Nelson Ugwuagbo

Inflationary pressure in Nigeria has continued on a rise with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showing that headline inflation rate increased to 31.70% relative to the January 2024 headline inflation rate which was 29.90%.

That implies that in February 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level was more than the rate of increase in the average price level in January 2024.

The February 2024 inflation rate showed an increase of 1.80% points when compared to the January 2024 headline inflation rate.

On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 9.79% points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2023, which was 21.91%.

According to the latest NBS figure released on Friday, the headline inflation rate increased in the month of February 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (February 2023).

On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in February 2024 was 3.12%, which was 0.48% higher than the rate recorded in January 2024 (2.64%).

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Temitope Ilori as the new Director General of the National Agency For The Control of AIDS.

Dr. Ilori, who is the first female to be appointed the Director-General of the agency began her initial term of four years on February 22, 2024.

The Head of Public Relations and Protocol of NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe made this known in a press statement made available on Thursday.

Dr. Ilori took over from her predecessor, Dr Gambo Aliyu, who was the DG of the agency from June 2019 till February 2024.

Up until her appointment, Dr. Ilori was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, and a Consultant Family Physician in the Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan.

“Dr Ilori obtained her MBBS degree from the University of Ibadan and had her residency training at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. She graduated as the best graduating Fellow of the Faculty of Family Medicine, West African College of Physicians in April 2012 winning the A.O. Senbanjo Prize. She is also an Associate Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

“Dr Ilori has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD Fellow at the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa sponsored by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa. Her areas of research interest include Primary Care, Immunization, Public Health Nutrition, Non-Communicable Diseases, and Women’s and Child’s Health. She is a prolific researcher who has co-authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

“She has been involved in policy formulation and strategic development. She was a Commissioner for Health, Osun State, Nigeria from 2011 to 2014 and Chairperson, Osun State Agency on Control of HIV/AIDS, and Osun State Technical Working Group on Immunization,” the statement noted.

In a bid to enhance Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, especially among girls, the TechWomen Nigeria Alumni Association and Fellows has trained 50 secondary school girls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on various aspect of STEM education to boost their technological capacity.

The President, TechWomen Nigeria Alumni Association, Carolyn Seaman while speaking over the weekend in Abuja at the climax of the 2024 Tech Community Impact Week stated that the students have been introduced to physical computing with excellent and instructive materials and tools with which they are able to test first-hand the whole process of physical computing.

According to Seaman, the training process was an engaging and enriching experience for them, adding that the girls were able to learn on the board and actually practice a hands-on impact of what they were taught.

She noted that the TechWomen alumni and fellows were also able to learn and see first-hand how this is implemented and they can take it further to ensure sustainability of the impact.

U.S. Department of State Tech Women Program, volunteer and mentor, Kathy Giori noted that they aim to empower girls on how to understand how they can use little tiny sensors, instrument the world, take actions upon it, and then make the world a better place.

Giori explained that her dream as an electrical engineer is to get more students into STEM technology, and particularly for girls, who are majorly stigmatized, adding that apart from her passion, the training is about bringing physical computing to the world, especially Nigeria being super welcoming place for her to leverage her passion.

“So we want kids to engage in physical computing, and that’s why I’m here is I volunteer for Microblocks, the URL microblocks.fun.

“So when I did the workshop today at the Fab Lab in Abuja, the children coded their examples, brought them up to show the rest of the students, and you just plug in from board, I can see their code.

“And then I gave them a few tips on
updating their code. They go back, and they have the code with my updates. Now, the reason I’m so
passionate about physical computing is these are tiny little microcontrollers that cost,
you know, less than a dollar sometimes.

“And if children only need the opportunity to learn about inputs and outputs in the physical world, to take actions such as a motion
sensor detecting no motion would turn off the lights automatically, would turn off the air conditioning automatically.” She added.

United State Exchange Alumni Stella Uzochukwu on her part noted that they aim to ensure that students not just learn micro beads but are exposed to the fab lab space.

“We want to ensure that almost everybody is a thinker, because this is about problem solving.

“So what they did today was about problem solving. We want them to also learn how to problem solve and also be able to say things, solve problems within their community, basically, that’s what we want them to do.”

A recipient of the training, Olubayife Simisola expressed delight on the knowledge acquired and a dream fulfilled adding that the use of Microblogs for computing is really amazing.

“Microblocks is really
amazing. Before, I only thought you could use JavaScript, Python to do coding and invent stuff. But
now, Microblocks, you can also use Microblogs to make things, like send stuff for security purposes.”

Simisola explained that the training has been an eye opener and an opportunity to learn new computer inventions, adding that the knowledge acquired would be replicated among colleagues.

