Business
Ministry Inaugurates Youth Empowerment Scheme
The Rivers State Ministry of Employment Generation and Empowerment has commenced the empowerment of unemployed Rivers youth through its Strategic Waste Recycling Programme.
The programme, which enjoys the support of the State Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Sanitation Authority (RSESA), involves the payment of N1000.00 for every 100 empty plastic bottles or metal cans returned to the Employment Ministry by an unemployed youth in the state.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the programme’s kick-off in Port Harcourt on Friday, the commissioner in charge of the ministry, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, said that the exercise is aimed at engaging unemployed young men in the face of very limited availability of white-collar jobs.
“Part of my job is to ensure that we keep our young men engaged in one form of work or the other; and it looks to me like the opportunities available for white-collar jobs are very, very slim. For that reason, the state government has mandated that we do whatever that is possible to keep our young men engaged. So, this came in necessarily to assist our young men by way of empowering them while at the same time solving the environmental problems that we experience in this part of the country,” he said.
Besides the economic gains to the youth, the programme is also aimed at reducing the incidence of flooding in the state.
According to the commissioner, the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has approved that flooding can actually be reduced in the state by taking away the plastics that are found in the drains and on the streets; and because a good number of our young men are idle, the thinking to get their minds engaged in picking these recyclables and exchanging such for money became very necessary.
He described the programme as being strategic in the sense that it is also intended to domesticate the practice of waste segregation whereby people establish different receptacles within their homes for putting degradable and non-degradable wastes.
“Over time, the Ministry of Environment has been struggling to teach our people to do this, but by this conduct you will see that if somebody knows that he is going to get money from plastics at home, he will begin to separate such from the degradable waste. And gradually you will see that the culture of waste segregation from home will begin to grow.”
Harry, therefore, urged unemployed youths in the state to take advantage of the scheme to generate income for themselves while waiting for better job openings. He advised such persons to take their collections to Plot 11, Sani Abacha Road, near Elkan Terrace Hotel, Port Harcourt, where officials of his ministry will be on hand to attend to them between 10.00am and 2.00pm daily.
He said that the programme will continue as long as there are empty plastic bottles and cans to be taken out of the streets, but that his ministry intends to undertake a review of the exercise in March.
Some of the young men and women who received instant cash payments after turning in their recyclables expressed delight at the ministry’s youth empowerment initiative.
One of them, Bapakaye Wariboko, said that he heard about the programme over the radio and then mobilised some holidaying school kids whom he paid over N70,000 to gather the 16,300 plastic bottles from which he had just earned N163,000.
The political science student of the University of Port Harcourt who hopes to realise about N1.5 million from the programme, said that the money will be used mainly to pay school fees and also procure textbooks at the resumption of classes after the ongoing ASUU strike.
Amos Taribo of Degema Local Government Area is another beneficiary. He learnt about the programme through a friend. The 450 plastic bottles he submitted were mainly pickings from bars and restaurants.
Other participants who spoke with The Tide while awaiting their turns during the counting process also lauded the scheme but decried the use of manual counting method instead of a time-saving weighing machine.
Over 280,000 empty plastic bottles and cans were handed in before 2.00pm on that day.
Ibelema Jumbo
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter