Featured
2023 World Population Day: FG will Continue to Encourage Nigerian Women, PLWD to Excel-Kwara
Joel Ajayi
National Population Commission NPC, has said that the government will continue to empower Nigerian women to excel in their various callings.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, on the occasion of the 2023 World Population Day WPD celebration, the Chairman of the NPC Nasir Isa Kwarra, he sought for the commitment of Nigeria and other Nations to the plight of vulnerable population groups, particularly women and girls to express their rights as well access to make choices in a world of 8 billion people.
This year’s WPD celebration with the theme “Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Uplifting the Voices of Women and Girls to Unlock Our World’s Infinite Possibilities.”
According to him, the theme draws from the world’s attainment of the 8 billion population mark, addresses SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls and connects with issues highlighted in this year’s State of the World Population Report (SWOP), we launched a few weeks back. It also, urges Member States including Nigeria to ensure vulnerable population groups, particularly women and girls have chances to express their rights and have indiscriminatory access to make choices in a world of 8 billion people.
“Our population is currently estimated at slightly over 216 million, placing Nigeria as the sixth most populated nation in the world. Nigeria was listed among the nine countries in the world whose rapid population growth contributed to the 8 billion reaches on November 15th 2022. Also, predictions show that expected half of the global population growth between now and 2050 will be from the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region and Nigeria will be a major contributor to that regional growth driven by past/existing momentum growth.
“Women and Girls represent almost (49.7%), half of our entire population. However, this unique population group, more often are neglected across all societies and communities and are not accorded the deserved attention and experience limited access to opportunities.
“The context of this year’s commemoration is a reminder that arouses attention and which requires actions that will facilitate sustainable creating of opportunities that will empower women and girls for a secure future for all.
“Addressing the perspectives of women and girls’ Rights and Choices to pave way for achieving SDG 5 “Achieving Gender Equity” – entails:
“Securing unlimited Access to quality formal education and to be well-educated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including acquiring livelihood skills and entrepreneurships; Securing planned and organized Access to decent work and employment outside the home and enjoying equal wages at par with their male counterpart to achieve economic empowerment; Involvement in decision-making roles in many aspects of life, including leadership positions
“Undisruptive access to quality and affordable health care services including maternity services plus sexual and reproductive health care services;
“Therefore, to “Unleash the Power of Equality” is embedded in investing in and creating equitable access to quality education as necessary and sufficient conditions to allow women and girls opportunities to exercise their rights and choices. Thus, empowering women and girls is fundamental for achieving enduring peace, progress and prosperity in Nigeria and the world at large.
“Achieving Gender Equality, remains a task that must be done. It therefore behoves all of us (government, parliamentarians at all levels, stakeholders, the civil society organizations; traditional and religious leaders, the media, donors, partners) to secure and guarantee the empowerment of women and girls by lifting their voices across the nation so that they can be heard, acknowledged and responded to.
“Above all, the responsibility lies first with the Government to prioritize decisions and actions that provide women and girls all the opportunities through education, health-care services, jobs, resources and services to guarantee their exercising these Rights and Choices. This is inclusive of those living with disability, irrespective of where they reside.”
He commended UNFPA Resident Representative, Ulla Mueller for the support she engendered for Nigeria in the implementation of all aspects of Population and Development activities. “Saying her commitment and support to ensure Nigeria conducts an excellent population and housing census is unparalleled.”
NPC boss however, implored every one of us to support the implementation of activities to mark the event through various media platforms/channels and in various languages to sensitize the populace and targeted population on the theme – emphasizing what benefits us together, when we unleash the will power to achieve gender equality in Nigeria.
Featured
Senator Ndubueze’s Local Automotive Patronage Bill Passes Second Reading in National Assembly
By Jim Isilebo
On Thursday 15th May 2025,a Bill seeking to compel Ministries, Departments,and Agencies (MDAs) of governments in Nigeria at all levels to patronize locally manufactured vehicles,passed the second reading at the Nigerian Senate.
The Bill titled *”Local Automative Patronage Bill-2025″*, which is sponsored by distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze(FNSE) representing Imo North and introduced in October 2024 passed it’s 2nd reading at no less auspicious time as the period President Tinubu is rolling out his all-important and widely acclaimed “Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy” to be soon backed by an Executive Order of the Presidency.
The Order will mandate all ministries, departments and agencies to give absolute priority to Nigerian goods, services and know-how when spending public funds.
During the plenary,senator Ndubueze in his lead debate reinforced the President’s thinking by stating inter alia,”…it is important that goods and services are produced locally,as it’s ripple effect is a reduction in import and a rise in export,with regards to the nation’s balance of trade”.
The Senator who have never hidden his aversion to the nation’s several years of poor support to local production capacities,stridently called on his colleagues in the National Assembly to buy into this laudable initiatives as captured in the Bill.He went further to state that the country has failed to institutionalize the use of indigenous brands as is the case in countries like China,India and Malaysia that have since banned the importation of cars as a national policy, for the purpose of growing domestic industries.
He reminded his colleagues that “today those countries have perfected their local processes and we are presently importing their products,some of which cannot compete with our locally manufactured vehicles”.
Ndubueze also revealed that over the years 54 Automative manufacturing licenses have been issued by the Nigerian government, noting that only 6 companies remain operational largely due to dearth in foreign exchange and poor infrastructure.
The Senator sadly regrets the fact that many automobile firms have moved to neighboring countries like Ghana where they are establishing plants whose production is targeted at Africa’s largest automobile market Nigeria.
Senator Ndubueze continued his painful lamentation with the following posers.;”How do we stem the free fall of the naira if we cannot address our appetite for foreign goods?”.
“How do we support the development of indigenous brands if the biggest spender(government),year on year, refuses to buy made-in-Nigeria goods?”.
He went on to make a proposal of a minimum of 75 percent of vehicles in the first instance, procured by public officers and civil servants to be locally manufactured(not just assembled), as it is the first serious step to saving our economy, protecting our currency,and creating jobs for our daily growing statistics of the employed.
A clearly passionate Ndubueze continued with a salient recommendation that only firms with at least 70% Nigerian workforce,75% local research and development(R&D) budget,and technology such as robotics painting machines and electrophoresis systems should qualify as local manufacturers.
The Bill which has already gained substantial traction amongst other senators including the day’s presiding officer, the Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Chief Whip Mohammad Monguno, whom in their respective complimentary contributions to the debate made very favourable supporting comments later referred it to the Senate Committee on Public Procurement for further legislative scrutiny, and feedback expected within the next four weeks.
Reacting to the event of the day right after the plenary,a former honorable member of the House of Representatives Hon Chidi Nwogu commended Senator Ndubueze for his unwavering diligence in pursuing the actualization of this crucial Bill,and moreso his praiseworthy presentation during the lead debate.
He went further to correlate the main meat of the debate with the position and recent announcement of the Minister of state of Industry Senator John Enoh, that Nigerian the President’s “Nigerian First Policy” is geared towards injection of well over N3 Trillion into the national economy(of which the local automobile industry will be a major contributor),as it aims to patronizing local content and indigenous enterprises, which will eventually strengthen domestic production and reduce import dependency.
-
Featured6 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured4 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports3 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News5 months agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured6 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
