Nation
Over 6,000 To Benefit From FG’s N65m Grant In Kano
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum says no fewer than 6,569 persons in Kano State will benefit from the Federal Government’s N656 million grant.
The Minister disclosed this yesterday in Kano during a workshop organised for women farmers and traders association on trade facilitation and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme in Nigeria.
According to the minister, the grant will be disbursed through the Federal government’s Guaranteed Offtake Scheme (GOS) and General MSME initiatives.
She explained that: “The efforts of President Muhammad Buhari on women, reflected in Nigeria’s National Gender Policy which focuses on women empowerment.
“While also making a commitment to eliminate discriminatory practices that are hampering women’s businesses from flourishing.
“My Ministry’s strategic aspiration is to accelerate the diversification of the Nigerian economy for economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation with specific focus on women-owned businesses.
“We have reinforced this through the MSME Survival Fund, where 45% is dedicated to women-owned enterprises.
“Furthermore, regarding the MSME Survival Fund, which I have the honour to chair, it may interest you to note that, in three out of the five tracks of the scheme so far implemented, Kano State has so far recorded the following.
“19,042 beneficiaries, with a total monetary value of N1,875,660,000.00 under the Payroll Support and the Artisan Schemes;
“Under the Formalisation Support Scheme, 7,927 out of 8’406 Certificates have so far been generated for Kano businesses, totaling N47,544,000.00 in monetary value.
“This is impressive, and there is still more for Kano, as the two remaining streams unfold, i.e. the Guaranteed Offtake Scheme (GOS) and General MSME Grant totaling N656,000,000.00 and covering 6,560 beneficiaries.”
In her keynote address, Mrs Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs commended the Federal Government for choosing to train the beneficiaries on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and AGOA.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is the national machinery through which the Federal Government of Nigeria addresses issues and concerns of women and children and other vulnerable persons; including women and children with disability in the country.
“The Ministry works with state counterparts (Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development), other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as with Development Partners, the Donor Community and Civil Society Groups to achieve its mandate.
“It is pertinent to state that women’s contributions to economic development as we speak start from the home, where families are groomed to go into the larger society,” Tallen said.
“It is also important to note that most of the house chores or succinctly referred to as domestic jobs are executed by women.
“In contemporary Nigeria, the majority of women are engaged in one productive activity or the other ranging from their involvement in entrepreneurship activities, such as farming, and the entire agricultural food chain, craft, and white collar jobs and are making exploits in their different capacities.” Tallen said.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).