPA.

Ahgu said that the ministry has scheduled to conduct Joint Monitoring visit of UNFPA Assisted Programmes at the Federal and State levels in the second quarter of this year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Task Force for PPD is the bridge builder in implementing the objectives of the South-South Cooperation.

It seeks to implement the objectives of promoting family planning, gender, sexual, reproductive health, and population and development to enhance capacity building.

NAN also reports that the meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and supported by the UNFPA, attracted key line implementing MDAs.

It was attended by more than 49 MDAs and CSOs involved in reproductive health, family planning, population and development as well as humanitarian services.

They include the host Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Ministries of Finance, Education, Health, FCT and Women Affairs, NAN and National Population Commission, among others. (NAN)

CIA/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Dakar Call for Action: Director urges MDAs to develop programmes

Dakar Call for Action: Director urges MDAs to develop programmes

NAN-H-4

Programmes

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Abuja, March 22, 2017 (NAN) Dr Faniran Sanjo, Assistant Director, International Co-operation Department, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Budget, has called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to develop relevant programmes and projects in line with the Dakar Call for Action.

The Dakar Call for Action is a resolution made by Partners in Population and Development (PPD) on South-South at the 2016 International Inter-Ministerial Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Senegal.

Sanjo made the call in a sideline interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a two-day meeting of the National Task Force Committee, and PPD on South-South Cooperation in Abuja.

Sanjo, who spoke on the “Outcome of 2016 International Inter-Ministerial Conference and Board Meeting of the PPD including Dakar Call for Action’’, urged the PPD to domesticate the Action.

He said that the Action was aim at translating the commitments made into concrete actions to strengthen inclusive national resilience and enhanced quality of human life in the global south.

“Despite daunting challenges, PPD has been able to demonstrate the South-South Cooperation has the best potential to accomplish the unfinished development agenda.

“So, MDAs that constitute task force for the implementation of the annual inter-ministerial meeting of PPD member countries are expected to study the Dakar outcome.

“They should also develop relevant programmes and projects around the outcome of the meeting.

“What is relevant to the National Population Commission on Dakar Call for Action will not be relevant to the Ministry of Health and what is relevant to the ministry will be different from what will be relevant to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“For example, the NBS is key to data monitoring and evaluation; the bureau will develop an action plan around those that affect them from the Dakar call for Action,’’ he said.

The director said that members of PPD recognised the importance of sharing knowledge as critical pillar of South-South cooperation to enhance countries capacity toward comprehensive achievement of 2030 sustainable development agenda.

Sanjo said that the ICPD called on national governments to accord greater importance to advancing populations’ dynamics and mainstreaming them into national development plans.

“It recognised that population dynamic are central to all development action.

“It urged governments to capture the subtle and complex interdependence of population dynamic vis-a-vis health, education and access to social amenities, in their planning endeavours,’’ he said.

He further said that the meeting identified old age cohorts in the population pyramid and integrate these emerging trends in the population and development plans.

The official said the PPD were advised to scale up analysis and utilisation of disaggregated data related to urbanisation and migration in the national planning process as they influence the infrastructure sector.

Sanjo said that they should scale up analysis and utilisation of disaggregated data in agriculture sector as well basic services in health sector including paid and unpaid caregivers.

“These outcomes are bound to guide the course of national development,’’ he said.

According to him, the PPD is an intergovernmental organisation of countries from the global south.

He said that PPD accounted for 60 per cent of the world’s population has emerged as the main platform fostering consensus for the South-South Cooperation toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

NAN also reports that the meeting is being attended by more than 49 MDAs and CSOs involved in in the reproductive health, family planning, population and development as well as humanitarian services.

They include the host Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Ministries of Finance, Education, Health, FCT and Women Affairs, NAN and National Population Commission, among others.

The meeting was supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). (NAN)

CIA/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola