COVOD-19
Over 14 million eligible Nigerians Received First Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine
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COVOD-19
COVID-19 Impact: Enugu Govt., Traditional Rulers Partners With AUDA-NEPAD To Empower 2,000 Farmers
Rebuilding the nation from the debilitating effect of the Covid-19 pandemic is paramount as the Enugu State Government in partnership with the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for African Development, AUDA-NEPAD seeks to empower smallholder farmers in the state to boost food production to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The administration of #Governor Ifeanyi #Ugwuanyi of #Enugu State has taken measures in furtherance of its efforts to cushion the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people and the economy of the state.
Consequently, the Enugu State office of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for African Development (AUDA-NEPAD), yesterday, held an interactive meeting with stakeholders in the state (Traditional Rulers of autonomous communities and Presidents General of town unions) on the agency’s agricultural project aimed at empowering smallholder farmers and boosting food production to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the stakeholders, the Enugu State Commissioner for Special Duties and State Co-ordinator/Focal Person in charge of AUDA/NEPAD, Enugu Office, Hon. Mrs. Mabel Agbo disclosed that AUDA-NEPAD Continental Office in collaboration with some International Agencies took bold measures to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on the citizens by initiating the project, entitled “Innovative Strengthening of Smallholder Farmers Capabilities Towards Productive Land Restoration Amid COVID-19 in Nigeria”.
Mrs. Agbo said that “this project as the title connotes is aimed at empowering smallholder farmers in our different communities in all agriculture value chains and segments (crops and livestock) to boost their capacity for food production, especially in the aftermath of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our economy”.
She stressed that “to reduce the negative impact of this pandemic, we must step up efforts to enhance the capacity of our farmers to provide food for the wellbeing of our citizens”.
Revealing that the African Union (AU) has set the ball rolling by providing the required money for the realization of the agricultural project, the AUDA-NEPAD State Coordinator pointed out that “our goal-oriented Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was equally not found wanting as he readily approved the provision of the counterpart fund required for this project”.
Mrs. Agbo, therefore, urged the Traditional Rulers of the autonomous communities in Enugu State and the Presidents General of Town Unions to ensure that lands are made available for use by the potential farmers, who she said are eager to embrace the challenges of cluster farming but do not have the requisite land space for the agricultural project in their various communities.
“As the custodians of your ancestral lands, we expect you to help by disentangling those cultivable lands under your jurisdiction that are not presently in use.
“We are also aware that in some communities, the Green Lands earlier earmarked/acquired by the government for agriculture have been encroached by land grabbers.
“We enjoin you to help us identify these lands and take necessary steps to free them for use in this project”.
Also speaking, the representative of the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Afam Ngene, described the project as laudable, commending the AUDA-NEPAD for the initiative.
The Commissioner equally lauded Gov. Ugwuanyi for ensuring that the programme reaches all the nooks and crannies of Enugu State, for full actualization of the objectives in the interest of the farmers in particular and the state in general.
He hinted that the project has a ten years duration that will outlive the present administration both at the state and federal levels.
In their separate contributions, the Deputy Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Barr. R.S.N. Eze; Igwe P.U. Agbo; Igwe Engr. Okey Ogbodo; Igwe Greg Ugwu; Igwe H.I. Eze; the Coordinating Chairman of Presidents General (PGs) in Enugu State, Barr. Paulinus Eze, and other PGs, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for attracting the international project to the state and promised to consult widely with their communities for the realization of the all-important programme.
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Africa
Flights From 12 African Countries To United Arab Emirates Resume on January 29
The National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) revealed in a Twitter update that passenger flights from Nigeria and 11 other African countries will resume from Saturday, January 29.
Other affected countries are Ethiopia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, and the Republic of Congo.
It added that entry procedures have been updated for flights originating from Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Travel restrictions were put in place by the Arab country in December last year, over the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“From January 29, entry into the UAE for arrivals from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe is allowed again.”
“Passengers arriving from the three countries must have a negative COVID-19 test which was obtained within 48 hours of departure from approved labs in their respective countries,” the tweet read.
The UAE authority also said the passengers must undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airports of departure.
On arrival in the UAE, they will be subjected to another PCR test
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COVOD-19
Federal Government, Society to Publish Book On COVID-19
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Society Committee Against COVID-19 (SOSOCOVID), to document government and stakeholders activities during COVID-19 pandemic.
SOSOCOVID is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Ehanire, represented by Mr. Okwudili Okechukwu, Director, Health System Strengthening Division in the ministry, said in Abuja that the project would educate Nigerians on issues of COVID-19.
Ehanire said stakeholders played vital roles in curbing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
He said that the project to write a book about all the efforts was a welcome development and for posterity’s sake.
Mr. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, Director of SOSOCOVID, said the project was to tell the story of the dreaded Coronavirus to Nigerians.
“We will let Nigerians know how the virus declared war on an unprepared world, how its weapon of mass destruction was fired into Nigeria and how the country engaged in the warfare.
”It is usually said that events not written are lost to history. This is why we decided to chronic the advent of Coronavirus in the book of records titled `COVID-19: The Nigerian Story’,” he said.
Ibe-Kalu said the book’s storyline would celebrate those who planned strategies, those who braved it to the front line, and other people who rendered one service or the other.
He said that the book would celebrate and accommodate profiles of support, innovations, and contributions of Nigerians in the fight against COVID-19. (NAN)
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