Business
AU Labour Forum To Tackle Unemployment
The 9TH African Union Ordinary Session on Labour and Social Affairs opened in Addis Ababa last Tuesday to plan ahead for the biennial forum of Labour Ministers and Social partners scheduled for next year.
The objective of the conference is to provide a forum for ministers and social partners to share experiences and learn from each other on ongoing programmes and activities on labour and employment in Africa.
It would also provide opportunity for stakeholders to review progress made in labour and employment issues, particularly those contained in the 4th Biennial Follow-up Report on the implementation of the Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action.
Speaking at the opening of a 4-day conference, Nigeria’s Dr Olawale Maiyegun, AU Commission’s Director of Social Affairs, said the session was taking place during a historic period considered as a watershed year for Africa, which marks 50 years of OAU, later renamed the AU.
“ The 50th OAU/AU anniversary which is being observed and organised under the theme: “Pan Africanism and African Renaissance’’, is providing us with opportunities to take stock of the key milestones of the past 50 years.
“And also to project into the future on how well we have provided decent jobs, social protection for our people, particularly the youth and women and how we tackled poverty in the last 50 years,’’ he asid.
“It is also an opportunity for us to project into the next 50 years that is by 2063, will our narrative still be poverty or we would have eradicated poverty,’’ Maiyegun said.
The Tide source reports that the conference with a theme “Enhancing the Capacity of the Labour Market Institutions in Africa to meet the Current and Future Challenges’’ is chaired by Namibia.
Maiyegun said the LSAC session would consider the 4th Biennial Follow-up Report on the implementation of the Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action; the Draft Youth and Women Employment Pact, as requested by the 17th Ordinary Session of the Summit of Heads of States and Government in Malabo in July 2011.
He said the delegates would also consider the Social Protection Plan for the Informal Economy and Rural Workers; Communication and Implementation Strategy; and the Intra African Technical Cooperation Platform.
“The session will also work on the preparation of the Special Session of the LSAC which will take place in 2014, and deliberate on the review of the Rules of Procedures of the LSAC.
“The meeting will be briefed on the progress made on the AU Labour Market Information Systems Harmonisation and Coordination Framework, including the recommendation of the 5th Joint AUC–ECA Conference of Ministers in charge of Finance, Economy, and Development Planning.
A briefing will also be done on the AU initiative on the establishment of an African Institute for Remittances (AIR).
Reports that the Ordinary Session of the AU Labour and Social Affairs Commission (LSAC) is convened every two years and it is organised on the tripartite principle basis, which provides a policy forum to governmental authorities, and representatives of workers and employer organisations within the AU member states.
The conference is expected to make concrete proposals on how to strengthen the capacity of existing institutions and regulations to meet current and future challenges in relations to inclusive economic growth, youth’s empowerment, labour market governance and accelerated implementation of social protection for workers.
The conference which had gone into a close session is also expected to elect new bureau members with representatives from the Regional Economic Communities.
Reports say that Labour ministers and experts from the AU member states, Social partner organisations, representatives of Regional economic Communities, the UN, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and other labour professionals are participating in the conference.
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