“It is encouraging me more to go deeper into what I believe is to be true. And I also say, with what I’ve learned from here, I’m going back to my school and I’m going to tell all the students, not just the girls in my school. I’m going to tell both girls and boys about what I’ve learned here.”

Terrorists who kidnapped over 286 students and staff in Kaduna State have demanded a total of N1 billion ($620,432) for their release.

According to Reuters, a community leader, Jubril Aminu, who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, said he received a call on his phone from the kidnappers on Tuesday.

“They made a total of a N1 billion ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school,” Aminu said.

“They gave an ultimatum to pay the ransom within 20 days, effective from the date of the kidnap. They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.”

An elected official from the Kuriga Ward municipal council, Idris Ibrahim, also confirmed the ransom demand and the amount.

“Yes, the kidnappers called the community through Jubril Aminu’s number and made the demand,” he said.

“They called from a hidden number but the authorities are working on getting the number.”

He added that the security forces were taking “adequate measures” to secure the release of the students.

The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the kidnappers’ demands.

Spokespersons for President Bola Tinubu and the army also did not respond to requests for comment.

The Minister of information, Mohammed Idris, told reporters on Wednesday that Tinubu’s position on the kidnappings in Kuriga was that security forces should secure the hostages’ release without any ransom.

LeadingReporters report that the school children, some older students and members of the school staff, were abducted on March 7 in the town of Kuriga, Kaduna State.

The incident is the first mass kidnapping in the country since 2021.

Benue State Government to Establish Power Plant for Electricity Generation.

The Benue State Government has revealed plans to establish a power plant towards generating electricity to boost socio-economic development across communities in the state.

Raymond Asemakaha, the managing director of Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC, made this known on Monday.

LeadingReporters gathered that the Federal Government’s recent assent to a bill, allowing all state governments to own and manage their electricity companies.

Speaking during a meeting with a delegation of Remedy Earth at BIPC corporate headquarters in Makurdi, Asemakaha asked the electricity company to set up a pilot plant in Benue State.

The BIPC boss stressed the need for the state to own a power generation plant that would transform the state and stimulate economic activities.

“For us we know that one thing that stimulates the economy is when you have enough power. So, we are looking for options to ensure that the state generates its power and shares it with its communities.

“We want them to do the plant here and test run it so we can know what they are capable of before we engage them. Gone are the days that people tell stories; we want to see them before we can recommend them to the governor,” he said.

The Senate of Nigeria is leading the investigation into the Central Bank of Nigeria’s disbursement of a significant N30 trillion loan to the Federal Government.

The probe aims to examine the process and utilization of the funds provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Federal Government.

The Senate has initiated the investigation amid growing concerns and calls for transparency surrounding the country’s financial management.

The investigation is taking place within the Nigerian Senate, with stakeholders from various sectors closely following the proceedings.

The inquiry is essential to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper oversight in the allocation and utilization of such substantial financial resources. It also seeks to address concerns regarding the loan’s impact on the economy and the government’s plans for repayment.

Through a comprehensive examination of documents, testimonies, and expert analysis, the Senate aims to shed light on the terms of the loan, its implications for the Nigerian economy, and the strategies for repayment.

A total of 59 medical doctors formerly working at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, DASH, in Lafia, Nasarawa State, have resigned from their positions with the state government.

The doctors cited the non-implementation of hazard allowances and poor conditions of service as the primary reasons for their resignation over the past three months.

LeadingReporters gathered that 20 of the doctors left to seek opportunities in Saudi Arabia while the remaining 39 resigned due to dissatisfaction with their conditions of service.

This mass exodus of medical professionals comes amid a broader trend of instability in industrial relations at Nasarawa State Government-owned hospitals, including strikes, protests, and resignations of health workers, particularly doctors, due to the non-implementation of hazard allowances.

The situation has escalated in recent months, with over 50 medical doctors resigning from state services between January and March 2024.

A government official from DASH, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed that the hospital received more than 25 resignation letters from doctors within just two days, stating the severity of the situation.

Dr. Yakubu Adeleke, the president of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Nasarawa State, expressed frustration over the lack of response from the state government to address the doctors’ demands for improved welfare.

He pointed out issues such as stagnated promotions, with some doctors working for up to eight years without promotion, as major grievances, warning that the mass resignation of doctors would significantly strain the state’s health system.

He said, “Doctors in Nasarawa State have been stagnated. No promotion. Some doctors have been working for eight years without promotion.”

In response, the Commissioner for Health in Nasarawa State, Dr Gaza Gwamna, acknowledged the challenges and stated that the state government had initiated the implementation of a welfare package for doctors.

Gwamna urged the remaining doctors to remain calm, assuring them that the government was in the process of recruiting to fill the vacant positions.